TENNIS
Tennis Premier League initiates action in Gujarat
As part of its drive to keep the tennis fraternity engaged, especially at the junior level, the Tennis Premier League (TPL) has started its initiative with the Gujarat State Tennis Association (GSTA) to have a series of tournaments across the State.
There will be tournaments in different cities and the champions will compete in the Masters event to be held in Ahmedabad. Boys and girls in the under-10, 12 and 14 age groups apart from men and women would stand to gain scholarship.
The TPL aims to award annual scholarship worth Rs.75,000 to the best 72 players from across the country.
“The association between GSTA and TPL encourages competition which can only help raise the standard of the sport. We hope to get a few players who go on to make India proud”, said the secretary of GSTA, Shrimal Bhatt.
– Kamesh Srinivasan
Sriram Balaji and Andre Begemann win Cagliari Challenger
Sriram Balaji in partnership with Andre Begemann of Germany beat Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos 6-4, 6-7(3), [10-6] in the doubles final of the €205,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Cagliari, Italy, on Sunday.
The champion team collected €11,705 and 175 ATP points. The runners-up won €6,780 and 100 points. It was the fourth Challenger title as a pair for Balaji and Begemann who had won three Challengers last year.
It was the 56th career doubles title for the 34-year-old Balaji, while it was the 46th doubles title for the 39-year-old Begemann.
Result:
Doubles (final): Sriram Balaji & Andre Begemann beat Boris Arias & Federico Zeballos (Bol) 6-4, 6-7(3), [10-6]
– Kamesh Srinivasan
BASKETBALL
74th National Junior Basketball Championship to begin in Indore
Uttar Pradesh boys and Tamil Nadu girls will attempt to defend their crown in the 74th National Junior Basketball Championship to be staged at the Emerald Heights International School in Indore from May 8 to 14.
The championship has attracted 27 boys teams and 25 girls teams.
The groupings:
Boys:
Group-A: Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi.
Group-B: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha.
Group-C: Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.
Group-D: Maharashtra, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana.
Group-E: Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Pondicherry.
Group-F: Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya.
Girls:
Group-A: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka.
Group-B: Punjab, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh.
Group-C: Haryana, Goa, Himachal Pradesh.
Group-D: Chandigarh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal.
Group-E: Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand.
Group-F: Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Pondicherry.
– Kamesh Srinivasan
GOLF
Sandhu finishes T-28 in Seoul
Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia dropped four shots in the last three holes to finish T-37 while Ajeetesh Sandhu fared better to secure a T-28 result at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open here.
Chawrasia closed the week with a 4-over 75 to total 3-over 287 after being even par through 15 holes.
Chawrasia, who had three birdies and three bogeys in the first 15 holes, bogeyed the 16th and the 18th and dropped a double bogey on Par-3 17th for a round of 75, after shooting 72-67-73 on the first three days.
Ajeetesh Sandhu, who carded 71-71-74-69, finished T-28. Three other Indians Shiv Kapur, S Chikkarangappa and Karandeep Kochhar missed the cut.
Korean Hongtaek Kim, who is a star on the golf simulator circuit on Korea’s GTour and has a nickname ‘King of the Screen’ won the tournament. He beat Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam in a sudden-death play-off on an overcast day with persistent rain.
FILE PHOTO: Ajeetesh Sandhu in action
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
FILE PHOTO: Ajeetesh Sandhu in action
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
Sharma finishes Tied 56th in Volvo China Open
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma, who started the week with a superb 66, carded a disappointing 73 to finish T-56 at the weather-hit Volvo China Open on Sunday.
With the third round being cancelled due to inclement weather, the event was reduced to 54 holes and Sharma finished 4-under 212 after being T-7 at the end of the first day.
Om Prakash, the other Indian in the field, missed the cut with opening rounds of 70 and 74.
Lahiri finishes T-30th in Singapore
India’s Anirban Lahiri finished Tied-30th in a 54-man field at LIV Golf Singapore here on Sunday.
Lahiri, who had rounds of 70-69 on the first two days, was 4-under for 54 holes.
Brooks Koepka, who defends his PGA Championship title later this month, won the title for his fourth LIV golf success. He shot 66-64-68 to be 15-under for three rounds.
Australian duo of Cameron Smith and veteran Marc Leishman finished tied second at 10 under at the Sentosa Golf Club.
-PTI
IGU launches fresh initiatives to grow golf in India
Buoyed by the recent success of its young amateurs, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) has spread its activities to ‘Training the Trainers’ and ‘Growing the Game’ to grow the game in the country. The Sports Ministry has been backing the golfers ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The IGU has brought an international trainer to have special sessions with teaching professionals and coaches.
“Time and again, we have been told at international meetings how the fraternity looks at India to grow the game in the region.
“We have the numbers, we have a coaches certification system and now with the programmes to ‘Teaching our teachers’ and getting more people to play the game, we are hopeful in next few years, India will be a golfing force,” said IGU president Brijinder Singh.
He said IGU’s aim is to get golf into programmes like the Khelo India Games and to make the sport part of curriculum in schools.
-PTI
