Australian BMX cyclist Caroline Buchanan tweeted a photograph from the athletes' village of a container of condoms with a placard reading "Kangaroos condoms, for the gland downunder" with the picture of a boxing kangaroo.
She joked that the container seemed to back up rumours that the athletes' village becomes a hot bed of activity as thousands of competitors complete their events and celebrate after years of working to get to the Olympics.
"Haha, the rumours are true. Olympic village," tweeted Buchanan, whose BMX contest starts on Wednesday.
Barcelona started the trend of supplying free condoms to athletes when the Spanish city held the Olympics in 1992, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) endorsing the move to help AIDS awareness and prevention. The handouts came with health information.
The London Olympic organisers, LOCOG, have provided 150,000 free condoms in dispensers for the 10,800 athletes at the Games. They are supplied by Durex, part of British consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser, which paid for the supply rights.
A LOCOG spokeswoman said they were trying to find out who distributed the so-called Kangaroo condoms, with the container shown to hold condoms from Durex rivals Ansell Ltd, an Australian company and Pasante, a private British company.
She said athletes and officials were allowed to bring products into the village for their personal use.
"We will look into this and ask that they are not handed out to other athletes because Durex are our supplier," said the spokeswoman.
Organisers tightly control which brands can be promoted at the Games, striking sponsorship deals with a limited number of companies and trying to stop non-sponsors from getting free publicity on the back of the Olympics.
A spokeswoman for Ansell said her company knew nothing about the issue and it could well be a prank.
"We have had no official participation or association with the Olympics at all," she said.
Lawrence Boon, managing director of Pasante, said his company had no involvement with the distribution of condoms in the athletes' village and he suspected it was a prank by the Australian team.
"We have no association with the Olympics but we did launch a gold condom this year for champions," said Boon.
"With such high teenage pregnancy and STD rates, we try to make people carry condoms by making them fun and interesting."
A Durex spokeswoman said Durex was "proud to be supplying free condoms for the Olympics Games" but declined to elaborate further.
The number of condoms supplied at London tops the 100,000 made available to athletes in Beijing four years ago.
In Sydney in 2000, organisers took delight in having to order 20,000 more condoms after the initial allocation of 70,000 ran out.
( Reuters, Pic: Twitter )
Also Free download Song Here http://goo.gl/u42FP
Lyrics and meaning of Nimma Nimma song from London Olympics 2012 by A R Rahman and Jaspreet Jasz
Nimma Nimma Jogiya is a Desi Punjabi Bhangra track composed by AR Rahman. The song was part of medly played at London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony. The ceremony was directed by Danny Boyle.
Nimma Nimma is a full-on-Desi track which represents the Indian influence in UK. Nimma is sung and written by versatile vocalist Jaspreet Jasz who recently sung rap part of Dost Hain Hum Toh from AR Rahman musical Ek Deewana Tha.
Nimma Meaning:Nimma is Punjabi a word which means Little bit or Small.
Nimma Nimma Lyrics
Haisha… hoye nimma nimma
Haisha… hoye nimma nimma
Haisha… hoye nimma nimma Jogiya! [x2]
Nimma nimma hans de tu Jogiya
Kanni kach diyaan mundra tu paa
Haisha… oye nimma nimma
Haisha… oye nimma nimma
Je tu kar tere sang ik waar
Bas mainu miliya ae Rab tere naal
Nee tere nain sharabi (Haisha)
Nee tere gal gulabi (Haisha)
Tere ankhi jado tapeya kamaal
Nimma nimma hans de…
O nimma nimma
Oye nimma nimma
O nimma nimma… Jogiya
Haisha… Aye nimma nimma
Haisha… Aye nimma nimma
Haisha… Aye nimma nimma Jogiya!
Song Credits:
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Jaspreet Jasz
Leading Vocals: Jaspreet Jasz
Backing Vocals: VJ, Nakash Aziz, Mohd. Salamat
Brass Section (Trumpet): Kishore Sodha
Additional Programming: Nakash Aziz
Mixing: Tony Joy, Sresh Permal, R. Nitish Kumar
Mastered by: R. Nitish Kumar
Produced by: KM Musiq
BBC Sports has launched a new free application for Android and iOS operating system based devices that will offer live events coverage, comprehensive schedule and results pages, and daily news stories which can be saved for offline reading. It is also available for BlackBerry devices.
