India File

A tour to Italy next month is the first in the AIFF list of preparatory matches for the Indian team. The AIFF has decided to send the National team to Sicily for a sports festival on an invitation from Italy. The 22-member Indian team8217;s tour is from June 15 to 22 during which they will play matches with the local clubs.

AIFF had approached Mumbai Football Association requesting them to hold the camp from June 2 till the departure of the team. But, it is learnt, the Mumbai body had expressed its inability to hold the camp giving boarding and lodging problems as the reason. The camp now will be held in Bangalore from June 2.

Games baton

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will receive the Kuala Lumpur Commonweath Games baton at his official residence here tomorrow.The Queensbaton, equivalent to the Olympic flame, left Buckingham Palace last month and is passing through member-countries of the Commonwealth.Vajpayee will receive the baton from Sharad Rao, legal adviser to the Commonwealth Games Federation at his number seven Race Course Road Residence in a brief ceremony.

Indians No 2

NEW DELHI: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of India have reclaimed the world No 2 position on the ATP doubles rankings, following the biggest title win of their career at the Italian Open Super 9 event at Rome this week.

The Indian duo, whose rankings had slipped to five after they skipped the German Open, shot up to second place with 1634 points in the latest rankings released yesterday.