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Women's Player of the Year: Petra Kvitova

Until the middle of 2011, it was hard to know exactly what to make of Petra Kvitova. The 21-year-old lefthander from the Czech Republic could belt the ball with the best of them, maybe even better than the best of them when she had a moment to set up for a shot. But just when she reached a point where you thought she might break through and do something significant, she didn’t.

Kvitova began the year ranked No. 34, and she looked menacing through the first week in Australia. Then she didn’t show up for her quarterfinal with Vera Zvonareva. She looked very good again in the early stages at Roland Garros, before collapsing with a one-set lead over eventual champion Li Na.

All this time, though, Kvitova’s ranking had been rising, and she came to Wimbledon at a career-high No. 8. That number didn’t do justice to her potential, though, and she finally proved it over the course of the fortnight. Swinging with the self-assurance of a veteran, Kvitova rolled over Maria Sharapova in her first Grand Slam final.

The roller coaster wasn’t over, though, and that startling upswing on Centre Court was followed by an equally startling downer at the U.S. Open, where Kvitova was sent out in the first round. By the year-ender in Istanbul, though, she had found her game again. More crucially, she seemed to have found, for the first time, a way to win when she wasn’t playing her best. Kvitova went undefeated in five matches against the Top 8 players in the world, and reclaimed the future of women’s tennis.

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Jose Mourinho has reiterated his desire to return to the Premier League

Jose Mourinho has reiterated his desire to return to the Premier League "in a couple of years" once his time in charge of Real Madrid is over. The former Chelsea manager has always been open about his love of the game in England and has long been linked with taking over Sir Alex Ferguson's role at Manchester United when the Scot decides to retire. "I am very, very happy to be in Real Madrid. It is a great experience for me," Mourinho told BBC Radio Four's Today programme. "I believe it is probably the biggest club in the history of football, I didn't want to miss the chance to work here but my passion is England and my next step will be to go back, if possible go and stay for a long time." He added: "Get me a club in a couple of years, get me a good club." The 48-year-old is a renowned student of the game but he insists "individual genius" will always prevail regardless of the amount of preparation and organisation. He said: "I think the genius will make always the difference. And the genius in my sport is about some unbelievable players that can break every organisation and every work you can do. "Genius in managing also exists. For me in football the most important thing is man management. Football for me is a human science, it is about man." Mourinho also agreed the prospect of human failure is one of the attractions of sport, saying: "Emotional intelligence is crucial at this level in every sport. "It is one thing to take a penalty winning 5-0 in a friendly, another thing is to take a penalty kick in the last minute of the Champions League or World Cup final. I try to prepare my players the best I can but in the end of the day they are the guys that decide everything in the right moment. They make the difference. "I analyse them in a group context always but I know they are all unique. This is an amazing experience - many of us don't want to quit, never. We want to go to the last day we can because this leadership becomes part of our life."
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Australia wins Boxing Day test

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Sachin misses record in Boxing Day test

Melbourne: It was heartbreak for fans around the world as Sachin Tendulkar was clean bowled at a score of 73 runs, thereby prolonging the wait for his elusive 100th international ton. The Little Maestro fell just before the end of the day’s play and India were finally 214/3 at stumps on Day 2, trailing Australia by 119 runs. Rahul Dravid (68*) was however unbeaten and would look to become the first Indian to score a ton in the series. Overall, the day belonged to the Indian camp as they complemented the morning’s bowling effort with a strong top order performance by the batsmen. Virender Sehwag (67), Rahul Dravid (68*) and Sachin Tendulkar (73) set the tone of the summers, not giving away their wicket cheaply and making the bowlers toil endlessly for every opportunity. The Australians however, lost some ground due to poor fielding that saw catches dropped. Dravid was also clean bowled shortly after he scored his fifty but got lucky as it was a no ball. Tempers also flew on the ground with an altercation here and there being the order of the day.
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icc t20 world cup 2012 srilanka

