* The inexperienced Indian mens hockey team fought hard before going down 4-5 against Pakistan to slump to their third defeat in the Asian Champions Trophy at Kakamigahara,Japan on Thursday. India scored through Gurjinder Singh (24th minute),Amit Rohidas (30th minute),Manpreet Singh (40th minute) and Malak Singh (49th minute). For Pakistan,Abdul Haseem Khan (2nd minute),Mohammad Imran (35th minute),Mohammad Rizwan (36th and 44th minute) and Mohammad Rizwan Junior (53rd minute) were the goal-getters. Meanwhile,India conceded a late goal to lose 1-2 to hosts Japan and slump to their first defeat in the women's competition. India took the lead in the 33rd minute play through Chanchan Devi's goal from their first penalty corner. Arai Mazuki drew parity with a field goal in the 59th minute. With just two minutes to go for then hooter,Otsuka Shiho scored the winner by converting a penalty corner. Sanam,Divij-Raja win * Sanam Singh brushed aside the challenge of Germanys Nils Langer even as Saketh Myneni bowed out of the ATP Challenger event in Knoxville,USA. Sanam won 6-1 6-4 to move to the singles pre-quarterfinals of the hard court event. Earlier,Donald Young had ended Mynenis campaign in the first round. Meanwhile,in the Ortisei Challenger event in Italy,Indian pair of Divij Sharan and Purav Raja made it to the semifinals. They beat Martin Fischer of Austria and Peter Gojowczyk of Germany 7-6(6) 6-2. Federer back to winning ways * Roger Federer got back to winning ways at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-4 6-3 defeat of Richard Gasquet on Thursday to keep his last-four chances alive. Under pressure after losing to Novak Djokovic in his opening Group B match,Federer looked much more like his old m jestic self. Despite losing the opening six points of the match,Federer quickly found his stride. Allow women in stadiums * FIFA chief Sepp Blatter appealed to the Iranian authorities to end the ban on women attending men's football matches. Blatter,who was wrapping up a two-day visit to Tehran,said that Iran's top female official,Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar,was among those he had raised the issue with. "I had the opportunity this morning to speak with the lady vice president to ask that in the government they should try to change one of the cultural laws here that woman cannot attend football matches," Blatter said.
