14 Friday 29th May, 2009 ’s Isinbayeva gets sport award Messi wins

ROME (AP) - Russian pole vaulter and Olympic gold medalist duel vs. Ronaldo Yelena Isinbayeva won her second Laureus World S port swoman of the Year award Wednesday. Isinbayeva received the award from Laureus academy members Sir in CL final Bobby Charlton, the former Manchester United player, former international Marcel Desailly (AP) - Lionel Messi didn t Even if we had and It alian skiing champion Alberto use his usual scoring method - a def t Tomba at a ceremony in Rome. touch from his quick feet - to settle the lost I wouldn t She was selected by the 46- debate over whether he or Cristiano member jury of the academy, which Ronaldo deserves to be called the have changed my unites the world s greatest sport s- world s best player. opinion about men and women. Instead, the Barcelona forward settled it with his Isinbayeva has dominated head. him, coach Pep women s pole vaulting for the last Messi s 70th- Guardiola said. five years, and is the defending minute header helped Yelena Isinbayeva (AP) Olympic and world champion. She Barcelona to a 2-0 Lionel Messi is set a world record of 5.05 meters at Champions the Olympics, and has improved the world League final win the best player in record 24 times. over Manchester It is a great honour for me, said the 26-year- United on the world, old athlete, who also won in 2007. This is what I W ednesday, a victo - absolutely. I think train for. ry that put s The winners of this year s Laureus A wards - Barcelona in exclu - right now he is of ten called the Oscars of the sport s world - are sive company as receiving their prizes individually at a series of pre - only the fif th adding his name sent ations in May and June af ter the usual tele - European club to win vised ceremony was scrapped because of the glob- three major trophies in a to the Golden al economic crisis. season, and the first Spanish Ball. team to do so. Even if we had lost I wouldn t have changed my opinion about him, coach Pep Guardiola said. Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, with and (Andres) Inestia, I tried absolutely. I think right now he is to have one more man in the mid - Rugby IC won’t beg adding his name to the Golden Ball. field. The 21-year-old Argentina for - Messi was instrumental in much ward guided Xavi Hernandez s cross of Barcelona s play, just as he was in home to show he doesn t always helping the club secure the Spanish for IRB grant need a sof t touch to score. league title with a record point s haul As Messi celebrated his competi - and a 25th Copa del Rey trophy. by Ravi Nagahawatte ent SLRFU constitution and if tion-best ninth goal - and 38th in tot al Ronaldo started better but, as the AGM was held sans these this season - Ronaldo could only look Barcelona took control, the 24-year- Rugby development in Sri changes, someone could take upward af ter failing to track back and old Portugal international - known for Lanka continues to be stifled them to court s for holding an cover Xavi, who moved alone into gallant strides and stepover dribbles - due to the grant s promised by unconstitutional AGM. sp ace to provide the cross. exemplified his loud personality with a the International Rugby Board There is a problem about All eyes had been on the Ronaldo number of frustrating fouls, including (IRB) for such purposes being the eligibility criteria for of fice vs. Messi matchup in this final af ter a booking in the 78th minute. delayed. bearers in the present SLRFU the Portugal winger edged Messi for Although United didn t defends it s A spokesperson for rugby constitution and we need to both the FIFA world player of the year European trophy, Ronaldo has still the development officers told The change this. We have to have and Golden Ball award last season by English Premier League, League Cup and Club World Cup triumphs to enjoy Island that a good number of everything in keeping with the winning three trophies to Messi s this season. rugby development officers were law. This is an era where people Barcelona’s zero. There is another st atistic where finding it hard to sust ain them - go to court s when a tournament Lionel Messi A historic season for Barcelona is is not properly held, so we need reacts after likely to be enough to see Messi Messi now has an edge over Ronaldo selves, leave alone engage in - he scored his first goal against rugby activities, because the to be careful, said Gunasekere. scoring his side dethrone King Cristiano. When the going gets tough, he English opposition, while Ronaldo allowance paid to them to teach Gunasekere said that the second goal, dur- really get s going, Guardiola said. remains without a goal against rugby amounts to their sole IRB shouldn t try to hold the ing the UEFA Guardiola said that last year s S panish teams. monthly income. Rugby Interim Committee to ran - Champions som by demanding that the semifinals loss to Man United led him Sri Lanka s rugby base is League final soccer to make a t actical change with Messi rugby AGM should be held for over 100,000 players and a match between just as he did for the 6-2 trouncing of them to release the grant. They large percent age of these play - Manchester United and Real this month. ers come under the watchful can always release the grant Barcelona in Rome, I saw last year that Leo Messi eyes of rugby development offi- considering that the provincial Wednesday May 27, 2009. had little problems with (defender cers, who have made rugby rugby unions that are function - Patrice) Evra and so I decided to t ake (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) coaching their profession. ing. Af ter all, these provincial him out of the right side and put him in Rugby Interim Committee unions are constitutionally elect - the middle, Guardiola said. Messi, Chairman Dr. Maiya ed bodies, he said. Gunasekere Gunasekere, when contacted said that he wouldn t go with a said that the rugby development begging bowl to the IRB to of ficers couldn t be p aid till the request for the grant. IRB released it s grant meant for He added that the rugby Safin, Santoro play final matches