Pak hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed passes away in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan’s World Cupwinning hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed passed away at a city hospital here on Saturday after battling a prolonged heart ailment. The 49-year-old Olympian had been suffering from complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart, and had reached out to India for help in securing a heart transplant.

Pakistan government had reportedly offered Ahmed a mechanical heart transplantation which, had he accepted, would have been the first time the procedure was to be conducted in the country. But Ahmed had refused the offer as he wanted a more conventional and proven procedure, for which he had wanted to go to India.

DOUBLES PAIR OUT

SYDNEY: The Indian men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy lost 17-21, 15-21 to Berry Angriawan and Hardianto Hardianto of Indonesia to bow out of the Australian Open Badminton Championship here. With this, the Indian challenge ended in the tournament.

NEERAJ FOR EUGENE

NEW DELHI: Commonwealth Games gold-medallist in javelin, Neeraj Chopra is anticipating another good show at the highly competitive Eugene Diamond League in USA. The one-day circuit meet on May 26 will be another opportunity for him to achieve his goal of joining the 90-metre club.

LAHIRI MISSES CUT

PONTE VEDRA (US): Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri slumped to a mid- round tumble as he missed the cut for the third time in as many starts at the PLAYERS Championships here. Starting with a solid 69 under his belt, he finished at 75 and an even par total that ended his campaign. Tiger Woods, who went out around an hour after Lahiri, battled to a 71 after a 72 on first day.

AFI DECLARES STRICT ‘NO-NEEDLE POLICY’

NEWDELHI: Left red-faced after two of their athletes were sent home on charges of possession of needles during the recent Commonwealth Games, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to implement a strict ‘No-needle’ policy at all the national camps and training centres in the country. The AFI has drawn up a protocol which will be circulated to all the athletes at national camps and training centres.