New Delhi, May 19
Against the backdrop of allegations of spot-fixing during IPL matches, Union Minister Ajay Maken today said the BCCI - the national governing body for cricket in India - should come under the ambit of the RTI Act.

"BCCI should agree to come under RTI. Any organisation entrusted with job of selecting a National Team can not call itself a Private Body!," Maken, who till recently held the Sports portfolio, twitted.

His Twitter account clarifies that the Union minister's tweets are personal.

Maken, who holds Housing portfolio at present, said the Centre has already taken a stand before Central Information Commission (CIC) that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be under the ambit of the Information law. During his stint in the Sports Ministry, Maken had tried to bring transparency in sports bodies through the Sports Bill.

But following divergent views within the Union Cabinet, he was asked to redraft certain provisions.

Mathura, May 19
Barely a few hours after an emergent meeting of the Board's Working Committee, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla reiterated that members were unanimous in their decision to take strong action against the players if they are found guilty in the spot-fixing scandal."Strongest possible action will be taken, that is what BCCI President has said. And that is the view of the working committee," Shukla told reporters here.

BCCI President N Srinivasan promised to take strongest possible action against the Rajasthan Royals players if they are found guilty in the scandal that has hit the cash-rich T20 league. Shukla further said: “Secondly, it has also been decided after talking to RR representative, that RR will file a complaint against these players because they are being contracted with RR.” The BCCI has appointed its anti-corruption chief Ravi Sawani as the commissioner of inquiry and has told him to file his report as soon as possible.

Sydney, May 19
David Warner has been reported for breaching Cricket Australia's (CA) Code of Behaviour, after launching a scathing Twitter attack on Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn, two Australian journalists for News Limited.

A statement from CA on Sunday said, "Warner is alleged to have breached Rule 6: Unbecoming Behaviour, regarding comments posted on his twitter account."

Warner's twitter tirade occurred in the early hours of Sunday, and was apparently prompted by a Craddock article titled 'Dangers of living it up in the Indian Premier League', in which he explored the IPL and its multiple problems in light of the recent spot-fixing scandal.While Craddock chose not to respond, Conn engaged in a back-and-forth argument with Warner, whose language was less than parliamentary.

Rule 6 of CA's Code of Behaviour states that "players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket...this rule applies at all times where the unbecoming behaviour involves the player being involved in public comment or comment to or in the media."After the exchange, Conn said he had received an apology from CA for Warner's behaviour. “I know that Cricket Australia aren't very happy with the language he's used to express himself this morning,” said Conn on a Melbourne radio station on Sunday. “Cricket Australia have touched base with me and apologised and said that it was inappropriate and they'll be taking action."Warner is at present playing in the IPL 2013 with the Delhi Daredevils, who will face Pune Warriors on Sunday evening in their final match in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

CA will determine the time and date of Warner's hearing on Monday. — Agencies

Pune, May 19
Delhi Daredevils' woeful season ended with yet another disappointing loss, this time by 38 runs to Pune Warriors, as they finished at the bottom of the nine-team table in the domestic T20 championship.

The penultimate league match of the competition had only academic interest and that was which among Delhi or Pune would be able to avoid the proverbial wooden spoon. In the end, Warriors, backed by their skipper Finch's 52, posted a challenging target of 173, and successfully defended it by restricting the lacklustre opposition for a meagre 134 for nine. Pune, by virtue of winning the last two matches, finished eighth with as many points as DD had the ignominy of finishing last.

Brief Score: Pune Warriors: 172/5 in 20 overs (Finch 52, Wright 44; Kaul 2/27). DD: 134/9 (Gautam 30, Irfan 24). — PTI

Hyderabad, May 19
Sunrisers Hyderabad snatched the last-available play-offs berth with a tense five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders and in the process knocked Royal Challengers Bangalore out of the domestic T20 Championship.

