Manav Jaini bags Jaypee Greens Open title

Manav Jaini (C) receives the winning cheque from Mrs. Vidya Basarkod, President - Sales & Marketing, Jaypee Greens (L) and Mr Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (R) at Greater Noida on April 26, 2013.

Greater Noida, April 26, 2013: Manav Jaini of Delhi scripted a remarkable turnaround with a three-under-69 in the final round to win the Jaypee Greens Open 2013 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Greater Noida. Jaini bagged his second professional title with a total score of 13-under-275 at the Rs. 20 lakh event. Mukesh Kumar shot a one-under-71 in round four to finish runner-up with a total of 11-under-277.

Manav Jaini (68-67-71-69) had a slow start to the day as he bogeyed the par-3 third where his tee shot got stuck in the back lip of the bunker. The 29-year-old then had consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth where he sank putts from six feet and 10 feet respectively. Mukesh Kumar (72-67-67-71) in the meantime picked up birdies on the second, fifth and 11th to establish a two-stroke lead over Jaini after 11 holes.

Manav, the overnight joint leader along with Mukesh, got back in the game with a 12-feet birdie putt on the 12th to reduce the deficit to one shot. The big turnaround happened on the par-5 15th hole where the lead changed hands in favour of Jaini after he made birdie and Mukesh dropped a bogey. Jaini, who had hit his rescue to perfection all week, produced another excellent approach shot with the club to hit the green in two shots on the 15th. He followed that up with a two-putt for birdie. Forty-seven-year-old Mukesh on the other hand found the water hazard on the 15th and thus dropped a shot.

Jaini held his nerves to make pars on the last three holes to seal the title while Mukesh fell further back with a bogey on the final hole.

Jaini, who won his only previous title at a match play event in 2011, said, “I’m thrilled to have won my first stroke play event. I now have wins in both formats stroke play as well as match play. The win came after a long gap of two years even though I’ve been in contention on several occasions during this period.

“I kept it simple through the day. I told myself that I have to land it in the right spots and just focus since I was playing well. The key on the 15thwas to hit the fairway with the tee shot and follow that up with an equally good approach shot. I managed to do that with a good drive and an excellent rescue (hybrid club) approach shot to find the green in two and set up a birdie opportunity. There were some nerves after I took the lead on the 15th but I didn’t look at the scores too much from there on and just looked to hit it well,” said Jaini.

Jaini has now climbed from 24th position to sixth place on the Rolex Rankings while Mukesh continues to lead the rankings.

Bangalore’s M Dharma (71-68-69-70) finished third at 10-under-278.

Mandeo Singh Pathania of the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida, secured tied fourth place along with Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta at eight-under-280.

Delhi’s Pratap Atwal, the lone amateur to make the cut, won the trophy for the best performance by an amateur. Atwal claimed overall tied 34thplace with a total of six-over-294.

Jaini: Special feeling to beat Mukesh

Manav Jaini cherished his title triumph all the more as he upstaged one of the giants of Indian golf Mukesh Kumar en route to victory. Jaini turned the tables on Mukesh, a winner of more than 100 titles, in the final stretch on Friday.

“It’s not every day that one beats Mukesh after coming from behind on the final day. Mukesh is usually unrelenting when he is in the lead especially in the final stages of a tournament. It’s a special feeling to have beaten a champion golfer like him despite the odds being stacked against me. This win will do wonders for my confidence,” said an elated Jaini.

Press release

Rajasthan register first win in the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Championship

New Delhi, April 25, 2013: Five goals by Sonu helped Rajasthan beat Bengal 9-2 in a Pool B league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday. 

After losing two matches in the championship this is the first victory for Rajasthan.

Goal scorers for Rajasthan were Sonu (17, 21, 50, 58, 64 minutes), Jaya Chouhan (19, 52 minutes) and Prabhjot Kaur (61, 69 minutes). For Bengal scorers were Archana Kumari Tewari (5 min) and Rubi Khatun (39 min).

    

In Pool H, Assam thrashed Delhi 5-2.

Scorers for Assam were Rashmi Soran (25, 30 minutes), Puja Sinha (9 min), Annu Kumari (15 min) and Divyani Verma (46 min) while Manita (34 min) and Sangeeta Singh (68 min) scored for Delhi.

In Pool F, Chandigarh defeated Bhopal 4-0.

Scorers for Chandigarh were Pooja Kundu (11 min), Karishma Singh (14 min), Usha Singh (20 min) and Nishi Singh (52).   

Mukesh Kumar, Manav Jaini hold advantage ahead of final round

Mukesh Kumar 

Greater Noida, April 25, 2013: Mhow golfer Mukesh Kumar and Delhi’s Manav Jaini hold the joint lead after round three of the Jaypee Greens Open 2013 being played at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Greater Noida. Mukesh and Manav have identical scores of 10-uner-206 after three rounds. Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh and Mandeo Singh Pathania of Greater Noida are one shot behind the joint leaders in tied third place.

Mukesh Kumar (72-67-67) climbed from overnight tied fifth into the joint lead as a result of his brilliant round of five-under-67 which also happened to be the joint best round of the day. Mukesh was on fire from the word go on Thursday as he sank four straight birdies from the second through to the fifth. His tee shot on the par-3 third ended up five feet from the pin. The 47-year-old then played some outstanding shots with the wedges that landed within four feet on the fourth and fifth holes.

Mukesh found the bunker on the eighth and as a result dropped his lone bogey of the day. However, he recovered well from the bunker on the 15th to earn a birdie. The seasoned campaigner holed a 15-footer for his final birdie of the day on the 17th.

“I hit it extremely close today and enjoyed a golden phase from the second to the fifth where everything landed within five feet. The third shot from 130 yards out on the fourth hole ended up just four feet short of the flag. That was easily the best shot of the day. My confidence is high going into the final round as I’m playing some solid golf having dropped just one bogey in the last two rounds,” said Mukesh.

Manav Jaini (68-67-71) held on to his overnight joint lead with a resolute one-under-71 on Thursday. Jaini had an ordinary start as he bogeyed the first hole for the third day in succession. He found the bunker on the first and missed an up and down from there. Manav then salvaged his round by converting 15-footers for birdies on the sixth and 12th. He had a good par save on the 15th where he made a chip-putt from the front edge.

