Indian sports wrap, March 5: Vani takes one-shot lead at Women’s Pro Golf Tour

GOLF

Vani Kapoor dropped two late bogeys but maintained focus to get a birdie on the final hole to take sole lead on the first day of the fifth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour here Wednesday.

Vani, winner of the fourth leg last month, shot 2-under 70 and took a one-shot lead over her good friend Amandeep Drall (71) at the Classic Golf & Country Club.

Vani and Amandeep were the only players to shoot under par on an extremely windy day when scoring was tough.

Rhea Jha was placed sole third. She landed an eagle two on Par-4 eighth but had five bogeys and one birdie in her 74.

On a rather tough day for scoring, five players were tied for fourth with rounds of 4-over 76 and the group included amateur Ceerat Kang, Anahita Singh, Oviya Reddi, Neha Tripathi and Ridhima Dilawari.

Leader Vani had four birdies against two bogeys in the round. She opened with a par and then birdied the second and the third. Then followed a series of eight pars and another birdie on Par-4 12th. She dropped back-to-back shots on the 16th and the 17th but closed with a birdie.

Amandeep Drall opened with a bogey but got the shot back on the fifth. She dropped another shot on the Par-4 13th but closed with a birdie on the 14th and the 18th for a round of 71. Amandeep Drall, who went out in the first group with Gaurika Bishnoi in the morning, was the clubhouse leader till Vani overtook her.

Two-time winner this season, Sneha Singh had a rough day with a card of 5-over 77 that saw her pick just one birdie against six bogeys. She was tied ninth with Yaalisai Verma and Gauri Karhade.

Among some other well-known names, Gaurika Bishnoi, Jasmine Shekar and Shweta Mansingh carded 81 each and were tied for the 22nd place.

– PTI

RUGBY

India to host inaugural Rugby Premier League in 2025

Rugby Premier League logo.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In a historic moment for rugby in India, the Indian Rugby Football Union (Rugby India) and GMR Sports revealed the official logo for the inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL), a franchise-based Rugby 7s league, set to debut in 2025.

The league will feature six city-based teams, showcasing elite talent from top rugby nations around the globe, along with top-tier players from India. 

Mr. Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union, shared his thoughts on the logo, saying, “Rugby 7s is a sport of incredible speed, dazzling skill, and heroic strength, and the Rugby Premier League will showcase it in a way India has never seen before. The logo is emblematic of the energy, dynamism and high-octane action that the league will showcase. With GMR Sports’ expertise and the support of all the stakeholders, we are ready to take Indian rugby to the next level.” 

– Team Sportstar