Pumped-up Saina Nehwal in Indonesian Open final

DNA: Defending champion Saina Nehwal inched closer to a third successive Indonesian Open Super Series title after advancing to the finals with a hard-fought victory over Chinese Taipei's Shao Chieh Cheng here today.

The fourth-seeded Indian won 21-14 14-21 21-17 in a 45-minute battle against giant-killer Cheng, who had created quite a flutter by upstaging top seed Shixian Wang and seventh seed Xin Liu earlier in the tournament.

Nehwal had to dig deep in her armoury and rely on her power-packed smashes to outpace Cheng, who is known for her fast movement on court.

"I have seen her play in many tournaments. She is a very talented and hard working player. She is very dynamic and moves very fast on court. So it is important to have full force in the smashes or else she can retrieve from anywhere. It is a good win," Nehwal told PTI.

It was a sweet revenge for Nehwal who had lost narrowly to Cheng in the pre-quarterfinals of the Singapore Open in her last tournament.

"I had lost closely to her, that too was my own fault as I had given two points. I was upset after the match but I am happy I could beat her today. She played well but I was pumped up to do well," she said.

Read More

Qatar dump India out of London Olympics football

India drew with Qatar 1-1 in the second leg of its second round qualifying match for the 2012 London Olympics.

India took a 1-0 lead in the 54^th minutethanks to a comical own-goal from Qatar. But the visitors equalised soon and held on in the dying minutes for a 1-1 draw.


India had to win by at least a two-goal margin to enter the final qualification round.

Read More

Tough task for India against Qatar in Pre-Olympic qualifiers

Pune, June 22 (IANS) India have to beat Qatar by two goals or more in their return-leg match of the pre-Olympic qualifier here Thursday to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.
India lost the first leg of the second round encounter 1-3 despite taking an early lead and now have to beat Qatar by 2-0 to move to the third round.

Coach Desmond Bulpin knows that his boys are facing a tough task at the Balewadi Stadium, but it is not impossible. In the Asian Games, they led 1-0 till the 80th minute, but Qatar, 2006 Asian Games champion, came back strongly to win the match 2-1.

‘That (an away) is a cushion, but we cannot rest on that. Qatar are well above us in rankings and are very fit, athletic and technically sound.

‘We should really look at what is on immediate platter. We have a goal — to win 2-0 — but that is no way a simple task. They (Qatar) will have to play real bad for us to beat them,’ said Bulpin.

The Englishman feels that soggy turf at Balewadi, due to intermittent rain can help the Indians, but only little.
‘The rain may just give us a slight edge, not a distinct one. Qatar are superior to us in all respects. Let’s not forget that and carry from there on. We will need a big push to be able to get the desired result,’ said Bulpin.
Jeje, who gave India the early lead in the seventh minute, said the team has to move on from the loss in Doha.

‘We should forget the past fast. We need to look ahead. That’s football,’ says Jeje.

Skipper Raju Gaekwad said India have to be careful against Qatar’s counter attack.

‘We will play for win. We have to go all out. There aren’t many other options left. But we need to be careful when they counter-attack. They are very good in passing the ball,’ said the defender.

An eight-hour wait at the Doha International Airport, awaiting landing clearance at Pune, had taken a toll on the Qatar team, which arrived here early in the morning.

Their French coach Bernard Simondi said that his boys are tired.

‘Since we arrived only this morning, the players are all tired from journey, and since we will get just one session to practice, it might be little difficult to adjust, but that should not be an excuse,’ said the 57-year-old Simondi.

‘We practiced a lot by playing friendlies against gulf countries and then went to Madrid for a fortnight-long training. That really helped us put together a team of this calibre,’ he said.

Read More

London 2012 - PQ Match: India Lose 3-1 against Qatar

Qatar survived some anxious moments to beat India 3-1 in the Pre-Olympic Qualifier at the Al Sadd Stadium in Doha.

Chrispd: The band of the local Doha crowd which had taken over the Al Sadd more than an hour prior to the kick-off went off all of a sudden in the 7th minute. Despite the floodlights glowing, there seemed darkness all around; or rather disbelief. India took the lead.

