Ian Thorpe fails to qualify for London 2012 at trials

Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe says he has no regrets despite failing to qualify for London 2012.

Thorpe needed to make the top 16 in the 100m freestyle to reach the semi-finals of the qualifiers but finished 21st with a time of 50.35 seconds.

On Thursday the 29-year-old also failed to make the 200m freestyle final, finishing 12th-fastest in the semis.

Thorpe, who came out of retirement last year, had struggled to post competitive times since returning to the pool.

But although disappointed to miss out on what would have been his third Olympic Games, Thorpe said he was considering carrying on.

He said: "Compared to how I have raced before and how I have competed, the success that I have had, this does look like doom compared to it.

"But I'm glad that I was willing to put myself out there. I don't regret giving this a go."

He still has the desire he said, with next year's World Championships in Barcelona, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2016 Olympics in Rio on the radar.

"I think now I'll probably take a few days off and enjoy the competition and then sit down with a few people and work out what is next, work out what the next preparation will be and what competition will be next," Thorpe said.

"I'm still swimming. When I started this I wanted to get back in the pool, I wanted to race and I wanted to go to the Olympics. I still want to do all of those things.

"I've missed out on a huge goal but the desire is still there."

The Australian selection criteria means the top two finishers in each event in Adelaide take the individual places for London, with the top six making the relays teams.

World champion James Magnussen was the fastest qualifier for the 100m final in 47.93 seconds ahead of Matthew Targett (48.65), while Thorpe's fellow veteran Michael Klim finished 11th to miss out on a final place. He will now concentrate on the 100m butterfly.

Thorpe had quit swimming in 2006 after winning three gold medals at the 2000 Games in Sydney and two titles in Athens four years later.

In addition to his Olympic success, Thorpe claimed 11 world titles and 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals, six of which he won in Manchester in 2002, and set 13 long-course records.

Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova to win Indian Wells title

Victoria Azarenka made easy work of Maria Sharapova as she won the Indian Wells title 6-2 6-3 in 85 minutes.

The world number one dropped only four points on her serve in the first set before breaking her Russian opponent four times in the second set.

The win was the 22-year-old's 23rd consecutive victory in 2012 and her second over Sharapova, following her Australian Open final success.

Top seed Azarenka dropped only one set throughout the tournament.

Azarenka, who won 6-3 6-0 in the Melbourne final in January, broke the world number two in the opening game before holding her own serve to take a 2-0 lead.

Sharapova won the third game but she struggled to make any headway on the Azarenka serve, earning just four points on it in the first set.

She offered more in the second set, in California but, when she broke for the first time, Azarenka already led 3-0.

The number one seed immediately broke back before Sharapova struck again in one of six breaks in the second set.

Serving to stay in the match Sharapova hit a double fault before a high lob finished long to hand her opponent a 12th career title.

"I was just trying to do my best because I know Maria is a fighter," said Azarenka.

"I always try to stay focused and apply as much pressure as I can.

"I'm just so glad that I have been able to be consistent and disciplined and professional every day."

Virat Kohli helps India to record chase in win over Pakistan

India produced their highest one-day international run chase as they beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed hit tons and shared 224 within 40 overs in their team's 329-6.

But Virat Kohli struck 22 fours and a six in 183 from 148 balls as India won by six wickets with 13 balls to spare.

With Pakistan already through to the final, India require the already eliminated Sri Lanka to beat Bangladesh on Tuesday if they are to join them.

After beating India by five wickets on Friday in the match that will always be remembered for Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international century, Bangladesh will progress if they beat Sri Lanka as head-to-head results are taken into account before net run rate.

India produced their highest one-day international run chase as they beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed hit tons and shared 224 within 40 overs in their team's 329-6.

But Virat Kohli struck 22 fours and a six in 183 from 148 balls as India won by six wickets with 13 balls to spare.

With Pakistan already through to the final, India require the already eliminated Sri Lanka to beat Bangladesh on Tuesday if they are to join them.

After beating India by five wickets on Friday in the match that will always be remembered for Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international century, Bangladesh will progress if they beat Sri Lanka as head-to-head results are taken into account before net run rate.

Kate's goal: Duchess promotes Olympic field hockey

LONDON -- She shoots, she scores!

The former Kate Middleton smashed home a goal Thursday as she played a bit of field hockey while visiting the British Olympic women's team at Olympic Park. The Duchess of Cambridge, who captained the hockey team at her high school, Marlborough College, took the field in a morale-boosting mission ahead of the July 27-Aug. 12 London games.
Admitting it's been a while since she had taken a stick in hand, she tried to suggest that no one should watch. That notion was ignored.

"I was really looking forward to coming here, but now I am here and have discovered I have to play, I am not feeling so confident," she said.

The glamorous Kate arrived at Olympic Park in heels but quickly donned a gray "Team GB" (Great Britain) sweatshirt over coral-colored jeans. She expressed some concern that her skinny jeans would clash with the bright blue pitch, but gamely grabbed a stick and took a few shots.

"This is going to be so embarrassing," she said. "My brain thinks I can do all these wonderful things but my body just doesn't play ball."

Clearly she was sandbagging the crowd of journalists. Although no one was at the net to block a goal, Kate took a big swing and let the ball fly.

Zing. It was in.

The Olympic team captain, Kate Walsh, pronounced herself impressed.

"She told me that she missed playing as part of a team," Walsh said. "She also told me that she used to hit the penalty corners and you could see that. She got low and her shots were really sweet."

Kate, 30, had specifically asked to meet with the hockey team as part of her role as an Olympic ambassador. Together with Princes William and Harry, she will make an effort to see and be seen at the London Olympics and to cheer the home side on.

But before Thursday, few really knew what sports she might like to see.

The team seemed to appreciate that she was willing to risk embarrassing herself to help promote their sport. She chatted with U.K. coaches, trainers and players, asking about training.

"Do you still get bananas and oranges at halftime?" she asked.

The visit seemed to evoke a time when she was just Kate, not a duchess, not the wife of a prince, not someone whose wedding was watched by millions around the world.

The duchess recalled wistfully how she used to play her hockey position.

"I really enjoyed it," she said. "And it is great to be here."

Pakistan defeats Sri Lanka; books place in final

DHAKA: Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal cracked half-centuries under pressure as Pakistan virtually booked a place in the Asia Cup final with an emphatic six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Pakistan were struggling at 33-3 before Misbah (72 not out) and Akmal (77) added 152 for the fourth wicket to help their team achieve the modest 189-target set by Sri Lanka with more than 10 overs to spare in the day-night match in Dhaka.

Fast bowler Aizaz Cheema (4-43) and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (3-27) also played important roles in Pakistan’s second successive victory by restricting Sri Lanka to a small total.

Sri Lanka, who lost to India in their opening match, needed a win to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive but were let down by their batsmen as only Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Upul Tharanga (57) could defy the Pakistani attack.

Pakistan lost three wickets had fallen in the opening 13 overs, with paceman Suranga Lakmal taking two and leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna, before Misbah and Akmal took charge.

