Monday 4th May, 2009 15 Armstrong achieves Philippines rejoices podium in Tour of the Gila by Telegraph staff

Lance Armstrong finished Pacquaio victory over Hatton the individual time trial in third, behind Astana team- mate and Tom Zirbel (). The Gila is Armstrong’s first event since he broke his collarbone in March and the seven-time Tour de winner was surprised by the difficulty of the stage. “It was a tough course, deceivingly hard,” he said. “There were a lot of false flats out there with a combina- tion of hills, wind and alti- tude. “I think I buried myself in parts and couldn’t bring it back because of the altitude, the specialist climber has a but the ride was not so bad all comfortable lead of 2mins things considered.” 39secs over Peter Stetina and Leipheimer completed the brushed aside suggestions 25km course in a course- that he eased to victory. record time of 32 minutes 59 “I simply do my best,” he seconds to record his seventh beamed. stage win of the season. (C) the Telegraph Group, With two days remaining, London, 2009

Manny Pacquiao hits Ricky Hatton during the first round of their junior welterweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday, May 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Locher) by Jim Gomez MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Army troops and Muslim guerrillas briefly stopped fighting and traffic ground to halt in the Philippines on Sunday as locals rejoiced at the stunning victory of nation- al hero Manny Pacquaio. The 30-year-old Pacquiao knocked out England’s Ricky Hatton with a ferocious left hook to the jaw late in the second round, abruptly ending the light welter- weight bout in Las Vegas. The killer punch sparked a frenzy of celebrations across the Philippines. “The fighter who’ll bring down Manny hasn’t been born yet,” said Melissa Palaran, who was selling corn cobs outside a Manila basketball stadium, where 15,000 Filipinos watched the match on six huge screens. British boxer Ricky Hatton hits the mat after he was knocked down by Manny Pacquiao, of “Even the U.S. president can’t beat the Philippines, during the first round of their junior welterweight boxing match Saturday, Pacquiao. Manny for president,” motorcy- May 2, 2009, in Las Vegas. Pacquiao won the fight by TKO in the second round. cle taxi driver Jesus Guasis said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Guasis mounted his taxi and drove back to Manila’s streets, which were near- trict. She thanked Pacquiao for uniting the “They came from the fields. They ly empty of traffic. Filipinos even for six minutes and drawing haven’t even warmed their seats and it was In a country that has grappled with the people’s mind off long-nagging prob- over,” Kabalu said. deep financial problems and political divi- lems like government corruption. “I wish our rebellion can be done as sions for years, Pacquiao has created a “Thank you so much Manny for giving quickly,” Kabalu said. fanatical following that bridges the divide us a good name,” Fernandez said. Army soldiers gathered by the hun- between rich and poor. President Gloria Muslim rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu dreds in military stadiums in the capital Macapagal Arroyo, a leading backer, has said many members of the 11,000-strong to support Pacquiao, who is a reserve offi- welcomed him back with a red carpet at Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest cer. her palace after each of his victories. Muslim guerrilla group in the country’s Many policemen were warned not to Retired public school teacher volatile south, trooped back to their com- leave their posts and told to settle for a Evangeline Fernandez, clasping a rosary, munities to watch the bout. While ecstatic replay of the bout, envying colleagues who watched the bout for free in a government over the result, the rebels thought were deployed to live telecasts in Manila gymnasium in Manila’s Tondo slum dis- Pacquiao ended the fun too quickly. stadiums to guard against pickpockets. Sarwan remains a big barrier to English success by Scyld Berry Sarwan said. the former batting. “Only at week- England captain It would be wrong to deduce a If England are going to rise from ends did they Ted Dexter to pre- racial divide in this West Indian the lower-to-mid-table mire – after allow me to use dict that he would team: Gayle’s biggest follower is winning one series against the top tennis balls.” average 50. Denesh Ramdin. From this plateau, five Test-playing countries since He did not play Now, at 28, he this space, Sarwan has to be dis- September 2005 – their think-tank, a match until he is in “a good lodged - and here his background is led by Andy Flower, will have to be moved to place” - apart especially relevant. similarly astute. Georgetown, alt- from Derby,where “In the yard, the boundaries on Ramnaresh Sarwan was Man of hough he remem- the West Indians the off side were much shorter than the Series when England lost 1-0 in bers his upbring- are playing the the ones on the leg side,” he said. the Caribbean earlier this year, scor- ing fondly enough England Lions. “Even when we used to practice at ing more than twice as many runs as to have funded a He has reached club level, they used to put us close to the next West Indian, with three cen- cricket pavilion the plateau of the boundary on the off side, and turies and a 90 in his six innings. on Wakenaam. He maturity where generally I favour the offside a bit, England will not avenge their defeat was wandering Ramnaresh Sarwan he knows his own the square-cut and cover-drive.” if Sarwan is also the man of the two- around his pri- game inside out; In the West Indies, England found Test series which starts at Lord’s on mary school one day when the school he became fitter than ever before in that Sarwan cut everything outside Wednesday. cleaners - who ran the under-12 the six-week training camp before off stump that was short of a half- Guyana has produced some of cricket team - asked him to have a the Stanford Twenty20 match, so that volley.In the Barbados Test, when he the world’s finest batsmen - Clive net. he can now concentrate for longer. scored 291, Sarwan played 80-odd Lloyd, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, “The other guys were wearing His million-dollar prize from scoring shots on each side of the Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai - pads but I’d never worn pads before Stanford has been invested, not in wicket, and scored 184 runs to the off but Sarwan is the first to have come and after 10 minutes I was in the his financial services, but real estate; side and 107 to leg. Most top batsmen from the western area, from the team. In my first game I got a hun- and he has given up all captaincy are predominantly leg side players, mouth of the Essequibo. dred. I batted at three, that’s where I ambitions. Sarwan had succeeded but not Sarwan. Neither his father nor grandfa- started,” Sarwan said. “When I was Brian Lara, but when he was England have to turn Sarwan’s ther played cricket as they were too 14, Carl Hooper [the former West injured, Chris Gayle took over and strength into his weakness by tempt- busy working in their rice mill. But Indies captain] was the first person seemed more of a natural leader. ing him to go after outswingers to a there was the necessary space. who told me I’d be playing Test crick- Sarwan resigned as Gayle’s vice- packed offside field: as much as any “In my grandfather’s yard we et. That was the first time he saw me captain on the tour of New Zealand department, Andrew Flintoff will be used a coconut branch, like every batting.” last year. “That’s something I don’t missed in the slips. If Sarwan is not other West Indian, and sometimes At 15 he became the youngest- really want to talk about,” he said. curtailed, and with his fellow we used a tennis ball and sometimes ever West Indian first-class cricketer, But the effect is obvious. Like Guyanese Chanderpaul with him, a coconut, a small coconut, because bowling a few leg-breaks as well, and Chanderpaul, another former cap- nil-nil beckons. every time I played with a tennis ball when he made his Test debut against tain, Sarwan has retreated into his ((C) The Telegraph Group, I would hit it into the trench,” England in 2000, Sarwan prompted own game and devoted himself to London, 2009