Imran tells India

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan feels that iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar should have retired after the “ultimate high” of India winning the World Cup last year. “We all want to go with a big bang but you don’t always get it right. For Sachin the ultimate time to go was after that World Cup win. He had such a great World Cup. He is a great player and there is no replacement for him,” Imran said. “He has to decide for himself and he must time it right. You don’t want to go having lost to Australia 4-0. If he had gone after that World Cup that would have been the ultimate high,” Imran told a TV channel here. Imran said Indian players have the right to decide when they want to retire and the management should first get the replacement for them. “It’s a very difficult question for a sportsman to know when to leave…It’s a very difficult decision and many great players have not got it right,” he said. “For Indian cricket it’s not one player now but three or four would have to take decision. But the big question is whether you have got their replacement. If the gap between the young and old player is too much then you have to stay with the old players.” Asked about Tendulkar’s impending 100th ton, Imran said it doesn’t matter whether he gets that elusive hundred or not as statistic doesn’t matter for a great player. “Records must be broken within the team winning. You should not be playing to break records. Records should be part of the win. Sachin is a great player. Would I think of Sachin whether he is of 99 hundreds or 100 hundreds! No,” Imran said. “The greatest player I’ve played is Viv Richards. I don’t need to look at his records. He is great because he loves challenges. Records are after all statistics and statistics did not matter to great players,” he said. The former fast bowler said that he would have hung up his boots if his team had suffered a similar consecutive overseas whitewash like Team India.“I would have retired from cricket. I think if I was in a team that lost eight matches in a row I would have given up cricket. It’s not the West Indies of 80s. But see who India has lost to Australia and England. This Australia team hardly has won any series. You can’t blame the fans for feeling upset,” he said. Imran said if India gives too much emphasis on Twenty20 cricket and the IPL then it might be reduced to a “walkover team in Test cricket”. “India need to think seriously… have they put too much emphasis on the IPL, T20 cricket. It’s great entertainment but how to compare T20 with Test cricket. Test cricket is the ultimate test of the skills,” he said.

Sudan in African Cup quarter-finals

Sudan reached the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 42 years on Monday, beating Burkina Faso 2-1 to squeeze through on goal difference and edge out Angola. Mudather Tayeb scored both of Sudan s goals to deliver the nation s biggest sporting moment since it won the African Cup on home soil in 1970. It was also Sudan s first win at the tournament since that triumph. Mudather broke clear to beat Burkina Faso goalkeeper Daouda Diakite in the 33rd minute and then punished a mistake by the keeper in the second half to carry Sudan through, despite a 97th minute goal from the Burkinabes. Angola lost 2-0 to already-qualified Ivory Coast in Group B s other game in Malabo to be eliminated.

We won because we worked hard, says Rehman

Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman on Tuesday refused to accept that Pakistan’s success over world number one Test side England was a big surprise, saying the team achieved the 2-0 lead through sheer hard work. Rehman starred in his team’s 72-run win in the second Test in Abu Dhabi by claiming a career-best 6-25 to bundle England for 72 in the second innings – their lowest in all Tests against Pakistan. The win gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series with the last match in Dubai from February 3. Pakistan won the first Test by ten wickets, also played in Dubai. Rehman, 31, said beating England was not a shock. “No, it is not surprising. We have won because we have worked really hard before the series and in the two Test matches,” said Rehman, who has 12 wickets in two Tests while his spin partner Saeed Ajmal has 17. Rehman, though, admitted England’s capitulation was a bit surprising. “We had no idea that it would finish in three or four days, but since the team did well and the pitches helped us so we won,” said Rehman of the two Tests which finished in three and four days respectively. Rehman said he has received brilliant support from Ajmal, who took ten wickets – including a career-best 7-55 – in the first Test. “We don’t think like ‘he will get wicket and I will be left out,’ we support each other so much that there is no ill will in our hearts,” said Rehman. “No matter which bowler gets the wickets, it is helpful for the team.” The brilliant spinning show have raised both Ajmal and Rehman in the International Cricket Council rankings. Ajmal is second while Rehman has jumped to ninth – the first time in 23 years that two Pakistan spinners are in the top ten. Rehman admitted he was proud of his rankings. “It’s good, a very good feeling and now I am in top ten and it is after a long time that two Pakistani spinners have come in the rankings, so I am happy that I am among those bowlers who are world’s best,” said Rehman. Rehman believed England batsmen flopped because of a better gameplan by Pakistan. “What we are trying is to give them a tough time, contain them so that they make mistakes. That was the game-plan of the captain and the coach, so they made mistakes after getting fed up,” said Rehman, who now has 68 wickets in 14 Tests.

