'It has been the toughest battle of my life' - Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh is confident he will return to playing cricket for India but says he is neither in a hurry nor anxious to do so, and that cancer changed his approach to both life and the sport.

In his first media conference on returning to India after receiving treatment in the USA for a rare germ-cell cancer called mediastinal seminoma, Yuvraj said his chemotherapy cycles often left him "depressed" and in tears, but having cancer had taught him a lot. "Cancer may be the best thing to have happened to me and maybe I will realise this in the future," he said. "There were more bad days than good. I haven't played cricket for one year, and it has been the toughest battle of my life."

Yuvraj was speaking at his academy, the Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence, at a Pathways School outside Delhi, turning up bald following his hair loss due to chemotherapy. He was accompanied by his doctor, Nitesh Rohatgi, a senior medical oncologist. Yuvraj wore sunglasses indoors, not as a style statement, but to handle the extreme glare from camera lights. Over the course of what was nearly an hour-long conference, he spoke openly of his two months in the USA, when he avoided watching cricket on TV ("there was a little bit of frustration when I watched the team play") and found himself inspired by the practical approach of fellow chemotherapy patients. He discovered he now belonged to another larger group of people, a group he called "the cancer family".

When asked about his return to competitive cricket, Yuvraj said, "I don't know what I will come back and be able to do. Getting back on the field will be a big achievement for me. My body needs to recuperate, and to deal with all that pressure, and to play for India again will be a very big achievement for me. What happens after that, I don't know. As a sportsman you can only say, I'm going to work hard - one thing I always think about is that I want to put the cap with the India logo back on my head. I can't say what I will do when I come back, but I am sure I will come back to cricket."

He made it clear that he had no targets or ambitions related to cricket. "At the moment it is very important that I look after my health, eat the best diet, have the best surroundings. The focus will be on my health, and what the priorities are with regards to my health. Rather than being emotional and saying 'oh people want me back quickly'. I've gone through a very tough time, when I come back on the field I want it to be when I am absolutely fit, not to rush, even if it takes me an extra month. But I'm sure that I will return."

Yuvraj's treatment in the USA had involved working with Dr Lawrence Einhorn, the doctor who helped Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong recover from a form of cancer that had been considered terminal. A few years ago, Yuvraj had left Armstrong's book It's Not About The Bike half-finished. "Maybe I had to come back to it this way and finish the book," he said. "He also had a young mother who helped him through the illness, he also had close friends who helped him survive … To me, Lance is a real life hero; he is a great sportsman but his achievements in life are much greater."

The disease, Yuvraj said, had made him appreciate friends, family, health and happiness over fame, popularity, success or money. "My thoughts have changed … Ever since I have played for India, I would get up thinking, will I score runs today or won't I, will I field properly, will I take catches, what will X or Y say about me, what will the press say about me. For ten years, I got into the pressure getting up every day thinking that I wanted to prove them wrong. But now that is gone, it doesn't matter and I am content. I have my friends around; I have my family. Definitely, I want to play cricket but I am sure I will play it with less stress on my mind … Playing cricket after this, looks a lot easier."

The disease may have left his body, Yuvraj said, "but the scar has not gone," and he wanted to be involved in working with cancer patients. "I don't have any specific plans now, but in the coming time, I will definitely do something for people with cancer… now patients struggling with cancer are like a family to me. I can understand their pain and I feel more connected to anyone who is going through it."

Cancer "hit him very bad" and at the start Yuvraj had found it hard to believe he had it. "This illness, it was hard to believe that a person like me can go through this. First of all, I am an athlete, I run six hours a day and I am playing from morning to evening. How can I have any illness?"

Yuvraj's problems had begun with difficulties in breathing during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, during which he emerged as the player of the tournament. During the World Cup he found he could not breathe comfortably on his left side, had bouts of nausea and had coughed blood on a few occasions. Yuvraj said the delay in undergoing chemotherapy had risen due to the difficulty in diagnosing the cancer he was suffering from. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.