Chasing 131 in their must-win match, Hyderabad overhauled the target with seven balls to spare, taking their points tally to 20 which placed them fourth in the table.

Hyderabad were cruising at one stage but lost wickets in cluster to make heavy weather of the chase. However, Darren Sammy (17 off 12) smashed two consecutive sixes off Iqbal Abdulla in the penultimate over to steer the side home.

They displaced Bangalore (18) from the fourth spot and set up Wednesday's Eliminator match against Rajasthan Royals.

Hyderabad exploited the conditions well to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a modest 130 for seven. Stroke-making was difficult on the slow Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium wicket and the hosts bowlers, specially the spinners dominated the proceedings.

Yusuf Pathan with his calculative 49 run knock off 29 balls gave Kolkata something to fight for after electing to bat. Jacques Kallis (24) was the other notable contributor.

Hyderabad's chase began in the right earnest with Parthiv Patel (47) and Shikhar Dhawan (42) batting fearlessly. They attacked intelligently and set up the win with their 89-run opening stand.

It was diminutive Patel, who started the fireworks and later Dhawan joined the party. They did not spare a single bowler as they cut, pulled and drove elegantly.

In no time, Hyderabad were within the striking distance of a cherishable win. Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla broke the opening stand when he trapped Dhawan and the batsman must be cursing his shot selection as he attempted a reverse sweep, missed, and was caught plumb.

However, Dhawan had played his part with his 35-ball knock laced with three fours and two shots over the fence. Hyderabad though made heavy weather of the chase by losing three wickets in 12 balls. Patel became second victim of Abdulla, skipper Cameron White was run out needlessly and Hamuma Vihari too was dismissed by Abdulla. — PTI

Scoreboard

Kolkata Knight Riders

Bisla c White b Perera 15
Gambhir run out 10
Kallis c Dhawan b Steyn 24
Morgan lbw b Sharma 9
Pathan not out 49
ten Doeschate lbw b Mishra 1
Dogra c Perera b Steyn 5
Narine c Perera b A Rajan 1
Abdulla not out 2
Extras: 14
Total (7 wkts in 20 ovs) 130
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-42, 3-59, 4-89, 5-95, 6-111, 7-121
Bowling
Steyn 4-0-24-2
Rajan 4-0-22-1
Perera 4-0-33-1
Sammy 1-0-9-0
Mishra 4-0-20-1
Sharma 3-0-15-1

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Patel lbw b Abdulla 47
Dhawan lbw b Abdulla 42
Vihari c Dogra b Abdulla 6
White run out 2
Perera b Ahmed 4
Sammy not out 17
Samantray not out 5
Extras: 9
Total: (5 wkts in 18.5 ovs) 132
Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-100, 3-103, 4-108, 5-112
Bowling
Pathan 4-0-29-0
Sangwan 2-0-17-0
Narine 4-1-11-0
Ahmed 4-0-32-1
Kallis 1-0-13-0
Abdulla 3.5-0-29-3

(Qualifier 1): CSK v MI in Delhi (Tue); (Eliminator) SH v RR (Wed)

Sandnes (Norway), May 19
Going all out for a win to clinch the title, world champion Viswanathan Anand suffered a heart-breaking loss at the hands of Wang Hao of China in the final round to finish a disappointing fourth in the Norway Super Chess tournament on Saturday.

Anand, who needed a win against Hao in the last round to win the title, was placed joint second going into his final game after his eighth round win against local boy Jon Ludwig Hammer.The shocking defeats of leader Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen, the highest rated player in the world, in the penultimate round also worked in Anand's favour as it threw the championship wide open. But the loss to Hao in the final round broke Anand's heart as he finish joint fourth along with Peter Svidler and Levon Aronian on five points apiece.Sergey Karjakin of Russia won the title with six points after his ninth and final round game against Bulgarian Veselin Topalov ended in a draw.American Hikaru Nakamura defeated Jon Ludwig Hammer in the last round to finish joint second with local favourite Magnus Carlsen on 5.5 points. Carlsen was held to an early draw in the ninth round by Levon Aronian in 30 moves after a bout of heavy piece exchange.