The Pakistani captain hit one six and nine fours in his 93-ball knock while Akmal, who was dropped on 46, struck two sixes and seven boundaries from 72 balls.

Sri Lanka, electing to bat, were earlier well-placed at 161-4 following a 96-run fifth-wicket stand between former skipper Sangakkara and Tharanga but they lost their last six wickets for just 27 runs.

Ajmal started the slide when he bowled Tharanga. He then removed Farveez Maharoof and last-man Lakmal.

Cheema, who conceded 21 runs in his first two overs, came back strongly to dismiss openers Mahela Jayawardene (12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (20) in quick succession before removing Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga.

The Pakistani bowlers were backed by their fielders, with Younis Khan taking a superb catch to his left in the slips to account for Dinesh Chandimal off Gul.

Sri Lanka raced to 33 in the opening five overs before they were reduced to 65-4, with Cheema taking two wickets and Gul and Hammad Azam one apiece.

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs and India beat Sri Lanka by 50 runs in their opening matches.

Each side will play the other once in the round-robin league, with the top two advancing to the final on March 22.

Gift of £10,000 boosts Richard Buck's Olympic dream

British 400m runner Richard Buck's hopes of competing at this summer's Olympic Games in London have been boosted following the donation of £10,000 from an anonymous benefactor.

Buck, 25, received a cheque from the 90-year-old donor after appearing on ITV's Calendar programme to discuss having his funding cut by UK Athletics.

The York-born athlete, who won silver as part of the 4x400m relay team at the recent World Indoor Athletics Championships, had been working in a supermarket to support his training programme.

"It's amazing. It's difficult to put into words really," Buck told BBC Sport.

"We put the piece out about me losing my funding and the idea behind it was that some local businesses might want to get in touch and give me support. But then I got a call saying they had received a letter and that they would bring it down and the cheque was with it."

After having his funding withdrawn last year, Buck sought alternative sources to fund himself but says he never lost sight of his goal of competing at the Olympics in his home country.

"I took a job at Tesco and got a sponsorship from BMW as well, and they gave me a car for 2012. So I sold my car and lived off the money I got from that and from working in the supermarket," explained Buck.

"I don't ever focus on not making things. I turn up at work, I turn up at the track and give everything I've got all the time. I'm very lucky in that the track and field is not about anybody else, it is about yourself. So long as I keep going and doing what is right for me, that is all I focus on."

Buck performed well at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, which concluded on Sunday, running a personal indoor best in the 400m and running the anchor leg as Great Britain's 4x400m relay team claimed silver.

He is now turning his focus to this summer's Games.

"I'm going back into a block of training now for about six weeks and start racing in May to try to get as close to the qualifying time as possible," he said.

"It sounds very simple: you run the qualifying time and then go and do as well as you can at the trials. What happens, happens. I think it's going well and I'm just looking forward to getting back into training. Hopefully I will keep that momentum moving forward."

Buck says the support he has received from the public illustrates the appetite many people in this country have for the Games.

"Having a home Olympics is absolutely great for everyone," he added. "It is something that I never envisaged in my lifetime, certainly not my career. From that point of view I am completely lucky to have the opportunity. I think the vast majority of the British public are looking forward to it as well."

Roberto di Matteo revels in 'incredible' Chelsea win

Chelsea interim manager Roberto di Matteo praised his "incredible" players after they beat Napoli 4-1 to reach the last eight of the Champions League.

Branislav Ivanovic scored an extra-time winner to send the Blues through 5-4 on aggregate after Didier Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard had all scored.

"Some of the players couldn't run at the end because they had cramp but they just kept fighting," said the Italian.

"We knew it would take a lot to win but everybody was incredible."

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg in Naples, Chelsea opened the scoring through Drogba's header.

Terry nodded in Lampard's corner to level the aggregate score before a Gokhan Inler half-volley restored Napoli's advantage.

Lampard forced extra time with a penalty following Andrea Dossena's handball, and Ivanovic smashed home on 104 minutes to win it.

Terry had spoken before the game of how it could become one of Chelsea's great nights and afterwards he said: "This could top them all, for sure.

"The lads put in a great display, really solid, really resilient, with the firepower going forward.

"We proved we're a team. That desire, that togetherness - we showed what Chelsea are made of."

The draw for the quarter-finals takes place on Friday and Chelsea join APOEL, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Marseille, AC Milan and Real Madrid in the last eight.

The Blues have endured a difficult season, with manager Andre Villas-Boas sacked after the Premier League defeat by West Brom.

But they remain in contention for a top-four finish, the FA Cup and now the Champions League.

"It's absolutely huge," said Lampard. "It was essential we showed a desire and spirit to keep ourselves in the competition.

"It has been a difficult season but a performance like that tonight can change things for us so it's important we go on from here.

"If we play with that ability and desire, we can take on anybody."

At the final whistle, Di Matteo ran on to the pitch and embraced all of his players.

"For the club, you know, it meant a lot," he added. "To still be able to play in the Champions League, and also you could see how much it meant to the players.

"I think everybody was very happy and delighted that we managed to stay in the Champions League after putting on such a big performance tonight.

"I've had some great nights, I have to say, but I think it will probably go down in the club's history.

"To have come back from a two-goal deficit from the first leg and you saw the players tonight, how they performed.

"They showed passion, that they care about the team, the club, the supporters. It gives us a big boost going forward."

Victoria Azarenka beats Agnieszka Radwanska in Indian Wells

World number one Victoria Azarenka continued her stunning start to the year by thrashing Poland's fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in Indian Wells.

The Belarusian powered to a 6-0 6-2 win over Radwanska, who has the second-best record in 2012 after Azarenka.

"I was really impressed with the way I played today," Azarenka, who has won all 21 of her matches this year.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all made it through to the quarter-finals in the men's draw.

World number one Djokovic dropped his first set of the tournament before seeing off Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 and he next faces Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who beat Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-0.

"In the end I was lucky to get through some points," said Djokovic. "I think I played one of my better sets in the last couple months in the first set but he surprised me with his aggressive approach.

"In the second set I started playing a little bit more defensive and that allowed him to come back into the match but in the third set I regrouped. I managed to stay calm mentally and find my rhythm again."

Federer, who next faces Argentina's 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro , has been battling flu and a temperature in the ATP event that he has won three times.

He battled past Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 3-6 6-3 6-4, but said: "I'm still hurting a bit but at least I don't have a massive headache, aches and pains any more.

"That's all gone now. I got maybe a bit lucky but it's taken some time to for me to get better, to be honest. I thought I would see quicker improvements."

Nadal's 6-3 6-2 win over 21st seed Alexandr Dolgopolov came in in just 76 minutes and saw him successfully challenge a call to reach match point, which he won when Dolgopolov hit a forehand long.

"He is very difficult to play against," said Nadal. "He can produce winners from every part of the court. He's a funny player, good for tennis."

