Rani to lead in Korea tour
New Delhi: Striker Rani Rampal returns to lead a 18-member Indian women's hockey team for the three-match series against Korea, starting on May 20, Hockey India announced on Friday. Goalkeeper Savita will be deputy to Rani, who returns after missing Malaysia tour due to injury, in the team under chief coach Sjoerd Marijne. The matches will help the Indian team in preparing for the FIH Women's Series Finals, which is scheduled to be held from June 15-23 in Hiroshima, Japan. Savita and Rajani Etimarpu will be guarding the goalpost in while defender Gurjit Kaur makes a return to the team. Salima Tete, Sunita Lakra, Deep Grace Ekka, Karishma Yadav and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam are the other defenders, while Monika, Navjot Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Neha Goyal and Lilima Minz will command the midfield for India. Captain Rani will be joined by Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami, Jyoti and Navneet Kaur in attack.
Ankita moves to semifinals in Luan
New Delhi: India's Ankita Raina quelled a strong challenge from lower-ranked Eudice Wong Chong to make it to the singles semifinals of the $ 60,000 ITF women's event here on Friday. The second seeded Indian, ranked 175, came back from a one-set deficit to beat her Hong Kong rival 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a nearly two-hour long quarterfinal. "It was a tough match, happy that I pulled off this one. In first set she started well and was not missing much. When I moved her around, I started coming back, so I persisted with the strategy," Ankita said from Luan. "She played really well. I enjoyed the match and was in control in second and third sets," the 26-year-old added. Ankita now has a chance to make her third final of the season as she faces seventh seed Chinese Shuyue Ma.
India win 3-0 against Australia A
Perth: Young striker Sumit Kumar Jr struck a brace after comeback-man Rupinder Pal Singh opened the scoring as India's men's hockey thumped Australia 'A' 3-0, here on Friday. Drag-flicker Rupinder, competing after nearly eight-month injury layoff, scored in the the sixth minute to give the visitors the lead. Sumit found the back of the net in the 12th and 13th minutes, helping India win their second game in a row. "It was a very good first quarter with the basics right. After a 3-0 lead, it was important we stayed focused on the process. The second and third quarter was tight. I was happy with the things we have been working on, we created a lot of opportunities and I believe we can still do better in our finishing," Indian chief coach, Graham Reid said.
Sheikh records perfect opening day
Changwon: India's Sheeraz Sheikh recorded a perfect 50 out of 50 in the men's skeet competition to jointly lead a strong field of 84 shotgun shooters in the ongoing World Cup here on Friday and inch closer to an Olympic quota. The other three shooters at the top of the field are from Kuwait, Argentina and Norway. Mairaj Ahmad Khan, the only other Indian in the competition after Angad Bajwa pulled out due to health issues, shot 49 to also be favourably placed in seventh position with three more rounds of qualification to go on Saturday, before the top six finalists are identified. Sheeraz and Mairaj are aiming for the two Tokyo 2020 Olympic quota places on offer in the event, besides medals of course. Earlier, in the women's skeet, youngster Ganemat Shekhon shot a score of 115 out of a maximum 125 to end her qualification campaign in 21st spot.