Is this a squad that will throw up 11 world-beaters who will go out and destroy all comers for nine consecutive matches, asks Krishnakumar Padmanabhan.
From match-making for young Indians to choosing the Indian cricket team to rescuing nations from economic ruin, many commentators feel Paul could be very useful. Will the octopus please help?
Lionel Messi saved Argentina's blushes with a brilliant stoppage time winner against unheralded Iran at the football World Cup on Saturday to send the South Americans into the last 16.
South Africa is set to bid for the 2020 Olympic Games after successfully hosting the football World Cup, governing Olympic body chief Tubby Reddy said on Tuesday.
The ICC's decision to trim the number of contestants at the World Cup to ten says M P Anil Kumar is like a line commentators often spew forth: Brilliant shot, but straight to the fielder.
He may not have as many predictions under his belt as Paul, the British-born aquarium dweller at Sea Life in Oberhausen, western Germany, but Mani, from Singapore's 'Little India', is a local celebrity after having predicted correctly winners for the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.
England Fast bowler Graham Onions believes that his fellow countrymen are ready to adopt the nation's cricketers as their source of pride following the fall-out from football's World Cup.
The stage is set for the 19th football World Cup, which kicks-off on Saturday, June 11. While 32 teams will battle it out over a month for the game's biggest prize, some big football nations and celebrated footballers will be missing during the action in South Africa, either because of non-qualification or selection or injury.
The World Cup has been a great showcase for the game. There have been many a high and low points in the tournament. We bring you the heroes and villains that grabbed the headlines over the last month.
Former US President Bill Clinton has joined a US bid to host the football World Cup in 2018 or 2022 and said on Monday that winning the campaign would give the United States a much needed economic boost. According to Clinton, a major benefit to the country's bid is that all US host cities already have existing stadium and transportation infrastructure necessary to host games.
England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is leaving his 4.5 million pound mansion under the vigilant eye of a Gurkha as he heads for the football World Cup in South Africa. Gurkhas are a Nepalese warrior clan known for being lethal and deftly eviscerating enemies with their Khukri (dagger).
C N Mohanan, Chairman of Greater Cochin Development Authority, which owns the stadium, said this after office bearers of Kerala Cricket Association and Kerala Footbal Association met him to discuss possibilities of hosting the India-West Indies ODI in November at the stadium.
We were not treated to many goals this World Cup. However, the few that stood out found a place in our list of best goals of the tournament.
Fans speak their minds out on banners and placards at the Football World Cup. A glimpse of the action in the stands.
Rediff.com's man in South Africa Siddhanta Pinto shares his experiences and the many moods of the Rainbow Nation at the football World Cup.
Football usually plays second fiddle to cricket in India when it comes to the popularity of the two sports. But international football has a huge fan base.
Rediff.com's man in South Africa Siddhanta Pinto shares his experiences and the many moods of the Rainbow Nation at the football World Cup.
A young school boy is enraptured by tales of Brazilian soccer magic and falls in love with the joga bonito -- the beautiful game and the men in yellow. M P Anil Kumar travels back in time.
A plethora of apps, games, match alerts and quizzes are waiting to be downloaded on to mobile phones.
'The World Cup in five years and the Olympics thereafter will be the call for Brazil to resurrect Rio to its full glory,' says B S Prakash, India's ambassador to Brazil.
England is hungrier than any other country and it would be the toughest challenge of his life to take the side in the football World Cup finals in South Africa in June-July, feels manager Fabio Capello.
TM has an agreement with the Union of European Football Associations, while Satyam has signed up with Fifa. A Satyam spokesperson said: "Tech Mahindra has been providing mobile streaming services to Uefa, besides other telecom services. The company will support us by offering its technology expertise in football. We will go together for the two World Cups." TM and Satyam's alliance on sports may not end with the World Cup and may expand to other disciplines as well.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden wants the Champions Trophy to be scrapped as he feels it is meaningless to hold the eight-nation tournament along with a World Cup every four years.
FIFA unveiled Zakumi, the official mascot of the 2010 football World Cup, in Johannesburg at a television gala broadcast nationwide.
David Beckham said that England would be perfect hosts for the 2018 football World Cup because "football is in our DNA".
Massive egos landed England in football World Cup misery, said Holland star Johnny Heitinga.
Indian football coach Bob Houghton said the country had to do away with outdated tournaments and focus on development of the game.
France have asked FIFA to investigate their suspicions that a drone was used to spy on the team's preparations for the World Cup opener against Honduras, coach Didier Deschamps said.
In one of the most endearing messages for the India U-17 squad, senior team skipper Sunil Chhetri on Thursday sought "forgiveness for being jealous" of the likes of Amarjit Singh and Co, who are set to be part of India's first ever World Cup squad.
Arsenal's Jens Lehmann will be Germany's first choice goalkeeper at the World Cup.
Aziz Bouhaddouz headed an own goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Iran a stunning 1-0 victory over Morocco in the first Group B game of the World Cup on Friday.
Paraguay scored twice in the first-half to beat toothless Venezuela 2-0 in a football World Cup qualifier and stay top of the South American group. Paraguay, who have qualified for the last three World Cups, are five points clear of Brazil, who host Bolivia, and Argentina, who visit Peru.
Thirty-two teams that qualified for the 2006 Football World Cup Finals in Germany were on Friday drawn into eight groups.
North and South Korea are at loggerheads over which national anthems and flags will be used when the two countries meet in a World Cup qualifier next month.
'Many of us hope that India will soon play well enough to be part of truly global sporting tournaments like the football World Cup and the Olympics,' says Aakar Patel.
e 23-man lists of the 32 teams for the 2006 football World Cup after the May 15 deadline to confirm squads ended on Monday.
'In my opinion he has taken on more challenges and succeeded at all of them. He's the most complete player I have seen and his work ethic, as I mentioned, is unmatched.'
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) officially announced on Tuesday that it has decided to part ways with beleaguered U-17 World Cup coach Nicolai Adam by "mutual consent".
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
France might be 'India's best friend' as the French president put it, but the fact remains that the share of France in India's foreign trade is today only 1.8 percent. Though Sarkozy declared that he would like at least 1,000 small and medium size companies to enter the Indian market, it is easier said than done.
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