Jaini said, “I’ve had a great week so far as I’ve been striking it well and have dropped just three bogeys in three days. Unfortunately, I couldn’t land it close enough today. All my putts had a chance but most of them rolled past the hole. I’ll have to play with a lot of intensity in order to have a chance in the final round.”

Harendra Gupta (67-71-69) and Mandeo Singh Pathania (67-68-72) are in tied third place with matching totals of nine-under-207.

M Dharma of Bangalore is a further stroke back in fifth place.

Bihar women trounce J and K in senior national hockey

New Delhi, April 24, 2013: Aprajita Kumari struck five goals, including a hattrick to fashion Bihar's emphatic 9-0 win against Jammu and Kashmir in a Pool D league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Goal scorers for Bihar were Aprajita Kumari (13, 19, 43, 51, 65 minutes), Antu Kumari (56, 59 min), Poonam Giri (10 min) and Manji Pandey (68).

In Pool B, Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHA Ltd) beat Bengal.13-0.

Scorers for MHA Ltd were Jahanara Bano (12, 23, 26, 36, 47 minutes), Sarita Hanuman (14, 32, 41, 43 min), Tanaz Mohammed (15, 62 min), Pratibha Sawant (8 min) and Krishna Patel (27 min).

In Pool F, Sport Authority of India (SAI) beat Hockey Bhopal 4-2.

For SAI Ranjita Sanasam (15 min), Anima Soreng (33 min), Sushma Tiru (43 min), Kulwinder Kaur (53 min) and for Hockey Bhopal Chanda Gupta (2 min), Deepika Sharma (14 min) struck the goals.

  

Tamil Nadu women storm into quarterfinals

New Delhi, April 24, 2013: Tamil Nadu entered the quarterfinals of the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship, as they beat Gujarat 12-0 in Pool B at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Brindha Esther and Parameshwari scored three goals each for Tamil Nadu followed by Swetha (2), Kalavathi (1), Vembarasi (1), Durachi Rajam (1) and Punitra (1). Gujarat committed so many errors and failed to score any goal.

Priyanka Wankhede scored five goals as Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy defeated Andhra Pradesh 17-0 in Pool D league match. 

The goal scorers for MPHA were Priyanka Wankhede (2, 7, 18, 40, 41 min), Shikha Sharma (8 min), R Ramngaihzuali (17, 48, 49 min), Nikharika Saxena (20min), H Lalruateeli (30, 56 min), Diksha Tiwari (43, 58 min), Reena Rathore (59 min), Shyma Tigdam (61, 65 min).

The Results

Pool B- Tamil Nadu 12 (Brindha Esther 8, 33, 60, Swetha 14, 22, Kalavathi 26, Parameshwari  34, 55, 59, Vembarasi 52, Durachi Rajam 62, Punitra 63) beat Gujarat 0

Pool D- MPHA 17 (Priyanka Wankhede 2, 7, 18, 40, 41, Shikha Sharma 8, R Ramngaihzuali 17, 48, 49, Nikharika Saxena 20, H Lalruateeli 30, 56, Diksha Tiwari 43, 58, Reena Rathore 59, Shyma Tigdam 61, 65) beat Andhra Pradesh 0.

Manav, Mandeo emerge joint leaders at the halfway stage

 Manav Jaini 

Mandeo Singh Pathania 

Greater Noida, April 24, 2013: Delhi’s Manav Jaini and Mandeo Singh Pathania of Greater Noida are the joint leaders at the halfway stage of the Jaypee Greens Open 2013 being played at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Greater Noida. Jaini and Pathania have a total score of nine-uner-135 after two rounds. Sandeep Syal of Chennai is one shot behind the joint leaders in third place.

The cut was declared at three-over-147. Fifty-three professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Manav Jaini (68-67), who was overnight tied third, started his round with a bogey on the first and then came roaring back with birdies on the fourth and fifth as he landed it within eight feet on both occasions. Jaini’s unbelievable third shot from 90 yards out on the par-5 12th ended up in the hole and thus earned him an eagle. Manav, a winner on the PGTI in 2011, added two more birdies to his card after landing his approach shots within seven feet on the 13th and 15th to end up with a five-under-67.

“It was one of my best efforts of the season so far. I hit it close through the day and sank all putts. My round got going after consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth. I would have landed it within a few inches on the 12th as well but the ball rolled in for an eagle and that was a bonus,” said Jaini.

Mandeo Singh Pathania (67-68), who belongs to the Jaypee Greens Golf Course, maintained his overnight joint lead with a four-under-68 on Wednesday. Pathania, who started from the 10th, had four birdies and two bogeys on his first-nine. He landed his second shot within five feet of the pin for birdie on the 13th and found the green in two to set up a birdie on the par-5 15th. Mandeo then made three birdies against a bogey on his second-nine. He made chip-putts for birdies on the second and fifth and sank a 12-footer for birdie on the seventh.

Pathania said, “It was another good day with the driver and I also made some brilliant chip-putts. A couple of long birdie putts rolled in for me on the 16th and seventh. I’d say I capitalized on the par-5s today as I made birdies on three of the four par-5s.”

Sandeep Syal (68-69) of Chennai is placed third at seven-under-137 while Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta (67-71) is a further shot back in fourth place.  

Mandeo Singh Pathania and Harendra Gupta share the first round lead at Jaypee Greens Open

Mandeo Singh Pathania

Greater Noida, April 23, 2013: Mandeo Singh Pathania of Greater Noida and Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta fired scores of five-under-67 to hold the joint lead after round one of the Jaypee Greens Open at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort on Tuesday. Manav Jaini of Delhi and Chennai’s Sandeep Syal are a shot behind the joint leaders in tied third place.

Mandeo Singh Pathania, playing at his home course, came up with a fine round of 67 that featured seven birdies and two bogeys. He collected four birdies on the first five holes as he landed it within six feet for birdie on the first and third and narrowly missed an eagle putt on the second. On the back-nine Mandeo dropped bogeys on the 11th and 13th but more than made up thanks to birdies on the 12th, 16th and 18th. Pathania, a winner on the PGTI in 2010, sank 15 feet birdie putts on the 16th and 18th.

