Indian sports news wrap, October 29

TENNIS

Bobrav captures sixth ITF title at Davangere

Bogdan Bobrav wasn’t feeling too well after the ITF Dharwad Open. His new friend and doubles partner over the last three weeks, Nick Chappell coaxed him to come to Davangere, the host city of the ITF Davangere Open. Six days later, the second-seeded Bobrav thanked his doubles partner, for, he lifted the singles title at the Davangere Tennis Association Courts, incidentally beating the top seed Chappell to grab the winners prize of US $ 2160 while garnering 15 ATP points. Chappell had to settle for the runner-up cheque of US $ 1272.

Bobrov who had lost in the semifinals last week, demonstrated solid consistency and a powerful presence on the court. His ability to control the pace of the game, deliver precise shots, and maintain a strong mental composure in critical moments proved to be decisive in his path to a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory, his career’s 6th ITF title and third on hard courts.

-Team Sportstar

Yuki Bhambri, Julian Cash win Challenger tennis tournament in France

Yuki Bhambri in partnership with Julian Cash of Britain beat the top seeds Robert Galloway and Albano Olivetti 6-7(5), 6-3, [10-5] in the doubles final of the €118,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Brest, France, on Sunday.

It was the third Challenger title of the season for the 31-year-old Yuki who had also won the Tour title in Mallorca.

The champion team collected 100 ATP points and €6,845. The runner-up team collected 60 points and €4,050.

– Team Sportstar

FOOTBALL

I-League: Sreenidi Deccan FC defeats NEROCA FC in season opener

Sreenidi Deccan FC opened the new I-League season with a 4-0 win against NEROCA FC at the Deccan Arena stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Two goals from captain David Castaneda, and one each from Lalromawia and Lalbiakliana helped the Deccan Warriors lay down an early marker for the campaign.

Sreenidi Deccan controlled possession from the get go and its dominance saw most of the game played in the NEROCA half. That pressure paid off in the 24th minute as Castaneda broke the deadlock in the 24th minute with a close range header from Faysal Shayesteh’s low cross from the right.

Castaneda then turned provider in the second half as he slipped in Lalromawia who chipped the goalkeeper to double Sreenidi Deccan’s lead.

Substitute Lalbiakliana then made a big impact after coming on in the 81st minute as he won a penalty which was dispatched by Castaneda before scoring himself in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake for Sreenidi Deccan FC.

Sreenidi Deccan FC will face I-League new boys Inter Kashi in its next game which will be here on November 3.

– Team Sportstar

GOLF

Aditi Ashok finishes 63rd as Celine Boutier wins in a 9-hole play-off in Malaysia

Aditi Ashok ended a topsy-turvy week with a 3-over 75, finishing tied-63rd at the Malaysia Ladies event on the LPGA Tour in Kuala Lumpur.

The finish brought an end to a strange week for Aditi, who had rounds that varied to a great extent.

Aditi started with a 5-under 67 that had a double-bogey finish, followed by a nightmarish 80 and she again shot 4-under 68 on the third day, before ending the event with a 75.

She finished 2-over 290 for the four days.

On the final day, Aditi had just one birdie against two bogeys and a double bogey, whereas on the second day she had two triple bogeys and three other bogeys.

Overall, Aditi had two triple and two double bogeys.

At the top, Celine Boutier of France continued having a great season as she edged past Atthaya Thitikul in a record-breaking 9-hole play-off, after the duo was locked at 21-under after four rounds.

– PTI

Aramco Series: Gaurika Bishnoi shoots 8-under 64 to finish tied-19

India’s Gaurika Bishnoi shot one of her best cards with a bogey free 8-under 64 that saw her finish tied-19 in a low-scoring Aramco Series Golf event in Riyadh on Sunday.

Gaurika, who got an entry into the event following a fine showing in the Women’s Indian Open, started the week with a 72 and 68 and rounded it off with 64, which had eight birdies and no bogeys.

Gaurika finished at 12-under.

A day earlier, Gaurika was in Team Alison Lee, which was placed at the second position in the Team Series event.

Additionally, tied for the second spot was Team Cheenglab as they ended the competition with 40-under par, three behind the winners.

Team Ciganda emerged winner at 43-under.

Diksha Dagar, who started the week just 78 points behind the Order of Merit leader Celine Boutier, ended a distant tied-51st as she continued to chase the French golfer.

Diksha had rounds of 68-72-71 to be 5-under 211.

Gaurika’s 64 was the best round of the final day, equalled only by Polly Mack who finished Tied-11th.

Gaurika, who was tied-8 at the Women’s Indian Open, was playing only her second LET event of the year. She had three birdies on the front nine and five more on the back nine.

