Ward No 7 team triumphs

RAJBIRAJ: Rajbiraj Ward No 7 team defeated Ward No 9 team by 27 runs in the final of the Inter-Ward Cricket Tournament. Invited to bat first, Rajbiraj-7 scored 119 runs losing nine wickets in their allotted 25 overs. Rabin Pyakurel top-scored with 36 runs. Shekhar Khanal (18), Vicky Silwal (17), Surendra Das (13) and Munna Shah (12) contributed for the team. In reply, Ward No 9 were packed off for 92 runs. Surendra Das of Ward No 7, who claimed four wickets, was adjudged the man of the match, while Manoj Goswami was named the man of the series. — HNS

Pakistan ignore Akhtar

NEW DELHI: Fiery fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, left out of Pakistan’s ongoing Test series in India due to a hamstring injury, was also ignored for the six one-day internationals to be played next month. Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez and seamers Rao Iftikhar and Shahid Nazir will join the tourists in India for the one-dayers. They will replace Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed and Mohammad Khalil who will return home after the Test series. “Shoaib Akhtar is undergoing training. His fitness has improved substantially but he will require more time to become match-fit,” a PCB release said. — AFP

Bahrain upset N Korea 2-1

PYONGYANG: Bahrain’s bid to make the World Cup finals for the first time received an unexpected boost on Friday when they upset North Korea 2-1 in their Asian qualifying match here. Husain Ali was one of the stars for Bahrain, scoring both goals in the absence of strikers Alaa Hobeil and Rashid Jamal, while goalkeeper Mohammed Jaffar was equally impressive at the other end of the ground. Bahrain held regional powerhouse Iran to a goalless draw last month in their first group B qualifying game. — AFP

US wrestler banned

COLORADO SPRINGS: Faruk Sahin, a two-time Turkish national champion and the reigning United States 66kg Greco-Roman wrestling champion, received a two-year ban from the US Anti-Doping Agency. The US Agency announced the decision by a three-member arbitration panel from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to impose the two-year ban and strip Sahin of his title. Sahin tested positive for the stimulant phentermine in April 2004, after winning his national Greco-Roman crown at last year’s US Championships in Las Vegas. — AFP

Mutu appears at hearing

LONDON: Adrian Mutu appeared before a Premier League committee that is trying to determine if Chelsea should be granted compensation for breach of contract. Mutu tested positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition test in September. Chelsea terminated his contract in October, and the English FA followed with a seven-month ban. FIFA then ratified the ban. Last month, Mutu signed for Juventus, even though his ban does not end until May 28. Chelsea is seeking $15.25 million in compensation from Mutu based on his transfer value and sporting sanctions under FIFA rules. — AP