Iran struck once in each half to ease to a 2-0 victory over hosts Malaysia and march into the Asian Cup quarter-finals as Group C winners.
The bodies of 16 Indians, who had perished in the July 30 fire accident at Manama in Bahrain, reached Chennai on Wednesday in a Gulf Air flight.
Some opposition activists have dubbed the big-money race a "tool of repression" and made repeated calls for it to be cancelled.
Cancelling the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday would only "empower extremists", the country's Crown Prince told reporters on Friday, following pro-democracy protesters' calls to mark the event with "days of rage".
"The 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar was confirmed as previously published," the International Automobile Federation said in a statement issued after a World Motor Sport Council meeting in New Delhi.
His Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa joins him on the front row while Briton Jenson Button, in a Honda, and Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso line up together on the second row.
The head of Formula One's governing body was unrepentant on Saturday about the decision to race in Bahrain and said the sport would suffer no lasting damage to its image despite worldwide condemnation.
Formula One cars took to the track in Bahrain on Friday, while the government, hoping for a successful Grand Prix, squared off against activists determined to mark it with "days of rage" after more than a year of Arab Spring protests.
Karun Chandhok has no illusions about what awaits him this weekend when India's sole Formula One driver makes his debut barely a week after sealing the deal. His new Spanish-based HRT team, formerly Campos Meta, have not even conducted a shakedown test of the Cosworth-powered car after narrowly winning a race just to get it ready for the Bahrain season-opener.
The condition of three injured Indians, being treated in a government hospital in Manama, was satisfactory.
Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher completed just five laps but still boasted the second fastest time of one minute 32.120 seconds.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won the Bahrain Grand Prix to go seven points clear at the top of the Formula One standings on Sunday, with Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton staging a late charge to finish second.
'I know some people didn't understand it at the time but I was right to make the move then and it's the feeling I have again now. I'm excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together.'
This was the third title for the Indian duo -- they had clinched the Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100 and Nantes International Challenge this year.
Bahrain has arrested several people accused of stealing and burning cars amid heightened security in the island kingdom before Sunday's Formula One race, which the opposition sees as a chance to publicise a pro-democracy campaign.
Mader joined the Bahrain Victorious team in 2021 and won a stage of the Giro d'Italia that year. He also won the young rider classification at the 2021 Vuelta a Espana.
Formula One needs to change its new qualifying format after it fell flat at Saturday's Australian season-opener and tweaks can be made before the next race in Bahrain, according to the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Former motor racing chief Max Mosley added his voice on Sunday to those opposed to Formula One racing in Bahrain this season, warning that the sport would pay a heavy price for the decision.
Latest reports from Bahrain speak of considerable tension marked by anti-king and anti-government slogans shouted by thousands of Shia mourners.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway raced to victory in the 5,000 metres on the final day of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Sunday.
A United States official is set to hold talks in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Lebanon this week on sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Despite conceding four goals in the AFC Asian Cup opener against Australia, India goalkeeper Subrata Paul does not seem to be too bothered as he expressed confidence that the team will put up a good show against formidable Bahrain in their next Group C clash on Friday.
Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who incurred a penalty that ensured he finished second behind Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at the Bahrain Grand Prix, has issued an apology to his Mercedes team.
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Consul General of Bahrain Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Khaja, who was facing charges of molesting and threatening the manager of a housing society in Mumbai, has left the country, police said on Saturday.
The Briton hired to oversee reform of Bahrain's police force has written to the head of Formula One's governing body to calm security fears about next week's Grand Prix, saying he often felt safer living in the kingdom than in London.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa will start Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix on pole position.
Paul di Resta delivered his best result of the 2012 season by earning eight points for Sahara Force India with a sixth place finish while Nico Hulkenberg ended 12th at the Bahrain Grand Prix, in Manama on Sunday.
Karuppan claims that a former colleague convinced him to use his CPR to register the GSM phone connection and that he had nothing else to do with the disconnected number, which accumulated the amount within a month in 1998.
Lewis Hamilton continued his season's sweep of qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The two men from Kerala went missing on Tuesday.
It was the first time Verstappen, winner of a record 19 of 22 races last year, has won the first two races of a season. He has also won 19 of the last 20.
Sethi toes Raja's line on Asia Cup
The effort is to make the PM's interaction with the diaspora at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Sports city stadium on February 13 the largest he has addressed.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead next weekend despite concerns over security but the race organisers' decision has split opinion in the Gulf state, which has been shaken by a year of anti-government protests.
The dhow carrying 137 people capsized off the coast of Bahrain, killing at least 57 people on March 30, 2006.
Venkatesh Prasad reserved his best zingers for Pakistan during his playing days.
There is little to no chance of the Asia Cup being held in Pakistan in September.
Having got a few days break at the end of IPL 2022, K L Rahul attended close friend and former Karnataka team-mate David Mathias' wedding in Manama, Bahrain.