However, the most sensational effort came from Alison Lee, who shot 61-61 and went to 22-under over the first two days for a record-breaking 36-hole LET scoring record. She added 7-under 65 on the third and finished at 29-under.

Carlota Ciganda, whose squad won the team competition, was second in individuals with rounds of 65-63-67 and Charley Hull of England was third with 65-67-66.

– PTI

Shubham Jaglan signs off at T-28, Stubbs punches ticket to the Masters and Open

Golfer Shubham Jaglan signed off as the best-placed Indian at tied 28th as Jasper Stubbs won the Asia-Pacific Championships in dramatic fashion here on Sunday.

Jaglan shot 74 in the final round to be 14-over.

Shaurya Bhattacharya and Yuvraj Singh carded even par 71 in a week when just over 11 per cent of the rounds played this week yielded scores of par or better to end T-31 and T-36 respectively.

-PTI

MOTORSPORT

FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC): K.J. Jacob, S.N. Shanmuga emerged overall winners

K.J. Jacob and co-driver S.N. Shanmuga emerged overall winners of the Rally of Hyderabad, the fourth round of the Blueband Sports FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) at Sanghi Nagar on Sunday.

For Jacob, who made his debut in the INRC in 2016 at the K1000 rally in Bengaluru, it was his first overall win, ably assisted by Shnamuga, driving an INRC2 spec Volkswagen Polo 1.6 punched above their weight.

Hyderabad’s tough terrain and, the longest special stage among the current rally venues in India, proved daunting as the top three in both the INRC1 and INRC2 and many overnight leaders, fell by the wayside in the final stage.

Of the eight premier-class cars, driven by top guns in the country, only Younus Ilyas finished the punishing course.

Vishakh Balachandran and Anil Abbas and young turk Arjun Rajiv and Rohit Gowda, both driving the lower INRC3 spec Polo 1.6 cars finished overall second and third.

Jacob and Shanmugha also won the INRC2 class while Vishakh and Anil took the INRC3 victory.

Vivek Ruthuparna and co-driver Athreya Kousgi won the INRC4 while talented Pragathi Gowda and Trisha Alonkar bagged the Ladies class. Baljinder Singh Dhillon and Goutham CP won the Gypsy class.

– Team Sportstar

POLO

Jindal Panther wins Bhopal Pataudi Cup

Siddhant Sharma scored six goals as Jindal Panther beat Achievers Blue 11-7 in the final of the Bhopal Pataudi Cup polo tournament at the Jaipur Polo ground in New Delhi on Sunday.

Abhimanyu Pathak top scored with five goals for Achievers Blue.

The Chief of Army Staff and the president of the Indian Polo Association, General Manoj Pande, and Begum Sharmila Tagore presented the trophies.

– Team Sportstar

BASKETBALL

Hansraj Prabhakar basketball tournament: Oxford beats Modern school 45-21 to enter semifinals

Host Oxford School beat defending champion Modern School, Barakhamba Road, 45-21 to enter the semifinals of under-15 boys event in the 34th Hansraj Prabhakar basketball tournament at the school courts in E-Block, Vikaspuri, on Sunday.

– Team Sportstar

HOCKEY

Nehru junior tournament

Odisha Naval Tata Academy, Bhubaneswar, beat Sukhjeevan Sports Academy, Agra, 4-3 in a league match of the Kanwarji 51st Nehru junior hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

Shivam Patel was the hero of the Agra team as he scored all the three goals to bridge the gap against the formidable High Performance Centre (HPC) team.

– Team Sportstar

SHOOTING

15th Asian shooting championship: Pranav Suresh, Isha win air rifle gold

Naraen Pranav Suresh and Isha Taksale won the youth men and women’s gold in air rifle in the 15th Asian shooting championship in Changwon, Korea, on Sunday.

Naraen shot 249.9 to beat Kim Junpyo of Korea by 0.9 point. It was a commendable fare as Naraen had qualified for the final as the last shooter with a modest score of 618.6.

Isha won with a big margin after shooting 252.7 in the final. She beat Yu Jiaxin of China by three points for the gold.

In the 25-metre rapid pistol for junior men, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu lost the bronze in the shoot-off.

In trap, Zoravar Singh Sandhu kept the Indian hopes alive, particularly for the Olympic quota, with a score of 71 out of 75 after
three rounds. Qi Ying of China led with 72. Olympian Kynan Chenai (65) and Prithviraj Tondaiman (63) were in the 23rd and 31st spots. Two more rounds will be followed by the final on Monday.

– Team Sportstar

SWIMMING

Srihari, Sajan break meet records

Karnataka’s Srihari Nataraj (200m freestyle) and Kerala’s Sajan Prakash (100m butterfly) broke meet records in National Games swimming in Panaji on Sunday.

– Stan Rayan