The Spaniard next faces Argentina's unseeded David Nalbandian , who came from behind to shock sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6 7-5 6-3.

Radwanska has lost just four times in 2012 but each of those defeats came against Azarenka, who said: "I didn't expect to win that way. I'm proud how I fought hard and played winning tennis.

"I had very good motivation because I knew she's an excellent player, so I had to come up with a great match today.

"I was just really focused on every moment, on every point I played, on every ball I was striking. I didn't really think about the score."

The Belarusian will face Angelique Kerber in the semis after the German shocked French Open champion Li Na of China 6-4 6-2.

The eighth seed, who lost in after one hour 23 minutes, said: "My serve didn't work. The three times I played her before I was getting points on my serve but today was different."

Jankovic exits, Azarenka goes through

Top seed Victoria Azarenka charged into the fourth round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament by crushing Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-2 on Sunday, improving her unbeaten record to 19-0 this year.

The Belarusian world number one, who had battled through her opening match against Germany's Mona Barthel 6-4 6-7 7-6, broke Russian Kuznetsova three times in the first set and twice in the second.

Serving for the match at 5-2, Azarenka went 40-15 up before double-faulting but then sealed the win on the next point when her opponent's backhand flew long.

"I am really happy with the way I played today," a smiling Azarenka said in a courtside interview after dispatching Kuznetsova in just one hour.

"I really turned it around from the survival the last time around," she added, referring to her three-hour battle with Barthel on the stadium court in the second round.

Azarenka, who clinched her first grand slam crown at the Australian Open in January, will next meet Germany's Julia Goerges, a 6-3 6-4 winner against Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.

French Open champion Li Na beat fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-1 6-3, her first victory over her compatriot in five career meetings.

"It's always tough to play a same-country player because we know each other a lot," said Li, who became the first Asian woman to win a grand slam singles title with her victory over Italian Francesca Schiavone in Paris last year.

World number one Victoria Azarenka said,"I am really happy with the way I played today." (AFP Photo)INDIAN WELLS: Top seed Victoria Azarenka charged into the fourth round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament by crushing Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-2 on Sunday, improving her unbeaten record to 19-0 this year.

The Belarusian world number one, who had battled through her opening match against Germany's Mona Barthel 6-4 6-7 7-6, broke Russian Kuznetsova three times in the first set and twice in the second.

Serving for the match at 5-2, Azarenka went 40-15 up before double-faulting but then sealed the win on the next point when her opponent's backhand flew long.

"I am really happy with the way I played today," a smiling Azarenka said in a courtside interview after dispatching Kuznetsova in just one hour.

"I really turned it around from the survival the last time around," she added, referring to her three-hour battle with Barthel on the stadium court in the second round.

Azarenka, who clinched her first grand slam crown at the Australian Open in January, will next meet Germany's Julia Goerges, a 6-3 6-4 winner against Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.

French Open champion Li Na beat fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-1 6-3, her first victory over her compatriot in five career meetings.

"It's always tough to play a same-country player because we know each other a lot," said Li, who became the first Asian woman to win a grand slam singles title with her victory over Italian Francesca Schiavone in Paris last year.

"We stay in the national teams so we practise every day and travel all of the time, so it's very tough. But I was so happy because it's the first time I beat her.

"The last meeting was six years ago, so six years can change many things," added Li, who is affectionately known as "Big Sister Na" and "Golden Flower" in China.

Pakistan beats Bangladesh by 21 runs at Asia Cup

DHAKA: Umar Gul took three wickets with Mohamamd Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi claiming two each as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 21 runs in the opening match of the limited-overs Asia Cup tournament on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 263, Bangladesh was dismissed for 241 with 11 balls to spare, with Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan contributing 64 each.

Nasir Hossain scored 47 in a sixth-wicket stand of 89 with Shakib. In Pakistan’s innings, opener Mohammad Hafeez scored 89, Nasir Jamshed made 54 and Gul added 39. Gul finished with bowling figures of 3-58.

Pakistan’s victory was far from straightforward as Bangladesh was just 39 runs away when Nasir was bowled by Gul with four wickets intact.
After Bangladesh was reduced to 135-5, Nasir and Shakib steadied the innings and helped the team reach 224 before losing Nasir.

Bangladesh lost the remaining four wickets for just 17 runs in a hard-fought battle.

Shakib was the last man to go, dismissed by Gul, as he appeared frustrated to watch so many partners fail to make a stand and attempt to win the game. Shahadat Hossain was unbeaten for no runs.

Earlier, Pakistan was cruising at 135-1 in the 28th over but was reduced to 198-7 by the 42nd over in the face of tight bowling by Shahadat Hossain (3-53) and Shakib (2-41).

Tailender Gul faced only 25 balls in his aggressive innings to help a struggling Pakistan reach 251-8. Sarfraz Ahmed was not out for 19 while Saeed Ajmal was unbeaten on eight at the end.

The 11th edition of the Asia Cup also involves India and Sri Lanka. India has won the competition five times while Sri Lanka won it four times. Pakistan has won it once

Rafael Nadal eases through at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal eased into the third round at Indian Wells with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

Playing in his first match since losing an epic Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, the two-times champion broke Meyer twice in each set to advance.

Nadal, at least a semi-finalist for the past six years, next faces compatriot Marcel Granollers.

In the doubles, Andy and Jamie Murray beat fellow Brits Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins.

Having lost in the second round of the singles, Andy Murray looked set for an early exit in the doubles when he lost the first set alongside brother Jamie 6-3 to a pairing that recently won the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. .

But the pair won the second 6-2 before prevailing 13-11 in a champions tie break in which both pairings had chances to win the match.

Earlier, Nadal showed few signs of ring rust on his return to competitive action as he dominated Mayer from the baseline to set up the meeting with Granollers, a 6-3 2-6 6-3 winner over Tommy Haas.

Former US Open champion and ninth seed Juan Del Potro beat Australian Marinko Matosevic 7-5 6-2 while Fernando Verdasco was too strong for Ryan Sweeting, winning 6-2 6-2.

But two seeds did fall with Marcos Baghdatis beating Feliciano Lopez (15) while Denis Istomin edged out number 31 Juan Ignacio Chela in three sets.

In the women's draw, China's Li Na beat compatriot Chinese Zheng Jie for the loss of only four games while Germany's Julia Goerges saw off Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-4.

GB women win gold in 4x400m relay at World Indoors

Great Britain's women's relay team won gold in the 4x400m in thrilling style on the final day of the World Indoor Championships in Turkey.

Shana Cox, Nicola Sanders, Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton set a world-best three minutes 28.76 seconds to beat the United States.

Shara Proctor , Andrew Osagie and Holly Bleasdale won bronze medals in the long jump, 800m and pole vault respectively.

GB's total of nine medals is their best ever at a World Indoor Championships.

That surpasses their previous highest medal haul of seven, set in Birmingham in 2003.

Ohuruogu, the 2008 Olympic 400m champion, received the baton on the third leg while in third position but superbly made up ground to hand over to Shakes-Drayton in first.

