Tiwana and Chouhan share the lead on day two

Pune, April 25, 2012: Arshdeep Tiwana of the Golden Greens Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, and Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow share the lead after day two of the PGTI Players Championship presented by Oxford Golf & Country Club. On Wednesday, Tiwana and Chouhan fired scores of 68 and 69 respectively to be placed at the top of the leaderboard with matching totals of nine-under-135.

Arshdeep Tiwana (67-68) built on his first round 67 with some excellent putting in round two. He sank a 15-footer for birdie on the 11th and followed that up with a 10-feet birdie putt on the 15th. The 24-year-old continued the good work with birdies on the third and fourth. He landed his tee shot on the third within six feet of the flag. Tiwana’s lone bogey came on the fifth before he finally closed the round with a marvelous 25-feet birdie putt on the ninth.

“I did well in all departments of the game, especially in putting. I sank three birdie putts from more than 10 feet. One of the highlights of my round was my incredible recovery on the ninth. I need to keep putting this way in order to stay in the hunt,” said Tiwana.

Om Prakash Chouhan (66-69) made five birdies and two bogeys in his round of 69. Chouhan made 12-feet birdie putts on the first and third and landed it within five feet for birdies on the fourth and 11th.

The Delhi duo of Rashid Khan and Shamim Khan are in tied third at seven-under-137. Rashid Khan’s 66 was the day’s best round. Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta occupies fifth place at five-under-139.

Pune’s Pravin Pathare and Lucknow’s Vijay Kumar are in joint sixth at two-under-142.

The cut was declared at six-over-150. Fifty-one professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Photo caption: Arshdeep Tiwana in action on the day two of the PGTI players championships in Pune on April 24, 2012.

  

Om Prakash Chouhan sets the pace in round one

Pune, April 24, 2012: Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow set the pace in round one of the PGTI Players Championship presented by Oxford Golf & Country Club after he shot a sizzling six-under-66 on Tuesday. Ranjit Singh of Chandigarh and Arshdeep Tiwana of the Golden Greens Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon fired scores of five-under-67 to be joint second.

Om Prakash Chouhan made an amazing seven birdies against a lone bogey in his opening round to take the lead. Chouhan enjoyed a great start as he landed his second shot within two feet of the pin to set up a birdie on the first. He followed that up with a chip-in for birdie on the sixth. The 25-year-old collected two more birdies on the 11^th and 13^thbefore conceding his lone bogey of the day on the 14^th.

Om Prakash produced two magnificent approach shots that landed within five feet to end up with birdies on the 15^th and 16^th. He then closed the day in style by converting a 15-feet birdie putt on the 18^th.

Chouhan said, “I stuck to my game-plan of making maximum fairways and hitting it as close as possible on the greens. I focused a lot on my hitting and therefore landed it quite close on many occasions. I need to play in similar fashion over the next three days in order to stay in contention.”

 Ranjit Singh and Arshdeep Tiwana made six birdies and a bogey in their respective rounds to close the day in tied second at 67. Ranjit made birdies on all the four par-five holes and sank birdie putts from over 15-feet on the 12^th and third.

 Arshdeep, on the other hand, hit it within four feet for birdies on the second, 15^th, 16^thand 17^th and made birdie putts from a range of 15 to 20 feet on the eighth and ninth.

 Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh is in fourth place at four-under-68 while Vijay Kumar of Lucknow and Delhi’s Shamim Khan are in tied fifth place at three-under-69.

Photo caption: Om Prakash Chouhan in action at Golden Greens Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, on April 24, 2012.

A PGTI Press release

India placed in tough pool in Junior Asia Cup hockey

New Delhi, April 23, 2012: India will take part in the 7th Junior Men Asia Cup Hockey Championships to be held at Malacca, Malaysia from May 3-13.

The 8 teams participating in this tournament are divided into two pools. According to the draws, India have been placed in pool B along with Pakistan, China and Sri Lanka while Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Iran are placed in pool A.

India will play their opening match against Sri Lanka on May 4 and will take on arch-rivals Pakistan on May 6.

India won the last two editions of the tournament at Karachi and Chennai in 2004 and 2008 respectively. This tournament will be the qualifier for the FIH Junior Asia Cup to be held in 2013. 

Indian team will be captained by striker Akashdeep Singh while defender Amit Rohidas will be the vice-captain.

Hockey India Press release

MLC Sanjay Singh felicitated

Patna, April 22, 2012: Bihar Table Tennis Association (BTTA) on Sunday felicitated  Sanjay Singh, a newly elected member of Bihar Legislative Council, at Bihar Young Men's Institute here. Sanjay Singh is also the president of BTTA.
BTTA secretary Mukesh Roy and other members of the association were present on the occasion.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Soumyajit, Ankita book London tickets, heartbreak for Sharath

New Delhi, April 22, 2012: Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das, both from Siliguri, booked their London Olympics berths on the concluding day of the Asian Olympic Qualification Table Tennis Tournament in Hong Kong, but it was a real heartbreak for top paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal.

For both Ghosh and Ankita, the berths came via the continental quotas, after they topped from the South Asian region. Ghosh defeated Anthony Amal Raj 4-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7) and Ankita downed K. Shamini 4-3 (8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8) to clinch the two places for India.

Sharath Kamal, who earlier lost to Wu Chi-Chi of Taipei 9-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-2, 8-11, had to take on Amal Raj to make progress and meet Ghosh, who had won against Vietnam’s Tran Tuan Quynh. But it was Amal Raj who defeated Sharath 4-3 (9-11, 12-10, 11-13, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3) to shut out his chances and earn a meeting against Ghosh.

Elated as he was, the 19-year-old Ghosh said it was his dream to appear on the biggest of all stages. “I have realized my dream today and will prepare well for the Olympics. It was a real tough match against Amal Raj and it could have been anybody’s game. I am happy I won it to earn the spot,” said the Siliguri boy, who became the first Indian to win the world junior circuit title in 2010.

Ghosh also gave full credit to the ITTF scholarship programme at the Peter Karlsson academy in Sweden and thanked the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) for choosing him as a worthy player. “My coaches in India as well as my training at the Karlsson Academy for six months has stood me in good stead and I must thank TTFI for selecting me for the scholarship,” added the BPCL player, who was part of India team’s bronze-winning member at the world junior championships in 2011.

