Armstrong formally announces retirement NEW YORK: Lance Armstrong, who recovered from cancer to win the Tour de France a record seven times, formally announced his retirement from cycling on Wednesday, a month after his last race. The 39-year-old American, who made a comeback to the sport two years ago, said he was quitting for good to spend more time with his family and his charities. “Today, I am announcing my retirement from professional cycling in order to devote myself full-time to my family, to the fight against cancer and to leading the foundation I established before I won my first Tour de France,” he said in a statement. Although he never failed a dope test and always denied doping, Armstrong was dogged by accusations of wrong doingduring his career. “They can keep looking,” he told reporters in Australia last month. “If you’re trying to hide something, you wouldn’t keep getting away with it for 10 years. Nobody is that clever.” Armstrong initially retired from cycling in 2005 but returned in 2009, finishing third in the Tour in his first year back. His final race was at the relatively low-key Tour Down Under in Australia last month. Among his achievements was raising the profile of cycling and the Tour in the United States. “His legacy for our sport is unprecedented. He managed to make an entire country aware of the sport. He put it on the radar screen of a lot of young people and in a sense legitimized it,” said USA Cycling chief executive Steve Johnson. Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 but survived and returned to the bike and went on to become one of the most successful and controversial cyclists of all time. He won the Tour de France for an unprecedented seven consecutive years, from 1999 to 2005, before quitting the sport at the top.
Raonic and Del Potro through in Memphis MEMPHIS: Canada’s wildcard Milos Raonic defeated Spain’s Fernando Verdasco for the second time in four days, advancing to the second round of the ATP-WTA indoor tournament in Memphis on Wednesday. Raonic ousted second seed Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) at the $1.32 million event, booking a second-round date against Czech Radek Stepanek. Also advancing to the second round was 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who downed USA’s sixth seed John Isner 6-4, 6-3 in 74 minutes. Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt ousted Taiwan’s seventh seed Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) while USA’s third seed Melanie Oudin also was sent packing, leaving only one seeded player in the women’s final eight. Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina bounced Oudin 6-1, 7-5 as the seventh of eight seeds exited. Rodina will next face British qualifier Heather Watson, who defeated French qualifier Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Pakistani players rule in Kish Persian Gulf Cup KARACHI: Pakistanis powered through the field of the Kish Persian Gulf Cup to dominate the later stages of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in its third year at the Kish Sports Centre in Kish Island, Iran. The semifinals took on a surprise all-Pakistani look when unseeded Danish Atlas Khan upset Malaysia’s top seed Muhammad Asyraf Azan in the quarter-finals. Yasir Butt, the only seed to make the last four, also faced a qualifier in the other semi — but the fourth seed from Lahore battled for five games to overcome 18-year-old Waqas Mehboob, from Peshawar, to reach his sixth Tour final. Both Pakistanis were looking for their first Tour title triumph in the final — but it was teenager Danish Atlas Khan who prevailed, beating his 22-year-old fellow countryman Butt 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9.
Players announced for NCA U19 Programme By our correspondent KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) national selection committee has announced the name of 28 players to participate in a four-week U19 Fast Track Programme, which is being organised at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. The programme will start from February 21 under the supervision of the NCA elite coaches. The selected players are advised to report at the NCA by February 20. Players: Abdullah Shah, Ahsan Ali, Fawad Khan, Faisal Tahir, Maroof Aziz (Karachi), Babar Azam, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Waheed, Usman Qadir, Rohail Ali (Lahore), Adnan Mahmood, Mohammad Nawaz, Tayyab Riaz, Talha Qureshi, Tayyab Abbas, Kaleem Sana (Rawalpindi), Mukhtar Ahmed, Abubakar Butt, Adnan Siku, Fayyaz Butt, Muhammad Azhar (Sialkot), Mohammad Sheroze, Mir Darya Khan (Hyderabad), Zain Abbas (Multan), Ali Nadeem (Islamabad), Sharafuddin (Quetta), Musa Khan (Peshawar), Babar Khan (Abbottabad).
Pazzini helps Inter beat ex-club Fiorentina MILAN: Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini netted the winner at former club Fiorentina to give Inter Milan a 2-1 win in their game in hand on Wednesday and revive their outside Serie A title hopes. Champions Inter, who lost at Juventus on Sunday, moved back up to third spot and are five points behind leaders Milan having now played the same number of games. Inter went ahead after six minutes when Maicon’s cross was diverted into his own net by Michele Camporese but mid-table Fiorentina levelled on 33 minutes when Manuel Pasqual’s ball into the box crept in at the far post without being touched. Coach Leonardo handed a first start to Japanese left back Yuto Nagatomo and had Dejan Stankovic fit again after injury but Inter still laboured until Pazzini turned in Samuel Eto’o’s low cross 17 minutes into the second-half. The Inter game was rearranged because of their involvement in December’s Club World Cup. Genoa also beat city rivals and fellow mid-table side Sampdoria 1-0 on Wednesday in a game which had been postponed because of snow in December. Brazilian Rafinha grabbed the goal 10 minutes into the second-half in one of Serie A’s most colourful and heated derbies.
Kuznetsova takes revenge over Schiavone DUBAI: Svetlana Kuznetsova gained revenge over Francesca Schiavone in the Dubai Open on Wednesday after losing to her at the US Open a month ago. The Russian won 1-6, 6-0, 7-5. Kuznetsova next plays Agnieszka Radwanska, the eighth seeded Pole, who ended Marion Bartoli’s hopes, steadily outmanoevring the French player 6-3, 6-2. Another leading player to go out was Vera Zvonareva, the second seed, who was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by her Russian compatriot Alisa Kleybanova. Earlier, Yanina Wickmayer went down 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Shahar Peer, the first Israeli woman athlete to compete in the UAE, who is still playing only on her security-designated outside court.
Imran bows out of Asian 6-Red Snooker event KARACHI: The Pakistani interest in the inaugural Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship ended prematurely in Last-32 stage, after cueist Imran Shahzad finished second in the second round of the event underway at Chantaburi, Thailand. Imran overcame Mustafa Shehab of UAE registering a 5-4 before winning his second match against Mubarak Al Owais of Kuwait 5-0. However, he lost his match against Indian cueist Kamal Chawla, who registered a 5-3 triumph.
Rotary Club to honour Pak Blind cricket team KARACHI: Rotary Club of Karachi is organising a dinner and award ceremony to honour Pakistan Blind cricket team on Friday (today) at DHA Golf Club.
