Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Viswanathan Anand dragged into citizenship controversies by HRD ministry

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 06:57 AM PDT

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

Vishwanathan Anand the chess champion across the globe has been pulled into a controversy over the doctorate degree that is to be conferred upon him by the Indian government over whether anand belongs to the Indian citizenship or Spain.

The world champion who lives in Spain for most part of the year has been awarded a degree from the International Congress Of Mathematicians (ICM) but the ministry of Human Resource Development sparked questions as to whether Anand is the citizen of this country or Spain.

He was also asked to produce a passport of his Indian citizenship.

All these debates led to the cancellation of the arrangements made by the ICM for the occasion. The International Math's congress reported through a formal statement that the HRD members despite repeated follow-ups did not forward there approval request to the President of the nation for signature. Kapil Sibal, the HRD minister talked over this issue with Anand and apologized to him about the complete matter since his name is being highlighted in the controversy.

The ministry also said that the next date for this occasion will be now set by Anand according to his own convenience. Sibal also said that Anand has made the nation proud with his achievements that have been marked over years of his success.

Rajat Tandon, the head of the department at the University said, “We are ready to award the honorary doctorate to Anand. The doctorate has only been delayed and not denied as the HRD Ministry has raised doubts over the chess champion’s nationality.” Anand also felt hurt about the rising controversies and said that it was always India for which he played, and his main motive has always been to make the nation proud.

Tiger woods’ marriage with Elin Nordegren is officially over

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 06:03 AM PDT

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Tiger Wood

Even as the news of Tiger Woods' divorce from wife Elin Nordegren is pouring in, speculations are rife about his getting hitched again to one of his earlier mistresses. The official declaration was released on the golfer's website yesterday by their lawyers. It was also posted that the Florida Court has ruled shared parenting for their two kids.

"We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future," said the estranged couple in the statement, which emphasized that the children were the "primary focus of our amicable discussions."

"The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern," Woods and Nordegren said. The financial agreements of this divorce are not yet revealed.

This divorce comes after nine embarrassing months of Woods' life where all his infidelities came out in the open. The infamous sex scandal surrounding this golfer was publicly revealed last year when he rammed his car in his house and his clean image got blotted forever.

Woods took a break of five months from golf after this incident supposedly getting rehabilitated for sex addiction. The scandal not only deprived him of various sponsorships worth millions of dollars but also his impeccable image to which his several fans and franchisees looked up to.

Japanese Man Swims From Germany To Denmark

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 05:49 AM PDT

Hansen Sinclair – AHN News Reporter

Tokyo, Japan (AHN) – A Tokyo man has swum the 15-mile Fehmarn Belt Strait between Germany and Denmark, making him the eighth person to do so.

Yasutaka Kurokawa, 40, made the swim Aug. 15 from Fehmarn Island in Germany to Denmark’s Lolland Island, while three judges and a friend followed in a boat, according to reports.

Kurokawa is the first person from Japan to make the swim.

Kurokawa finished the swim in six hours and 24 minutes.

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Hafner Confident Brighter Days Ahead For Indians

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 05:30 AM PDT

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John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – It’s been a long summer for Cleveland sports fans but Travis Hafner is confident that better times are coming up in the not-so-far future.

It’s been a summer in which Cleveland fans saw LeBron James go south to Miami. Meanwhile, their Indians have gone in the same direction, in the baseball standings, that is.

Hafner, Cleveland’s veteran designated hitter, has been a bright light for the Indians.

At age 33, Hafner is the oldest player for the Indians, who have eight rookies on their active roster and the youngest 25-man lineup in the MLB.

“With a lot of trades and everything, this is just the situation we’re in,” said Hafner, who has 10 homers and 39 RBI this season. “It’s more of leadership role now and trying to help out the young players as much as I can.

“We talk baseball all the time. It helps me out too and we start talking about things. It’s good for everybody. You try to learn as much you can about games. You just watch games and every game just try to get better. The guys work hard and we see them getting better every day. That’s encouraging.”

Hafner, who has been with the Indians since 2002, was activated from the disabled list on Aug. 15.

He went on the DL on Aug. 3 with inflammation in his right shoulder, which he had surgery on in 2008.

Hafner has been on a hot streak lately, going 19-for-47 and .404 in his last 14 games with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

“The team is a lot different than it was the first of April,” said Hafner, third in the AL in getting hit by a pitch 11 times. “You see the young guys come up, they’re learning a lot and it’s good experience for them.”

But for the Indians, 50-74 following an 8-1 loss Sunday to Detroit at Comerica Park, this has not been the best of seasons.