Alongside live streaming, catch-up coverage and highlights, the app ensures that users always have a games guide even on-the-go. Offering facts, stats and information, the app generates pages for every athlete, country and sport, updated in real-time. You can also access live daily text commentaries, news stories and a detailed schedule and results section covering every Olympics event.
The app allows stories to be saved for offline reading, ensuring the latest information is accessible even when mobile reception is unavailable. Additionally, iOS users can personalise the app by adding their favourite Olympics sports to the customisable tab bar, enabling quick access to the latest live action.
The iOS app is optimised for handsets with iOS 5.0 and above installed. The Android version is optimised for handsets with OS 2.2 and Flash installed.
The Android app can be downloaded now from the Android App Store. The iOS app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. A shortcut app for Blackberry users, which creates a bookmark for the BBC Olympics mobile website, is available from Blackberry App World.
BBC coverage of the 2012 Olympics can also be enjoyed on mobile phones via the mobile browser version of the BBC Sport website.
Official Olympics London 2012
The London 2012 results app is meant to offer all the latest updates, news, schedules and results. These updates will be almost live so that users can be updated with the results. Apart from live updates there will be details about the sports, athlete profiles, schedules and medal tables.
The app also allows people to follow the live schedule that offers details of the sports events in progress and lets users share the results in real-time over social networks. This app will offer loads of multimedia in terms of photos and other information. There is no mention of live videos or videos on demand.
The London 2012 Olympics app will feature 36 sports of the Olympics and 21 sports of the Paraolympics.
It is available for Android, BlackBerry and iOS devices.
Reuters Olympics London 2012
Available only for iOS devices, the app provides some best Olympics pictures captured by the Reuter's photographers.
You can check Olympic records and schedules and results of various events by events or date. It also provides photos by sport through its Photo Filter option. These pictures can also shared on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
It is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. It requires iOS 5.0 or later.
PlayUp of Samsung
Samsung India, which is the official sponsor of the Indian team to the London 2012 Olympic games, has launched an exclusive Olympics app called 'PlayUp', which will be available to users free of cost from the Samsung app store under the special 'London 2012' category and from Google Play store as well.
The app is designed to keep the users up to date with the latest action at the biggest sporting event on the planet. Its home screen features a running countdown to the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics and provides access to various sports. The app has been designed to provide live updates. Country based geo-targeting in the app will give users the most relevant content for the country that they support. 'News Tiles' will display news segregated by location and sport
The app will also track the social media action, segmented by location and sport. The app will also feature tiles for medal tally, schedules, key events, player ranking, etc.
PlayUp app is also available for iOS devices.
Besides these, there are many other apps on Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices which you can search for on their respective application stores.
( Mobile Indian )
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan carried the London Olympic torch in London on Thursday, a day before the opening ceremony of the Games. The actor was a part of the relay team which carried the torch.Bachchan, 69, had already tweeted that he would be carrying the torch in London on Thursday at 10.30 am.
"OK !! HERE IT IS: Have been invited by London Olympic Organizing Committee to carry the torch in the relay tomorrow...," Bachchan had tweeted.
"Honored to be asked to carry the Olympic Torch in London at Southwark around 10:30 AM !! A proud moment for me and country," he added.
Check out the video:
Kohli, who was initially reluctant to dance, was coaxed by Prabhu Deva to try out some intricate steps for an ad for a shoe brand. The results were so impressive that somewhere down the fun zone the duo established during their two-day shoot, the idea of a movie launch for the star-cricketer came up.
And if a source is to be believed, Kohli is not averse to the idea. Once Prabhu Deva, who according to Ram Gopal Varma is one of the three most successful Bollywood directors today after Rohit Shetty and Sajid Khan, wraps ups his current commitments, he may plan a launch for Kohli.
Prabhu Deva is currently busy with the launch of Kumar Taurani's son Girish. He is working with him for a remake of his 2005 Telugu hit 'Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana'. The original film featured Siddharth and Trisha Krishnan.