Similarly, the South Asian regional quota place was left open to both Ankita and Shamini after Poulomi Ghatak bowed out of the Qualification tournament early on the second day. And using the opportunity well, Ankita, 19, beat her senior compatriot to join the Indian contingent at London.

Incidentally, Ankita also became the youngest Indian girl to qualify for Olympics. The Siliguri girl, who entered the quarterfinals of the world junior championships last year at Bahrain, gave credit to national coach Bhawani Mukherjee for giving her the confidence. “Bhawani Da was always at hand to help in crunch situations. Today’s win against Shamini was my finest in a tense situation. I look forward to going to London,” said Oil India employee.

In his hour of despair, there were some encouraging words for Sharath from both Bhwani Mukherjee and TTFI general secretary Dhanraj Choudhary. According to them the top Indian pro was unlucky at the Hong Kong meet. “He had very good chances to finish among top four, but the loss to world No. 1 Ma Long did him and the second chance against North Korean Nam who he had beaten earlier in group stages,” said Mukherjee.

But Chodudhary said that now Sharath had a very good chance of qualifying for the London Games at Doha where Sharath will participate in the World Qualification championships. “With all top players from Asia having already made the grade at Hong Kong, Sharath’s chances are very good at Doha. I am sure, he will definitely qualify for the Olympics to make it a hat-trick of Games,” said Choudhry.

A TTFI Press release

Indian women beat USA to get third place

Patna, April 22, 2012: India beat USA 1-0 to claim bronze medal in the second leg of Women Four-Nation Hockey Tournament at Llyod Elsmore Hockey Stadium in Pakuranga, Auckland.

According to information received here, Indian midfielder Deepika scored the all-important goal in the 40th minute after the two teams were locked goalless in the half time.

India showed good temperament and defended stoutly to deny USA, who have already qualified to play in the London Olympics to score.

Indian defence and midfield were compact with Joydeep Kaur, Ausnta Lakra, Deepika and Ritu Rani making timely interceptions.

Indian goalkeeper Yogita Bali made some splendid saves and was declared best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Hockey India Press release

Sharath makes his London trip a long haul

New Delhi, April 21: Achanta Sharath Kamal failed to sealed the fifth qualifying spot at the ongoing Asian Olympic Qualification Table Tennis Tournament at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong, when he lost to Kim Song Nam of North Korea 2-4 (12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 8-1) in a late night match on Saturday, according to reports reaching here.

Of the seven berths available at the qualifiers, six have already been grabbed with the lone seventh spot now on offer. To win that Sharath will have to bring in all his experience—first to beat the Chinese Taipei player Wu Chi-Chi and then expect to defeat the winner of the match between Jang Song Man of North Korea and Indian Soumyajit Ghosh.

By losing the match to the North Korean, whom he had beaten earlier in group stages, the Indian made his job at the qualifiers much tougher as he will have to play two more matches and win them to fancy any chance of joining the Indian contingent to London. If he does that, he will be the first Indian to make the Olympics grade for the third successive time. The Indian had represented at both the Athens and Beijing Games.

Sharath, who was playing the fourth match of the day, had a mixed luck on Saturday. Before taking on Kim Song Nam, he played a tough match against world No. 1 Ma Long and lost to the top Chinese in straight games of 9-11, 2-11, 4-11, 6-11. Earlier, he had played a gruelling 95-minute match to beat a top-rung North Korean Jang Song Man 4-3 (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7).

Sharath started by winning the first game against Nam, supposedly the weakest among North Korean contenders here, but lost the next two games before regrouping himself. But then Nam was up to the task as he took the next two games to seal his Olympics place.

A dejected Sharath rued on the missed opportunities in earlier rounds. “Going into the match I was confident, but Nam played really well. It was sort of a revenge match for him,” said Sarath. On his chances on Sunday, Sharath didn’t want to commit himself. He, however, said he will approach the two matches on Sunday with an open mind.

But according to TTFI secretary-general, Dhanraj Choudhary, all is not lost for India. “We have the option of using the South Asian regional quota tie between Sharath and Ghosh and whoever wins will go to London,” he said.

In other words, Sharath can still hope for a hat-trick of Games appearance by either clinching the last qualifying chance or take the South Asian regional quota route to reach London.

A TTFI Press release

Indian eves hold New Zealand 3-3 in hockey

New Delhi, April 21, 2012: India held New Zealand 3-3 in their last preliminary match of the second leg Women Four-Nation Tournament at Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium at Pakuranga, Auckland today.

The goal scorers for India were strikers Rani, Vandana Katariya and Chanchan Devi Thokchom while Katie Glynn, Cathryn Finlayson and Krystal Forgesson were on target for New Zealand who led 2-1 at half time.

The Kiwis started aggressively and went two up in 10 minutes with strikes by Glynn and Finlayson but India bounced back holding sway for most of the match.

India not only wiped off the deficit but went into the lead in the second half only to concede the equaliser to New Zealand in the 66th minute.

Defenders Joydeep Kaur and Kirandeep Kaur failed to block the initial New Zealand onslaughts which led to the first two goals, even as Indian forward Rani blew away a couple of chances in the Kiwi striking circle.

However Rani made amends in the 15th minute as her scorcher from atop the circle convincingly beat the New Zealand goalkeeper.

India continued mounting pressure on their rivals after the break and drew level with Vandana Katariya deflecting home a penetrative manoeuvre by midfielder Asunta Lakra in the 55th minute.

India broke into the lead in the next minute with Chanchan Devi Thokchom slamming a rebound past the New Zealand goalkeeper.

They could however not hold on to this lead as New Zealand forced a turnover in the 66th minute after Ritu Rani was dispossessed and Forgesson beat Indian goalkeeper Yogita Bali with a clinical sweep shot to draw the match.

India will now face USA tomorrow in the third place playoff, while New Zealand take on Tasman neighbours Australia for the title.

A Hockey India Press release

Sharath enhances qualification chances

New Delhi, April 20: Achanta Sharath Kamal registered a comfortable win over Vietnam’s Quyinh Tran Tuan of Vietnam 11-1, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 in the third round and is just a couple of matches away from sealing his London berth at the ongoing Asian Olympic Qualification Table Tennis Tournament at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong this afternoon.

The top Indian pro is taking on North Korea’s Jang Song Man who earlier accounted for A. Amal Raj 4-2 in draw B. In the same draw Soumyajit Ghosh also lost to Kim Song Nam of North Korea 1-4, but the two Indians can still make the Olympics grade provided they win their next round matches.  