T20 World Cup 2012 will begin on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 in Sri Lanka as per cricket schedule announced. ICC World Twenty20 2012 is an international tournament to be organized by Sri Lanka. T20 World Cup 2012 will consist of 27 Twenty20 matches to be hosted by Sri Lanka in Sep-Oct 2012. The T20 World Cup 2012 tournament is a part of Future Cricket Tour Programs (FTP) prepared by International Cricket Council (ICC). Sri Lanka will host this tournament, beginning on September 18, 2012. In T20 World Cup 2012 bilateral series, first T20 match would be between Sri Lanka - Zimbabwe on Sep 18, 2012 at 19:30 local time to be played at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota.
Date and Time Match Details and Series
Tue Sep 18 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group C : 1st T20 - Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota
Wed Sep 19 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Group B : 2nd T20 - Australia vs TBC
Fri Sep 21 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Group D : 5th T20 - New Zealand vs Bangladesh Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Fri Sep 21 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group A : 6th T20 - England vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sat Sep 22 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Group C : 7th T20 - Sri Lanka vs South Africa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota
Sat Sep 22 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group B : 8th T20 - Australia vs West Indies R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sun Sep 23 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Group D : 9th T20 - New Zealand vs Pakistan Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Sun Sep 23 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group A : 10th T20 - England vs India R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Mon Sep 24 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group B : 11th T20 - West Indies vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Tue Sep 25 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Group D : 12th T20 - Bangladesh vs Pakistan Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Thu Sep 27 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 13th T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Thu Sep 27 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 14th T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Fri Sep 28 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 15th T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Fri Sep 28 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 16th T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sat Sep 29 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 17th T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Sat Sep 29 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 18th T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Sun Sep 30 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 19th T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sun Sep 30 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 20th T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Mon Oct 1 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 21st T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Mon Oct 1 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 1 : 22nd T20 - TBC vs TBC Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Tue Oct 2 15:30 local | 10:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 23rd T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Tue Oct 2 19:30 local | 14:00 GMT Super Eights, Group 2 : 24th T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Thu Oct 4 19:00 local | 13:30 GMT 1st Semi Final T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Fri Oct 5 19:00 local | 13:30 GMT 2nd Semi Final T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sun Oct 7 19:00 local | 13:30 GMT Final T20 - TBC vs TBC R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
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India tour of Australia 2011

India tour of Australia 2011 will begin on Monday, December 26, 2011 in Australia as per cricket schedule announced. India vs Australia 2012 is an international bilateral series to be organized by Australia. India tour of Australia 2011 will consist of 4 Test and 2 Twenty20 matches to be hosted by Australia in Dec 2011-Feb 2012. The India tour of Australia 2011 bilateral series is a part of Future Cricket Tour Programs (FTP) prepared by International Cricket Council (ICC). Australia will host this bilateral series, beginning on December 26, 2011. In India tour of Australia 2011 bilateral series, first Test match would be between Australia - India on Dec 26, 2011 at 10:30 local time to be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
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Aston Villa winger Albrighton scores 20,000th Premier League goal

Aston Villa midfielder Marc Albrighton scored the 20,000th goal in English Premier League history when he netted in the second half of his side's match against Arsenal on Wednesday.With only 11 goals needed to reach the milestone going into Wednesday's seven fixtures, the race was on to secure a slice of Premier League history and Albrighton took the spoils at Villa Park. Albrighton struck in the 54th minute when he intercepted a wayward pass from Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen and slipped a cool finish past Wojciech Szczesny to cancel out Robin van Persie's first half opener for the Gunners.
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premier legue

Pl W D L +/- Pts 1 Manchester City 17 14 2 1 38 44 2 Manchester United 17 13 3 1 28 42 3 Tottenham Hotspur 16 11 2 3 13 35 4 Chelsea 17 10 3 4 15 33 5 Arsenal 17 10 2 5 8 32 6 Liverpool 17 8 6 3 7 30 7 Newcastle United 17 7 6 4 1 27 8 Stoke City 17 7 3 7 10 24 9 Norwich City 17 5 6 6 4 21 10 West Bromwich Albion 17 6 3 8 7 21 11 Everton 16 6 2 8 2 20 12 Aston Villa 17 4 7 6 4 19 13 Fulham 17 4 6 7 5 18 14 Swansea City 17 4 6 7 5 18 15 Sunderland 17 4 5 8 0 17 16 Queens Park Rangers 17 4 4 9 14 16 17 Wolverhampton Wanderers 17 4 3 10 13 15 18 Wigan Athletic 17 3 5 9 15 14 19 Bolton Wanderers 17 4 0 13 17 12 20 Blackburn Rovers 17 2 4 11 14 10
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AIFF Player of the Year: Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri has been declared the AIFF Player of the Year after a prolific run that saw the diminutive India striker score 13 goals in 17 international appearances. Besides his good run in the international circuit,Chhetri also shown for his club Chirag United, scoring seven times in 10 matches in the last I- league season (2010-11). Chhetri was chosen the winner by I-League coaches who voted on a list of five players shortlisted for the award. The criteria for selection was based on performance on the field primarily for India's international matches and general conduct, both on and off the field. He has also scored 11 goals in 20 Club appearances in 2011 Chhetri was the recipient of the Arjuna Award this year and also won the Player-of-the-Tournament award in the recently concluded SAFF Championship here. Chhetri will receive a cash award of Rs 2 lakh plus a silver plaque.
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2011–Messi's year