Amir Khan celebrates engagement to Fayal

The ceremony was held at the weekend with a £150,000 bash at the Rebook Stadium in his hometown of Bolton. Amir presented his fiancée with a stunning three diamond ring, believed to have cost £100,000, during the special ceremony, with the New York born beauty presenting her husband-to-be with an equally impressive platinum band. 25-year-old Amir announced his plans to marry 20-year-old Faryal earlier this month, with the couple officially marking their engagement with a lavish celebration over the weekend. 1,000 guests joined the couple to celebrate their happy news, amongst them were many famous faces from the world of sport including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ricky Hatton. Faryal flew over from New York especially for the engagement party, with her family also travelling with her. The student will spend the next week with her fiancé in Bolton as he plans to show Faryal around what will become her new home as the couple have decided to start married life in the north of England. The newly engaged couple were given a BMW 750 Li as an engagement present from the bride-to-be’s parents who have reportedly taken to the lightweight boxer in a big way, with student Faryal saying her family already treat Amir like a son. For Amir and his new fiancée Faryal, their romance got off to quite a rocky start as the bride-to-be revealed she had difficulty understanding Amir’s strong northern accent and vocabulary, with the boxer using unfamiliar words such as “daft” and “innit”, when they first started dating. However the pair managed to overcome early stumbling blocks and are now looking forward to their wedding which is likely to take place at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, the same venue which hosted their engagement party.

Bethel Swim Team Collects First Away Win Since 2008

BHS Swimming & Diving earned their first win of the year with an exciting comeback 96-90 win over Platt/Maloney. A long bus ride to Meriden that included getting lost made this "away" win even sweeter. It was the first away victory for Bethel High since January 2008, when this team's seniors were still in middle school.

BHS was ahead 32-30 after the 50 Free, but the Meriden Co-op team took a large 12 point lead with a pair of state finalist divers and a near sweep in the butterfly. This left it 41-53 at the half-way point of the meet. Bethel was ready for their comeback and took the next 6 events by a 55-37 score.

The comeback was lead by a 1-2 in the 100 Free with Captain Kevin Gallagher, senior, coming up his season best 55.96 and James Canfield with his personal best 59.50. Next came the 500 Free with Bethel trio of Sarah Whalen, Katie Bozzuti and Molly Nichols taking 2-3-4 against their male counterparts from Meriden. Now the score stood 60-66 and the BHS coaches started to think the first win was possible.

The strong 200 Free Relay team took first with Chris Wong, Tucker Bjornson, James Canfield and Kevin Gallagher posting a 1:45.25 and the score was now 68-72. The 100 Backstroke is the strongest for Bethel and they posted a near sweep with state qualifier Tucker Bjornson winning with a 1:05.76, freshman star Olivia Wootton took second at 1:09.34 and the all-stroke talented Aiden Ford collected fourth. BHS was now in the driver's seat, ahead 80-76.

Meriden wasn't done fighting though and BHS split points 8-8 in the 100 breast, making the last event, the 400 Free Relay, the true test of each team's depth: the Meriden three teams of 12 boys versus Bethel's 4 boys and 8 girls. Meriden would need a first and third place to win, but Bethel took first place with a long lead with Wootton, Gallagher, Canfield and Bjornson posting a season best 3.54.01.

Coach Katie McGowan could almost forget the 2+ hour bus ride and smile with her first career away victory and a chance to be the first multiple win BHS team since 2006. The next meet is Tuesday at the WCSU pool versus Pomperaug at 4pm.

BHS Scoring Results:

200 Medley Relay: 2nd (Sarah Whalen, Johnny Esposito, Chris Wong, Olivia Wootton)

200 Free: 1st Tucker Bjornson; 3rd Katie Bozzuti; 5th Aiden Ford

200 IM: 1st Olivia Wootton; 2nd Sarah Whalen; 5th Juliana Bell

50 Free: 2nd Kevin Gallagher; 3rd James Canfield

Diving: 3rd Alex Nackid; 4th Julia Morton

100 Fly: 3rd Chris Wong; 5th Cara Bernardo

100 Free: 1st Kevin Gallagher; 2nd James Canfield

500 Free: 2nd Sarah Whalen; 3rd Katie Bozzuti; 4th Molly Nichols

200 Free Relay: 1st (Wong,Bjornson,Canfield,Gallagher)

100 Back: 1st Tucker Bjornson; 2nd Olivia Wootton; 4th Aiden Ford

100 Breast: 2nd Molly Nichols; 3rd Johnny Esposito; 5th Davidson Abiali

400 Free Relay: 1st (Wootton,Gallagher,Canfield,Bjornson)

Badminton: Uber Cup Team Gets Tough Draw

Indonesia’s hopes of qualifying for the Uber Cup women’s team tournament could hinge on a single match. 