Sharath, who is one match away from what could be a dream effort, to finish among the top four paddlers at the Qualifiers has the ability to put it across his North Korean rival, who is a defensive player.

However, Sharath enhanced his qualification chance this afternoon. As a draw A loser, Sharath defeated Iran’s top player Nima Alamian 4-2 (11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8 to progress into draw B. Laater when he triumphed over the Vietnamese in a one-sided match, his approach was simple and plain as he just went about attacking his opponent who brooked no challenge.

“Sharath brought his aggressive style to the fore and it paid dividends,” said national coach Bhawani Mukherjee. “If he continues in the same vein later tonight against Jang Song Man, he should book his London berth tomorrow,” he added.

As for Amal Raj and Ghosh, Mukherjee said that all was not lost for the two Indians. As draw B losers they still have chances tomorrow and could well be the surprise package said Mukherjee. “The two have put up very good fights against their top opponents and are well in course to surprise with at least one more berth,” said Mukherjee.

Poulomi Ghatak faltered to deceive after a fine show last evening and bowed out of the tournament while Ankita Das and K. Shamini kept their Olympics dreams alive on Friday.

A TTFI Press release

Shamim Khan wins PGTI Players Championship title

Pune, April 20, 2012: Shamim Khan of Delhi displayed nerves of steel to walk away with the title at the PGTI Players Championship presented by Poona Club Ltd. Shamim fired a two-under-69 at the Poona Club Golf Course on Friday to finish the tournament with a six-under-278 total. Amardip Sinh Malik of Meerut was the runner-up as he finished one stroke behind the winner.

Shamim Khan (69-67-73-69), the overnight joint leader along with Amardip Sinh Malik and Sanjay Kumar, established an early lead in round four after he bogeyed the third and made birdies on the sixth and seventh. Shamim sank a 20-feet putt for birdie on the sixth. The 33-year-old Khan hit a rough patch when he bogeyed the 11th and conceded the lead to Malik who posted three straight birdies on the ninth, 10th and 11th thanks to some brilliant hitting.

Shamim got back to level terms with Amardip after sinking birdies on the 14th and 15th. Shamim landed his second shot within a foot on the 14th and then sank a 12-footer on the 15th. The 18th turned out to be the decisive hole. Shamim recovered well after a poor tee-shot with an excellent chip and a 12-feet putt to make par on the 18th and seal the title even as Malik dropped a bogey on the same hole.

Shamim, who won his sixth professional title, said, “I did not miss short putts today, unlike the previous rounds. My chipping was also very good. This win gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I had to bring all my experience to the fore to get out of a tough situation today. I kept my composure and made a tremendous up and down on the final hole to set up the victory. I’m very proud of this performance.”

Amardip Sinh Malik (68-69-72-70) fired five birdies against four bogeys in his final round of one-under-70. Malik missed his 15-feet par putt by a whisker on the 18th to finish as the runner-up at five-under-279.

Mukesh Kumar of Mhow finished third at four-under-280 while Lucknow’s Sanjay Kumar was fourth at two-under-282.

Photo caption: Shamim Khan displays his winner's cheque at Poona Club golf course on April 20, 2012. 

Press release

Three share lead in PGTI Players Championship

Shamim Khan 

Pune, April 19, 2012: Meerut’s Amardip Sinh Malik, Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow and Delhi’s Shamim Khan were the joint leaders at four-under-209 after round three of the PGTI Players Championship at Poona Club Golf Course here. Amardip, Sanjay and Shamim shot scores of 72, 71 and 73 respectively on a high-scoring day.

Amardip Sinh Malik (68-69-72) made a solid start with six straight pars and then found the green in two on the par-5 seventh to set up his first birdie of the day. Malik dropped a bogey after missing a three-footer on the eighth. The 26-year-old made birdie-bogey-bogey on the ninth, 10th and 11th to move to one over for the day. Amardip birdied the 14th and bogeyed the 16th to end the day with a one-over-72.

“I’m quite pleased with my round considering the kind of places I landed the ball today. I recovered from tough situations and made a couple of good chip-putts for birdies on the ninth and 14th. I’ve hung in there despite not being on top of my game over the last three days. I’ll need to sink more putts in the final round in order to stay in contention,” said Amardip, who is looking for his maiden professional title.

Sanjay Kumar (69-69-71) holds the joint lead thanks to an even par 71 in round three. Sanjay made six birdies and six bogeys on Thursday.

Shamim Khan (69-67-73) is also at the top of the leaderboard along with Amardip Sinh Malik and Sanjay Kumar. Shamim’s 73 included a triple bogey on the first, three birdies and two bogeys. Shamim, who also led in round two, made a 35-feet putt from the edge for birdie on the 12th.

Deepinder Singh Kullar of the DLF Golf & Country Club is placed fourth at three-under-210 while Pune’s Sameer M Shaikh and Arshpreet Thind of the Classic Golf Resort were joint fifth at two-under-211.

Press release

Men paddlers top groups, Ankita in second stage

New Delhi, April 19, 2012: All the three men paddlers of India topped their groups to move a step closer and enter stage two of the Asian Olympic Qualification Table Tennis Tournament in Hong Kong this afternoon. But from among the women, Ankita Das alone has confirmed her second stage spot, having won two matches in the five-player group, as per reports received from Hong Kong.

Both Poulomi Ghatak and K. Shamini have won and lost a match each in their respective groups and the fate of these players hinge on the latter matches tonight. With top four players in each of the three groups going through to the second stage, Poulomi and Shamini are expected to make the grade.

Achanta Sharath Kamal, expectedly topped group D, beating all three rivals but what came as a pleasant surprise was the way both A. Amal Raj and Soumyajit Ghosh emulating their senior pro to attain the top perch in groups E and F.

Sharath had a bit of struggle against his North Korean opponent Kim Song Nam whom the Indian subdued 4-2 (11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3). Later he blanked out both Alinjawi Jassem of UAE and Rodel Valle of the Philippines for a similar margin of 4-0.

Similarly, Amal Raj had a tough opening match against the higher-ranked North Korean Kim Hyok Bong which the Indian won 4-3 (11-8, 11-7, 12-14, 11-5,9-11, 6-11, 12-10). This gave the necessary confidence as Amal Raj defeated both Nikom Wongsiri of Thailand 4-0 and Isaias Seronio of the Philippines 4-0.

