Fly Emirates XI gear up for title defence

Dubai - The team of Emirates airline employees, which stunned the opposition to take victory at last year's inaugural Emirates Airline Twenty20, face a tough task defending their title.

With the likes of county champions Nottinghamshire, the international star-studded Durham and Sussex sides and the Sourav Ganguly-captained MCC in the mix, Fly Emirates XI certainly have their work cut out for them this weekend at The Sevens cricket ground.

But the team is up for the challenge and relishing the chance to take on the ‘big boys'.

"We are extremely excited with a couple of new county teams that are coming here this year. We're the defending champions so we need to live up to those expectations," said Fly Emirates XI wicketkeeper/manager Shoaib Muljiani.

"But more importantly the boys are very keen because this is a wonderful opportunity to rub shoulders with the professionals so we should do well," Muljiani added.

Bad season

The Fly Emirates XI haven't had the best of seasons so far, losing out to the Lord's Taverners at the same ground recently.

"But the boys are feeling good to go," Muljiani said.

"When you've held the title for the first year, you should be performing to that standard so there is a bit of pressure — and we aren't professional so that adds a bit more coming up against the big names," he added.

"But we're about three quarters of the way through our season so we have been practising regularly. On both the grounds at The Sevens the outfield is superb," Muljiani said.

"The wicket is coming up excellently. There's a good bounce on the wicket and good carry. It looks to be a good track and we should have some very exciting cricket," he added.

Matches begin at The Sevens at 10.30am on Friday. Also running alongside the Emirates Airline Twenty20 will be an Under-11s Kwik Cricket tournament.

Friends and families of the school children participating in this fun tournament are expected to come and cheer them on, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Source: http://gulfnews.com
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Muljiani in fine form for Fly Emirates

Dubai - Shoaib Muljiani of Fly Emirates came up with a dream all-round performance as he single-handedly led his team to a ten-wicket win over A-Map CC.

He first mesmerised the opposition with variety in slow bowling to bag five wickets and restrict them to 135 and then played a scintillating knock of 55 not out including nine boundaries to lead his team to a victory.

Amjad Javed was the other batsman to dazzle for Fly Emirates with an unbeaten knock of 73 runs with six fours and two sixes.

Rapid-fire
Seasoned campaigner Iqbal Chippa showed his class with a fine performance for Mashreq Bank.

He first scored a rapid-fire 60 in 35 balls and then prised out two wickets to defeat Pak Titans by 111 runs.

Eight of the Mashreq batsmen were in good touch with Salah Al Deen Kadri (48), Imran Aziz (35), and Mahmoud Pir Bux (32) the other main contributors.

Al Manal made short work of the 197-run target set by Master Beaters for whom Noman top scored with an unbeaten 63.

Mumtaz smashed 39 in 14 balls and Shahid Farooq hit 33 in 14 balls to knock off the runs in 16 overs.

Source: http://gulfnews.com
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Vettel takes comfortable win in Australia

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel took a comfortable win today at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Lotus Renault GP’s Vitaly Petrov finished third, scoring the first ever podium finish for a Russian driver.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso managed to finish fourth, followed by Mark Webber in fifth, Jenson Button in sixth, rookie Sergio Perez* in an exceptional seventh, Kamui Kobayashi* in eighth, Felipe Massa in ninth and Sebastien Buemi in tenth.

* UPDATE: Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez have been disqualified from the 2011 Australian Grand Prix after the race stewards determined that their cars were in breach of F1′s Technical Rules 3.10.1 and 3.10.2.

2011 Australian Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

The first race of the 2011 season is about to start in Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

2010 world champion Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position after a commanding performance during Saturday’s qualifying session. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton starts from the second spot of the grid ahead of Mark Webber, team-mate Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg.

Both HRT‘s cars won’t race today after failing to get within 107 percent of Vettel’s fastest time.

Formation lap: the grid clears ahead of the formation lap.

Race start: Great start for Vettel. Vettel, Hamilton, Webber and Petrov. Alonso has lost several positions, he’s in P9. Alguersuari pits for a new front wing.

Lap 2/58: Schumacher pits for new tyres.

Lap 3/58: Button pressuring Massa for P5. DRS - Drag Reduction System – has been enabled. Alonso has passed Kobayashi for P8.

Lap 5/58: Alonso overtakes Rosberg for P7. Vettel leads by 3.1 seconds.

Lap 6/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber P3, Petrov P4.

Lap 7/58: Massa is being told over the radio that his brakes are ‘too hot’.

Lap 8/58: Great battle between Massa and Button for P5.

Lap 9/58: Meanwhile Alonso has caught Button and Massa.

Lap 10/58: Vettel reports that his rear tyres are starting to go.

Lap 11/58: Maldonado has stopped.

Lap 12/58: Webber pits. Button has passed Massa through the run-off area; the Briton has to give back the position.

Lap 13/58: Alonso pits. Race Control: Incident between Massa and Button is under investigation by the race stewards.

Lap 14/58: Massa pits. Barrichello pits.

