Browsing: Sport

Mysuru, May 31 (IANS) Amandeep Drall, one of the most successful players on the domestic circuit, ensured she was on the winners’ list once again at the seventh leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPFT) at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club. She carded a third straight round of 1-over 71 to win the seventh leg, almost 15 months after her last win, which came in March 2024.

Amandeep has now won at least once each year since 2015, and that makes her one of the most consistent players on the Hero Tour. She is the fourth different player to win his season after Vani Kapoor (3 times), Sneha Singh (2), and Rhea Purvi Saravanan. Amandeep carded 71-71-71 to total 3-over 213 and won by two shots over Ridhima Dilawari, who despite a 1-under 69 fell short at the JWGC. Ridhima’s 69 was one of the few under-par rounds recorded during the week, which saw a lot of rain and tough conditions for scoring.Vani Kapoor, who had won the fourth, fifth, and sixth legs of the Tour, finished in a tie for third place alongside the second-round leader, Rhea Purvi Saravanan. Vani carded 71-72-73, and Rhea had rounds of 72-68-76. Amandeep, a former runner-up at the Women’s Indian Open, is trying to get back to the Ladies European Tour after losing her card a year ago.Amandeep trailed the 36-hole leader, Rhea, by two shots at the start of the final round. They played alongside Vani Kapoor, who was three behind Rhea. Amandeep began strongly with a birdie on the first, and when Rhea bogeyed the second hole, the two were tied for the lead. Thereafter, there was a see-saw battle, though Rhea was again in the lead when Amandeep dropped a shot on the sixth.Rhea kept ahead by a narrow one-shot margin for the next few holes till the 12th. On the Par-4 13th, when Rhea dropped her fifth bogey, the two were once again level.Amandeep and Rhea were both tied at the top at 3-over with two holes left. Ridhima and Vani were trailing them.Amandeep stayed steady while Vani had one birdie and two bogeys, including one on the 18th, and ended at 6-over. Ridhima exchanged a birdie with a bogey on the 13th and the 14th and ended with a birdie on the 18th to finish at 5-over.However, Rhea faltered at the finish with a double bogey on the par-4 17th and a bogey on the Par-5 18th. From being in the shared lead, she dropped down even as Amandeep kept her calm and maintained her string of pars on the last seven holes. As Amandeep grabbed the title, Ridhima finished second, and there was a tie for third place between Vani and Rhea.Khushi Khanijau (69) and Jasmine Shekar (71) were tied for fifth place, as Ananya Garg (70) and Vidhatri Urs (75) were tied for seventh place. Lavanya Jadon (72) was the sole eighth, and Astha Madan (74) and Neha Tripathi (75) completed the Top 10.Vani Kapoor, who has three wins, two second-places, and one third-place finish in six starts, stays on top of the Order of Merit, while Sneha Singh is second and Amandeep Drall is third with Jasmine Shekar and Lavanya Jadon at fourth and fifth spots.–IANSbsk/

Dublin (USA), May 31 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia, looking for a PGA Tour win for the third year running, put himself in a very good position at the halfway stage of the Memorial Tournament. Bhatia, who was T-7 after the first round, 2-under 70, added a 3-under 69 to get to 5-under, sole third place.Bhatia, who had five Top-10 finishes between November and March, has, however, not been able to finish that close since his third place at the Players. He was T-2 at Dunlop Phoenix, 4th at Hero World Challenge, T-9 at Genesis, 9th at Mexico, and T-3 at the Players tournament. Has since then cooled off with two missed cuts and a best of T-22 at Charles Schwab last week.The World No. 31 had five birdies against two bogeys, which came in the middle of the round on the ninth and the 11th. Two of his birdies came with putts of 28 feet on the third and a 22-footer on the 12th.He had a good all-round showing, finding 10 of the 14 fairways and 12 of the Greens in regulation, and when he did miss the fairway or the green, he scrambled well. Bhatia trailed the in-form Ben Griffin (65-72) and Nick Taylor (69-66), who are both co-leading at 7-under.Indian-American Sahith Theegala, coming back to action after a week’s absence due to neck strain, missed the cut with rounds of 74-77 as only Top-50 and ties made the weekend from a field of 72. Also missing out was Indo-British Aaron Rai (79-74). Other big names missing out were Brian Harman and Lucas Glover,Taylor had a great day as he putted for a birdie on all but one hole and kept bogeys off his card. He had a 4-under 68 that gave him a share of the lead with Griffin. Taylor faced the worst of the weather, a rain that wouldn’t quit.Griffin caught a slight break in the afternoon when the rain relented and Muirfield Village was soft. He had 16 pars, a birdie, and a bogey for a 72 that put him at 7-under 137 with Taylor.While Bhatia was two shots behind the leaders, he was followed by defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who always seems to be lurking, and his 70 was great in the kind of serious rain he played in. Scheffler missed a trio of birdie chances inside 10 feet on the front nine and also hit a wedge into the water on the 14th for a bogey, yet he was always somewhere close.Sam Burns played in the tougher morning conditions and shot 65, 11 shots better than his opening round, to get within four of the lead at -5. Justin Rose holed out from the fairway on No. 3 for eagle and made six birdies on the back in a 66 and is T-12. He shot 78 in the first round.Signature Events normally do not have a cut, but player-hosted events — Jack Nicklaus in this case — have a 36-hole format with Top-50 and ties moving into the final two rounds. The cut fell at 5-over 149, and that included Hideki Matsuyama. Only 11 players remained under par.–IANSbsk/

