Sportstar-VOL.35 :: NO.26 :: Jun. 28, 2012

News Update Group Sites The Hindu Business Line Sportstar Frontline Publications eBooks Images Home  Cover Story A big boost ahead of the Olympics The expectations of an Olympic medal have obviously risen from Saina Nehwal following her victories in the Thailand Open and the Indonesian Open. How she copes with the mounting expectations and the expected opposition from the Chinese brigade remains to be seen. One hopes the lessons learnt from the Beijing Games take Saina to a new high in London, writes Rakesh Rao. INTERVIEW/SAINA NEHWAL ‘The best chance for me to win a medal' “For any player winning three titles ahead of the Olympics is a huge morale booster,” says Saina Nehwal in a chat with V. V. Subrahmanyam.  Football KICKING AROUND Racism rages on Why blame Platini in particular for the lamentable record on racism of FIFA itself, whose so called ‘Kick Out Racism' campaign has been exposed as the most hollow of frauds. How could they begin to reconcile the choice of Russia with the evidence of unchallenged racism? Over to Brian Glanville.  On The Ball W.V. RAMAN COLUMN A cause for concern The ongoing A series in the West Indies has been a low-scoring one and it is puzzling to see the future stars of Indian cricket falling prey to the spinners.  Cricket FOCUS England needs to conquer sub-continent England won the three-Test series against West Indies 2-0 and remained on top, but only just with 117 points. South Africa hovers dangerously close at 116. This perhaps is a strong hint that there is no space for monopoly in the cricketing world today. No longer may we see the kind of ‘we-will-knock-you-down' trait that the West Indies and Australia had during their respective decades of dominance. Over to K. C. Vijaya Kumar.  Chess WORLD WOMEN'S RAPID AND BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP Antoaneta Stefanova corners glory Most of the leading stars in world chess were in the Georgian city to display their skills in the shorter formats of the mind game, and there were two queens at the end of it all — Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria and Russia's Valentina Gunina. By P. K. Ajith Kumar.