“This is my best round in the current season so far. So I’m pretty thrilled with this start. I drove it really well and complimented that with some solid putting. I found the green in two on the par-5 second and almost pulled it off again on the par-5 12th. It was also great to convert a couple of long birdie putts towards the end. This is my home course and I feel I have the advantage of local knowledge here,” said Pathania.

Harendra Gupta shared the first round honours with Pathania as a result of his terrific round that included an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys. Gupta bogeyed the sixth and ninth and birdied the seventh to make the turn at one-over. He then turned it on with a six-under on the back-nine. Harendra landed it within four feet for birdie on the 10th and followed that up with another birdie on the 12th before finding the par-5 15th green in two shots to bag an eagle from 10 feet. Gupta ended the day on a high with birdies on the last two holes. He sank a 25-footer for birdie on the 17th.

“I was not playing too great on the front-nine, but then really turned it around on the back-nine. I was landing it close and also made a long putt on the 17th. The eagle was the highlight of the day. The scoring conditions aren’t easy as the rough is up and the course is one of the longest in the country. Nonetheless, I’m quite satisfied with my opening round,” said Gupta, a winner of seven professional titles.

Both Sandeep Syal and Manav Jaini came up with five birdies and a bogey on day one to be placed joint third with scores of four-under-68.

Noida’s Pradeep Kumar is placed fifth at three-under-69.     

All the best Shubhankar and Abhishek

Gurgaon-based rookies Shubhankar Sharma and Abhishek Kuhar, both of whom turned professional earlier this year, are currently engaged with the unenviable task of coping with the pressures of professional golf as well as managing their school studies.

Sixteen-year-old Shubhankar and seventeen-year-old Abhishek, currently two of the youngest professionals on the PGTI, are yet to give their 12thClass Board exams. While Shubhankar has already appeared for two papers and will give the remaining three by August this year, Abhishek will appear for his exams in October this year.

The two, students at the National Institute of Open Schooling in Noida, have made a decent start to their professional careers having already posted two top-30 finishes each in the 2013 season so far. The duo has also got off to a solid start at the Jaypee Greens Open with Abhishek shooting a one-under-71 to be placed   after round one and Shubhankar firing an even-par-72 to be placed     .

“I want to make a mark in professional golf as well as excel in my studies. Once my exams are around the corner the focus will be on my studies. However, I will still find time to practice every day,” said Shubhankar.

So here’s wishing both of them ‘best of luck’ for their Board exams as well as their professional careers.

MPHA decimate Jammu and Kashmir 20-0

New Delhi, April 23, 2013: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy (MPHA) posted emphatic 20-0 win against Jammu & Kashmir in a Pool D league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Goal scorers for MPHA were Preeti (2, 4, 23 minutes), Reena Khokhar (6, 19, 34 min), Anuja (39, 40, 42 minutes), Jyoti (37, 41, 45 minutes), Rakhi (53, 67 minutes), Reema Katariya (1 min), Karishma (11 min), Shivani (14 min), Neha Rawat (68 min) and own goal (22, 58 min).

In Pool F, Sports Authority of India (SAI) beat Chandigarh 6-1.

Scorers for SAI were Ranjita Sanasam (25, 69 minutes), Anima Soreng (58, 63 minutes), Anu Bala (31 min) and Navjot Kaur (51 min). For Chandigarh Usha Singh (15 min) was the scorer.   

  

In Pool H, Punjab defeated Assam 5-0.

Goal scorers for Punjab were Gurwant Kaur (13, 18, 36 minutes) and Monika (35, 68 minutes).

Haryana and Odisha storm into quarterfinals

New Delhi, April 23, 2013: Pooja Rani, Jyoti Gupta and Reena Rani scored four goals each as Haryana raced to 23-0 win against Uttarakhand in their concluding Pool A league game and entered the quarterfinals of 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship played at Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Tuesday.

Haryana went on to dominate from the start of the match. Haryana, who led 12-0 at the half time, scored through Pooja Rani, Nicky, Jyoti Gupta, Deepti, Navdeep, Navneet Kaur, Reena Rani, Navpreet Kaur, Jyoti Dahiya, Malkeet Kaur and Own Goal.

Uttarakhand committed so many errors and missed some scoring chances in the first half of the game.

Odisha also booked their berth in the quarterfinals defeating Sports Authority of India 2-0. Nilprojita Majhi scored the two goals for Odisha in the 12 and 25 minute.

In Pool C, Rajasthan beat Mumbai Hockey Association Limited.

In another game of the day, Delhi defeated Rajasthan 2-0 in Pool H. Pooja and Monika scored a goal each for Delhi.

The Results

Pool A- Haryana 23 (Pooja Rani 1, 2, 7, 19, Nicky 9, Jyoti Gupta 11, 52, 53, 69, Deepti 13, 26, Navdeep 17, Navneet Kaur 20, 70, Reena Rani 22, 41, 44, 61, Navpreet Kaur 27, 50, Jyoti Dahiya 42, Malkeet Kaur 59, Own Goal 68) beat Uttarakhand 0

Pool C- Rajasthan 1 (Manisha Dhaval 10) beat Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 0.

Pool H- Delhi 2 (Pooja 13, Monika 45) beat Bengal Hockey Association 0.

Pool E- Odisha (Nilprojita Majhi 12, 25) beat Sports Authority of India 0.

Jharkhand register second consecutive win

New Delhi, April 22, 2013: Jharkhand registered their second consecutive win in the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship defeating Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 5-0 in Pool C at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Monday.

Punam Madhuri Tete topped the scorers’ list with two goals followed by Birsi Mundu, Anima Minz and Rajni Soreng scoring a goal each for Jharkhand.

In Pool E, Chhattisgarh easily defeated Jammu & Kashmir 7-0. It was Chhattisgarh’s first win in three matches as Tejeshwan Temarkar, Jaya Dhruw,  Kanchan Mandvi, Ruchi Bundel and Lalita Jandgde paved their success while Jammu & Kashmir lost its all three league matches.

