Hyderabad Sports | Stadiums

[Gudavalli]

Videocon shows interest in Deccan Chargers

Hyderabad/Mumbai: The electronics-to-energy conglomerate Videocon Industries Ltd expressed interest on Thursday in buying the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Deccan Chargers from troubled newspaper publisher Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, which has invited bids for the franchise.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings said the winning bidder will acquire the team on an “as is where is” basis. Photo: HT
“We will bid as per market, around Rs.700 crore,” Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot said.

It’s the first verbal expression of interest in buying the team, which will be auctioned in Chennai on 13 September, also the last date for submitting the bids, according to a tender notice that appeared in The Hindu and The Times of India (TOI) on Thursday. The successful bidder may need to enter into a new franchise agreement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the notice said.

The team will continue to be based in Hyderabad and will compete in the IPL and has the opportunity to compete in the Champions League T20 from next year (2013).

Deccan Chronicle Holdings, which publishes the newspapers Deccan Chronicle, Financial Chronicle, Asian Age and Andhra Bhoomi, had bid successfully for the Deccan Chargers in January 2008 for $107 million (around Rs.599 crore today), riding on the back of a successful December 2004 initial public offering (IPO). It acquired star cricketers such as Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds, Chaminda Vaas and Shahid Afridi. The team also won the second IPL season in South Africa in 2009 under the captaincy of Australian cricketer Gilchrist.

In the most recent IPL season, the team finished at the bottom of the table, winning only four of the 15 games it played. For the 2012 edition of the game, Deccan Chargers has just about managed to rope in sponsors for the team.

Deccan Chargers was initially a subsidiary of Deccan Chronicle Holdings, but merged with the parent company in January last year. Deccan Chronicle Holdings has found itself in a financial mess after it emerged that the promoters availed loans to the tune of Rs.1,500 crore from various banks, mortgaging several of its assets, including its cricket team.

The promoters face a case of cheating filed by the company’s registrar Karvy Computershare Pvt. Ltd. Some of its lender banks have approached the debt recovery tribunal and the high courts of Andhra Pradesh and Bombay to recover their dues.

The management has not been paying team salaries. Former chief executive Timothy Wright sued the management successfully in a London court, which ordered Deccan Chronicle Holdings to pay him £10.55 million (around Rs.94 crore today) for breach of contract. Wright has filed an execution petition in the city civil court in Secunderabad seeking enforcement of the London court judgement, according to a TOI report on Thursday.

T. Venkattram Reddy has blamed the present crisis on a liquidity crisis and declining advertisement revenue. Reddy said he needs Rs.400-500 crore to tide over the crisis in an interview to The Economic Times.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings said the winning bidder will acquire the team on an “as is where is” basis. The bids will open at 10am on Friday and potential bidders will have to fulfil the eligibility criteria of BCCI besides “other requirements specified in the invitation to tender”.

The bidders will have time to seek clarifications until 5pm on Monday.

It is likely that the BCCI may step in and seek a new buyer for the cricket team, if Deccan Chronicle Holdings fails to find one, according to reports. The board, which met in New Delhi over the issue on Tuesday, will meet again in Chennai on 15 September to find a solution to the crisis.

[Gudavalli]

Saina Nehwal for Denmark return

After being felicitated across the country for being the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympics medal, Saina Nehwal is back to training at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.

Coach Gopichand told DNA from Hyderabad that Nehwal will return at the Yonex Denmark Open to be played in Odense V between October 16 and 21. It was thought Saina would return to action at the Yonex Open Japan in Tokyo between September 18 and 23 after skipping the Li Ning China Masters in Changzhou from September 11-16.

However, Gopichand will coach a young Indian team for the two back-to-back tournaments in China and Japan, with the squad leaving on Saturday.

Among the five shuttlers who participated in the Olympics, only Ashwini Ponnappa and Parupalli Kashyap will be seen in action in both the tournaments. Gopichand believes the tourneys will give exposure to the younger lot. While Jwala Gutta has taken a break, V Diju is getting married next week and Saina will be back in action next month.

Gopichand said: “We have plans for the future and started our preparations. The players are raring to go. They haven’t played many tournaments. These matches will give us an idea on the players for the future.”

Kashyap said that he would be keen to maintain the form that he was in the Olympics. “To get better on that form would be fine. But, even maintaining the form would be good for me, and I would like to do the same right things that I did prior to the Games.”

Meanwhile, Ashwini will be playing only the mixed doubles in China and Japan, partnering Tarun Kona. “I am off to China and Japan this Saturday. I’ll be playing only mixed doubles there. Then, I’ll be back and will be playing nationals, again it’ll be only mixed doubles,” she said.

Ashwini, who partnered Jwala Gutta in London, had to drop women’s doubles for want of partners. “I’ll be trying with other girls and see how things go in women’s doubles,” she said.

Ashwini was hopeful that she would partner Jwala after the latter’s return from a self-imposed sabbatical. “You should see us playing women’s doubles,” Ashwini said when asked if the Jwala-Ashwini pair would be seen again on court. “We plan to continue playing. She has been very supportive and guides me on court. I’ve learnt a lot from her.” She said she was confident of a good start to the post-Olympics season.

On Jwala’s absence, Gopichand said: “We’ll take things as they come. There are Commonwealth Games 2014 and Asian Games 2014 to look forward to. We’ll get back to that later.”

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Muay Thai comes back to Hyderabad

After successfully organising the National Championship last year, the combat sport in which eight limbs are used is back in the city
A spectator may first confuse it with boxing or even kick boxing, but it is neither. Muay Thai is unique in many ways, unlike other fighting disciplines; a fighter uses elbows, knees, feet and fists.

