Chief Minister and GCA president Narendra Modi said he wants Gujarat to emerge as the hub of cricket in the country.
Modi said it is the only state in the country to have three associations of the game.
Gujrat is the lone state in India to possess three cricket bodies in Gujrat Cricket Association, Baroda Cricket Association and Saurasthra Cricket Association.
"Gujarat is only state in the entire country where three cricket associatins exist and so there is every scope for developing it as a hub of cricket," Modi said while discussing cricket related matters with BCCI vice-president and BCA chief Chirayu Amin, SCA secretary Niranjan Shah and vice-president of GCA Amit Shah in the backdrop of the first ODI between India and Australia on Sunday.
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Incidentally, it was for the firs time Modi witnessed an ODI in the city, which has been hosting international matches since 1983.
After becoming the GCA president last month, Modi has started taking keen interest in the development of the game in the state and stressed the need for representation from Gujrat in the national team.
He also suggested to celebrate the golden jubilee year of Gujarat in 2010, state level cricket tournaments should be orgainsed jointly by the GCA, BCA and SCA and it should be made an annual feature to give opportunity to the players to showcase their talents.
Sreesanth escapes with reprimand
S Sreesanth was reprimanded "for regularly violating the players code of conduct" but was retained captain of the Kerela's Ranji team.
Although the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) chairman D Gopakumar recommended Sreesanth's removal from captaincy for his misdemeanor in the field, an emergency meeting of the selection committee here decided against the severe action as he is the only international quality cricketer from the state and still has the potential to make a comeback in the national team.
The committee discussed in detail Sreesanth's code of conduct and unanimously decided to reprimand him and convey the message that recurrence of such behaviour would be viewed seriously by the KCA, its secretary T C Mathew told reporters.
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Mathew said Sreesanth has been abstaining from the coaching camp without prior permission for 'non-cricketing reasons'.
"He was appointed captain of the Kerala Ranji side with a clear intention to support his comeback to the national team," he said
Meanwhile, KCA President T R Balakrishnan conveyed the decision to Sreesanth, who joined the camp at Thalaserry yesterday.
Kerala will take on Andhara Pradesh at Thalaserry Cricket staidum on November 3.
"We need to bowl better at the death"
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said his bowlers will have to pull up their socks at death in the remaining games of the series against India.
The Aussies narrowly escaped a defeat in the opener of the seven-match series in Vadodara.
The visitors had India on the racks at 201 for seven before Harbhajan Singh (49) and Praveen Kumar (40 not out) came up with a mesmerising 84-run stand for the eighth wicket off just 54 deliveries to bring the match agonisingly close for Australia's comfort.
Ponting singled out Shane Watson, who had a torrid time in the later stages of India innings, saying the burly all-rounder has to go back to the drawing board before the second ODI at Nagpur on Wednesday.
"We had bowled very well in the first 45 overs. We need to do better in our death bowling. There are lessons to be learned. (Peter) Siddle bowled a splendid last over. He has done it before for Australia," Ponting said at the post-match press conference.
"Shane (Watson) is one of our better, no one of our best, bowlers in the end. He did not bowl well today at the death.
He has some work to do," he said.
Ponting was also full of praise for senior batsman Michael Hussey, who scored of 73 off just 54 balls that helped Australia reach the imposing total.
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"Hussey was excellent. He made it look easy. Tim Paine also played very well," Ponting said.
Asked why he did not finish pace spearhead Brett Lee's full quota of overs, Ponting said, "He complained of a sore elbow and went in to rest before coming on to the field."
The Australia captain also complimented Harbhajan for his his gutsy innings, saying, "He played well, but not well enough."
With India needing nine runs off six deliveries, Harbhajan fell in the second ball of the last over from Siddle as the hosts finished at 288 for 8 after Australia set a mammoth 293 for victory.
Baghdatis wins Stockholm title
Marcos Baghdatis won his first ATP Tour title since February 2007 when he defeated Olivier Rochus to win the If Stockholm Open final.
The Cypriot hit 15 aces and won 62% of service points to defeat his Belgian opponent 6-1 7-5 in one hour and 39 minutes.
It was Baghdatis' first title since the PBZ Zagreb Indoors in February 2007.
