India’s Formula One dream come true
After a long wait and a frenetic dash to the finish line, Formula One is all set to make its debut in India this weekend here at the Buddh International Circuit. The challenges of an unknown track and dramatic turns and changes in elevation make it an exciting prospect for the 24 drivers who will speed down the 5.14 km circuit. And the drivers are ready for it.On the eve of the first practice session on Friday, a handful of drivers spoke of what they expect to happen and what are the strategies they would employ as race day approaches. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa said that the track presented unique challenges and it would be interesting to see how it responds on Friday.”I am enjoying my time in India. The hairpins seem quite unique as they are very wide. You can actually choose two racing lines and there would be a lot of opportunities of overtaking. So it will be a good race,” the Ferrari driver said on Thursday.Veteran driver Rubens Barrichello commended the amount of work put in building the venue.”The track is quite good. They have done a superb job of constructing the venue in such a short time. We will look at the track properly tomorrow. There is quite a bit of dust, but that’s normal,” the Williams driver said.The only Indian driver for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix weekend – Narain Karthikeyan of Hispania Racing – said it was a proud moment for him, but that the fans should understand the nuances of the sport and not expect miracles.advertisement”It’s a historic day to be an Indian driving at the Indian GP. But realistically, we are just hoping that both the cars manage to finish the race. However, the first few laps are going to be really special for me. There are many fans in India who are excited about the race. Unlike China, there are many F1 fans in India,” Karthikeyan said.For, Force India driver Adrian Sutil, the season offered glimmers of hope and with the year winding to a close, most of the teams would be concentrating on next season.”Our car has been good in qualifying but the balance hasn’t been good on race day. In Singapore and Suzuka we were very competitive. There are a few improvements coming up so I hope we will get better,” the German said.
De Villiers gets the awardFARIDABAD There was plenty to savour at the end of the first Under-19 Commonwealth Cricket Championship that concluded on January 11, with South Africa beating Bangladesh by 250 runs in the finals at the Nahar Singh Stadium. The emergence of Bangladesh as a force at the,De Villiers gets the awardFARIDABAD There was plenty to savour at the end of the first Under-19 Commonwealth Cricket Championship that concluded on January 11, with South Africa beating Bangladesh by 250 runs in the finals at the Nahar Singh Stadium.The emergence of Bangladesh as a force at the under-19 level augurs well for cricket. India too did well to be in the third spot displaying some fine talent that, over time, is sure to make its way into the national side.Says Vikram Kaul, general secretary of the championship’s organising committee: “This is the first time that the Commonwealth has associated itself with crick et at this level.”Efforts are now on to include the sport in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The biggest talent throwers were South Africa, which produced boy wonder Abraham de Villiers (no relation to the illustrious Fanie de Villiers).He scored 192 runs in the finals and was justifiably declared the man of the match as well as the man of the tournament. A poet to boot, one of his verses reads: “Day dreamers are dangerous, they dream with eyes open, and make their dreams come true.” De Villiers certainly did. For himself, and his team.
South Korean Hyeon Cheng’s appearance does not betray that he can hit the ball that hard. So it made for some exciting moments when he made the tall Albert Alcaraz Ivorra of Spain run around during the final of the Junior ITF II in New Delhi on Thursday.Cheng displayed his court craft to perfection as he defeated Ivorra 6-7( 0), 7-7, 6-4 in a gruelling final to win the junior boys’ category. Unlike Cheng, third seeded Oleksandra Korashirli of Ukraine had an easy outing as she thrashed seventh seed Michelle Werbrouck of Belgium 6-2, 6-2 to claim the girls’ title.The boy’s final was an intense affair as none of the players were ready to concede an inch. Ivarro’s booming strokes and strong forehand were challenged by Cheng’s powerful serves.The Spaniard got the first break in the seventh game and took a 4-3 lead. Ivarro then broke Cheng in the 10th game, but the Korean fought his way back. He came up with some beautiful drop shots and levelled the score at 6-6. Ivarro recollected his game and pushed him to the limits in the tie- breaker as the Korean couldn’t score a single point and lost the set.Ivarro maintained the momentum and broke Cheng in the first game of the second set. The Korean, however, stepped up his game and broke back in the 8th and 12th game to draw level.The third set saw the two raise the bar. Ivarro dominated the set with his big serves but Cheng stretched him to the flanks with his angles, forcing the Spaniard to play on his back hand. His strategy paid dividends as the temperamental Ivarro appeared to lose his focus and screamed at his errors.advertisementIt cost Ivarro as he was broken in the 10th game. His strokes lacked the sting and Cheng cashed on it. The Spaniard doubled faulted and Cheng scored on a cross- court forehand. Ivarro double faulted again and Cheng sailed through. “My opponent was tough as he was serving fast and had an equally effective forehand. I made to play him on the back hand and I was successful in my strategy,” said Cheng, who will next play in Kolkata.