Lap 15/58: Pit stop for race leader Vettel. Race Control: drive through penalty for running off the limits for Jenson Button.

Lap 16/58: Vettel passes Button for P3. Buemi and Heidfeld pit.

Lap 17/58: Pit stop for Hamilton. Petrov pits. Rosberg, Kobayashi and Sutil pit. Replays show Kovalainen running wide into the grass.

Lap 18/58: Button makes his drive through penalty. Alguersuari and Kovalainen pit.

Lap 19/58: Schumacher pits from P20.

Lap 20/58: Vettel P1 followed by Hamilton, Webber, Petrov, Alonso, Massa. Button pits and rejoins in P12.

Lap 22/58: Kovalainen has stopped: he’s out.

Lap 23/58: Schumacher pits and retires. Barrichello attempts to pass Rosberg but he hits him.

Lap 24/58: Rosberg is out. Barrichello pits for a new front wing.

Lap 25/58: Button overtakes Kobayashi for P7.

Lap 26/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber, P3, Petrov P4, Alonso P5.

Lap 27/58: Incident between Barrichello and Rosberg is under investigation. Webber pits. Retired drivers so far: Rosberg, Kovalainen, Schumacher Glock and Maldonado.

Lap 28/58: Alonso pits from P4. The Spaniard rejoins in P6.

Lap 29/58: Race Control: drive through penalty for Barrichello for causing a collision.

Lap 30/58: Barrichello makes his drive through. Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:30.097.

Lap 31/58: Alonso closing in on Webber for P5. Heidfeld pits.

Lap 32/58: Massa pits and rejoins in P8.

Lap 33/58: Replays show Hamilton running wide. Kobayashi pits from P7.

Lap 34/58: Replays show damage on the floor of Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 36/58: Hamilton about to pit.

Lap 37/58: Vettel pits. Hamilton pits. Petrov and Alguersuari pit. Di Resta pits in the Force India.

Lap 38/58: Button pits. Sutil pits.

Lap 41/58: Fastest lap for rookie Sergio Perez: 1:29.962. D’Ambrosio pits in the Marussia Virgin.

Lap 42/58: Webber pits from P3. Barrichello pits. Webber rejoins in P5. Webber runs wide at trun 3.

Lap 43/58: Alonso pits. Alonso rejoins in P4 ahead of Webber.

Lap 44/58: Webber pressuring Alonso for P4. Fastest lap for Webber: 1:29.686.

Lap 46/58: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:29.608.

Lap 48/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso, Webber, Massa, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Buemi, Sutil, Di Resta, Heidfeld, Alguersuari, Barrichello, Trulli, D’Ambrosio.

Lap 49/58: Button has passed Massa for P6. Massa pits and rejoins in tenth.

Lap 50/58: Great performance so far for rookie Sergio Perez who is in seventh with only one pit stop so far.

Lap 52/58: Fastest lap for Massa: 1:29.451. Barrichello pits and retires.

Lap 55/58: Massa overtakes Buemi for P9.

Lap 57/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso P4.

Last lap: Sebastian Vettel takes a comfortable win today in Australia ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov and Fernando Alonso. Fifth place for Mark Webber, sixth for Jenson Button, seventh for rookie Sergio Perez, eighth for Kamui Kobayashi, ninth for Felipe Massa and tenth for Sebastien Buemi.

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Some 500 Surabaya football supporters to Jakarta

Surabaya, East Java - Some 500 supporters from Surabaya have left for Jakarta for a demonstration demanding a revolution of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and its management, in the small hours of Wednesday.

"We come to Jakarta to unite with other supporters in Indonesia demanding for a replacement of the management of PSSI and Nurdin Halid to step down as the organization`s general chairman," Surabaya supporter coordinator Gomes said on the sidelines of the departure in Surabaya.

They left on 12 buses without wearing any attributes of Persebaya supporters.

"Some representatives of the supporters had already gone first coordinating with the leaders of the other supporters already in Jakarta, their determination cannot be bargained," he said.

He also hoped the decision of the PSSI Verification Team which had set aside George Toisutta and Arifin Panigoro as candidates of PSSI general chairman for the next term would be canceled.

In the meantime, the departure of the Surabaya supporters was actually not the last time. It was planned that on Wednesday (Feb 23) afternoon hundreds of other supporters will follow to Jakarta using 10 buses. (Uu.H-NG/F001)

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Ambassador to meet FIFA President on national football association crisis

Jakarta - Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Djoko Susilo is to meet FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter on Tuesday (March 8) to enlighten the latter about the crisis happening in the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI).

"The time and agenda of the meeting has been set. I will brief the FIFA chief on what the government knows about the trouble in PSSI, including happenings ahead of the PDDI congress," Djoko Susilo said when contacted by telephone from Jakarta on Saturday.

He said FIFA had so far been receiving one-sided information, namely from PSSI itself. "Now I have been assigned by the government to explain the crisis in PSSI based on data it possesses," he said.