(IANS)
"It's official, I have retired from international cricket! Thanks for all your love and support. It's been an amazing 13 years," Lee said in his twitter account on Friday.
‘‘It has been a dream career, I guess, 13 years at the top. I couldn’t ask for much more,’’ Lee said to Channel Nine news earlier in the day.
"Thirteen years, Friday the 13th, it's appropriate for me to go," Lee said. ‘‘I woke up this morning after not much sleep and it’s the right time to go. It just came to me this morning and I just felt it’s the right time to leave the game. It’s been in the back of my mind for a few months," he added.
Though the Cricket Australia (CA) was keen for the 35-year-old speedster to continue until the upcoming World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, Lee decided to leave the game he was not physically and mentally fit to take the challenge.
"I thought I would go over there and try and play the Twenty20 World Cup [in Sri Lanka in September], but [being] mentally and physically challenged, it would just not be worth it," Lee said. "In a team environment you have to have 100 per cent commitment, mentally and physically. And looking at the next few months I just didn't have that desire any more. It wouldn't be fair on me or the team. You get to a point in life when enough's enough."
Lee, however, will continue to play in the Big Bash League and Indian Premier League.
The 35-year-old paceman, who retired from Test cricket in February 2010 to prolong his limited-overs cricket, injured his calf muscle in the recently concluded one-day international series against England and returned home early, along with allrounder Shane Watson - who suffered the same injury.
Lee was not awarded a central contract in the latest round of agreements by the CA and he declined to continue his stint with New South Wales.
Lee, who had side strains, stress fractures and ankle problems throughout his career, took 310 wickets in 76 Tests and clinched 380 wickets from 221 ODIs. He also represented Kings XI Punjab and is now part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad in the IPL.
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh's memoir 'In Different Form', is scheduled to be published in December 2012 by Random House India.The publishers in a press release say the memoir will be an open, candid, intimate and remarkably personal account of his journey through cancer - from denial and acceptance, from his battle to defeat the disease to the struggles he still faces.
For the first time Singh will tell, in his own words, the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. The cricketer says, "If I think of it my life is full of words beginning with C. I was born in Chandigarh, I became a cricketer, and through my decade as an international cricketer all I craved, along with the rest of the India team, was the Cup. This story, though, is about the new C in my life. It is the story of my cancer."
He will reveal how, plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood and an inability to eat, he made a deal with God on the night before the final to give him the World Cup, and in return God could take anything he wanted.
In the memoir he will speak honestly about the fears, doubts and lows he experienced during chemotherapy - when he lost energy, lost his appetite and lost his hair – and he had to battle to find the will to survive. And, most importantly, he will speak to other sufferers to help them come through the sadness, loneliness, fear and desperation of cancer.
Like Lance Armstrong's 'It's Not About The Bike', 'In Different Form' will be a brutally honest account of a sportsman fighting not for victory, but for his life.
Milee Ashwarya, editorial director for Ebury Press, Random House India acquired the memoir from Shruti Debi at Aiken Alexander India.
Ashwarya say, "In Different Form helps us understand Yuvraj as a cricketer and as a person through his most trying times. I felt Yuvraj’s story needed to be told, and we at RHI are delighted that he has chosen us to help him do that."
Yuvraj Singh says, "From the World Cup to cancer, the last two years have taught me a lot. In the team I am someone who feels I can help youngsters with what I have learned from my mistakes and always keep the team in great spirits. After cancer when I found out how many cancer patients there are in India, I learned that I belong to a much bigger group of people. I can imagine they may be lonely, confused, scared. So, I wanted to share my ups and downs. Guys, we are one team. I am thrilled that Random House India have joined me in giving shape to this book. I am thrilled also at the coincidence that they published Lance Armstrong’s book. I can't wait to see this book become a reality."
Random House India will publish In Different Form on 12th December 2012 in hardback and also special leather-bound edition.
