FOOTBALL
India equalled its
worst ever FIFA rankings, with the country slipping seven slots down in the
latest chart to be placed at 165th. India
had a disastrous AFC Challenge Cup campaign in last month in Nepal where
they lost all their league matches, and that saw the country lose 10 points
from previous month’s 132 points. The earlier all-time low after India appeared
in the FIFA charts in August 1993 was the 165th from March to May 2007 when
Englishman Bob Houghton was the coach.
India’s best ever
rankings in FIFA charts – which currently has 204 members – was 94 in February
1996. India
now occupy 32nd spot among 46 Asian countries. It is now below Nepal (149), Bangladesh
(152) and Maldives
(164) among South Asian countries.
MOTORRACING
Australian Grand
Prix, Albert Park
Winner: Jenson Button (Great Britain
/ McLaren-Mercedes)
Second: Sebastian Vettel
(Germany
/ Red Bull-Renault)
Third: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain /
McLaren-Mercedes)
Malaysian Grand
Prix, Sepang
Winner: Fernando Alonso (Spain /
Ferrari)
Second: Sergio Perez (Mexico /
Sauber-Ferrari)
Third: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain /
McLaren-Mercedes)
TENNIS
BNP Paribas Open,
Indian Wells, California
Men’s
Winner: Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Runner-up: John Isner (U.S.)
Women’s
Winner: Victoria Azarenka
(Belarus)
Runner-up: Maria Sharapova
(Russia)
