Pawar, Thulasi in singles finals
Colombo: Indian shuttlers Anand Pawar and P C Thulasi made it to the men”s and women”s singles finals of the Sri lanka Open International Badminton Challenge here on Saturday. Second seed Pawar beat 16th seed local challenger Dinuka Karunaratna 21-12 15-21 21-11 in a 50-minute men”s singles semifinal contest. But top seed Prannoy lost to unseeded Hyun Il lee of Korea 10-21 21-16 13-21 in another semifinal contest to dash the hopes of an all-Indian final contest on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Pawar thrashed Denmark”s Christian lind Thomsen 21-14 21-13 in a quarterfinal match that lasted 36 minutes. Prannoy had prevailed over compatriot Anup Sridhar, seeded 13th, with the latter retiring midway in the second game when he was trailing 13-21 4-13 in another quarterfinals match. Meanwhile, sixth seeded Thulasi reached the final in women”s section after beating Thailand”s Supanida Katethong 21-13 21-8. Thulashi will take on fourth seed Jiayuan Chen of Singapore in the final. Second seeded Indian pair of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy B defeated Chinese Taipei”s Hsuan Wen Chang and Shang Kai lin 21-12 18-21 21-13 in a 55-minute clash to set up a summit clash with Singapore”s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Chayut Triyachart. In the mixed doubles competition, fourth seeded pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Pradnya Gadre will meet Indo-Malaysian combo of Prajakta Sawant and Vountus Indra Mawan.
No discussion ON 2019 Asian Games: IOA
Hyderabad: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran categorically denied claims of Secretary General Rajeev Mehta that India would be bidding for the 2019 Asian Games following the withdrawal of original hosts Vietnam stating that matter was not discussed at all. “The IOA has not discussed it at all, so it would not be fair for me to discuss this,” IOA chief N Ramachandran said on Day 4 of the SJFI”s 37th national convention here last evening. A month ago Mehta had said in case India hosted the 2019 Asiad, the IOA will not exercise financial powers and will only organise the multi-sporting event, a remark which appeared to stem from the experience of 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scandal. “We want to host 2019 Asian Games after Vietnam”s withdrawal. We will take a final decision in IOA General Body Meeting which will be held most likely next month (June). We are waiting for the new Government to be formed and hoping to get its approval,” Mehta said in an interview last month.
England to play seven ODIs in lanka
Colombo: England will play seven ODIs in Sri lanka during a tour scheduled between November 21 and December 16. The first ODI, a day-night encounter, will be staged here at the Premadasa Stadium while the third and fifth match will be played in Hambantota in the south and Pallekele in the central hills. The second and fourth ODIs, both day games, will be played at the Premadasa while the sixth game will be played at Pallekele. England will also play two warm up one day games in Colombo on November 21.
THE PIONEER”S AMIT SHINES IN WIN
Hyderabad: North Zone clinched the All India J K Bose cricket tournament for sports journalists when they defeated South Zone by 46 runs in their third and final round robin match at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here on Saturday. North hit up a challenging 179 for 2 on the back of The Pioneer”s Amit Chaudhary”s unbeaten 91 and Sidharth Sharma”s 51 and then restricted South to 133 for 9 to win the title on better net run rate after North, South and West finished with two wins apiece in the four-teem tournament which was part of the 37th National Convention of the Sports Journalists Federation of India which concluded on Saturday. In table tennis held for the A C Bali Trophy Sports, the Journalists Association of Mumbai made a clean sweep of all three titles by riding on the skills of their top player Amol Karhadkar. SJAM won the men”s singles, doubles and team championships. Cricket Board”s secretary Sanjay Patel and chess grandmaster C. Harikrishna gave away the prizes.
Jeev, Bhullar make cut in Austria
Aztenbrugg (Austria): Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar made the cut narrowly, while SSP Chowrasia bogeyed two of his last three holes to miss the cut at the lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity on Friday. Jeev was tied 62nd and Bhullar 66th respectively. On a course, which has not been easy, Jeev double bogeyed the ninth and then had four bogeys between 10th and 14th, but a birdie on 18th ensured he was in by two shots. Bhullar too struggled after a 70 in first round. He had just two birdies against six bogeys and a double bogey but still got inside on the line. Chowrasia seemed on course to make the cut after being one-under through 10 holes. But bogeys on second, third, seventh and ninth ended his hopes.
“I probably played 2 years too long”
Melbourne: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who retired in 2012, has said he delayed his international retirement by two years in his bid to help the team deal with a generational shift. “I probably played two years longer than I should have done,” he told Sky Sports. “I think I knew in myself that I couldn”t get better. I felt that if anything, I could maintain a certain level. I think from 120, 130 Tests I knew I could not get any better,” the batting legend said candidly.