What was supposed to be a harmless throw-in down the left, stung Qatar. The power and the velocity of Raju Gaikwad’s long throw left the Qatar defence guessing; and off the melle, Jeje Lalpeklua tapped home.

The NRIs went berserk; the locals looked up to the giant screen only to see the Indian boys celebrating.
Three minutes later, goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani saved a penalty – Qatar’s Captain and best player Hasan al Haidos failing to beat Kattimani from the spot after he was brought down on the edge of the box. An upset stayed on the cards.

But Qatar pulled it back – Al Khalfan slotting it home after he anticipated a through pass that split second ahead of an advancing Kattimani.

The Indians were pushed to defence for the rest of the first half. Haydos, desperate to make amends for his missed penalty was omnipresent but the Indians held fort as the score read 1-1 at the interval.

Changing over, Haidos was eventually rewarded after he ran diagonally anf finished it off with a long-ranger which beat a diving Kattimani in the 54th minute to make it 2-1 for Qatar.

The flurry of attacks resulted in the third goal for Qatar in the 68th minute – substitute Mohamed El Neel tapping it in from close.

The Indians pressed hard for the second away-goal but Jeje and Sabeeth didn’t get much support from an off-colour Lalrindika and Jewel Raja.

The second-leg is slated for Pune’s Balewadi Sports Complex on June 23.

MATCH STATS
Qatar u23 3-1 India U23

Goals:
0-1 Jeje Lalpekhlua (7′), 1-1 Al Khanfan (14′), 2-1 Hasan Al Haidos (54′), 3-1 El Neel (68′)

India U23
1-Laxmikant Kattimani; 2-Abhishek Das, 3-Arnab Mondal, 4-Raju Eknath Gaikwad [C], 5-Gurjinder Kumar; 6-Lalrindika Ralte, 8-Jewel Raja Sheikh, 7-Shilton Sydney D’Silva (73′ Zakir Mundampara), 9-Kh. Jibon Singh; 10-Jeje Lalpekhlua, 11-C.S. Sabeeth.

Read More

Qatar to face India in 2012 London Olympics qualifiers

India will seek inspiration from their impressive show against Qatar in the Asian Games last year when they face the same opponents in the Olympic football qualifiers second round match in Doha on Sunday.

 

India were leading 0-1 till the 80th minute in a group match of the Asian Games in Guangzhou but conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes to lose the tie 1-2.

 

The Under-23 boys under Englishman Desmond Bulpin have not had the best of preparation as their short camp in Pune was hit hard by rain and they had not played any international friendly.

 

But with most of the players, who were part of that Asian Games squad are expected to start tomorrow, the visitors will look to continue their good work in the Olympics qualification campaign so far.

 

They had defeated Myanmar 3-2 on aggregates in the first round.

 

Bulpin had admitted that Qatar are the favourites, more so because they are playing at home at the Al Saad Stadium on Sunday, but are not unbeatable.

 

He said a draw or even a narrow loss would be a good result as they can do better in the second leg in Pune on June 23.

 

Qatar had more than a month-long preparatory camp in Spain. They drew with Real Madrid 'B' team 1-1 and beat Getafe 1-0 there.

 

On June 13, the Olympic team of Qatar routed Malaysia 4-0 in a friendly match

Read More

Bulpin: “We need to convert our chances”

Desmond Bulpin is a passionate man. Presently in charge of India’s Pre-Olympic Qualifier against Qatar, the hard taskmaster is impressed with the discipline of his boys. In a freewheeling interview to http://www.the-aiff.com/, Bulpin stresses India will have their chances in the two matches and need to cash in on them.

How has Team India’s preparation been?
The incessant rain has been a bane. But on days we haven’t been able to train on the field, we have compensated with indoor sessions. The attitude of the boys have been excellent.

Do you have any idea as to how Qatar have prepared for the match?
They have been long preparing for this match. They have had a long camp in Spain. Add to add the wonderful facilities they boast of, I’d say they’ve prepared a bit more than us. Let’s not forget they stay way above us in the FIFA rankings.

