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Chong Wei Takes On Peter Gade In India Open Final

New Delhi - World number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei is all fired-up to wrest his maiden India Open Super Series title on Sunday, after a sizzling play in the semifinals Saturday.

The 28-year-old two-time All-England champion will meet Danish veteran Peter Hoeg Gade in the final at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, where the India's inaugural super series event is being held.

"I want to win the first India Super Series," said an excited Chong Wei, but acknowledged that his opponent was not an easy player.

Top seed Chong Wei showcased his mastery in court again, combining sharp smashes and accurate drop shots to dominate eight- seeded Hong Kong shuttler Hu Yun in today's semifinals.

It was a walk in the park for Chong Wei who defeated Hu 21-11, 21-15 in just 27 minutes.

In the other semifinal, world number six Gade, 34, entered the final, after knocking out South Korea's Park Sung Hwan 21-15, 21-19, and signalled he was still a force to be reckoned with despite his age.

"He (Gade) is an experienced player and I have played against him several times before. I just want to play my usual game and enjoy the India open," added Chong Wei.

Asked if he was under pressure as a top seed, he retorted,"no pressure at all."

Chong Wei last defeated the lanky Danish player in the 2011 Super Series in Taiwan.

But it was not a so pleasant day at the Malaysian camp today as other senior players succumbed in the semifinals, leaving only Chong Wei to battle it out in the tournament which offers total prize money of US$200,000 (RM600,000)tournament.

The men's double pair and top seeds Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong fell to fourth seeded Japanese pair Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata 16-21, 19-21.

And, mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying also failed to cross the semifinal hurdle, losing to Indonesian Fran Kurniawan-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth 12-21, 16-21.

SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

Men's singles:

Peter Hoeg Gade (DEN) bt Park Sung Hwan (KOR) 21-15, 21-19;

Chong Wei (MAS) bt Hu Yun (HKG) 21-11, 21-15;

Women's singles:

Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (THA) bt Pui Yin Yip (HKG) 21-13, 21-8;

Youn Joo Bae (KOR) bt Sayaka Sato (JPN) 23-21, 15-21, 21-12;

Men's Doubles:

Hirokatsu Hashimoto/Noriyasu Hirata (JPN) bt Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon (MAS) 21-16, 21-19;

Angga Pratama/Ryan Agung Saputra (INA) bt Alvent Yulianto Chandra/Hendra Aprida Gunawan (INA) 21-23, 21-18, 21-14

Women's Doubles: Miyuki Maeda/Satoko Suetsuna (JPN) bt Meiliana Jauhari/Greysia Polii (INA) 25-23, 21-8;

Mizuki Fujii/Reika Kakiiwa (JPN) bt Lok Yan Poon/Ying Suet Tse (HKG) 21-17, 16-21, 21-16

Mixed Doubles:

Fran/Pia(INA) bt Peng Soon/Liu Ying (MAS) 21-12, 21-16;

Tantowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (INA) bt Muhammad Rijal/Debby Susanto (INA) 21-17, 15-9 (retired).

Source: http://www.bernama.com

Kelantan Back In The Lead

Kuala Lumpur - Kelantan are back at the top of the Super League after they defeated Kuala Lumpur 2-0 at the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium in Kota Bharu Saturday night.

With the result, they now have 33 points, the same as previous leaders Selangor after 16 matches a piece but have a superior goal difference.

Mohd Badri Radzi put the visitors ahead in the 24th minute while S.Chanturu wrapped their victory in fine fashion in the 79th minute.

At the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu, hosts T-Team were held to goalless draw by Pahang while at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras here Negeri Sembilan drew 2-2 with Felda United.

At the JCorp Stadium in Pasir Gudang, Johor FC mauled Sabah 3-0 with the goals supplied by Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan (41st), Mohd Riduwan Maon (80th) and Shahrizal Saad (90th).

In Kangar, bottom-placed Perlis piled more misery on themselves when they lost 1-3 to visitors Harimau Muda A.

Source: http://www.bernama.com

Puyol, Milito make Barcelona squad for third clash

Madrid: Barcelona defenders Carles Puyol and Gabriel Milito have recovered from injuries to be included in the squad to play Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final first leg, the Spanish league leaders said on Monday.

Spain international Puyol missed the King's Cup final defeat to Real last week and Saturday's league victory over Osasuna with a muscle strain but returns for the third "Clasico" in the space of 12 days.

Argentine centre-back Milito, who tweaked a muscle in the Cup final, also recovered but Brazilian fullback Maxwell missed out due to a groin problem.

Options in defence
The return of the experienced pair gives coach Pep Guardiola options in defence where he has already lost Eric Abidal and Adriano Correia to injury.