By virtue of the win over Anand, Hao finished seventh on 4.5 points ahead of Vaselin Topalov (4), Teimour Radjabov (3) and Hammer (1.5). Against Hao, Anand opted for the English opening but erred as early as in the 16th turn with a wrong looking rook move. But Hao too failed to capitalise on the mistake instantly.Anand, however, was error prone and had to give up his queen for a rook and bishop on the 19th turn. Thereafter, Anand tried to get back into the game but Hao hung on grimly to his advantage and pocketed the point after 38 moves.

Ironically, Hao, who was trailing in the last two places for most part of the tournament, produced his best in the last two rounds defeating Carslen in the penultimate round and then Anand in the final round.

Results of Round 9: Levon Aronian (ARM, 5) drew with Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 5.5); Wang Hao (CHN, 4.5) beat Vishwanathan Anand (IND, 5); Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 5.5), beat Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR, 1.5); Teimour Radjabov (AZE, 3) drew with Peter Svidler (RUS, 5); Sergey Karjakin (RUS, 6) drew with Veselin Topalov (BUL, 4). — PTI

London, May 19
Stuart Broad bowled England to victory in the first Test as New Zealand suffered a dramatic fourth-day collapse at Lord's on Sunday.

New Zealand, chasing 239 for victory, were dismissed for just 68 with Broad taking seven wickets for 44 runs in a mere 11 overs.

South Africa born duo BJ Watling (13) and Neil Wagner (17), who got to 10 with a six off Broad, were the only New Zealand batsmen in the innings to reach double figures. Fast-medium bowler Broad took the first four wickets to fall after frustrating New Zealand with 26 not out as England slumped to 213 all out in their second innings earlier Sunday.

What had been a see-saw contest was all but over in an hour before lunch that saw New Zealand reduced to 29 for six — with Broad having then taken five for 22 in 32 balls. At that stage the only consolation for New Zealand, bowled out for 43 by South Africa at Cape Town in January, was that they had surpassed the all-time lowest Test innings total of 26 they made against England at Auckland in 1954/55. Broad struck with his third ball Sunday to have Peter Fulton caught behind and then produced a superb delivery that jagged back from leg to knock to over Hamish Rutherford's off-stump. Ross Taylor, New Zealand's first innings top-scorer with 66, then fell for nought when he edged Broad low to England captain Alastair Cook at first slip. New Zealand — chasing what would be the highest single innings total of the match if they achieved it — were now 16 for three. And that became 21 for four when Kane Williamson chipped Broad to Steven Finn in the covers. James Anderson, who'd taken five wickets in the first innings, got in on the act when Dean Brownlie was caught by Cook. — Agencies

Scoreboard

England first innings 232
N. Zealand 1st innings 207
England second innings (overnight 180/6)
Cook c Brownlie b Boult 21
Compton b Wagner 15
Trott b Williamson 56
Root b Southee 71
Bairstow b Southee 5
Prior c sub b Southee 0
Finn c sub b Southee 6
Bell c Brownlie b Southee 6
Broad not out 26
Swann c McCullum b Southee 1
Anderson c Southee b Williamson 0
Extras: 6
Total (all out, 68.3 ovs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-36 2-36 3-159 4-167 5-171 6-171 7-183 8-200 9-210 10-213

Bowling
Boult 15-3-56-1
Southee 19-4-50-6
Wagner 13-2-44-1
Martin 13-2-40-0
Williamson 8.3-2-20-2

New Zealand2nd innings
Fulton c Prior b Broad 1
Rutherford b Broad 9
Williamson c Finn b Broad 6
Taylor c Cook b Broad 0
Brownlie c Cook b Anderson 5
McCullum lbw Broad 8
Watling c Trott b Anderson 13
Southee c Root b Broad 7
Wagner run out 17
Martin b Broad 1
Bolt not out 0
Extras: 1
Total: (all out, 22.3 ovs) 68
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-16 3-16 4-21 5-25 6-29 7-41 8-54 9-67 10-68

Bowling:
Anderson 11.3-5-23-2
Broad 11-0-44-7

New Delhi, May 19
Olympians Manoj Kumar and Dinesh Kumar today led Indian boxers’ dominating show by advancing to the finals of the Invitation FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup in Limassol, Cyprus.