"For six months we had wondered is this cancer or is it not. It was tough to diagnose. Maybe I responded late by two months. It was hard to accept you have cancer. I was in denial most of the time, I was afraid. But once I knew what I need to do, what was the right thing to do about it, I went to the US straightaway for my treatment."

Yuvraj also had a message for others who have difficulty accepting their affliction. "Awareness is very important. I wanted to portray to everyone who had the same illness, that don't be afraid. I was also in denial, I was also afraid, if you have any issue, get it checked. I ignored the coughing which was not the right thing to do. The World Cup was coming, there was a lot of pressure on us to do well, so there were other issues … but get yourself checked. Fight it out, be strong. It's not easy, but if I can do it, they can do it."

In Indianapolis, Yuvraj said he had watched joggers go past his apartment window and wondered whether he would ever be able to run around again or return to his family and friends in India. He was home now, he said, "with a lot of happiness inside me, that I can now live like any normal man, that I am breathing normally, there is no stress."

Sparks could fly as MI meets CSK

Chepauk should witness high-voltage action on Wednesday (04.04.2012) when two marquee teams — Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians — face-off. Amid the heat, dust and the dazzling lights, cricket could be explosive.

After the glittering opening ceremony of light and sound, there should be fireworks in the middle.

The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League could be a box of excitement and surprises.

This is Twenty20 time and the fielders might be chasing leather. But, then, at Chepauk, the ball might also hold sway.

The relaid pitch played low and slow during the Champions League matches at this venue last year. Run-making demanded application, and spinners turned influential.

Since then, the surface appears to have settled down. A measure of grass on the wicket for the matches here should assist in the binding of the pitch. There should also be greater bounce in the wicket, at least in the early games, here.

In the practice games on the track prior to the tournament-opener, the cricketers appeared pleased with the ‘carry' off the pitch.

The spinners could be hard to counter if the turn they extract combines with bounce. Red soil was mixed with the pitch's largely clay content using air holes ahead of the competition. This surface will surely be under scrutiny.

For CSK, Chepauk has been a fortress. Under the circumstances, the team's reverse here during the Champions League was a shock of sorts for its supporters.

The Mumbai Indians, in contrast, will have recent happy memories of the venue. It was here that the side, under Harbhajan Singh, grabbed its first title — the Champions League.

With Sachin Tendulkar, who was injured then, giving up captaincy ahead of this IPL, Harbhajan remains Mumbai Indians' captain. Both the skipper and his men face a test of character.

M.S. Dhoni continues to lift CSK. The game's great finisher has an instinctive feel for the format that is hard to ignore. The CSK is a potent force collectively and a sense of bonding in the side is unmistakable.

The side from Chennai is a batting powerhouse; it is packed with big hitters who can swing games. The outfit also has a worthy blend of the right and the left-handers. This aspect of the CSK line-up constantly forces the bowlers to shift line.

In the bowling department, the focus will be on how off-spinner R. Ashwin teams up with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The result could hinge on the sort of pressure the two can put on the opposition in the middle-overs.

CSK's Doug Bollinger, the left-arm paceman from Australia, can strike with bounce and movement with the new ball, and make dents with fuller length and swing in the end overs. Morkel too can rearrange woodwork with his yorkers in the end overs.

The inspirational Tendulkar shares a symbiotic relationship with the Chennai crowd. If he waltzes, years fall away and strokes flow.

Like CSK, Mumbai Indians has men who can bludgeon the sphere; the lanky Kieron Pollard is among the longest hitters of the cricket ball. And the spunky Dinesh Karthik is a wicket-keeper batsman who can give the ball a thump.

The incisive Lasith Malinga could be in the business with the ball for Mumbai Indians, if there is swing — the condition of the ball and the breeze blowing in from the Bay of Bengal through the large gaps in the stand could be major factors.

And if the ball grips, Harbhajan's off-spin and left-armer Pragyan Ojha will come into the picture.

