Thursday, April 6, 2000, Chandigarh, India
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Dingko qualifies for Sydney |
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Ali Sher gains lead at SRF Open
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Balkar
clinches golf title CHANDIGARH, April 5 Balkar Singh of Railways romped home winner in the inaugural National Civil Services Golf Championship at the Chandigarh Golf Club here today returning a gross score of 83. Besides the trophy the Delhi Railway golfer is entitled to an air ticket to Singapore or Hong Kong, sponsored by Bajaj Travels, Chandigarh. A.P. Pandey of Uttar Pradesh finished runner-up with 85. Pandey was given a return air ticket to Goa. Pandey, however, had the consolation of winning the title in the nett section with a score of 69. The runner-up position went to R.K. Rao of Haryana. Bharat Raj Bajaj of Punjab claimed the title for nearest to the pin and R.K. Rao, former Deputy Commissioner of Chandigarh, was declared the winner in the longest drive competition. S.C. Chaudhary and R.K. Rao of Haryana clinched the gross team title. The Punjab team of P.K. Verma, former Secretary of Punjab Governor, and B.R. Bajaj, former Finance Secretary, Chandigarh Administration, finished runners-up. R.N. Gupta and Navdeep Singh were winners in the team championship (nett) and R.S. Sandhu and A.P. Pandey finished runners-up. Seventyfive competitors from all over the country participated in the one-day competitions. Most of the golfers expressed happiness and satisfaction over the arrangements made for conducting the championship. However they were of the view that more such tournaments should be organised. Speaking on the
occasion, Mr B.R. Bajaj urged the other state
associations to conduct such tournaments, which the
Chandigarh Golf Association Secretary C.S.R. Reddy had
termed hobby golf. |
Paes,
Fazal to lead Indian challenge NEW DELHI, April 5 Indian non-playing captain Ramesh Krishnan named Leander Paes and Syed Fazaluddin to spearhead the hostsattack in the Asian Zone Group I second round Davis Cup tie against South Korea to be played at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here from April 7 to 9. After a longish practice session at the National Sports Club of India(NSCI) courts here today, Ramesh said Leander and Fazaluddin will play in both singles and doubles unless something unexpected happens. They are the best pair available with us, and more over, they have played together in the doubles. Rameshs announcement puts at rest the speculation about the doubles combination. Ramesh tried out all the permutations and combinations with the talent available at his disposal, before deciding on the Leander-Fazaluddin combination. Ramesh said: In any case everything depends on the first days play. If India win both the singles on the opening day, the hosts obviously would go for the killer punch in the doubles, by fielding their best pair Leander and Fazal. Otherwise, the Indian captain may have to alter his strategy. We will have to see how the first days play go, Ramesh said cautiously. But he was confident that Leander and Fazal would pull off the tie against Korea as we have had a good run of the training sessions. The Indian squad had a very fruitful week-long training session at the well-tended NSCI courts, though Leander joined the team only on Sunday night. But the Indian ace made for the lost time in the last three days, by having strenuous workouts. Leander said since his duty would be very hard, my effort has been to conserve my energy in this sapping heat. We are trying to make the best options we have, and we will have to come out guns blazing on Friday, Leander remarked. Leander said he has chalked out his strategy, but would not disclose it, and that The Delhi heat is going to be a factor, particularly if are going to play five-setters, in deciding the tie. After the hectic workout today, Leander felt he was on the right track. Fazaluddin said he did the best preparation I could have done, and I am ready for the tie. The new- national grass court champion disclosed that he started preparing for this tie right after the first round match against Lebanon in Lucknow early this year. This is the longest I have ever prepared for a contest, said the youngman, whom the Koreans are definitely going to target, to gather their points. Fazaluddin said he was mentally ready to play on all three days. Davis Cup is difficult, but we should be able to do well, he noted. He said he has been training for the past two months, and has been playing well too. He said Leander has been making him play in the doubles with a changed strategy, to help him play better, and I shall try to put my best foot forward, as we have a great Davis Cup hero in Leander. Fazaluddin knew about his nomination for the doubles only when