Offsides are one of the closest decisions to call in football and referees often have to rely on their instinct to try get the right call. While goal line technology is still being researched upon, researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) are applying stereoscopic 3D to record exercises on offside position for the FIFA to use as teaching material in professional training courses for assistant referees. The objective of this innovation project is to improve the learning environment of the assistant referees with multimedia materials, which offer a visual experience that is the most similar to what referees on the pitch experience, and which can train visual perception in decision-making calls on off-side plays. For that purpose, researchers in the UC3M Television-Film group: memory, representation and industry (TECMERIN) are using this 3D recording technique for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to use as teaching material in its training courses for assistant referees, within the framework of referee professional training and development all over the world.
Over the course of two days, the TECMERIN research group recorded 500 simulations of off-side plays in stereoscopic 3D with different types of exercises, similar to those used in professional training courses for International FIFA referees. “Among these, those most appropriate to create interactive material to be used by assistant referees all over the world will be chosen,” UC3M professor Manuel Armenteros, coordinator of the project, explained. “The use of stereoscopic images will significantly improve the learning experience due to the fact that a 3D stereoscopic image learning environment generates a visual experience that is much more realistic than 2D,” he asserted.
The technique of creating stereoscopic images uses two lenses - one for each eye, which obtain a greater sense of depth than 2D images. The visual perceptive systems use the differences between the images of each eye to calculate depth. Inspite of the fact that stereoscopic 3D technology has been used for years, this technology could not have attained its current widespread use if it had not been for digital treatment of images. The stereoscopic 3D revolution is linked to the digital revolution, the researchers note. The overlapping of the two images necessary for the creation of stereoscopic images is simplified with the use of a computer, which eliminates the imperfections of previous techniques.
The spread of stereoscopic 3D into the domestic area, including recording as well as visualization devices, portends a visual environment, which represent a significant advance in the creation of images, as important as that of colour, according to Professor Armenteros. Stereoscopic 3D will also influence in narrative aspects, so that a thorough reflection upon its use becomes of essence in the professional as well as the academic environment, explained UC3M professor, Anto J. BenÃtez, another of the researchers participating in this research project.
If the research does come into effect soon, we’re definitely going to see an improvement in the offside decision in the future.
A R Rahman is set to team up with Hollywood director Danny Boyle again - this time to compose a song for the London Olympics' opening ceremony. The music maestro reveals it will be a Punjabi song celebrating Indian influence in Britain.
"Clarifying the report on the Olympics track I am composing... It's a track in Punjabi celebrating the Indian influence in the UK," Rahman, who worked with Boyle in Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' and '127 Hours', posted on his Facebook page.
"It's a part of a medley in the Olympics opening ceremony, according to Danny Boyle's creative wishes!" he added.
AR Rahman revealed that it will be a Punjabi song celebrating Indian influence in Britain.
It has also been reported that music composer Ilayaraja's composition "Naanthaan ungappanda", from Kamal Hassan's 1980 film "Ram Lakshman" will be a part of the opening ceremony too.
The 2012 London Olympics will be held July 27 to Aug 12.
Hoping to become a pacer, Tendulkar went to the MRF Pace Foundation in 1987. But his ambitions were crushed by the foundation's coaching director, Lillee who advised the then young Tendulkar to focus on his batting instead of bowling.
Asked about his first encounter with Tendulkar, Lillee, who is bidding adieu to the MRF Pace Foundation after 25 years of service, said: "I actually feel very embarrassed because I rejected him as a fast bowler. I think I did him and the game of cricket a favour. I am just joking, but I will never forget (the incident)."
"When he came back a year later he was just 15 years or so. I was there behind the nets. The first ball Sachin faced he hit it behind the bowler for a four. Sachin flicked the next ball for a four as well. The bowlers were not able to get Sachin and he was hitting them out of the park.
"When he was still batting with about 48 runs or so from 12 balls, I asked (the then head coach) TA Sekar who is this boy. Sekar laughed and replied you should know him, he is the boy whom you rejected when he wanted to become a fast bowler," he added.
Lillee said it was his fortune to have spotted Tendulkar before he made his foray into international cricket. "I was fortunate enough to see him before he made it to Test cricket and lucky enough to recognise him as the world's best.
"Sachin is a very humble man. He is the greatest player and batsman to have ever built played. He just amazes me on many counts, his eye for the game, hunger for the game and continued success," said the 62-year-old former cricketer.
