சிங்கப்பூர் பக்கம் - Local News

Cricket: New iSixes World Series tournament in Singapore in July

By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 11 May 2008 2328 hrs

SINGAPORE: Cricket fans are in for a major treat.

The iSixes World Series kicks off in Singapore in July and will see top names aiming for the US$1 million prize money. Observers say cricket is winning even more fans, thanks to the game's shorter forms.

This proved successful in the recent Indian Premier League, where the Twenty20 format was used. And the Sixes, which is the game's shortest form, promises more action. Top players like Shane Warne brought the game to new heights at the inaugural 6s tournament in Hong Kong last year. And on July 4, the big names will be in Singapore for the inaugural event. The cricket celebrities will form the All Star team, and they will be joined by 11 other teams, including those from test-playing nations like India and New Zealand. Even host Singapore will field a team.

The teams' kits were displayed by models at the media conference. Organisers promise that entertaining cricket will be the hallmark of the upcoming event, which involves only six players a team, 5 overs. Each game lasts about 45 minutes. Craig McMillan, Cricket Player of New Zealand, said: "You can be more creative and I think that's what makes it a bit more fun.

You can do things that you don't normally try, so as a player I love doing it, love trying new shots different things. And six a side will definitely allow you to do that." Romesh Kaluwitharana, Cricket Player of Sri Lanka, said: "I have very good memories in Padang because we won the tournament in 96, just after the World Cup, so the facility is really fantastic in Padang." About 5,000 to 6,000 people are expected to pack the Padang during the tournament. After Singapore, the event could be travelling to Shanghai and Dubai and a third venue which has yet to be selected. Jason Warne, Director of Zero Friction Cricket, said: "When you look at developing countries, you look at all the different formats and what 6s provide is a really entertaining format ... and the ability to play a tournament every weekend.

" The Padang will be the battleground for the teams come July. But it will also be a carnival-like atmosphere, with a cricket village, music and parties. The organisers claim that this is the first time that a big cricket event is being played at night under floodlights.

------By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia

Apple iPhone in Asia :

Apple shares rose 2.6 percent to close at $188.16 on the Nasdaq. The stock has soared 50 percent over the past three months as investors regain confidence that Apple can sustain growth even in a weakening economy. (Additional reporting by Jennifer Tan in Singapore; editing by Phil Berlowitz and Braden Reddall) - SAN FRANCISCO,

May 12 - Apple Inc has signed deals to bring the iPhone to Singapore, India, Australia and the Philippines this year, which should help the company surpass its sales goal of 10 million units by the end of 2008.

Also on Monday, Apple's online store listed the iPhone as "unavailable", a possible sign that the company is reducing inventory before the unveiling of an updated version of the device, expected next month.

"I do believe it's a sign of potential product change, but also on a more basic level, Apple clearly underestimated demand for the iPhone," said American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu, who raised his profit estimates for Apple.

Expectations are high that Apple will unveil a faster model of the iPhone next month, a year after the product first went on sale in the United States with wireless partner AT&T Inc .

Furthering its push abroad, Apple said deals with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd and three of its affiliates to expand the reach of the iPhone in Asia.

Bharti Airtel Ltd , India's top mobile operator, will carry the iPhone in the world's fastest-growing wireless market, which already has more than 260 million mobile users. SingTel owns more than 30 percent of Bharti Airtel.

SingTel unit Optus will offer the iPhone in Australia, and Globe Telecom will be the Philippine partner. Globe Telecom is owned by SingTel and domestic conglomerate Ayala Corp .
An Apple spokeswoman said the iPhone would make its debut in those countries "later this year," and declined to comment on plans to bring the iPhone to Japan and China.
Last week, Britain's Vodafone Group Plc , the world's largest mobile phone company by revenue, said it would sell the iPhone in 10 countries, including India and Australia.

"A key concern in terms of iPhone adoption has been the lack of carrier announcements, and now with these announcements, we feel comfortable modeling more aggressive growth," Wu said.

In its quarter ended March 31, Apple sold 1.7 million of the devices, which combine a mobile phone, iPod media player and Web surfing.
Wu said a flurry of deals between Apple and European carriers last week prompted him to raise his 2008 iPhone sales forecast to 11 million units from 7 million previously.

"We envision iPhone one day becoming as large as the current Mac business," Wu wrote in a research note, adding that would be up to $20 billion in annual revenue.
Apple shares rose 2.6 percent to close at $188.16 on the Nasdaq. The stock has soared 50 percent over the past three months as investors regain confidence that Apple can sustain growth even in a weakening economy. (Additional reporting by Jennifer Tan in Singapore; editing by Phil Berlowitz and Braden Reddall).

---Reuters-13May-2008