As for Ghosh, he was playing the top-ranked Wu Chi-Chi from Taipei and the Indian matching stroke for stroke defeated him 4-1 (11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8. He also beat Iranian Alamian Nima, who made waves recently at the Macau Asian meet, 4-0 and later UAE’s Hassan Rashed for the same score-line.

Ankita Das downed both Malaysian NG Sock Khim 4-3 (9-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9) and Vienatm’s Mai Hoang My Tarang 4-3 (10-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 14-12, 14-16, 11-6). She has three more matches to go but Akita has ensured her second stage berth.

National coach Bhawani Mukherjee admitted the second stage matches will be much tougher. “But our boys and girls are geared up to win Olympic spots with seven berths for the London Games in each section on offer here,” he said. “I am really hopeful, particularly the way both Ghosh and Amal Raj played today to top their groups,” he added.

A TTFI Press release

Australian eves prove too strong for India in hockey

Patna, April 19, 2012: India went down fighting 2-5 to Australia in the second leg of the Women Four-Nation Hockey Tournament at Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium in Pakuranga, New Zealand, according to a Hockey India Press release.

The goal scorers for Australia were Jodie Schulz (penalty corners 7th and 28th minutes), Fiona Boyce (12th minute), Ashleigh Nelson (51st minute) and Georgia Nanscawen (60th minute), while Rani (13th minute) and Poonam Rani (penalty corner 63rd minute) were on target for India.

Australia took the lead in the 7th minute through a penalty corner direct flick by Jodie Schulz and nine minutes later Boyce made it 2-0. However, India showed great commitment and reduced the margin in the 13th minute when forward Rani scored a brilliant goal from the top of the circle.

In the 28th minute Australia earned another penalty corner and Jodie Schulz made no mistake in converting into a goal for the second time.

  

India made some penetrations at the start of the second half but couldn’t find the target.

Australia who led 3-1 at the half time scored twice in the second half with fourth goal by Nelson in the 51st minute and fifth goal by Georgia Nanscawen in the 60th minute. 

India had their moments in the match and tried hard to reduce margin in the last 10 minutes of the game. India earned a penalty corner in the 63rd minute and Poonam Rani deflected a well-directed ball by Asunta Lakra to the nets.

KSBA felicitates Pankaj Advani

Bangalore, April 17, 2012: On returning home to Bangalore, seven time world champion Pankaj Advani was felicitated by the Karnataka State Billiards Association in recognition of his historic win at the Asian billiards championship in Goa. Adding to his long list of achievements, Pankaj Advani became the first cueist to win 5 Asian titles after he defeated Thawat Sujaritthuarkarn of Thailand, 6 games to 3 in the final of the Asian championship earlier this month.

The 'Golden Boy' of India bagged yet another memorable victory in Goa that makes the Nation swells with pride. Being one of India's most celebrated athletes, the young cueist had earlier won the Asian Billiards Championships in 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2005.

On being felicitated by the KSBA, young Advani, who was very grateful to start the year with a victory said, "Winning a title is not my individual achievement alone, but the result of the help and support of many people who have worked tirelessly. My brother Shree Advani has helped me a lot with my mental preparations. He has taught me to think right, and overcome mental barriers. I would also like to thank my coach Arvind Savur who has been a great guiding force for me. If not for him, I would not have improved as quickly."

Praising one of India's most successful cueists, KSBA president MC Uthappa said, "He (Pankaj) already has to his credit many titles - 7 world titles, 5 Asian titles, 2 Asian Games gold medals, 2 Australian Open titles, and 22 National Titles. With each passing year he is inching towards the 100 mark. This felicitation ceremony is to reiterate his achievements and a token of appreciation from us. We wish him the best of luck for his next tournament."

Thanking the KSBA for their support Pankaj Advani said, "KSBA is my second home. This is a wonderful place to hone your skills. Should the younger players need any advice or assistance from seniors like Bhaskar or me, we are always there." Addressing the media he said, "Thank you for your support and for backing me through good and some not so good performances. Your support to the sport can really make a difference to all the youngsters."

In a clash of the best in the finals of the Asian billiards championships, the sport's poster boy Pankaj Advani had the packed audience on their toes; trailing 1 - 2 before leveling scores and eventually winning the title with a score-line of 6 games to 3 in the finals. Pankaj scored 4 century breaks through the course of the finals to pocket this historical win. On the road to history, Pankaj defeated Thailand's Parput 4 games to 3 in the semi finals and also outwitted Peter Gilchrist of Singapore in the quarterfinals 5 games to 2.

Photo caption: LC Uthappa, president, Karnataka State Billiards Association felicitates Pankaj Advani in

Bangalore on April 17, 2012. 

A Press release

Indian eves lose to USA in bronze medal play off

New Delhi, April 16, 2012: India went down to USA 1-2 by a golden goal in the play-off for bronze medal at the first leg of the Four-Nation Tournament played at Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, according to a Hockey India Press release.

Tied 1-1 at the end of the hooter, India conceded a penalty stroke which was converted by USA captain Lauren Crandall in the 73rd minute. The golden goal dashed India's hope of registering their first win of the tournament.

India and USA played a defensive game and it was the latter who took the lead in the 47th Minute through a penalty corner. Shannon Taylor dragged the ball beating the pole defender Joydeep Kaur and sounding the board.

In an attempt to score level India started pressing and made some good penetrations in to the circle but they weren’t able to score as few Indian forwards held the ball few seconds extra that allowed USA defenders to come back in to high numbers to defend their goal.

India finally managed to draw level to USA by scoring in the 56th minute. Poonam Rani penetrated in to the circle to give a tailor made pass to Chanchan Thokchom and the latter made no mistake to tip-in the ball. USA got four PC's until the final whistle their scoring chances. On the other hand for the Indians once again Poonam could not give the final touch to Asunta's well directed ball.

After the final whistle in the extra time a hard hit rose alarmingly from Asunta's stick inside the circle and the umpire gave penalty corner. A direct shot by Shannon Taylor hit pole player Joydeep's foot and umpire gave penalty stroke which was converted by Lauren Crandall in the 73rd minute.

In the final match New Zealand beat Australia by 3-2 to win the tournament.

US women hold India to 1-1 draw in hockey

Patna, April 13, 2012: India women were held to a 1-1 draw by USA in the Four-Nation Hockey Tournament at the Harbour Stadium in Auckland on Friday.

