Hull KR win race to sign Dobson

Hull Kingston Rovers have agreed a deal to sign Canberra Raiders scrum-half Michael Dobson from under the noses of city rivals Hull FC.

The 21-year-old has secured a release from his contract with Canberra after failing to be their number one pick and is expected to be at Rovers next week.

Hull FC wanted Dobson to cover Richard Horne but Rovers swooped after James Webster was ruled out for the season.

Australian Webster dislocated his shoulder against Leeds on Friday.

Former Hull FC and Hull KR scrum-half Craig Murdock, now a BBC Radio Humberside commentator, thinks the capture of former Catalans Dragons and Wigan player Dobson is a real boost to the Robins.

It was probably a bit more pressing for Rovers to get a recognised half-back in Former Hull FC and KR scrum-half Craig Murdock

He said: “Rovers certainly needed a half back as did Hull FC and I think it’s a major coup for Hull Kingston Rovers.

“I know there were a lot of rumours that he was close to signing for Hull FC but a deal’s been done in three days to bring him to Hull KR and he’s a great player and I’m sure he’ll add strength to their squad.”

Hull FC were looking to cover for the loss of Great Britain international Horne who will be out of action for the foreseeable future due to a neck injury and offered Dobson a two-and-a-half year deal.

But Murdock believes Rovers were in need of a scrum-half more than the Black and Whites.

“Hull FC still have lots of options around the half-back position and it was probably a bit more pressing for Rovers to get a recognised half-back in.”

Drugs chiefs ask golf to do more

Anti-doping bosses have backed the Open’s organisers over the decision to delay introducing drugs tests, but want golf to go further in policing itself.

The R&A had to scrap plans to screen every player this year as some tours have not implemented drugs policies.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) agreed with the R&A’s decision but warned the sport against complacency.

“No sport is immune to doping and anti-doping measures protect the game’s integrity,” a Wada spokesman said.

“It would be helpful for all golfers if each of the tours had the same rules, the same prohibited list and the same education activities.

“We expect the players themselves will see the sense in such harmony and look forward to its development.”

The R&A had hoped the 2008 Open would be the first major to implement drugs tests but was forced to postpone them until 2009 when it realised players from tours without adequate doping education programmes had already qualified.

Drug testing on the PGA and European Tours, world golf’s two richest circuits, starts in July. But the Asian, Australian and South African tours - who have all already held Open qualification events - have not yet agreed their anti-doping plans.

The news is disappointing but we know it’s not through a lack of effort or willingness on behalf of the R&A UK Sport spokesman

This meant the R&A, which has taken a lead in persuading golf to take the doping threat more seriously, had to shelve its testing plans.

Wada, which has long criticised the sport for not doing enough to address the issue, was sympathetic to the R&A’s position.

“While Wada regrets that no testing will take place at the Open, we recognise that proper education of the players is important so that they are fully informed of the dangers and consequences of doping as well as the rules,” the spokesman told BBC Sport.

“The R&A has been a driving force for the implementation of anti-doping programmes in golf, and we expect that it will implement testing soon.”

Wada’s comments were supported by UK Sport, the body that runs Britain’s anti-doping programme.

“The news is disappointing but we know it’s not through a lack of effort or willingness on behalf of the R&A,” a spokesman said.

“Golf is a complex sport in terms of its global structure, which has led to delays in the introduction of testing, but we are confident the issues will be resolved and there will be testing in place next year.”

The R&A, the governing body for golf outside of the US and Mexico, introduced limited testing at the World Amateur Team Championships in 2006 but was forced to deal with embarrassing headlines before last year’s Open when Gary Player claimed the sport had a doping problem.

A day before the tournament started, Player told reporters: “I know for a fact that some golfers are doing (drugs). We’re dreaming if we think it’s not going to come into golf.”

606: DEBATE It is a measured approach rather than to go for the headline-grabbing glory of being the first major to employ drug testing BBC Sport’s Iain Carter

He refused to identify any players as cheats but said there were at least 10 professionals taking performance-enhancing substances and that it “might be a hell of a lot more”.

The South African legend’s allegations were given short shrift by players and administrators alike but they clearly forced the issue higher up the sport’s “to do” list.

And it was not long after that the previously reluctant PGA Tour confirmed that it would be introducing mandatory drugs tests this year.

The American circuit’s belated acceptance of the need to start testing has not, however, been universally welcomed.

Wada remains concerned that the PGA Tour has not signed up to its globally-recognised list of prohibited substances and some of the tour’s members, the players themselves, have reacted angrily to the prospect of testers turning up at their houses unannounced.

But with golf one of seven sports under consideration for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games, the sport is likely to have to move towards the kind of Wada-sanctioned programme that athletes, cyclists and swimmers accept as routine.

Indian doctors win work right in UK

It’s a big victory for Indian doctors in Britain as the House of Lords allowed them to work and train under the same conditions given to applicants from Britain and the European Union.

This will affect between 8000 and 10,000 Indians currently in the UK on HSMP visas given before April 2006.

This decision came after two long years of hectic lobbying and long courtroom hours.

