‘Pistorius not required to report to police’
Blade Runner faces random bail checks for drugs and alcohol Best of the Rest
PRETORIA, Feb 25, (Agencies): Star athlete Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with murdering his girlfriend, does not have to report to police as part of his bail terms contrary to previous reports, a clerk at Pretoria Magistrate Court clerk said Monday.
“It is not part of his bail conditions,” the clerk told AFP.
The bail order document seen by AFP confirmed it was not one of the terms.
The 26-year-old double amputee athlete known as the “Blade Runner” was released on a one million rand ($112,408) bond Friday.
He was expected to report to the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria Monday morning, where a large contingent of local and international media were waiting, but did not turn up.
Earlier reports had said that Pistorius had to sign in at the police station on Mondays and Fridays between 0500 GMT and 1100 GMT.
But the condition had been a suggestion from defence and prosecution teams that the magistrate, Desmond Nair, had not included in his final order, a prosecution official confirmed.
“The NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) has confirmed that the condition that he report to the Brooklyn police station has not been made an order of court,” the official told AFP.
Prosecutors charge that Pistorius intentionally shot dead 29-year-old model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp at his upmarket Pretoria home in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.
The Olympic and Paralympic sprinter denies the charge, insisting that he repeatedly shot at Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door in the dead of night having mistaken her for a burglar. He is due back in court on June 4. In addition to the bail payment, one of the highest ever set in South Africa, Pistorius had to surrender his passports and firearms. He is also barred from taking alcohol or drugs and will be subject to random tests.
The sprinter has to inform a prisons official of his movements within Pretoria and needs permission to leave the capital and been banned from leaving the country.
The athlete’s father Henke told AFP in a telephone call on Monday that matters were “under control”.
“Everything is prepared for the trial,” he said, though he lashed out at news coverage of his family.
“The media have once again proven themselves reckless,” he said, hanging up the call.
Pistorius’s elder brother Carl made headlines Sunday over a manslaughter charge for a 2008 accident in which a woman motorcyclist died.
Oscar Pistorius inspired millions of people around the world after becoming the first double amputee to compete Sion appoint Gattuso as coach: Gennaro Gattuso will combine his role as captain of FC Sion with that of manager after Spaniard Victor Munoz was relieved of his coaching duties by the Swiss club on Monday.
Munoz became Sion’s fourth ex-manager of the season in the wake of a 4-0 humbling by FC Thun in the Swiss league on Saturday.
“Following FC Sion’s diastrous performance at Thun and considering the obvious lack of commitment from the team, the club’s management has decided to hand over responsiblity to the players,” the club announced in a statement.
“To carry this out, from today and until further notice, they will manage their own affairs. The management gives responsibility for the team to cap- against able-bodied athletes in Olympic Games last year in London.
His arrest has riveted South Africa and beyond.
South African Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius, his faces at least four random tests for drugs and alcohol in coming months to ensure he is complying with bail terms, an official said.
Pistorius, who is accused of shooting dead his girlfriend in cold blood in the early hours of Feb 14, checked in with a
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tain Gennaro Gattuso. (AFP) ESPN selling channels: ESPN is withdrawing from British and Irish television, announcing Monday that its channels are being sold to the BT Group.
The US sports network increased operations in Britain in 2009 after capturing some domestic rights to show English Premier League matches.
But ESPN lost those rights, which were vital to attracting subscribers, for probation officer at Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday in compliance with bail conditions laid down last week, the prison service said.
“The minimum will be four visits, unannounced, at his home,” senior prison services official James Smallberger said.
Oscar Pistorius informed South African authorities that he wants to resume athletic training while on bail for the murder case against him, a government official said.
A spokeswoman for the Olympic run- next season as BT joined BSkyB in showing Premier League games for the first time.
The sports rights currently held by ESPN will transfer to BT, with the deal expected to be completed by July 31. Financial details were not disclosed.
BT, whose new sport operation is based at the London Olympics broadcast center, said at least one of its channels will continue to carry the ESPN name.
