Cricket can’t be too pleased with itself over Butt, Asif and Aamer bans – Lawrence Booth’s Top Spin
Cricket has been tempted to pat itself on the back following the independent panel’s decision to impose bans on Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer.

Read more on Daily Mail

Cricket-Pakistani committee head resigns over cricket crisis
The head of an influential Pakistani parliamentary committee on sports has resigned in frustration at the state of affairs in national cricket.

Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Sport

Cricket Australia in the dark over match-fixing
The Federal Government is in talks with peak sports bodies and gaming companies who want tough new laws to fight corruption in sport, amid recent crises in cricket and rugby league.

Read more on Australian Broadcasting Corporation

SL win by 5 runs

Cardona lifts Bolts over Gin Kings in PBA opener
Mac-Mac Cardona proved he’s up to the task as Meralco’s go-to-guy as the newest team began its campaign in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Read more on GMA News

Cricket: England demands Pakistan cricket chief’s apology over bribery allegations
LONDON: England players demanded a “full and unreserved apology” from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt on Thursday and threatened legal action after he alleged they had deliberately lost last week’s third one-day international at The Oval.

Read more on Channel NewsAsia

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Fresh off its settlement with Konami over internationally traded Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards which Upper Deck admitted it counterfeited, the trading card giant is up to its neck in legal battles again. Major League Baseball, which dropped UD from its stable of trading card makers last year, is suing the company for millions of dollars in damages plus a punitive award in the US District Court in New York,. The allegation is trademark infringement. MLB licenses and very strongly protects its various team trademarks. Baseball claims Upper Deck is using those trademarks despite the fact it does not have the rights to do it as licensed by MLB, nor has it been given permission to proceed with MLB licensed trading cards.

“Upper Deck’s current conduct is reflective of a pattern of utter disrespect for the contractual and intellectual property rights of those from whom it licenses valuable trademarks,” the complaint said.

So far a spokesman for Upper Deck has no comment.

Upper Deck, based in Carlsbad, CA started making licensed trading cards of major league baseball players in 1989 when it burst on the scene as the card of the collector. The relationship was a good one and UD was credited with pushing kids trading cards into a new realm of real life collectibles. The industry, led by UD, reached over $2 billion in retail sales in the early 1990′s. Problems began surfacing in the latter part of the decade and now MLB now says UD still owes it $2.4 million in back royalties. Last year MLB and the Players Union began not renewing licenses due to the vast over production which led the category down a path of near non-existence. Topps is once again the only trading card maker of licensed baseball cards.

It is the logos and trademarks which are in question here for the most part when it comes to this lawsuit. The NFL, NBA and NHL as well as other leagues have similar restrictions. This week the NFL, which owns the rights to the New Orleans Saints’ familiar slogan “Who Dat” is using its muscle to try to halt the sale of knock off tee shirts and other items at the Super Bowl which carry the “Who Dat” statement. The NBA for years has raided swap meets and flea markets confiscating and shutting down dealers who print shirts and caps with their official logos as well.

One of the aspects in question is Upper Deck recently released both the high end Ultimate Collection and Signature Stars Baseball products. MLB says UD released these 2010 products (they were released in 2010) but on the packaging UD states these are 2009 products.

“They did put a disclaimer on the box saying the product is not affiliated with Major League Baseball,” said Dave Rodriguez of Sports Source, a baseball card shop in Burbank, CA. “It is confusing to the collector certainly and the product was solicited during 2009.”

Several distributors have also halted distribution of UD trading cards which are under question with the law suit. Usually card makers solicit their products four to six months in advance of release. Upper Deck did have a license in 2009. Whether this will be part of UD’s defense or not will remain to be seen. Upper Deck had been the leader in distributing trading cards world wide including World Cup Soccer beginning in 1993. It even printed basketball in foreign languages for Asia and Europe.

Upper Deck was one of the first companies to take the printing of cards with retired players to another level. Pacific, Topps and Fleer had previously printed cards with retired players as far back as 1960. Upper Deck with it’s SP Legendary Cuts Series however actually put autographs and pieces of jerseys the players wore in the cards. For the most part teams have two jerseys they wear. The home jersey and the away jersey each normally feature either the name of the team across the front or the name of the city. If a company uses the name of the team a license is required and royalties paid but if the city only is used in most cases it is a freebie.

In a previous Examiner article we correctly identified the fact five UD employees pleaded the Fifth Amendment against self incrimination in the Konami case, however CEO Richard McWilliam was not one of them which was incorrectly stated. In the story UD settled out of court with Konami after admitting it counterfeited over 600,000 YGO trading cards.

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At first glance, she looks like a bubbly young girl-next-door chatting and laughing playfully with a bundle of college girls, who aspire to be like her. But a closer look reveals wisdom on her face, a fierce passion in her eyes that sets her a step above the rest. Jhulan Goswami, ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2006-2007, is a small town girl, who has proved that if one has the desire and the perseverance, no force in the world can ever stop anyone from achieving what one dreams of. Though this humble girl realises that the award has made her a celebrity overnight, she is determined not to let success get on to her head.

24-year old Jhulan from Chakdah in Nadia district of West Bengal, waves enthusiastically, as Headlines India team catches her in the sprawling greens of Vivekananda Park in Kolkata, sharing her ecstasy with her coach Swapan Sadhu, and advising other young wannabe women cricketers to believe in the mantra of hard work and perseverance. Her coach looks at her affectionately, with eyes moistened with a joy that cannot be explained in words, while a group of girls take cricketing tips from her. Jhulan obliges all, and smiles coyly, as she poses for lensmen of various media houses, before settling down with Headlines India to share her experiences.