This will be a high-pressure match that will test the nerve of both sides. As the heavyweights clash, sparks could fly.

Leander Paes hits a half-century with Miami doubles title win

 The red-hot pairing of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek, seeded seventh, claimed their second title of the season, winning the ATP Masters event in Miami late on Saturday. 

It was a double celebration for the Indo-Czech pair as the win gave the Mumbai-based Paes a milestone 50th title. After blasting past the world No.1 pairing of Americans Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinals on Thursday, Paes and Stepanek gave a sublime performance to score a 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 win over Belarus' Max Mirnyi and Canada's Daniel Nestor. 

Paes, who became the 24th player in ATP Tour history to complete 50 doubles titles, claimed $24,270 in prize money and 250 points. "It's really, really special. 50 tournaments takes a little doing, 600 matches takes a little bit of doing," said Paes . 

The 38-year-old Paes also collected his third straight crown in Miami, having triumphed with Lukas Dlouhy in 2010 and Mahesh Bhupathi in 2011. Paes said, "It is awesome to have managed a three-peat here in Miami. 

Next year, I hope to start another one." After dropping the first set, the Australian Open champions broke Mirnyi and Nestor twice in the second set to take the match into the deciding super tie-break. 

The Indo-Czech tandem trailed 1-4 before winning six straight points to surge and closing out the match in 82 minutes. Stepanek, who made his sizzling returns count, said, "We fought through the match, we got on top of them in the second set. We were the more aggressive and creative team that's why we won." 

Paes' next assignment is India's Davis Cup Asia-Oceania second round clash against Uzbekistan from April 6 to 8 on indoor clay at Namangan's sports complex. Paes will partner Bangalore's Rohan Bopanna in the doubles while Delhi boy Yuki Bhambri, ranked 263, will lead the singles line-up. 

American collegian Sanam Singh, ranked 436, is the second singles player. The 44th-ranked Denis Istomin and the 265th-ranked Farrukh Dustov will do the singles honors for Uzbekistan

Dravid walked through obstacles, not around them

 It was an evening filled with emotion in Mumbai - Rahul Dravid almost cried and VVS Laxman had moist eyes, while Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni sang praises of Dravid, one of the flagbearers of Indian cricket's golden generation.

The occasion was Dravid's felicitation by the BCCI, following his recently announced retirement from international and first-class cricket. Two of the biggest men in Indian cricket, BCCI president N Srinivasan (unwell) and Sachin Tendulkar (reasons unknown) might have been absent, but the event, which took place on the plush lawns of a five-star hotel, was still very well attended. Many prominent former cricketers - including Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Bishan Bedi, Mohinder Amarnath and Dilip Vengsarkar - and the entire India squad that will play the one-off Twenty20 against South Africa, along with senior BCCI officials, were there.

After a recorded message from Srinivasan played out, Kumble, Ganguly, Laxman and Dhoni walked up to the podium to pass on messages of thanks to Dravid. He was 'Jam' to his contemporary, Kumble, and 'Rahul bhai' to younger team-mate and captain Dhoni, who said Dravid was Indian cricket's man Friday.

"He was someone who would walk through obstacles, not someone who would go around the obstacles," Dhoni said, summing up the character of Dravid who, all the speakers agreed, was always willing to give his all at all times. "He was someone who was ready to do anything and everything needed for the team: whether it came to opening the innings, wicketkeeping, or standing at slips or silly point, his answer was always 'yes'," Dhoni said. He also reserved special praise for Dravid's wicketkeeping skills, saying "some of the catches he took, may be a regular wicketkeeper would never have taken [them]".

Dhoni said it was not only him, but all the younger players who were paying a tribute to Dravid through him. Dravid, he said, always prepared the same meticulous way, no matter who the opponent was.

