GOLF
Aditi Ashok finds a closing birdie to make cut at the Ascendant LPGA
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok holed a crucial birdie on the 18th hole for an even-par 71, making the cut for weekend action at The Ascendant LPGA.
Aditi, who shot 3-over 74 in the first round, had three birdies and three bogeys for a 3-over 145 total that saw her right on the cutline at T-64th.
Aditi who started the day with a bogey got back the shot on the third before picking her next birdie on the ninth.
Bogeys on the 10th and the 14th pushed her back before a closing birdie gave her a lease of life over the weekend.
- PTI
Rashid slips to 73, but still shares lead in Taiwan Masters
Indian gofler Rashid Khan battled his way through the third round to hang on to a share of the lead at the USD 1 million Mercuries Taiwan Masters here on Saturday.
Rashid, who started the day four shots clear of the field, carded one-over 73. He shared the lead with Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang (69).
The two-time Asian Tour winner, Rashid, and the four-time Asian Tour winner Chan, are both at 11-under.
Chan is looking to win an Asian Tour event on home soil for the first time, while Rashid is looking for his first Asian Tour win since 2014.
Four-time Asian Tour winner Chan carded a three-under 69 to reach 11 under for the tournament and catch overnight leader Khan, who fired a 73.
Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rehman (69), whose last Asian Tour title came at the 2013 Hero Indian Open, ten years ago, and Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut (68) share the third spot.
They are both at 8-under and three shots behind Rashid and Chan.
It was a good day for the Indians, as Veer Ahlawat (69) was T-8 and Aman Raj (67) and Shiv Kapur (71) were among the group tied at 12th. Ajeetesh Sandhu (72) was T-15 and SSP Chawrasia (73) was T-20 as six Indians were in the Top-20.
Three other Indians, S Chikkarangappa (72), Khalin Joshi (74) and Honey Baisoya (76) were T-26. Viraj Madappa (73) and Rahil Gangjee (77) were T-38, while M Dharma (74) was T-48 and Udayan Mane (77) was T-54.
Rashid started the day with a four-shot lead having returned a 65 on day two. He was disappointed to card a 73, but the satisfaction was that he was still in the lead.
Rashid struggled on the outward nine unable to make birdies and dropped a shot on seventh to make the turn in one over, and when he made bogey on 10 it appeared the chasing pack would overwhelm him.
Chan and Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert led on the back nine, but Rashid birdied 13th and 15th to stay in the hunt.
“I told myself, this is not the golf course which we played for the first two days, so just hang in there. And you know, if you make two or three birdies on last eight holes, you’re still fine,” Rashid said.
“I mean I’m still playing in the last group, and I have a chance, so I’m just going to focus on that.” Rashid won both of his Asian Tour titles in 2014 – the SAIL-SBI Open in India, and the Chiangmai Golf Classic, in Thailand. This season he was joint runner-up at the Mandiri Indonesian Open in August.
-PTI
Sharma has another rough day at Dunhill Links Championships
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma endured another testing day as he shot a disappointing 5-over 77 in the second round of the 21st Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Sharma, who opened with a 2-over 74, is now 7-over.
In the second round, Sharma suffered a bogey on fifth and then had a triple bogey on seventh. It was his second triple bogey in two days.
Three bogeys on 10th, 17th and 18th and two birdies in between on 12th and 14th saw him turn in a card of 77 at Carnoustie.
He was T-137 in a field of 168, who started the week.
However as per the format of the event, he will play the third round at Kingsbarns before the cut is applied. The players play one round each at the three courses -- St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns -- before the top 60 return for a final round at St. Andrews.
- PTI
SNOOKER
Pankaj Advani solidifies his place in knockouts of Red Snooker Championship
Pankaj Advani of India played against Loh Chung Leong of Malaysia with whom he was leading 2-0 and then Loh took two frames to equal the match but after that Pankaj sealed the next two frames to close the proceedings and to get better position in the reseeding for the knockout stage. His frame score against Loh Chung Leong is 34-26, 37-01, 24-38, 19-47, 32-20, 41-10
On day-1 (29 th September) of the World Men 6 Red Snooker Championship, Advani played two matches. He is in Group B where he defeated the players from Libya and Mongolia.
In the morning session on day one, Pankaj defeated Mohamed Emeesh of Libya 4-0 scoring 60-01, 42-01, 53-20, 71 (break of 71) - 00
At the evening session match, Pankaj won against Enkhtuvshin Bat-Ochir of Mongolia 4-1 scoring 40-01, 36-12, 53-17, 27-50, 71 (break of 63) – 01.
Pankaj Advani qualifies for the knockout stage (Last-32) of the World 6Red Snooker Championship 2022 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Advani won all four group matches scoring 4-0, 4-1. 4-1, 4-2.
The Last-32 stage will start on 2nd October in two sessions i.e. at 10 AM and 11:30 AM IST.
PICKLEBALL
Ajeet Bhardwaj presents World Championships medals to club
Ajeet Bhardwaj sports the two gold medals he won in the recent Pickleball World Championships in Bali before presenting them to the Vasant Vihar Club on Founder’s Day on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Kamesh Srinivasan
The reigning World Champion in Pickleball in both the over-50 and over-60 sections, Ajeet Bhardwaj presented both the gold medals to the Vasant Vihar Club on the Founder’s Day celebrations here on Saturday.
A regular in the ITF Masters tennis circuit, with two rooms at home dedicated to the trophies that he has won over the years, the 64-year-old Ajeet said that he owed his late blooming sporting career to the Vasant Vihar Club.
"I learnt tennis at the age of 40 in this club," said Ajeet, a leading optometrist in the country.
The president of the club, Lt. Gen. Shankar Prasad, lauded Ajeet for his excellence in both tennis and pickleball.
“Our club is focused on sports. We want our members to enjoy sports and excel at the club, local, state, national and world level like the way Ajeet Bhardwaj has done," said Lt. Gen. Shankar, a renowned defence analyst on television shows.
“I have given the medals to the club because they will put it on display and that will inspire many other members. It is better that way than lying in a room at my home," observed Ajeet.
After the puja ceremony on the Founder’s day in the morning, the Vasant Vihar Club made it a point to first felicitate all its leading sports stars, led by Ajeet Bhardwaj, before any other activity.
Apart from his World Championship gold medals, Ajeet was also felicitated in the annual function, for winning the gold in Asian pickleball championship, apart from winning six ITF Masters singles and doubles tennis titles around the world in one year.
- Kamesh Srinivasan
HOCKEY
Punjab Sports Institute of Sports beats Kreeda Prabodhini in Nehru U-17 girls tournament
New Delhi: Kamaldeep Kaur and Sania scored the goal in helping Punjab Institute of Sports, Mohali, to a 3-1 victory over Kreeda Prabodhini, Pune, in the Charanjit Rai 28th Nehru under-17 girls hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on Saturday.
Sukanya Sagar Dhavare reduced the margin for the Pune team.
The Results (league):
- Kamesh Srinivasan
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