SPORTS

Arjun Atwal loses to dark horse Suleman Ali
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
The vagaries of Matchplay format hit the Rs 10 lakh SR All-India Matchplay championship in the very first match of the first round, when top-speed Arjun Atwal was shown the door by unheralded Suleman Ali at the Delhi Golf Club, on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old from Delhi spoiled Atwal’s marriage anniversary celebrations by winning 3 & 2 in the only Matchplay tournament on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour.

Also losing in the first round were eighth speed and one of the pre-tournament favourites Gaurav Ghei and the 16th seed Rahil Gangjee, considered a Matchplay expert by his peers. Ghei lost to Mohammed Maqbool on the 20th hole, while Gangjee’s citymate from Kolkata, Binod Pandey, walloped him 5&3.

While the top half lost three seeds, all eight from the bottom half survived the first day. Second seed Mukesh Kumar blew away Sheerasz Kalra 4&3, while No 3 Feroz won 3 &2 against Asgar Ali. Sixth seed Uttam Singh Mundy survived a scare from Ashok Kumar before winning on the 19th hole No 4 Lucknow’s Vijay Kumar, recently crowned Indian Open champion, had a relatively tough time against KPS Sekhon of Chandigarh winning 2&1.fifth seed Arjun Singh won 4&3 against Shamim Khan. This is the finest moment of my career,” said a beaming 22 year old Suleman after his victory. To beat a player like Atwal is like dream coming true. To be very frank, I was just too happy to be playing against him.

Suleman started with an eagle when he dropped a 20-footer putt. That almost set the tome for the rest of the day as the Delhi player kept sinking huge putts. He won the fourth, 13th and 14th holes with birdies and the 11th with a par, Atwal pulled back in the middle by winning the sixth and seventh holes, but could not capitalise on it.

“I am disappointed, but to be brutally honest, I did not deserve ton win. I played my first full round after Qatar Masters yesterday in the pro-am. This is not to take anything away from Suleman, who played solid golf throughout,” said Atwal after the round.

Ghei won the last three holes against Maqbool to force a playoff, but lost on the 20th when he missed his up and down from the bunker on the second hole. “I was very nervous to begin with, but then told myself that if I had to lose, I better lose playing well,” said Maqbool who burnt his fingers in the morning before the match when his matchbox caught fire while lighting a matchstick.

Uttam Mundy made up for a three-hole deficit on the last four holes and then parred the first playoff hole to beat Ashok Kumar who three-putted for a bogey from eight feet on the 19th hole.

“Ashok played very well Andit was only my experience that helped me win today,” said Mundy. Key results (Seedings in prefix): Suleman Ali bt 1-Arjun Atwal 382; 2- Mukesh Kumar bt Sheeraz Kalra 4&3; 3 -Feroz Ali bt Asgar Ali 382; 4-Vijay Kumar bt KPS Sekhon 2&1; 5-Arjun Singh bt Shaimim Khan 4&3; 6-Uttam Singh Mundy bt Ashok Kumar 19th Hole; 7-Shiv Prakash bt C Muniyappa 4&3; Mohd Maqbool bt Gaurav Ghei on 20th hole.; Binod Pandey bt 16-16-Rahill Gangjee 5&3; Amandeep Johl bt Amritinder Singh 3&2.

Citi Bank launches FIFA World Cup Card
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
Citibank today announced the launch of the Citibank Master Card 2002 FIFA World Cup Card, the first ever card of its kind in India. MasterCard is an official sponsor and the official Card of the 2002 FIFA World Cup being hosted during May-June, in Korea and Japan.

The Citibank Master Card 2002 FIFA World Cup Card is valid internationally, with exciting offers from Citibank’s merchant partners across the country (including Adidas).

The launch of the Card is accompanied by an exciting sweepstakes contest with tickets to the FIFA World Cup matches as prizes, courtesy Master Card International. There will be a `Score Goals and Go to the FIFA World Cup offer, from April 1 to May 30. Where for every Rs 500 spent (excluding the card fee) on the FIFA World Cup MasterCard will be counted as a ‘goal’, scored. All customers with at least one goal will be eligible for a lucky draw for tickets to a FIFA world cup match courtesy MasterCard International.

This limited edition MasterCard features a stunning visual of the indomitable Pele executing his trademark `bicycle kick’. The visual depicted on this MasterCard of Pele in action, is a collectors’ item for the vast majority who were not lucky enough to witness the playing days of the legend. Pele is the global spokesperson for MasterCard for the FIFA World cup.

Mr Sarvesh Sarup Global Consumer Bank Head, Citibank India, said “The Citibank MasterCard FIFA World Cup Card, aside from being another first from the Citibank stable in India, is part of our continuous efforts to generate excitement and provide value to customers, beyond the ambit of world class financial services. In Citibank’s 100th year in India, we together with out customers, identify with MasterCard and its spokesperson Pele, as an instantly recognisable icons of excellence in today’s world.”