Jypti and Baljeet Kaur scored three goals each as Punjab raced to a 9-0 win against Goa in their opening match of Pool-F. Ruchi Batta and Kuljeet Kaur are the other two goal scorers for Punjab.

In Pool G Karnataka defeated Tripura 24-0. PP Rashmi scored maximum seven goals for Karnataka.

Results

Pool C- Jharkhand 5 (Punam Madhuri Tete 2,26, Birsi Mundu 4, Anima Minz 8, Rajni Soreng 69) beat Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 0

Pool E- Chhattisgarh 7 (Tejeshwan Temarkar 2, Jaya Dhruw 27, 56, Kanchan Mandvi 41, 66, Ruchi Bundel 49, Lalita Jandgde 65) beat Jammu & Kashmir 0

Pool F- Punjab 9 (Jyoti Tarlok Chand 4, 14, 37, Ruchi Batta 6, 42, Baljeet Kaur 27, 34, 40, Kuljeet Kaur 32) beat Goa 0

Pool G- Karnataka 24 (PP Rashmi 2, 14, 18, 22,26, 67, 69, N Ranjitha 3, 35, 55, AK Ranjitha 4, 10, S Huddar Suman 9, 50, HP Sandhya 19, 24, 40, 47, 48, 53, CG Sushma 39, 42, 45, KJ Chaithra 41 ) beat Tripura 0.

Karnataka win Sub-Junior Women National South Zone Championship title

New Delhi, April 22, 2013: Spurthi HP scored four goals as Karnataka raced to 9-0 win against the hosts Tamil Nadu to win the final of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (South Zone) played at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, Egmore in Chennai on Monday.

Karnataka who led 4-0 at the half time scored through Leelavathi (3 min), Spurthi H.P (8, 33, 46, 60 minutes), Ramya A.N (29, 60 min), Keerthana (49 min) and Own Goal (66 min).

Karnataka pip Odisha to move into quarterfinals

New Delhi, April 22, 2013: Two goals by Chaitra KC helped Karnataka enter the quarterfinals of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship, with a 2-1 win against Odisha in Pool G at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Monday.

Railways already qualified for quarterfinals.

Goal scorer for Karnataka was Chaitra KC (12, 22 minutes) while Raina Yadav (26 min) scored the only goal for Odisha.

In another match, Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHA Ltd) beat Rajasthan 12-1 in Pool B.

Scorers for MHA Ltd were Pratibha Sawant (21, 30, 39, 62 minutes), Sarita Hanuman (10, 26, 49 minutes), Jahanara Bano (28, 48 minutes), Afshan Basha (24 min), Krishna Patel (61 min) while Jaya Chouhan (46 min) scored the only goal for Rajasthan.

In pool B Haryana got a walkover from Bengal Hockey Association.

In Pool F, Hockey Bhopal hammered Gujarat 19-0. Moully Yadav scored maximum eight goals for Hockey Bhopal.

Goal scorers for Hockey Bhopal were Deepika Sharma (7, 32, 53 minutes), Moully Yadav (8, 20, 23, 28, 39, 48, 56, 69 minutes), Dolly Yadav (9, 37 minutes), Pragya Mourya (11, 50, 59 minutes), Chanda Gupta (21, 60 minutes) and Preeti Singh (67 min).

Railways enter quarterfinals of 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Championship

New Delhi, April 21, 2013: Five goals by Jasjeet Kaur helped star-studded Railways enter the quarterfinals of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Championship, with huge 16-0 win over Tamil Nadu in Pool A at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the Guru Gobind Singh College, Lucknow on Sunday.

The scorers for Railways were Jasjeet Kaur (7, 9, 19, 37, 41 minutes), Own Goal (17), Binita Xess (23, 44, 51 minutes), Th Ranjita (31, 53 minutes), Joydeep Kaur (14 min), Apoorva (30 min), Jamila Bano (45 min), Laurenua Kerketta (47 min) and Rosalind L Ralte (58 min).

In the other match, Himachal Pradesh beat Tripura 12-0 in Pool G.

Goal scores for Himachal Pradesh were Nisha (10, 13, 44 minutes), Sonia II (19, 22, 69 min), Pooja (23, 57 min), Dimple (26, 33 min), Sonia I (67 min) and Ritu (31 min).

In pool E, Andhra Pradesh got walkover from Arunachal.

In Pool C, Jharkhand defeated Goa 17-0.

Jharkhand, who led 8-0 at the half time. scored through Nisha Rani (9, 19, 35, 40, 46 minutes), Kanti Pradhan (10, 64 minutes), Punita Minz (12, 58 minutes), Shilwanti Minjur (23 min), Basanti Kachhap (24 min), Own Goal (29 min), Sabnam Lakra (37 min), Anita Swansi (41, 44, 60 minutes) and Ebha Kerketta (68 min).   

Haryana trounce Manipur in Junior Women National Hockey

New Delhi, April 21, 2013: Navneet Kaur and Rajani Singh scored thrice, as Haryana defeated Manipur13-0 in Pool A of the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship played at Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday.

Haryana scored through Nicky Om Prakash (3), Navneet Kaur (24, 51, 60), Jyoti Gupta (28, 64), Rajni Singh (36, 46, 61), Pooja Rani (47), Reena Rani (48), Own Goal (55) and Malkeet Singh (58) while Manipur failed to score single goal against Haryana.

In Pool C, Hockey Bhopal beat Rajasthan 1-0. Hockey Bhopal scored their only goal through Neha Sharma in the 51st minute.

In Pool E, Odisha defeated Jammu & Kashmir 36-0.

Results

Pool A- Haryana 13(Nicky Om Prakash 3, Navneet Kaur 24, 51, 60, Jyoti Gupta 28, 64, Rajni Singh 36, 46, 61, Pooja Rani 47, Reena Rani 48, Own Goal 55, Malkeet Singh 58) beat Manipur 0.

Pool C- Hockey Bhopal 1(Neha Sharma 51) beat Rajasthan 0

Railways, Jharkhand women register big wins in National hockey

New Delhi, April 20, 2013: Four goals by Binita Xess helped defending champions, Railways thrash Uttarakhand 19-0 in their Pool A league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship played at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday.