“We could not be more proud of the TV channels built and nurtured by our talented team over the past four years,” said Ross Hair, ESPN’s managing director in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The value of that hard work is reflected in this deal with BT and the continuation of ESPN on television screens across the UK and Ireland.” (AP) ner, however, denied that he was making immediate plans to return to the track while awaiting trial.
“Absolutely not,” said spokeswoman Janine Hills. “He is currently in mourning and his focus is not on his sports.”
The double-amputee Paralympian discussed bail terms with his probation officer and a correctional official at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in the capital, Hills said. The guidelines will determine his daily routine until his next court appearance on June 4.
“It’s his wish to continue to practice,” James Smalberger, chief deputy commissioner of the department of correctional services, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Smalberger said the issue came up because authorities need to know his movements whenever he leaves the home where he is staying.
The timing of any resumption of training was uncertain.
Pistorius’ longtime coach, Ampie Louw, declined to comment on any training plans for the runner, referring questions to a spokeswoman for the athlete’s family.
Louw had said when the runner was in detention that he wanted to put him back into training in the event that he was granted bail. But he had also said Pistorius could be “heartbroken” and unwilling to immediately run again.
“We want a training program from his coach so that we have backup for his movements,” Smalberger said.
“He’s not under house arrest, but his movements need to be known to us so that we don’t pitch there and he’s not there,” he said. Ranjith and Sunil, Pranavesh and Nagaraj , and Relin and Joby were awarded a 21-11, 21-11 victory over Chittamani and Shaikh.
Relin and Joby were also awarded a 21-11, 21-11 victory over Gary and Abhilash while in the last match of the day Ranjith and Sunil overcame Relin and Joby 18-21, 21-14, 21-14.
Ladies singles
Nobody could even get close to Uttara as she has been winning all her matches from the opening day and this week was no different as she stretched her unbeaten streak to seven matches.
On the courts, Preetha crushed Druvi 21-1, 21-1, Uttara hammered Sandya 21-1, 21-1, Uttara beat Shobha 21-10, 21-11, Preetha blasted Sandya 21-8, 21-9, Shaina routed Druvi 21-1 21-1 , Shobha cruised past Preetha 211, 21-15, Uttara outlasted Shaina 2112, 21-12 and Sandhya crushed Druvi 21-1, 21-1.
In the other matches on the same day, Shaina overcame Sandhya 21-7, 21-11, Uttara blasted Preetha 21-1, 21-1, Shobha sailed past Druvi 21-1, 21-1, Preetha stopped Shaina 21-18, 17-21, 21-15, Shobha beat Sandhya 21-7, 21-10, Shobha overcame Shaina 21-16, 10-21, 21-17, Uttara stopped Druvi 21-1, 21-1 ,Khrishnaveni overcame Shaina 21-9, 21-13 and Kundana overcame Shaina 21-12, 2118.
Also on the same day, Khrishnaveni beat Shobha 21-11, 21-13,Kundana overcame Shobha 21-18, 18-21, 2117, Krishnaveni beat Preetha 21-18, 21-18, Kundana defeated Preetha 211, 21-1, Krishnaveni beat Sandhya 21-1, 21-1 , Kundana stopped Sandya 21-1, 21-1, Khrishnaveni overcame Druvi 21-12,1-1, Kundana beat Druvi 21-1, 21-1 and in the end Kundana overcame Krishnaveni 21-15, 17-21, 21-9.
RThe IBAK Spring Challenge Cup is a tournament which is open to all the different categories. The tournament is being organized in such a way that it benefits the players who are being sent to Bahrain later this year for an invitation tournament. It will act as a preparation platform for this team.
The tournament is being conducted on a league-cum knockout basis (doubles only for men and singles/doubles for women).
The tournament is being played using the standard Mavis 500 plastic shuttles until the quarter-final stages and thereafter the Yonex AS2 feather shuttles in preparation for the Bahrain tournament.
IBAK is sending about 20 trainees, who took part in the IBAK coaching modules, to take part in an invitational age group competition to be held in Bahrain in April 2013. These trainees are being fully sponsored by the IBAK coaching team funds.
IBAK also has an official website www.ibakwt.org which is currently packed with all the activities it has arranged since its birth.
All interested in taking part in IBAK activities can ask for details on ibakchozhan@gmail.com.