Leander Paes has decided not to play as a captain of the Indian team in the forthcoming Davis cup tournament. The tournament is scheduled in September. SP Misra is expected to act as a non-playing captain for the team. SP Misra has expressed happiness on his appointment. He termed it as an honor for him to lead the team of two great champion players and two highly talented youngsters. The first mach will be played against Romania. The team will include Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Dev Varman and Prakash Amritraj.

Manipur has still not given up its rage against the Chairman of Indian Olympic Association Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi and Director of SAI, R.K. Naidu and weightlifter Shailaja Pujari, for exempting Monika Devi form the Olympics. The protestors burnt tyres and effigies of the names mentioned above (not Monika), in the Imphal valley and surrounding places like Lilong in Thoubal district and thus marked a 24 hours bandh on Tuesday afternoon.

In the women’s singles table tennis competition on Monday, Neha Aggarwal’s Olympic challenge ended in the first round when she lost to Chinese-born Australian Jian Fang Lay.

After winning the first game, Neha lost next four games 12-10, 8-11, 11-13, 8-11, and 4-11 in 34 minutes.

Lay at the age of 35, almost twice as old as Neha, is amongst the Australia’s best.

She had moved to Australia in 1994 and had given up the sport, but was persuaded by her husband and she made a come back.

The 18-year-old Neha had chances to win, after winning the first game by 12-10; she was 6-6 in the second game before losing by 8-11.

Rafael Nadal has gained the Olympic medal at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre on Sunday. He defeated Fernando Gonzalez of Chile with 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 in a very interesting game. He has not only decorated his own career but also increased the prestige of his native land Spain by getting first gold in tennis for the country. He will be now counted in the top five players of the world.

Haroon Lorgat, who is the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chief executive convinced the teams of South Africa and England, said that it would be safe, if they play in Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Pakistan would get to know whether they would be hosting Champions Trophy next month or not.  
 
On Sunday in Edinburg, Lorgat met the English cricket Officials and the players with other ICC officials and briefed them that the strict security arrangements would be made for them in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

In the press conference, which would be held at Lord after meeting with South African officials and the players, Logat will announce whether the tournament will be held in Pakistan or not.

In the upcoming three-match Commonwealth Bank Series against Bangladesh instead of Ricky Ponting, the 14-member team will be led by Michael Clarke. Injured Pointing has been ruled out of the series because of the wrist injury. Mike Hussey will serve as the deputy to Clarke in the three-game series in Darwin on August 30 and September 3 and 6. The 27-year-old Clarke led Australia to successive wins over the West Indies in one-dayers in early July.