Goal scores for Railways were Binita Xess (10, 23, 41, 42 minutes), Amandeep Kaur (1, 11, 39 minutes), Jasjeet Kaur (20, 37minutes), Apoorva V (24,32 minutes), Rosalin Dung Dung (45, 64 minutes), Joydeep Kaur (6 min), Ramneek Kaur (22 min), Rosalind L Ralte (10 min), Asunta Lakra (50 min), Preety S Kiro (53 min) and Laurenua Kerketta (60 min).

In the other match, Jharkhand crushed Kerala 16-0 in Pool C. Goal scorers for Jharkhand were Sabnam Lakra (9, 46, 58, 63, 66 minutes), Kanti Pradhan (32, 49, 55, 57 minutes), Nisha Rani Aind (14, 29 minutes) and Sarita Lakra (53, 67 minutes), Shilwanti Minjur (3 min) and Punita Minz (60 min).

In the fifth minute Jharkhand got the advantage of an own goal.

In the third match of the day, Odisha overpowered Tripura 19-0 in Pool G.

The scores for Odisha were Raina Yadav (6, 10, 37, 48 minutes), Mariana Kanjur (12, 15, 44 minutes), Ashim Kanchan Barla (16, 47, 56 minutes), Priyanka Ekka (49, 55, 59 min), Sarojini Ekka-2 (28, 38 minutes), Sarojini Ekka-1 (3, 49 minutes), Rashmita Minz (24 min) and Punam Minz (58 min).    

In the other match of the day, Chitra KC struck six goals to fashion Karnataka emphatic 12-2 win against Himachal Pradesh in pool G.

Senior women Indian hockey team departs for Rotterdam

New Delhi, April 20, 2013: Indian senior women hockey team left for Rotterdam, Netherlands on Saturday morning from here for preparations of the FIH Women Hockey World League Round- 3(semifinals) to be there from June 13-23.

Indian team will be playing five matches at Rotterdam from April 22-29, including one against  Dutch national team and four against Dutch club teams.

Indian team has qualified for the FIH World League Round-3(semifinals) in February this year. FIH World League is also qualifier for the World Cup 2014 to be played in Hague.

Team: Goalkeepers: Savita, Rajni Etimarpu; Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Kirandeep Kaur, Deepika, Namita Toppo, Sushila Chanu, M N Ponnamma, Sunita Lakra. Midfielders: Ritu Rani, Monika, Vandana Katariya, Lilima Minz. Forwards: Soundarya Yendala, Rashmi Singh, Anupa Barla, Rani, Poonam Rani.

Uttar Pradesh humble Tripura 26-0

New Delhi, April 20, 2013: Uttar Pradesh humbled Tripura 26-0 in the league game of Pool G in the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship played at Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi on Saturday.

Siddhi Singh and Srishti Singh scored seven goals each for the Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh started the game on attacking mode and denied a single scoring chance to the opponents.

In another match, Mumbai Hockey Association Limited defeated Hockey Bhopal 5-0. MHA Ltd scored through Jemima Monterio (36, 63), Ambareen Shaikh (50), Yogita Pasi (66) and Bhagyashree Agarwal (70).

Results

Pool C-MHA Ltd 5 (Jemima Monterio 36, 63, Ambareen Shaikh 50, Yogita Pasi 66 and Bhagyashree Agarwal  70) beat Hockey Bhopal 0

Pool G- Uttar Pradesh 26 (Kavita Mauryay 2, 29, 64 Siddhi Singh 4, 5, 7, 16, 22,46, 51, Srishti Singh 10, 15, 28, 30, 32, 39,44,Komal Sahni 12, 17,48, 56, 59, 60 Chand Singh 27,Shreya Singh 50, 56) beat Tripura

Sir Vivian Richards joins Delhi Daredevils

NEW DELHI, April 20, 2013: Sir Vivian Richards, the original Master Blaster and one of the most intimidating batsmen in cricket’s history, joined the Delhi Daredevils in an ambassadorial and advisory role on Friday.

“I am looking forward to working with the Delhi Daredevils this season,” Sir Viv said after his maiden interaction with the team.

“I know the team has many players of proven quality and others who have immense talent and hunger to succeed at this level and higher. It will be a great experience for me to be their sounding board and inspire them to deliver quality performances.”

GMR Sports Chairman Kiran K Grandhi said the decision to rope in Sir Viv was in keeping with the policy to give the squad the best support it can possibly get. “As owners of the Delhi Daredevils, we have always got together the best support staff. I’m sure our fans will also be very excited that Sir Viv is with the squad.”

GMR Sports Pvt Ltd Head (Cricket) and Delhi Daredevils Team Mentor TA Sekar said the squad will have the opportunity to be inspired by Sir Viv. “There are a number of youngsters in the squad who can make the most of the opportunity to interact with Sir Viv and evolve as cricketers. He was keen to be with the team at the start of the season but he had prior commitments and could join us only now.

“One of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century and rated by many, including Sir Ian Botham and Shane Warne, as the best batsman they ever saw, he set amazing standards for himself with the bat and on the field in his playing days,” Sekar said. “It is our pleasure and privilege to welcome Sir Viv.”

Press release

Chiragh Kumar wins Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open title

Chiragh Kumar receives winner's cheque and trophy from Dr. Priath Bandu Wickrama, Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Authority in Colombo on April 19, 2013. .

Chiragh Kumar

Colombo, April 19, 2013: The Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013 had a gripping finish after four days of top class golf at The Royal Colombo Golf Club. When the dust had settled and the final putt dropped, it was Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar who took home the spoils with a stunning one shot ‘come from behind’ victory in the biggest prize money event ever to be staged by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) in Sri Lanka.

Chiragh Kumar (72-66-67-68) carded a three-under-68 in the last round for an overall final score of 11-under-273 to bag the first prize of USD 11315. He finished one shot clear of local star Mithun Perera (69-67-64-74) who ended the week with a total score of 10-under-274.

Chiragh, who won his fourth professional title on Friday, made birdies on the second, seventh, 12th, 14th and 15th and bogeys on the third and ninth.