The national sport of Thailand may be considered as a poor cousin of boxing, but is slowly gaining popularity and is making a place for itself, especially among kids. Western films too are playing their part in popularising the sport (Remember Jean-Claude Van Damme starrer, Kickboxer)

The 13th edition of the Muaythai India (MTI) National Federation is organising Senior National Muaythai championship for men and women from September 10-14, 2012 at the Lal Bahadur Stadium Indoor Complex.
Growing in popularity

Considering the fact that Muay Thai as a sport got its federation just 12 years ago, the sport is growing in popularity. With 28 state associations as its official members and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) recognition, Muay Thai is growing by leaps and bounds.

The Senior National championship which will start on Monday will see 200 players representing 24 states. 14 players (men) will be representing Andhra Pradesh. There are 14 weight categories with Pin Weight as the least and Super Heavy Weight as the heaviest category.

According to M H Abid, President, Muaythai India (MTI), “The sport is growing fast and is gaining popularity. The state of Sikkim had its first championship last year and the response was very good. 15 states in India consider Muay Thai players for jobs and many also give grace marks to players.”

Though India’s participation at World Championships started just seven years ago, Indian players have won more than 100 medals including Asian Indoor Games and First Martial Art Games, where the Indian team won 21 medals, including gold. M H Abid adds, “It is a tough sport, a player needs to complete 24 fights before winning a gold.” With over 4,000 rounds in a span of five days, Hyderabadis are in for a treat.

[Gudavalli]

7-year-old city boy wins laurels at karate meet abroad

A seven-year-old boy from the city has won the silver medal in the Kumite event and a bronze medal in the Kata event at the International Karate Open Championship held in Malaysia in the first week of September. Pattapu Raghava, who lost to a nine-year-old opponent from Thailand, was the youngest participant in the 23-country meet. The competition as held at Putrajaya Sports Complex in Sepang, Malaysia. Raghava beat competitors from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Australia and Indonesia in the earlier rounds.

Raghava is a Class II student of AMS LAB School in the city and trains at the Yamaguchi Karate Academy at YMCA, Narayanguda. His parents, Pattapu Mohan and Anupama Gandhi, are residents of Padma Colony in Nallakunta. The seven-year-old karate champ won a gold medal before in the Kotak International Champion-ship in Delhi and two gold medals at the Rishyikan International Championship in Chennai. He won the Hyderabad Open Karate meet too.

[Gudavalli]

Outgoing Laxman hands mantle to upcoming Vihari

Hyderabad: At an event organised on Sunday by the cricket academy that nurtured his talent facilitating his many achievements that did India proud, VVS Laxman, who recently retired from international cricket, handed over the responsibility of “keeping the national flag high and fluttering” to young “prodigy” GH Vihari.

The prodigal aspect of Vihari was explained by K Sumanth, who played with the India representative for years at various levels. “He is technically very sound, consistent and can withstand pressure and that’s what separated him from us,” Sumanth said of Vihari.

Versatile Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, graced the occasion that felicitated Laxman and Vihari, one for being the cornerstone of Indian cricket’s turnabout, which led them to capturing the number one position in the world; and the other for providing hope for the future that the void that has been created with Laxman’s retirement, can eventually be filled.



This hope is stoked from the fact that the 19-year-old has already got the World U–19 Cup under his belt as key member of the Indian team that won the trophy in Australia last month. Vihari, a right-handed batsman, who plays at the crucial number four position, played all matches in the tournament with responsibility and excelled.

While congratulating Laxman for making Hyderabad proud, Nagarjuna cautioned Vihari’s well-wishers from burdening the lad with too much pressure. “Cricket in India is religion and too many expectations can lead to pressure. That should not happen to Vihari. Let him enjoy his game. One has to enjoy doing what one is doing; only then will that person do well,” he said.

He said that he was happy to be among sportsmen even though he had to sacrifice an early-morning shoot the following day, which he said in a lighter note, was sabotaged by the organisers of the event. “Permission for the shoot that was scheduled on some city roads was withdrawn and that cannot be a mere coincidence after I had told one gentleman sitting here to excuse me!”



“But I don’t regret having come here one bit,” he added. His wife Akkineni Amala brought to the notice of the gathering the immense sacrifices made by the families of achievers. “Being a Cricket Mum because of my children who are both fans and players of the game, I understand the sacrifices that mums and the families make, so I thank them for those sacrifices,” she said.

Highest run-getter for Hyderabad in Ranji matches, MV Sridhar also announced cash prizes of `3 lakh for coach R Sridhar and `5 lakh for Vihari from St John’s Cricket Coaching Foundation, a subsidiary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

Produce of St John’s

St John’s Cricket Coaching Foundation that has been nurturing cricketing talent in the city for over 25 years has a number of international, national and state players as proof of result of their dedication. While over 31 players have played domestic cricket, four went on to represent the country in the international arena. VVS Laxman, Neol David and MSK Prasad played for India, while Tarun Sai Nethula is a member of the New Zealand team.

[Gudavalli]

P Kashyap, PV Sindhu spearhead Indian challenge in China Masters

HYDERABAD: No Indian has ever won the China Masters and that record is unlikely to be altered following the withdrawal of India's best bet Saina Nehwal. That leaves Parupalli Kashyap spearheading the Indian challenge at the Super Series event which kicks off at Changzhou city on Tuesday.