In a 4-1 judgement, Britain highest judiciary dismissed the government’s appeal against an earlier court decision in favour of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), which had challenged an April 2006 order to hospital trusts to employ non-EU medicos only if no candidate from EU is available.

Dr Ramesh Mehta, President, BAPIO said, ”We think this is a landmark victory for doctors from the Indian sub-continent especially from India. We are absolutely delighted and we believe justice has been done.”

In April 2006, the Department of Health issued guidelines to hospitals not to employ anyone from outside the European Union unless there was no candidate from within the EU.

This affected thousands of Indian doctors who were in the UK on a Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

Last year the High Court had ruled that the guidelines were illegal after which the government moved the House of Lords.

Anthony Robinson, Solicitor, BAPIO said, ”In the High Court we were unsuccessful so we had to go to the Court of Appeal where we were successful, the three lords were unanimous and here today the House of Lords have agreed to that by 4 to 1.”

The Indian doctors under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) were allowed to compete for jobs after the court ruling in favour of them last year, but Wednesday’s Lords ruling puts a seal of finality on their employability status.

Indian and other non-European Union doctors had found themselves in the lurch when the Department of Health, faced with a large pool of UK and EU-trained doctors, directed hospital trusts to give preference to EU doctors.

The BAPIO pointed to a recent ruling by the House of Lords and Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights, against retrospective application of the immigration rules.

”The Committee concludes that the changes to the HSMP are clearly not compatible with the right to respect for home and family life under Article 8 ECHR (European Convention of Human Rights)and contrary to basic notions of fairness,” the committee said.

The committee recommended that the changes to immigration rules in April 2006 ‘’should be amended so that the changes apply only prospectively, that is to future applicants to the HSMP, and that those already granted leave to remain under HSMP when the relevant changes took effect should be treated according to the rules which applied before those changes”.

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool (4-3)

Didier Drogba bagged a brace as Chelsea swept into their first Champions League final at the expense of Liverpool on a night of high drama at Stamford Bridge.

The Ivorian opened the scoring with a 12-yard strike, but Fernando Torres’s drive sent the game into extra-time.

Frank Lampard restored the lead from the spot after Michael Ballack had been felled, before Drogba prodded a third.

Ryan Babel’s 35-yarder prompted a tense finale, but Chelsea held on to seal a tie with Manchester United in Moscow.

It was sweet revenge for Chelsea, having been knocked out of the competition at this stage three times in the last four years, including twice by Liverpool in 2005 and 2007.

And it was just about deserved on a tumultuous night’s football, their reward being a titanic encounter against their rivals for the Premier League title.

Both sides made two changes to the teams that started the first leg at Anfield, Michael Essien returning from a European ban and Saloman Kalou preferred to Florent Malouda for Chelsea, Liverpool replacing Babel and the injured Fabio Aurelia with Yossi Benayoun and John Arne Riise.

But, as was the case last week, it was the home side that made the early running and Drogba forced the first save of the night with a skiddy effort from 25 yards.

606: DEBATE Drogba has really shown his strength tonight. We’ll miss him when he’s gone jdnp_cfc_gh

Liverpool’s plan was apparently to soak up pressure and then look for Torres at every opportunity. The plan almost reaped rewards on 10 minutes when the Spaniard ran onto Steven Gerrard’s fine pass, only for Petr Cech to smother his shot from eight yards.

It was as close as the visitors got in the first half, though, as Chelsea dictated both possession and chances.

Drogba - so impressive in the Blues’ weekend win over Manchester United - was at the heart of all that was good about the hosts’ play, but he should have done better when he clipped wide having been set clean through in the box by Lampard’s incisive pass.

Liverpool’s cause was not helped by an injury to Martin Skrtel, the defender limping off with a knee injury, and things got worse for the Reds when Chelsea scored on 33 minutes.

Fittingly, Drogba grabbed the goal, the Ivorian drilling in with aplomb after Kalou, who had been set free by Lampard, had brought a diving stop from Reina.

Replays suggested Kalou had run onto Lampard’s through-ball from an offside position but Drogba, so heavily criticised by Rafael Benitez before the game for diving, showed no remorse as he grasped the opportunity to celebrate in front of the Liverpool bench.

Ballack almost rounded off the half with a superb free-kick that flew inches wide and the visitors appeared understandably relieved to go into half-time with the score just 1-0.

Torres levelled but Chelsea held on to seal a final spot

Something had to change for the Reds - and it did - Liverpool almost making a dream start to the second half when Dirk Kuyt forced a smart save from Cech eight yards out.

Gerrard, superbly marshalled by Claude Makelele, had been anonymous in the opening 45 but, with Chelsea happy to sit deep, the midfielder helped Liverpool back into the match.

The Blues suddenly looked short of rhythm and their lack of sharpness was exposed when Benayoun strolled infield and slipped in Torres, the Spaniard spinning on a sixpence and lashing into the corner.

It was Liverpool’s first goal at Stamford Bridge in 841 minutes of football, spanning nine matches, and meant the match was destined for extra-time.