Shakes-Drayton impressively held off individual World Indoor champion Sanya Richards-Ross in the final leg, lunging for the line to claim top spot ahead of the American. Russia finished third.

Yamile Aldama won gold in the triple jump, but Mo Farah missed out on a medal in the 3,000m.

There was controversy in the men's 4x400m relay as the GB team of Conrad Williams , Nigel Levine , Michael Bingham and Richard Buck were promoted to a gold medal after the United States were disqualified, only for that decision to be reversed on appeal.

The Americans crossed the line in 3:03.94, ahead of GB in 3:04.72. Trinidad and Tobago were third.

In the women's long jump American Brittney Reese took the crown with an impressive 7.23m on her final jump.

Proctor had equalled her British record of 6.86m in the third round before extending it by three centimetres to claim bronze behind Reese and Janay DeLoach.

The Anguillan-born athlete said: "Getting a bronze amongst all those great jumpers, I'm happy to wear this [British] vest. I'm feeling great, I can't ask for anything more."

There was a surprise medal for 24-year-old Osagie, who took bronze in the 800m despite struggling with injury in recent months.

Bleasdale secured third place in the pole vault on her first major senior event with a best of 4.70m, behind Russia's two-time Olympic champion Elena Isinbaeva and Vanessa Boslak of France.

In a hard-fought high jump competition with eight men all jumping over 2.31m, Robert Grabarz finished outside the medals in sixth with a best of 2.31m. Greece's Dimitrios Chondrokoukis recorded a personal best of 2.33m to win gold ahead of reigning Olympic champion Andrey Silnov of Russia.

Similarly, a strong women's 3,000m field kept Helen Clitheroe from the medals as she placed seventh in 8:59.04. Kenyan Hellen Obiri took the race in 8:37.16.

Andrew Pozzi capped an impressive debut World Indoor Championships by finishing fourth in the 60m hurdles. The 19-year-old, who ran personal-best times in the run-up to the final, clocked 7.58 as America's Aries Merritt claimed victory in 7.44. Xiang Liu of China and France's Pascal Martinot-Lagarde trailed.

Neither of Britain's young female sprinters were able to impress in the 60m, with Asha Philip and Jodie Williams both failing to qualify for the final.

Kauto Star unscathed after gallop to test Cheltenham fitness

Kauto Star's chances of being fit for Cheltenham next week look brighter after a racecourse gallop at Wincanton.

It was feared the 12-year-old would miss the Gold Cup on 16 March after a fall but he has recovered rapidly.

The two-time Gold Cup winner was put through his paces for two miles by regular jockey Ruby Walsh and ran alongside Mon Parrain.

Trainer Paul Nicholls said: "If he's all right on Sunday and schools on Monday then we're in business."

He added: I'm very, very pleased and Ruby said that he could hardly hold him. I didn't want him to do too much but they quickened up a bit.

"I can't tell you the difference between looking at him now and last Friday. It's a phenomenal difference and it's a huge relief because everyone can see if he's in good or bad shape and he looked in really good order.

"He looks like he did before Haydock [Betfair Chase win] and the King George and he's full of enthusiasm. We've still got another week now. I would say we are almost certain to be there.

"Last weekend we were very touch and go. Sunday I was thinking we were in trouble and thought the easiest thing would be not to run him, but the improvement has been unbelievable."

Last week Nicholls said Kauto Star was only "50-50" to compete in the race after falling at the stable yard.

Kauto Star has become an iconic jump racing figure in a record-breaking career which included an unprecedented fifth King George VI Chase in six years at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The Gold Cup would provide a much-anticipated showdown between the veteran and defending champion Long Run, who is five years his junior.

Since his fall when schooling over small obstacles on 26 February, Kauto Star has been having physiotherapy and an hour's exercise on a horse walker every day.

Nicholls said Kauto Star took "a pretty awful fall" when he broke the news six days after his tumble.

Six Nations: Wales relishing Grand Slam pressure

Warren Gatland has admitted he would "hate to see the reaction in Wales" if his Grand Slam chasers lose at home to Italy in Saturday's Six Nations clash.

The Wales coach expects his team to beat the Italians in Cardiff to set up a Grand Slam showdown with France on the Saturday of the Six Nations.

Wales have sealed a Triple Crown by beating Ireland, Scotland and England but want a third slam in eight seasons.

"We should win the game," said Wales chief Gatland.

"I would hate to see the reaction in Wales if we didn't win the game."

Wales have never lost to Italy at the Millennium Stadium despite losing to the Azzurri in Rome back in 2002 and 2006 - and Gatland's men are odds-on favourites to record a win on Saturday.

Gatland, who masterminded Wales' Grand Slam campaign in 2008, knows his side are favourites and is confident his squad are comfortable with the expectation.

"We know we are under that sort of pressure to perform," said the New Zealander.

"It has been a good mindset change because we have struggled for a while with being favourites and putting that kind of pressure on ourselves."

Gatland may acknowledge that Wales had previously struggled with the favourites tag but he has faith in a young side with has a sprinkling of experienced campaigners.

"It's just the transition of a team with a lot of youngsters without too much baggage," said Gatland.

"They have an attitude of just go out and play. We put pressure on ourselves to perform and the guys have fronted up really well."

Both of Wales' Six Nations Grand Slams - in 2005 under Mike Ruddock and 2008 - were completed in Cardiff so all the odds favour Wales backing up their status as World Cup semi-finalists by being crowned European champions.

And centre Jonathan Davies insists the competition for places are driving Wales to another clean sweep.

"The squad is pretty grounded," said the Scarlets star.

"We all know there is a lot of expectation on us, but I think we can handle that.

"The competition within the squad is fierce at the moment, and it is making training that much more intense. We are working at such a high level now in training."

Wales are overwhelming favourites to defeat Italy but Gatland is pleading for the Welsh public to be patient against their "dangerous" visitors.

"It's about us keeping our patience," said the coach.

"They will come with a lot of pride and physicality and they would have been heavily criticised for their last performance against Ireland, so that makes them even more dangerous.

"I presume Italy will be coming to the Millennium Stadium hoping to catch us thinking about the game against France the following week.

"It's a challenge for us to take things one step at a time and don't think too far ahead."

DRAVID ENDS MARATHON INTERNATIONAL CAREER

Rahul Dravid, who has retired from international cricket at the age of 39, was the cornerstone of a stellar India middle order.

Though seemingly always in the shadow of the world's leading run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar, his career has been played out like one of his trademark innings - watchfully and with complete dedication to the team cause.

Dravid, Sourav Ganguly - the first of the Indian 'Fab Four' to retire - Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, both of whom are still playing, have appeared in 599 Tests between them, scoring a combined total of 44,751 runs.

Only Tendulkar of the four has a higher overall Test average than Dravid's 52.

Dravid and Ganguly both made their debuts on the tour of England in 1996.

Wristy, shot-making players from the subcontinent have frequently been criticised for failing to adapt to difficult English conditions, where seam and swing are prevalent, but it was to be one of Dravid's most successful venues.