Chiragh said, “I’m thrilled to win my fourth PGTI title, even more so because it is here in Sri Lanka. There are a lot of people to thank who have supported me over the years, including my parents, coach and in particular my sponsor Mr. Dilip Thomas. So a big thank you to them.

“I need to thank Sri Lanka Ports Authority for their support to golf in Sri Lanka. Without them and other sponsors, events like this can’t happen. Coming back to my round today, I did not expect to win when I came to the course this morning. Mithun had a clear lead over the field and was looking like the outright favourite. I missed some short putts till the 11th but my momentum came back with the birdie on the 12th. At that stage, I thought some more birdies may secure second place for me. Unfortunately for Mithun, he dropped four shots on the last six holes and that helped me. Playing conditions were good today as the course was in excellent condition.”

Reacting to his hole-in-one in round two, Chiragh said, “I just hit a simple shot and the next thing I saw was that the ball ended up in the hole. I guess no one can plan such a shot.”

Local favorite and overnight leader Mithun Perera failed to push home his advantage with a score of three-over-74 in the final round. Perera made two birdies against five bogeys on Friday.

“I cannot say much what went wrong, obviously my putting was not good today and I missed some close putts. I could collect only two birdies in my round against the five bogeys most of which came on the back-nine,” said Mithun.

Mukesh Kumar of Mhow finished third with a total score of nine-under-275.

Honours for the best round of the day went to one of India’s leading youngsters Khalin Joshi of Bangalore, who shot a six-under-65 to finish tied seventh, five shots behind the winner.

The trophy for the best performance by an amateur went to local rising star Vijitha Bandara, who was the only amateur to make the cut. He finished overall tied 23rd with a total score of one-over-285.

Tamil Nadu prove too good for Uttarakhand

New Delhi, April 19, 2013:  Tamil Nadu defeated Uttarakhand 4-1 in their Pool A league match on the day-2 of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Hockey Championship played at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Friday.

For Tamil Nadu Shenbaga Valli struck two goals in 61 and 67 minutes. Kiruthika also scored a goal for their team. In fourth minutes Tamil Nadu got the advantage of an own goal. For Uttarakhand Anjali scored a goal in 37 minute.

In pool C,  The Hockey Maharashtra and Kerala played a 2-2 draw to split points. 

In Pool G, Odisha beat Himachal Pradesh. Sarojini Ekka (29), Elima Minz (50) andRani Yadav (51, 59) scored for Odisha.

In pool E Chhattisgarh got walkover from Arunachal Pradesh.

Jharkhand women blank Rajasthan 11-0

New Delhi, April 19, 2013: Hosts Jharkhand defeated Rajasthan 11-0 in their opening league game of Pool-C of the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women National Championship started at Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Friday.

Jharkhand, who led 7-0 at the half time, scored through Poonam Madhuri Tete (2, 25, 29, 59, 70 minutes), Rukmani Dodray (10), Anima Minz (14), Birsi Mundu (15) and Rajni Soreng (33, 50, 66) minute while Rajasthan fail to score any goal.

In Pool E, Odisha beat Chhattisgarh 15-0. Birajini Ekka and Surabhi Pradhan scored three goals each in their team’s victory.

In Pool A, Manipur registered 2-1 win over Uttarakhand.

In Pool G, Assam edged out Tripura 13-1. Phulkuwari scored four goals for Assam.  

Results

Pool A- Manipur 2 (Chaoba Chanu Thongam 12, Own Goal 44) beat Uttarakhand 1(Diksha Kandwal 4)

Pool C- Jharkhand 11(Poonam Madhuri Tete 2, 25, 29, 59, 70, Rukmani Dodray 10,, Anima Minz 14,Birsi Mundu 15, Rajni Soreng 33, 50, 66) beat Rajasthan 0

Pool E- Odisha 15(Birajini Ekka 2, 55, 59, Reshma Lakra 6, Nilprojita Majhi 7, Priti Mala Dung Dung 16, Elin Lakra 23,27, Ambika Toppo 45, Surabhi Pradhan 48, 49, 50, Anita Ekka 62, Rajkumari Ekka 64, 67) beat Chhattisgarh 0

Pool G- Assam 13 (Maxima Khalko 5, 30, 31, Gitanjali Kissan 15, Phulwari Kandulna 18, Phulkuwari Mundu 20, 49, 68, 70, Sobita Tanti 31, 34, Lakhi Tanti 47, Sudha Gangwar  66, 69) beat Tripura 1(Ariba Samreen 56).

Local favourite Mithun Perera storms into lead at Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open

 Mithun Perera                                            

Colombo, April 18, 2013: Local favourite Mithun Perera shot a brilliant seven-under-64 to open up a three shot advantage in round three of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. Colombo-based Perera now has a total score of 13-under-200. Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah is placed second with a total of 10-under-203.

Mithun Perera (69-67-64), who shot a bogey-free round on Thursday, hit a purple patch with three consecutive birdies from the fifth through the seventh and thus made the turn at three-under. On the back nine, Mithun had another golden run of three consecutive birdies from the 10th through the 12th. The three-time winner on the PGTI made his last birdie of the day on the 17th to end up with a blemish-free round of 64.

“It was great to have a bogey-free round today. A seven-under- 64 is obviously a good score, but it could have been better as I had a few near misses. The course is in really good condition and greens are playing better than previous rounds. I think ‘local knowledge’ helped me a lot, particularly with the speed of the greens. I hope I can continue to exploit the local conditions and capitalize on the three-shot lead,” said Perera, who climbed from overnight tied sixth to the top of the leaderboard.

  

Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (70-64-69) stayed within striking distance of Mithun with a two-under-69 that gave him a cumulative score of 10-under. Zamal started with a bogey on the first but then birdied holes 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11. Back-to-back bogeys on 14, 16 and 17 pushed him back but he sank another close putt on 18th to finish his round with a birdie.

Overnight leader Anura Rohana had a tough day on the greens and came up with a one-over-72 to lie in third place at nine-under-204. “My hitting was decent but putting let me down. I could not convert some close putts and was a little unfortunate on the eighth where my 20-foot putt came to rest on the edge of the hole. I hope for the best tomorrow,” said Anura.

