Wednesday 17th February, 2010 Kumaritashvili’s body flown home from Winter Olympics ith the head of the Winter organisers and is confident a slower track Games helping carry the coffin would be constructed for the 2014 Winter Wto the hearse Nodar tracks slowed Games in , Russia. Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger killed The track is “still going to be high in a horrific crash in Vancouver on after tragedy speed, but it is going to be lower [short- Friday, began his long, final journey er]”, the secretary general Svein Romstad home yesterday. The International Luge Federation told Associated Press. The body of the 21-year-old was flown (FIL) says it intends to make sliding In Vancouver, lugers are now starting to Germany after a candlelit memorial tracks slower following the death of lower down the course too and padding service during which members of the ’s Nodar Kumaritashvili in a now covers the steel girders that remain Georgian Olympic delegation filed past to exposed beyond a wooden wall erected at training run. touch their fallen team-mate. the curve where Kumaritashvili flew off The Whistler track is acknowl- Kumaritashvili’s body is to arrive in his sled. edged as the fastest in the world, tomorrow, a small ski resort of His death is still under investigation about 1,500 people that has been plunged capable of generating a top speed of into mourning. It is to be met by around 95mph. David Kumaritashvili, father of Nodar Patriarch Ilia II, Georgia’s spiritual But FIL chief Svein Romstad sug- Kumaritashvili, shows a photo his son e- leader. “For every family in the village it’s gested the track for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia will be slower. mailed from Vancouver, in Bakuriani, a tragedy,” said Ramaz Goglidze, a senior Georgia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010 (AP) Georgian Olympic official. “Even people “Organisers want to say this is the fastest or whatever, but we don’t want who never met him cry all day.Everyone.” by the provincial coroner’s office. An Three Georgian athletes, including the to go in this direction,” he said. autopsy was performed but the results figure skater Otar Japaridze, attended the Kumaritashvili died after his sled will be provided to the family only, with a memorial, filing past the open brown cof- flipped and he left the track, hitting a public report due in about two months. fin. Kumaritashvili’s uncle and coach, steel pole at the Whistler Sliding After recommendations by medical Felix, broke down in tears. Centre during his sixth and final train- and legal experts, the chief coroner of John Furlong, Vancouver’s organising ing run on Friday. (BBC) British Columbia will then decide committee head, was one of 10 people whether to hold an inquest. who carried the coffin out of the building Kumaritashvili died hours before the Kumaritashvili’s father told AP yester- and placed it in the back of the grey opening ceremony, when he lost control of day that his son worried the Whistler hearse. “There were no speeches,” said his sled during a training run on the track – the fastest in the world – was too the European Olympic Committees presi- lightning-fast track in Whistler and dangerous. “He told me: I will either win dent Patrick Hickey. “People had their slammed into a unpadded track-side steel or die,” David Kumaritashvili said. “But own private moment, reflecting on the sit- pole. that was youthful bravado, he couldn’t be uation. Everyone was so unified standing An official from the International Luge seriously talking about death.” The casket of Luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia is removed following a memorial in around sharing in the sorrow.” Federation said he had met with Russian guardian.co.uk Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP)