Last year’s senior national gold medallists, Mandeep Jangra and Sukhdeep Singh, too, made it to the finals of their respective weight division.

2008 Youth Olympics bronze medal winner V Durga Rao (56kg), reigning national champion Madal Lal (52kg) and silver medallist Parveen Kumar (+91kg) also booked their places in the title round. 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj (64kg) had an easy outing against Diaa Twafeek Mohamed of Egypt. The Egyptian boxer had no answer to the aggressive play of the 26-year-old Indian.

Leading from start to finish, Kumar went on to take his place in the final of the light welter weight with a margin of 16-4 win. He will meet Abdelkader Chadi of Algeria in the gold medal match.

In the heavy weight division, Dinesh (91kg) beat Chouaib Bouloudinat from Algeria. The 24-year-old put up a solid defence and countered with his left straight punches and right hooks.

He kept winning crucial points, not allowing his opponent much space. The Algerian boxer tried hard to take the lead in the final round, but a power full left upper cut and right long hook helped Dinesh maintain the advantage. Dinesh won on points 18-17. He will face Fotios Aratoglou from Hungary in the final.

In the welter weight division Mandeep (69kg), up against Pablos Poulikos of Greece, made a stunning recovery after being down 3 points at the end of the second round.

The 20-year-old came back strongly in the third round with his sharp powerful punches and well executed counter attacks to take the game away from the Greek boxer. Jangra won on point 14-13, and will lock horns with Spanish boxer Victor Veda Blanco for the yellow metal.

Patiala, May 19
India had to be content with two silver medals on the concluding day of the Stage 1 of the World Cup at China today as India’s star archer Deepika Kumari lost the final of the individual round and the duo of Deepika Kumari and Jayanta Talukdar were outclassed by USA in the finals of recurve mixed team finals. With this India ended up with three medals in the event — two silver medals and one bronze.

In the individual recurve finals, Deepika lost to Yun Ok-Hee of Korea in a nail-biting match with a final score of 4-6. After winning the first set with a score of 29-27, the Indian archer lost the second set to Yun (27-28) thus levelling the score at 2-2. While Deepika won the third set, the Korean archer got the better of her in the fourth set once again. Then, holding her nerve, the Korean won the fifth and the deciding set with a score of 27 against Deepika’s 26 to clinch the title. Deepika’s scores in the five sets were 29, 27, 29, 28, 26 against the 27, 28, 28, 29, 27 of her opponent.

Deepika had been in excellent form earlier in the tournament, as she eliminated Joo HJ (Korea) in semifinal (3-2) and Pavlova Anastasia of Poland comfortably in quarterfinal (4-2).

The Indian recurve duo could not pose a challenge to their opponents from the US, who shot the best score of the Olympic round in the event and won the finals with a score of 154 against India’s 146.

While the Indians shot a below par score in the final match, the American pair shot much higher than their average scores, thus leaving no scope for the Indian archers to pose any sort of challenge.

It is pertinent to mention here that the pair of Deepika and Jayanta had won a silver medal in the third stage of the World Cup in Ogden, US, in 2011 also. Two years back, they had lost to a US duo and had to settle for a silver.

Yesterday, the compound women’s team of Gagandeep Kaur, Trisha Deb and P. Lily Chanu had won the won bronze medal, beating Italy 228-223.