With striker Bojan Krkic also sidelined, Guardiola called up youth team players Thiago Alcantara, Sergi Roberto and Martin Montoya to the squad.

Barca visit the Bernabeu on Wednesday and the second leg is at the Nou Camp on May 3.

Source: http://gulfnews.com

Manchester City proving their worth

By Jaydip Sengupta

Dubai - Former Manchester United midfielder Lee Sharpe believes Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City are destined for glory after their defeat of the Red Devils in the FA Cup recently.

Speaking to XPRESS during his visit to Abu Dhabi in his role as guest commentator on AD Sports, Sharpe said: "Manchester City are definitely learning to live with the top teams now, and I'd expect them to make a top four Champions League spot this year.

"If you look at the talent they've got in the side, there's no reason why they won't continue to challenge the top premier league teams every season. You don't spend all the money they've spent without expecting silverware to follow.

More attacking

"I think the manager, [Roberto] Mancini needs to be a little bolder going forward into next season. As is the Italian way, he seems a little too obsessed with defence and with not losing, and not brave enough to go out and play to win games. They're a team capable of playing a better type of football.

"It wouldn't hurt to aim a bit higher either. It's been a wide open league again this year and Manchester City are more than capable of contending for the top couple of spots and not just for a Champions League place. The more they win, the more the mind-set at the club will change and they will start to believe that they can challenge for the league title."

Talking of his former club who are very much in the running for a double, Sharpe said: "I know that the guys will have been really disappointed with the result in the FA cup semi-final. It's a blow, definitely, but I think it would just have made them more determined than before to do succeed in the other cups."

Asked to comment on Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's view that the Reds are the best club in England going by their European record, Sharpe said: "I love Kenny, he's a great guy. Liverpool are a fantastic club with a great set of supporters but the fact remains that they have been poor over the last few seasons. I think instead of looking at what you achieved 20 years ago as a club, what's more relevant is what's happened in the last few seasons. He's doing a great job at Liverpool this season though. They've turned around their season amazingly and I'd expect him to build on that for next season," he said.

Source: http://gulfnews.com

Former Indonesian soccer team coach passes away

Dutch soccer legend and former Indonesian squad coach Wiel Coerver passed away in his hometown of Kerkrade on Friday morning.

He died at the age of 86, goal.com reported Friday.

Coerver managed the red-and-white squad from 1975-1976.

Under his coaching, Indonesia reached the finals of the qualifying leg for the 1976 Olympics Games in Montreal, Canada. However, failed to qualify for Montreal after being edged out by North Korea in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Coerver was famed for developing his players’ ball skills and implementing combined group attacks, aptly named the Coerver method, combining dribbling, passing skills, “one-on-one moves”, speed, and “lethal finishing”.

He also enjoyed a memorable club coaching career, winning several Dutch titles. His crowning achievement was winning the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 1974.

Coerver picked up the prestigious Oeuvre Award in 2008 for his contribution to the game.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com

Kediri questions FIFA, calls for appeal for Army chief

The Kediri branch of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) has asked the world’s governing soccer body, FIFA, to explain why Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Toisutta cannot be nominated in the ongoing race for the PSSI chairmanship post for the 2011-2015 period.

George had so far topped the list of candidates registering for the race, with support from 14 PSSI members, while business tycoon Arifin Panigoro, who initiated a rival soccer league, is second in line with 13 votes.

FIFA has rejected the nominations of both George and Arifin.

PSSI Kediri office chief Barnadi said FIFA was not being transparent with the reasons behind its decisions to ban George from the chairmanship race.

“Arifin maybe guilty of creating the LPI [rival soccer league], but what has Toisutta done?" Barnadi said Friday in the East Java town of Kediri, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

He added that the FIFA decision could still be challenged if Indonesian soccer clubs and the PSSI united in their stance and called for other members of the PSSI to launch an appeal to FIFA.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com

Madrid - Barcelona have decided to appeal UEFA's proposal to ban Andres Iniesta for one Champions League match for deliberately collecting a yellow card.

The Spain midfielder was cautioned in the first leg of Barca's quarter-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, which the Spanish club won 5-1, for not retreating the required distance at a freekick, meaning he missed the return game in Ukraine.

UEFA officials at the match alleged Iniesta provoked the card so he could serve the standard one-match ban in the second leg and would have a clean slate for the semi-finals.

Barcelona face La Liga rivals Real Madrid in the last four of Europe's premier club competition with the first leg away at the Bernabeu on April 27.

"FC Barcelona believe that the arguments outlined in their appeal, based on the good faith of the player and the disproportionate nature of the proposed sanction will be sufficient to rebut these allegations," the club said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.cat). "The UEFA disciplinary committee will make a decision on the case on Wednesday," they added. Reuters

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com