Monday’s draw in Macau for Asian zone qualifying put Indonesia in Group Y against Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and regional rival Thailand. While advancing is a safe bet, with the top two moving on, where Indonesia finishes in its group is of the utmost importance. 

Eleven-time champion China is in Group W with India and Malaysia, while Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam made up Group X. Host Macau is in Group Z with Japan and Hong Kong. The top four teams from the Feb. 13-19 qualifying rounds in Macau advance to the tournament proper, from May 20 to 27 in Wuhan, China. 

The Group Y runner-up faces the Group W winner. That means if Indonesia fails to win its group, it must beat China to reach the Uber Cup finals. 

“We’ll have to just deal with it. On paper, it’s a tough draw, but I believe we can overcome all obstacles if we play with great determination,” Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) secretary general Yacob Rusdianto said on Monday. 

While victories against Sri Lanka on Feb. 13 and Kazakhstan on Feb. 14 are likely, Thailand is a different proposition. 

The Thais have come on strong in recent years, beating Indonesia 3-1 for the Southeast Asian Games women’s team gold medal last year. Their squad will likely include three-time world junior singles champion Ratchanok Inthanon, ranked 13th in the world – the highest among Southeast Asian women’s shuttlers – and world No. 14 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk. 

Indonesia’s highest-ranked women’s singles shutter is No. 35 Adrianti Firdasari. However, its top women’s doubles pairs — Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari, and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Anneke Feinya Agustine — are higher-ranked than their Thai peers. 

With each qualifying tie featuring three singles and two doubles matches, Indonesia faces a tough fight against the Thais. 

“Thailand is a tough rival, but I’m optimistic that we can beat them and win the group,” said Nitya, who alongside Anneke gave the host nation its only point against Thailand in the SEA Games final. 

Adrianti, who lost to Ratchanok in the women’s team gold-medal match, said she was out for revenge. 

“I was suffering from an abdominal injury at the SEA Games, but now I’m ready. I’m highly motivated and will try to help the team win the group to avoid China in the quarterfinals,” she said. 

China, by far the most dominant force in women’s badminton, is expected to ease into top spot in Group W. 

The last time Indonesia beat China was in the 1996 Uber Cup final, which was also the last time Indonesia lifted the trophy. A loss in the qualifying quarterfinals would see Indonesia miss the Uber Cup for only the second time in its history, the first coming in 2006. 

Over on the men’s side, Indonesia was drawn into Group B of Thomas Cup qualifying alongside India, Singapore and Macau. It opens against host nation Macau on Feb. 13, followed by Singapore the next day and India on Feb. 15. 

The four semifinalists in Asian qualifying automatically advance to the Thomas Cup finals, while teams losing in the quarterfinals drop into a playoff for the fifth and final place. 

Thomas Cup 

Group A: China, Taiwan, Vietnam 

Group B: Indonesia, India, Singapore, Macau 

Group C: Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan 

Group D: South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong 
Uber Cup 

Group W: China, India, Malaysia 

Group X: Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam 

Group Y: Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan 

Group Z: Japan, Hong Kong, Macau

Barrichello still dreams of F1

Brazilian looking forward to IndyCar test but wants 20th season

Rubens Barrichello has said he is eagerly anticipating his IndyCar test but also admitted that a return to Formula 1 remains his ultimate goal.

Barrichello was left without a race seat for this year's World Championship when Williams announced that they had signed Bruno Senna rather than give his 39-year-old compatriot a 20th season in F1.

However, it was swiftly confirmed that Barrichello would test an IndyCar. He is scheduled to run at Sebring on Monday and Tuesday for KV Racing Technology, who already run another Brazilian, Tony Kanaan.

"I've always wanted to test an IndyCar. I love speed so it's natural to want to try this," Barrichello explained to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

"As I have no contract with anyone there is nothing to stop me from testing it.

"I'm going into this test with my mind wide open. If I leave the car with the passion I have always had as a driver then why not? I love racing."

The door now appears closed to Barrichello as regards an F1 seat for 2012 but the sport's most experienced driver maintained that his ultimate goal is to return.

