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Bengaluru ● Wednesday ● 8 July 2009
DC
● HYSTERIA: RONALDO REVELS IN RAPTUROUS WELCOME AT REAL MADIRD
The rebirth of ‘Galactico’
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Dreaming of an Indian Yao Ming MAXIN MATHEW DC | BENGALURU
Cristiano Ronaldo was greeted by a record 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Monday. —AFP
Madrid, July 7: Cristiano Ronaldo said on Monday he had fulfilled a ‘childhood dream’ as he was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player before a record-setting capacity crowd of nearly 80,000 people at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. “I am very happy to be here,” the 24-year-old Portuguese winger told cheering fans in the Spanish capital after completing his long desired move to the club from Manchester United. “For me it is the realization of a childhood dream, which was to play for Real Madrid. I never expected the stadium would be full just to see me. It is impressive,” he added. Club officials said the event had smashed the previous record for attendance at the unveiling of a footballer set in July 1984, when Diego Maradona was presented at Naples after signing from Barcelona before 75,000 people. Real acquired Ronaldo last month
on a six-year deal worth 94 million euros (131 million dollars) and he will reportedly be paid 13 million euros each season, making him the most expensive player in the world. Ronaldo, the 2008 FIFA world player of the year, said he was ‘proud’ to be the world’s best paid footballer and would do all he could to help the team win the Champions League. “I want to prove that they paid the right price for me,” he told a lengthy news conference after he was unveiled where he fielded questions in English, Spanish and Portuguese. “We have a great team, a great coach, and we have to take it step by step. We have a really good chance to win the Champions League,” he added. Real, Spain’s historically most successful team, last won the Champions League in 2002. Ronaldo wore the black and white Number 9 jersey once sported by club legend Alfredo di Stefano dur-
“Nine is a mythical number at the Real Madrid.The numbers don’t play. It is me who is going to play and I am going to play well,” ing his unveiling. The Argentine striker, Real’s honorary president, was present at the unveiling as was Portuguese legend and former Real player Eusebio. The number 9 jersey was recently vacated by Argentine striker Javier Saviola who joined Portuguese side Benfica last month. While Ronaldo wanted to keep the number 7 which he used during his six years at Manchester, that number is already taken by Real captain
Raul. “Nine is a mythical number at the club. The numbers don’t play. It is me who is going to play and I am going to play well,” he said. Fans, many equipped with food and drinks to ease a lengthy wait, starting gathering at the stadium hours before the official presentation, which lasted about 30 minutes, got underway at 9 pm. Ronaldo will team up with Kaka, the 2007 FIFA world player, who signed for 65 million euros by Real from AC Milan in early June. Real president Florentino Perez brought Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, to herald the start of Galacticos at Real during his first term as the club's president between 2000 and 2006. He is now seeking to rebuild a squad which trailed arch rivals and Champions League winners Barcelona last season by reviving his policy of signing football superstars. —AFP
French tennis player Mahadik selected Montcourt found dead for European trip DC CORRESPONDENT
Paris, July 7: French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt was found dead in front of the door to his ground floor apartment in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt early on Tuesday, police said. The body of the 24-yearold, currently 119th in the ATP rankings, was found by his girlfriend who then alerted the police. An autopsy into the causes of death was to be carried out on Wednesday but police said there were no indications that Montcourt had been attacked. French tennis circles were dumbfounded by the news. “The French Tennis Federation (FFT) is literally in shock on learning of the death of Mathieu Montcourt,” a Federation statement said. FFT technical director Patrice Dominguez said: “Mathieu was a young and promising talent. He was a hard-working, serious and clean-living lad. We are devastated and our first thoughts are with his family.” A tennis professional since 2002, Montcourt reached a career best world ranking of 104th in June
matches. Montcourt appealed against the ban and the Lausanne-based Court of Arbritation for Sports reduced the sanction by two weeks citing the small sums of money involved 192 dollars on 36 games and the fact that he did not bet on games in which he was playing.
