LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Indian athletes have been cleared to compete in the Winter Games in Sochi after the country complied with the IOCs ethics rules and avoided becoming the first country expelled from the Olympics in more than 40 years. Kony Ealy Black Jersey . Still to be determined is whether the few Indian athletes who have qualified for Sochi compete for their country or under the Olympic flag. The International Olympic Committee gave a reprieve to Indias suspended national Olympic body on Tuesday after a long impasse that had threatened to lead to the expulsion of the worlds second most populous nation. The move came two days after the Indian Olympic Association amended its constitution to bar any officials charged with a crime from running for election, as demanded by the IOC. "We think that is a major step in the right direction," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We are now looking forward to the implementation of the new rules by transparent and open and democratic elections in the Indian Olympic Association." Had India not fallen into line by Tuesday, it risked becoming the first country kicked out of the Olympic movement since South Africa was expelled in 1970 for its apartheid policies. The Indian body was suspended by the IOC last December after electing secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Bach said the IOA remains suspended pending the holding of elections under the new constitution. Although the new elections will not take place until Feb. 9, two days after the start of the Sochi Olympics, Bach said the IOC has "taken precautions for the athletes and made sure the athletes will not suffer from this procedure." In that case, Bach said, Indians would compete as "independent athletes" under the Olympic flag, with no Indian flag or symbols allowed at the venues or opening ceremony. If the elections can take place before the Sochi Olympics and satisfy the IOC demands, the suspension would be lifted and the athletes could compete with their national flag and anthem. India is likely to send a three-member team to Sochi, led by luger Shiva Keshavan, who will be participating in his fifth Winter Olympics. Keshavan, who set a continental record at the Asia Cup in Nagano, Japan, last December, is hoping to become the first Indian to win a medal at a Winter Games. India can also send one male and one female Alpine skier to the games Tiquan Underwood Black Jersey . -- Free-agent left-hander Scott Kazmir agreed to terms on a $22 million, two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics on Monday, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said. Bene Benwikere Black Jersey . It was the first game back in Columbus for Rangers star Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets franchise leader in goals, assists and games. He was given a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, but was booed loud and long after a second-period, two-handed shove up high on Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.When I was young, they kept feeding me fairy tales. You may have a similar story. But maybe... Just maybe... This is one time when make believe should make you believe. How long does Cinderella stay at the dance? Sometimes, the carriage doesnt turn into a pumpkin. Right now, Whitby, Ontarios DyShawn Pierre, small forward for the No. 11 seed Dayton Flyers of the Atlantic-10 Conference, is living the fairy tale during March Madness. After defeating in-state rival The Ohio State University Buckeyes, then to go on to edge a team who spent much of the regular season as the No. 1 team in the country in the Syracuse Orange, led by Brampton, Ontarios Tyler Ennis, Pierre and his mates kept the dream alive by slaying another dragon in the Stanford Cardinal, a solid team led by two other Canadians, Dwight Powell and Stefan Nastic. DyShawn and his teammates have pushed forward to take the Flyers back to a place they havent been in 30 years, The Elite Eight. Standing in the path to the yellow brick road of the Final Four is an extremely tough, senior-laden, defensive-minded University of Florida Gators squad. With a coach in Archie Miller, who implicitly trusts every player on the Dayton Flyer roster, from the first man to the 12th, DyShawn Pierre is set to lead his team further on their quest for the ultimate brass ring: The NCAA Mens Basketball Championship. I sat down with DyShawn Pierre to find out if the soft-spoken sophomore is really a lion disguised as a lamb. Who is DyShawn Pierre? Oooh! I never really thought about that before, but... in terms of basketball, Id say Im a total team guy. Outside of that, Im just a guy whos truly concerned about others... God, family, friends... those things are important to me. In three words, how would your teammates and friends describe you? Ummm... Passionate. Aggressive. Can I get back to you on the third one? In three words, would your coaches describe you in the same way? I hope they see me as a player who can help make the game better for me and my teammates, who just plays the game hard and competes. But Id say... Ummm... Coachable. Humble. Quiet. How heavy is the Dayton Flyers bandwagon now that you guys slayed a couple huge dragons in The Ohio State University and Syracuse? (Laughs) I dont know about that. We do know we have a lot of people behind us, but what these guys in the locker room... what we do together with the help of the coaches and of course the fans is a blessing. We just want to take it as far as we can. Describe your mindset once you knew your team would be facing OSU. It was very exciting. Playing in March Madness is an honour. Playing with a guy who transferred from Ohio State gave it some other elements, but wee just see it as another opportunity to prove ourselves. Amini Silatolu Black Jersey. Was there a lot of personal, in-state rivalry talk and emotion involved? No, it wasnt really personal. I mean, we have Jordan Sibert, who transferred from OSU and guys from Ohio, but all we wanted to do is compete and get the win, no matter who was in front of us. Now that youve beaten Stanford, how do you think you guys match up against Florida? Honestly, I havent been watching too much, really. Floridas very good. They were No. 1 in the country...the No. 1 seed in the entire tournament. Its going to be a tough matchup. But were here for a reason, too. Whats the best thing about this March Madness experience for you? Anything can happen. People dont believe in the Dayton Flyers. We do. We stick together. We believe. With so many Canadians affecting the outcomes of games in a major way in March Madness, what do you think this means for the future of the Canadian National Team? Our national team has a very bright future. Steve Nash, Jay Triano and Rowan Barrett have done a great job in developing the program. The coaching is excellent. I would love to play if I were invited to compete. With so many other great young players in the program, Id love to go back to compete and contribute. Weve seen players have big March Madness performances in the past and turn that into a high NBA draft status. Has this been something youve thought about seriously at all? Not really. I mean, its a dream. But right now, Im very focused on what were trying to achieve here at Dayton. Its a special group of guys and I love how together we are and what I think we can accomplish. Youre climbing up the list of most famous people from Whitby, Ontario. Theres former two-time Stanley Cup champ and Olympic Gold Medalist NHLer Adam Foote, the late WWE wrestler Test (Andrew Martin), the rapper/musician k-os... and you! Do you climb that list with every March Madness win? (Laughs) I guess so. I didnt even know there was a list like that. Whatever happens, my team and I have gotten a lot of support from fans, friends and family. While I cant respond to each and every one personally, I am grateful... very thankful to everyone. This whole experience has been awesome. I wont forget it. If DyShawn Pierre had to walk away from basketball forever after Dayton wins the National Championship, what would he do with the rest of his life? What? NOOO! I really couldnt see my life without basketball. I really love the game. Somehow, someway, I would want to be a part of something basketball-related. More than anything, though, Id just like to enjoy life. Its been a humbling experience so far. I cant wait to see what the future holds. cheap jerseys ' ' '