Amsterdam, May 31 (IANS) Ajax has reached an agreement with John Heitinga to sign up as the new head coach until June 30, 2027. Marcel Keizer will be his assistant and has signed a contract with the same term.Heitinga was active in the English Premier League for the past two seasons as an assistant coach at West Ham United and Liverpool, where he served as assistant coach to Arne Slot. Before his departure to England in the summer of 2023, the former Ajax player was interim head coach at Ajax 1 for several months. Since 2016, the former international, who as a player played for Ajax as well as Atlético Madrid, Everton, Fulham, and Hertha BSC, has held several coaching positions at Ajax.”I am really looking forward to getting started. The past few years in England have done me good. I was able to develop further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, and at the same time, I was able to look behind the scenes at two big clubs. I am ready to continue as head coach and I consider it an honour to be given that opportunity at Ajax,” Heitinga said.Heitinga’s appointment was made possible after Francesco Farioli left the club following a horror collapse. Ajax were running away with what seemed like a definite 37th Eredivisie title, but the club squandered a nine-point lead, with five games to go, which saw PSV Eindhoven win the Dutch league.Technical director Alex Kroes added, “John is a good coach with enormous drive. He is ambitious and has developed himself in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in recent years. Marijn and I spoke to him last year, and we have kept in touch since then.””John knows the club well and we are convinced that together with Marcel he will make our players better and build on the progress that has been made since last summer, for example, in the field of top-sport culture and discipline. It is good that it became clear early in the summer break that they will be in charge of the group from the end of June. Marijn and I can now continue working on the composition for next season together with John and the other people involved.”–IANSaaa/bsk/

Paris, May 31 (IANS) Despite her trademark resilience and emotional firepower, Paula Badosa’s Roland Garros 2025 campaign came to a heartbreaking end in the third round, as she fell 6-1, 7-5 to a tactically astute and unflinching Daria Kasatkina.The one-hour-and-34-minute contest on Court Simonne-Mathieu was a test of physical limits, mental resolve, and strategic depth, and Kasatkina emerged as the player with just enough clarity in all three departments.From the opening exchanges, it was evident something was amiss with the Spaniard. “I’m cramping from the first game,” she confided to her coach, Pol Toledo, during an early changeover, visibly struggling. Even a mid-set supplement couldn’t revive her movement or rhythm. Kasatkina, sensing vulnerability, pounced.The Russian raced ahead with ruthless efficiency, breaking twice in the first 20 minutes and storming to a 5-0 lead. Her deep returns, varied angles, and consistent depth left Badosa scrambling and erratic.The first set ended in just over half an hour, with Badosa committing 17 unforced errors — a testament to both her compromised physical state and Kasatkina’s unrelenting game plan.The second set, however, witnessed a flicker of the fighting spirit that has long defined Badosa’s career. With little left to protect and everything to fight for, the Spaniard unleashed her forehand with more authority and began stepping inside the baseline.The turning point seemed near when she finally converted her seventh break point in a mammoth eighth game that lasted over 10 minutes. Her primal roar after that game wasn’t just a celebration — it was defiance, a raw reminder of the grit buried under the fatigue.But Kasatkina, ranked World No. 17, didn’t blink. A brief rain delay added another layer of suspense, but the Russian returned just as composed, her counter-punching and court coverage stifling every Badosa attempt to swing the momentum further.Serving to stay in the match at 5-6, Badosa faltered. A mistimed drop shot, a double fault, and a second serve that sat up for Kasatkina sealed her fate.–IANShs/bsk/