Nadal shocked
Mathieu Montcourt
after qualifying for the main draw at the French Open and reaching the second round where he lost in four sets to Radek Stepanek. His last tournament was in the Croatian town of Rijeka late June where he reached the semifinal of a Challenger Tour event. His career was badly hit in August last year when he was banned for eight weeks and fined 12,000 dollars for betting on the Internet on the outcome of tennis
World No. 2 player Rafael Nadal was one of the first to react and was shocked at the tragedy. “I’m still in shock for this. I can’t believe it,” the Spanish world number two and friend of the player, said on his website. “I have knew Mathieu since we were kids. We competed together at all the events at an international level. When something like this happens, you really know where we are and the relativeness of winning or losing a tennis match, of not competing at an event or anything else. “This is the loss of a guy who was only 24 and that was a sports person. He won’t be playing with us again.” —Agencies
NEW DELHI
July 7: Hockey India on Tuesday named a 23-member squad for a 25-day European tour, starting later this month. This will be India’s first tour under Spaniard Jose Brasa, who was appointed as national coach in May earlier this year. Drag-flicker Sandeep Singh will continue to lead the side. India are slated to play a series of 12 test matches against England, Belgium, Spain and Holland, starting from August 2 in Birming-
Euro trip team
Baljit Singh Defenders: Sandeep Singh (capt), V. Raghunath Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, Vikram Pillay, Prabodh Tirkey, Sardar Singh, Ajitesh Roy, Ignace Tirkey, V.S. Vinaya, Dhananjay Mahadik. Forwards: Tushar Khandker, Shivendra Singh, Rajpal Singh, Arjun Halappa, Prabhjot Singh, Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Hari Prasad, S.V. Sunil, Bharat Chikara, Ravi Pal Singh, Birendra Lakra Officials: Jose Brasa (chief coach), Harendra Singh (coach),
NBA All-Star player Baron Davis shows off his skills at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. —R. Samuel
B AR ON OF B ASKETB ALL Height: 6ft 3 Weight: 102 kg Country: USA Current team: Los Angeles Clippers Played for: Charlotte Hornets (1999-2005), Golden State Warriors (2005-08), LA Clippers
(2008-present) Awards: Two-time NBA All-Star player Hollywood: Owns ‘Verso Entertainments’, a production company. Won critical acclaim for his sports documentary entitled ‘Made in America’
ther took me to a basketball court when I was four. Ever since then playing basketball was all that I ever wanted to do. It helped me stay away from gang violence and drugs and made me realise the potential I had. It helped me fight my adversities and now I am a star. India’s tryst with basketball: India has great potential, great talent. The kids are humble, patient and hungry to learn. They are smart and quick at gathering the concept which is very encouraging. In another 5-10 years, India can surely be on the radar. Need of the hour: A professional system and good coaches who impart the right fundamentals. One has to crawl before he can walk. A systemised national league in India on the lines of the NBA should be started where each state can pool in with two teams and have zonal matches and playoffs. This will bring India into
the spotlight. It will help us spot talent and recruit them into the NBA. Producing movies or basketball: Basketball, basketball and basketball (Laughs). I wish NBA didn’t have any age bar or else I would have played till I was 80. Movies are my other love and I write reviews, have my production company and do shows just to sustain it. Most cherished player: Micheal Jordan is the best, but Magic Johnson is my inspiration. When I was 16, I surprisingly got a chance to train with him. Sun or rain, I made sure I don’t miss a single day of practice. On his supposed relationship with actress Kate Hudson: (Smiles). She is a very close friend and that’s about it. I have known her since I was 13 and we have shared a good rapport from school till now. The media often tends to convolute things.
ham. Seasoned defender Dilip Tirkey (ankle) will miss the tour, as also striker Deepak Thakur (knee) as they are recuperating from injury. Midfielder Dhananjay Mahadik is the lone new face. Member of the junior squad for long, the 25-year old is likely to make his debut on this tour. The team will be accompanied by nine-member support staff, which, apart from Brasa, includes Harendra Singh and Romes James as coach and assistant coach.
Romeo James (assistant coach), Jesus Garcia Pallares (human performance analyst), Lt Col B.K. Nayak (doctor), Pradip Dutta (trainer), Shrikant Iyengar (physio), BR Barafsingh (masseur), Jagbir Singh (manager). Schedule: July 27: 1st Test vs England, July 29: 2nd Test vs England, July 31: 3rd Test vs England, August 2: Test v England, August 4: 1st Test vs Belgium, August 5: 2nd Test vs Belgium, August 7: Test vs Belgium, August 9: 1st Test vs Spain, August 10: 2nd Test vs Spain, August 12: 3rd Test vs Spain, August 14: 1st Test vs Holland, August 16: 2nd Test v Holland.
