lahiri misses cut at players
Florida: Despite a steady second round, Anirban lahiri failed to stay in the fray for the weekend as the Indian golfer missed the cut at the $10 million PlAYERS Championships on his maiden appearance here. 27-year-old lahiri, who had a 76 in his first round, finished at four-over 148 and missed the cut by four at the TPC Sawgrass. World No. 36, lahiri had a superb start with birdies on second and third on Saturday, but a double bogey on the fifth took away the momentum and despite finishing at 72, he exited early.
Chennaiyin retain materazzi
Chennai: Chennaiyin FC have retained Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi as their manager for the second season of the Hero Indian Super league football tournament. Under the guidance of Materazzi, Chennaiyin FC finished top of the league stage in the inaugural edition and reached the semifinal where the team lost to eventual runners-up Kerala Blasters.
Yuki wins doubles title
Karshi (Uzbekistan): Indian Davis Cupper Yuki Bhambri clinched his first doubles title of the season with partner Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, following a nerve-wracking win in the rain-hit final of the ATP Challenger event, here on Saturday. The unseeded Indo-Spanish pair was trailing 5-7, 1-1 against the second pair of Sergey Betov and Mikhail Elgin when the skies opened up on Friday and the final was rescheduled. Yuki and Adrian were down a break point in the second set when the match began but they held their nerves and went on to win the final 5-7, 6-3, 10-8. It was Yuki’s fifth Challenger level doubles title overall and first of the current season. last year, he had won two titles, and one each in 2012 and 2013.
No more medals at asian c’ship
Doha: Indian grapplers failed to add any medal to their tally on Saturday as all the them lost in their respective bouts in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman categories at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in Doha. In the Greco-Roman category, the only Indian to have reached as far as the repechage round was Krishankant Yadav in 71kg division. But the Indian failed to make use of the chance as he lost his repechage bout against Azamat Dumbirov of Kazakhstan 0-5 by ‘Fall’ and thus could not to enter the bronze medal play-off round. In other two bouts in the Greco-Roman category on Saturday, both the Indians lost in the qualification round itself and bowed out of the competition.
India win medals in youth event
Doha: Indians bagged one silver and two bronze on the opening day of the inaugural Asian Youth Athletics Championships here. Ashish Bhalothia won a silver in boys shot put with a throw of 17.75m at the Qatar Sports Club stadium. Anumol Thampi (girls 3000m race) and Seema Sangwan (girls discus throw) won a bronze each. Thampi clocked 10:24.98 in her race while Seema threw the discus to a distance of 41.14m. India are being represented by 22 athletes, including nine girls, in the event.
Goveas upsets kirtane in final
Mumbai: Playing in only his third AITA tournament, unseeded Aryan Goveas of Mumbai upset top seed Nitten Kiirtane of Pune 3-6, 7-6 (5), 2-0 (retired) in a gruelling three-hour men’s singles final to win the AITA All-India Bhandari Cup Tennis Tournament at the Deccan Gymkhana, Pune on Saturday. After losing the opening set 3-6, the 16-year-old Goveas held his nerve to save a match point at 4-5 in the second set and then hit four consecutive winners to recover from a 2-5 deficit in the tie-breaker and went on to win the set to level scores and to take the match into the decider. In the third set, Goveas broke Kirtane in the opening game and then held serve for a 2-0 lead, before the Pune player threw in the towel and conceded, handing the Mumbai lad a victory.