Bacsinszky wins Luxembourg Open
Unseeded Timea Bacsinszky overcame a ranking deficit of 42 places to defeat Sabine Lisicki in straight sets and clinch the BGL Luxembourg Open.
The Swiss player produced a mixed display with a combination of three aces and four double faults but she had more success on her serve and inflicted a 6-2 7-5 defeat on her fellow 20-year-old.
The victory, achieved in just under one and a half hours, is the high point of a successful season for Bacsinszky after she reached finals in both Prague and Istanbul.
La Liga Team of the Week 02
Kelvin Leong is becoming a huge fan of the Primera Liga as Barcelona put on another show in the art of attacking.
Barcelona put on a football clinic for the rest of the world as they demolished visitors Real Zaragoza at the Nou Camp.
Title rivals, Real Madrid, were held to a 0-0 draw away to Sporting Gijon while Abel Resino's former club, Atletico Madrid could only muster a 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Mallorca.
Here are the top eleven players in the La Liga at the weekend.
Carlo Kameni - Espanyol
The Espanyol stopper was the busiest man on the pitch against Sevilla. Time and again, he produced excellent saves to deny a very offensive-minded Sevilla side from taking all three points.
Joan Capdevilla - Villarreal
The Yellow Submarines finally got the win they deserved with Capdevilla scoring the winner. It was a must-win game for the home team and while his teammates looked nervy in the game, the experienced defender took matters into his own hands and rallied the troops.
Jesus Navas - Sevilla
The speedster from Seville has been in sensational form this season and is a nightmare for any defender. His direct push-and-run style of wing-play is a sight to behold while his clever runs into the box makes him tough to track. A pity Alvaro Negredo never capitalized on his pin-point crosses.
Michel - Sporting Gijon
Gijon's inspirational captain, Michel was the reason players like Kaka, Guti and Xabi Alonso struggled to find a way past the league minnows. He tackled and sprayed the ball out wide to his wingers while steadying the ship just in front of his back four.
Roberto Soldado - Getafe
Soldado was in impressive form as he masterminded Getafe's comfortable home win against Athletic Bilbao. He will need to continue his sizzling start for the rest of the season if he wants a spot in Spain's 2010 World Cup squad.
Seydou Keita - Barcelona
Normally, Iniesta and Xavi get all the limelight when it comes to the Catalan giants. On Sunday, Keita came into his own with three superb goals that sent Barca on their way to victory. Dynamic and energetic display from the forgotten man.
Nauzet Aleman - Valladolid
Aleman netted a brace to help Valladolid take down a high-flying Deportivo side. Known as a playmaker who creates more than he scores, Aleman did well to get his team three points in a game they were otherwise slated to lose.
Pablo Hernandez - Valencia
In our Team of the Week yet again. Pablo has given Valencia a much needed lift after the club suffered a drop in form last season. His weaving runs caused trouble for Almeria defenders throughout the 90 minutes and Pablo even helped himself to a goal.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Barcelona
The giant Swede put in his best performance for Barcelona since his move from Internazionale in the summer against Zaragoza. Two well-executed goals to prove why Pep Guardiola brought him in to replace Samuel Eto'o.
Walter Pandiani - Osasuna
He scorched a poor Atletico Madrid side last week and followed that up with another goal against Racing Santander on Sunday. The veteran hitman seems to be on a mission to give David Villa a run for the coveted Pichichi award come end of the season.
Lionel Messi - Barcelona
If Messi can replicate his club form for his country at the 2010 World Cup, Diego Maradona can continue his dream of winning the coveted trophy. Was a constant menace to a flat Zaragoza defence who simply could not cope with the wizard's dazzling runs.
Serie A Team of the Week 02
The Italian top flight saw no less than three upsets this weekend, and Vincent Lai is here to hype up the heroes of those encounters, and a few others too.
Livorno and Bari managed to upset AS Roma and Lazio respectively, but it was the silencing of high-flying Fiorentina that showed Napoli as the biggest winner this weekend, ending the game victorious even when new manager Walter Mazzarri was sent off.
Morgan De Sanctis - Napoli
The Italian Numero Tre Napoli's Numero Uno this weekend as De Sanctis single-handedly held off Fiorentina's arsenal of attackers. The 1.9m custodian blocked Adrian Mutu's short-range effort, stopped a volley from Alberto Gilardino, and probably caused more shots to go off-target with his awesome hombre-ness.