Does India stand a chance of beating Qatar?
Why not? It’s a football match after all. There’s no doubting they are more technically equipped and an advanced footballing nation than us. So they will try to dominate. But I’m sure we will have our chances too. We are working on our set-pieces and have specific plans which I can’t divulge at the moment.

How much of a help is the fact that Indian Arrows form the nucleus of the Indian side?
Obviously it helps when the boys have stayed and played together for such a long time. They gel well both on and off the field. In that sense, we stay ahead of Qatar. But the National Team is not just about the Arrows. The other boys who have come in have impressed me with their attitude, discipline and professionalism.

What would be your strategy in Qatar?
We need to defend well. There isn’t any room for silly mistakes. Given the fact there are many Indians based in Doha, I expect good support for our boys. That would pump up the boys for sure.

If it rains during India’s home-match in Pune on June 23, will it help India?
Let’s take one match at a time. I’m concentrating on the away-match at the moment. But yeah, if it rains during our home-match, I won’t complain.

Read More

Pre-Olympic Qualifiers: We Certainly Can Beat Qatar, Says India Midfielder Jewel Raja

The Indian Arrows midfielder spoke to Goal.com following India’s first training session as part of the preparations for the forthcoming tie against Qatar…

The India Under-23 squad took to the field for their first outdoor training session of the preparatory camp for the forthcoming Pre-Olympic Qualifier against Qatar. Desmond Bulpin’s team regrouped at the Balewadi Stadium, Pune on Friday and were forced to train indoors due to incessant rains till Saturday evening.

Midfielder Jewel Raja, the team’s most crucial asset, is happy with the preparations so far. Following the first day’s training session, he told Goal.com, “First day’s training was good, the coach was also happy. We have training sessions in the morning and evening. We work on our fitness in the mornings while evenings we work on the tactical aspects. Sometimes we also take to the pool for swimming to build on our fitness. So far it has been quite good.”

When asked whether the rains have come in the way of their preparations for the big match, he replied, “No, it’s not much of a problem. There is little rain but this is not cricket. Football can easily be played in the rains and moreover, it adds to the fun.”

India last played Qatar in the Asian Games last November and lost by a narrow 2-1 margin. Raja is confident this team can avenge the defeat. India’s 25-member camp consists of 17 players from the Indian Arrows. An ‘Arrow’ himself, Raja believes Qatar would have been defeated if the current team was available.

“I am sure we can beat Qatar. We have played against their under-23 team in the past where we lost very narrowly. This time round we have a big group of the Indian Arrows players which has trained together for almost a year and the inclusion of some more quality players from other clubs will strengthen the side. We have played with each other for a long time and we are a compact side. If we had this same team earlier, we would have beaten Qatar. Last time, we hardly got 20 days to train, but this time it’s different,” said the former Dempo player.

India will travel to Doha to face Qatar on June 19 and later will be the hosts for the return-leg on June 23 at the Balewadi Stadium.

Meanwhile, on an individual level, Jewel has made rapid progress since his move to the Indian Arrows at the start of the recently concluded season. The 22-year old midfielder found rare starts in Dempo’s midfield and hence joined Mohan Bagan last year after his contract with the Goan side expired. However, Raja did not make any appearances for the Kolkata giants as the AIFF had asked the clubs to release their under-23 players to form Indian Arrows.

The resultant effect worked pretty much in favour of the youngster – Raja included - who found recognition among the I-League biggies. Raja, no doubt was a regular in the India Under-23 squad, but he also got a call up for the senior national team following his impressive performance with the Arrows.

“Playing for the Arrows has helped me a lot. Last season I was with Dempo but I did not get enough opportunities to play in the I-League. Now that I am with the Arrows, I have realized how important and significant it is to play in the I-League. As a result I also got a call up for the Indian senior squad beside the under-23,” explained Raja.

Now that Raja has made a mark in Indian football, offers seem to pour in but he is undecided yet. The Tata Football Academy product is certainly looking at higher avenues but has kept his decision on hold till the future of Indian Arrows is decided.

“As of now it is not certain if Indian Arrows will continue or not. If they continue then I will surely give a thought of staying back. I am ready for a bigger challenge but I’ll take a decision only after Indian Arrows’ future is settled,” he concluded.

Read More