BENGALURU Wednesday 3 June 2009
DC
40
TRIVIA: When basketball was first invented in 1891, the hoops were like peach baskets with a bottom. Each time they scored a basket the referee would climb on a ladder and retrieve the ball.
sport Karthik claims eight for FUCC DC CORRESPONDENT BENGALURU
K
arthik picked up an astonishing 8-96 for Friends Union CC (2) but their match against Sir Syed Cricketers ended in a draw in the KSCA Group I, II division cricket tournament for the M.A.T. Acharya Shield. Batting first, Sir Syed declared at 257/9 with Karthik scalping all but one wicket. In reply, Friends Union could only manage 114/4 in 43 overs. In other matches, Sinan, with a five-wicket haul, starred in Bangalore United CC’s fivewicket win over Wadiyar Cricket Club. Ajay and Kiran bagged five wickets each for Jaidur Cricketers and YMCA respectively in a drawn encounter.
Brief scores: Sir Syed Cricketers: 257/9 Decl. in 54.2 overs (Sanjay Nair 69, Vijay Chauhan 66, Girish 49, Srinivas
KSCA CRICKET II DIVISION 30 n.o., Karthik 8/96) drew with Friends Union C C (2): 114/4 in 43 overs (Arjun Dev Nagendra 41 n.o., Joshva 29) Wadiyar Cricket Club: 131 all out in 35.2 overs (Ashwin 31, Subhas 25, Khder 21, Anil Kumar 3/32, Sinan 5/35) lost to Bangalore United CC (1): 132/2 in 20.5 overs (Ashishdar 23, Ravi Patel 78) by 8 wickets. YMCA Cricket Club (1): 179 all out in 49.4 overs (Nawaz 28, Supreeth 35, Vikas 28, Murali 25 n.o., Arun 2/12, Chethan 5/51) lost to Jaidur Cricketers: 180/5 in 36.1 overs (Praveen 41, Arun Kumar 26, Aman Raj 41, Brijesh 32 n.o.) by 5 wickets. Swastic Union C C (2): 238/9 Decl. in 44 overs (Raghavendra 26, Vijay Singh 31, Santhosh 46, Fayaz 65, DC Rajesh 26, Ajay 5/70, Harshith Urs 4/96) drew with Bangalore Sports Club: 211/9 in 53 overs (Santhosh 37, Samith 60, Kiran 30, Shashidhar 25 n.o., Kiran 5/52, Girish 2/50, Santhosh Vadayaraj 2/66) Jupiter Cricketers Association: 120 all out in 29 overs (K Mahesh 27, Bharath Prasant 23, Dilip N Sagar 3/57, Himmath S 4/39) lost to Modern Cricket Club: 123/4 in 31 overs (Dinesh Borwankar 43 n.o., Himmath Singh 20 n.o., Sunil Kumar 2/30) by 6 wickets.
Former England footballer Gary Lineker (centre) with Fabian D'Souza (left), Lesten Martins and British MP Keith Vaz at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester.
Stepping into wonderland 16-year-old Lesten trained with the U-16 Leicester and Birmingham teams during his two-week stint after winning the Gary Lineker scholarship from among 35 footballers MAXIN MATHEW DECCAN CHRONICLE
I
t’s the dream of every footballer to play in the big leagues in England. For Lesten Martins, the dream couldn’t have got a better beginning. The 16-year-old footballer from Goa became the first Indian to win the prestigious Gary Lineker Scholarship besides training with Leicester City Football Club, in the process experiencing the life of a professional footballer. Currently a BBC sports broadcaster, Gary Lineker, is a former Leicester veteran who has also played for renowned clubs such as Everton and Tottenham Hotspurs. He represented England for eight years and with 80 caps and 48 goals, finished as England’s second highest scorer of all-time. Sponsored by Air-India, the scholarship was under the aegis of the Leicester India Football Link, an initiative looking to develop ties between India and Leicester. “It was my dream to become a footballer, and I got the best chance of my life to train with a professional team,” Lesten said. The dream run began for Lesten in October when the Leicester United U-14 team came to Goa to play a few friendlies. Among the 35 boys who took part in the
selection trials, Lesten caught the attention of the foreign coaches with his adept dribbling. “Lesten’s skills with the ball impressed the coaches and later they informed me that he had been selected,”
praised the hospitality of our people and promised a similar welcome once we came there (London),” Fabian said. For the next two weeks, Lesten trained
London. FA Cup office in e h t t a s n i t r a M n e left), Lest Fabian D'Souza ( daily with the U-16 Leicester recalled Fabian and Birmingham FC teams and D’Souza, director of Goa United received valuable inputs from Sports Academy. their coaches. “They taught me The duo left for England on how to improve my shots on tarApril 22 and had an enriching get, to concentrate on my first experience during their stay. touch and how to pass quickly,” “When the Leicester side had the midfielder said. come to Goa, we left no stone “The club has six training fields, unturned to ensure they received an indoor pitch, state-of-the-art the best. Club ambassadors Alan gymnasiums and many more Birchenall and Ian Paul Marshall facilities that give massive expo-
sure for young footballers in England. We (in India) also have talent but we require the muchneeded exposure to prove our worth,” Fabian said. Fabian and Lesten then witnessed the Manchester UnitedTottenham Hotspur Premier League match at Old Trafford and later joined in the celebrations at the Walkers Stadium, marking Leicester City’s promotion to the Coca Cola Championship league for the coming season. “The passion for football there is euphoric. Though we couldn’t get to meet any ManU players, being at Old Trafford itself is a heavenly feeling,” Lesten said. The biggest moment was meeting Gary Lineker. “He was very graceful and friendly. He was very happy with Lesten’s progress and assured that this partnership with India will carry on. We then invited him and his partner Danielle (Bux) to Goa which they happily accepted. It was a great interaction,” Fabian added. The next selection for the scholarship later this year will now involve two players, one Goan and one best player from the country, Fabian said. Furthermore, the lucky duo will win one year of free training and education in England with the academies they are chosen for,” he added.