Ajay Jayaram, PV Sindhu and Ashwini Ponnappa, who will feature only in the mixed doubles along with Tarun Kona, are the other top Indians in the tournament.

Kashyap, the first Indian male to reach the quarterfinals at Olympics, will begin his campaign against a qualifier -- most likely Huan Gao of China -- on Wednesday. If he gets past Gao, Kashyap will face the winner of the match between RMV Gurusaidutt and former All England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim. However, the biggest hurdle for Kashyap could be the quarterfinal against top seed Chen Long.

Kashyap had cut Long short in the second round of the Indonesia Open last June but beating the top Chinese player again will be quite difficult. "It is a tough draw for me. Even the first round against the Chinese qualifier will not be easy. Then, Hashim is playing well these days. But I am looking forward to these challenges. I have prepared well and am confident of doing well at the tournament," Kashyap, who registered some stunning results in the last few months, told TOI.

[Gudavalli]

RN Sports Club willing to buy Deccan Chargers for Rs 11 bn

MUMBAI: Mumbai-based club RN Sports Club, backed by a celebrity and a businessman, is willing to purchase the Deccan chargers team outright and bypass the bidding process.

The club located in South Mumbai is willing to pay Rs 9-11 billion for the team and will have a meeting with Deccan Chronicle tomorrow.

According to the club's marketing head Ankush Tripathi, the BCCI has also been informed of the intention.

"There is a clause in the bid document which allows a party to buy the franchise if the owners agree. We do not want to go through the bid process. RN Sports Club management is constantly in conversations with the BCCI and the Deccan Chargers management for this deal," he tells Indiantelevision.com.

Tripathy believes the breakeven period can be achieved in three years. "The team will retain the same name and be based in Hyderabad. As per the terms in the bid document, this cannot be changed," he says.

The club's promoter is Vijay Barhate. The aim of R.N. Sports club is to promote cricket. "We have been wanting to purchase an IPL team since IPL-4, as we already conduct various successful talent hunt camps at an all India school level. We have also done talent hunt camps aboard, We have cricket coaching centres in several places including Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. We also have cricket academies in Mumbai. The aim of purchasing our own team is to promote the young cricketers of nation."

[Gudavalli]

Dream start for Indians at China Masters

HYDERABAD: Indian shuttlers were in ferocious form at the China Masters Super Series in Changzhou. While one of them took a former All-England champion in his stride, the other sent the tournament's third seed packing.

Giving India a dream start, RMV Gurusaidutt stunned former All-England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim 21-18, 19-21, 21-13 and unseeded Ajay Jayaram upset third seed Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-13, 21-17 in the first round on Wednesday. Except Anand Pawar and the men's doubles team of Tarun Kona and Arun Vishnu, the rest of the Indian squad progressed into the second round.

Hashim, the 2003 All England champion, found it tough against the Indian youngster. Guru took the first game at 21-18 before the veteran hit back by winning the second. In the decider Guru raced ahead to 4-1 lead and with nine smash winners and 10 points at the net he never allowed the Malaysian veteran to settle down.

He will now meet his compatriot and training partner P Kashyap in the second round. Kashyap struggled to a 21-13, 14-21, 21-19 victory against qualifier Huan Gao of China.

National champions Sourabh Varma and PV Sindhu also made it to the second round. While Varma sweated it out against Daren Liew 19-21, 21-17, 21-12 in the battle that lasted more than an hour, Sindhu made short work of Jamie Subhandhi of the US 21-15, 21-12. In the second round Sindhu faces eighth seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand.

World No. 40, Varma avenged his Korean Open loss against Liew. The Malaysian, ranked 28 in the world, took the first game after fighting back from a 17-19 deficit. In the second too he was cruising ahead at 14-9 before Varma caught up with him at 14-14 and moved ahead to 18-15. Surprisingly, Liew gave up the ghost in the decider. Varma will face Hsu Jen Hao of Chinese Taipei on Thursday. The Indian enjoys a 1-0 career record against Hao.

Ranked 32nd in the world, Jayaram registered his second career victory against World No.9 Tago. The Indianwill now face Zi Lian Derek Wong of Singapore in the second round on Thursday.

[Gudavalli]

Good bye IPL from Hyderabad

PVP's 900cr bid for Chargers rejected

CHENNAI: A last-minute demand for a bank guarantee for the 450 crore cash component that PVP Ventures offered to Deccan Chargers resulted in the Hyderabad team not changing hands to a new owner.

In a videographed auction on Thursday here, PVP Ventures, promoted by NRI businessman Prasad V Potluri, offered 450 crore in cash and a similar amount as debentures. "The bid was then reviewed by Deccan Chronicle Holdings, which in its discretion and with no role being played by BCCI, rejected the bid on the basis of the payment terms offered by the bidder," Sanjay Jagdale, honorary secretary, BCCI, said in a statement.

BCCI will decide on the franchise on Saturday.

Prasad Potluri could not be reached for a comment.

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RMV Gurusaidutt masters P Kashyap to enter quarterfinals in China

HYDERABAD: RMV Gurusaidutt is on a roll. A day after shocking former All-England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, the 22-year-old stunned India's top shuttler and Olympian Parupalli Kashyap 16-21, 21-18, 21-4 in the second round of the China Masters Super Series in Changzhou on Thursday. Ajay Jayaram, the next best ranked Indian after Kashyap, trounced Zi Liang Derek Wong of Hong Kong in straight games 21-17, 21-9.