Alessandro Nesta - AC Milan
Nesta did what his colleagues upfront are paid to do on a weekly-basis, scoring twice to lift AC Milan to sixth in the Serie A table. The long-serving Rossoneri centre-back was Milan's fox-in-the-box in the 81st minute, nodding home to equalise for the visitors after Marco Borriello's shot struck the upright. The 33-year-old then headed a bullet past Chievo 'keeper Stefano Sorrentino deep into stoppage time to give the San Siro boys a vital win.
Iván Córdoba - Inter Milan
Another old-warhorse that showed he has plenty of game left. No, Cordoba did not score for the Nerazzurri last Saturday, but he did marshal Inter's defence well in place of first-team regular Walter Samuel.
Giorgio Chiellini - Juventus
Chiellini looks to have hit a rich vein of form of late, and he was at his absolute best on Sunday as he kept Massimo Maccarone and Emanuele Calaiò quiet throughout the afternoon, rendering them to virtual spectators at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Fabio Galante - Livorno
The fossil was Livorno's rock in defence on Sunday as the 35-year-old shackled Mirko Vucinic, Jeremy Menez and Julio Baptista after being sent on the pitch to replace Romano Perticone in the 25th minute.
Daniele Mannini - Sampdoria
Mannini scored a brace in the Blucerchiati's 4-1 demolition of Bologna a result that leaves 'Doria second in the Serie A league table. The winger was on hand to blast home Giampaolo Pazzini's pass on the volley as Bologna keeper Emiliano Viviano was left strandered at his near post. Mannini then capped of Sampdoria's fourth as he headed Antonio Cassano's cross into the back of the net. The 26-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, has scored five goals in eight appearances this season.
Wesley Sneijder - Inter Milan
The Dutchman scored from an exquisite freekick to net Inter their winner in a 2-1 victory over Catania. Sneijder is adpating well to the pace and physical nature of the Serie A, and is quickly evolving into the midfield maestro the Nerazzurri need to unlock defences in Italy and in Europe.
Christian Maggio - Napoli
The right-back scored the Azzurri's winner against high-flying Fiorentina, while getting himself involved in the thick of the action for the whole 90 minutes. Maggio scored on the break after sprinting to meet German Denis' long ball to tap home Napoli's winner from close range. The away win sees Napoli end their poor away run, which had seen them lose the previous four, conceding 11 goals in the process.
Riccardo Meggiorini - Bari
The backup striker had an immediate impact on Bari's 2-0 win over Lazio as he scored just one minute after coming on for Paolo Barreto in the 69th minute. Meggiorini's goal sealed Lazio's fate, a winless run that has stretched to seven games, taking their tally to three defeats and four draws since August 30.
Amauri - Juventus
The fearsome striker scored the only goal in a thrilling match against Siena as the Old Lady sank the home team 1-0. Amauri rose to head in fellow compatriot Diego's free-kick into the area as Siena custodian Gianluca Curci was left grasping air.
Alessandro Matri - Cagliari
Matri did not score the Sardinians' winning goal in the 87th minute over Genoa, but he did everything possible to ensure Andrea Lazzari got the ball to tap it pass Marco Amelia into bottom corner of the net. The tall striker held off two defenders, and even drew the 'keeper, as he laid the ball onto Lazzari's path before falling flat on his face. Heroic stuff of legends. By the way, Cagliari earned their first home win of the season.
Formula DRIFT Malaysia
ESPN STAR Sports & Goodyear turn up the heat with Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia.
Following its success with Formula DRIFT Singapore, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and Goodyear are proud to announce that they will be bringing their partnership to greater heights with the launch of the inaugural Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia, where ESS will once again be the event organizer while Goodyear continues to raise its racing profile as the event's title sponsor.
The event, scheduled for December 19 - 20 at MAEPS (Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang), will see over 50 competitive drivers from across the Asia-Pacific region pushing their rear-wheel-drive cars to the limits by demonstrating impeccable precision and vehicle control. With drivers hailing from as far as Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and Hong Kong, as well as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and of course, Malaysia, Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia promises to be an adrenaline-pumping event packed with raw action and colossal energy.