Jhulan, congratulations for your feat! How does it feel to be selected ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year?

Jhulan Goswami: Thank you so much! (Grins) It feels great! It is a feeling of great pride for me and my country, and needless to say, I feel on top of the world. I was the only woman nominated from India, and I was chosen. So, I feel happier that I managed to bring laurels to my country.

Had you ever imagined that you would win this award?

Jhulan Goswami: Never. See, what I feel is, when a person is playing, he or she should not think about awards, rewards, recognition and money. One should concentrate on his/her game, and awards will automatically come in one’s way. These awards are actually small milestones that keep coming in life’s journey. One has to cross them and move ahead in life. I played with this philosophy. I concentrated on my performance, and never thought of any award. I played for my country, I played for my team.

So, what was your first reaction when you heard that you had been chosen?

Jhulan Goswami: For a while I was speechless. The feeling that I experienced at that moment cannot really be explained. I received the award from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which was again a special moment for me. Then all the players of the men’s team congratulated me.

What about your team-mates, friends and family?

Jhulan Goswami: They had a lot of expectations. You can say they were quite confident that I would win the award. When it was finally declared, they were simply ecstatic.

Chakdah to Johannesburg. You have come a long way…

Jhulan Goswami: (Interrupting) I still have miles to go before I sleep! (Laughs)

How has your journey been so far?

Jhulan Goswami: I would say it has been a roller coaster ride for me. Of course, nothing in life is easy. One has to face the ups and downs life brings, if one wants to taste the sweet fruit of success. I have had my share of thorns, but I still do not consider my life to be a bed of roses. I know I have a long journey ahead of me. What I have achieved is just a small milestone. But yes, I thank God that I got an opportunity to experience so many things in such a short span of time. I saw so many new places, met so many new people. It really feels great!

You talk about the hardships you have faced. Was it very tough initially?

Jhulan Goswami: Very, very tough. Especially because I belong to a very small place, which is far away from Kolkata. Moreover, I come from a modest background. And above all, women’s cricket is still not the “in” thing in India.

Tell us something about your childhood, your family.

Jhulan Goswami: I belong to a small family in Chakdah. My family constitutes of my parents, my siblings, and me. Ours is a very close-knit family, and my parents have always encouraged my siblings and me to follow our dreams. Even as a child, I was immensely fascinated by sports. I used to participate in a lot of sporting events in school. In general, I had a happy childhood, and I enjoyed a lot with my friends and my siblings.

And did you always aspire to become a cricketer?

Jhulan Goswami: Not really. I had never thought that I would become a cricketer. In fact, I used to play a lot of games – badminton, volleyball, football, cricket. I loved all the games equally.

Then what prompted you to become a cricketer?

Jhulan Goswami: As I got more and more involved into the game, I started falling in love with it. I realised that I was enjoying cricket more than any other game. So I decided to become a cricketer, and started my formal training in 1997 under Swapan Sir.

And why a fast bowler?

Jhulan Goswami: Initially I was into batting as well as bowling. Later, my coach, my team-mates and my friends felt that my strength lay in bowling. My height gave me an added advantage and so I became a fast bowler! (Chuckles)

Did your family always support you?

Jhulan Goswami: Not just my family, I am lucky to have received support from my teachers in school, my friends, my team-mates and all my well wishers. My parents, of course, have been my biggest supporters. I would have been nowhere without their support and co-operation.

To whom do you attribute your success?

Jhulan Goswami: My parents, and definitely my coach. He made me learn the tricks of the trade. He still corrects me when I make a wrong move.

Jhulan, it was alleged a few months back that there is no unity and coordination in the men’s team. Does such a thing exist in the women’s team as well?

Jhulan Goswami: See, when the players are on field, they play as a team. In these situations, a team must remain united. This is what I know. Other than that, no one knows what the story is inside the dressing room of the men’s team. But things are very normal, very smooth in the women’s team. We all are like a family – very close, much attached to each other. There are no hard feelings.

With such a hectic schedule, do you miss the normal life of a young girl?

Jhulan Goswami: I am still, a very normal girl. But yes, at times I do feel that my life is getting very hectic, and that I am missing out on the small joys of life. But then, you can’t get everything in life, can you? (Smiles philosophically)

Do you have any plans for the upcoming Durga Puja?

Jhulan Goswami: I no longer make plans for myself. I don’t even know if I will be in town during the Puja. These are the little things I miss…

What about your leisure activities?

Jhulan Goswami: I love spending time with my family and friends. I love listening to music. I am fond of all kinds of music. I also love watching movies. I recently watched Chak De! India, and I feel it is a fabulous movie. The portrayal of women’s hockey team is something very new and very commendable. I hope someday they will make a film on women’s cricket team as well. Who knows, they might have already started contemplating one! (Grins)

It might be a movie inspired by your life, Jhulan! So how do you plan to make women’s cricket more popular?

Jhulan Goswami: Sadly, I alone cannot increase the popularity of women’s cricket. A lot of effort needs to be put in to make it more popular. On my part, I can only say that I will keep on striving hard and try to draw the attention of people towards the women’s cricket.

Any message for aspiring cricketers? And anything special you want to tell women cricketers?

Jhulan Goswami: I have the same message for men as well as women cricketers. I want to tell all budding cricketers to play with dedication. Love your game, and never shy away from hard work. Be honest to yourself, and remember, it is diligence and devotion that ultimately pays.

For More Articles By The Same Author & For More News From India Visit http://www.headlinesindia.com

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