Indian sports news wrap, January 31

GOLF

Amandeep drops late triple as Khushi takes lead in 3rd leg of Hero WPGT

Khushi Khanijau, playing in the opening group, birdied her final hole to grab the sole lead after first round of the third leg of 2024 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Tollygunge Club here on Wednesday.

Playing in the first group with Riya Yadav (76), Khushi had three birdies on the eighth, 10th and a final one on the 18th. She dropped shots on the fifth and 12th for a round of 69, the only under par card of the day.

The seasoned Amandeep Drall, playing in one of the later groups, was 4-under with two holes left when she had a disastrous triple bogey on Par-4 17th and added a bogey on 18th to fall to even par 70. She is placed second.

Four players, including Hitaashee Bakshi, runner-up in the last two events, were tied for third at 1-over 71 each. The other three are Seher Atwal, Jasmine Shekhar and Gauri Karhade.

Amateur Anaahat Bindra (73), who was also under par after 15, finished bogey-bogey-double bogey for 73 and was seventh.

Karishma Govind and Ananya Garg shot 74 each while three players Jyotsana Singh, Ananya Datar and Ridhima Dilawari were tied for 10th place with rounds of 75 each.

While Khushi has won once previously on the Hero WPG Tour at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Amandeep is trying to work her way back into form before she embarks on international Tours.

Hitaashee had a birdie start but bogeyed the next three holes, before recovering with two birdies against one dropped shot in the remaining 14 holes.

Seher Atwal made a smart recovery after being 4-over through 12 holes. She birdied three times to get to 1-over 71.

– PTI

Avani to spearhead Indian challenge at Women’s Asia-Pacific

The eloquent Avani Prashanth will be accompanied by five other Indians as the region’s finest young golfers get ready for the sixth Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.

This week the event returns to the Siam Country Club, which hosted the tournament two years ago. As many as 22 countries will be represented by 90 golfers.

Besides Avani, India will be represented by Vidhatri Urs, Mannat Brar, Heena Kang, Keerthana Rajeev Nair and Saanvi Somu.

A little over a dozen of the 90 golfers are in the world’s Top-100, and they will rub shoulders with players who are from countries in different stages of development of the game.

Avani said, “This tournament is a bookmark event for all of us in our calendars. It gives us exposure to play against the best in Asia, so that is definitely one big advantage.

“And just what the APGC does for all of us we’re all so grateful for. And not only do we get to play with the best, but also make lifelong relationships that will become useful when you start playing on the LPGA or LET together.

“And I think once you win I think it’s great because that gives you a head start as a young amateur and what you should and should not do.” Defending champion, Eila Galitsky of Thailand, added, “So just what Avani said. It is great exposure, and the opportunity to just make friendships from around the world, around Asia, and the opportunity to get to play majors and compete with the top pros in the world is truly amazing.” While Avani is looking to make her fourth, and possibly, her last shot at WAAP, Galitsky is banking on a change in fortunes at the Siam Country Club.

If the 17-year-old Galitsky, the winner at the Singapore Island Country Club last year, wins again, she will become the first player to defend her WAAP title and also the first two-time winner of the region’s premier amateur event for women.

In 2022, Galitsky struggled with her putter at the Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course and was tied 35th.

Avani, at 42nd, is two places behind Galitsky in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Avani and Galitsky, who have forged a friendship going back to the time they were Under-10, have competed often against each. In six previous clashes around the world, they are tied 3-3 as their personal score.

-PTI

ATHLETICS

Double gold for Manju Rani

International Manju Rani, who won the 20km gold on the opening day, won the women’s 10km gold on the second day of the race walking’s Indian Open in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old from Punjab, who clocked 45:20.00s, had paired with Ram Babu to win the 35km mixed relay team bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

“My focus will be the mixed relay event this year and I hope to represent India at the Olympics,” said Manju after her victory.

The Athletics Federation of India had included the senior 10km walk in the programme by select potential athletes for this April’s World Athletics race walk team championships in Antalya, Turkey. The top 22 teams from Turkey will automatically qualify for the Paris Olympics. The final selection for Turkey will be done in March.

In the men’s 10km, Punjab’s Sahil outclassed experienced athletes to claim gold in 39:25s. He had finished fifth in the 20km on Tuesday.

Goa’s Vijay Omkar Vishwakaram won the men’s 35 km race walk while the women’s 35km gold went to Bandana Patel of Uttar Pradesh.

The results:

Men, 20km: 1. Sahil (Pun) 39:25.00s, 2. Paramjeet Singh Bisht (Utk) 39:36.00, 3. Vikash Singh (Del) 39:47.00.

35km: 1. Vijay Omkar Vishwakaram (Goa) 2:39:19, 2. Sagar Satish Chandra (Guj) 2:44:22.00, 3. Devender Singh (Har) 2:44:58.00.

Women: 10km: 1. Manju Rani (Pun) 45:20.00, 2. Payal (Utk) 46:04.00, 3. Mokavi Muthurathinam (TN) 46:10.00.

35km: 1. Bandana Patel (UP) 3:11:06.00, 2. Pooja Kumari (Punjab) 3:17:51.00, 3. Komal (Haryana) 3:23:06.00.

-Stan Rayan

TENNIS

ITF women’s tennis: Rina Saigo beats Shrivalli Bhamidipaty

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty missed set points in both the sets and got beaten 7-6(8), 7-6(2) by Rina Saigo of Japan in the first round of the $40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the Indore Tennis Club on Wednesday.

Shrivalli did well to fight back from being down 4-5 in the first set to force the tie-break, but missed a set point at 6-5.

In the second set, Shrivalli led 5-3 and missed a set point on her serve in the tenth game, before the Japanese pulled through 7-2 in the eventual tie-break.

Sahaja Yamalapalli got off to a flying start, winning the first set 6-1, but could not stop the seventh seed Dejana Radanovic of Serbia from dictating terms thereafter. The Serb led 4-1 in the second set and 5-0 in the third, in racing to victory.

Qualifier Vaidehi Chaudhari also led 5-4 in the first set before losing 5-7, and 3-2 in the second before being beaten 6-3, by Saki Imamura of Japan.

With Vaishnavi Adkar and Zeel Desai also bowing out in the first round, none of the eight Indian players were left to fight in the pre-quarterfinals.

ITF women: Vasanti-Yvonne win in doubles pre-quarters

Vasanti Shinde in partnership with Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers of Spain beat Nefisa Berberovic and Elena Milovanovic 1-6, 6-4, [10-6] in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the $40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Porto, Portugal.

– Team Sportstar

KHELO INDIA

Maharashtra bags championship for the fourth time

Maharashtra bagged the overall championships for the fourth time in six editions with 57 gold, 48 silver and 53 bronze for a total of 158 medals in the sixth Khelo India Youth Games here on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu ended with its best-ever medal haul of the Games, bagging a total of 98 medals, including 38 gold, 21 silver and 39 bronze to finish second.

Haryana finished third with 35 gold, 22 silver and 46 bronze.

Tamil Nadu’s Maaya Rajeswaran and R. S. Rethin Pranav bagged the boys’ and girls’ tennis singles titles. 

– Team Sportstar