Rashid Khan and Chiragh Kumar were the highest-ranked Indians after round three. Both the golfers are five shots behind the leader at eight-under-205 in tied fourth.

Jharkhand swamp Hockey Maharashtra 13-0

Lucknow, April 18, 2013: In pool C, Jharkhand beat The Hockey Maharashtra 13-0 in their first league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women National Championship played at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday.

Jharkhand played attacking hockey throughout the game leading 6-0 in the first half.

The goal scorers for Jharkhand were Nisha Rani Aind (6, 11, 35, 60 minutes), Shilwanti Minjur (9, 33, 34 minutes), Sabnam Lakra (42, 46 minutes), Anupam Horo (57, 65 minutes), Anita Swansi (44 min), Subhashi Hemrom (61 minutes).

In pool E Uttar Pradesh got a walkover from Arunachal.

In the other match of the day, Chhattisgarh beat Andhra Pradesh by 4-2. For Chhattisgarh the goal scores are Anshuli (4, 66 minutes) and Neelam Mundu (21, 35 minutes). For Andhra Pradesh Monika Nallapalli (55, 59 minutes) were the scorers.

Uttar Pradesh PWD, Cooperative and Irrigation minister Shivpal Singh Yadav inaugurated the 13-day championship at a colorful ceremony.

Girls and boys from Vir Bahadur Singh Sports College Gorakhpur demonstrated artistic, acrobatic and most beautiful rhythmic gymnastics. Lucknow famous singer Kishore Chaturvedi staged an entertaining programme to mark a glittering opening of the championship.

Bhullar to promote Thailand Golf Tourism

Runjuan Tongrut, Director, TAT announcing Gaganjeet Bhullar as a brand ambassador of Thailand Tourism in New Delhi on April 17, 2013

New Delhi, April 17, 2013:  Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has appointed India’s ace golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar to be their brand ambassador to promote golf tourism across Thailand in order to project Thailand as one of the most sought after golfing destinations.

TAT confirmed that the engagement with one of the best Indian golfers was fuelled by his consistent performances with the iron.

Runjuan Tongrut, Director, TAT New Delhi, said, “We are very delighted to have Gaganjeet Bhullar on board. He is one of India’s most promising golfer and we believe he will be a huge inspiration to golfers in India.  He has often been to Thailand and enjoys playing golf there. We believe that this corporation will bring a long-term relationship between Thai and Indian Golfers, since Mr. Bhullar is a young and fresh talent.

He also takes care of junior golfers under “Gaganjeet Bhullar Foundation”, to which TAT has also contributed some amount to the foundation through him.”

Commenting on his association with Amazing Thailand, 24-year-old Bhullar said, “I have quite often played tournaments in Thailand and whenever I go there, I end up meeting people from Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC) or Delhi Golf Club (DGC). So I believe it is a great initiative to popularize the game amongst the Indians. Thailand is known as a golfers’ paradise due to the warm Thai Hospitality and professional caddy.  I look forward to be associated with Thailand and feel very privileged by this gesture from TAT”.

Rohana comes good with a scintillating 61 on day two of Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013

Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka

Colombo, April 17, 2013: After a steady even-par opening round on Tuesday, local Sri Lankan star Anura Rohana came roaring back in the second round of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013 with a bogey-free 10-under-61. Anura thus matched his own course record. After starting from hole no. 1, Anura collected four birdies and an eagle on the seventh before making the turn. He added four more birdies on the back nine to take his tournament total to 10-under-132.

 “It was great to have a bogey-free round today. A round of 61 is obviously a fantastic score and I’m very happy with the round. My putting was excellent today as I had 24 putts in all. Luckily, I managed to keep the ball on the fairways on most occasions.

Looking further, I hope I can use my local knowledge to good advantage in the final two rounds,” said Anura, who birdied the first, sixth, eighth, ninth, 10th, 13th, 17th and 18th and made eagle on the seventh.

Two shots behind the leader at eight-under, are Chikkarangappa S of Bangalore and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh in tied second place. Chikkarangappa (68-66) shot a five-under-66 on Wednesday to take his total to eight-under for two rounds. Chikkarangappa had seven birdies against two bogeys. 

Zamal Hossain Mollah started with a bogey on first hole but after that he earned six birdies along with an excellent eagle to shoot a magnificent seven-under-64.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan, the first round leader, followed up his first round score of 65 with a 70 on Wednesday to take his total to seven-under for two rounds. Rashid had two birdies against one bogey.

M Dharma of Bangalore had a mixed round of 68 with six birdies and three bogeys. With a total score of seven-under, Dharma is tied for fourth place along with Rashid Khan.

Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar had a hole-in-one on hole no. 9. A perfect tee shot landed close to the pin and rolled into the hole. Chiragh had six birdies and three bogeys besides the hole-in-one (eagle) in his round of five-under. His total of four-under placed him tied ninth.

The cut was declared at four-over-146. Fifty-four professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Union Sports Ministers Jitendra Singh meets IOC member Randhir Singh

New Delhi, April 17, 2013: Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Jitendra Singh met the IOC member Randhir Singh on the matter of the dispute between IOC and IOA.

During the meeting, a large number of issues were discussed and a common consensus approach was arrived at. This will be discussed with all stakeholders and the Ministry hopes that India will be able to put up a common front in the meeting with IOC at Lausanne.

Rashid Khan grabs first round lead at Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013

Rashid Khan 

Colombo, April 16, 2013: The Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013 promoted by Sports Mantra and Pro Golf Pvt. Ltd, got underway today at The Royal Colombo Golf Club. Over 100 professional golfers, all looking for a share of the prize purse of USD 70,000, teed off along with six amateur golfers from Sri Lanka.

Indian professional Rashid Khan finished day one on top of the leaderboard. The Delhi boy, who won the PGTI event at the Classic Golf Resort in the outskirts of Delhi last week, seems to have carried his good form to Colombo.

Rashid started the tournament with five birdies in a row from the 10th through the 14th. He sank another birdie on 16th but bogeyed the 17th to be five-under at the turn. Rashid dropped a shot on the fourth but birdied the sixth and seventh to finish his round with a score of six-under-65.

