SQUASH
Velavan storms into Batch Open squash final in Paris
National champion Velavan Senthilkumar advanced to his career 12 th Professional Squash Association final at the USD 12,000 Batch Open Challenger Tour event in Paris.
The top-seeded Indian, ranked 58 in the world, defeated Hong Kong’s Andes Ling 11-2, 11-1, 11-6 in 22 minutes in the semifinal on Saturday, and will take on Frenchman Melvil Scianimanico for the title.
- Team Sportstar
BOXING
Jadumani, Akash enter quarterfinals of ASBC Asian U-22 & Youth Boxing C’ships
Mandengbam Jadumani Singh (51kg) and Akash Gorkha (60kg) entered the quarterfinals of the ASBC Asian U22 & Youth Boxing Championships on Sunday.
Jadumani Singh outperformed Aldarkhishig Battulga of Mongolia by winning the bout with an RSC (Referee Stop Contest) decision in round two in U-22 category.
Akash, on the other hand, faced a tough challenge against Mongolia’s Ganbaatar Gan Erdene but made a remarkable comeback after losing the first round to win the bout 4-1.
Both the boxers will play their quarter-final bout on Tuesday.
Ajay Kumar (63.5kg) and Ankush (71kg) will begin their campaign in the U-22 category later on Sunday.
On Saturday, Jatin (57kg), Sagar Jakhar (60kg) and Yashwardhan Singh (63.5kg) also entered the next round. Jatin and Yashwardhan won their bouts with an identical 5-0 win, while Sagar received a walkover from his opponent Leong Brandon of Singapore.
On Monday, 11 boxers will be in action in their respective youth categories with Laxmi (50kg), Tamanna (54kg), Yatri Patel (57kg) and Shrusthi Sathe (63kg) competing in the women’s category.
Brijesh Tamta (48kg), Jitesh (54kg), Sagar Jakhar (69kg), Sumit (67kg), Rahul Kundu (75kg), Hemant Sangwan (86kg) and Lakshay Rathi (+92kg) will compete in the men’s category.
The finals for the youth and U-22 category will be played on May 6 and 7 respectively.
-PTI
ATHLETICS
Ajay fifth, Priti sixth in Drake Relays
Asian champion Ajay Kumar Saroj finished fifth in the men’s 1500m in the Drake Relays, a World Athletics Continental Tour-silver event, in Iowa, USA, on Saturday.
Ajay, also the Asian Games silver medallist, clocked 3:38.32s. American Johnathan Reniewicki (3:36.44) won the gold.
Asian Games bronze medallist Priti was sixth in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in 9:44.82s. American Annie Rodenfels took the title in 9:31.03s.
Meanwhile in the Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia, also a World Athletics Continental Tour-silver event, national high jump record-holder Tejaswin Shankar was seventh with 2.15m. American Kyle Rollins won the gold with 2.23m.
-Stan Rayan
GOLF
Diksha shoots under-par score to finish in top-25 in South African Women’s Open
Diksha Dagar played a steady final round of 1-under 71 and finished tied-24th at the Investec South African Women’s Open on Sunday.
The 23-year-old southpaw, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, has been very consistent this season, missing just one cut in six starts and finishing in top-25 in the remaining six events.
Diksha, starting from the 10th, bogeyed the Par-3 14th for the second time this week, but birdied the 16th and the 18th. She found 11 of the 14 fairways and 15 of the 18 greens in regulation and had only one three putt, which was on the 14th. Yet, she did not convert some of the makeable birdie putts and had just five one-putts.
Diksha, who had a win in the Czech Republic last year and two top-3s in the Amundi German Masters and the Hero Women’s Indian Open, will move to Asia for the next event in Korea, the Aramco Ladies Korea.
This season, Diksha has had three top-10s in six starts in Lalla Meryem Cup (9th), Aramco Series Tampa (T-6) and Joburg Ladies (T-3) and twice in top-25 in Kenya (T-19) and Capetown (T-24). Her only missed cut was in Aramco Ladies International in Saudi Arabia.
Belgium’s Manon de Roey held her lead and won by four despite a closing bogey. She shot 72 and finished at 14-under and four ahead of England’s Gabriela Cowley (70) on a day when there were just two cards below 70.
Nicole Garcia of South Africa (71) was fourth and Ines Laklalech of Morocco, placed second after the third round slipped to fifth with a 76.
India’s other three players, Tvesa Malik, Vani Kapoor and Ridhima Dilawari missed the cut.
- PTI
JM Eagle LA Championship: Aditi Ashok lies T-50th in LPGA
Aditi Ashok closed in a disappointing manner with a double bogey and a bogey on the final two holes of her third round and slipped to T-50 at the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.
The Indian star has had a modest season so far on the LPGA in 2024.
Overall, Aditi had four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. It was the second double bogey of the week for the Indian, who had double bogeyed the 10th a day earlier.
Grace Kim stumbled to a 5-over 76 but still held on to a share of the lead at the Wilshire Country Club.
Four strokes ahead entering the day after rounds of 64 and 66, Kim was tied with fellow Australian Hannah Green, the defending champion who saved par with a 12-footer on the par-3 18th for a 70. They were at 7-under 206.
There were three players in tied third and it included Maja Stark, playing alongside Kim in the final group.
Stark bogeyed the 18th for a 73. The Swede was one shot behind Jin Hee Im of South Korean, who had a back-nine 30 in a 63 for the best round of the day and Germany’s Esther Henseleit (71).
Kim bogeyed the par-5 second hole and had a double bogey on the par-3 fourth. She also dropped shots on the par-4 10th and 16th holes.
Stark finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship.
- PTI
Anirban Lahiri T-14 in Liv Golf Adelaide
Anirban Lahiri shot 5-under 67 and finished T-14 in the Liv Golf Adelaide as Brendan Steele won the individual title with a gritty 4-under 68 to finish at 18 under. He was one stroke better than Louis Oosthuizen.
Lahiri, who shot 65-71 in the first two rounds, ended at 13-under. In his final round of 67, he had six birdies and one bogey.
Hometown team Ripper GC, captained by Cameron Smith, beat the all-South African Stinger GC on the second playoff hole to capture a victory at The Grange Golf Course. The team comprised Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert.
Steele entered the final round with a one-stroke lead and produced a string of five consecutive birdies to give himself enough cushion against the hard-charging Oosthuizen, who shot a 7-under 65.
- PTI
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