According to information reached here, India took the lead in the 27th minute with the goal scored by Deepika while USA found the equalizer through Katie O Donnell in the 66th minute.

India dominated the proceedings largely in the match but faltered in the end when they lost ball possession to their rivals thereby allowing USA to penetrate into the striking circle and score.

India earned four penalty corners but could not encash on any as compared to USA.

The Indian defence and midfield was compact with Joydeep Kaur, Asunta lakra and Ritu Rani making timely interceptions.

Now India will play Australia in their last round robin league match of the first phase of the tournament on Sunday.

Hockey India Press release

Manu Gandas wins USHA IGU Delhi Juniors Golf Championship

New Delhi, April 13, 2012: Delhi’s Manu Gandas claimed the season opening title after shooting one-over on the final day of USHA IGU Delhi Juniors Golf Championship at Army Golf Club here today.

Gandas was one-under after front nine but a double bogey on 16th and a bogey on 17th made him score one-over for the total of 291(74,72,72,73).  Playing in the Category A, Gandas was the leader from day two, who also started the day with the aim of snatching the win from category B boys.

Category A – Delhi’s Honey Baisoya, who was struggling for an under-par round on the first and second day, returned in his actual form when he hit one-under for the total of 294 (77,75,71,71) to finish as second in a tie along with Noida’s Shubhankar Sharma and Abhishek Kuhar. Sharma shot two-over for the total of 294 while Kuhar shot three-over for the total of 294 and they both finished third and fourth respectively.

In Category B – Overnight leader Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa won the tournament by shooting five-over 77 for the total of 294. Though Madappa has won, his day was a little disappointed as he birdied 2nd, 7th and 17th while he made bogeys on 5th, 9th, 10th, 16th and 18th and triple bogey on 6th. Another Kolkata boy Mohan Sardar’s dream of winning the title couldn’t come true as he closed with 6-over 78 for the total of 303 to take second position while the third place was taken by Chandiagrh’s Feroz Grewal in a tie along with Jaipur’s Prakhar Asawa, who finished fourth at 305.

Press Release

Viraj Madappa shoots to lead in USHA IGU Delhi Junior Golf Championship

New Delhi, April 12, 2012: It was a topsy-turvy day at the Army Golf Course as Viraj Madappa played a blinder of a round to scale up in the USHA IGU Delhi Junior Golf Championship. Madappa who started the day with an overall score of 3 over 147 hit a 2 under 70 today to take a one stroke lead over Manu Gandas who had a level par score today.

Surprisingly, Mohan Sardar who played exceptional golf on first day couldn’t get the hang of changing winds and finished the day with a terrible score of 9 over 81.

Rajasthan’s Prakhar Asawa who has played consistent round of Golf was tied second with Gandas. Madappa who teed off from the 10th hole scored birdies at 1st, 5th, 8th and 17th holes also bogeyed 2nd and 6th hole. But with his clinical putting and some scintillating driving, Madappa has created a great opportunity for himself to reach win the tournament by playing consistent golf on the final day.

Delhi’s Honey Basioya also had a good day in the greens as he scored a one under 71 on third day today. But his efforts could only fetch him 6th place on the leader board. But he would draw a lot of inspiration from the way Mudappa played to start the final day of the tournament well.  

The day also belonged to category A player Shubhankar Sharma who hit a 3 under 69 by hitting 5 birdies. But his previous days performance of 7 under 151 has left him at 5th place with an overall score of 220. 

Press release

Indian team for 7th Junior Men’s Asia Cup hockey announced

New Delhi, April 11, 2012: Hockey India announced an 18-member Indian team for the 7th Junior Men’s Asia Cup tp be held at Malacca (Malaysia) from May 3 to 13.

The 9 teams in the tournament include Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 

India won the last two editions of the championships at Karachi and Chennai in 2004 and 2008 respectively. This tournament will be the qualifier for the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup to be held in 2013.

The squad will be captained by striker Akashdeep Singh while defender Amit Rohidas will be the vice-captain.

The team: Goalkeepers- Sushant Tirkey, Keshav Dutt; defenders-Sukhmanjit Singh, Amit Rohidas (vice-captain), Sampath Kumar; midfielders-Pardeep Mor, Harjit Singh, Surender Kumar, Gurmail Singh, Prabhdeep Singh,.Satbir Singh,.Munish Rana; forwards-Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh (captain), PL Thimmanna,.Malak Singh, Sukhdev Singh,.Naveen Antil.

Standbys: Bhisham Singh Phairembam (GK), Gaganpreet Singh (defender), Amit Kumar (midfielder), Jarmanpreet Singh (midfielder), Amon Mirash Tirkey (midfielder), Talwinder Singh (midfielder), Ranjit Singh (forward), Parvinder Singh (forward).

A Hockey India Press Release

Kolkata lad Mohan Sardar takes overall lead

New Delhi, April 11, 2012: Kolkata’s Mohan Sardar of Category B fought hard with the tough wind conditions to take the overall lead with the score of level par – 144 on the second day of USHA IGU Delhi Juniors Golf Championship at Army Golf Course (AEPTA) here on Wednesday.

Jaipur’s Prakhar Asawa carded one-over for the total of one-over 145 to finish second in the field of 96 players of both A & B category. Another center of attraction was Karan Arjun of Category A, who aced hole-in-one on par-3 4th hole.

Sardar started the day with a birdie on 1st, 12 and 14th while he shot five bogeys on 6th, 8th, 9th, 16th and 18th for 2-over. Sardar said, “I could come up with another under-par round but couldn’t focus as I slipped my right leg just before the tee off and kept on struggling with the pain throughout. I am going to do few exercises to get back in perfect shape to better my level par score of today.”


In category A – Delhi’s Manu Gandas scored level-par round for the total of 2-over 146 to finish on top while overnight leader Abhishek Kuhar slipped to the second place after shooting one-over for the total of three-over 147. Shivalik’s Dhruv Sheoran shared the fifth place with Delhi’s Tapendra Ghai at six-over 150 while Dilroop Singh matched the scores with Noida’s duo Manpreet Mann and Shubhankar Sharma at seven-over 151 who finished 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.