National champion Sourabh Varma joined his senior pros in the quarterfinals with a convincing 21-12, 21-16 victory over Jen Hao Hsu of Chinese Taipei. Varma will square up against Jayaram in the last eight clash.

Promising shuttler PV Sindhu fought back after losing the first game to beat eighth seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand 10-21, 21-7, 21-19 in the second round. Trailing 9-14 in the third game, Sindhu racked up six straight points to move ahead of Porntip and gain control of the match. Taken aback by the sudden charge of the Indian, Porntip lost momentum and gave up.

Sindhu next faces Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China in the quarters. In their only previous meeting, in the Uber Cup preliminaries last February, Xuerui had drubbed Sindhu 21-16, 21-13.

The mixed doubles pair of Tarun Kona and Ashwini Ponnappa failed to put up a fight against Jian Guo Ong and Yin Loo Lim of Malaysia and went down 9-21, 14-21 in the first round.

Kashyap, who recently became the first Indian to reach the men's singles quarterfinals at the Olympics, suffered his second career loss to Guru. After losing the first game without putting up any fight, Guru began with a 3-0 lead in the second. He stayed ahead till Kashyap caught up with him at 15-15. And from 17-17 Guru moved to 20-17 with a three-point burst, leaving no chance for Kashyap.

With Guru now in full flow, one expected a keen tussle in the decider, but surprisingly Kashyap hardly offered any resistance. Guru, who is 36 rungs behind world No.19 Kashyap, began with a 6-0 lead and went into the break at 11-1 before finishing at 21-4.

It is not known whether Kashyap suffered any injury before the third game. In fact, he seemed in some kind discomfiture even in the second game when he allowed Guru to garner easy points.

Guru will now meet top seed Chen Long of China for a berth in the last four stage.

[Gudavalli]

Surinder Amarnath goes down memory lane

HYDERABAD: What is it about the Amarnaths and Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup? The incomparable Lala Amarnath - India's first centurion in Tests - took part in Hyderabad's blue riband competition in 1930s before he was selected to play for India. His son Surinder Amarnath followed suit in 1976 before he went to New Zealand as part of the Indian team and scored 124 on debut in the Auckland Test, which India won by eight wickets. The lesser-known of the Amarnath brothers, Mohinder being the famous one and Rajinder the other, played 10 Test matches and totaled 550 runs.

The left-handed bat's last Test was against Pakistan in Karachi during the 1978-79 series, a match India lost by eight wickets. It's a coincidence that Sunil Gavaskar scored a century in Auckland on Surinder's debut and cracked a century in each innings of the Karachi Test. Both Tests also saw Surinder and Mohinder in action. While the former batted at No.3 in the first innings in Karachi and at No.6 in the second, his brother batted at No.6 in the first and at No.3 in the second.

Now associated with the Goan team at Moin-ud-Dowlah, 63-year old Surinder returned to Hyderabad after three decades. TOI caught up with him at NFC Grounds, where Goa lost to Delhi and were knocked out of the competition.

Disappointed? Not quite: These things do happen in Indian cricket. It was destiny. I have no regrets as whatever little I played, I enjoyed. Selection and omission are part of the game. When I was dropped I was doing fairly well. Just before the 1979 World Cup selection, I did well in the Wills Trophy introduced that year. In the quarterfinal I scored a century, a 90-plus in the semifinal and 20-odd in the final. Just before the 1981 Australian tour, I led Delhi against Rest of India, then the biggest selection match, and scored a double century. That was the first time Delhi won Irani Trophy. Still I was not considered.

Being Lala Amarnath's son, boon or bane?: We deem it a privilege to be his son. There were a lot of advantages about my dad. He was always around to guide us at crucial moments. The disadvantage was he was outspoken, people never used to like that and could not do anything against him. So we (me and Mohinder) are left to face it all. As for advantages, I met Frank Worrell when he came home; a real gentleman, very knowledgeable and polite. Dad later told me that I met a guy who is rarely available. Then I realised when Dad admires someone he should be very special. Sir Garfield Sobers was the other player Dad always used to tell me to watch.

On some useful tips from his father: I remember struggling against England's Tony Greig in the 1976 series at home. I'd never faced a bowler so tall and found it difficult to read the ball off his hand. I told my dad about this when I came in for the break. He advised me to wait for the ball to pitch before committing to the stroke. I did that and suddenly batting became so easy. I got a half-century then.

Best moment on field: It has to be the century against Sri Lanka in an unofficial 'Test' with my father watching. To get the man of the match award from his hands is one moment I'll cherish forever.

Brothers' bonding: We are more friends than brothers. We discuss cricket a lot and we enjoy a special relationship. The funny thing is that he (Mohinder) preferred to bowl more than bat in those days.

On Moin-ud-Dowlah Cup: In those days, Moin-ud-Dowlah was the prestigious tournament which all the big players used to eagerly wait for. Being the season opener the who's who of Indian cricket played in the tournament. My father used to field a team (Indian Starlets) in Moin-ud-Dowlah and I had the privilege of playing against my dad's team.

On young turks: The future of Indian cricket is in the safe hands of players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara. But they have to realise that they are stepping into the shoes of great players like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman whose record is unbelievable. Consistency over a period is the key. I will give more credit to these youngsters if they go abroad and perform. A century is a century, but you need to be more consistent outside to give strength to the team.

Home advantage: International cricket is not spinners' game. It's always been about fast bowlers. We have to improve our wickets. Yes, there should be home advantage but when we can make a sporting wicket in Mohali why not everywhere in India.

[Gudavalli]

So it's not a surprise they rejected the offer!