THERE are over half a million blogs on the Internet featuring the name ‘Lionel Messi’ and with his dazzling performances over the last few years, it comes as no surprise. Ballon d’Or winner for the past two years, and nominated for a third-time this year, at the age of just 24, will Lionel Messi become the best player the game has ever seen? Barcelona snapped up an 11-year-old Messi, when he was diagnosed as having a growth hormone deficiency, the Spanish giants offered to pay for the $900-a-month treatment, if he signed for the club. And ever since making his debut as a baby-faced 16-year-old for the Catalan team in 2003, he has burst onto the scene. After watching a teenage Messi against his Juventus side in a friendly, current England manager Fabio Capello asked: “Who is this little devil?” Messi has already won more than George Best ever did and more European Cups than Diego Maradona, so maybe he needs to match Pele’s World Cup winner medal’s to be known as the best ever. Perhaps, Messi being tipped to be the greatest ever player is helped by the fact he is playing in what is becoming to be known as the greatest ever team. Although, Messi scooped up last year’s Ballon d’Or, in second and third place respectively were Barcelona team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. This year, the 2011 Ballon d’Or shortlist reads: Messi, Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is tirelessly judged against La Liga rival Ronaldo. The often inevitable comparisons often lead to the conclusion that Ronaldo is more of an athlete than Messi – being stronger, bigger, faster. Messi stands at just 5 foot 7 while Ronaldo is 6 foot 1, but what is the obsession with physical stature? Last season, Messi scored twice as many Champions League goals than Ronaldo with half as many shots and the Argentine has more assists alone this year than Ronaldo has amounted in the past two seasons. But with Messi scoring 97 goals in his last 102 games and Ronaldo notching 75 goals in his last 83 appearances, there is no denying that the pair are on fire. Both players celebrated victory last season, with Messi’s side clinching the Primera Division and Champions League, while Ronaldo’s Real won the Copa del Rey, defeating Barca 1-0 in extra-time. Real Madrid star Ronaldo insists he is not jealous of Messi and stressed that he doesn’t “have an obsession” with the Barcelona maestro. Despite missing out on recent individual awards, Ronaldo says he holds no ill-feeling towards Messi and insists that he is solely focused on his own target of winning silverware with Real this season. “I don’t have an obsession or a direct rivalry with Messi,” he said. “I feel the same way about other players. But, one thing is certain: I want to be the best of all footballers. “I don’t envy Messi at all. My priority is to win La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, not Ballon d’Or awards.” The heir to Maradona’s throne, the Spanish press has called Messi, “Messidona”, a tag he has certainly lived up to. Maradona’s most famous goal came against England at the 1986 World Cup, known as ‘Goal of the Century’ and was almost replicated by Messi on April 18th 2007. In a cup match against Getafe, Messi ran about the same distance (62metres), beat the same number of players (six including the goalkeeper), scored from a similar position and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did 21 years earlier. Outside football, Messi has continued to demonstrate his world-beating abilities. In 2007, Messi established the ‘Leo Messi Foundation’, to educate and provide free health care to under-privileged children. He was also made a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in March of last year. While former Barca president Joan Laporta has described Messi as the best player in the club’s history – this claim doesn’t seem too ridiculous. The greatest player of 2011? Or the greatest player ever? Maybe, it is too early to call Messi ‘the greatest ever’ but after his numerous remarkable goals and performances, maybe the scariest fact of all might be that Messi is still only 24.
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Messi shines as unstoppableBarcelona win Club World Cup

LIONEL Messi grabbed a classy brace as the "artists" of Barcelona outclassed the Brazilians Santos 4-0 to lift the Club World Cup today and confirm its status as the best team on the planet. The clash between the European and South American champion in Japan had been billed as a showdown between Messi, widely acknowledged as the best player in the world, and 19-year-old Brazilian sensation Neymar. In the event, it was no contest - either between the two supreme talents or their teams - as Barcelona picked up its second world crown after winning the competition in 2009, when Messi was again the difference. Barca boss Pep Guardiola called his men "artists" and dedicated the 13th title in his three-and-a-half years in charge to striker David Villa, who flew home after fracturing his shin in the semi-final and faces five months out. "We missed him very much. I talked to him a lot (since the bad injury) and I want to talk to him tonight," said Guardiola, full of praise for his side who wore t-shirts in honour of their missing team-mate.
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Club World Cup: Messi v Neymar

Santos take on Barcelona in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday, pitting Lionel Messi against Neymar in what is being billed as a clash between two of the finest players on the planet. The European champions Barca will be clear favourites against the Brazilians, who were sublime going forward but edgy at the back in their semi-final 3-1 defeat of Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday. There was no such trouble in Japan for the Catalans, who thrashed Qatari side Al Sadd 4-0 on Thursday to set up the highly anticipated showdown with the South American champions and their highly rated young striker Neymar. But the easy victory came at a heavy price for Pep Guardiola's side, who lost prolific forward David Villa to a leg fracture that will see him out for up to five months. Guardiola has admitted his men were shaken by the injury. The Barca coach, who has won every trophy going in his three-and-a-half years in charge including the Club World Cup in 2009, said he had told his players to expect Santos to play on the break. D7UBUDCFDV2Y
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Saina Nehwal first Indian singles player in BWF World Superseries Finals summit