HP Pavilion Notebook Rs 58,000The notebook’s imprint finish of high gloss resin sports a unique wave pattern and keeps the black cover scratch free.It comes loaded with a 1.3 megapixel webcam over 14.1-inch hi-definition display. You can play CDs without booting up the computer.Direct access to the DVD drive is,HP Pavilion Notebook Rs 58,000The notebook’s imprint finish of high gloss resin sports a unique wave pattern and keeps the black cover scratch free.It comes loaded with a 1.3 megapixel webcam over 14.1-inch hi-definition display. You can play CDs without booting up the computer.Direct access to the DVD drive is through the ‘Quickplay’ buttons. Graze over the buttons even in the dark, shuffle through songs like an MP3 player and control the volume without going into the media player.
David Warner was named Australia vice-captain for the tri-series, and thus, when Michael Clarke was ruled out of Friday’s match against Sri Lanka, he would have expected to be named captain.But instead, the national selection panel decided to go for the vast experience of Ricky Ponting, since they were bent on ‘resting’ Test vice- captain Brad Haddin, and didn’t consider Warner experienced enough for the job.On Wednesday, Warner himself stated that the move was fine with him. “Obviously, appointing Ricky as captain is due to his experience and that’s an opportunity for me to be under him as well and he’s led the country for many years so I’m looking forward to being his vice (captain),” Warner said on Wednesday.”I’m just actually happy I’m playing another one-day game for Australia, that’s the main thing. Obviously, I haven’t had a great start to the one-day series… as selectors have noted they don’t want to put any extra pressure on myself and I agree with that.”Chairman of selectors John Inverarity claimed that Warner was not ready for the top job yet. “David Warner is a young player making his way. He displays considerable leadership potential, but the selection panel is of the view that he should not, at this moment, have the added responsibility of captaincy thrust on him. David has been gaining valuable experience under Michael Clarke’s captaincy and now he will have the opportunity to grow his leadership skills further as vice-captain to Ricky Ponting.”The selectors drew flak from legendary Australia skipper Steve Waugh, who slammed the decision to revert the captaincy to Ponting. “If David Warner is in there as vice-captain, I assume they think he’s leadership material and if he’s vice-captain why can’t he captain the side as well?,” Waugh was quoted as saying by the Australian media. “Ricky will do it blindfolded but the future is probably David Warner, so I’m surprised they didn’t go to Warner.”advertisementThis is the second time in a month that Warner has been overlooked for the top job, despite being tagged as the future Australia captain. Uncapped Tasmanian George Bailey was appointed to lead the Twenty20 team in the two internationals against India.While Waugh may not understand the decision, another former Test skipper, Kim Hughes, says it was right not to give the captaincy to Warner.”As far as establishing himself as a consistent player, he’s a long, long way away from that,” Hughes told Melbourne radio station SEN .”He’s intuitive, brilliant in the field, but I just think the last thing he needs is too many burdens. At this stage Warner is still coming to grips with what he needs to be to become a great player, which we all hope he will be, and that’s consistency.”
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.netAnusorn “Tai” Bundit will stay as head coach of Ateneo’s women’s volleyball team.Ateneo president Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ announced the news on Monday after team management and the Thai coach met several times the past week.ADVERTISEMENT “The meetings have not been in vain since a number of valid concerns were raised and will be addressed systematically by the Ateneo de Manila. One important common denominator in these gatherings is what I saw to be the shared desire of both Coach Tai and the Lady Eagles to apply themselves wholeheartedly to representing our school and doing their best to play for the championship. And to achieve this, they know that they have to make the needed adjustments and mutual accommodation in their preparations,” he said in a statement.“In view of all this, I am happy to announce that both Coach Tai and the Ateneo Women’s Team will continue to work together to make this season’s campaign successful.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSBoxers Pacquiao, Petecio torchbearers for SEA Games opening Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Villarin, however, has put his foot down to resolve the issue and get the team’s act straightened up as Ateneo prepares for its campaign in the coming UAAP Season 80.Villarin also called for unity as the Lady Eagles try to put the issue behind.“I know that much has been said in social media about our coach and our Lady Eagles. With people taking sides, no one has emerged from all this unscathed. I request everyone to be more careful with their social comments, to be more understanding of how terribly painful it must be for the coach and especially the women to have their character impugned in public based on speculation. The team’s concerns, I must say, are legitimate, and so we will address these moving forward,” he said.Villarin has then tasked the school’s Athletics Office to take part in addressing the said issues.