Vikas loses in semis, settles for bronze at World C`ships

New Delhi: Teen Indian boxing sensation Vikas Krishan`s dream run at the World Championships came to an end as he settled for a bronze medal after losing his welterweight (69kg) semifinal bout in Baku, Azerbaijan on Friday.

Up against Ukraine`s European Championship bronze-medallist Taras Shelestyuk, the 19-year-old Vikas went down 12-15.

The Asian Games gold medallist thereby repeated the bronze-medal winning feat of Olympian Vijender Singh at the mega-event but has become the youngest Indian to notch a medal at the showcase.

Facing a stronger rival, Vikas kept a shell guard to stave off an early assault but the sheer power of Shelestyuk`s hooks and uppercuts forced him to open up which allowed the Ukrainian to connect a few telling jabs.

Strength proved to be a key factor as Vikas found it tough to cope with a muscular rival, who threw caution to the wind and fought aggressively to lead 4-2 in the opening round.

In the second round, Vikas changed strategy and tried keeping Shelestyuk at bay by fighting from a distance but the Ukrainian`s precision was hard to deal with for the Indian, whose ribcage became the target of some powerful bodyblows.

The round ended 10-6 in favour of the Ukrainian and it required a miraculous effort to turn the deficit around. But the guile and adaptability which Vikas showed in his earlier bouts was missing today against an opponent focussed on attacking.

The Indian was much more precise with his punches in the final round but this time the Ukrainian kept a shell guard to deny the Indian. Even though Vikas managed to win the last round 6-5 but it could not wipe off the overall deficit.

Shelestyuk will now be up against Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan who left his Lithuanian rival Egidijus Kavaliauskas with a bloodied nose in the first round itself, forcing him to retire at the end of the opening three minutes.

The Kazakh was leading 8-2 when the Lithuanian corner decided to concede the bout.

PTI

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Maradona loses cool and kicks out at fan in Dubai

Dubai: Diego Maradona, whose latest role in a turbulent career is coaching the United Arab Emirates club side Al-Wasl, was under scrutiny on Friday after kicking out at a fan in Dubai.

A video posted on YouTube showed Argentina`s 1986 World Cup winning captain attempting to pose for a pre-match photo-shoot in front of a banner hanging on the wire mesh separating fans from the pitch.

After shooing away some over-enthusiastic supporters who tried to approach him, Maradona appeared to grow annoyed at a fan who persistently lifted the banner from behind.

Eventually he kicked the fan`s hand away with a touch that was light but, in an Arab culture that holds feet to be dirty, could have caused offence.

Maradona apologised to the fan according to local media. Al- Wasl went on to win the game against promoted Emirates 3-0 in the second round of the Etisalat Cup.

"I am emotional, this is my nature. I`ve always been like this as a player and coach. Sometimes I feel like I`m a player of al-Wasl," he was quoted as saying in a sports website.

Maradona, one of the world`s greatest ever players, has often endured problems on and off the pitch, including arrests, suspensions and spells in rehab.

He joined al-Wasl earlier this year after losing his job as Argentina`s national coach when they were beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter finals of the World Cup last year.

Bureau Report

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Ogando does fine, Texas loses after he leaves

CHICAGO (AP) — The Texas Rangers were totally satisfied with starter Alexi Ogando's performance Saturday night.

"He took us where we needed to go," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Ogando worked seven full innings, gave up six hits and two earned runs while striking out five in his longest effort of 2011. Reliever Koji Uehara then gave up Alex Rios' RBI double in the eighth and the Chicago White Sox beat Texas 3-2 to end a three-game losing streak.

Brent Lillibridge came in to pinch-run after Paul Konerko's one-out single in the eighth. Rios hit a full-count pitch from Uehara (1-3) down the left-field line for the tiebreaking run.

"I felt like the first two innings I made good pitches but they got lucky hits," Ogando said. "They were not hard-hit balls, they just got good breaks."

Ian Kinsler homered twice for the Rangers. The AL West leaders had two runners on in the eighth, but Nelson Cruz flied out to end the inning.

Rios was showered by boos when he entered in the first inning after White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin injured his left shoulder making a diving catch.

Rios overcame a tough start. In the bottom of the first, he came up with runners at the corners and struck out. He had just two hits in his last 27 at-bats before the big hit and had become one of the main targets of frustrated White Sox fans.

"I've never lost my confidence. It's something that athletes can't do. It will bring you down," Rios said. "I'm just trying my best and I'm not going to quit. Even if I'm at my lowest point, I'm not going to quit. I'm ready to battle."

Quentin tumbled to make the catch on Craig Gentry's shallow flyball, but came up favoring his shoulder and was immediately removed from the game. X-rays came back negative and he will be examined further on Sunday.

"It's not broken. That's what I was worried about," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Carlos is a big kid. When you put all the weight in just one spot, you're going to be sore for a little while."

Kinsler drove the second pitch of the game down the left-field line, waiting to see if it stayed fair before he trotted around the bases. It was his sixth leadoff homer of the season and 19th of his career.

He homered again in the third on a 1-2 pitch after fouling off six pitches. He has three multihomer games on the year, 10 overall.

Kinsler finished with three hits to break out of a prolonged slump. He came into the game hitting .189 (18 for 95) over his last 22 games.

The two solo shots were all that White Sox starter John Danks gave up. He pitched seven strong innings, scattering seven hits. He struck out five and didn't issue any walks.

"(Kinsler) and I are close, played a lot together in the minor leagues," said Danks, a native Texan who came up in the Rangers' farm system. "We keep in touch, I'll have to talk to him tonight, for sure."

Danks gave up a one-out double to Cruz in the fourth, but Cruz was caught attempting to steal third to end the threat.

Ogando tossed a shutout against the White Sox on May 23 in Texas and hadn't allowed a run against them in 11 career innings until Alexei Ramirez's two-out single in the first.

Juan Pierre followed with a two-out single in the second to put the White Sox up 2-1. Even with the loss, the Rangers have won seven of nine games on their current road trip and 10 of 13 overall.

Jesse Crain (8-3) put two runners on in the eighth but got Cruz to fly out to right field to end the threat.

Sergio Santos worked the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances.

NOTES: Washington was reluctant to give SS Elvis Andrus the day off Saturday. "All these guys have been grinding. They all need a day off and I can't give it to them," Washington said. "So I decided today was a good day to do Elvis." Andrus ended up pinch-hitting in the ninth and striking out. ... Texas sends LHP Derek Holland (11-4, 4.23 ERA) to the mound for the series finale on Sunday. Holland is 5-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight starts and is tied for the AL lead with four shutouts. Gavin Floyd (10-10, 4.66) will throw for the White Sox. Floyd struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced in his last start, but then allowed five runs over the next 2 2-3 innings in a no-decision.

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