Liuzhou, China, Dec 17 (IBNS): Indian Badminton star Saina Nehwal cruised into the final of the BWF World Superseries Finals on Saturday by defeating Denmark's Tine Baun in straight sets at Liuzhouin, China.
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Arsenal vs AC Milan & Chelsea vs Napoli in Champions League Round of 16

Arsenal and Chelsea were both awarded tough draws in the Champions League Round of 16 Draw conducted on December 16, 2011. The Gunners and the Blues, both winners of their respective groups, were both paired against Italian outfits in the form of AC Milan and Napoli, arguably the two toughest runners up from the group stages. The first legs of both the Arsenal v Milan and Chelsea v Napoli ties will be played in Italy in February 2012, with the return legs taking place in March 2012. However both Arsenal and Chelsea will play the return legs at home- an advantage for the London outfits. This is the first meeting between Chelsea and Napoli in the Champions League, while Arsenal eliminated Milan at this stage of the 2007-08 season.
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India vs CA Chairman's XI: Tendulkar, Laxman hit half-centuries

Little Master Sachin Tendulkar was eight runs short of his century and VVS Laxman batting on 57 as India were 240 for three at tea against Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at Canberra in the two-day warm-up game. India trail by a further 158 runs after Chairman’s XI declared their first innings at 398 for six. Tendulkar and Laxman have put up an unbeaten 133–run stand for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar looked in sublime touch hitting 15 boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 92, which came from 132 balls. Laxman made most of the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Test series against Australia smashing nine boundaries for his 57 not out, which came from 76 balls. Rahul Dravid missed out on a half-century when he was dismissed for 45 by Cameron Boyce. He hit eight boundaries during his stay. Tendulkar added 33 runs with Dravid for the third wicket. Brief Scores: Cricket Australia Chairman's XI 398 for 6 dec (Tom Cooper 182*, Wes Robinson 143; Umesh Yadav 3 for 39, Pragyan Ojha 2 for 149) lead India 240 for 3 (Sachin Tendulkar 92*, VVS Laxman 57*, Rahul Dravid 45, Gautam Gambhir 35; Carmen Boyce 1 for 42) by 158 runs
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TEAM RANKING

TEST:- Country Rank Ratings England 1 125 India 2 118 South Africa 3 116 Australia 4 103 Sri Lanka 5 99 ODI:- Country Rank Ratings Australia 1 130 India 2 117 South Africa 3 115 Sri Lanka 4 112 Pakistan 5 109 T20:- Country Rank Ratings England 1 130 New Zealand 2* 117 Sri Lanka 2* 117 South Africa 4 113 Australia 5 111
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David Villa suffers leg break as Barcelona beat Al- Sadd

European champions Barcelona beat Asian champions Al Sadd 4-0 at the Club World Cup semifinals on Thursday, bringing the team one step closer to the final championship. Al Sadd could barely touch the ball during the first half of the game, as Barcelona owned 70 percent of possession, and Adriano struck twice to cement Barcelona's victory. Adriano's first in the 25th minute came at the expense of the clumsy defending by Ibrahim Abdulmajed. Barcelona went up 2-0 in the 43rd minute when Thiago put Adriano through for a left-footed strike. The dominance of Barcelona continued in the send half of the game, and Keita made it 3-0 four minutes past the hour. Substitute Maxwell netted the fourth nine minutes before the end of game. The only concern Barcelona had all game was the early departure of David Villa, Spain's World Cup- winning striker, who was injured in the 39th minute after landing on his left foot. Barcelona won the tournament two years ago in Abu Dhabi. The team will face off Santos in the final on Sunday.
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Europa League wrap: Fulham, PSG bow out