On two separate visits to England he hit three centuries, a feat achieved by only one other batsman - a certain Sir Donald Bradman - and averaged 68 over four trips.

Not that he confined his biggest runs to England. He was the first player to score centuries in each of the 10 Test-playing nations and reached three figures in each of his 17 years in Test cricket, bar the first and last.

He shared in a world record 19 Test century partnerships with Tendulkar, became the first number three to score 10,000 Test runs and is the only outfielder to have taken more than 200 catches.

Dravid's nickname 'The Wall' was devised because of innings such as the 270 he made in more than 12 hours against Pakistan in 2004, the longest by an Indian batsman in Test history.

But he had already proved there was more to his armoury with a 50 in just 22 balls against New Zealand at Hyderabad in a one-day international in 2003.

On India's wretched tour of England in 2011, when they were beset by injuries and relinquished the world number one Test ranking after a 4-0 whitewash, Dravid showed that he could still perform on the big stage with 602 runs in the four Tests and was named India's man of the series.

He opened the batting when injuries hit the side, carrying his bat for 146 not out at The Oval, and topped India's averages.

At the age of 38 he also agreed to make his first and only Twenty20 international appearance, striking three successive sixes in his 31.

Dravid scored five Test centuries in 2011, a figure he had only equalled once before, in 2002.

The tour of Australia in December and January also finished in a 4-0 whitewash for India and this time Dravid was less prolific, passing 50 only once, in the first innings of the first Test, and returning a modest average of 24.

He was also bowled six times in the eight innings during the series, gaining an unwanted new Test record of being bowled more times than any other player.

With typical selflessness he has chosen to bow out and allow a new generation its chance.

The task facing India now is how to find another like him.

BRITS SET FOR 'VERY GOOD' OLYMPICS

UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee believes Britain remains "on course" for a successful Olympic Games after encouraging performances this winter.


Van Commenee usually sets targets ahead of major competitions - in London it is eight medals with one of them gold - but has chosen not to for the World Indoor Championships which gets under way in Istanbul on Friday.

And the Dutchman puts that down to the likes of Jessica Ennis setting a massive new personal best over the 60 metre hurdles, and Holly Bleasdale and Sophie Hitchon breaking their own British records in the pole vault and hammer respectively.

"The world championships is always an event we take seriously, although not many athletes in the world will peak specifically for this as the most important event of the year is obviously the Olympic Games," Van Commenee said at the team's official press conference.

"Nevertheless, we selected a very strong group of athletes and we haven't had any difficulties since selection, they are all in good nick ready to perform well.

"Setting a target serves a purpose. It means if you don't hit the target you have to address things and take another policy or a different direction, different structure maybe.

"First of all there is no time for that any more being so close to the Games and secondly, I have seen so many good things this winter that I think we're on course to do a very good Olympics and there is no need to change things.

"If things don't go really well here that won't change anything for me. I have confirmation all the time, even last week with a British record in the hammer.

"Whether we have a great result or good result, or not such a good result here, that wouldn't change anything for me, so setting a target wouldn't serve a purpose."

Britain won four medals in Doha two years ago, with Ennis and Dwain Chambers winning gold in the pentathlon and 60m respectively, Jenny Meadows taking silver in the 800m and the men's 4x400m relay team claiming bronze.

Meadows is absent through injury, but Ennis and Chambers will be out to defend their titles, while world 5,000m champion Mo Farah competes over 3,000m and Bleasdale faces her idol and world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva in the pole vault.

Farah was disappointed to lose over two miles on his last outing in Birmingham in February, even suggesting he may not compete in Istanbul, but the 28-year-old is putting the defeat in perspective.

"To get beat is not a good thing and you are disappointed, but if I look back I broke the British and European record," Farah said.

"Eliud Kipchoge is a great athlete, he was world champion in Paris (over 5,000m in 2003), beating Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele and not many people have done that.

"We have to use this as an opportunity to race against other people but we are in 2012 and it's all about the Olympics."

Ennis will be up against Russia's Tatyana Chernova, the woman who took her world outdoor title in Daegu last summer, with all five events squeezed into tomorrow.

Two years ago Ennis was just 54 points shy of Irina Belova's world record of 4,991, and she admits it would be a "nice bonus" to set a new record.

"I got quite close to it last time in Doha and it was something I'd not really thought of before," Ennis said.

"Judging from the shape I'm in and the shape the other girls are in it's something that any one of us could probably achieve, but it's not something I'm focusing on. It would be a nice bonus."

BRITISH PAIRS ADVANCE IN BIRMINGHAM

Britain's top two mixed doubles pairs remained locked in a tight battle for an Olympic place after victories at the Yonex All England Open Championships.


And veteran Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork could even clash with the Anglo-Scottish duo of Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier in the semi-finals in Birmingham after both reached the last eight.

Robertson and Wallwork produced a superb performance in the evening as they saw off fifth seeds Chen Hung Ling and Cheng Wen Hsing 21-13 21-13 in just 33 minutes.

That was an emphatic reply to the earlier display of Adcock and Bankier, who beat Koreans Yoo Yeon-seong and Jang Ye-na less convincingly, 15-21 21-19 21-19.

It is likely the pair ranked the highest in the world rankings to be published on May 3 will be selected to represent Great Britain at London 2012.

The race could hardly be closer with World Championship runners-up Adcock and Bankier 17th in the latest rankings published today with 2004 Athens silver medallist Robertson and Wallwork 19th.

Adcock was relieved after tonight's win, feeling he and Bankier had fallen below the standards set in their stunning first-round triumph over top seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei.

The 22-year-old said: "We are thrilled with the victory.

"Neither of us played to the same level as our previous match but we won ugly.

"I would give us two out of 10 for the performance. We did not reach the heights as we did against the number one seeds.

"We were lacking in all departments in the first game but the crowd lifted us to see us through this difficult match."

Adcock also retains hope of qualifying for the Olympics in the men's doubles but his challenge in that discipline in Birmingham alongside Andy Ellis came to an abrupt halt.

Adcock and Ellis were unable to replicate an impressive first-round performance as they were dumped out 21-13 21-15 in 42 minutes by Korea's fifth seeds Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae.

Britain's top men's singles player Rajiv Ouseph also saw his campaign come to an end as he failed to follow up his superb defeat of fourth seed Peter Gade.

The world number 26 from Hounslow felt his tough clash with the veteran Dane, which only began in the early hours of this morning, took its toll as he was beaten 21-15 21-10 by Malaysia's Daren Liew.

Ouseph said: "I'm very disappointed with my performance.

"Because I finished late last night it affected my game tonight. I had no speed in my legs and I made a lot of unforced errors.

My opponent took control of the game by pushing me deep into the corners and I could not react. I tried to quicken up my game but could do nothing about it."

ENNIS READY FOR CHERNOVA

Jessica Ennis will face world heptathlon champion Tatyana Chernova in what will be the most hotly-contested clash of the World Indoor Championships.