Ronaldo rugby development to the Sri development programmes were Lanka Rugby Football Union initiated by the IRB and hence blames tactics (SLRFU). they had a responsibility towards at The IRB earlier promised to sust aining them. release 50% of the funds for Asked whether he was con- PARIS (AP) - Adieu, Marat. A u for Rome development work and gave an cerned about rugby develop- revoir , Fabrice. V eteran players assurance that the rest of the ment in the country being af fect- and Fabrice Santoro defeat monies would be released after ed by the lack of funds to p ay the said so long to the French Open on the SLRFU AGM is held. rugby development officers, W ednesday, both dep arting from the by Giles Mole However, the IRB has changed Gunasekere said, I can see clay-court tournament in the first rugby being played at schools. tsi mind and now states that no week. has criticised monies will be released until Tournaments are being conduct - Safin, a former No. 1-ranked Sir Alex Ferguson s t actics af ter af ter the AGM is held, said ed. Rugby is alive in Sri Lanka. player and two-time Gunasekere. champion, lost a back-and-forth Manchester United were outplayed Gunasekere said that the marathon to French wild-card entry by Barcelona in the Champions AGM couldn t be held till the pro - Josselin Ouanna 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 4- League final. posed reforms to the SLRFU 6, 3-6, 10-8 in the second round. United were beaten 2-0 in the constitution were made. He said Santoro played only eight minutes in that there were fault s in the pres - the completion of his 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, Olympic Stadium thanks to goals 6-4 first-round loss to Christophe from Samuel Eto o and Lionel Rochus of Belgium. Messi - who won his personal duel I didn t draw the heart, and I with Ronaldo. didn t lay down and I didn t cry, said The Portuguese said: We didn t CH vs Navy on Sunday Safin, who reached the semifinals at The inter-club league rugby match had been rescheduled Roland Garros only once in his 11 do well. The t actics were not good tournament fixture between due to a request made by Navy appearances, in 2002. Terrible way and everything went wrong for us. CH&FC and Navy Sport s Club, S port s Club. to finish with the French Open, but W e were only in it for 10 minutes which was expected to be The match between CR&FC anyway ... and we never found ourselves played today, has been and Havelocks Sport s will be Maria Sharapova nearly joined rescheduled for May 31 played today at Havelock Park. Safin and Santoro on the sidelines, again. (Sunday) at Maitland Crescent. (RN)) but the unseeded Russian escaped W e lost a goal in the first min - According to CH&FC rugby the second round by hanging on to utes and af ter it was going to be manager Jude Dimithri, the beat 11th-seeded Nadia Petrova 6-2, France’s Josselin Ouanna, right, shakes hands with Russia’s Marat dif ficult, but that s football. 1-6, 8-6. Top-seeded Dinara Safina Safin after their second round match at the Roland Garros stadium Barcelona controlled the game and and defending champion Ana in Paris, Wednesday May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau) Ivanovic also advanced. deserved to win. But I m sure I m Under-17 ‘C’ Division cager going to play more finals. On the men s side, four-time was able to save three match point s with his 20th French Open this year, defending champion before succumbing in the second finished of f his suspended match To further risk the wrath of tournament from today stretched his record to a perfect 30- round at Roland Garros for the third from the night before on Court Ferguson, when asked if he would 0 on the red clay of Roland Garros, Twelve teams will compete International, Kandy, St. straight year . Suzanne Lenglen. still be at Old T raf ford next season, and No. 3 Andy Murray also in the All-Island Under-17 Boys Thomas College, Mat ara and The crowd was against him on The completion didn t last long, Ronaldo said: I don t know. Inter-School C Division basket - Kingswood College, Kandy advanced. W ednesday, and Safin thought that but it seemed to be worth it. ball tournament that will com - Group B: St. Joseph s Safin couldn t find a way to get might give him a boost, so he goad - Out of the 15 tournament s I Prior to kick-of f, England coach mence today at two dif ferent College, Nugegoda, Kegalle MV his booming shots past Ouanna, a ed them for more. have scheduled this year, Roland Fabio Capello has said the Rome venues. and Siridamma College, Galle 23-year-old Frenchman who is mak- Why not? Let s play a little bit, Garros was the one that s most final would decide who should win ing his Grand Slam debut at this De La Salle College, Mutwal Group C: De La Salle Safin said. That s what I needed. I scary for me, said the 36-year-old the Ballon d Or. On last night s and St. Joseph s Boys School, College, Mutwal, St. Joseph s year s tournament. was a little bit tent ative about my Santoro, who is also set to retire at showing, Messi was the unmistak- Nugegoda will play host to the College, Enderamulla and He was basically running game today because I was frustrat - the end of the season. I thought, tournament. Colombo South International around the forehand and trying to ed the way I played. is it reasonable at my age to play able winner. The teams have been divid- Group D: St. Sebastian s build up the point from there, said When it was over, though, the such long matches on clay? Then I ' The Telegraph Group, ed into four group s and De La College, Moratuwa, St. Safin, now 29 and playing out his crowd applauded as Safin walked off thought, is it reasonable to refuse , 2009 Salle College are the main Aloysious College, Galle and final season on tour. And I couldn t center court for the last time. to do it? organisers on behalf of the Sri Lyceum International School, find any angles to catch his back - Santoro, who has made a Lanka Schools Basketball Wattala. hand. record 67 Grand Slam appearances Association (RS) The pair traded hard shot s and equaled the tournament mark Group A: Gateway throughout the final set, and Safin