Fulham were stunningly knocked out of the Europa League on Wednesday, while PSG also exited the competition. The English Premier League side began the matchday one point ahead of Polish side Wisla Krakow, meaning that a win would be enough to send them through to the knockout stages. And they were well on their way to securing all three points at half-time after goals to Clint Dempsey and Kerim Frei. But Odense – who were incapable of progressing past the group stage – kept battling, and a 64th minute free-kick from Hans Andreasen beat Fulham's third-string goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. Fulham, though, only needed a win to be safely through, but the Danes continued to push the hosts' defensive line, and they struck with what turned out to be the last touch of the game. Senegalese forward Baye Djiby Fall headed in a terrific cross to bring Odense level, much to the contempt of the locals. And with Wisla Krakow defeating the already qualified FC Twente 2-1, it was the Poles who went through to the knockout rounds from Group K. Lukasz Gargula and Tzvetan Genkov scored for the winners but their match in Poland finished with Fulham still in front in London. Odense's equaliser sparked belated celebrations in the Krakow crowd and amongst the players. In Group F, PSG exited the competition despite defeating Athletic Bilbao 4-2. The Parisian outfit – who spent over 65 million pounds in the off-season – headed into the game on the back of successive wins but they were quickly trailing after Jon Aurtenetxe's fourth-minute strike. Javier Pastore and Mathieu Bodmer responded before half-time for PSG although their lead lasted just 10 minutes after the break with David Lopez levelling proceedings for the La Liga outfit. An Inigo Perez own-goal and a Guillaume Hoarau penalty in the last five minutes handed PSG the win but it was in vain after Red Bull Salzburg – who were level on seven points with them prior to the matchday – won 3-2 at Slovan Bratislava. Milos Lacny scored two in the first six minutes for the Slovakians but from there Salzburg mounted a terrific comeback, with Jakob Jantscher and Leonardo responding with goals of their own before the break. An own goal from Marian Had just eight minutes into the second half sealed the result for the Austrians who qualified for the knockout stages ahead of PSG in Group F on goal difference only. In Group D, Lazio got the win they needed to progress by toppling leaders Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in Rome, thanks to goals from Libor Kozak and Giuseppe Sculli in a result that meant FC Zurich's 2-0 home success against Vaslui amounted to nothing. Besiktas defeated the already qualified Stoke City to top Group E, with the Turkish side scoring three second-half goals to beat the 10-man visitors 3-1. The other match saw nine-man Dynamo Kyiv claim a thrilling 3-3 draw against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Anderlecht finished Group L with six wins from as many matches after an entertaining 5-3 win over Lokomotiv Moscow and AEK Athens joined them on the winners list, with the Greek side earning their first points of the campaign with a 3-1 win at Sturm Graz. Bundesliga side Schalke 04 toppled Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in Group J to finish on top of the group and joining them in the next stage were Steaua Bucharest who defeated AEK Larnaca 3-1. From the 12 existing groups, the top two sides from each will join the eight third-placed sides in the UEFA Champions League in the round of 32.
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Tevez eyes only for Boca

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez said that he does not want to return to England and only wants to join boyhood club Boca Juniors. The 27-year-old has been out of favour with manager Roberto Mancini this season, and has not featured for the team since allegedly refusing to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in September. AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Brazilian Serie A champions Corinthians, have all been heavily linked with the forward, but the Argentine said he had his heart set on a return to his homeland. "I don't care if I have to take a wage cut. I'm tired of travelling and going back and forth. I'm not going back to England," Tevez told Gente. " start the pre-season with Boca and play the Copa Libertadores with them."
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@Galliani:::Carlos Tevez Milan´s top target@

AC Milan chief Adriano Galliani says the club’s priority in the January transfer window is to sign Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
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Sehwag rises in ODI rankings after recorddouble ton

Swashbuckling Indian opener Virender Sehwag has jumped eight places in the ICC ODI Player Rankings after his record- breaking double century against the West Indies in the fourth ODI.
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Indian cricket team inAustralia in 2011–12

The Indian cricket team will tour Australia from 26 December 2011 to 3 February 2012.The tour includes four Tests, to contest the Border–Gavaskar Trophy (held by India at the start of the tour), and two Twenty20s (T20Is). Test Series:- 1st Test - 26–30 December - Australia v India [Melbourne Cricket ground, Melbourne] 2nd Test - 3–7 January - Australia v India [Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney] 3rd Test - 13–17 January - Australia v India [WACA Ground, Perth] 4th Test -24–28 January - Australia v India [Adelaide Oval, Adelaide] Twenty20 Series:- 1st T20 -1 February - Australia v India Stadium [Australia, Sydney] 2nd T20 -3 February - Australia v India [Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne]
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Viswanathan Anand drawsagain

Viswanathan Anand wriggled out of an inferior position against David Howell in the third round of the London Chess Classic at the Olympia Media Centre in London on Monday night. It was the 12th consecutive draw for the Indian Grandmaster and he is in the sixth position in the nine-player Category 20 championship. Magnus Carlsen, the highest-ranked player, beat Hikaru Nakamura in a scintillating game to emerge leader with seven points.In an all-English affair, Michael Adams played disastrously to lose to Luke McShane while Levon Aronian beat Nigel Short. Vladimir Kramnik had a bye.McShane is in second place with five points and Aronian, Kramnik and Nakamura are next with four points each. Anand, Adams and Howell have two points each while Short s yet to open his account. Anand has a vast opening repertoire and one always wonders whether the world champion would open with the King Pawn or the Queen Pawn. Anand stuck to the Queen Pawn opening against Howell.Howell opted for the Slav Defence and the game went more or less along equal lines till Anand made it interesting with a sacrifice on the 15th turn.Howell nullified the attack but Anand erred on the 29th turn, opening up promising continuations for his opponent.Howell missed way and during the first time control of 40 moves, the game appeared heading for a draw.Peace was signed on the 65th move by repetition of moves when the players were left with a queen and two pawns each. Results: 3rd round: Levon Aronian (5) beat Nigel Short (0),Magnus Carlsen (7) beat Hikaru Nakamura (4), Michael Adams (2) lost to Luke McShane (5), Vishy Anand (2) drew with David Howell (2), Vladimir Kramnik (4, bye)
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Cricket Schedule 2012