In an unrivalled career spanning three decades, Edson Arantes do nascimento, (known to fans all over the world as Pele) scored over 1200 goals and achieved legendary status in his own lifetime. He played in our FIFA World Cup tournaments and was a part of the victorious Brazilian team of 1958, 1962 and 1970. As a fitting tribute to is genius, Pele was the recipient of the 1978 International Peace Award and was voted by the world’s National Olympics Committee as the Athlete of the Century in 1999.

Sumit Dogra shines with the bat
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
A stroke-filled unbeaten 56 by Sumit Dogra, with two sixes and three fours off 59 balls, powered Youngsters Club beat Delhi Development Authority XI by six wickets in the 12th All-India Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket at the Khalsa College ground in the Capital. Sumit Dogra was adjudged the man of the match.

Scores: DDA XI: 190 for 9 in 40 overs (Govind 33, Dharmender 30, B Bhatia 26, Sanjeev Kumar 3 for 31, Sarit Chaudhary 2 for 22). Youngsters: 191 for 4 in 34 overs (Sumit Dogra 56 n o, Paras Dogra 45, Tarun Gupta 41, Sudhir Giri 2 for 20). Wednesday’s fixtures: Lal Bahadur Shastri vs Rajdhani Sports.

Oberoi enter cricket final

New Delhi, April 2
Oberoi Hotels defeated Cadence by 90 runs in the second semi-final of the CRY Cadence Corporate Cricket Challenge.

Batting first, Oberoi scored 222 for 7 wickets in 30 overs. Rajat (89), Tapan (38), Kamal (32) were the main scorers. In reply, Cadence crumbled to the bowling attack of Oberoi to crash for 132 in 21.3 overs. Madhur (23), Vijay (16) were the leading scorers. Arpit took two wickets for 41 runs. Rajat Chatterjee was declared the man of the match. Oberoi will play GE Capital in the final on April 6.

Jiten Bhutani bowls NDTV to victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
A devastating bowling spell of 6 for 24 by Jiten Bhutani helped NDTV beat Adidas by six wickets to enter the semi-final of the nitn Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval. NDTV will meet SAR Group in the semi-final.

Scores: Adidas: 77 all out in 21 overs (Rakesh Mohan 31 (3x4), Kundu 11, Jiten Bhutani 6 for 24, Ranjit Kumar 3 for 13).

NDTV: 79 for 4 wickets in 12.3 overs (Alok Kumar 25 n o, 4x4; Amitabh Revi 11, 1x4; Mukesh Sharma 2 for 24).

HCA enter cricket semis

New Delhi, April 2
A fine knock of 50 by Haryana Ranji Trophy player Chetan Sharma and deadly bowling of 3 for 41 by Jitender Solanki helped Haryana Cricket Academy beat R P Cricket Academy by two wickets and enter the semi-final of the first Krishna Verma Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Captain Dharam Pal Sports Complex in Haryana.

Scores: R P Academy: 196 for 7 in 35 overs (Rajesh Kumar 63, Ashish Kumar 27, Jitender Solanki 3 for 41, Ansul Lamba 2 for 15).

HCA: 197 for 8 in 34.1 overs (Chetan Sharma 50, Parminder Negi 27, Kamal Bhakuni 3 for 23).

Karun to race in British F3
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
Karun Chandhok, the 18-year-old JK Tyre prodigy, is all set for the first race of the British F3 2002 at the Brands Hatch Circuit, following month-long pre-season test-drives across circuits in England. Karun is driving in the Scholarship Class with T-Sport, ‘The Junior Carlin Team’.

Karun graduated to British Formula 3 – the world’s most competitive Formula 3 championship, having emerged the youngest ‘Formula Asia Champion’ and the ‘Asia Rookie of the Year’ in Year 2001 driving for Team India JK Tyre.

Commenting on the high expectations from Karun, Mr Sanjay Sharma, head, motorsports, JK Tyre, said, “We at J K Tyre wish Karun all the best on this momentous occasion in his motorsport career.

EDMs to accept cheques on traffic challans
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 2
The Delhi Police are planning to install Express Depository Machines (EDMs) to facilitate motorists and others to pay their challans by dropping the cheques of compounding amounts in the machine.

Initially, the machines will be installed in traffic offices at Teen Murti, South Delhi and Old Delhi. The exact location for installation of the EDMs in South and Old Delhi will be finalised in a couple of days. The notice of challans will have a code that the offender can punch into the machine and specify the same on the cheques and drop it in the machine, traffic police sources said.

The traffic police issue at least 6,000 notices on a daily basis and around 3,000 people actually agree to pay the challan without any protest. The notices bear the information where the offender has violated the traffic rule. If the offender does not pay the challan, he will have to pay it in the court wasting his precious time.

The sources said that the cost of a machine was Rs 5 lakh each. That was why only three machines were being installed at one time. The installation process would be over in a few weeks.

In the beginning, the traffic police will deploy a constable there to guide the offender in operating the machine. Later, it will become as simple as an operation of an ATM. The sources said that the police were now depending more and more on technology gadgets due to the massive traffic in the Capital, the sources said.