MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2014 SPORTS India launches new league with glitzy opening ceremony KOLKATA: India’s new football league He conceded the international veter- bolster popularity for the sport during match, according to organisers, but Bromwich Albion. He has denied the kicked off late yesterday with a spirited ans fronting the eight teams are “not the the 10-week competition. Cricketing pockets of the stadium were empty. S. gesture was racist. clash and a glitzy pyrotechnic opening current stars of football”, but predicted greats such as Sachin Tendulkar and Bardhan, a soldier stationed at Kolkata Mumbai manager Peter Reid said he ceremony that organisers hope will the league would eventually attract the Bollywood A-listers are co-owners of the airport, said he “loved football” although had “no excuses” for the loss, saying “the ignite the country’s passion for the best in the game. “Obviously they are teams along with Spanish La Liga side this was the first time he had ever seen a better team won on the day”. “We didn’t “beautiful game”. Atletico de Kolkata not the current stars, that will happen Atletico Madrid. match live. deserve it, it happens in football,” the for- trounced Mumbai City 3-0 in the first over time. It’s the beginning of some- Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV is showing “I watch (international leagues) all the mer Sunderland and Manchester City match of the Indian Super League (ISL), thing.” the tournament, which is being backed time on TV,” said Bardhan, whose wife boss said. Experts say the ambitious ISL that has lured former international stars Former Ethiopian captain Fikru by sports management giant IMG. and two-year-old son also came along. faces an uphill battle to convert India’s such as Spain’s Luis Garcia and France’s Lemessa, 28, scored in the first half, The crowd roared with approval during cricket-mad population and develop the Nicolas Anelka out of retirement. while 33-year-old Spaniard Borja BOLLYWOOD, FIREWORKS the ceremony as Bollywood actress country’s existing pockets of passion for Cricketing hero Sourav Ganguly said Fernandez hit the net in the second, The opening ceremony included Priyanka Chopra introduced Tendulkar. football. the league was the beginning of some- sending the home crowd at Salt Lake throbbing Bollywood music, dancers The two coaches had pledged to On a visit to India in 2007, FIFA presi- thing great, arguing there was room for stadium into raptures. and a large fireworks display, watched “deliver the goods” for the opener even dent Sepp Blatter said India was the football in the cricket-obsessed country Spain’s Arnal Carbo sealed the win by celebrities, politicians and sports though Mumbai were missing their star “sleeping giant” of world football. But its of 1.25 billion people. with a goal in stoppage time. “It was stars. players. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Freddie national side languishes at 158 in the “It may not be cricket but it will be incredible. A lot of people and so many Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of Ljungberg of Sweden, the 37-year-old world rankings, which experts blame on the next biggest sport,” Ganguly, co- of them pushed, pushed us,” Fernandez West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capi- poster boy for Mumbai, was ruled out sports authorities’ failure to develop owner of Kolkata, told AFP just ahead of said of the crowd. tal, was front row, chatting to Indian bil- with a calf injury. training grounds and young players. kick-off in the eastern city. “Everybody Organisers hope the city-based fran- lionaire Mukesh Ambani who is Mumbai were also missing Anelka, Reid, however, was optimistic about will be pleasantly surprised as the tour- chises, each with a famous-if ageing bankrolling the league, and Bollywood 35, as he serves a ban for a controversial the future. “There’s room enough for two nament goes on,” the former national frontman and modelled on cricket’s icon Amitabh Bachchan. “quenelle” goal celebration in late 2013, brilliant sports in this sports-mad coun- captain said. glamorous Indian Premier League, will Some 70,000 tickets were sold for the which also got him the sack from West try,” he said ahead of the match.