The extra period fizzled with controversy - sparked when an Essien drive from 22 yards out flew into the net, only to be ruled out because four Chelsea players stood offside.

The Blues’ protests that they were not interfering were muted seconds later, though, as Sami Hyypia felled Ballack and Lampard dispatched the resultant penalty brilliantly.

The midfielder, whose mother passed away last week, celebrated in emotional fashion and seven minutes later Chelsea went two goals clear when Drogba swept home Anelka’s pass from six yards.

The touch paper had well and truly been lit and, after Hyypia had penalty appeals waved away following a Drogba challenge, Babel reduced the arrears with a speculative effort from 35 yards that Cech should have done better with.

It was a frantic end to an astonishing match, but Chelsea saw it out to send the home fans into raptures and put themselves in with a chance of becoming the first London club to lift Europe’s most sought-after prize.

Daredevils beat Royal Challengers

The lady luck again lacked the Vijay Malliya owned Bangalore Royal Challengers(RC) as they had to face defeat in the hands of the Delhi Daredevils(DD) diminishing their chances of going into the semifinals. They are now placed at the bottom of the table.

After winning the toss the RC put DD to bat and it seemed that they had grasped the invitation with both hands. The DD dominates the RC bowlers as the openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhr thrashed the ball all around the field.

Ross Taylor gave RC a joy of relief as he knocked off Sehwag for a mere 24 runs, but the jolly making was not for long as the no.3 batsman Shikhar Dhawan whipped RC with a string of boundaries.

After posting 192 as the target for the RC the DD were fearsome with the ball too. The maximum damage of the RC was done by the pace Aussi bolwer Glenn McGrath who picked up four curtail wickets and was also adjourned Man of the Match. The RC’s were 3 down in the very first over when their skipper Rahul Dravid and Jaques Kallis came for their rescue. In the second spell McGrath send home dravid but kallis managed to add another half century to his account.

Delhi Temperatures soaring new heights

The temperature during the day at Delhi has showed its colors and is creating a new high. recently the temperature in Orissa had reached a new high of 45 degrees. The question that arises is that what will happen in the months to come if the condition remains the same. The shops selling AC’s, Coolers, Fans and cold drink’s etc are makin it out big this summer.

Images from IPL

IPL Cheerleaders

Not everyone impressed with Indian Premier League cricket cheerleaders

The foreign cheerleaders were brought in to show India’s cricket fans how to shake their pompons - but not everyone was impressed.

The New Delhi team said Wednesday it was switching its cheerleaders for a band of drummers. Mumbai politicians have forced theirs to cover up, saying their performances were lewd and not appropriate for India’s traditional culture.

The cheerleaders were flown in to give a touch of glamour to the Indian Premier League - a newly launched cricket tournament that brings together the sport’s biggest international stars, million-dollar contracts, big business and celebrities.

Cricket in its purest form is a serene game that lasts five days and is played by men in white who take breaks for tea.

But the Indian Premier League presents a flashy, rapid-fire version that is played in just five hours under floodlights with players in colourful uniforms.

The league has been posited as a celebration of the new India: brash, confident, cosmopolitan and rolling in money from a decade-long economic boom.

Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya flew in the Washington Redskins cheerleaders to boost his team, which he named after one of his whiskeys - the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Other team owners flew in troops of dancing beauties from Eastern Europe.

For a brief moment all was good. They whirled and bounced and cheered. Miniskirts flared and pompons shook as cricket players batted balls out of the park.

But it was all too much for the other India - a deeply conservative country where public displays of sexuality are taboo and women are expected to dress modestly.

The backlash began in Mumbai last week when lawmakers from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party pressed to get cheerleaders banned from the home games of the local team, the Mumbai Indians.

“See the pictures of these girls in the newspapers? This is not something you can allow inside your house, or something that you can look at in the presence of your sister or daughter,” said Nitin Gadkari, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s president for the state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is its capital.

“It may be a good thing for America, for the U.S.A., it’s not a good thing for India, for our kind of culture,” Gadkari said.

Police vowed to keep scantily clad dancers out of public view.

“We will take action,” said Mumbai police officer Ramrao Wagh. “The government has said it will not allow obscenities on the field.” He did not elaborate.

In the end a compromise of sorts was reached.

The away team cheerleaders still wore their tartan miniskirts - but they donned black full-body stockings underneath. The Mumbai dancers wore flowing, ankle-length blue pants.

Despite calls to several teams, the cheerleaders could not be reached for comment.

On Wednesday, in an apparent effort to avoid a similar confrontation, the owners of the Delhi Daredevils cricket team said they would replace the cheerleaders at the next game with a troop of traditional drummers.

Shriram Ramdas, a spokesman for the GMR group - the construction company that owns the Daredevils - denied that they had come under pressure to drop the foreign dancers.

He declined to explain the decision, except to say the group wanted “to experiment with different forms of entertainment.”

“Who knows? Maybe next season we will have a group of our own cheerleaders from the city,” he said.

Presumably, they won’t be wearing hot pants.

 

Copyright © 2008 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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