Ganguly, under whose captaincy Dravid played some of his best innings, said having Dravid as a deputy was a 'pillow of comfort'. He held Dravid and the then coach John Wright responsible for him finishing as one of the most successful India captains. "A lot of people talk about me being the captain, but behind the scenes lot of work was done by you [Dravid] and John, which made Indian cricket successful," Ganguly said. "To sum-up your career I can say only one word: outstanding, and I'm sure you must be a proud man today. The contribution you made to Indian cricket [was] not just the runs you scored, but [the fact that] you played in an era in which Indian cricket went from strength to strength."

Kumble said one of Dravid's biggest strengths was his commitment to the task. "We shared a lot of evenings out. He knew what I hated, what I'd order … he'd know what it was. When we were having discussions, we'd be lost in our own thoughts. He would probably be preparing [mentally] for the next day's batting, or analysing the day's play," Kumble said. "This is what his commitment and pride for the game was. This is something that'll be missed in the dressing room."

Laxman, Dravid's best man on so many occasions including the historic Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001, said his forte was humility in the face of big accomplishments. "Even after so many achievements, he has always been level headed and for me that is his greatness," Laxman said in an emotional speech, during which he urged everyone present to stand up and give his friend, Rahul, an ovation.

Dravid, who walked in with his family, wife, children, parents and brother included, listened intently to every speaker and did not forget to thank each of these four former team-mates when his turn to talk came around. He said it was the players' performance along with the support from the BCCI that had helped India move from being regarded as "second-class citizens" to "dictating terms" in international cricket.

Before he said his final goodbye, Dravid told Dhoni and the rest of the India squad that he was certain that Indian cricket's legacy was now in safe hands. "I may not be playing for India anymore but to the present Indian team what I would like to say is: guys, I will watch with great interest what I think is an extremely exciting and really talented group of young cricketers," he said. "I hope Indian cricket will always be a strong force, both on the field and off the field. And I have no doubt that I would take great pleasure, with a cup of tea and a biscuit in my hand, in watching you guys achieve great things." 

India fails to learn it's lesson; Football player collapses on pitch and dies after delayed medical attention

 

A black day for Indian football as a first division player from Bangalore Mars collapses on pitch and is pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital..

 

 

 

In what what turned out to be a black day for Indian Football, a young first division football player Venkatesh D (28), collapsed on the pitch at the Bangalore Football Stadium and was pronounced dead when he was taken to the hospital.
The unfortunate incident happened when Venkatesh collapsed after taking a few touches of the ball at the 87th minute of his team's (Bangalore Mars) match against South Western (SW) Railway in the BDFA A Division league.
The news comes in just days after some efficient and quick medical attention had saved the life of Bolton's Fabrice Muamba when he too suffered a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
Well, it just about sums up the pathetic state of Indian football and how far behind we are from a developed footballing nation.

No ambulance was present at the stadium and Venkatesh’s teammates had to hire an auto rickshaw to take him to closest hospital, Hosmat Hospital, for immediate treatment. Quite astonishingly, mere sprays and ice-pack were used as treatment on the football pitch.
While in England, the authorities learned from their mistake in 2006 when following Petr Cech's head injury against Reading, it took more than half an hour to take him to the hospital, we are yet to learn our lesson. Fortunately, the goal-keeper survived that day but the FA had taken steps to fasten the treatment process since then.
However, this incident today absolutely proved that we have certainly not taken any cue from them.  In April last year, HAL SC goalkeeper Arun Kumar had collided with his team member Ankit Sharma during a training session. After the collision the goalkeeper was immediately taken to the hospital and was given medical treatment for a crack on his foot. 
He was discharged from the hospital but later Arun complained of breathing problem and was  declared dead due to cardiac arrest by the doctors.

 

Seven years ago, it was Dempo's Cristiano Junior who died after collapsing on the pitch during the Federation Cup final against Mohun Bagan.
It is quite surprising how a competitive top division football can be given a go ahead with no trained physicians, no ambulance and no proper medical team! Incidentally, the Karnataka Football Association(KFA) Chief AR Khaleel is also the vice-president of the All India Football Federation(AIFF)
India has failed to learn their lesson and this accident was something that was just waiting to happen..