"There are no more places open. But if the opportunity arises, the dream of competing in my 20th season in Formula 1 is still very much alive. You never know," Barrichello said."Sometimes things change for all sorts of reasons and someone calls up your speed and experience.

"Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher came back, so there's no reason I could not as well."

Barrichello also admitted that any switch to IndyCar racing might yet be influenced by the vow he made to his wife not to race on oval tracks.

Ovals are a staple of the series, although IndyCar will visit only four of them during 2012's 16-race calendar.

"It's true," Barrichello said of his promise. "It is an important issue to be resolved. But before I think about it I must first know the car. Inside me, it is not clear what to do."

Indian cricket's end of an era

All good things have to come to an end - but the end in Adelaide over the weekend was brutal.

India were routed in an overseas cricket Test for the eighth time in a row - four by an innings and two by more than 290 runs. The team's fabled batting line-up, stuffed with ageing legends, lay in ruins, mowed down by a bunch of terrific young Australian speedsters. The Adelaide annihilation came on a flat track holding no terrors.

The last time Indian cricket went through a similar ordeal was back in the 1960s, when they lost 17 overseas games on the trot.

Adelaide marked, as cricket writer Sharda Ugra wrote in a fine epitaph, a funereal end to Indian cricket's greatest era. A "decade of progress was signed off with staggering paucity of performance".

India managed to pass 300 runs only twice in the past 16 Test innings in England and Australia. This from a team in which four batsmen - Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag - have an incredible 45,611 runs between them. (It didn't help that their wayward bowlers picked up only 93 wickets in the two series, while England and Australia picked up all of the 160 Indian wickets in eight Tests.)

That the outstanding middle-order would walk into the sunset one day was expected. But it was still painful to witness the fading of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and to a lesser extent Sachin Tendulkar in a Test series where India capitulated without a resemblance of a fight.

"The future has already arrived and kicked down the door," writes Ugra. "What it finds on the other side, representing Indian cricket, is merely uncertainty."

Worrying
That is what is truly worrying. India's prolific domestic cricket is played on dull, flat tracks, which make most of its batsmen vulnerable to the moving ball and bouncy pitches overseas. India's obsession with stars, as former Australian captain Ian Chappell argues, makes it difficult for selectors and the captain to do some straight talking to the legends.

Drunk on the riches of the Indian Premier League, India's shortsighted cricket authorities - and selectors - appear to have no succession plan in place for the batting greats, or a road map for how India can become an competitive away team.

Laxman and Dravid, proud sportsmen both, may well announce their retirement sooner than expected. Tendulkar is not expected to play for very long either. Virender Sehwag is looking a pale shadow of his imperious past, and the talented Gautam Gambhir is hesitant. MS Dhoni, who led India to a fabulous World Cup win last year, appears to have lost interest in the longer format of the game.

India's next away series comes only at the end of 2013, and the time to bring fresh blood is now.

First it needs to snap out of its denial mode. India's rich and upstart young cricketers said the team's failures in England and Australia were nothing to be embarrassed about - "after all, it is only a game", one said - and that the team would return to their winning ways on the slow trundlers that India prepare at home.

Cricket, like most things in shining India, is marked by hubris, cronyism, conflict of interest, and many such moral conflicts. So don't expect any searing and transparent post-mortem of the team's performance, or a sensible plan for the future. It will be a rocky road ahead.

Pakistan can be world number one: cricket coach

Pakistan cricket coach Mohsin Khan on Sunday expressed confidence his team can become the world's number one ranked team after humbling England in the second Test to claim victory in the series.

"I think this team has the capacity to become the world's best team. Our target should be to gradually come in the top three in both Tests and one-day, and then gradually go to world number one," Khan told AFP.

Khan's comments came a day after Pakistan crushed England by 72 runs in the second Test on the back of excellent performances from spinners Abdul Rehman (6-25) and Saeed Ajmal (3-22), restricting the rivals to a low total of 72.

Pakistan now enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead over England, the current world number one Test team, ahead of the third and final Test in Dubai starting February 3. They won the first Test by ten wickets, also in Dubai.

Khan, however, warned that Pakistan need to perform well outside the subcontinent to rise from their current place of fifth in the rankings.

"God willing, it can done gradually and hopefully we will touch the top but for that we have to perform well in other parts of the world (England, Australia and South Africa), so that means we have to prove a lot," said 56-year-old Khan, a former opener.