Asked about the fast bowling talents he witnessed during his stint at the MRF Foundation, Lillee rated Zaheer Khan as the best, just ahead of cricketer-turned-match referee Javagal Srinath.
"To me number one is Zaheer Khan and number two is Srinath. As for Venkatesh Prasad I had always thought that he is going to be a Test player," he said.
"Irfan (Pathan), RP Singh and S Sreesanth were promising but sometimes I used to be disappointed with Munaf (Patel).
Munaf is one bowler who used to bowl at 150 plus but someone had suggested him to slow down. To me he had some natural gifts. Not many people are bestowed with such attributes."
Lillee also said that he was never on the same page with the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI). The Australian said that he loves to do things his way and that might be a reason why the BCCI never utilised his knowledge in the best possible manner.
"It was disappointing for me personally. Got to remember that I have the same relationship with the Cricket Australia too. I do not do anything unless I do them my way. I do not want other people pushing things on me," Lillee insisted.
( Source: Press Trust of India )
The source said the idea was inspired by Sir Don Bradman’s statue outside the Adelaide Oval. “Sir Don is Australia and Adelaide’s pride. Similarly, Sachin is India and Mumbai’s jewel. At the moment, we just have a stand named after the legendary batsman, which is not enough,” added the source.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground has statues of legendary Australian cricketers like Bradman, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee and Keith Miller.
However, some in the MCA are not convinced with the idea. The reason is lack of space. “There is already a huge space crunch at the Wankhede Stadium during matches. So, erecting a statue is not practically feasible.
“Another reason is the statue may get damaged in crowd frenzy,” said another source.
MCA has already announced that it would felicitate Tendulkar with 100 gold coins, which would cost approximately Rs 28 lakhs.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) felicitated the master batsman with 100 gold coins, and a golden bat and ball during Mumbai Indians’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League-V at the Eden Gardens last month.
His lightweight Richard Mille timepiece is priced at 300,000 euros, or around $370,000. He’s worn the watch since 2010, and it was strapped to his clay-stained arm as he held aloft his seventh French Open trophy this week.
This morning, however, came news that the watch was stolen. It was allegedly taken from the hotel room where he and his family were staying during the Open. Nadal said he woke up and noticed that the watch was gone.
Apparently, French police work fast — because it’s just been found. Police sources are saying they nabbed a hotel barman who took the watch and hid it along a railway track in the Essonne Area (they traced his security badge). The watch has since been recovered.
This would all be minor news, if the Mille weren’t the most famous watch in tennis — and perhaps in sports.
As my readers recall, Nadal agreed to start wearing the watch as part of a sponsorship agreement with Richard Mille. The details were never disclosed, but it’s unlikely that Nadal actually paid for the watch — instead, offering to wear it on the court to give the company press.
Mille is one of those small-volume, ultralux watch brands that has its image roots in Formula 1 racing and “performance.”
Nadal's watch, which has the macho-luxury name “RMO27,” is made of carbon-composite as well as titanium and Lital, a lithium alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium, zirconium, which are often used in lightweight aircraft. It weighs a mere 20 grams.
It also has a complex Tourbillon to insure maximum accuracy. And there were only a limited number made.
In other words, this isn’t your grandpa’s chunky diamond Rolex.
I’m glad the watch is back in the hands of its owner. Partly for justice. But mainly because as a big Nadal fan, I appreciate how much of his success is owed to his obsession with personal routine and repetitive habit.
Losing that trusty 20 grams on his wrist could have been costly — for his game as well as the watch company.
 |
| Nupur Mehta |
Mehta's name first surfaced in March this year when a UK daily carried out a sting operation on a Delhi bookie. The sting was done to investigate allegations of match-fixing during the 2011 ICC World Cup held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The sting raised suspicions about Mehta being used by bookies to lure players. Although her name was not mentioned by the paper, a blurred image of Mehta was carried along with the story.
"I was quizzed for two-and-a-half hours by the ICC official and they are satisfied with the answers I have provided," Mehta told TOI on Monday. She added that the ICC asked her for names of cricketers who she claims are her social friends, and she provided them.
