The Hindu : Sport Digest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Sport Digest

ATHLETICS: MELBOURNE: Olympic 400-meter champion Cathy Freeman (in picture) said on Monday she will run for Australia in the 1,600-meter relay at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Freeman had been in doubt because her husband, Sandy Bodecker, is undergoing treatment for mouth cancer. But Freeman told Channel Seven television that Bodecker, a Nike sports executive based in Portland, Oregon, had convinced her to be available for the relay. She will leave for Britain on Sunday. ``He knows me so well, he knows how passionate I am about my running,'' Freeman said of her husband. ``It's such a big part of who I am — he encouraged me and said `go for it, Cath', and that's it, really. ``I'm just a bit worried about my fitness, but I've got a bit more time on my side and my coach is confident.'' Due to a thigh injury, Freeman, who lit the Olympic flame at the opening of the Sydney 2000 Games, had not qualified for the 400-metre or 200-metre events at Manchester, two individual races she would have been favoured in.

SYDNEY: Australia's triple gold medallist runner Shirley de la Hunty will be awarded the Olympic movement's highest honour the Olympic Order, officials said. ``The award which is in recognition of Shirley's contribution to world sport will be presented by fellow Olympian and AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) executive board member Phil Coles on behalf of IOC (International Olympic Committee) president Jacques Rogge,'' the AOC said. De la Hunty (formerly Strickland) won the 80 metres hurdles gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Games and also collected gold in the 4x100 metres relay in Melbourne. The Australian won a total of seven Olympic medals including a silver and two bronze at the 1948 London Games.

FOOTBALL: LAGOS: Former International Ruud Gullit is among a dozen foreigners who have applied to coach Nigeria. "Yes, Gullit is the latest to signify interest in the job, This Day newspaper quoted Nigerian Football Association Secretary General Taiwo Ogunjobi as saying. Gullit helped Netherlands win Euro '98 and enjoyed a glittering career with PSV Eindhoven, AC Milan, Sampdoria and Chelsea. "Nigeria's new coach must be able to get our players to the right clubs where their skills would be honed to a level that would make them compete favourably with the best players," the NFA source said.

BERLIN: German international playmaker Sebastian Deisler will fly to the United States next week to have his right knee scoped once more to determine if it is ready for rehabilitation, it was reported. The 22-year-old Deisler, who transferred to Bayern Munich over the summer, is due to fly to Vail, Colorado, where specialist Richard Steadman will examine his knee, according to the tabloid Bild. Steadman operated on Deisler's knee earlier this year but the promising star re-injured it during a World Cup warmup in May. Deisler said he is confident he will overcome the injury, especially after watching Brazilian superstar Ronaldo return to a world-class level following two years of injury nightmares. ``The Ronaldo example shows me how a comeback can work. And I believe I can be even stronger,'' Deisler said in Bild on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD: HOCKEY: Describing the national hockey team as one of the best in world, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Muhammad Aziz Khan urged the players to fetch glory for the country. ``There is no doubt that you are the best and what nation expects from you is encouraging results which I am optimistic you will attain in the coming three assignments, tour of Spain, Manchester Commonwealth Games and Champions Trophy,'' said Khan. ``It is a matter of just to click and a combination of timely adoption of techniques and execution of chances can guide you to success,'' he said while addressing the Spain-bound 18-member hockey team and its officials at a send-off dinner reception. Khan noted that the Pakistan team could not achieve the desired results but had improved in most departments of the game.

BOXING: MADRID: Spain's Castillejo became the World Boxing Council's interim super-welterweight champion with a unanimous points win over Russian Roman Karmazine on Saturday. Castillejo faces a mandatory defence against the winner of the fight between Americans Oscar de la Hoya and Fernando Vargas, scheduled for September 14. De la Hoya beat Castillejo to take the title from the Spaniard in June 2001 but was unable to fight number one challenger Karmazine because of injury.

GOLF: LUSS (Scotland): Three days away from his 48th birthday, Eduardo Romero of Argentina took advantage of a late collapse from Fredrik Jacobson to win the Scottish Open in a playoff on Sunday and become the third-oldest winner on the European tour. Romero closed with a 1-under 70 and forced the playoff by making a 10-foot par putt on the final hole at Loch Lomond. About 15 minutes later, he made an 8-foot birdie putt on the same hole to collect his eighth tour victory. It was the sixth runner-up finish for Jacobson, who has never won on tour and won't likely forget this one. The 27-year-old Swede had a two-stroke lead with four holes to play and faced a 5-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole when his nerves got the best of him.

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