But Khan -- appointed as interim coach after Waqar Younis quit the post in September last year -- may not be there as coach as he is likely to be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore next month.

"What Mohsin Khan is today is because of Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. My services are always there for my country but I don't want anybody to take me for granted," added Khan, refusing to comment on his future.

Khan said he was not surprisd by England's capitulation against spin in both the Tests.

"I think our spinners bowled very well. When we go to England our batsmen struggle against swing and here they struggle against spin, but credit to our spinners as they exploited weaknesses and it needs skill to exploit rivals' weakness," said Khan.

Khan praised captain Misbah-ul Haq.

"Misbah is a very good captain and I have a good rapport with him. He gives me respect as coach and as his senior and I give him respect as captain so it's a mutual thing.

"We make gameplan and he respects my experience and as coach it is my duty to support him," said Khan of Misbah who took over in October 2010.

Since then Pakistan have won eight times in 14 Tests, losing only once. Pakistan have also won three series in a row under Khan.

Khan believes his current team ooze talent.

"When I came as coach I knew that this team had talent in abundance so my first priority was to make them mentally and physically strong and that was on display when Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq batted and carried us to that target," said Khan.

Ali (68) and Shafiq (43) shared a 88-run stand for the fifth wicket in Pakistan's second knock after they were reeling at 54-4.

"We won a lost match on Saturday, but the kind of belief and self confidence this team has shown is great," said Khan.

"I am proud of my team and the moment when we won and then players lifted me and celebrated the win, that was a joy to behold and any praise is less for that team spirit and the unity in joy.

"That was the biggest gift I can have from my players. Our actions are louder than words and I hope that this good work goes on and on."

All is not well at Real Madrid

What a difference a few days - along with, more importantly, a positive performance - make.

Until Wednesday, all was doom and gloom in the camp of Real Madrid after a 2-1 home loss at the hands of archrival Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey. Coach Jose Mourinho was under fire and at his pouting best as the teams prepared to tangle last Wednesday in the second leg.

Lo and behold, all was sweetness and light, even though Barcelona scraped through on aggregate after barely holding on for a 2-2 draw in the second game and a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Except, perhaps, in the mind of Mourinho, who suggested his players felt "it was impossible to win" at Barcelona. But that might have been a dig at referee Teixeira Vitienes, who sent off Real's Sergio Ramos for a second yellow card with a couple of minutes remaining to end any Madrid hopes.

Ah, yes, Ramos. The long-haired Spanish international fullback provided the evidence that all is not sweetness and light in the Real dressing room after the newspaper Marca reproduced, word-for-word, a confrontation between him, goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Mourinho.

That came after Ramos suggested Real had lost the first leg because of poor tactics.

"We follow the coach's tactics," Ramos said after the game. "Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."

A couple of days later, on the practice field, Marca reported the following conversation:

Mourinho to Ramos: "You killed me in the mixed zone" (where reporters interview players).

Ramos: "No, mister, you only read what it says in the papers, not everything we said."

Mourinho: "Sure, because you Spaniards have been world champions and your friends in the media protect you . and because the goalkeeper ."

At that point there is a shout from Casillas, 30 metres away: "Eh, mister, round here you say things to our faces, eh."

Mourinho: "Where were you on the first goal (by Barcelona in game one), Sergio?"

Ramos: "Marking (Barcelona's Gerard) Piqué."

Mourinho: "Well, you should have been marking (Barcelona's Carles) Puyol," (who scored on the play).

Ramos: "Yes, but they were blocking us off with Piqué and we decided to change the marking."

Mourinho: "What? So now you're playing at being coach?"

Ramos: "No, but depending on the situation in the game, sometimes you have to change the marking. Because you've never been a player, you don't know that that sometimes happens."

Ouch.

There was a change in tune after the second leg, which saw Real abandon its defensive style and attack Barcelona. Real gave up a pair of goals in the first half after dominating, but came back to tie 2-2 and could have won.

Sergio Ramos said he was "super proud" of his team. They had been, he said, "very superior."

"We leave with the feeling that today we have stood up to them," Casillas said. "We feel like we played well and that we deserved much more. We played well. We gave them hardly any opportunities and we depart proud and happy of our team. This is the way we have to carry on. Playing like this, we can achieve a lot."

Casillas also admitted that he had confronted the referee in the tunnel, telling him: "Now go and party with Barcelona."

It was, Casillas said, a moment of madness, quickly forgotten. Alvaro Arbeloa did not forget so fast.

"We got as far as they would let us," he said.