New Delhi, May 19
The biggest gain from the meeting among the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Sports Ministry, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at Lausanne on May 15 has been the endorsement the Indian delegation got from the IOC and the OCA for the roadmap they had prepared for revoking the suspension of the IOA.

Before the meeting, the IOA and the Ministry representatives had come to an understanding that they will not publicly unburden their internal problems, and that neither the IOA will poke its nose in the proposed Sports Bill nor the Ministry will transgress the autonomy of the IOA and the National Sports Federations. But the IOA did conce that the Ministry should have a limited say in the matter of the government funds to the NSFs.

The only point the IOC did not accede to was the IOA’s request to allow IOA president Abhay Singh Chautala to continue for another three months to work out the modalities before fresh elections.

The IOC insisted that within 30 days, the IOA constitution should be amended, and then give notice for the elections, which will be finalised at a meeting of the NSFs and not the IOA, thus protecting the autonomy of the national federations.

The IOC has assured the IOA delegation that the at no cost, the Sports Bill of the Government would be allowed to transgress the autonomy of the sports bodies and the IOA, and an IOC representative will be involved in the drafting of the Bill before it is passed.

The involvement of the IOC will ensure that the Sports Bill will not be passed any time soon, as it will be a time-consuming process with the IOC properly whetting the contents of the Bill so as to ensure that it does not violate the Olympic Charter.

The softened stance of the IOC will also hugely help the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) presently under suspension from the international body, as no international body will now take punitive action against India till IOA holds fresh elections.

The IOA and the government expect to complete the IOA election process in the next three months.

Rome, May 19
Serena Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in dominating fashion Sunday, beating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the Italian Open final.

The top-ranked American will enter the French Open, which starts next Sunday, on a career-best 24-match winning streak. Williams was coming off consecutive titles in Miami, Charleston, and Madrid last week. She didn’t drop a set while winning this title.

In the men’s final, Rafael Nadal controlled the match from the start, beating Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3 in the 30th meeting between them.

Nadal improved to 20-10 in his career against Federer, and won the Italian Open for the seventh time. It was Nadal’s fifth title since returning earlier this year from a seven-month layoff due to a left knee injury.

For Williams, her only previous title at this clay-court event came in 2002, when she beat Justine Henin in the final.

That was also the year she won her only title at Roland Garros. Last year in Paris, Williams lost in the opening round of a major for the first time, falling to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France.

On a pleasant spring day, Williams immediately took control by breaking Azarenka’s serve twice to take a 3-0 lead in the opening set.

The 15-time Grand Slam winner slugged winners at will off both Azarenka’s first and second serves, stepping into the court to dictate play at every opportunity.

Azarenka grew distraught at the end of the first set, twice slamming her racket on the court in desperation.

After trading breaks midway through the second set, Williams took control again when Azarenka double faulted to hand her a 5-3 lead. Williams then served out the match at love and let out a big scream when she unleashed a backhand winner down the line to close it out.

Williams held a massive 41-12 edge in winners and served nine aces to Azarenka’s none.

Williams improved to 12-2 in her career against Azarenka, who spent 51 weeks at No. 1 before Williams reclaimed the top spot in February.

Williams had twice won 21 matches in a row before, although both of those runs came more than a decade ago, in 2002 and the beginning of 2003. Martina Navratilova established the longest women’s winning run in the Open Era at 74 matches in 1984. At 31, Williams is back at the top of her game after missing 11 months in 2010 and 2011 with a right foot injury and a pulmonary embolism. — Agencies

London, May 19
It’s all very well saying that the old stayer Fergie won the big-time football retirement stakes on the bridle but then we shouldn’t forget that David Beckham has been running his for not much less than 10 years. When you remember this, a career notable for genius self-promotion could hardly be said to have ended in a whimper.

The latest lionisation was bang on cue, mostly seamless, and we can be sure that there are still lashings of hagiography in the pipeline. Still, Fergie did have it by a mile, at least in relevant impact on the football of today.