Dramatic last over run-out leaves match tied Australia vs West Indies

 Dramatic last over run-out leaves match tied Australia vs West Indies

Australia 220 (M Hussey 67, Bailey 59, Narine 3-32) tied with West Indies 220 (Charles 45, Watson 3-30)


Any lingering thoughts of a Caribbean holiday were swept decisively away from Australia by a thrilling and courageous West Indies chase to force a dramatic tie at a heaving Arnos Vale Ground. Tuesday had been declared a public holiday in St Vincent and a sold-out crowd was kept on its feet throughout as the two sides finished locked on 220 apiece on a pitch almost as lively for spin bowling as for dancing at the boundary's edge.

The West Indies needed only one run from the final three deliveries to be bowled by Brett Lee, but a mix-up between the captain Darren Sammy and the last man Kemar Roach saw both stranded at the striker's end as Lee broke the stumps at his. However, the hosts' fight to level the scores having been mired as deeply as 78 for 5 will provide plenty of belief for Sammy's men, while also showing Australia's players that they cannot afford to misstep quite so badly as they have done at times in the three matches so far.

This time the fault lay with the batsmen, who squandered the best of the conditions and failed completely to cope with the crafty spin of Sunil Narine. But there was also a cautionary note for the stand-in captain Shane Watson, who spoiled an otherwise admirable bowling stint with a no-ball that reprieved Andre Russell at a critical time. Watson fumed over the episode and may need to calm himself more rapidly on future captaincy assignments, not least on this tour.

Having built a sound platform to chase the 221 required at 52 for 1, the hosts lost four wickets for 26 as Xavier Doherty and Watson cut through the batting with a combination of spin, changes of pace and alert field placement. However a series of doughty contributions from Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Russell and Carlton Baugh brought the West Indies to the brink, and Sammy would have taken his side home without a moment of running impulse from Roach.

In front of a teeming Kingstown gathering that caused a long trail of morning traffic to the ground, the Australians had been briefly delighted to find a pitch offering more pace than had been found in either of the first two fixtures here. However, they lost their previous enthusiasm when the offspinner Narine used it, along with the sharp spin that had been on offer all week, to cause considerable torment.

George Bailey, promoted to No. 4, and Michael Hussey provided some measure of stability to the innings, from an uncertain 58 for 3, but neither batsman could quite attain command of the bowling. Hussey's dismissal signalled another flurry of wickets, this time the giddy loss of five for six runs. Marlon Samuels and Roach both contributed with clever spells, but it was Narine's deception of the touring batsmen that was most complete, their muddle exemplified by two run-outs in the slipstream of Narine overs.

When West Indies chased, Charles and Kieran Powell enjoyed a more fruitful stand than their one-ball effort in the second ODI, and Watson had to introduce Doherty's spin in the seventh over as he sought a wicket. Powell hammered Doherty over the wide long-on rope, but next ball the spinner took revenge by running a delivery across the opener to draw a clear stumping for Matthew Wade.

Watson used a slower ball to tunnel through Samuels' defence, and in the same over Darren Bravo was confounded by a delivery that disturbed the surface and sent his drive straight to Bailey at short cover. A similar dismissal accounted for Charles, though he could have fewer queries about how the ball had reached him off the pitch, and Doherty used another straighter variation to cramp Dwayne Bravo's attempt to cut and coax an edge into Wade's gloves.

Pollard had seen the West Indies home on Sunday, but had a far sterner task ahead of him this time. For a while he delighted team-mates and spectators, sending one mighty swipe at Lee clean out of the ground. To rid him of this threat, Watson called on Nathan Lyon, Pollard's sometime compatriot in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition.

As he has done before, Lyon was not afraid to sacrifice a six in search of a wicket: Pollard cleared Doherty at long-on once, but found him when attempting to repeat the stroke two balls later. Russell maintained the fight in the company of Baugh, smiting a rival to Pollard's earlier six when he crashed Clint McKay down the ground and beyond it.