 In category B – Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa played decent golf today as he shot one-over for the total of three-over 147 for the third position while another Kolkata’s lad Tutul Ali shared the fourth place with Chandigarh’s Feroz Singh Garewal at eight-over 152. One shot behind was Chandigarh’s Harsh Gangwar with the score of nine-over 153 as sixth.

The cut was applied at 17-over in Category A and 29-over in Category B. Total 60 players will play in the next two rounds out of which 30 will play from both categories.

Caption: Mohan Sardar of Kolkata in action Army Golf Course in New Delhi on April 11, 2012.

 Press release

Mohan Sardar hits career best to take lead on Day One

New Delhi, April 10, 2012: Kolkata’s Mohan Sardar left his elder colleagues behind as he shot 2-under 70 to take the opening round lead in B-category of USHA IGU Delhi Junior Golf Tournament at Army Golf Club here today.

Delhi’s duo Abhishek Kuhar and Manu Gandas shared the lead in Category A as both of them ended the round at 2-over 74. Kuhar’s back nine saw him getting three bogeys on 15th, 16th and 18th after a birdie on 12th but he had no trouble in the front nine.

Mohan Sardar, who started playing on the junior circuit only a year ago, has begun his round with a birdie on 1st, made a bogey on 3rd and birdied 13th and 18th to return with the best score of the day. A shy Sardar, 14, was a caddy for 7 years and been inspired to take up the game by Inderjit Bhalotia, a professional coach at his home club Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Sardar said, “I was the runner up at East India Junior Championship played at Tollygunge last year and came 3rd in Jaipur but couldn’t clinch a title. I am really looking forward to take the first title of my career by hitting under par scores in the next three days.”

In category A – Samar Singh Sandhu, Shubhankar Sharma and Tapendra Ghai – all from Delhi – shared the 3rd place at 3-over 75 to take the 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively. Another Delhite Honey Baisoya, winner of East India Amateur Golf Championship last year, had a disappointed day as he shot 5-over 77 for the 10th place.

In category B, Jaipur’s Prakhar Asawa shot a level-par round to finish second while currently no. 2 on the IGU’s Order of Merit, Viraj Madappa hit 2-over 74 to take the third spot. Chandigarh’s Harsh Gangwar scored 3-over 75 to share the 4th spot along with Kolkata’s Tutul Ali who finished 5th.

Press release

Bharat Chetri to lead Indian hockey team

New Delhi, April 10, 2012: Goalkeeper Bharat Chetri will lead an 18-member India team in the men’s Four-Nation Olympic Test Event to be held in London from May 2 to 6.

A Hockey India release said midfielder Sardar Singh would be his deputy.

The Four-Nation Tournament will feature Australia, Germany, Great Britain and India. The participation in this tournament will not only give India an opportunity to play against higher ranked teams, who have also qualified for the Olympic Games, but also give the team unique exposure at the same hockey venue that will host the London Olympics.

The tournament will be played on the blue artificial turf with yellow balls. The pitch has pink runaways.

Team

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri –Captain, Sreejesh PR; Defenders-Sandeep Singh, VR Raghunath, Ignace Tirkey; Midfielders- Birendra Lakra, Sardar Singh (vice-captain), Manpreet Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Kothajit Singh; Forwards- SV Sunil, Sarvanjit Singh, Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Shivendra Singh, Danish Mujtaba, SK Uthappa, Tushar Khandker, Chinglensana Singh.

Standbys: Rupinderpal Singh (Defender), Pradeep Mor (Midfielder), Dharamvir Singh (Forward), Pradhan Somanna (Forward).

Saurav comes from 2 games down to win thriller

El Gouna (Egypt), April 9, 2012: Saurav Ghosal came from 2 games down to beat Robbie Temple 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 in a 85-minute thriller in international squash championships here.

First up in the nice and compact single court at the lovely Movenpick Resort, Egypt was India’s speedy Saurav Ghosal against left –handed qualifier Robbie Temple from England. Robbie is believed to be as strong with his right hand too.

The Englishman was quick off his blocks and made headway in the opening games and sailed through the first 2 games easily. Saurav lifted his game and made a strong comeback in the third and the fourth game with relative ease. Saurav made an aggressive start to the fifth game and he took the final set extremely comfortably to win the 85 minutes thriller to advance to the last sixteen.

“I had to dig pretty hard to win this,” admitted Ghosal. “Winning the 3rd helped, but he was still in it. In the 4th, I had a good spell, and I started to believe, felt more confident. And physically, I felt fine”, he said.

Press release

Saha upsets Hu to finish 9th in Asia Cup TT

Guangzhou, April 8, 2012: Subajit Saha caused yet another upset, beating world no. 38 Li Hu of Singapore 4-1 to finish ninth in the second stage of the Asia Cup Table Tennis Championships here today. Earlier, he had beaten world No. 18 Jiang Tian Yi of Hong Kong 3-2 in the first stage to make the top players sit up and take notice of his prowess.

Saha, ranked 259 in the world,  played with purpose right from the start and had the measure of his opponent. With his attacking game, Saha proved to be too good for the Singaporean who just about manged to take a game off the Indian.

Divya Deshpande, on the other hand, finished 13th in the second stage defeating world No. 135 Beh Lee Wei of Malaysia 4-2. This was the second occation in the championships that the 16th seeded had beaten the Malaysian. Earlier, the Indian had accounted for Wei in the first stage group D matches with a 4-2 verdict.  Incidentally, Divya who topped her group, became the winner of the Continental Cup. 

Divya, though began slowly, picked up her threads from where she left off in their previous meeting to catch her opponent on the wrong foot. TheMalaysian did show glimpses of staging a comeback but Divya was too strong in her returns. Often employing good smashes, Divya won several of her points in the match.

TTFI Press Release

Saha, Divya advance in Asia Cup table tennis

Guangzhou, April 7, 2012: Subhajit Saha and Divya Deshpande both moved into the second stage of the Asia Cup here, causing upsets on Saturday.

On a hectic day, the Indians played seven matches winning three and losing four. But what stood out on the day was the major upset by Subhajit Saha, ranked 259 in the world, who defeated world No. 18 Jiang Tian Yi of Hong Kong 3-2. It was a well fought out match where fortunes fluctuated from one extreme to another, but Saha held on gamely to outwit his opponent.

Similarly, Divya toppled world No.123 Beh Lee Wei of Malaysia 3-1 to top the Challenger group. In fact, Divya's match proved to be one-sided with the Malaysian girl finding it difficult to handle Divya's crispy shots.