At Barcelona's El Prat airport, Madrid fans chanted: "Hands up! This is a robbery," as they waited for their team.

Refereeing can be a shield for underachieving teams to hide behind, but it wasn't necessary for Real to hide.

"Barcelona went through, Madrid came back," said the Madrid sports newspaper AS, while Marca's headlines said: "They had it . Barcelona knock out a Madrid side that were, for the first time, very much the better team."

On the night, yes. But what will the future hold? There is increasing discontent among the Madrid fans at Mourinho's inability to get a win over Barcelona (one in 11/2 seasons at Real) and persistent reports the Portuguese manager is unhappy.

Still, the team is playing well in the Champions League and leading the Spanish league.

Win those and, once again, all will be forgiven.

Barcelona's Victor Valdes admits: We have no more room for error in La Liga

The Catalans are now seven points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table following Saturday night's disappointing 0-0 draw with Villarreal at El Madrigal

Victor Valdes believes Barcelona must win all 18 of their remaining fixtures if they are to have any chance of holding on to their La Liga crown.

The Catalans are now seven points behind leaders Real Madrid after their dismal 0-0 draw with Villarreal at El Madrigal and the Spain goalkeeper admits that Pep Guardiola's men are now in a precarious position.

"We have no more room for error," Valdes is quoted as saying by Sport. "We have dropped two important points against Villarreal. We have to win all the points that remain. 

"And that's what you get. If we want to fight for the league, we can not fail anymore because there is a rival in front of us that is very strong."

Trying to work out the reasons behind Barca's inconsistent form of late, particularly on the road, Valdes believes that fatigue has become an issue for a side which travelled to Japan for the Club World Cup in December.

"Injuries can never be used as excuses," he argued. "That would be small team that does that. There is enough [strength in depth] to deal with all of the games.

"[But] I have the feeling that we are tired. But we are facing opponents who are also playing a lot and nobody here ever said that this would be easy.

"I cannot say exactly what is happening, really. The important thing is that the team is working hard but we must continue giving our all - and more if necessary."

Barcelona return to La Liga action against Valencia at the Mestalla next weekend, while Madrid are away to Getafe.

Kevin De Bruyne undergoes Chelsea medical as he completes a £6.7m move from Genk

The Belgian youngster will sign a five-and-a-half-year contract and then be loaned back to Genk for the rest of the season, as the club continue their youth recruitment policy

Kevin De Bruyne is at Chelsea’s training ground this morning undergoing a medical as he completes a move from Genk, The Stamford Bridge club have agreed a fee of £6.7 million with the Belgium outfit and he will then be loaned back to Genk for the rest of the season.

It is understood that the 20-year-old attacking midfielder will sign a five-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea.

De Bruyne will become the third Belgian youngster to join Chelsea in the last six months, following the arrivals of Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne’s former Genk team-mate Thibaut Courtois last summer.

The two clubs came to an agreement last night following weeks of negotiations and the winger flew into London in the last 24 hours to put the finishing touches to the move.

Andre Villas-Boas revealed last week that the pursuit of De Bruyne was being driven by others at Stamford Bridge as part of the club’s policy to target and recruit young players for the future.

“It’s not within my immediate projects. It’s a target that’s decided by the club, that I knew about for quite some time,” said Villas-Boas. “He was under the scrutiny of the club for some time, we’ve been following this player.

"Romelu Lukaku the same, and Petr Cech was the same when we arrived in 2004. In the sense that the club policy for the future, it’s the right thing [to buy him] and I’ll do everything in my power for him to reach maximum potential.”