"I have many friends who are cricketers and with whom I socialize -- Yuvraj (Singh), Parthiv (Patel), Ishant (Sharma). I also know a lot of international players," said Nupur. In the past she has also claimed to have dated Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan.
When asked about her photograph published in the UK daily, she said she wasn't aware of any bookie nexus and was of the opinion that the daily must have used her photograph to cite her familiarity with international cricketers. "I don't know any bookie and I have no connections with anybody," said Mehta.
The actress, who has only one Bollywood movie (Jo Bole So Nihal) to her credit, said the ICC official kept asking her about how she came to be in touch with the cricketers. "I met them (cricketers) through my event management company and have accompanied them to parties where I kept getting introduced to more players," she said, adding that one player bumped into her in a pub.
"This player was sitting a few feet away and I did not know who he was. After some time he walked up to me to introduce himself. That's how we became friends," Mehta said. She claimed that he then introduced her to other players.
ICC sources, meanwhile, have rubbished Mehta's claims. While they confirm that Peacock did meet Mehta in Mumbai, they said it was for routine questioning. "She's not the only one. From time to time, we have been questioning people -- from cricketers to sponsors. We don't have anything to say on this (Mehta's comments)," said an official in the know of developments.
The win on Monday was Nadal's 11th Grand Slam title, taking him to joint fourth on the all-time list of winners alongside Borg and Rod Laver. He now leads Roger Federer (16), Pete Sampras (14) and Roy Emerson (12).
Nadal also snapped Djokovic's streak of three consecutive Grand Slam titles, denying the Serbian a chance to become the first since Laver to win all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. Nadal had been beaten by Djokovic in their past three Grand Slam finals, including a nearly six-hour duel at the Australian Open in January.
The Spaniard has now won 11 Grand Slam titles, moving him into a tie for fourth in the all-time list.
Senior Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was presented the Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award for completing a century of 100 international hundreds in Dubai.
Tendulkar had achieved the milestone while playing against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in March.
The event was organised by FidelisWorld and the iconic batsman was presented with a trophy. Made from crystal, it features a cricket ball resting on the open pages of a book.
The 49 one-day international centuries that Tendulkar has made are listed on one side, and his 51 Test hundreds on the other.
Tendulkar spoke on various aspects of his career at the function such as his favourite innings - the match-winning fourth-innings hundred against England at Chennai in December 2008 - balancing play and personal life, and the influence that his late father had in shaping his career.
 |
| Hansie Cronje |
Cronje was the central figure in the biggest crisis in international cricket in 2000 when he admitted to match-fixing during a game in India.
In his subsequent testimony at the Commission of Inquiry, set up by the South African government, Cronje tearfully admitted that "the devil made me do it." He was banned for life from the sport after that.
The Commission ended inconclusively and Cronje was killed when a goods plane in which he hitched a ride crashed close to his home in 2002.
The investigation into that crash also ended inconclusively, with speculation still rife that Cronje's death may have been arranged by bookmakers who believed that he knew too much.
Ewie Cronje, Hansie's father, said he still could not believe that his son was gone.
"It feels as though he will appear at any moment," Cronje told the Afrikaans daily 'Beeld'.
Facebook fans declared Cronje the best captain the Proteas had ever had while former teammates said they had forgiven him.
Pat Symcox said the Cronje saga had divided South Africa but that was in the past and people should now move on.
Former paceman, Fanie de Villiers, believed that Cronje had done 90 per cent good and 10 per cent bad: "Anyone who influenced the scales like that, will be forgiven.
"I celebrate and embrace today only the good memories (of Cronje)," another retired fast bowler, Makhaya Ntini, told the daily.
A special service was held at Cronje's former school, Grey's College in Bloemfontein, where a wall of remembrance was erected in his memory.
The source, who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said the offer, worth up to $3 billion, had not been abandoned altogether but would not be going ahead for "some time". Weak markets have hit planned IPOs hard, with luxury jeweller Graff Diamonds pulling its offer on Thursday.
Formula One, whose major shareholder is private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, was in pre-marketing mode and had been planning to launch a preliminary prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore next week.