Bankers to back Deccan Chargers in IPL 6

Deccan Chargers is likely to play in Season 6 of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with bankers agreeing to back the team for the forthcoming season, subject to the BCCI agreeing to clear the proposal at its Working Committee meeting on Saturday.

Bankers are on the same page as the Chargers, a source revealed, even as Deccan Chronicle Holdings turned down the bid of a single obscure bidder, PVP group, who reportedly offered Rs 900 crore for the franchise at the scheduled re-auction here on Thursday.

While BCCI said the bidder satisfied its eligibility and suitability criteria, it is believed that Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited — and the bankers — could not countenance a bid that involved payment of Rs 450 crore in five installments of Rs 90 crore each year from December 2012.

The other half was to be paid in a financial instrument called a non-cumulative compulsory convertible debentures (CCDs). There were to be converted into 10 per cent fully diluted paid-up equity share capital of a special purpose vehicle (SVP) on December 30, 2022.

The source revealed that the bidder’s credentials might be questioned; the promoter is listed as the 19th accused in the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy illegal investments case that is being investigated by the CBI. The group has also invested in Sakshi Publications.

Considering the possible risks involved in a long-term deal, rather than straightforward cash-and-carry terms, the team owners may have decided it was safer to go with the bankers who have lent money on the team to the owners, sources said.

The bankers are reported to be in a position to satisfy all BCCI stipulations by making contracted payments to the players. A consortium of bankers has got together to come up with this proposal to fund Chargers till Season 6. Suitable guarantees will also be offered by them to BCCI.

[Gudavalli]

Deccan Chargers' IPL contract terminated by the BCCI

New Delhi: The BCCI tonight terminated the contract of the debt-ridden Deccan Chargers, bringing an end to the suspense on the fate of the beleaguered franchise.

The decision to terminate Deccan's contract was taken at an emergency governing council meeting of the IPL in Chennai. The BCCI President N Srinivasan took the final call to end Charger's contract after discussing the issue with other members, a top BCCI official said.

BCCI's working committee will meet tomorrow to decide the future course of action.

The committee will decide whether to float a fresh tender for a new team or allow PVP Ventures, a Hyderabad-based urban infrastructure and film production company, whose Rupees 900 crore bid was rejected by Deccan at the auction yesterday, to take the team.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings, the owner of Deccan Chargers, received a bid of Rs. 900 crore by PVP Venture Capitals but surprisingly chose to reject it at the auction as it considered the price and terms unsuitable.

The development brought the BCCI back into the picture. PVP Ventures may be given the team now.

The late night development comes as a setback for Deccan Chargers which was trying to resolve its financial problems ahead of the 5 pm deadline tomorrow.

BCCI sources said that a fresh tender for a new IPL team could be issued.

"This option would be discussed when the governing council meet tomorrow as we want nine teams to take part in the next edition of the IPL" the source said.

The BCCI it is learnt also took legal opinion before deciding to terminate the Deccan contract mainly on the ground that it mortgaged the team to a consortium of banks.

The Deccan Chargers owned by Deccan Chronicle Holdings, was hoping to resolve its financial problems by selling the team but it rejected the sole bid it received at the auction yesterday.

PVP Ventures Limited, the Hyderabad-based urban infrastructure and film production company, had offered Rupee 900 crores but Deccan rejected it finding the terms of payment and the amount unacceptable.

It is said that the banks were primarily unhappy with the mode of payment which ultimately led to the deal falling through.

There were also reports that one of the banks was willing to bail out Deccan Chargers by making the payment to the players. But with the BCCI terminating the contract, the gesture would serve no purpose now.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings purchased the Hyderabad franchise for Rs. 428 crore in 2008. At the auction, the base price was said to be around Rs. 750 crore.

The winning bidder had to meet BCCI's eligibility criteria and other requirements. This was the first time an entire IPL franchise has been put on the block by its owners, although Rajasthan Royals sold a small stake in 2009 to the actress Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra.

PVP Ventures Group is owned by Potluri Vara Prasad, a successful entrepreneur having interests in infrastructure, movies and financing.

He was named as accused number 19 in the alleged disproportionate assets case against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

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Court reprieve for Deccan Chargers

In a minor relief to the beleaguered Deccan Chargers, the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the BCCI to maintain status quo regarding the termination of the IPL franchise, owned by Deccan Chronicles Holdings Ltd.

Deccan Chronicles had approached the High Court on Saturday challenging the decision taken by BCCI in Chennai on Friday at its emergency IPL Governing Council meeting to terminate the contract of the cash-strapped Deccan Chargers.

According to Deccan Chronicles petition, the decision of BCCI was illegal and bad in law. It further sought for interim relief from the High Court to stay the termination on the grounds that BCCI was already planning to invite tenders for the team from Hyderabad.

BCCI, however, informed the High Court that it was not inviting tenders for Deccan Chargers team.

“The BCCI intends to invite tenders for new teams for cities like Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore. No new tenders are going to be called for Deccan Chargers now,” the affidavit stated.

Justice S.J. Kathawalla posted the matter for further hearing on September 24 and directed for status quo to be maintained and no further action to be initiated against Deccan Chargers team.

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Saina Nehwal signs multi-crore deal

HYDERABAD: Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal believes that it is her good looks and top class game that helped her sign the Rs 40-crore deal with Rhiti Sports, a management company which also manages India's cricket captain MS Dhoni.

Saina, who was contracted with Deccan Chronicle till July 31, signed the three-year deal with Rhiti a few days back. While she used to get Rs 1.5 crore base money per year from DC, she will now get close to Rs 14 crore from her new management company.