The trouble, if one has the nerve to say it, is that giving Goldenballs his due is never going to come close to that which he has, with immense dedication and skill and almost uncanny understanding of celebrity culture, awarded himself down the years.

There is not a lot of reward in saying this, beyond the suggestion that you might benefit from a visit by the men in white coats, but there it is, as immutable a dilemma as ever down all the years since he first popped into our consciousness with that remarkable goal from halfway against Wimbledon.

It is the uncomfortable, some would say dark, compulsion to say that between the accomplishments of Beckham, which are of course not inconsiderable, and the acclaim and the rewards they have received, there is a shortfall in reality, a failure of perspective, so vast it is hard to match in almost any area of public life.

This, as it happens, is not so much a criticism of the footballer as an acknowledgement of a quite remarkable phenomenon. Beckham has been the man of his times, the quintessence of fame. His knighthood is stitched on, his wealth swollen by the years and for so many of them without any relationship to his success as a player, he has more caps for England than any outfielder – a distinction limited only by the fact that Peter Shilton was arguably the greatest goalkeeper who ever lived – and, of course, from gay icon, fashion plate and perfect family man there is nary a box he doesn’t tick beyond the touchline.

Except the box, and God save all of us who say it, that is supposed to contain a truly great player.

At the top of his game Beckham was an extremely good player armed with extraordinary ball skills – and his determination to work on those gifts was exemplary. Before Ferguson decided that the evolution of his lifestyle and attitudes had left him out of sync with the professional culture of Manchester United, Beckham was a vital element in a fine Champions League team, but to suggest that he was ever historically close to being one of United’s – or Real Madrid’s or England’s – most important players is a fiction that quite some time ago could no longer, given the force of the mythology attached to his persona, be separated from fact.

The other night he was saying how proud he was to be twice elected the world’s second-best player, behind the Brazilian Rivaldo and his former Real team-mate Luis Figo, and high in the heaping of accolades was the fact that he was the only Englishmen to win four titles in four different countries. In both cases reality had been brushed into the margins. Had it not been so comprehensively ambushed, someone might have pointed out that there was never a time when Beckham could be said to be among the world’s top 10 players, let alone the top two, and in respect of his contribution to four national titles, surely only those at United have a presence among the top rank of individual achievement.

When Real clinched their first La Liga win in his four years there, he had already been substituted and was bound for Los Angeles Galaxy, where the third title duly arrived at a level of the game which remains somewhat less than awe-inspiring. While at Paris Saint-Germain he was pronounced, by the bible of French sport, L’Equipe, a “flop”.

Perhaps no professional sportsman has ever had less reason to complain about his notices and the one in Paris is only mentioned here in the context of the claims on his behalf of a grand exit in the city of light.

Of course, Beckham sails on into an untrammelled future and there is nothing inherent in his nature that provokes a begrudging reaction to this inevitability. If he has conceits, like most of us, but for much more compelling reasons, he does not flaunt them.

If his contributions to England are lauded quite ludicrously, if the campaign launched in pursuit of his 100th cap was a sentimental nonsense – the eventually acquiescent England coach Fabio Capello said that if an Italian legend like Paolo Maldini or Franco Baresi had found himself in a similar situation such a crusade would not have happened in “a million years” – Beckham has never been strident in his demands on history or official acclaim.

He has, no one should feel hardship admitting, won for himself an extraordinary dividend on the gifts he received in the cradle. He has taken each one of them and, literally, turned them into gold. No, this is not a reason for reproach.

The problem has, after all, never been a question of how David Beckham sees himself. It is, you have to say before the knock on the door, more a question of how the world sees him. It is with flawed, idolatrous vision and some who should know better do not have the wit or the courage to say so.