“Your role coming into the year is to make the playoffs,” Hafner said.”You judge it as a disappointment.”

Hafner is the team’s all-time home run leader with 160 and RBI leader with 551 as a designated hitter. He’s No. 10 in Cleveland history for home runs with 172.

“I believe you don’t stay the same,” Hafner said. “You either get better or you get worse. Every day you come and work hard. There’s always something you can learn at this game. It’s a matter of working hard and trying to go out and put up good at bats every night.”

It’s been a frustrating season for the Tribe but Hafner remains upbeat over the future.

“Obviously we have a lot of young players,” he said. “The most important thing is to have good pitching. We have some good arms up here right now. We have a lot of good arms in Double A and Triple A. I think we’re in a pretty good position to make a run here.”

Even though his team’s out of the pennant race, Hafner said there’s still plenty of motivation to get up for every game.

“Obviously it’s going to be good experience for the younger players,” he said. “This is the big leagues. It’s all about winning. Every time you come to the ballpark you’re here to win. You have to win up here. You have to learn to win. It’s important to finish out the season strong on a winning note and carry that into next season.”

Despite the disappointing summer, Hafner said Cleveland sports fans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic over the future.

“Cleveland’s a great sports town,” Hafner said. “Fans have been very supportive. They’re just waiting for a winner. Hopefully next season, we can come out and have a great season and get them excited about baseball again and be in a pennant race.”

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Triple Crown Hopeful Votto Powering New Big Red Machine

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 04:18 AM PDT

Kareem Shaker – AHN Sports Reporter

Cincinnati, OH, United States (AHN) – Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto ranks in the top three in the National League in average, home runs and RBI, powering the league’s most prolific offense as the Reds look to capture their first World Series since 1990.

The 26-year-old currenty leads the National League in batting average (.323), is second in RBI (89) and third in homers (29).

The Ontario native made his debut in 2007 and steadily improved while the Reds consistently struggled, missing the playoffs for a 15th-consecutive season in 2009.

Votto is well within striking distance of becoming the first to win the batting Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

Meanwhile, thanks to big bats like Brandon Philips (.289/14 HR/48 RBI/13 SB), Jay Bruce (.264/13 HR/50 RBI) and Scott Rolen (.297/18 HR/69 RBI), the Reds are holders of a 3.5 game lead for first in the NL Central.

The Reds have done the job at the plate, similar to the team’s famous “Big Red Machine” of the 1970′s, which boasted players like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan.

That version of the Reds won five National League Western Division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series titles.

Cincinnati (72-52) currently leads the NL in runs scored (610) and batting average (.272) and is third in home runs (137).

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Season In Balance For Strasburg; Pitcher To Have MRI

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 02:44 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Stephen Strasburg’s season is in the balance as he heads back to Washington D.C. to have an MRI on his strained right forearm. The Nationals will wait for the results before deciding their course of action.

The Nationals’ 22-year-old pitching phenom reportedly felt no discomfort while going through his normal post-start workout before his scheduled MRI exam Sunday.

He went through the routine prior to Sunday’s rubber match against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park the morning after straining a flexor tendon in his right forearm during Saturday’s start, the Washington Post.com reported.

Strasburg, who was making his third start since returning from a stint on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder, winced in pain after a pitch to Phillies right fielder Dominic Brown in the fifth inning.

The Nat hard-throwing right-hander was in control until the time he got hurt and was replaced after throwing 4 1/3 innings.

He gave up one run on two hits, striking out six batters and walking none as Washington went on to take the second part of the three-game set, 8-1.

Meanwhile, general manager Mike Rizzo denied a published report that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 will be shut down for the season, opting to wait for MRI results before making any announcements, according to MLB.com.

Manager Jim Riggleman, on the other hand, reportedly conceded that Strasburg will most likely miss his next start at the very least.

The latest injury is not new to Strasburg, who pitched through it while attending San Diego State University.

Strasburg is 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA through 12 starts of his maiden campaign.

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Power Captures Sonoma IndyCar Win

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 02:44 AM PDT

Edward Lewis – AHN Sports Reporter

Sonoma, CA, United States (AHN) – Will Power got a little personal redemption Sunday at Infineon Raceway.

Power, who suffered season-ending injuries at the track last year, became the sixth different driver in as many IZOD IndyCar Series races at Sonoma to win as he captured the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

“What a perfect weekend. It was an awesome race,” Power said. “[Scott] Dixon certainly had a good pace at the end there but I had a bit of pick up on my tires. I just have to thank the Verizon guys and Roger [Penske] and Tim [Cindric] for giving me this opportunity. A year ago I was lying in the hospital after taking a ride in a helicopter and watching the race in there, so to come back and win it from the pole is just fantastic. I’ve said it all season, I wanted to come back here and win this race.”

