Ajay JAYARAM WINS DUTCH OPEN
AlMERE: Ajay Jayaram on Sunday notched up the biggest triumph of his career by clinching $50,000 Yonex Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament here. The 27-year-old defeated Indonesia's Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 10-11, 11-6, 11-7, 1-11, 11-9 in the men's singles final which lasted 46 minutes to bag his maiden Grand Prix title. Jayaram started off on the wrong note, losing the first game. But he came back to win the next two before Mustofa staged a strong fightback to claim the fourth game. However, it was Jayaram who had the last laugh as he went on to win the deciding game and clinch the title. The 13th seeded Indian returned to the circuit in August after a seven-month injury layoff.
Nikshep to start defence VS KUNJ
NEW DElHI: BR Nikshep will begin his title defence
against Kotak Kunj as the Fenesta National Tennis Championship for under 16 and 14 boys and girls begins at DlTA here on Monday. Nikshep, who won the U-16 boys title last year, is the top seed. The second seed Vashisht Vinod Cherukuru will be up against Mingki Talom while the third seeded Paramveer Singh Bajwa will open his campaign against Sanket Singh Tomar. Fourth seed and last years runner’s up in the boys 16 title Nitin Sinha will be up against M Teertha Shashank tomorrow. In the Girls Under 16 category, top seeds Jennifer luikham, Zeel Desai, Rishika Ravindran and Snehal Mane who played the Girls under 18 championship will start their fight for the title from Tuesday. The title winners of Boys & Girls U-16 will get a Main Draw wild card in the Asian Junior Championship that will be held in April 2015.
India start with win over kiwis
Johor Bahru: Parvinder Singh and Varun Kumar scored a goal each as defending champions India opened their campaign in the Sultan of Johor Cup with a 2-1 win over New Zealand here on Sunday. In a hard fought match, India took an early lead through Parvinder's field goal just five minutes into the match and they kept the lead in the first half. India doubled its lead in the 43rd minute when Varun Kumar made no mistake in converting a penalty corner. New Zealand reduced the margin in the 53rd minute through a penalty corner conversion by Nic Woods. Just before the hooter, New Zealand earned another penalty corner but they failed to convert it.
Captivating show by Brazil boys
New Delhi: The 55th edition of the Subroto Cup
International Football Tournament saw the novelty of an electronic substitution board being used for the first time here on Sunday. But there was neither a uniqueness nor any weakness in the Under-17
Brazilian side, Colegio Estadul Santo Antonio, which continued to dominate the show as it looked to be the team to beat. In their group H match, the Santo Antonia squad thrashed NG Town High School from Sambalpur 15-1. No amount of praise is enough
to describe the Brazilians’ skill and clinical approach to the game, and credit must be given to the Odisha boys for the way they managed to score a goal in the first half when an opportunity came their way.
PISTORIUS SENTENCING THIS WEEK
JOHANNESBURG: Oscar Pistorius faces sentencing this week in a South African court after being convicted of culpable homicide for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The sentencing of the double-amputee athlete is expected to involve several days of legal argument and testimony during which Judge Thokozile Masipa will assess what kind of penalty Pistorius deserves for shooting Steenkamp through a closed toilet door in his home. The sentence for a conviction for culpable homicide, or negligent killing, is at the judge's discretion and can range from a suspended sentence and a fine to as much as 15 years in prison.
Ranjeet QUAlIFIES for Indore Open
INDORE: Three Indians, including former national
champion Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan, today made the main draw of the $50,000 ATP Indore Open after recording victories in their final rounds of the qualifying event, here on Sunday. Ranjeet overcame compatriot Chandril Sood 7-5, 6-3 in two hours. He faces Chinese Taipei's Ti Chen in the first round of the main draw of the Challenger tournament. Also qualifying was lakshit Sood, who outplayed Akash Wagh 6-2, 6-3. N Vijay Sundar Prashant defeated Vinayak Kaza Sharma 6-4, 6-3 to make the main draw, where he is up against compatriot Karunuday Singh. The only Indian who today missed out on qualifying was Jatin Dahiya after being outclassed 0-6, 2-6 by Italian top seed Riccardo Ghedin.