Both Saha and Divya will now play their matches for positions 9 to 16, slated for Sunday.

A TTFI Press release

Hyderabad to host World Junior TT Championships

Dortmund, April 2, 2012: India will host the World Junior Table Tennis Championships this year instead of in 2013. The 2012 edition of the event was originally allotted to South Africa and was to be held between December 9 and 16. But the South African federation expressed its inability to host this year's championships citing some unforeseen reason at home during the executive committee meeting held here on Saturday.

Under the circumstances, the event was offered to India, who was originally scheduled to host next year's championships. The Indian Table Tennis Federation (TTFI) readily agreed to host this year's edition at Hyderabad. TTFI secretary general Dhandraj Choudhary, who attended the meeting at Dortmund, however, said the dates will be announced soon after consulting the Hyderabad Table Tennis Association.

“In any case, Hyderabad has agreed to host next year's event during the AGM in New Delhi last month, but we have to see how quickly the association can make arrangements in the next few months, including finding sponsors for the championships,” added Choudhary.

A TTFI Press release

Asha Deep School organises annual sports meet

Patna, April 1, 2012: Annual sports meet on Asha Deep School was held here on Sunday. Students drawn from different classes participated in the track and field and other sports events with great zeal and enthusiasm. Bihar Road Construction Department secretary Pratyay Amrit was the chief guest and he gave away the prizes.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui 

Indian paddlers finish a respectable 27th in World TT

Dortmund, April 1, 2012: For the first time in many years, not only did the Indian paddlers improve their performances by several notches, but also gained in stature in the Liebherr World Table Tennis Championships here earlier today.

Both the men and women players attained a respectable 27th position, the former gaining seven places and the latter 10 places. In the last championships, Indian men had reached 34th position while the women finished 37th. 

In the match for 27-28 positions against Brazil, India rested Achanta Sharath Kamal and yet they beat 3-2 to be 27th with A. Amalraj notching up two rubber wins after Sanil Shetty and Soumyajit Ghosh both losing their first singles. Amalraj first defeted Calderano Hugo 11-9, 17-15, 6-11, 11-8 and then accounted for Hoyama Hugo 9-1, 4-11, 11-4,12-10, 17-15. 

It seemed a a touch-and-go affiar for Amalraj in the second game where he was stretched by his opponent to 17-15. Though he lost his third game without much fight, he did well to take the next to put India 1-0 up. But Hoyama Hugo and Matsumoto Cazuo won their rubbers against Shetty and Ghosh to put the pressure back on India as well as Amalraj, who had to win the reverse rubber to keep them in the match. 

Amalraj lost his first to games but went all out in the next three to outsmart Hoyama. Then it was left to Shetty who beat Calderano Hugo in straight games of 12-10, 11-9, 15-13. 

But for the women, it was considerably easy affairs as India beat Italy 3-1. Mouma Das and K.Shamini registered wins over their rivals while Ankita Das lost first her singles to Rioolfi Lisa. But the Indian, however, won her reverse singles to make an easy prey out of Italy. 

RESULTS: Men: India beat Brazil 3-2 (Anthony Amalraj  bt  Calderano Hugo 11-9, 17-15, 6-11, 11-8, Sanil shetty lost to Hoyama Hugo 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 7-11, Soumyajit Ghosh lost to Matsumoto Cazuo  5-11, 2-11, 11-8, 6-11, Anthony Amalraj  bt  Hoyama Hugo  9-11, 4-11, 11-4, 12-10, 17-15, Sanil Shetty bt Calderano Hugo 12-10, 11-9, 15-13.

Women: India beaat Italy 3-1 (Mouma Das bt Trotti Elisa 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, Ankita Das  lost to Rioolfi Lisa 11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 10-12, K Shamini bt  Vivarelli Debora 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, Anita Das bt Trotti Elisa 6-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.

A TTFI Press Release

Digvijay Singh ends 12-year Asian Tour title wait at Panasonic Open India

New Delhi, April 1, 2012: Digvijay Singh of India closed with a flawless six-under-par 66 to end an agonising 12-year wait for his maiden Asian Tour title at the Panasonic Open India on Sunday.

Singh produced a grandstand finish with a 12-foot birdie putt on the last to defeat Asian Tour winners Siddikur of Bangladesh and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India by two shots at the US$300,000 event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI.

Thai veteran Boonchu Ruangkit rolled back the years with a 67 to finish in fourth place while overnight leader Ashok Kumar was in contention before dropping four shots in the last six holes at the Delhi Golf Club. He ended his campaign in tied eighth place.

“This is very special for me. There’s no feeling better than winning an Asian Tour title in India at the Delhi Golf Club. I’ve won on the local circuit before but this takes the cake,” said Digvijay, who totalled 11-under-par 277 to win US$47,500 and two return business Turkish Airlines tickets to any destination in Europe.

Singh, who was three shots back at the start of the day, came charging home with a superb back nine highlighted by birdies on holes 13, 14, 16 and 18 to the delight of the home crowd.

“The 13th hole was the turning point that got me going. I made my second birdie of the day on hole seven and couldn’t convert anything until the birdie on 13. From then on, the birdies starting flowing in,” he smiled.

“I wasn’t disheartened when I lost my Asian Tour card last year. I told myself, this is where I’m and I should make the most of it. It was frustrating that everybody has won it except me but I’m glad I’ve done it,” added the 40-year-old, who was hugged by his brother-in-law Jyoti Randhawa after sinking his winning putt.

Bhullar, a two-time Asian Tour winner, was in contention for most of the round but had to settle for second as he tipped his hat to Singh, who he said was the deserving winner.

“Digvijay played incredibly. He deserved this long awaited victory. It is all part of the game but I felt I could have done a little better. I’ll accept this finish and go with the flow because I’m playing well again after a long time,” said Bhullar, who mixed his card with three birdies against one bogey for a 70.

Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to play and win on the Asian Tour, rued another missed opportunity of winning his second title as he claimed his 12th top-10 finish on the Asian Tour.

Sanjay Kumar and Shankar Das had the next best result among the Indians as they ended tied fifth at six under 282. Sanjay Kumar’s 65 was the best score of round four. Anirban Lahiri, who also fired a 65 on Sunday, was placed tied eighth along with Ashok Kumar at five under 283.

Manav Jaini and Harmeet Kahlon were joint 10th at four under 284.