Inter-Provincial (50-over) Cricket 2010 Ruhuna, Kandurata,Wayamba and Basnahira South enter semis by Revata S. Silva Semi-final Schedule: Sara, Colombo: Feb. 19 – Ruhuna vs Basnahira Basnahira South 230 for 8 wkts in After encounters in five round- South at Moratuwa 50 ovs (Janaka Gunaratne 44, robins, Ruhuna, Kandurata, Feb. 19 – Kandurata vs Wayamba Malinda Warnapura 37, Dilruwan Wayamba and Basnahira South at Colombo, NCC Perera 30, Hasantha Fernando 29, entered the semi-finals yesterday in Scores on Tuesday: Chinthaka Perera 28 n.o., Malinga the season’s Inter-Provincial 50-over Basnahira North bt SLC Bandara 20 n.o., Milinda Tournament organised by Sri Lanka Combined XI by 3 wkts at Siriwardene 17, Prasanna Cricket and sponsored by the Bank of Ceylon. Moratuwa: Jayawardene 15; Tillakaratne Malinda Warnapura led SLC Combined XI (won the toss) Sampath 3-47, Tharanga Lakshitha Basnahira South in the absence of 138 all out in 33. 2 overs (Arosh 2-27) their regular skipper Tillakaratne Janoda 28, Kithruwan Vithanage 25, Ruhuna (toss) 61 for 4 wkts in 15 Dilshan and were placed fifth in the Gayashan Namal 23, Hans Fernando ovs (Gihan de Silva 18 n.o., Ashan six-team tournament’s points table 21, Maduka Liyanapathirange 13; Priyanjan 13 n.o., Indika de Saram with equal number of points (10) Nuwan Kulasekara 3-27, Sachithra 11; Chinthaka Perera 2-23) though with a slightly lower Net Serasinghe 3-28, Shanuka Wayamba bt Kandurata by 1 Run Rate as against Thilina Dissanayake 3-35) run under D/L Method at Kandamby-led Basnahira North. Basnahira North 140 for 7 wkts in Pallekele: But the former (Basnahira South) qualified to enter the last 21. 3 ovs (Angelo Mathews 58 in 44 b Kandurata 312 for 4 wkts in 50 four over Basnahira North as the - 4x10 – 6x1, Sachithra Serasinghe ovs (Kaushalya Weeraratne 143 in Southerners had emerged victori- 19, Kaushal Silva 19, Shanuka 158 b – 4x16 – 6x3, Chamara ous in their head-to-head round- Dissanayake 11, Dilshan Munaweera Kapugedera 88 in 69 b – 4x11 – 6x1, robin encounter earlier in the 10; Arosh Janoda 4-72) Tharanga Paravithana 51 in 55 b – Tournament. Basnahira South vs Ruhuna 4x8, Kumar Sangakkara 10; Kaushal Final Pints Table: end in no-result due to rain at P. Lokuarachchi 37-1, Farveez Team Matches Won, Lost, No Result, Pts Maharoof 37-1) Wayamba (toss) (target 146 from Ruhuna, 5, 3, 1, 1, 16 25 ovs) 147 for 3 wkts in 25 ovs Kandurata 5, 3, 2, 0, 15 (Jeewantha Kulatunga 50 in 55 b – Wayamba 5, 3, 2, 0, 14 4x9, Mahela Jayawardene 33, Basnahira North 5, 2, 3, 0, 10 (NRR +0.04) Kaushal Lokuarachchi 20 n.o., Basnahira South 5, 2, 2, 1, 10 (NRR -1.03) Mahela Udawatte 17, Janith Perera 16 n.o.; Suraj Randiv 2-19). SLC Combined XI 5, 1, 4, 0, 5 Myanmar shocks Sri Lanka Kiwis take control by Manjula D. Phillips Paing scored the second goal in the 71st New Zealand have taken command minute, tightening the screws on the of the one-off cricket Test against Hosts Sri Lanka experienced an hosts. Sri Lankan goal keeper Asanka Bangladesh after career-best perform- unexpected heavy 4-0 defeat at the hand Viraj saved three certain goals, but it ances by Martin Guptill and Brendon of Myanmar in their opening game of was not good enough to save Sri Lanka McCullum at Seddon Park on Tuesday. the AFC Challenge Cup 2010 at from defeat. Sri Lanka’s hopes of com- Guptill hit 189, his maiden Test cen- Sughatadasa Stadium Colombo yester- ing back faded away when Myanmar tury, and McCullum 185 as they shared day. substitute midfielder Pai Soe scored the a record stand of 339 for the sixth wick- Things went wrong for the host 3rd goal for them in the 83rd minute et before New Zealand declared at tea country in the 17th minute of play sealing victory. Just three minutes on the second day at 7-553. when Sri Lanka defender Raheem was before the final blast, their captain Myo red carded. The home team’s morale By an early close forced by poor Min Tun, who got a free kick, booted light, Bangladesh had quickly knocked seemed shattered by the incident. The their fourth goal. 87 runs off the deficit for the loss of rhythm in their game too was affected In the first game between Tajikistan Imrul Kayes’ wicket. thereafter. The visiting team took the and Bangladesh, Bangladesh proved maximum advantage of the home team their class again by beating Tajikistan Scores in Brief: playing minus one player and their for- 2-1. New Zealand 553 for 7 dec. (Guptill ward player Kyaw Thiha scored the Today’s fixtures 189, McCullum 185, Rubel 5 for 166) opening goal for Myanmar in the 39th India Vs Kyrgyzstan at 4.00 p.m. Bangladesh 87 for 1 (Tamim 56 not minute of the play.The goal handed the North Korea Vs Turkmenistan at out) winners a 1-0 lead at half time. 7.00 p.m. (NZPA) In the second half, their forward Yan

Wednesday 17th February, 2010