Rajkot, Sept 27 (ANI): In an innovation, cricket is played on skates in Rajkot in Gujarat. The new version of the sport, though risky, is fairly popular among the youth.

Normally, cricket is played on a large field covered with grass and a specially prepared pitch. But in this version, the ground is not only small, not larger than a basketball ground, but also made of concrete to allow the skates to play with ease.

Interestingly, the idea of organizing cricket on skates has been floated by a skating coach and not a cricketer.

"I have been running a skating institute for the past 15 years. There are many variations of skating, but I wanted do something new. Since cricket is a very popular sport, so I decided to play cricket with skates. It is a new concept in the country as well as the world. The children have been practicing it for the past three months," said Pushpa Rathod, president of Rajkot roller skating association. In this new version, both boys and girls play together. The rules of this sport have been modified to make it more attractive. There are seven players in a team including the wicket keeper. Each team bowls ten overs in the hybrid sport that is quite popular among children.

"I have been practicing skating since long. My coach once told that I have to play cricket on skates. I was shocked and surprised. Then she explained to me how to play the sport and now I can bowl and bat with skates," said Dharini, a skates cricketer.

Watching the game is a great fun. Both fast bowlers and spin bowlers have a long run up. And almost all kinds of shots that we see in normal cricket are played in this innovation too, though they may not be played in a copybook style. So, shots with cross bat are fairly common.

There was a sense of elation among the parents as they watched their children play the game.

"Basically, its very hard to balance on skates, but the way they are running after the ball, catching it, balancing on wheels, its really tough. I really love the concept. I hope the game becomes popular," said Krishna, mother of a player.

The players wear a helmet as a safety gear. Initially, the players have been using a tennis ball, but they plan to play it with a leather ball in future. The national championship of cricket on skates will be held in 2009. By Suresh Soni (ANI)

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Kochi, Sept 27 (ANI): A three-time arm-wrestling national champion is working as a loader in Kochi to raise funds for participating in world arm-wrestling championship slated for November in Canada.

The 27-year-old, Snibu S Ravi works as a loader at the Kochi market, carrying sacks loaded with cement or rice over his head, in a bid to raise funds for taking part in the international championship.

Having spent his day lifting loads, the arm wrestler practices hard in the night to pull up his muscles and prepare for the forthcoming international wrestling event.

Despite his striving hard to raise the required funds, Ravi is well aware that his daily earning of approximately 220 rupees is too meager to finance his tour to Canada and says that his only hope now is a sponsor.

"If we get a sponsor, we still can hope to reach there for which we are working hard, I think each one of us require more than 1.5 lakh rupees for our flight ticket and other arrangements. I know with my mere wages I cannot make it, only sponsors can help us now," said Ravi.

The three-time champion who won the 110-plus class for three successive years since 2005 is banking on his friends and sports lovers. His friends have helped him play in the domestic tournaments and Ravi has never let them down.

Mukunda Kumar, Ravi's instructor after knocking at various doors for help said that they urgently need a sponsor and government should come forward to help them.

"If government helps us then only there is a chance otherwise we need a sponsor," said Mukunda Kumar.

After winning three medals in the Olympics, Indians feel that the country has got the much-awaited break in the sports. They hope that the government and private institutions would help the athletes in fulfilling their aspirations. By Juhan Samuel (ANI)

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Lahore, Sept 27 (ANI): A former PCB chief has said that because of the prevailing "security scenario" in Pakistan, he had doubts over India visiting the country, or the delayed ICC Champions Trophy being played here next year.

Tauqir Zia., the ex-PCB chief, said he was sure India would pull out of the tour scheduled for next year, especially after the recent powerful bomb blast at a five-star hotel triggered by a truck-load of explosives which left nearly 60 people dead and hundreds injured.

"I don't think India will come because the security conditions are not good for international cricket in Pakistan. It will be a big setback for Pakistan cricket, but they should be prepared for this," the Daily Times quoted Tauqir Zia as saying in a TV interview.

As per the schedule, India will tour Pakistan from January 4 for three Tests and five one-day internationals.

The Indo-Pak series itinerary for the India tour was finalised before the blast at the Marriott, where teams normally stay during international matches. The Indian team stayed at the same hotel during its previous visit to Pakistan in 2004. Top international teams have avoided touring Pakistan this year with Australia postponing their scheduled visit until 2009.

Zia had resigned from the Board in 2003 following a controversy over awarding YV coverage rights to Dubai-based private channel GEO and ignoring the PTV, thereby triggering a row between the two channels.

Tauqir also said he doubts that Pakistan would host the already postponed Champions Trophy next year. "What is there to talk about the Champions Trophy? I doubt even India will come," he said.

Rawalpindi - which was ruled out as a Champions Trophy venue this year for security reasons - has been named as the host of one of the Tests and a one-day international against India.

Earlier, last month, the ICC had postponed the biennial Champions Trophy until September-October 2009 after England, New Zealand, South Africa and defending champion Australia refused to participate due to security concerns. (ANI)

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Dover (UK), Sept 26 (ANI): A Swiss adventurer, Yves Rossy, successfully made a 22-mile trip across the English Channel with a homemade jet on Friday.

Rossy was schedule to attempt this stunt on Thursday but due to bad weather, visibility deteriorated and he postponed it till today.

He made the trip at more than 8,800 feet from Calais in France to Dover in England in about 12 minutes.

Rossy told CBS News today that this experience was like flying an airplane without the airplane.

Rossy traced the route of French aviator Louis Bleriot, the first person to cross in an airplane 99 years ago, by making this trip over the English Channel.

He touched down in a field near the White Cliffs of Dover.

"It's not so safe to fly across water if you can't see," Rossy told National Geographic Channel in a live television interview on Thursday.

"I don't have any instruments, and I need to be able to see the landing site," he added.

He demonstrated his jet wing to the public first time in May this year, where he turned figure eights high above the Alps, performing fluid loops from one side of the Rhone valley to the other.

His jet wing's carbon composite-wing weighs about 121 pounds with fuel in it, and it can carry four kerosene-burning jet turbines to keep him aloft. Rossy moves his body to control its movements, as it has no steering devices.

To protect himself from the heat of the turbines he wears a heat-resistant suit.

Briton Ken Messenger is recognized as the first to cross the channel in a hang glider, in 1977.

Englishman David Cook was the first to do it in a powered microlight aircraft in 1978, also retracing Bleriot's route. (ANI)

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