The required rate crept up gradually, aided by Watson's thrift, and when Russell was bowled attempting an impatient heave the game appeared up. However replays showed that Watson had overstepped, and Russell's rearguard went on. As if to frustrate Watson further, Russell was also to be bowled by the resulting free-hit.

As he and Doherty had almost exhausted their overs, Watson called on McKay to probe for the clinching wickets. As the crowd clung to rum-fuelled visions of victory, he seemed to do just that: first teasing an edge out of Russell that Wade dived to claim, then prompting Baugh to send an attempted flick skyward for Daniel Christian to pouch.

Not willing to give up, Narine hit out boldly to reduce the requirement, and Sammy showed the sort of composure he is beginning to make a habit of. However Roach ran on the third-last ball as though it was the last, and Australia salvaged something.

Having won the toss, Watson had expected a similar surface to those previously encountered in Kingstown, but noted more evidence of dryness. In the first few overs he and David Warner timed the ball more successfully than at any stage of the first two games, and it was with the score a promising 33 for 0 that Sammy called on Narine. His first over saw the ball popping and spinning far more excitedly than the batsmen were expecting, and Watson's response in the next over was to chase a tight single that became fatal when Russell threw the stumps down.

The wicketkeeper Wade, back to No. 3 in the shuffle that had Peter Forrest dropped to make room for Lyon's spin, struggled mightily in his brief time against Narine, also narrowly avoiding a run-out. Shuffling too far across his crease, it was no great surprise when Narine spun a delivery around Wade's pads to bowl him for a fretful 2 from 11 balls. Narine's analysis told a tale of bewitchment: 5-1-5-1.

Bailey and Hussey were vigilant as they built a significant union, tallying 112 before they were separated by Samuels. His role in the dismissal was more technical than practical, a short ball pulled venomously by Bailey - he had just struck a compelling straight six - straight into the hands of Bravo behind square leg. Bailey cursed his exit, just at the moment when it seemed Australia had wrested the advantage, and they would prove to be prescient oaths.

Michael Hussey misread Samuels' length and turn to be stumped by a distance. Next over David Hussey was deceived completely by Roach's perfectly pitched slower ball and bowled, and after a first-up wide Brett Lee fell to the same variation, this time dragging a shorter offering onto his stumps. The innings had lost its way; it so very nearly cost the match.

EPL - Boltan Player Fabrice Muamba's heart stopped beating for two hours after collapse

EPL- Bolton Player Fabrice Muamba's heart stopped beating for two hours after collapse

 

Bolton player Fabrice Muamba was still fighting for his life in intensive care on Sunday night, remaining in critical condition a day after collapsing during a match because of a cardiac arrest.

 

Referee Howard Webb ended the match after 41 minutes after Muamba collapsed to the White Hart Lane pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The 23-year-old received prolonged resuscitation on the pitch and in an ambulance en route to the London Chest Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Paramedics could not get Muamba's heart beating on its own for almost two hours.

A statement from the hospital and Bolton this morning also revealed Muamba, who is a father of one, would remain "anaesthetised in intensive care and will be for at least 24 hours".

Bolton Wanderers' Fabrice Muamba was in a stable but critical condition on Monday, two days after he suddenly collapsed during a match, the hospital treating him said.
Muamba slumped onto the turf towards the end of the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham's White Hart Lane ground on Saturday.
It was later confirmed the 23-year-old had suffered a cardiac arrest.
A statement issued on behalf of Bolton and the London Chest Hospital at 9.30am local time (0930GMT) Monday said: "Fabrice Muamba's heart condition is stable, but he remains critically ill in intensive care at The London Chest Hospital.
"The family is grateful to the media for continuing to respect their privacy at this time."
Muamba's plight sparked a wave of concern from fellow Premier League players and football fans worldwide.