"I am very thrilled with the deal. God has been so kind to me. It is in fact my dream to become one of the most popular sportsperson in the country. But I never thought I would achieve this so early in my career. I thank god for blessing me with such a talent and also giving me good looks. I think looks do matter in becoming a popular sportsperson.

"I am excited that because of my performances the game of badminton has also become popular in the country. I want to win more titles for the country in future," Saina said.

Saina's father, Harvir Singh Nehwal said that they waited for Deccan Chronicle for a renewal of the deal and as nothing happened they went ahead with the new arrangement. "Our deal with DC ended on July 31 and we waited for them to get back. Only after realising that nothing is happening we went ahead with the new deal," Harvir said.

Saina had refused three endorsements before the London Olympics. While one was with a Cola giant, the other was with a top real estate major. In a bid to avoid any conflict in future, Saina's team has told the new management company to arrange all ad shoots in Hyderabad itself.

[Gudavalli]

Sachin inspired me to play cricket: T Suman

Tirumalsetti Suman has been Hyderabad's batting mainstay for some years now but his first class career has not quite taken off as he would have expected. In an exclusive to Cricbuzz, Suman spoke about his cricketing career, his stint with Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians and about his idol Sachin Tendulkar among other things.

You are a very talented batsman, but an average of 27.54 in first-class cricket doesn't do too much justice. As everyone knows you are a better batsman than that, with the first-class season coming up, how are you working on your game?

As you were talking about my average, I have been in and out of the Ranji team. I made my debut in 2003 and as you have been saying, I've got to improve my average. I have been working on my shortcomings but feel that I'm a much improved player now. If you look at my last 3 first-class seasons, I have been averaging 40-45. As a player you tend to improve and would like to take it season by season. As a team we are focussing on the Moin-ud Dowlah tournament. We would like to continue our winning run, we have been winning the tournament for the last 2 years and after this tournament ends, we would like to focus on the Ranji season.

Now that Laxman has retired, he has made himself available to the Hyderabad Ranji team. It's a big boost to the side. What specific tips do you plan on taking from him and how are you going to use his experience?

It's a big boost for us to have Laxman bhai in the team. If you see he played a match in the KSCA [Shafi Darashah] also and you could see the result - we won the game comfortably. He adds great value to the batting, not only in batting but in each and every aspect. As a senior he is there to guide us when we are in a difficult situation. He is a great boost to us and I'm looking forward to playing with him.

This is a technical question - we have noticed that you have a pretty high back-lift, so sometimes bringing the bat down in time is a problem and in fact you have bowled or been LBW due to this. Is this a natural thing or one that you have developed in recent times?

The back-lift has come to me naturally. Changing it now, will rather than enhancing my technique, hamper it, so it's not about the back-lift, it's just that I missed the line of the ball. Actually I feel that a higher back-lift is an advantage as you can generate power when playing your strokes. Batsmen generally look for a higher back-lift, so I'm not planning on changing what has come naturally to me.

The tournaments like the Shafi Darashah, Buchi Babu and the Moin-ud Dowlah are good preparation for the main goal - the Ranji Trophy. What are your goals for this tournament? Do you plan on playing your natural game or do you try something new with the eventual focus being on the Ranji?

My basic goal when playing these kind of tournaments is to use it as a buildup for the Ranji Trophy; I try to play the same way I do when playing the Ranji, prepare the same way. Our goal is to treat this tournament the same way we treat the Ranji Trophy.

In one of your previous interviews you had mentioned Damien Martyn as your batting hero. Did you ever get a chance to meet him?

No, I haven't got a chance to meet him. Players' choices keep changing, my all-time favorite is Sachin sir. Along with Sachin sir I had mentioned Damien Martyn as the two I idolised. I don't know why they wrote only Martyn (laughs). Sachin sir has always been my inspiration and my childhood idol. I got a chance to play with him, spoke to him. It has been a great privilege to play alongside him.

Did you get any tips from Sachin with regards to your batting?

I spent some valuable moments with him. There was a time when I was invited for dinner to his room and I had an hour's chat in his room. Learned a lot of things playing alongside him for the Mumbai Indians.

Again a technical question - you are predominantly a front-foot player as most Indians are having been brought up on sub-continental conditions. When playing abroad this might expose you as the bouncier pitches call for back-foot play. How are you working on your back-foot game to become a sound player overall?

Yes definitely, it always depends on what opposition we play. We play our first Ranji game against Punjab which will be on seaming conditions. We prepare ourselves by playing on green practice wickets here. It's true that our domestic batsmen have to work on their back-foot game. I have been working on that from my childhood. I have been practicing with a plastic ball on cement wickets to improve my back-foot play.

Apart from your batting, you are also an useful off-spinner. Do you consider yourself as a batting all-rounder or take bowling as a part-time option which comes naturally to you?

Given a chance I would like to bowl many more overs. Right now I'm more focused on my batting. In the longer version of the game I don't bowl much. I just come to provide a break-through. In the shorter formats I bowl my quota of overs.

You became famous through Deccan Chargers. How was your experience with the franchisee and your thoughts on sharing the dressing room with the likes of Symonds, Gilchrist and others. Also how was it moving to Mumbai Indians?

I was privileged to be picked for Deccan Chargers. I was picked by the coach Darren Lehmann and we eventually won the tournament that year. I would like to give Adam Gilchrist a lot of credit - he supported me a lot, I learnt a lot from him. After 2 successful seasons with Deccan, I got a chance to play alongside Sachin for Mumbai. Playing with Sachin was always my dream so I took the offer and went. I played 7-8 games in season 1 and played a couple this year. I would love to play more games and do consistently well for them.