Reigning champion Ennis, who was lost her outdoor title to Chernova in Daegu last summer, has said whoever claims gold this weekend will have a "massive psychological boost" ahead of the London Olympics.

Russian Chernova finished third in Doha two years ago but after dethroning Ennis at last year's World Championships another gripping clash is on the cards.

After an impressive start to her 2012 season, Ennis said: "I'm definitely looking forward to it.

"The last time I competed against her was in Daegu, so I'm definitely looking forward to that head-to-head again.

"It's going to be a massive psychological boost for anyone that does well.

"Looking at everyone's performances, the way they're performing around the world at the moment, everyone's on top form, so to come away with this, whether it's a personal best or a win and a medal, that's definitely going to give you a boost going forward for the rest of the year."

In terms of scoring over the five pentathlon events, Ennis has an 82-point advantage over the Russian in personal bests, and Irina Belova's 20-year-old world record could well be under threat.

"Given my shape and the shape the other girls are in, it's going to take a PB to get it but it's something any one of us could achieve," Ennis said.

When asked whether she would like to break Belova's mark of 4,991 she said: "It's not something I'm focusing on, but it would be a nice bonus.

Chernova however warned that while the clash with Ennis was inevitable, there is a strong field beyond the two favourites.

"It's nice for me and good for this competition to see such a high standard. It should be very interesting," said the 23-year-old.

"But you can't forget about the other girls: Natalya Dobrynska (Ukraine's reigning Olympic heptathlon champion) and Ekaterina Bolshova (of Russia, the world leader with a best of 4,896).

"The winner will be the strongest."

The former world youth and world junior champion also played down fears that she might be blown away in London later this year by the support shown to Sheffield-born Ennis.

"My father, my mother and my coach will be there. They believe in me," said Chernova.

ROBERTSON ENTERS 'PLASTIC BRITS' ROW

Olympics minister Hugh Robertson has entered the row over 'Plastic Brits' by saying every athlete representing Team GB at the London 2012 Games should know the words to the national anthem.


American-born hurdler Tiffany Porter, who has opted to represent Britain despite living in the USA all her life, was challenged on Thursday to say the words of 'God Save The Queen' after being named as British team captain for the athletics indoor world championships.

Porter, who has dual nationality via her British mother, insisted she did know the first lines to the anthem, and 5,000m star Mo Farah branded the question "unacceptable".

Other athletes drafted into the British team last year include Cuban-born triple jumper Yamile Aldama, USA's 400m runner Shana Cox and long jumper Shara Proctor of Anguilla. Two Ukrainian women, who had hoped to be named as part of the British wrestling team, learned earlier this month that their applications are unlikely to be approved by the Government.

Robertson insists there should be no fast-tracking of foreign-born athletes into Team GB simply because they might win medals - and that those that are accepted should know the words of God Save The Queen.

He said: "If you are going to represent Britain at the Olympics then I think it is sensible to know the words of the national anthem.

"I would say that would be even more necessary if you think you are going to win a medal.

"I am pretty clear on this issue - anyone who wants to compete for Great Britain must hold a British passport or go through the full naturalisation process.

"What I am against is giving special treatment to people simply to allow them to compete for this country."

Robertson said there were many examples in the history of British sport of people who had moved from other countries but embraced the new team.

"Cricket is a classic case," he added. "Allan Lamb came from South Africa to play for England but I would argue now that he is British rather than South African.

"I would also regard Kevin Pietersen as a bona fide Brit."

It is not just athletics and wrestling that have been looking abroad to strengthen their teams.

British cycling have announced that German-born 19-year-old Philip Hindes will travel to the world championships in Melbourne in early April and he is a likely member of Team GB at the Olympics.

Hindes has a British father but represented Germany at the junior world championships in 2010 before joining the Great Britain sprint academy at the age of 18.

Porter's position was staunchly defended by European Indoor 3000m champion Helen Clitheroe, who captained the British athletics team in Paris last year.

"She's an absolutely brilliant team captain, she gave a brilliant team speech last night and inspired us all," Clitheroe said.

"I'm pretty sure if you asked the majority of the team they wouldn't know the words to the national anthem - I do - but it's not a requirement to be our team captain, it's about someone who you can look up to, follow and inspire us, and Tiffany's that person.

"She told us to take a minute and think about why we love the sport before we go out there, why we do it, and for that to inspire us before our race. It was a really good speech. The [national anthem] question is irrelevant."

Speaking after winning her heat in the 60m hurdles to advance to the semi-finals, Porter declined to be drawn on the issue.

"I'm focusing right now on competing and I'm very excited to be here," she said.

"I'm focusing on doing my best tomorrow and in the finals. Right now I'm just focusing on competing and I'm going to do my very best out here today."

It later emerged that UK Athletics had "withdrawn team access" from the Daily Mail, whose reporter asked Porter to recite God Save the Queen on Thursday.

In practice that would have little effect during competition in Istanbul, although the newspaper might not be invited to any team press conferences.

Rebecca Adlington wins to qualify for Olympic 800m

Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington fired a warning to her rivals with her quickest 800m freestyle time since last year's world championships.

The 22-year-old's time of eight minutes and 18.54 seconds secured her gold and a second London 2012 qualification berth to follow her 400m win on Sunday.

"I'm so pleased with that swim," Adlington told BBC Sport at the British Swimming Championships in London.

"I've been stuck on similar times for two years so to go quicker is great and hopefully I can do it in the summer."

Adlington added: "I tried to get the crowd involved. The noise was incredible - even before the race it gives you such a buzz. Hopefully I can use it in the summer."

The Mansfield-based swimmer will be joined in the event at the Olympics by 19-year-old Eleanor Faulkner who trains in Sheffield, after she finished second in a personal best time of 8:27.11.

"Becky [Adlington] is my role model and I'm just trying to keep up with her," said Faulkner.

"I'm really shocked that I'm going in an individual event, I wanted to go out and do my best and if I made the relay team great, but I was thinking about 2016, so this is great."

However, there will be no place for world open water champion Keri-Anne Payne in the GB pool team after she finished third.

Elsewhere it was a story of redemption for European champion Lizzie Simmonds and Commonwealth silver medallist Michael Rock.

The pair missed out on Olympic places in the 100m backstroke and 200m butterfly events respectively - but put that right on the penultimate day of the trials.

Simmonds touched in 2:08.67, clear of Stephanie Proud whose 2:09.94 was not enough to qualify for London.

"I was a little bit of a disappointment earlier in the week and it was a case of turning it around," Simmonds told BBC Sport.

"The plan was to make the team in both events, but maybe it's a good thing. The focus has been on 200m with a bit on the 100m, so now I can focus just on the one and hopefully that'll serve me well."

Rock, meanwhile, was delighted with his performance in his less-favoured event.

"It's been a disappointing couple of days, and I've only had a few hours sleep each night, but I had to get things right today. I have and it's such a relief!"