Apart from clarifying current developments in Indonesian football, Djoko would also ask Blatter about the PSSI rules of association endorsed by FIFA whereby Nurdin Halid, the present PSSI chairman was able to get reelected at the PSSI congress in 2007.

"FIFA should also be informed of what the government knows. So far, it has been fed with information from PSSI only. In short, I will meet Sepp Blatter so that he does not only have a one-sided understanding of the PSSI crisis," Djoko said.

Djoko who is a former member of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I, said the trouble happening in PSSI was a crucial matter because it involved the public and had become a national issue.

"Just wait, I will duly report on the outcome of my meeting with the FIFA chief. I will enlighten him on developments in Indonesian football, including the government`s role in supervising sports," he said.

Djoko said if the explanations he would give to Blatter did not satisfy FIFA, he might ask Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, who was the one who had asked him to meet the FIFA leadership, to come to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich himself.

The PSSI crisis evolves around the present chairman Nurdin Halid`s candidacy for another term in office ahead of a PSSI congress although under his leadership Indonesian football remained void of any significant achievement.

A committee responsible for verification of the eligibility of candidates for the PSSi chair recently named Nurdin and one of his long-time associates as the only candidates fit to stand in the election. This triggered wide-spread protests across the country and a commission handling appeals on the verification committee`s decision eventually revoked Nurdin`s nomination.

As a result of the problem, the PSSI executive board decided to postpone the timeline of the association`s congress while FIFA had ruled that the congress must take place before April 30. (HAJM/S012)

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Kido/Hendra resolved to win All-England title

Jakarta - Indonesian badminton pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan are resolved to win the men`s double champion`s title in the All-England tournament in England next week.

"We are anxious (to win it) because we have never done it," Hendra said when attending the signing of a cooperation agreement between PT Adaro Energy Tbk. and PT Flypower here on Saturday to support the pair in their fight in the international tournament.

All England is the only big individual badminton tournament that the two have never won, after recording a victory in the Southeast Asia Games, Asian Games, the World Championship and the Olympics.

Regarding the injury on his knee he sustained after they won a gold medal in the Asian Games in November Hendra said that it was already improving.

"It is not a problem anymore. I have been able to play normally," he said.

Markis Kido shared the desire to win the All England champion who along with Hendra achieved a semi-final round last year.

"We have never won a title there and of course we wish we could become a champion," he said.

Their coach, Sigit Pamungkas, said the chance for the two was big if they could surpass the quarterfinals well.

In the quarterfinals at the Super Series Premier tournament Kido and Hendra would likely meet their long time opponents Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia.

"However they also need to be careful against young pairs from Korea, Japan and China," Sigit who would accompany them said.

Regarding their preparations he said that it was quite good. "Their participation in the China League even served as evaluation materials for me to see if their performance was good enough especially Hendra`s who has had a knee injury," he said.

"It seems they are fine and have even been able to beat the Chinese pair that won the Malaysia Super Series (Chai Biao) and Xu

Chen. We can consider them as their sparring partners," he said.

Hendra and Kido would leave for Birmingham on Sunday to participate in the All England from March 8 to 13.(F005/H-YH/HAJM/H-YH)

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FIFA bans Nurdin Halid from running for PSSI chair

Jakarta - The world football regulator FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) has banned the present chairman of the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI). Nurdin Halid, from running in the election of a new chairman at its congress in late April.

Indonesian ambassador to Switzerland Joko Susilo when contacted by phone from here on Tuesday (March 8) said FIFA`s stand on Nurdin Halid was conveyed to him by FIFA President Joseph "Sepp" Blatter at a meeting earlier in the day in Zurich, Switzerland.

"Sepp Blatter said that FIFA was following its own rules of association and ethics and under these rules, ex-convicts cannot lead a football organization," he said.

Blatter who was informed by Djoko about the leadershio crisis in PSSI strictly forbade Nurdin Halid to run for PSSI chairman or other official positions in the organization.

"FIFA will not recognize the election`s result if Nurdin runs for the 2011-2015 chairmanship, and FIFA only wanted Indonesian football to be better," said Joko.

As a follow up measure, FIFA would also send a team to monitor PSSI`s congress according to the valid association`s code of conduct.

The PSSI congress will be held before April 20, 2011, according to FIFA notification letter sent earlier.

Blatter also said that FIFA will not interfere on the existence of the National Football Recovering Committee, because it is an internal PSSI`s problem.

According to original plan, the PSSI congress was to be held in Bali on March 26 to elect a chairman and deputy chairman, and an executive committee, but because an appeals committee had disqualified all four candidates, the congress had to be postponed and after FIFA was informed of the situation, it had ruled that the congress must take place before April 30.

The four candidates were Nurdin Halid, Nirwan Bakrie, George Toisutta and Arifin Panigoro.

The complicated situation prompted Indonesian football enthusiasts to hold mass rallies to demand that Nurdin Halid no longer be the PSSI chairman.

Indonesian football enthusiasts also said that Nurdin Halid had violated FIFA rules of association because he was an ex-convict. (A050/H-YH)

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