Salzburg (Austria), May 31 (IANS) Veer Ahlawat played a steady round on the second day, to follow up on his good first round, to sit tied for 11th at the halfway stage of the Austrian Alpine Open. With rounds of 67-68 at the par-70 Gut Altentann Golf Course. Ahlawat was 5-under and six shots behind the leader, Marcel Schneider (63-66) at 11-under.
Ahlawat’s colleague Shubhankar Sharma played a much better second round at the Gut Altentann Golf Course with a round of one-under par, but it was not enough to keep him in the tournament. The difficult first day came back to haunt him as it left him quite a bit short of the cut, which was set at one under par, while his total score was four over par. This is the fifth straight missed cut for Sharma.Ahlawat had four birdies and two bogeys. The birdies came on the third, fifth, ninth, and 18th holes, and the bogeys came on the second and 15th holes, according to information received here on Saturday.The first-day leader, Schneider, played a bogey-free round of four under par on the second day to hold onto his two-shot lead over his closest rival. He made birdies on the eighth, ninth, 14th and 18th holes.Schneider made his first birdie on the eighth hole with an impressive 22-foot putt before chipping in another birdie on the ninth for a successive birdie. The impressive display of putting prowess was once again put on full display on the 14th hole as he put in another put from more than 20 feet for the second time in the round.In the second place, two shots behind the leader is Nicolai Von Dellingshausen. He played four under par with five birdies and one bogey to make sure that Schneider did not extend the lead by the end of the second day.In third place is Callum Tarren of England, and he shot a brilliant bogey-free round of 63.–IANSbsk/

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush’s wonder strike against Bournemouth earlier in May has been voted…

Canterbury, May 31 (IANS) Right-handed batter Karun Nair has boosted his case for a selection into the Indian team for the first Test against England, starting in Leeds on June 20, by smashing a delightful double century on day two of the first red-ball game between India A and England Lions in Canterbury.The start of day two’s play couldn’t have gotten any better for Nair, who resumed from 186 not out, as he swivel-pulled Eddie Jack through the leg-side to bring up his fourth first-class double century, which is also his first 200-plus score for India A. It is his fourth double century in First Class cricket.Nair’s incredible performance, after coming at number three, will keep think-tank led by head coach Gautam Gambhir interested while sorting out the batting combination for the series against England, which also starts the new World Test Championship cycle for India.In day one’s play, Nair walked in after India ‘A’ captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was trapped plumb for by left-arm fast bowler Josh Hull. He would also see Yashasvi Jaiswal hoick across the line and be caught behind off Jack. But Nair took his time to adjust to the conditions and the seaming Dukes ball before showcasing brilliant shots on both sides of the wicket.When bowlers tried to seam away the ball, Nair came forward to hit cover drives and square drives, while anything short was dealt with the batter going on the backfoot and bring out the punch steer, delightful cut and even the upper cut to get his runs.Nair, who hit a triple century against England in Chennai in December 2016, also shared a 181-run third-wicket partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, who was comfortable in hitting 92 off 119 balls. He also shared a 195-run partnership with vice-captain Dhruv Jurel, who hit 94 off 120 balls, before the wicketkeeper batter fell on day two’s play to pacer Ajeet Singh Dale.But in the first game of India’s tour of England, it was Nair who took the spotlight and brightened his chances of making a comeback into the India Test playing eleven for the first time after 2017.–IANSnr/

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) After his 47 turned out to be the key element in Mumbai Indians beating Gujarat…

Gumi (South Korea), May 31 (IANS) India’s medal tally at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships received a significant boost on…

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) In a landmark moment for inclusive sports, the Indian Deaf Cricket Team, led by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA), has triumphed in the historic 5-match International Deaf Cricket Series 2025 against Trinidad & Tobago. Hosted from May 23 to 29 across iconic venues in Trinidad & Tobago, the series marked a pioneering milestone as the Caribbean nation hosted India’s deaf cricket team for the first time.Team India clinched the series 3-2, showcasing resilience, tactical brilliance, and team spirit. Notably, India registered a thumping 132-run win in the 2nd ODI match held at the National Cricket Centre. All-rounder Pradeep received the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his explosive 84-run knock and match-winning 4-wicket haul. The team’s T20 performance remained consistent, with India winning all 3 T20 matches against Trinidad & Tobago (India 3 – Trinidad & Tobago 0), while also winning 1 ODI (India 1 – Trinidad & Tobago 0).This tour, held under the theme “Historic Boundaries, New Beginnings”, marks a significant step forward in IDCA’s mission to take deaf cricket global and build strong international partnerships.IDCA President Mr. Sumit Jain expressed heartfelt gratitude, stating, “This series has been a historic and emotional milestone for us. We thank the Trinidad & Tobago Deaf Cricket Association for their warm hospitality. Our players not only displayed excellence but also became ambassadors of inclusion and sporting spirit.”IDCA CEO Ms. Roma Balwani added, “This isn’t just a victory on the field; it is a victory for inclusion, equality, and the global deaf community. We are proud to lead the charge in shaping a more inclusive sporting future.”The Indian team was led by Captain Virender Singh and coached by Santosh Kumar Rai.With this successful tour, IDCA has once again demonstrated how deaf athletes can shine at the highest level.–IANSaaa/