Loughborough's Jack Marriott , who only started full-time swim training last year after a dazzling performance in the 2011 British Championships, was second, but admitted his university studies could prevent him from returning for the second trials in June.

As with the men's 100m freestyle, in the shorter 50m event there were again no athletes able to record times quick enough for guaranteed Olympic selection - Adam Brown won in 22.48.

In the women's 50m freestyle semi-final, European champion Fran Halsall recorded 24.63 to comfortably qualify ahead of Amy Smith.

There was to be no repeat of Eleanor Simmonds' world record-breaking feat from the previous day in the multi-classification swimming races, but 11-time Paralympic medallist Sasha Kindred and 100m breaststroke pair Claire Cashmore and Harriet Lee recorded qualification times for the London Games.

They will confirm their places in the Paralympics GB squad by competing in the British International Disability Swimming Championships in Sheffield next month.

There are only two events on final day of the British Swimming Championships, the women's 50m freestyle and the much anticipated men's 1500m freestyle.

Beijing Olympic silver medallist David Davies , who almost quit the sport last year after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue, qualified quickest with Daniel Fogg second.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will return to Queen's Club

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will return to Queen's Club in June to try and go one step further than last year's run to the Aegon Championships final.

The world number five lost to Andy Murray in last year's final.

Tsonga went on to beat Roger Federer on his way to the Wimbledon semis, and hopes for similar success in 2012.

"I know that I can beat everybody on grass, so why not?" he said. "I know on grass that I am a good player. I go to the net and I serve well."

Murray is likely to be the top seed when the tournament begins on 11 June, with Tsonga currently in line to be the highest-ranked player in the opposite half of the draw.

Britain's Elena Baltacha beats Aranxta Rus at Indian Wells

British number one Elena Baltacha battled back from a set and a break adrift to beat world number 98 Aranxta Rus 3-6 6-4 6-3 at Indian Wells.

After a slow start she levelled the match in California at one-all, before losing her serve early in the third set - but took the next five games to win.

Her victory, in two hours 13 minutes, sets up a meeting with German 14th seed Julia Goerges in the second round.

Fellow Briton Anne Keothavong was beaten 6-4 2-6 7-5 by Timea Bacsinszky.

"She gave me an opportunity, I took it and after that I really felt like I was mixing everything up and I felt comfortable," said Baltacha.

"My coach Nino Severino came onto the court [and] he told me to fight, just fight - and that's what I always try to do. You're never out until you lose the last point."

Baltacha ended 2011 at 50th in the world, but has since slipped back to 62nd after winning just one of her first five matches this year.

Ellie Simmonds sets first Aquatics Centre world record

Double Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds became the first swimmer to break a world record at London's Aquatics Centre with victory in the 200m individual medley.

The 17-year-old finished in a time of 3:08.14, beating her own previous best time by over half a second.

A tearful Simmonds said: "I can't believe I've broken a world record.

"I haven't had a great week but I've been working hard on the event. I was confident but it's a big surprise."

She was edged into second by Beijing gold medallist Heather Frederiksen in the 100m freestyle earlier in the week.

Simmonds told BBC Sport: "I have great people around me. My coach and family [in Swansea] are amazing.

"I wanted to enjoy it and getting gold is great, but a world record is something else."

Fellow SM6 swimmer Natalie Jones was second, with Rhiannon Henry , from the SM13 category, third in the multi-classification event.

Simmonds' success follows a European record from six-time world champion Susie Rodgers , who won gold in the 50m butterfly on Wednesday.

Elsewhere on day six, 11-time Paralympic medallist Sasha Kindred secured victory and a London 2012 qualifying time in the men's 200m individual medley.

As with all of those attaining the desired times this week, they will still need to compete at the British International Disability Swimming Championships in Sheffield next month to be assured of a place at the Games.

Kindred told BBC Sport: "I went a bit slower in the final, but two swims under the qualifying time is great and means I should come back in the summer for my fifth Paralympics."

James Crisp (SM9) was the runner-up with Robert Welbourn (S10) collecting bronze.

Just one swimmer was in the final of the men's 150m individual medley, but 15-year-old Lyndon Longhorne set a new British record with a time of 3:02:36 and will hope to attain a qualification time at the trials on 6-8 April.

View some of the latest images from the Olympic Park and venues plus London 2012 events around the UK.

ICC may agree to local match officials in Pakistan

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) may waive its requirement for neutral match officials in a proposed one-day international series between Pakistan and Bangladesh next month.

The three matches, which are subject to agreement by Bangladesh, would take place in Karachi and Lahore from 16 to 26 April.

The matches would be the first full internationals in Pakistan since March 2009 when the Sri Lanka squad and match officials were attacked by gunmen in Lahore.

'In the event of the participating countries deciding that the tour should proceed and the ICC determining that it was unsafe to appoint match officials to the tour, a special dispensation to allow non-neutral match officials to participate in the matches would be required from the ICC Board,' the ICC said in a statement on Tuesday following a meeting of its Chief Executives' Committee in Dubai.

'The CEC agreed to recommend to the ICC Board that, from a cricket perspective only, the granting of the special dispensation would be justified.'

Under the ICC's standard playing conditions for one-day internationals, one of the two on-field umpires and the match referee must be drawn from countries not taking part in a match.

In order to be granted dispensation to appoint local officials, the Pakistan Cricket Board would be required to write to the ICC Board requesting approval.

A delegation from Bangladesh has undertaken an assessment of the security situation in the two cities where matches would be hosted and has passed its findings to the Bangladesh government which will make the final decision, expected in the next week, on whether its cricket team will undertake the tour.

'It is important the tour goes ahead for Pakistan cricket to show the country can host games again,' Subhan Ahmad, the Pakistan Cricket Board's Chief Operating Officer, told Reuters. 'We will have the highest level of security possible.'

The CEC meeting recommended that the maximum number of Twenty20 Internationals allowed to be played by any international side in a calendar year should be increased from 12 to 15 in a year which featured an ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

It also recommended that the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh should feature 16 (instead of 14) men's teams and that the tournament should continue to be a joint men's and women's event. AGENCIES

Pakistan coach Whatmore ready for Asia Cup

Pakistan's new coach Dav Whatmore said Wednesday he was ready for next week's four-nation Asia Cup and is confident that his team will overcome their recent one-day slump.

The 57-year-old former Australian batsman, who coached Sri Lanka to a World Cup title in 1996, took charge of Pakistan last week on a two-year contract with his first assignment in Dhaka.

Defending champions India join Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the biennial Asia Cup which runs from March 11-22.

Whatmore said he is looking forward to the Asia Cup, at which Pakistan will meet arch-rivals India on March 18.

'I know the Asia Cup is an important event with top class teams, even Bangladesh can be a tough opponent as they are playing on their home grounds, so it is one of the many tests that we have and we are looking forward to it,' Whatmore told reporters.

The Pakistan team fly to Dhaka late Wednesday and play their opening match against the hosts Sunday.

