Dipika decides to play at Asiad
New Delhi: India’s highest-ranked squash player Dipika Pallikal has decided to put the controversy over the dubious Asian Games draw behind and confirmed her participation for the upcoming Incheon edition, saying “she has always put country first and it is no different this time”. World No.12 Pallikal had considered pulling out of the Games beginning September 19 after finding the singles draw “manipulated” for the third edition in a row. “I have decided to play and put everything behind after due deliberation. I have always put country first and this time it is no different. The focus is on giving my best and try and win medals in both team and individual event,” Pallikal said on Saturday. According to the women’s singles draw, longtime teammates Pallikal and Joshana Chinappa are expected to face each other in the second round, which happens to be the quarterfinal stage.
Dahiya named Delhi coach
New Delhi: Vijay Dahiya has been reinstated as the chief coach of the Delhi Ranji Trophy side while former Test batsman Yashpal Sharma will head the selection panel, in a list released by the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA). Dahiya, a member of the KKR coach staff had coach the state side in the 2012-13 season before DDCA decided against renewing his contract as assistant coach Sanjeev Sharma was elevated to top post.
Govt clears 6 more managers
New Delhi: The government on Saturday added six managers, including Olympian Jude Felix who will also act as hockey coach, in the Indian contingent for Asian Games even though Indian Olympic Association had demanded for 23. While clearing a 679-strong Indian contingent in 28 disciplines for the September 19 to October 4 Games in South Korea, the government had dropped all the managers, except for five, who have been proposed by IOA. The Sports Ministry had also barred the IOA and NSFs from sending managers at their own cost. The IOA then wrote a letter to the sports minister to include a manager for each of the 23 disciplines, saying that the performance of athletes could be affected without managers.
Junior girls go down fighting
Mumbai: India’s junior girls stretched Hong Kong as they went down 1-3 in the quarter-finals of the 20th Reliance Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship on Saturday. World No. 1 and last edition’s individual runner-up Doo Hoi Kem lived up to her reputation with a straight-game win over India’s top junior Sagarika Mukherjee in the opener before a gallant Ayhika Mukherjee snatched the second singles to draw level at 1-1 at the NSCI’s Sardar Vallabhai Patel Indoor Stadium here. Mukherjee overcame Minnie Wai Yam Soo in a thriller as she romped to a 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10 win in a tight contest. Priyadarshini Das lost the third singles in straight games, before Doo Hoi Kem sealed Hong Kong’s win with another straight-game victory over Sagarika. South Korea halted India in the cadet boys quarter-finals with a 3-0 win as world No. 3 An Jaehyum beat Akaash Nath and world No. 8 Kim Dae Woo prevailed over Friday’s hero Manav Thakkar. The Korean duo later combined to beat the Indian pair in the doubles.
Chandhok finishes fifth
Beijing: India’s Karun Chandhok took Mahindra Racing’s first points in the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship by finishing fifth in the inaugural race here on Saturday. lucas di Grassi of Audi Sport ABT got lucky to win the first ever race of the Championship after the leading pair of Nick Heidfield and Nicolas Prost collided on the last lap of the race. Chandhok finished a strong fifth following some close racing around the Olympic Park street circuit. Brazilian team-mate Bruno Senna, who failed to post a qualifying time earlier today owing to a battery issue, hit more misfortune after suspension damage on lap one forced him to retire.
Delhi to host 2nd ODI on Oct 11
New Delhi: The revised itinerary of India’s home series against the West Indies underwent a few changes with the capital hosting the second ODI on October 11 instead of the one-off T20 which will now be hosted by Cuttack on October 22. Kolkata’s Eden Gardens will be hosting the fifth ODI instead of the fourth ODI on October 20 instead of earlier October 17. While Kochi will host the opening ODI, Vishakhapatnam and Dharamshala will host the third and fourth ODIs respectively. West Indies will play two warm-up one day games in Mumbai at the start of the tour and a three-day first-class match against the Board President’s XI in Kanpur from october 25-27 ahead of the Test series that starts on October 30.
WADA to discuss new methods
Mumbai: The World Anti-Doping Agency’s two-day symposium at Istanbul, Turkey next month would discuss how science and investigations activities combined can help improve tools and develop new strategies to combat the use of drugs in sport. With the revised World Anti-Doping Code kicking in less than four months later, science and investigations collaborations are more common than ever before, said WADA in a release from Montreal, Canada. The symposium, scheduled on October 28 and 29, would involve experts in investigations and anti-doping science exploring a number of topics. The list includes recent developments in investigations on drugs circulating illegally, identification of new drugs with doping potential, strengthening communication and data sharing in the field and development of new tools and strategies in combating the fight against doping in sports, the release stated.
HS Prannoy in second final
Palembang (Indonesia): Shuttler H S Prannoy entered his second successive final after beating Malaysia’s Daren liew in the men’s singles event at the USD 1,25,000 Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold here on Saturday. Fifth seed Prannoy, who finished runners-up at the USD 50,000 Vietnam Grand Prix in Hochiminh City last week, edged out liew, seeded ninth, 21-14, 14-21, 21-14 in a close to an hour semifinal clash. The Indian will take on the winner of the other semifinal between qualifier Firman Abdul Kholik of Indonesia and Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli in the final on Sunday. The 22-year-old fought back from 5-8 down to eventually break off at 12-12 to earn the bragging rights.