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Journalism of Courage
Match-rigging scandal rocks Russian football
MOSCOW: Russian football was rocked by a match-rigging scandal when the sport’s ruling body launched a probe into reports Spartak Moscow clinched the 1996 championship after their opponents deliberately threw the match.Vladimir Rodionov, secretary general of the Russian Football Union (RFU), on Wednesday said officials were investigating media reports accusing the goalkeeper of Saint Petersburg club side Zenit of taking bribes to lose a crucial match, which allowed Spartak to play in a championship decider.
Pavel Sadyrin, the former coach of St-Petersburg Zenit Club, and the side’s former forward Sergei Dmitriev alleged ‘keeper Roman Berezovsky of gifting Spartak the key game 2-1 in return for unspecified favours. However, the two men did not accuse Spartak of any wrong-doing.
Soccer celebrations claim two
SOWETO: Two people were killed by stray bullets fired during wild street celebrations here after South Africa’s soccer team reached thefinal of the African championships, police said today.
About 500 people poured onto the streets of Johannesburg’s Soweto township last night after South Africa’s 2-1 semi-final victory over Congo in Burkina Faso.
A woman, 46, and a 13-year-old boy were hit when shots were fired by jubilant supporters, police said.
Battling for piece of wood proves fatal
COLOMBO: A 13-year-old student fell to death when he climbed a sun shade to reach a piece of wood for use as a cricket bat, a news report said today.Chanminoa Panagodage tried to reach the sun shade on the third floor of the D S Senanayake College on Wednesday when he fell halfway and died upon admission at the hospital, the Lankadeepa Daily reported.
Panagodage was attempting to retrieve a piece of wood left by some workmen on the sun shade as the college had banned students from bringing cricket bats to school.
Michael Slater for Derbyshire
LONDON: Derbyshire have signed Australian opening batsman Michael Slater for this year’sEnglish County season in place of Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar.In a statement today the club said it had become apparent that Anwar had unavoidable commitments to the Pakistan side this year.
Slater, recalled to the Australian side for the current tour of India, said he was excited about playing for the club.
“I ve always been a big fan of Derbyshire and I have a few personal friends on the team that I’m looking forward to playing with,” he said. Former Australian Test batsman Dean Jones and coach Les Stilmam, also an Australian, left Derbyshire early last season after report of unrest among the playing staff.
