Humpy starts favourite

Nalchik (Russia), Aug. 28: Grandmaster Koneru Humpy will have a chance to make history for India and put the nation on top of the chess world when she starts her campaign in the World Women's chess championship here.

Humpy, who spearheads the Indian challenge, is the top-rated player in the event. If she lives up to her billing and comes out triumphant, India will rule the game as Viswanathan Anand already enjoys the World champion tag in the men's section and D. Harika and Abhijeet Gupta are the world junior champions in the women's and men's categories respectively.

Apart from Humpy, much is also expected from International Master Harika who is fresh from her triumph in the World junior girls' championship. However, with a busy schedule in the recent past the Andhra-girl candidly admitted that she did not get enough time to prepare herself for the World Championship after winning the junior crown in Gaziantep in Turkey on August 15.

Another Indian, expected to make her presence felt in the tournament that kickstarts late on Thursday, is Asian woman champion and International Master Tania Sachdev.

However, it might turn out to be a tough going for Woman Grandmaster Nisha Mohota. The only thing that might work in her favour is the experience of playing in the big league.

- PTI

***

4-nation hockey in 2009

New Delhi, Aug. 28: A four-nation double leg hockey tournament involving hosts India, Germany, the Netherlands and Pakistan will be held in Chandigarh and Jalandhar in February 2009.

The tournament was organised at the request of the Punjab Hockey Association.

It was agreed upon in a meeting of Indian Olympic Association general secretary Randhir Singh with secretary generals of the German Hockey Federation and the Dutch Hockey Board in the presence of international hockey federation (FIH) President Els van Breda Vriesman.

Meanwhile, a so-called Annual General Meeting of the IHF on September 17 called by KPS Gill, who ceased to be its president as the Federation's executive body stands suspended, "makes no sense," according to Mohammad Aslam, the convenor of ad-hoc committee running the game's affairs in the country. "Officially Gill is not an authority anymore. The IHF's executive body was suspended following a corruption scandal so it could be an illegal move on his part," Aslam said, adding "I don't want to speak much as the matter is subjudice. Gill had asked for a relief but the court had refused, and is hearing his plea."

Aslam felt a realisation that the ad-hoc committee was doing a good job and IOA president Suresh Kalmadi was in touch with the state associations must have prompted such a move from Gill. - PTI