January 2012 India in Australia Tri-Series in Australia (Aus, NZ & Ind) Zimbabwe in New Zealand Sri Lanka in South Africa England in Pakistan (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) February 2012 England in Zimbabwe - postponed Tri-Series in Australia Asia Cup South Africa in New Zealand (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) March 2012 Australia in West Indies (4 Tests & 5 ODIs) Pakistan in India (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) South Africa in New Zealand Sri Lanka in Bangladesh (5 ODIs) April 2012 Australia in West Indies Pakistan in India South Africa in New Zealand Sri Lanka in Bangladesh New Zealand in West Indies (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) May 2012 West Indies tour of England 2012 (3 Test, 3 ODI and 1 Twenty20 match) Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2012 (3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 Twenyt20 matches) June 2012 Australia tour of England 2012 (5 ODI matches) New Zealand tour of West Indies 2012 (3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 Twenty20 matches) July 2012 India tour of Sri Lanka 2012 (3 Test matches) South Africa tour of England 2012 (3 Test, 5 ODI and 3 Twenyt20 matches) August 2012 Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe 2012 (2 Test, 3 ODI and 2 Twenty20 matches) New Zealand in India 2012 (3 Test matches) Pakistan vs Australia 2012 in UAE (5 ODI and 1 Twenty20 match) September 2012 ICC T20 World Cup 2012 (27 Twenty20 matches)
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FINAL MATCH SAFF championship 2011

The time has come when we see the winner of the SAFF Championship 2011 via the final match. India and Afghanistan are seeing each other in the final of the Championship today Sunday, 11th Dec at 18:00 (local time) in New Delhi. India has come up to the final by defeating Maldives by 3-1 whereas Afghanistan is luckly up to there by its 1-0 victory over Nepal.
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Virender Sehwag-biodata

Virender Sehwag again has come in the centre of discussion after playing some impressive innings in South Africa in twenty20 tournament. So, most of the Indian fans want to know more about him. That is why, I have made a bio-data of him. Name: Virender Sehwag Father’s Name: Krishan Sehwag Mother’s Name: Krishna Sehwag Date of Birth: October 20, 1978 Also known as: Veeru Birth Sign: Libra Birth Place: Delhi, but he spent his childhood in bungalow with his cousins. Religion: Hinduism. Current age: 28 years 344 days Educational qualification: Family members: His family consists with 6 members. Sehwag is the third son of his parents. He has two elder sisters and one younger brother. Manju (sister) Anju (sister) Virender Sehwag (own) Vinod (brother) Hobby: Watching movies and cricket match of his favorite players. Favorite players: Sachin Tendulkar What he wanted to be: He wanted to be a cricketer from his childhood. When his father game him a toy bat then he saw a dream to play in Indian national team. Profession: cricketer (Indian national team) Position: opener. Major Teams: India, ACC Asian XI, Delhi, ICC World XI, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak ODI debut: Mohali, against Pakistan in April 1999. Test debut: Bloemfontein, against South Africa in 2001 Records:- *Virender Sehwag scored the second fastest century in ODI Cricket by an Indian[83] - 100 runs off 69 balls against New Zealand in 2001[84] *Virender Sehwag has scored the second fastest 50 by an Indian[85] - a record, he shares with Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev and Yuvraj Singh - when he took 22 balls against Kenya in 2001[86] *Sehwag has three double centuries - all against Pakistan[87]. Greg Chappell is the only other player to have scored multiple double centuries against Pakistan (2) *Highest individual score [219] by a batsman in one day cricket (ODI)-against West Indies
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Sehwag 219: fastest 200, highest ODI score

Virender Sehwag created history on Thursday by posting the highest score in One-day Internationals and also scoring only the second double century in the 50-overs format. The dashing opener proved unstoppable for the hapless Windies bowlers as he stroked his way to a magical innings of 219 from a mere 149 balls, slamming as many as 25 fours and seven sixes.
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SAFF Cup: India beat Sri Lanka 3-0