reporters told him about it, though Ramesh had already asked for my commitment. I have been doing my home work well, and I am ready for the battle, He declared. But the South Koreans are not very impressed. Though Korean non-playing captain Joo Won-Hong conceded that Fazaluddin is a good player, Davis Cup needs experience. The Korean said with a poker face that he expected the final verdict to be either 4-1 or 3-2 in their favour.He said India will be under home pressure, and we are getting better and better. The Korean captain also discounted the theory that the heat would affect them. The dry heat here is ok. We are used to sticky weather back home, he added.Thus the stage is set for the battle, and its interesting to watch how India would go about their difficult task, in the absence of Mahesh Bhupathi. The Koreans got a feel of the centre court at the R.K. Khanna Stadium in the afternoon, and was happy with the condition of the surface. Union Finance Minister
Yashwant Sinha will take out the draw tomorrow at 9 a.m. |
USA will struggle if Agassi doesnt play LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) Andre Agassis on-off love affair with the Davis Cup is due to resume this weekend but injury could stop the American playing his first home tie since July 1998 against the Czech Republic. Agassis decision to travel to Zimbabwe after winning the Australian Open was vital for his countrys Davis Cup chances in the absence of Pete Sampras, but the dehydration he suffered in Harare has hobbled the world number one since early February. Defeat in the semifinals in Miami last week left Agassi with an ankle injury that he hopes will clear up in time for the world group quarterfinal in Inglewood, California. I think it (the ankle) will be all right for that worst case, maybe even if I have it taped when Im playing, Agassi said after his defeat by Gustavo Kuerten. It will probably take three or four days before I can really move 100 percent on it. Like Agassi in February, Sampras comes to the Davis Cup with a title under his belt after beating Kuerten in Miamis final and he warns the US will face a struggle if his big name compatriot is not fit to play the other singles rubbers. Certainly wed love to have him, hopefully he can get his health back, Sampras said on Sunday. With him on the team our chances are that much better to win this pretty easily. If he doesnt play, certainly it opens the door to a tough weekend. While the US scraped through 3-2 against Zimbabwe, the Czechs swept Britain aside 4-1 but they appear to have little chance on the indoor hard court if Agassi and Sampras play. They received a boost in Miami when Martin Damm beat US pair Jared Palmer and Alex OBrien named in the Americans Davis Cup squad in the semifinals of the doubles playing alongside Slovak Dominik Hrbaty. Damm has been drafted into the Czech squad because of this performance but unfortunately Hrbaty will be on duty in Rio de Janeiro, where the Slovaks play Brazil. It would be so great if Hrbaty was on our team, said Czech captain Jan Kukal. In the old days he would have been ... combined we would have a team capable of winning the Cup. The US have won three of the four ties against Czech opponents, formerly Czechoslovakia, while the Slovaks have not played Brazil since the division of the two in 1994. Slovakia beat Austria 3-2 in the first round, after taking a 3-0 lead, but they will find the conditions far more Torrid on and around the outdoor clay court in Rio despite their strong singles pairing of Hrbaty and Karol Kucera. Brazil beat France 4-1 in Florianopolis in the first round and, with Kuerten regaining the form that took him from 23rd in the world to fifth last year, the home side look capable of reaching only their second world group semifinal. Champions Australia have lost their Davis Cup final hero Mark Philippoussis with a leg injury for their home tie against Germany in Adelaide but can call upon former world number one Pat Rafter as a formidable substitute. Rafter missed the Nice final after shoulder surgery and could partner Lleyton Hewitt in the singles on Adelaides grass, but Germanys already slim chances have been hit by injury. Nicolas Kiefer has declined to turn out for his country this season and Tommy Haas pulled out on Saturday with a hip injury. Rainer Schuettler suffered a thigh muscle injury in training on Monday. A decision on his fitness to play singles alongside David Prinosil will be made today. The final quarterfinal Sees Russias power players, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, attempt to beat the touch players of Spain Alex Corretja and Albert Costa on the Spaniards favourite surface, red clay. Kafelnikov, second behind Agassi in the ATP champions race, was knocked out in the quarterfinals in Miami, which did not entirely displease captain Shamil Tarpishchev. He should get enough acclimatisation, rest and practice on clay now, which should be the key to his game, Tarpishchev said. My prognosis
