Pak for revival of annual ties

Karachi: Pakistan have stepped up efforts to revive annual golf competitions with India after New Delhi agreed to resume sporting ties and send its cricket team to Pakistan, an official said on Monday.

“Pakistan and India used to play for the Kirlosker Trophy initiated in 1992 but after three tours from Pakistan and two by India the series was halted,” Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) president Lieutenant General Mohammed Tariq said.

“With both countries on the talk tables and cricket about to be revived we hope that golf would once again be on the greens,” he said.

Four Indian golfers participated in Pakistan’s national championship held here from February 19-22. The visit was the first by Indian golfers for seven years.

Indian captain Jaideep Parwardhan called his visit “memorable” and said Indian golfers will do their part to revive the golf series between the two countries.

Amateur golfers from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan competed in the championship, with the individual title being won by Sri Lankan Lalith Kumara. Pakistan won the international team event, while Sri Lanka won the Jayawardene Trophy that is awarded for play only between them and Pakistan.

Thai PM eyes Liverpool

Bangkok: Billionaire Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is eyeing a bid for English Premier League club Liverpool after Fulham spurned his advances last year, an advisor said on Monday.

“I believe the Prime Minister already had his aides checking Liverpool’s financial position in the past four to five months,” said Thawatchai Satchakul, manager of the Thai national soccer team who advised Thaksin during his pursuit of Fulham. “He is now in the process of deciding whether to bid for Liverpool.”

Thaksin expressed interest in Fulham last November after watching the club play in London. But Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, the owner of London department store Harrods who has known Thaksin for years, said he had no intention of selling the club.

First ATP crown for Johansson

Memphis: Sweden’s Joachim Johansson captured his first ATP title on Sunday, defeating eighth-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to win the $880,000-dollar St Jude Championship. The 21-year-old fired eight aces to deny Kiefer, who had ten aces, his first title since Hong Kong in 2000.

Johansson needed only 94 minutes to subdue the German, who was playing in his 13th career ATP final, his first since Halle last year.

Johansson also beat Kiefer last week in a first-round match at San Jose, their only prior meeting.

Ballack return

Berlin: Bayern Munich’s Michael Ballack should be fit to play against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The German champions said on Monday that the Germany midfielder, who had been nursing bronchitis, had trained on Sunday.

“From a medical point of view there’s no longer any problem,” said team doctor Wolfgang Peter.

Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said Ballack would decide himself on Tuesday whether to start.

Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who missed Saturday’s game because of a painful back, also trained on Sunday and should be available.

Silvestre injured

London: Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre will be out for three weeks with ankle ligament trouble, manager Alex Ferguson said on Monday. The France defender was hurt in a challenge with Leeds striker Alan Smith during the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Mikael will be out for three weeks, which is a blow for us at this stage of the season,” Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News.

The English champions, who travel to Porto in the Champions League second round on Wednesday, are already without defender Rio Ferdinand due to suspension.

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