India came out worthy winners over Sri Lanka in their final Group A match to book a place in the semi finals as the runner up of the group, behind Afghanistan who routed Bhutan 8-1 earlier on the day. India will now play Maldives in the first semi final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. India named an unchanged eleven from the last game in an encounter in which they needed atleast a draw to progess to the next stage of the competition. India dominated most of the first half, but failed to open their account in the first period of play. In the 40th minute, Jeje Lalpekhlua displayed amazing acrobatics to overturn a shot on goal, but his effort hitting the woodwork. Sri Lanka also had occasional shots on goal, but custodian Karanjit Singh was solid under the bars. India found the opener five minutes into the second half as Jeje found the back of the net, from a rebound of the keeper from a Sunil Chhetri effort. Soon after the goal, Sri Lanka found the back of the net, but the referee ruled the move an offside. Jeje and Chhetri could have further increased India’s lead in the following minutes, but excellent saves from Sri Lankan keeper Sujan Perreira denied them. India found their second goal in the 70th minute as Sunil Chhetri rose well to head in a Clifford Miranda cross leaving Perreira with no chance. The win was complete in the additional time when AB Warakagoda put the ball at the back of his own net when he tried to clear a cross from Steven Diaz. India will now play Maldives on December 9 aiming for a final berth. India 3-0 Sri Lanka Goals: Jeje Lalpekhlua (50′), Sunil Chhetri (69′), Bandara Warakagoda (90′)
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Darren Bravo ruled out withhamstring injury

West Indies today suffered a big blow ahead of their fourth one-day international against India tomorrow as key batsman Darren Bravo was today ruled out of the crucial match because of left hamstring injury. "Darren Bravo is out for next game. Like we showed when Shiv (Shivnarine Chanderpaul) missed a Test (third and last Test in Mumbai which ended in a thrilling draw), young (Kieron) Powell came in and took responsibility," West Indies skipper Darren Sammy said at the customary match-eve media conference at the Holkar Stadium today. Sammy conceded the team will miss the classy left-handed batsman, who hurt his hamstring in third ODI at Ahmedabad, but said it would give an opportunity for someone else to step up and take charge. "Yes, we will miss Bravo in the line up. But it gives opportunity for someone else to come out and make a name for himself. Our team is definitel improving when we miss guys, the guys would come in and perform," he said. The visiting captain said he was confident that the 16-run victory over India at Ahmedabad, which kept them in the hunt in the series in which they now trail 1-2, has lifted the morale of the team. "Morale of the team is good. So far we kept seeing we have been coming close. It's about taking the opportunity and grabbing it and winning. We did it in the last game, so the morale is definitely up some more," he said. He said the tourists were looking forward to finishing the series on a high after being away from the Caribbean for over two months, with the tour to Bangladesh preceding the current one. "It's two games left and most of the guys have been away from home for two and a half months.We want to finish on a high. We have to believe we could win. It's an important game for us and hopefully we could win it and take it down to Chennai for the final," he said
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Dimitar Berbatov ruled out of Manchester United's clash with Basel

• Ankle problem keeps Berbatov out of Champions League tie • Man Utd must rely on Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck Dimitar Berbatov has been ruled out of Manchester United's make-or-break Champions League trip to Basel leaving Sir Alex Ferguson to contend with a striker shortage. After Javier Hernández suffered an ankle injury at Aston Villa on Saturday that is set to rule him out for a month, Ferguson expressed the hope Berbatov would have recovered from his own ankle problem to make the flight to Switzerland. But the Bulgarian was again absent on Tuesday morning, meaning Ferguson can only count on Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck, who has made only one substitute appearance since suffering a muscular problem on England duty last month, in addition to Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf, who have made minimal contributions so far this season. Rooney is due to face a Uefa appeal hearing in Nyon on Thursday in an attempt to reduce the three-match ban that threatens to rule him out of the entire Euro 2012 group phase. By then, the 26-year-old will know whether he has any further Champions League action ahead of him this season.
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Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, nominated for top FIFA award