'We know there is an extra interest attached to the India game and it's good for the teams, for cricket and for the players but we are going to treat that match as any other game,' said Whatmore.

The March 18 match in Dhaka will be the first between the two countries since the high-voltage World Cup 2011 semi-final clash in Marach at Mohali, which India won before taking the title.

Whatmore hoped Pakistan has learnt from its mistakes after their 4-0 and 2-1 defeats in the one-day and Twenty20 matches against England in the United Arab Emirates last month.

'That was little bit not in the script but this team wants to make amends to what happened in the one-day after their brilliant performance in the Test series,' said Whatmore of the Tests in which Pakistan whitewashed England 3-0.

'Every player wants to look forward and make amends in the Asia Cup.

'These Pakistan players are wonderful and talented and welcomed me and its pleasure to be with them and we will work together to do well.' AGENCIES

Beach volleyball gets royal touch at 2012 Games

LONDON – When the Queen of England decides at some point over the next 12 months which Olympic events she wishes to visit, she will have plenty of options.

Top of the list will surely be equestrian, due to her love of horses and her daughter Princess Anne’s participation in that event in the 1976 Games, perhaps followed by shooting, another traditional royal pursuit.

The signature track and field events must certainly get consideration, as will the tennis tournament to be held on the stately lawns of Wimbledon, where Her Majesty cheered on Andy Murray last year.

But what about beach volleyball?

Enough of the snickering there in the corner, because it is not as absurd a suggestion as you might think. After all, the popular event that sees bronzed and sparsely-covered bodies do battle on the sand won’t take place anywhere near the seaside but rather smack in the heart of central London – and right on the Queen’s doorstep.

By choosing to host the beach volleyball competition on Horse Guards Parade, just a powerful spike away from Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace, Games organizers just might have hit the jackpot.

The Parade is a spectacular area in a beautiful part of London, as you might expect for a location so near to a royal residence. It is an historic ceremonial ground, where knights took part in jousting events witnessed by thousands as far back as the 1600s.

[Related: Dara Torres seeking sixth Olympics]

More recently, it has been used to stage the Trooping of the Colour, where the various regiments of the British armed forces perform in parade to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday.

And in April, the Parade was part of the processional route traveled by the newly-married royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or the artists formerly known as William and Kate).

Placing beach volleyball here took some political creativity, as it lies in the borough of Westminster, several miles removed from the Olympic epicenter in the east London district of Stratford. But it figures to be well worth the trouble.

“It will be spectacular and iconic and a marvelous thing for our Games,” said Lord Sebastian Coe, Olympic 1500-meter track champion in 1980 and 1984 and now chairman of the London organizing committee. “To have such an exciting event in a place steeped in tradition is a wonderful mix, and I have every confidence that it will be one of the highlights.”

Beach volleyball has been met with strong support at every Games after being introduced as a medal sport at Atlanta in 1996. With its upbeat music and party atmosphere, it usually attracts some of the liveliest crowds of the Games, and demand for the London sessions has been high.

Part of that has to do with the event itself, although there is strong evidence to suggest that the public has already bought into the novelty value in having a modern event in an historic location.

“It is going to be awesome,” said American and two-time reigning gold medalist Kerri Walsh. “It is going to be different in a fun way, and we will really get to feel like we are part of the city and the excitement.”

When London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games, a huge part of its campaign focused on the unique and iconic venues it was able to lay claim to. Each had a kind of perfect symmetry to them and seemed to be the most natural of fits: tennis at Wimbledon, soccer at Wembley Stadium, a gleaming new Olympic track arena in the east end of the city, where many of Britain’s finest athletes have emerged from.

Scantily clad athletes playing volleyball on transplanted sand just outside Buckingham Palace bucks that trend, but does so in a thoroughly welcome fashion. A mix of iconography with modernity is exactly the message London is trying to project with these Games.

Time will tell whether the London Olympics’ most spectacular venue gets the royal seal of approval.

Current Boxing Champions

WBA WBC IBF
--- --- ---

HEAVYWEIGHT Wladimir Vitali Wladimir
(unlimited) Klitschko Klitschko Klitschko
56-3 (49) 44-2 (40) 56-3 (49)

CRUISERWEIGHT Guillermo Krzysztof Yoan Pablo
(190 pounds) Jones Wlodarczyk Hernandez
38-3 (30) 46-2 (33) 26-1 (13)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT Beibut Bernard Tavoris
(175 pounds) Shumenov Hopkins Cloud
12-1 (8) 52-5 (32) 24-0 (19)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT Andre Andre Lucian
(168 pounds) Ward Ward Bute
25-0 (13) 25-0 (13) 30-0 (24)

MIDDLEWEIGHT Felix Julio Cesar Daniel
(160 pounds) Sturm Chavez, Jr. Geale
36-2 (15) 45-0 (31) 26-1 (15)

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT Miguel Angel Saul Cornelius
SUPER WELTERWEIGHT Cotto Alvarez Bundrage
(154 pounds) 37-2 (30) 39-0 (29) 31-4 (18)

WELTERWEIGHT Vyacheslav Floyd VACANT
(147 pounds) Senchenko Mayweather Jr.
32-0 (21) 42-0 (26)

LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT Lamont Erik Lamont
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT Peterson Morales Peterson
(140 pounds) 30-1 (15) 52-7 (36) 30-1 (15)

LIGHTWEIGHT VACANT Antonio Miguel
(135 pounds) Demarco Vazquez
26-2 (19) 30-3 (13)

JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT Takashi Takahiro Juan Carlos
LIGHT FLYWEIGHT Uchiyama Aoh Salgado
(108 pounds) 18-0 (15) 22-2 (10) 24-1 (16)

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT Chris Jhonny Billy
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT John Gonzalez Dib
(130 pounds) 46-0 (22) 51-7 (45) 33-1 (20)

FEATHERWEIGHT Guillermo Toshiaki Takalani
(126 pounds) Rigondeaux Nishioka Ndlovu
9-0 (7) 39-4 (24) 33-6 (18)

JR FEATHERWEIGHT Anselmo Shinsuke VACANT
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT Moreno Yamanaka
(122 pounds) 32-1 (11) 15-0 (11)

BANTAMWEIGHT Tepparith Suriyan Juan Carlos
(118 pounds) Singwancha Sor Rungvisai Sanchez, Jr.
19-2 (12) 20-4 (7) 13-1 (7)

JR BANTAMWEIGHT Hernan Pongsaklek Moruti
SUPER FLYWEIGHT Marquez Wongjongkam Mthalane
(115 pounds) 32-2 (25) 83-3 (44) 28-2 (19)

FLYWEIGHT Roman Kompayak Ulises
(112 pounds) Gonzalez Porpramook Solis
30-0 (25) 44-3 (30) 34-2 (21)

MINIMUMWEIGHT Akira Kazuto Nkosinathi
STRAWWEIGHT Yaegashi Ioka Joyi
(105 pounds) 15-2 (8) 9-0 (6) 21-0 (15)