Sanjay Dixit, Modi detractor, can also contest in election

Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president Lalit Modi got a breather on Friday when election observer justice (retd) NM Kasliwal gave him the green signal to contest for the president’s post in the forthcoming RCA elections. Modi’s candidature was challenged by his rivals alleging that he was convicted by a US court.

Modi’s detractor, IAS officer Sanjay Dixit also got the nod from Kasliwal to contest for the same post. Dixit was facing an objection as he is a government employee.

“They have been filing objections. But every time, these are turned down,” Modi said.

Viswanathan Anand may have scored a facile win over Vladimir Kramnik to claim the world championship in 2008 but his next opponent for the title is likely to pose a more serious threat to the Indian Grandmaster. On current form alone, the Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov will be a tougher nut to crack than Kramnik. Topalov has earned the right to challenge Anand for the world championship title after beating Gata Kamsky of USA in a thrilling eight-game match by a 4.5-2.5 scoreline.

It's hard to imagine Sania Mirza as the 'mamma's girl' she claims to be. In public, she is diva-like, cocky and brash, with her devil-may-care attitude sometimes putting-off. So, when she reminisces about the time when her mother forced her to gulp down four glasses of milk a day, one can barely suppress a snicker.

"I think drinking four glasses a day was a bit too much but my mom asked me to and I was an obedient girl," Sania said during a promotional event in the city on Friday. Now we know where the power of her forehand comes from.

It's been a disappointing first week in New Zealand for the Indian team what with both both T-20 matches being lost. But if skipper Dhoni and his team are honest with themselves, this result was in many ways self-inflicted.

This is not to deny New Zealand credit for their unexpected success. By God they played superbly: with hope, heart and head, the last mentioned of these three attributes perhaps being the differentiator between the two teams: India, world champions at this form of the game, surprisingly appeared to miss the plot.

Liberec, Czech Republic - Petter Northug used his deadly kick again, against German Axel Teichmann, to give Norway its fifth straight men's relay cross-country skiing world title on Friday.

The pursuit champion Northug made his trademark staccato steps in the final turn before the home stretch to win the 4x10-kilometres race with Eldar Roenning, Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset and Tore Ruud Hofstad in 1 hour 41 minutes 50.6 seconds.

Dubai, UAE - Novak Djokovic moved to within a match of his first season title as the Serb stormed into a third final of the season 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 over Gilles Simon at the Barclays Championships on Friday.

The top seed will face off against the winner from unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Spaniard David Ferrer, the fourth seed who has struck a seam of form this week in the desert.

Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion, has improved his career showing at Dubai by one round in each of his three appearances, staring with a 2007 quarter-final and a semi-final defeat last year against Roger Federer.