whichever team is in better physical form should
win the match. |
Ali Sher gains lead at SRF Open NEW DELHI, April 5 (UNI) Ali Sher, who considers the Delhi Golf Club his second home, had no qualms in burning it up as he shot a blistering bogey-free round of seven-under 65 to leapfrog to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Rs 8.5 lakh 26th SRF Open championship, here today. Ali Sher tallied nine-under 135 and was two strokes ahead of the red hot Jyoti Randhawa and Feroze Ali, who were tied for the second place at seven-under 137. Kanpurs Shiv Prakash shot a four-under 68 and tied for the fourth place at six-under 138 along with overnight leader Jumman, who returned a par 72 card. Gaurav Ghei was sixth at five-under 139. Ali Sher, who has won the Indian Open twice on this very course, began from the 10th tee after missing a six-footer and an eight footer birdie putts on the first two holes, went into overdrive from the 13th hole onwards. He then peppered the flag with his approach shots, making a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th onwards. On the 16th, he missed a five-footer for birdie and then added another hat-trick of birdies from the 17th onwards. On the 17th, he was on the edge of the green from where he putted with an eight-iron straight into the hole. Ali Sher, added another birdie on the eighth hole, before missing on the ninth hole. Starting from the 10th tee, Randhawa made a bogey on the 12th hole when he missed his chip-putt from the edge of the green. After missing the six-footer par putt on the 12th, the reigning Wills Indian Open champions putter gathered heat as he sank a 20-footer followed by a 15-footer for birdies on the 13th and 14th. On the par-five 18th, he missed a six foot eagle putt, but tapped in for birdie nevertheless. On his back nine, the Delhi-based golfer made birdies on the first, fourth and eighth and a bogey on the sixth. Feroze made a bogey on his final hole but appeared extremely happy for the second day with his putting. Overnight leader Jumman struggled with his bunker shots and made three of his four bogies from the hazard. Otherwise, the Lucknow professional was doing well and was two-under with four holes to go before making bogies on the 15th and 17th holes. Shiv Prakash, champion here in 1988 when he broke the existing four-day aggregate record with a 17-under, moved into contention with a solid round which was marred by a three-putt bogey on the fourth and another on the final hole. Ashok Kumar continued to lead the amateur section despite a one-over 73 card. Shiv Kapur shot a two-under 70 to aggregate one-under 143, one stroke off Ashok. Five time national amateur champion, Ashok Malik also made the professional cut, tallying three-over 147. |
Agassi, Davenport return to top HAMBURG, April 5 (DPA) Andre Agassi returned to the top of the ATP Tour champions race on Monday while fellow-American Pete Sampras moved up from eighth to third place after his Miami title. The Miami semifinalist Agassi dethroned Yevgeny Kafelnikov again to rank on top with 249 points to the Russians 223. Number 3 Sampras has 218 after his first 2000 title. Gustavo Kuerton soared into the top 10 from 26th to eighth place after a runner-up berth at the second Masters Series tournament of the year in Florida. ATP Tour champions race as of April 3: 1 Andre Agassi (USA) 249 points, 2 Vevgeny Kafelnikov, (Russia) 223, 3 Pete Sampras (USA) 218, 4 Lleyton Hewitt, (Australia) 187, 5 Magnus Norman (Sweden) 185, 6 Nicolas Kiefer, (Germany) 137, 7 Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 136, 8 Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 134, 9 Alex Corretja (Spain) 131, 10 Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 130. Lindsay Davenport of the USA reclaimed the world number 1 position in womens tennis in the latest WTA rankings. WTA Tour top 10 as of April 3: 1 Lindsay Davenport
(USA) 6,100 points, 2 Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 6,046,
3 Venus Williams (USA) 3,280, 4 Mary Pierce (France)
2,643, 5 Nathalie Tauziat (France) 2,549, 6 Serena
Williams (USA) 2,488, 7 Monica Seles (USA) 2,177, 8
Conchita Martinez (Spain) 2,076, 9 Julie Halard-Decugis
(France) 1,986, 10 Sandrine Testud (France) 1,867. |
Ajmer
appointed CHANDIGARH, April 5 Dr Ajmer Singh, Arjuna awardee and former Director, Sports, Panjab University, was today appointed Professor of Physical Education Maulana Abul Kalam Azad chair. He is the winner of one gold and two silver medals in the 5th Asian Games held at Bangkok in 1966. Dr Ajmer Singh has over 30 years of teaching experience of post graduate classes in physical education. |
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