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic retains title

The Serbian won an epic encounter 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7(5/7) 7-5 in five hours and 53 minutes, beating the previous record of four hours and 54 minutes set by Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander at the 1988 US Open. The win in what was also the longest match ever at the Australian Open meant Djokovic became just the fifth man to win three successive grand slam titles following his victories at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. It was Nadal who made the first move of the match, breaking for a 3-2 first-set lead, a development which caused Djokovic to hurl his racquet to the floor in frustration. And although the Serbian hit back to level it at 4-4, Nadal came again, reclaiming the advantage and then serving it out to edge a set ahead. Djokovic responded well in the second as he finally started to find his range. The punishing forehand had returned as he started to control the rallies from the centre of the court. He broke for 3-1 thanks to a low volley which landed on the baseline and seemed to be cruising until Nadal hit back to break with Djokovic attempting to serve the set out. The pressure swung back Nadal s way and he failed to cope, a double fault on Djokovic s fourth set point levelling matters. The feeling the match was turning Djokovic s way strengthened at the start of the third as he continued to bully his opponent, who was relying on errors for points. It was inevitable a break would finally arrive and it did as a whipped winning forehand enabled Djokovic to move 3-1 up. And with the top seed now in full flow, he threatened again on the Nadal serve at 4-1 only for the French Open champion to cling on. But there was to be no reprieve with Nadal 5-2 down. Djokovic surged to 0-40 and claimed another break and the set with a blistering forehand down the line. Nadal is a renowned fighter and he started the fourth set with renewed resolve. Also, perhaps sensing the match was getting away from him, he started to go for more on his forehand. But Djokovic was not for moving. The favourite was still displaying the look of a confident man and made his move in the eighth game with some stunning tennis bringing up three break points. Again Nadal fought, saving the first with a crunching forehand winner, the second with a big serve and the third with a backhand behind his opponent. And from deuce he completed the comeback with two big serves to level it at 4-4. At that juncture, the forecast rain arrived, forcing the players to take a short break while the roof on Rod Laver Arena was closed. When play resumed, Djokovic held for 5-4, finishing the game with a brilliant forehand down the line. And with Nadal not troubled on serve either, the set went to a tie-break. The breaker ebbed and flowed until Nadal set up a set point at 6-5 and he clinched it when Djokovic put a forehand into the tramlines. It was rapidly turning into another classic. Both men had worked hard to get to the final - Djokovic requiring four hours and 50 minutes to get past Andy Murray and Nadal three hours and 42 minutes to see off Roger Federer. Crucially, though, Nadal s match had taken place 24 hours earlier and in the early stages of the fifth the Spaniard seemed to have a greater spring in his step. And so it proved as he claimed the first break of the decider to move 4-2 up as Djokovic sent a cross-court forehand long. But the match swiftly took another swing, Djokovic breaking back straight away to get it back on serve. The sheer physical effort required by both players was evident in the first point of the ninth game when a 31-shot rally ended with Djokovic sending a backhand long before dropping to the floor in exhaustion. Despite his obvious fatigue, the Serbian still conjured up a break point only for Nadal to escape with a superb swinging serve out wide and eventually hold for a 5-4 lead. Djokovic had another two at 5-5, the first saved by a booming Nadal second serve but on the second he made the breakthrough as the Spaniard netted a sliced backhand. Inevitably Nadal was not done and he had a break point himself with Djokovic serving for the match. By now though there were no more miracles left and having staved off the danger, Djokovic set up a match point which he took with a winning forehand to complete a remarkable win.

British skier sets record for solo Antarctic trek

British adventurer Felicity Aston finished her Antarctic crossing on Monday, becoming the first woman to ski across the icy continent alone. She did it in 59 days ahead of schedule pulling two sledges for 1,084 miles (1,744 kilometres) from her starting point on the Leverett Glacier on Nov. 25. "It feels amazing to be finished and yet overwhelmingly sad that it s over at the same time," Aston said in a phone call she broadcast online from her tent while waiting for her flight out. She announced her achievement by Twitter: "  !!!Congratulations to the 1st female to traverse Antarctica SOLO.V proud," after reaching Hercules Inlet on Antarctica s Ronne Ice Shelf. Aston also set another record: the first human to ski solo, across Antarctica, using only her own muscle power. A male-female team already combined to ski across Antarctica without kites or machines to pull them across, but Aston is the first to do this alone. Aston, 34, grew up in Kent, England, and studied physics and meteorology. A veteran of expeditions in sub-zero environments, she worked for the British weather service at a base in Antarctica and has led teams on ski trips in the Antarctic, the Arctic and Greenland. But this was the first time she traveled so far, so alone. She worried beforehand that the solitude could pose her biggest challenge. In such an extreme environment, the smallest mistakes can prove treacherous. Alone with one s thoughts, the mind can play tricks. Polar adventurers usually take care to watch their teammates for signs of hypothermia, which is easier to diagnose in others than yourself, she said. This Antarctic summer is the centennial of Roald Amundsen s conquest of the South Pole, and every Briton knows how R.F. Scott s team arrived days later, demoralized to see Norway s flag. Scott and his entire team then died on their way out, and some of their bodies weren t found for eight months. Aston had modern technology in her favour: She kept family and supporters updated and received their responses via Twitter and Facebook, and broadcast daily phone reports online. She carried two satellite phones to communicate with a support team, and a GPS device that reported her location throughout. She also had two supply drops one at the pole and one partway to her finish line so that she could travel with a lighter load. Otherwise, her feat was unassisted.