The Independent

BRIEFLY

Jiju was like Sree's satellite: KCA secretary Mathew
Kerala Cricket Association secretary TC Mathew revealed that S Sreesanth was indeed very close to Jiju Janardhanan, and called him the "satellite" of the tainted speedster. "He (Jiju) is always around Sreesanth as a satellite. We used to see him around Sreesanth not only in Kerala but in abroad also. When Sreesanth moves in the city he is always seen in his car. May be we thought he is a close friend of Sreesanth," Mathew told a news channel. "Being a Malayali, he is eligible to play for Kerala. That's why may be Sreesanth brought him here to help him make it to the Ranji squad," he said. Jiju was among the 11 bookmakers arrested by the Delhi Police for alleged spot-fixing in the IPLmatches. "We never suspected his intentions. We only watched him as a normal person. One thing people used to know about him was that he was always around Sreesanth," he added. — PTI

Kuala Lumpur
China thrash India 5-0 in Sudirman Cup: India on Sunday suffered a 0-5 thrashing at the hands of China in their opening group match of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship in Kuala Lumpur. Only P.V. Sindhu could offer a semblance of a fight in her 21-19, 16-21, 14-21 women’s singles loss to Wang Yihan while the four other Indians were outclassed by the Chinese at the Putra Stadium. In the mixed doubles contest, Tarun Kona and Ashwini Ponnappa lost to Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei 10-21, 13-21 in just 29 minutes. In the second tie, P. Kashyap was no match for world number two Chen Long, who won 21-11, 21-9 in men’s singles.The combine of Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Chopra gave a tough fight to Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan in men’s doubles before losing 23-25, 18-21 while their women counterparts Ashwini Ponnappa and Gadre Pradnya lost 18-21, 11-21 in women’s doubles.

Guntur (Andhra Pradesh)
Jaison sets new record in pole vault: Kerala vaulters ruled the roost with Mariya Jaison winning the gold medal with a new height of 3.20-metre in the 10th National Youth Athletics Championships here today. On the second day of the meet, Jaison eclipsed the previous mark of 2.82m held by state-mate Sinju Prakash. However, Mariya could not succeed in her attempt to break Sinju’s national mark of 3.30-metre. The day also witnessed UP hammer thrower Prakash Singh attaining the qualifying standard for the World Youth Championships by throwing the ball and chain to 63.52m52m. The qualifying mark in this event stands at 63m.

New Delhi
Ghosal, Dipika to spearhead India’s challenge: Top players Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal will spearhead India’s challenge at the Allam British Open beginning in Hull, England, tomorrow. Pallikal, World No.15, will play her opening match against Denmark’s Line Hansen, ranked 22nd, at the KC Stadium on Tuesday while Ghosal, World No.19, will lock horns against a qualifier tomorrow and is drawn to meet fourth seed Gregory Gaultier of France in the second round. Pallikal, who had become the first Indian to break into the top-10 of world rankings last December, has been training hard for the tournament with her coach and five-time World Open winner Sarah Fitz-Gerald. Another Indian and Pallikal’s Chennai teammate, Joshana Chinappa will have to play the qualifiers.

Mumbai
Crash ends storming weekend for Mahindra: A crash while fighting for top positions on a tricky wet-and-dry Le Mans circuit in France brought a strong weekend to a premature close for the only Indian team in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, Mahindra. Mahindra rider Miguel Oliveira had qualified the Mahindra MGP3O second-fastest, and was lying fifth and fighting hard in a tight-packed group of six disputing the lead on the fourth of 24 laps of the 4.185-km Bugatti circuit at Le Mans. As they began the fifth lap, into the very fast first corner, the white-and-red Mahindra was pushed to the edge of the track, and the teenager from Portugal was down. He was unhurt, but unable to restart. Second rider Efrén Vázquez did not start, returning to Spain for surgery after suffering a fractured collar-bone in a crash in free practice. The race was won by Spanish KTM rider Maverick Vinales. — Agencies