In Brief

I am fit, says AzharuddinNEW DELHI: Mohammed Azharuddin today declared he has recovered from his shoulder surgery and informed the cricke...

I am fit, says Azharuddin

NEW DELHI: Mohammed Azharuddin today declared he has recovered from his shoulder surgery and informed the cricket board that he was 8220;fit enough to play international cricket8221;. Azhar, attempting a comeback after undergoing surgery in London immediately after India8217;s World Cup campaign ended in June, said his only problem was in throwing the ball from the deep.

Asked why he had not submitted his fitness certificate to BCCI, Azhar said: 8220;I didn8217;t want to produce a certificate that I am fit and then not be able to field in the deep. It will be embarrassing both for the board and me then8221;.

MRF down IOC for Dowla Gold Cup

HYDERABAD: Madras Rubber Factory Chennai registered a 154-run win over Indian Oil Corporation Mumbai in the final of the All India Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup Cricket Tournament here today.

Brief Scores

MRF 323-7 in 50 overs Aashish Kapoor 89, Hemang Badani 63, Tanveer Jabbar 32, Gyanander Pandey 38; Amit Dani 4-74, Mushtaq Khan 2-43bt IOC 169 in 42.3 overs Iqbal Siddiqui 32; T Kumaran 2-29, Zaheer Khan 3-40, Aashish Kapoor 2-17, Sumeer Dogra 2-19

Md Sporting stun East Bengal

HALDIA: Mohammedan Sporting upset title aspirants East Bengal 1-0 in the inaugural Group B match of 15th All Airlines Gold Cup Football Tournament here today. Sporting striker Amjad Ansari struck the all-important goal in the 75th minute.

Jeev languishes at 62nd spot

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh returned a one-over-par 72 but was placed way down the leaderboard at joint 62nd after the first round of the Lancome Trophy Golf Championship at Paris. The 27-year-old Chandigarh pro, the lone Indian on the highly-competitive European PGA Tour, was sharing the 62nd spot with 20 players at the Saint-Nom-La-Breteche Golf Club Course yesterday.

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German Alex Cejka shot a stunning seven-under 64 under hot and humid conditions at the 6,316-metre, par-71 35-36 course to lead at the end of the first day of the 1.34 million tournament.

Simi Mehrajoint 26th

NEW DELHI: India8217;s Simi Mehra shot one-under-par 71 to share the 26th spot at the end of the first round of the Safeco Classic Golf Tournament at Kent, near Washington USA. Mehra saved a stroke on the outward nine and then maintained her fine showing to return a one-under card yesterday in the 650,000 Ladies Professional Golfers Association Tour event being played at the 5,640-metre Meridian Vally Country Club Course. Mehra was sharing the 26th spot with five others including Sweden8217;s top women players Snnika Sorenstam and Englishwoman Kathryn Marshall.

Chris Johnson of the United States, was leading second-placed Wendy Doolan of Australia by two strokes.