Pakistan defeated England with a blowout 10-wicket victory inside three days on Thursday. Pakistan stubbornly extended its first innings in the morning to 338 for a lead of 146, then began before lunch dismantling England in its second innings for 160 inside 58 overs. Umar Gul s aggressive bowling for 4-63, coupled with some shocking shot selection by the Englishmen, left Pakistan with only 15 runs to win the opening test of the three-match series, and opener Mohammad Hafeez hit three boundaries in collecting them all. It was top-ranked England s first defeat since losing to Australia in the Ashes test at Perth in 2010. England had won seven of nine since then. Pakistan extended its unbeaten run in tests to eight since May, including six victories. Offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who grabbed a career-best 7-55 in England s first innings score of 192, added three more wickets to be named man of the match. It was second career match haul of 10 wickets. Abdur Rehman showed England why they should have included left-arm spinner Monty Panesar with 3-37, and narrowly missed a hat trick. After Adnan Akmal s gutsy half-century stretched Pakistan s first-innings lead to 146, Gul had England on the mat by tea at 75-5, claiming three wickets. Gul had reduced England to 16-1 at lunch when captain Andrew Strauss was adjudged caught behind off a leg-side delivery after TV umpire Steve Davis upheld onfield umpire Billy Bowden s decision. Opener Alastair Cook (5) and Kevin Pietersen (0) departed from attempting shocking pull shots against Gul. In his second spell, Gul found a thick outside edge of topscorer Jonathan Trott, who attempted an expansive cover drive to try and to reach a half century. Trott was out for 49 off 111 balls. Ajmal undid Ian Bell for 4 with his doosra. The batsman halfheartedly called for a review but started walking back after watching the replay on the big screen at Dubai International Cricket Stadium with the ball striking his back leg in front of the stumps. Rehman struck just before tea when Eoin Morgan on 14 got a faint edge to the wicketkeeper, and was on a hat trick when he dismissed Stuart Broad (17) and Chris Tremlett (0) off successive deliveries with England still 11 runs shy of making Pakistan bat again. Graeme Swann (39) and James Anderson (15) ensured England did not lose by an innings with a 25-run last wicket stand before Ajmal wrapped up the innings by finding the leading edge of Swann s bat and Asad Shafiq making a low catch and roll at short cover. Pakistan resumed overnight at 288-7 and thanks to the diminutive Akmal hitting 61 with eight fours, frustrated England for an hour and a quarter. Akmal lost Gul for a duck when he hit Broad in only the second over of the day to Morgan at point. Akmal gathered a precious 30 runs with Ajmal before Swann had the latter caught close to the wicket for 12. The last-wicket stand of 19 all made by Akmal added to England s frustration as the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman kept the strike from No. 11 Aizaz Cheema for four overs. Akmal played some extravagant strokes that included two reverse swept boundaries off Swann. He brought up his second test half-century with a similar stroke for two runs and pumped his fist in joy while raising his bat toward his teammates in the dressing room. Swann finally closed Pakistan s first innings when Akmal went out of the crease but missed the line and was stumped by Prior down the legside. Swann ended with 4-107 while Broad claimed 3-84. The second test begins at Abu Dhabi on Jan. 25, and the teams return to Dubai for the last test from Feb. 3.

Sania Mirza looks for Olympic gold in mixed doubles

Sania Mirza, the country s top women s tennis player, hopes to help double that total in London this year. India only has one singles player ranked in the top 100 Somdev Devvarman at No. 86 in the ATP rankings but it does have some of the world s best doubles players. Mirza is ranked 11th in the WTA doubles rankings, while Leander Paes is No. 7 in the ATP doubles rankings, Mahesh Bhupathi is No. 8 and Rohan Bopanna is No. 11. Mirza, who lost her first-round singles match at the Australian Open to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria on Monday, says she s planning to play mixed doubles with one of the three men at the 2012 London Games. It s the first time since 1924 that mixed doubles will be included at the Olympics. "Funnily enough, a medal is a medal at the Olympics. It doesn t matter if you get it in singles, doubles or mixed," she says. "We re a big country, and obviously (the) Olympics is important to us." As for her partner in London, Mirza says she d be happy with any of the three men s players. Mirza partnered with Bhupathi to win the Australian Open mixed title in 2009 and won the mixed gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games with Paes. "I m in a great position to choose from three people who are in the top 12 in the world (in doubles)," she said. "Obviously, the best people will be put forward."