Local basketball players listen in rapt attention to Davis.
Toyota pulls out of hosting Japanese GP Tokyo, July 7: The global economic crisis dealt a fresh blow to Formula One racing Tuesday as Toyota Motor pulled out of hosting the Japanese Grand Prix at its Fuji Speedway circuit from next year. The race track, in the foothills of Mount Fuji, hosted the Japanese Grand
Prix for the first time in 30 years in 2007, and again in 2008. It had been slated to host the 2010 race as the 16th leg of the 18-race Formula One series. But the economic downturn made it “extremely difficult” to continue to stage the event, said Hiroaki Kato, president of Toyota-owned
Fuji International Speedway Co., which operates the circuit. “I apologise deeply for being unable to live up to expectations. It is truly heartbreaking,” he told reporters, bowing before the cameras at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo. From 2009, the Japanese Grand Prix had been due to alternate between Fuji Speedway and Honda’s Suzuka Circuit, which staged the race for 20 straight years until 2006. —AFP
Cancellara keeps yellow jersey
Regd. No. SDHO/8/2006-08 Published by Raja Vishnu Mohan on behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited from 22, Campbell Road, Austin Town, Bangalore-560 047 and Printed by him at Deccan Chronicle Press at 177/178/179, Jigani Link Road, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore-560 099. Editor: A.T. Jayanti RNI Registration No.KARENG/2008/24762
Goalkeepers: Adrian D’Souza,
July 7: “I’m so glad I’m here. The people!!! The culture!! They are hungry for b’ball. India is going to be a great basketball place. Waiting on the Indian Yao now”, read two-time NBA All-Star Player Baron Davis’ Twitter message on Monday. It clearly showed Davis’ passion for the game and signalled his American friends his love for India, its people and the dream to see the Asian sub-continent among the premier nations which excel in basketball. The 6”3 powerhouse pointguard for the Los Angeles Clippers, Baron’s life has been a rivetting example of a valiant battle against odds. A childhood from the environs of the South-Central Los Angeles neighbourhood, marred by gang violence and drugaddicted youth, Baron fought a slow but confident fight making basketball his passport for freedom. Raised by his maternal grandparents, Baron’s tenacity saw him win a scholarship at a prestigious high school for the affluent and he went on to star at the University of California (UCLA), striding into the world of professional basketball. Fast on the court with a devastating leaping ability, he bagged his first NBA draft in 1999 for the Charlotte Hornets at just 19. A star was born. The 30-year-old’s ability is not just limited to the courts and that explains why the NBA chose him and his team comprising NCAA coach Christopher Clooney to conduct a threeday Junior Hoop School Coaching Clinic, jointly organised by the Basketball Federation of India. “Boomdizzle”, as he is known, shared his undying passion for the sport, his newfound love for movies and the need for a systemised basketball league in India, in a chat with this newspaper. Excerpts: From a tough childhood to centrestage: My grandfa-
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland celebrates on the podium.
Montpellier, France, July 7: Lance Armstrong dramatically missed out on the yellow jersey by the slimmest of margins here on Tuesday after his Astana team blew their rivals apart in the Tour de France’s fourth stage time trial. Astana came over the finish line of the 39km race against the clock 40secs ahead of the Saxo Bank team of Fabian Cancellara, who began and finished the race in the yellow jersey. However Armstrong, the —Reuters
Tour de France seven-time champion who moved up seven places from 10th to third after Monday’s equally dramatic third stage, has shown once again that he fully intends to stay in contention for an eighth Tour crown. “It’s a little bit of a disappointment (to miss) but the yellow jersey is on the horizon,” said Armstrong. “Astana did their maximum.” Armstrong, returning to the
race four years after his record seventh triumph in 2005, is now second overall in the overall standings at 0sec behind Cancellara, missing taking the yellow jersey by two tenths of a second. Ahead of three key mountain stages in the Pyrenees, beginning on Friday, Armstrong and his team are in the driving seat. Cancellara is not a real contender for the yellow jersey and so Armstrong, at this point, will be seen by some as the virtual
race leader. Adding some intrigue to the race is the fact that Astana’s official team leader Alberto Contador, the 2007 champion, is now third overall at 19secs adrift while another two Astana riders, Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer, are not too far behind. The Garmin team of David Millar and Bradley Wiggins had earlier done well to finish in second, only 18secs behind Astana. —AFP