KOCHI: Four foreign players, medios Abdu Karim Mohammed, Mohammed Salissu, goalkeeper Ali Aboobaker (all from Ghana) and defender El Hedge (Senegal) are to join FC Kochin. The Ghanaians had been playing in the Qatar First Division league. Aboobaker was the goalkeeper of the Ghana under-17 team that finished second to Brazil in the World Cup football championship at Cairo this year, while El Hedge had played for a First Division club in Dakar, capital of Senegal.OCA offerNEW DELHI: In a major shift in policy, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to lay greater emphasis on the inclusion of sports popular in the continent in future Asian Games."In the future Asian Games, greater emphasis will be laid on including disciplines like kabaddi, sepak takraw and taekwondo, all popular in the continent, than the conventional ones which also figure in the Olympic Games," OCA president Sheikj Ahmad said.Yajuvendra fetedNEW DELHI: The first Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Award has been bestowed posthumously on Maharaja Yajuvendra Singh of Patiala, the first president of the Asian Games Federation.It will be received by his wife Rajmata of Patiala at the capital's National Stadium before the Asian Games flame is lit in the presence of Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral tomorrow.Pune marathonMUMBAI: The Thums Up Pune International marathon would be at held in Pune on December 21. More than 30,000 participants, including top international athletes from 17 countries, are expected to take part in the event which would now be called Freedom 50 Run to commemorate the golden jubilee of the country's Independence.Bhandari in leadMUMBAI: Vivek Bhandari, who earned Rs 4.66 lakh at the Honda-Siel PGA Championship, has burst into the top ten of the latest Mahindra Golf rankings for the first time. He is ahead in the money list by a clear Rs 2 lakh from tour leader Vijay Kumar.Races advancedBANGALORE: The Royal Western India Turf Club Limited (RWITC), Mumbai, has decided to advance the January 11 races to January 4, 1998.In view of the above change, the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) would conduct the intervenue betting operation of Mumbai races on January 4, instead of Hyderabad races. The intervenue betting operation of Calcutta races would be conducted on Jan 11.Railways winTIRUPATI: Indian Railways won the 45th National Kabaddi championships defeating Tamil Nadu 46-21 (22-10) in the women's final being played at the S V Arts College grounds here today.The heavy downpour forced the organisers to postpone the men's finals between Indian Railways and Tamil Nadu for Sunday morning.For the men's third place, Haryana defeated Delhi 24-21 (14-7) in the morning.