This year, Goodyear will be represented by their very own drift team, which will comprise woman drifter, Jane Cheah, together with Ariff Johanis, Michael Gan and Johan Norman. The team will compete with the other participants for the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia title.
To demonstrate the tires' powerful performance, all Goodyear Racing Teams cars are fitted with the Goodyear Eagle RS Sport and Eagle Revspec RS-02. The advanced features in these high performance tires are crucial when it comes to drifting, especially since the sport demands the utmost precision and control. They provide the required traction and response as the car slides on the track and enable drivers to hit the right lines and angles when it matters most.
"We are excited to bring the Goodyear Formula DRIFT event to the Malaysian public following its huge success in Singapore in July. The high caliber of drivers is sure to bring a new level of competition from the world-class field of participants that are scheduled to compete. This year, despite the current economic climate, we've managed to bring on board major sponsors including our title sponsor Goodyear, Tyrepac, Banana Boat and Hypertune and I'm heartened by their enthusiasm in getting involved to bring this action sports competition to new heights," said Harvey Davis, Vice-President, ESPN STAR Sports Events Management Group.
ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group has also lent its event management expertise to other regional competitions such as the Standard Chartered Bank FIH Men's Junior World Cup, KIA X Games Asia, the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, the KL World 5s and the Netball World Championships 2011.
"We are excited to be part of Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia. Goodyear is committed to promoting motorsports around the world to greater heights - especially now with drift in the ASEAN region being one of the fastest growing motorsports in the region today," explained Nasution Abdul Rahman, Managing Director, Goodyear Malaysia.
"Being involved in racing is part and parcel of Goodyear's DNA. With racing pumping in our veins, it's not surprising that Goodyear has developed some of the most innovative tires in the world. We've developed technologies that were first used for racing, such as tires reinforced with carbon fibre and DuPont Kevlar. These advancements have been incorporated in our products that you see in retail today, such as the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, Goodyear Assurance and Goodyear Wrangler, just to name a few. Ultimately, the key benefits obtained from these technologies are passed down to our consumers," he added.
The Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia will be the climax of the three-part Formula DRIFT Series, which blasted off with the Formula DRIFT Singapore ProAm Series 2009 in July. This will be pursued by the upcoming Goodyear Formula DRIFT Thailand on November 7 - 8, to be held in Bangkok, and promises to be an equally exciting event. For more information, log on to the official Formula DRIFT web site, www.formuladrift.com.my.
The Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia is organized by ESS and supported by Goodyear as the Title Sponsor, Tyrepac as the Official Tyre Pit Change, Banana Boat as the Official Sunblock and Hypertune as the Official Magazine.
ESS is also the official broadcast channel for the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia and the broadcast of the highlight programme will be shown on ESS' footprint of 310 million viewers in 24 countries.
Loeb claims world title number six
Sebastien Loeb clinched his sixth world rally title with victory in the final race of the season, the Rally of Great Britain.
The Frenchman had a comfortable win over world title rival Mikko Hirvonen who had gone into the final event of the season leading the world title race.
But Loeb, driving the Citroen C4 WRC, secured his sixth world crown with a 54th world rally event win in Wales.
After completing the final Rheola stage Loeb was able to celebrate beating Hirvonen, of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team, by a single world championship point.
Loeb said: "It's been an incredible season. We made a good start then we lost everything and we came here one point behind Mikko.
"Finally we've done it and I'm really happy but Mikko has been extremely strong. I know it will be tough next year for sure.
"This has been one of my best title wins; the battle was so intense - going almost until the end of the last rally. It was incredible."
Hirvonen finished the rally as runner-up and also could only manage second best behind Loeb in the title fight.
The Finn said: "Now I need to go back to work and find more speed for next year. It was definitely the best year I've ever had, though.
"We're really close now to his speed and that feels good. It's been a great year, but of course a big disappointment at the end."
Third place in both the rally and also the final world championship standings went to Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo.
"This has been a great day and a great championship, I'm really happy," said the Spaniard.
Fourth place went to Petter Solberg (Citroen Junior Team) with his elder brother Henning next to finish for the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team.
Sixth went to Matthew Wilson (Ford), with Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford) in seventh and Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) claiming the final championship point on offer in eighth.
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