Jankovic to play in Bangalore

Bangalore: The Bangalore Open has received another boost with world No. 4 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia confirming her participation in the tournament to be held here from March 3-9.

Other top names to take part in this $ 600,000 Tier II event are the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus of the US, Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder and Agnes Szavay of Hungary.

Jankovic said she was looking forward to playing a tough tournament here.

“It is great to be part of India’s first Tier II extravaganza in Bangalore. I look forward to playing some tough tennis in front of passionate lovers of the sport,” she said in a statement issued here.

The winner of the Bangalore Open will take home $ 95,500 and 300 WTA points.

BAI announcement

Patiala: Days after a national camp had to be called off due to lack of shuttlecocks, Badminton Association of India (BAI) has finally woken up to the bizarre crisis, saying all required material would be made available to players by next month.

BAI vice-president T. P. S. Puri said here that shuttlecocks will be made available after the second week of March and much before the start of the Indian Grand Pix at Hyderabad in April.

Puri cited bird flu as the reason for the shortage and said the association will import shuttlecocks on its own as per a new policy of the sports ministry.

Arjun Atwal return

Kuala Lumpur: Arjun Atwal is relishing a return to the Malaysian Open next week, five years after his last visit ended on a victorious note.

Atwal, the first Indian to qualify for the US PGA Tour, won the Open in 2003 after a titanic duel against South Africa’s Retief Goosen but he did not defend his crown the following year.

The Indian star said his 2008 schedule allowed him to feature in the $2m Kota Permai Golf and Country Club from March 6-9.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Malaysia. The reason why I am playing is because it’s always good to go back to tournaments which I have won previously. After winning the title in 2003, I got my card in the US and did not have a chance to defend,” said Atwal.

Barcelona debut for Force India

London: Force India’s 2008 Formula One car made its track debut at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday, less than three weeks before the start of the season in Australia.

However, technical head Mike Gascoyne said the late appearance of the VJM01 would not be a disadvantage.

“Over the winter we have really been working with the new drivers and we’ve certainly shown a new level of competitiveness, which is something that will benefit us going forward,” he said in a statement.

“There has been a lot of work going on in the background and we should look to go to Australia and be very reliable, especially in the first few races and pick up whatever we can,” he added. Force India have recruited 35-year-old former Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella as teammate to the inexperienced German Adrian Sutil.

Moscow: Guus Hiddink has revealed that managing the Russian national team could be his last active coaching job but is keeping his options open. “It is possible I might step out of coaching and have a more advisory role with a club or a national association after 2010,” Hiddink said in an interview during his team’s training camp on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast earlier this month.

Cricket: Tri-series, India vs Sri Lanka, live from 4.30am on STAR Sports Soccer: Premier League, Manchester City vs Everton, from noon on ESPN Tennis: Tennis Planet, from 11pm on ZEE Sports