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Bengaluru ● Wednesday ● 11 August 2010 Aditya Patel ended a good fourth in the Scirocco Cup in Germany.
Werder Bremen have denied Mesut Ozil’s move to Barcelona.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has warned his best is yet to come.
‘Superman’ waltzes into city MAXIN MATHEW DC | BENGALURU
The backbone of Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard is your typical NBA star, tall, huge and amazingly talented but he also goes weakkneed at the sight of Freida Pinto!.
Aug. 10: Four-time NBA All-Star, two-time consecutive Defensive Player of the Year, 2008 Slam Dunk champion and Beijing Olympics gold medallist. If these records don’t speak for themselves, then perhaps, nothing will. Standing tall at a menacing 6”11, Dwight ‘Superman’ Howard is a phenom. He may not be a household name to the average sportsloving Indian who connects basketball with Shaquille O’ Neal, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but for a basketball lover — especially having Howard in person in India — is nothing less than having struck kryptonite. Storming out of a phone booth, donning a Superman cape, he slammed the ball down a 12foot high hoop during the 2008 Slam
Dunk competition. Howard’s rise has been meteoric. He has been the backbone for Orlando Magic, playing a crucial role in their road to their first NBA finals after 14 years in 2009, which they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. And oh yes, he is among the rare few in the NBA not to have a tattoo! The powerhouse defensive centre, who arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday to start a whirlwind four-day tour of India, sparred with the Indian senior team at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to prepare them for the Asian Games in China this November. He will end his Bengaluru leg on Wednesday with a coaching clinic for the Mahindra NBA Challenge wards before moving to the national capital. In a chat with this newspaper at the launch of a first-ever exclusive NBA outlet here amidst hollering fans who had swamped Brigade Road, the 24-yearold shared his excitement to be in India, his never-ending rivalry with Shaq and why Frieda Pinto makes him go ‘daym’ (sic). Excerpts: On Incredible India: Very excited and happy to be here. Since I was a rookie seven
years ago, I have never been more excited to come to a place like India. I’ve seen NatGeo specials on this amazing country and it’s a blessing to be here in this beautiful place. I’m a big animal lover and I just hope I can get to see some tigers. On basketball talent in India: There is talent and potential but what is required is more dedication and encouragement. I noticed a couple of players while training with the senior Indian team and they have immense potential. All these kids need is proper guidance and more coaching clinics. That’s what the NBA is here for. On the real Superman — Dwight or Shaq: Let me clear the air, there is no rivalry with Shaq. I know the media wrote Shaq had something against me for doing the Superman stunt. People just made a big deal out something which was very trivial. But as for Superman, there is no one other than me. On being tattoo-less and God-fearing: I’m a godfearing person and it’s against my religion. And I think my body looks good and presentable without tattoos. On shifting base from Orlando: I’m happy to be with Orlando and have no plans to move out. It’s my team and I want to win the championship with them. On humming Beyonce tunes at the free throw line: That was a long time ago (laughs). Do people still think I do that? Well now I just go out there with a clear head. No songs.
Dwight Howard in a jovial mood during the NBA clinic at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday. —Shashidhar B.
Sharmila Nicolette makes a dainty putt at the Women’s Professional Golf Championship at the KGA course on Tuesday. —Satish B.
Sharmila in 4-stroke lead DC CORRESPONDENT
LADIES GOLF
BENGALURU
Aug. 10: A tough course with unrelenting greens and water hazards saw the golfers struggle on the opening day of the second leg of the Women’s Professional Golf Championship at the KGA course on Tuesday. With most of them struggling to read the greens, local girl Sharmila Nicolette returned the best card of two-over 74, leaving her four strokes clear of her nearest competitors Rani Sonti of Bengaluru and Nalini Singh Siwach of Delhi, who shot an identical six-over 78. Sharmila, who won the opening leg of the championship last week, started well with even par scores on the first four holes and a birdie on the fifth. She
dropped a shot on the seventh, but made up with a birdie on the ninth to make the turn at one-under. The 19-year-old faltered on the back nine with three bogeys. “The course is playing tough. My game was average and my putting let me down,” Sharmila said. Local girl Nikki Ponappa
had a disastrous round going 12-over 84 with seven bogeys, three double bogeys to go with a lone birdie on the 13th LEADING SCORES: Professionals: 74: Sharmila Nicollet ; 78:. Nalini Singh Siwach, Rani Sonti; 79: Nitika Jadeja, Preetinder Kaur, Pallavi Jain; 80: Saaniya Sharma; 82: Mita Gowande; 84: Nikki Ponappa; Amateurs : 80: Nitika Arjun 80; 83: Tvesa Malik
Regd. No. SDHO/8/2006-08 Published by Mohammed Sikander 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
On Indian food and Indian movies: Yet to try some here though I’m not much a fan of spicy food. I saw Slumdog Millionaire and boy, Freida Pinto was daym smooth (sic). She is one real hot Indian actress I have seen.
Sport
Bolt’s season ends with back injury Paris, Aug. 10: World sprint sensation Usain Bolt on Tuesday ruled himself out of the rest of the season because of a back problem. The Jamaican, who won gold in both the 100 and 200 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 worlds, and is world record holder in both events, suffered his first defeat in two years when beaten by American Tyson Gay in the 100m in Stockholm on Friday.
SQUASH
Ghosal out of Oz Open New Delhi, Aug. 10: The Indian challenge at the 2010 Australian Open Squash championship ended on Tuesday after Saurav Ghosal was upset by local favourite David Palmer 1-3 in the first round clash at Canberra. Tenth seed Palmer overcame a slow start to beat birthday boy Ghosal in four games in the $142,500 fourth PSA Super Series event of the year. Ghosal, the unseeded world number 26, celebrating his 24th birthday, came out of the blocks firing to open a 9-2 lead in the first game and although Palmer recovered he couldn’t save the first game. The gritty Indian number one clinched the first set 12-10. But Palmer, the 34-yearold world number 10 leading home hopes in the biggest squash tournament in the country for almost 20 years, soon hit his stride as he came back to win the next three games and the match 10-12 11-6 11-5 119 in 59 minutes. The win takes former world number one Palmer into a second round clash with arch-rival James Willstrop of England. “A slow start wasn’t ideal and he got away and got on a bit of a roll and he was tough to pull back. India’s hope now rest with Chennai-girl Dipika Pallikal in the women’s event. —PTI
After that outing, Bolt underwent medical examinations and was told by Dr Hans Mueller-Wohlfahrt in Munich that he risked injuring his hamstring or calf if he continued to race with a tightness in his lower back. Bolt has now withdrawn from the IAAF Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels. Bolt added: “I am very disappointed to miss two of the top meetings on the circuit -
Zurich and Brussels - but trust that it is better for me not to take any risks this year. “2011 and 2012 are very important Championship years (with the worlds in Daegu and Olympics in London respectively) and I hope to be back fully fit and healthy. “I would like to thank everyone for their support and look forward to coming back stronger next year,” said Bolt, —AFP
Usain Bolt