—AFP Preview Italy’s strike duo need to deliver against Malta MALTA: Italy’s new strike pairing of Ciro said the coach, who took over from Cesare Immobile and Simone Zaza hardly shined Prandelli after Italy’s first-round exit at the against Azerbaijan on Friday but are likely to World Cup. be given another chance to establish them- selves in today’s Euro 2016 Group H qualifier WINNING HEADER in Malta. It would be no surprise though if the pair With Mario Balotelli still settling in at his start again on Monday although the former new club Liverpool and Giuseppe Rossi once Juventus coach does have a couple of inter- again plagued by injury, Conte handed his esting options. unlikely front duo a start in the 2-1 win in Sebastian Giovinco brought Italy’s attack Palermo. While neither found the target, both to life after coming on as a second-half substi- showed glimpses of why Conte had shown tute and hitting the bar as well as providing faith in them. the cross for Chiellini’s winning header. But Immobile’s strength and movement creat- the Juventus forward was quick to praise the ed space for his team mates, despite opposi- contribution of Immobile and Zaza in tiring tion who were content to defend in numbers out the Azerbaijan defence. and the former Torino forward looks confi- “They are doing extremely well in attack, dent and determined following his close-sea- they are running a lot and are very important son move to Germany’s Borussia Dortmund. for the team even when they are far from the Zaza, who plays for Serie A minnows opponent’s goal,” he said. Sassuolo, has the skill-set to deliver moments The other option, who may well see some of unexpected brilliance - and he went close time on the field against Malta, is Graziano to a memorable goal with an acrobatic bicy- Pelle, who after a prolific spell in the Dutch cle kick. league has enjoyed an impressive start to life But the shaven-headed forward missed a in the Premier League with Southampton. clear chance from close range and both he A more physical presence, in the mould of and Immobile lacked decisiveness in the former Italy strikers like Christian Vieri and penalty area. Luca Toni, Pelle certainly offers something dif- “It is not important that we didn’t score ferent and it would be a surprise if Conte did because we play to help the team win games,” not want to at least get a taste of what he said Immobile, who accepted however that could bring to the Azzurri. “we had chances to kill the game before their Whether the work-rate and effort of WARSAW: Poland’s Arkadiusz Milik (left) and Germany’s Mats Hummels go for a header during a Euro 2016 Group D qualifying soccer match. —AP equaliser”. Immobile and Zaza proves to be enough to It was left to defender Giorgio Chiellini to cement a starting place for the new pairing score the Azzurri’s goals, either side of an own remains to be seen. goal from the Italy centre back, and Conte If they fail to score against minnows like Scoring drought an old was quick to point out that while his team Azerbaijan and Malta they can have few com- had done well to secure the three points, plaints if Conte returns to Balotelli or other their finishing was wayward. “I couldn’t really options for the much tougher test in ask for more from the lads, apart from the November against Croatia, joint leaders with problem for Germany lack of sharpness in finishing in front of goal,” Italy on six points.—Reuters BERLIN: World champions Germany will be des- the rest of the pitch count in front of goal. Mueller up front. It was a similar situation in the perate to bounce back with home win over “We have to look ahead to Tuesday and early stages of the World Cup. Ireland next week to recover from a shock 2-0 Ireland and make sure we show a good reaction,” Newcomer Karim Bellarabi added plenty of Portugal’s woes continue, defeat to Poland in their Euro 2016 qualifier on said Loew, who only had six players in his lineup pace down the flanks but failed to score from Saturday but in order to achieve that, they need from the side that started the World Cup final in several good chances he carved out for himself. France prevail in friendly to start scoring goals. July. “We only played on one goal but could not Mario Goetze, who also plays as an occasional The Germans wasted a plethora of golden score,” he said. forward, was equally as ineffective. PARIS: Not even the return of Cristiano came in the 52nd minute when Portugal opportunities in Warsaw before slumping to With only one natural forward, Borussia Ronaldo could arrest Portugal’s ailing for- were a goal down but his header was their first ever loss to Poland, a stunning defeat INJURY ABSENCES Moenchengladbach’s Max Kruse, in the squad tunes as new manager Fernando Santos superbly saved by Steve Mandanda. When that sent them tumbling down to third spot in It would be far too premature to draw any but on the bench on Saturday, Loew will have to watched his men defeated 2-1 by France in Ronaldo was substituted in the 76th qualifying Group D.