How tough was it to move away from Deccan considering you are a home-town boy? You play for Hyderabad in the Ranji, so it must have been a difficult decision.

To be honest it was very very difficult for me. I thought about it for almost a week when I got the offer, but eventually took it up as I got a chance to play with Sachin sir. The main reason I started playing cricket was Sachin sir, so it was a dream come true. Having said that the Deccan Chargers' owners were very supportive and so were the owners of the Mumbai Indians.

What are your goals for the upcoming Ranji season? - both personal and team-wise.

I haven't planned on a specific number [the amount of runs that I need to get], but I want to be consistent in each and every game. Win more games for my side is one of the goals that I have set for this season.

Which format do you prefer and where do your priorities lie?

My first priority is to do well in the Ranji Trophy. My job is to get runs wherever I play and in whichever format. The rest is up to the selectors. I can't really decide on which format I should be selected in. If you ask domestically any batsman will tell you that doing well in the Ranji Trophy matters a lot. So my goal is to do well in the upcoming Ranji season.

Coming back to your stint with Deccan Chargers - your thoughts on winning the 2nd edition and memories of the final where you were defending a very low total against RCB.

I personally felt that the international players we had - Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist - were really suited to the pitches in South Africa. That made us more competitive against other teams. Coming to the final we always felt we were 15-20 runs short, but nerves got the better of RCB. They were playing for the total rather than looking at the ball and playing like a T20 game. That actually won us the game, yea it was a very nice moment for all of us.

[Gudavalli]

Sindhu breaks into world top 20 ranking

Rising Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu on Thursday broke into the world top 20 in the latest badminton ranking following her ‘giant killing’ exploits at last week's China Masters tournament.

The 17-year-old Indian, who stunned the world after beating London Olympics gold medallist Li Xuerui in the quarterfinals of the China Masters, surged four places to achieve the 20th place in the BWF ranking announced on .

However, for Sindhu, the good news came on a day when she lost her pre-quarterfinal match to fourth seed Yeon Ju Bae of Korea 21-10 12-21 18-21 in Japan Open in Tokyo.

London Olympics bronze medallist and India's top shuttler Saina Nehwal retained her fourth place in the ranking list. The 22-year-old from Hyderabad is currently taking rest and did not play in the China Masters and Japan Open.

In men's singles, Olympic quarterfinalist Parupalli Kashyap slipped one rung down to be placed at the 20th spot, while Ajay Jayaram jumped six places to 23rd place, following his semifinal finish at China Masters.

Senior National champion Sourabh Verma also zoomed eight places to rise to 31st spot, while RMV Gurusaidutt was placed 46th after improving nine places.

In women's doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta, who has decided to take a six months sabbatical from badminton, remained steady at 22nd spot on women's doubles, while Jwala and V Diju, who tied his nuptial knot with Dr Soumya on September 17, dropped two places to 14th place in mixed doubles.

Ashwini, who is now concentrating on her mixed doubles career, moved to the 56th spot along with her partner Tarun Kona, jumping 22 places.

[Gudavalli]

A team-man to the core

“Winning is bigger than having a five-wicket haul and still ending up on the losing side. I always believe that contributing to the team’s victory is more important,” says Pragyan Ojha to V. V. Subrahmanyam.

`It is very important for me as a young spinner to stay focussed, bowl with a good rhythm and in the right areas.'
Pragyan Ojha is on a high. The 26-year-old left-arm spinner, in the company of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, has formed one of the most formidable spin combinations in India in recent memory. The two together claimed a whopping 73 wickets in just five Test matches!

The soft-spoken spinner from Hyderabad is of the view that the recent match-winning performances against New Zealand in the two-Test series are only the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

“I am definitely happy, but not fully satisfied with my performance against the Kiwis. But my focus is now on the much stronger outfits like England and Australia when they visit India,” Ojha points out in an exclusive interview with Sportstar.

He downplays his recent run of success in Test cricket. “It is very important for me as a young spinner to stay focussed, bowl with a good rhythm and in the right areas,” Ojha says.

Significantly, Ojha doesn’t believe that he has to make any big changes to his bowling style. “In a way, I don’t want to complicate things when the going is good. I am trying to keep things as simple as possible, for I always believe that if you stick to the basics, half the job is done,” he explains. “Here, I must say the English county stint with Surrey last year was a major learning experience for me. It meant bowling a lot in different and difficult conditions,” he adds.

Talking of his fitness, Ojha says, “Definitely, I am much fitter, having lost a lot of weight. Perhaps this is the biggest change I forced on myself, working a lot on conditioning and batting.

“I am aware how important it is to be an all-rounder of sorts — to chip in with useful 30-plus knocks down the order.”

Ojha gives a lot of credit to the elegant former India batsman, V. V. S. Laxman, for his evolution as the country’s leading left-arm spinner. “I tell you, besides my mom, it is Laxman bhai who has been the biggest source of inspiration for me. I always make it a point to discuss with him whether I am doing well or not. He is such a wonderful character, always ready to help you out,” says Ojha.

`Besides my mom, it is Laxman bhai who has been the biggest source of inspiration for me.'
“That match-winning partnership with Laxman bhai in the 2010 Mohali Test against Australia a couple of years ago remains an unforgettable experience for me. What an innings he played then,” Ojha recalls.