Photo caption: Digvijay Singh holds Panasonic Open golf trophy in New Delhi on April 1, 2012.

A PGTI Press Release

Ashok takes sole lead at Panasonic Open India

New Delhi, March 31, 2012: Ashok Kumar, considered one of the most naturally gifted players in Indian golf took a big step towards his breakthrough win as rook sole lead at the end of the third round of the Panasonic Open India on Saturday. Ashok rolled in a 15-footer on the 18th for a final birdie to card a second straight 69 and move to eight-under 208.

Ashok was atop a leader board that had a very Indian look to it, with two-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar (70) one shot behind in second place at 209 and Shankar Das (71) another one seeking his maiden Asian Tour win, was third at 210. There were five Indians inside top seven places.

In the bunch at tied fourth, there were two more Indians, Digvijay Singh (68) and Manav Jaini (72), alongside overnight leader Bangladeshi Siddikur (73) and Australian Wade Ormsby (71), who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Saturday. Kunal Bhasin (68), an Australian of Indian origin, held the eighth place at 212, while American Ben Fox (69) and Irishman Niall Turner (71) completed the top ten.

More than a decade ago, the 28-year-old Ashok, first came to the Delhi Golf Club as a caddie and in the time since has won more than 20 times on the domestic Tour and even topped the Order of Merit more than once. Six years ago he held a share of the lead going into the final round of the Aamby Valley Masters, but the fell apart on the last day and ended in fifth place.

Ashok, who topped the Asian Tour’s Greens in Regulation category last year, was on fire with his iron shots and missed only one green in regulation to take a one-shot lead over Bhullar.

“I’m not even going to think about the title. It is too far fetch to think ahead now. I’m just going to concentrate on my own game and not the leaderboard,” said Ashok. “In the past, I’ve been aggressive on the final day but I’ve totally changed now and will play calmly. I will treat it like another day.”

Bhullar fired a 70 to lie in second place while Shankar Das ensured the top three spots were occupied by Indians in the penultimate round of the US$300,000 event.

Ashok, who was tied second overnight, had a great birdie-birdie start. He was three-under after a third birdie on eighth. But he went way off the green on the ninth and then used a putter from the walking path and missed his par. He was steady through the back nine with pars all the way till he got a last birdie on 18th from 15 feet.

Bhullar holed a huge 25-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole and hopes the experience of winning on the Asian Tour will guide him to a third victory.

“Mentally there is a bit of relief in my mind that I’ve won before. Winning a tournament in India on the Asian Tour is a big deal for an Indian because you are playing in front of friends and family. It will definitely give me a great sense of achievement,” said Bhullar, whose last victory was in 2010.

SSP Chowrasia recovered from a potential disaster when he dropped six shots in three holes. After a birdie on first, he triple bogeyed the second, bogeyed the third and double bogeyed the fourth. He then had three birdies, on sixth, 13th and 15th to finish with 74 and was tied 18th with Jyoti Randhawa (69), Shamim Khan (73) and Om Prakash Chouhan (70) at one-over 217.

Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to play and win on the Asian Tour, rued a cold putter as he returned with three bogeys against two birdies but is still confident of making a final round title charge.

“My putting wasn’t good so I hope to get back on track. There’s a long way to go. I’m very confident for tomorrow. I feel I have a slight advantage because I’ve come close to winning on this course before,” said Siddikur, who finished in fifth place at the SAIL-SBI Open on the same venue last month.

Photo: Ashok Kumar in action

PGTI press release

Sharath, Mouma help India move up

Dortmund, March 30: Top paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal won both his singles which proved crucial as India defeated England 3-1 in the Liebherr World Table Tennis Championships here this afternoon. The Indians will now take on Romania, who beat Italy 3-2, in the match for positions 25-28 later tonight.

The women paddlers, on the other hand, had a tough outing against Slovak Republic but fought well to subdue them 3-2 to make a nice progress. They will be meeting Australia in a late 25-28 positions match. Mouma Das had to do the star turn as she won the crucial rubber against Sona Hudecova 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8.

For both the men and women paddlers, the current championships have proved to be the best as they have been able to improve upon their previous performances. Indian men had in the last championships finished 34th while the women 37th. 

“All our training in Austria before this event has stood us in good stead,” said Sharath after the match. National coach Bhavani Mukherjee too praised the team members. “There is a marked improvement by our paddlers, particularly the way Mouma Das and Sharath have fought their way to help India move up the ladder. It was important for Mouma put it across Hudecova in the decider and she never let her grip go in the fifth rubber,” said Mukherjee.

Results: 

Men: India bt England 3-1: (Sharath Kamal bt Pitchford Liam 11-7, 4-11, 11-4,11-13,11-2, Antony Amalraj lost to Paul Drinkhall 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 4-11, Soumyajit Ghosh  bt  Andrew Baggaley  11-9, 11-9, 16-18, 13-11, Sharath kamal  bt  Paul Drinkhall  11-6, 12-10, 13-11. 

Women: India bt Slovak Republic 3-2: Ankita Das bt Sona Hudecove 5-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, Mouma Das  lost to Barbora Balazova 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, K Shamini bt Andrea Daubnerova 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, Ankita lost to Barbora Balazova  8-11, 4-11, 4-11, Mouma Das bt Sona Hudecova 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8.

A TTFI Press Release

Indian paddlers enter second stage at world meet

Dortmund, March 28, 2012: The Indian paddlers, both in men and women’s sections, made it to the second stage of the Liebherr World Table Tennis Championships here this afternoon. 

The men’s team, comprising Sharath Kamal, Amal Raj, Sumyajit Ghosh, Sanil Shetty and Soumyadeep Roy and placed in group E second division, progressed after beating Finland, Nigeria, Canada with identical 3-0 margins in respective matches, while losing to Romania 1-3. They will now take on Norway later tonight. But irrespective of the outcome of that match, India’s men have qualified to play for positions 25-32.

Similarly, the Indian women team, consisting of Poulami Ghatak, Mouma Das, K Shamini, Ankita Das and Mousmi Paul, too will play in positional matches between 25 and 32. The women paddlers first began with a 1-3 loss against Israel, and then beat England 3-2 in a thrilling match. They, however, lost their third match against Italy 1-3 before regrouping themselves to beat Estonia 3-0 and finally Nigeria 3-0. Thus they finished second to qualify for the second stage.

A TTFI Press release