New Delhi: The Congress has recommended cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's name for the Rajya Sabha and is now waiting for Tendulkar to respond to the same, according to sources. Sources say that Sachin Tendulkar may not accept the nomination. However, an official announcement was awaited.
Sources say that the Congress has offered to nominate him in the President's quota. Tendulkar along with his wife Anjali met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath Residence in New Delhi.
Although officially the Congress said that Sonia wanted to meet Tendulkar and personally congratulate him on achieving the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries, but sources say the main agenda was his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
Sachin has accepted a nomination for Rajya Sabha, according to the update from sources. He is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Tendulkar along with his wife Anjali met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi.
Although officially the Congress said that Sonia wanted to meet Tendulkar and personally congratulate him on achieving the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries, but sources say the main agenda was his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
Reacting to the reports of Sachin Tendulkar's proposed nomination, BJP leader Najma Heptulla said, "We are very happy that Tendulkar's name has been proposed for the Rajya Sabha."
"Tendulkar is a great player, we are proud of him. If he is being nominated, surely he would devote some time to Parliament," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
However, the proposal didn't go well with people from the cricket fraternity. Cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle said, "I don't think it is the greatest idea. He doesn't have the experience of governing or doing social work. People are trying to gain mileage out of Tendulkar."
Meanwhile, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) welcomed the government's nomination of Tendulkar as a member of the Rajya Sabha, saying that the iconic batsman deserves such an honour.
BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board was happy with the government's move. "We (BCCI) are happy that Tendulkar's services as a sportsperson has been recognised. He's been a true ambassador for the country and he deserves it," he said.
In the past, eminent personalities like directors Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar had been the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.
Sources say that the Congress has offered to nominate him in the President's quota. Tendulkar along with his wife Anjali met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath Residence in New Delhi.
Although officially the Congress said that Sonia wanted to meet Tendulkar and personally congratulate him on achieving the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries, but sources say the main agenda was his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
Sachin has accepted a nomination for Rajya Sabha, according to the update from sources. He is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Tendulkar along with his wife Anjali met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi.
Although officially the Congress said that Sonia wanted to meet Tendulkar and personally congratulate him on achieving the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries, but sources say the main agenda was his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
Reacting to the reports of Sachin Tendulkar's proposed nomination, BJP leader Najma Heptulla said, "We are very happy that Tendulkar's name has been proposed for the Rajya Sabha."
"Tendulkar is a great player, we are proud of him. If he is being nominated, surely he would devote some time to Parliament," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
However, the proposal didn't go well with people from the cricket fraternity. Cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle said, "I don't think it is the greatest idea. He doesn't have the experience of governing or doing social work. People are trying to gain mileage out of Tendulkar."
Meanwhile, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) welcomed the government's nomination of Tendulkar as a member of the Rajya Sabha, saying that the iconic batsman deserves such an honour.
BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board was happy with the government's move. "We (BCCI) are happy that Tendulkar's services as a sportsperson has been recognised. He's been a true ambassador for the country and he deserves it," he said.
In the past, eminent personalities like directors Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar had been the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.
In the wake of one of the biggest dope scandals in the country, the government on Thursday appointed Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal to inquire into all aspects of the fiasco.
India's top eight athletes, including three members of the Commonwealth Games and Asiad gold medal winning sprinters, had tested positive for anabolic steroids in out-of-competition testing.
The one-member committee, which will be assisted by NADA's senior Project Manager V Jayaramaan, has been asked to submit its report within six weeks.
As per the terms of reference stated in the Sports Ministry's order issued on Thursday, the Committee has been asked to "determine the facts and circumstances leading to large scale recent incidents of alleged doping in Athletics discipline."
Justice Mudgal, former chief justice of Punjab and Haryana Hight Court, will also "examine reasons for such large scale prevalence of doping and modus operandi involved, including availability of the prohibited substances in and around training camps/competitions."
The committee will "enquire into the role of agencies involved, if any. Suggest remedial measures to improve the protocols of dope testing and its integrity and promptness so that such lapses, if any, do not happen in future."
Indian athletics was rocked by a doping scandal recently when eight athletes, including Ashwini Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, who were part of the CWG and Asian Games gold-winning relay quartet, tested positive for banned substances.