Power, who won the pole, maneuvered the 2.303-mile, 12-turn natural-terrain course the quickest and topped Dixon by 0.7432 of a second.

Power increased his series points lead over third-place finisher Dario Franchitti to 59 with four oval races remaining this season.

“We did the best with what we had today. We took a gamble on blacks [tires] at the end and it didn’t work for us, unfortunately,” said Franchitti. “Scott [Dixon] was definitely quicker on reds and I let him go there, hoping he was going to hunt down Will [Power]. Scott really tried to get past him. There was such a speed difference on the blacks that we couldn’t get close to them at the end.”

Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves ran fourth and fifth respectively and were followed by Justin Wilson and Tony Kanaan.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Graham Rahal and Alex Lloyd rounded out the top 10.

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U.S. National Coach Bradley Wants Aston Villa Job

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 02:44 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Bob Bradley, who led the United States to the round-of-16 at the World Cup, is reportedly interested in managing the English Premiere League club Aston Villa.

The 52-year-old Bradley, a former Major League Soccer manager, confirmed interest in the job after being asked on BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek program about the Aston Villa vacancy.

“Of course”, said Bradley, who previously managed three teams in nine seasons. “I think Aston Villa is a massive club with great history and a great following and those type of opportunities would of course be of interest.”

Bradley indicated he had not had contact with fellow American owner Randy Lerner, but said: “I would certainly be honored to have that conversation, but I’m impressed with the way things have been handled so far and we’ll see what the future holds,” as reported by the BBC.

Bradley, who has a contract with the United States which runs until the end of the year, reportedly added there had been “discussions with some of my representatives to find out the situation.”

Although Bradley told BBC he has “always been excited about being a manager in Europe,” he is also proud of the work accomplished with the US team over the last four years.

Prior to being named to guide the US national team in December 2006, Bradley previously coached in college before embarking for the MLS, where he managed the Chicago Fire, MetroStars (now called the New York Red Bulls) and Chivas USA.

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Niners Topple Favre, Vikings In Preseason

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 02:44 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) – Anthony Dixon scored a touchdown and had 20 carries for 51 yards, as the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Minnesota Vikings 15-10 Sunday in a preseason tilt at Candlestick Park.

Brett Favre, in his highly anticipated first game back with the Vikings, completed one pass and was clobbered on a sack in his short preseason debut.

The 40-year-old legendary quarterback, who is attempting to surpass his stunning performance last year in his first season in a Minnesota uniform, took four snaps in the only series he played.

A long-time Niners nemesis, Favre, who was jeered by the crowd Sunday when running onto the field for the first time midway through the opening quarter, completed a 13-yard pass to Adrian Peterson on his first play from scrimmage.

Favre, who took the field just four days after his first training camp practice of the year, was greeted with a sack by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis two plays later.

Still recovering from an offseason ankle surgery, Favre eventually gave way to backup Tarvaris Jackson after that single series.

On the other hand, Favre’s 49ers’ counterpart Alex Smith bounced back from a poor performance in a win at Indianapolis. He played the entire first half, completing 9-of-13 for 88 yards for the 49ers.

Last Sunday, Smith finished 3-of-9 for 37 yards with one interception in San Francisco’s 37-17 preseason victory over the Colts.

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Quarterback Freeman`s Thumb Injury Shakes Up Bucs

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 02:44 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Tampa, FL, United States (AHN) – A thumb injury sustained by starting quarterback Josh Freeman in a preseason game Saturday could dampen the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ upcoming campaign.

The second-year pro Freeman fractured the tip of his right thumb on his throwing hand after the team’s first offensive series in Tampa Bay’s 20-15 win over the Chiefs.

He left the game after completing two of four pass attempts for 21 yards.

Although Freeman will reportedly be sidelined until at least the opening week of the regular season; it could affect his momentum and the Buccaneers offense.

The former Kansas standout, who was the third quarterback selected in the 2009 draft behind Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, will be going into the regular season having thrown only eight preseason passes in three series.

Without Freeman, the Bucs will have to rely on third-year pro Josh Johnson and second-year backup Rudy Carpenter, who has yet to play in an NFL regular-season contest.

Last season, Johnson appeared in six games, losing all four of his starts.

On Saturday, he completed six of 10 pass attempts for a 113 yards.

Carpenter completed eight of 11 pass attempts for 79 yards and a game-winning touchdown for Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers will open the regular season on Sept. 12 when they welcome the Browns to Raymond James Stadium.

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