“The biggest challenge for me now is to push myself that extra bit in the final session of a Test match every day. That is when the team looks up to a bowler. So, I am focussing a lot on my fitness of late,” says the left-arm spinner.

Looking back at the recent Test series against New Zealand, Ojha regrets missing the rare opportunity of playing a Test with Laxman in Hyderabad as the latter had announced his retirement from international cricket just before the series. “It would have been fantastic, for it was one of my dreams to play with him in front of my home crowd. I remember vividly what a learning experience it was bowling to him in the nets when I was playing under-19 grade. Honestly, I thought he would play the Hyderabad Test as many would have loved to see him,” explains Ojha.

What exactly is the most satisfying aspect for Ojha on the cricket field?

“If you are part of a winning team that is the best feeling you can enjoy. It is bigger than having a five-wicket haul and still ending up on the losing side. This is the reason why I always believe that contributing to the team’s victory is more important. This is one big characteristic I picked up from Laxman bhai,” says Ojha.

Referring to the formidable combination he has forged with Ashwin, Ojha reminds us that both of them had played in the age-group tournaments a lot and so understand each other well.

`For me the partnership with Ashwin is very important. As long as we keep winning Test matches for India, nothing else matters.'
When asked if he experiences any pressure while Ashwin is on a wicket-taking spree at the other end, Ojha comes up with a simple explanation: “In a partnership, one batsman might score a century, but the other too plays a brilliant part with a 70-plus knock or so. So, for me the partnership with Ashwin is more important. As long as we keep winning Test matches for India, nothing else matters. “So, I don’t feel the pressure, for wicket-taking roles can always change. However, what is important is that we complement each other to sustain the pressure, and right now, we are enjoying doing exactly this. The process of playing a key role in winning matches is more important,” he explains.

Ojha, who made his Test debut in 2009 and has taken 75 wickets from 16 Tests so far, is delighted that his captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has expressed a desire to have spinner-friendly tracks at home. “It is fair enough, for we have to prepare pitches according to our strengths, and I think it is spin at home. When we go abroad, we only come across pitches that are fast and rarely help the spinners,” he says.

Does this mean more pressure on the spinners by way of expectations?

“It is actually the other way round. I enjoy these challenges and look forward to more success against the bigger teams like England and Australia,” says Ojha. “Definitely I am aware of the bigger role I have now as one of the frontline spinners in the Indian squad. It also means greater responsibility that demands a very high level of consistency. This is what I reiterate — that my main objective is to be as consistent as possible,” he adds.

Ojha has always been one of the best spinners and amongst the leading wicket-takers in the Indian Premier League with a tally of 69 wickets in five seasons. He even made an impressive debut in the 2009 Twenty20 World Championship with a four-wicket haul. Ojha, however, isn’t disappointed that he was left out of the Indian team for the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in Sri Lanka.

“Well, I am not going to crib about what has not happened in my favour. I try to be consistent and amongst wickets each time I am given the chance to play. These things do happen, but the important aspect is that you should be ready for the biggest challenge of representing the country when the opportunity comes to you. That is what I am trying to do now and not think about missing the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka,” says Ojha, who has played 18 One-Day Internationals and taken 21 wickets.

Ojha also does not believe in chasing any personal goals. He is more than happy helping script victories for India.

[sriece19]

SAAP ‘towers’ showcase waste of public money

The Sports Tower built at Gachibowli to accommodate the participants of the World Military Games held in the city in October 2007 is now not fit even for commercial purposes, since it has been a picture of neglect all these years.

The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh suddenly woke up and issued a notification on September 21, 2012, inviting tenders with a view to letting out the building on lease for commercial purposes.

The Sports Tower was built at a cost of Rs 78.422 crore by SAAP. The tower was utilised for only five days during the games and has remained vacant since then. Many national and international events have taken place in the city subsequently, yet the government never thought of using it, forget about making commercial use of it.

Moreover, SAAP has been paying crores of rupees in interest on the Rs 40 crore loan it had taken from the Punjab National Bank for construction. Social activists point out that, instead of renting hotels and spending so much money for COP-11 delegates, the government could have used the facility.

However, the Sports Tower now has broken windows and the building itself is in a very bad shape with dust and cobwebs at many places.

The administrator and 12-member staff are hardly seen at the building. Due to lack of water and power supply, the condition of the tower is worsening by the day. “According to the reply we got to our RTI plea that was filed eight months back, supply of power and water to the building was revoked after the Military Games,” said Rama Krishna of Its Time to Make Difference (ITMD), an NGO.

He also came to know of some other bizarre facts. “Only 9 floors (Basement, Ground floor+7 floors) were constructed at the time of the Military Games and the remaining 6 floors were constructed after the games. The interiors work above the 7th floor is incomplete and pretty bad,” he said.

Most of the furniture was stolen, while some were shifted to district complexes. Most shocking is that a sum of Rs 11,49,936 is supposed to have been spent on the ‘maintenance’ of the tower annually since 2007. Besides, interest is also being paid.

“The Sports Tower was not utilised even though several national and state level events were organised in Hyderabad. Had it been used properly, there would be justification for the huge amount spent on constructing the tower,” he said. No authority from SAAP was ready to speak on the issue.

[Gudavalli]

Surender Reddy is HRC Chairman

Mr. R. Surender Reddy was unanimously elected Chairman of the Hyderabad Race Club here on Thursday.

Following were elected Stewards: M/s. K. Bhupal Reddy, Ananth Kishen Rao, R. Rajesh and C. Gautam Bhoopal.