“I am asking the Athletics Office to assist in addressing these concerns and to help in the healing process,” he ended.ADVERTISEMENT PSL imposes 1-year ban, P50,000 fine on Soltones after playing in PVL All-Star Game Palace: Robredo back to ‘groping with a blind vision’ View comments Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Hotel says PH coach apologized for ‘kikiam for breakfast’ claim MRT 7 on track for partial opening in 2021 Ethel Booba on hotel’s clarification that ‘kikiam’ is ‘chicken sausage’: ‘Kung di pa pansinin, baka isipin nila ok lang’ Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games The Lady Eagles have been in disarray since last week, with majority of the team reportedly calling for Bundit’s ouster, with the main issue stemming from the multi-titled mentor’s hard practices. The Fatted Calf and Ayutthaya: New restos worth the drive to Tagaytay After 30 years, Johnlu Koa still doing ‘hard-to-make’ quality breads MOST READ LATEST STORIES ‘A complete lie:’ Drilon refutes ‘blabbermouth’ Salo’s claims Malditas save PH from shutout
View comments Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Ethel Booba on hotel’s clarification that ‘kikiam’ is ‘chicken sausage’: ‘Kung di pa pansinin, baka isipin nila ok lang’ Malditas save PH from shutout “This will be as good as any chance for us to qualify,” Azkals skipper Phil Younghusband told the Inquirer. “We were so close in 2014 and for some of the players, it was one of their biggest disappointments. But now we have another chance.”The Azkals will be returning to a country where it has already achieved success, having reached the semifinals of the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time in 2012 in the Nepalese capital.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSBoxers Pacquiao, Petecio torchbearers for SEA Games opening Make a new boxing star shine here After 30 years, Johnlu Koa still doing ‘hard-to-make’ quality breads Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Palace: Robredo back to ‘groping with a blind vision’ MRT 7 on track for partial opening in 2021 MOST READ The Philippine Azkals left for the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu early Wednesday with the goal of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time when the continental showpiece event is played in the United Arab Emirates in 2019.Held to back-to-back draws by Yemen in the last two qualifying matches, the Azkals hope to finally nail the Asian Cup berth with a win over Nepal on Nov. 14 at ANFA Stadium in Kathmandu.ADVERTISEMENT Hotel says PH coach apologized for ‘kikiam for breakfast’ claim ‘A complete lie:’ Drilon refutes ‘blabbermouth’ Salo’s claims LATEST STORIES Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. The Fatted Calf and Ayutthaya: New restos worth the drive to Tagaytay
Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Jordan delivers on promise: 2 Cobra choppers now in PH MOST READ Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next AP FILE PHOTOTiger Woods is embarking on his latest comeback without a swing coach.Woods said Friday (Saturday Manila time) on Twitter that since fusion surgery on his lower back in April, he has been relearning his body and his golf swing by relying on feel and the previous three years of work with Dallas-based Chris Como.ADVERTISEMENT Malditas save PH from shutout MRT 7 on track for partial opening in 2021 Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. LATEST STORIES Hotel says PH coach apologized for ‘kikiam for breakfast’ claim
View comments 2 officials convicted at FIFA trial; 3rd awaits verdict “For now, I think it’s best for me to continue to do this on my own,” Woods said. “I’m grateful to Chris Como for his past work, and I have nothing but respect for him.”Como was not in the Bahamas when Woods returned following his fourth back surgery. In his first competition in 10 months, Woods had plenty of speed and power in his swing, shot three rounds in the 60s at the Hero World Challenge and tied for ninth against an 18-man field, 10 shots behind Rickie Fowler.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSBoxers Pacquiao, Petecio torchbearers for SEA Games openingSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingMore important than his score was his form: Woods looked strong and fit with his swing and his posture all through the week.He has not said where he will play first in 2018. The Fatted Calf and Ayutthaya: New restos worth the drive to Tagaytay ‘A complete lie:’ Drilon refutes ‘blabbermouth’ Salo’s claims Unlike the previous three coaches employed by Woods — Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and Sean Foley — Como was not as steady a presence in public even when Woods played an 11-event schedule in 2015.Notah Begay, who has known Woods since they played together at Stanford, introduced him to Como in the summer of 2014. Woods hired him as a consultant late that year as he talked about a “new old swing” he would try to employ.Como said in a text message that Woods’ “electrifying play” in the Bahamas was the byproduct of “a lot of hard work over the last few years while fighting through injury and pain,” and he felt there was plenty of enthusiasm for next year.“When our professional relationship began, I was asked to help Tiger utilize his own instincts and feel while playing pain free,” Como said. “I think we’ve accomplished that and I’m proud of the results. Tiger is ready to have an incredible run in his career. I’m eager to watch what will be one of the most exciting sports comebacks of all time.”ADVERTISEMENT Ethel Booba on hotel’s clarification that ‘kikiam’ is ‘chicken sausage’: ‘Kung di pa pansinin, baka isipin nila ok lang’ After 30 years, Johnlu Koa still doing ‘hard-to-make’ quality breads