PARIS: Holder Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi were on Monday named on the final three-man shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or award, which will be presented at a ceremony in Zurich on January 9. Barcelona superstar Messi won the inaugural award, a combination of the France Football Ballon d’Or prize and FIFA’s World Player of the Year award, last year, having picked up both awards in 2009. His great Real Madrid rival Ronaldo had won both awards the previous year. Messi’s Barcelona team-mate Xavi was also shortlisted for the 2010 prize and finished in third place, behind another Barca colleague, Andres Iniesta. The three-man shortlist was unveiled during a press conference at France Football headquarters in Paris attended by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke. Messi, 24, will start as a strong favourite to retain his prize, after a year in which he inspired his club to a La Liga and Champions League double. He scored twice, including a memorable solo goal at the Bernabeu, as Barca beat arch rivals Real in the Champions League semi-finals and was also on target in the 3-1 defeat of Manchester United in the final at Wembley. This season he has scored his 200th goal for Barcelona and is closing in on Cesar Rodriguez’ all-time record of 235 goals for the club. Like Messi, 26-year-old Ronaldo scores at a rate of roughly once a game and last season broke the record for most goals scored in a La Liga season with 40 as his side finished runners-up to Barcelona. He scored an extra-time winner in the Copa del Rey final against Barca in April and recently found the net for the 100th time in a Real shirt. The award is voted for by national team coaches and captains, as well as a panel of football journalists selected by France Football magazine. In the award for Men’s Coach of the Year, Messi’s Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola was shortlisted alongside Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United. A shortlist for FIFA’s Ferenc Puskas Award for the best goal of the year was also revealed, with Wayne Rooney’s spectacular overhead bicycle kick for Manchester United against Manchester City leading the nominations. Messi’s inventive chip over the goalkeeper and volley against Arsenal in the Champions League and a slaloming solo goal by Brazilian sensation Neymar in a league game for Santos against Flamengo were also shortlisted. In the women’s equivalent of the Ballon d’Or, holder Marta of Brazil was nominated alongside USA striker Abby Wambach and Japan’s Homare Sawa, who finished top scorer at this year’s women’s World Cup in Germany. Japan coach Norio Sasaki was recognised for leading his country to their first ever World Cup title by being named in the shortlist for the Women’s Coach of the Year prize. France’s Bruno Bini and the USA’s Swedish coach Pia Sundhage were also shortlisted.
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India v West Indies, 3rd ODI

Ahmedabad: Ravi Rampaul got second time lucky as the West Indies paceman grabbed four wickets (4/57) to give his side a 16-run victory, their first on this tour, in the third ODI against India at the Sardar Patel Stadium here on Monday. Needing 261 to win the contest and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, India lost six wickets with just 105 runs on the board. Rohit Sharma (95 off 100) once again came to India's rescue but his wicket in the 44th over diminished any hopes India had to overhaul the Windies total
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Sachin Tendulkar unlikely for remaining ODIs against Windies

Sachin Tendulkar, who was expected to be back in action for the last two One-Day Internationals against the West Indies, is unlikely to join Team India ahead of the Australia tour. Tendulkar will instead leave with the India squad for Australia in the first batch, which was reported to be leaving on December 8, CNN IBN reported. The Little Master was rested from the squad for the first three matches but sources say the 38-year-old wantsed to play the remaining two matches of the series scheduled on December 8 and 11 in Indore and Chennai respectively. Tendulkar is on the brink of creating another history as he has 99 international centuries on his name. Tendulkar last scored a century during India's World Cup league match against South Africa in March 2011
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Indian hockey team to get Rs 25 lakh for reaching final

New Delhi: New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Indian hockey team will get Rs 25 lakh from Bharat Hotels Limited for doing a stupendous job in the ongoing Champions Challenge I tournament in South Africa, where they have reached the final. India did not lose a single match en route the final, which they are slated to play against Belgium later on Sunday in Johannesburg. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director Bharat Hotels Limited (Hotel Lalit) announced the prize money through Hockey India.
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India lose to Belgium in Champs Challenge final

India squandered a two-goal advantage and conceded a last-minute goal to lose 3-4 to Belgium in the final of the Champions Challenge I hockey tournament here today. Striker Florent van Aubel caught the Indian defenders off-guard and scored the all-important winner for Belgium at the stroke of the hooter to not only hand Belgium the gold medal but also a maiden place in next year's Champions Trophy in Australia. India, seeking to repeat their Champions Challenge title win of 2001, led 2-0 and again 3-1 before a late rally by Belgium saw them equalise 3-3 and then deliver the knockout blow in the last minute. India's goals came through penalty corner strikes from VR Raghunath (23rd minute), Sandeep Singh (39th) while Shivendra Singh (53rd minute) scored from a fine field goal. The Belgians came back strongly through Jerome Dekeyser's two outstanding field goals in 45th and 57th minutes, while Gauthier Boccard penetrated the Indian defence with a fine deflection in the 55th minute. India had several chances of scoring but their strikers were off-mark and often got blocked by a number of Belgian defenders, falling back to crowd the circle. India were unlucky not to have scored in the third minute when Manpreet Singh's deflection rebounded off the post. India held sway after Raghunath converted a penalty corner with a low drag-flick in the 23rd minute. Sandeep, adjudged the best player of the tournament, doubled the lead for India with a fierce drag-flick to the top right of the rival goal in the 39th minute before Dekeyser pulled one back in the 45th minute on a breakaway move. Shivendra then dribbled in from right to flick the ball in behind the goalkeeper in the 53rd minute to score a beautiful field goal and hand India a 3-1 lead.
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