“The greens on this course are not easy to negotiate. One needs to adjust to the green speed quickly in order to perform well here. I’m feeling good and lucky to have this kind of start. My putting was good and having pocketed five birdies at the turn was a great advantage,” said the 22-year-old Rashid.

Divyanshu Bajaj of Kolkata trails Rashid by one stroke. Divyanshu, playing for the first time at Royal Colombo Golf Club, started his round with a bogey on the first but recovered immediately thanks to a birdie on the second. He went on to record an eagle on the sixth and three more birdies to end the day at five-under-66.

  

“Playing at this golf course for the first time and not having a practice round was difficult, but I walked few holes yesterday and got a feel of the course. The main idea was to keep the ball on the fairways and I was lucky to do so. Greens were playing a little slow due to the heavy rain yesterday and one had to take that into account today,” said Bajaj.

Angad Cheema of Panchkula and Bangalore’s M. Dharma were tied for third place at four-under-67. While Dharma had seven birdies and three bogeys in his first round, Cheema made six birdies against two bogeys.

Local hero and winner of the first ever professional golf tournament in Sri Lanka last year, Mithun Perera finished his round at two-under-69. “Due to heavy rain yesterday, the conditions have changed a lot and adjusting with the current playing conditions after playing in India and in different parts of Asia is not easy,” said Mithun.

The tournament continues tomorrow with the second round being played. At the end of round two, the field will be reduced to the top 50 players and ties, who will then play rounds three and four on Thursday and Friday respectively.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013 is title sponsored by Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Gold sponsor Dialog Enterprise, co-promoted by Pro Golf Ltd., a Colombo based sports events and Distribution Company, and Sports Mantra, a New Delhi based sports events and marketing company.

Top 10 Scores of Round 1 of Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open 2013:

RASHID KHAN -6 (65), DIVYANSHU BAJAJ -5 (66), M DHARMA -4 (67), ANGAD CHEEMA  -4 (67), RAJU ALI MOLLAH -3 (68), CHIKKARANGAPPA S -3 (68), ABHIJIT SINGH CHADHA -3 (68),  VISHAL SINGH -3 (68),  AMARDIP SINH MALIK  -2 (69), SHIVARAM SHRESTHA -2 (69); MITHUN PERERA -2 (69), DIPANKAR KAUSHAL -2 (69).

Press release

MPHA boys win West Zone sub-junior hockey title

New Delhi, April 16, 2013: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy defeated The Hockey Maharashtra 7-3 to claim the title of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (West Zone) played at Mumbai Hockey Association Limited Ground in Mumbai on Tuesday.

MPHA, who led 4-0 at the half time, scored through Arjun Sharma (9, 15), Mohd Nizamuddin (32, 35), Manish Gurang (42), Amin Khan (45) and Mohd Umar (56, 66) while for The Hockey Maharashtra reply came through Sumit Prasad (51, 54) and Altamash Sayyed (63) minutes.

Result

MPHA 8 ( Arjun Sharma 9, 15, Mohd Nizamuddin 32, 35, Manish Gurang 42, Amin Khan 45, Mohd Umar 56, 66) beat The Hockey Maharashtra 3 (Sumit Prasad 51, 54, Altamash Sayyed 63)

MPHA girls win West Zone sub-junior hockey title

New Delhi, April 16, 2013: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy defeated The Hockey Maharashtra 7-0 to clinch the title of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (West Zone) played at Mumbai Hockey Association Limited Ground in Mumbai on Tuesday.

MPHA, who led 3-0 at the half time, scored through Neelu Dadiya (16), Karishma Yadav (22, 27, 58), Rakhi Prajapati (29, 62) and Upasana Singh (69) minutes.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy team, which remained undefeated in the championship, looked quite confident in the final against The Hockey Maharashtra and they built pressure on their opponents from the starting of the game.

Result

MPHA 7 (Neelu Dadiya 16, Karishma Yadav 22, 27, 58, Rakhi Prajapati 29, 62, Upasana Singh 69) defeated The Hockey Maharashtra 0.

Chandigarh boys storm into final

New Delhi, April 14, 2013: Chandigarh defeated hosts Haryana 2-1 to enter the final of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) at Sonepat, on Sunday.

In the semifinal-1, Chandigarh took lead in the 9th minute with the field goal scored by Milanpreet Singh but Haryana leveled the score in the 31st minute. Milanpreet Singh score second goal for Chandigarh in the 34th minute which helped his team win the semifinal.

Result

Semifinal 1- Chandigarh 2 (Milanpreet Singh 9, 34) beat Haryana 1(Viney 31)

Hockey Maharashtra cruise into semifinals

New Delhi, April 14, 2014: Hockey Maharashtra edged out the hosts Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 2-1 in Pool A and entered the semifinals of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (West Zone) here on Sunday.

Alaknanda Bagadi scored opening goal for Hockey Maharastra in the 40th minute. Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd equalized the score in the 64th minute but second goal scored by Alaknanda helped Hockey Maharashtra win their last league match.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, who topped Pool A, had already qualified for semi-finals.

In Pool B Rajasthan defeated Chhattisgarh 3-1 while Goa beat Gujarat 2-0.

Both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are through to the semifinals. Semi-finals will be played on Monday.

Results

Pool A- Hockey Maharashtra 2 (Alaknanda Bagadi 40, 69) beat Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 1 (Jemimah Rodrigues 64)

Pool B – Rajasthan 3 (Rachna Challan 16, Tanya Singla 21 and Aarti 64) beat Chhattisgarh 1 (Disha Nagvanshi 30)

Goa 2 (Maheshwari Haldankar 49, Tannia Dsouza 57 ) beat Gujarat 0.

Haryana girls meet Chandigarh in final

New Delhi, April 14, 2013: Hosts Haryana registered a comprehensive 3-0 win over Uttar Pradesh in the first semifinal of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (North Zone) at Sonepat, on Sunday.

Leading 1-0 at the half time, Haryana scored through Navneet Kaur (16th, 43rd) and Udita (49th) minutes.

Haryana looked a better drilled outfit with a lot of character and composure while Uttar Pradesh committed far too many errors that put them on the defensive for most parts of the match.

Haryana controlled and dictated the pace from the start to enjoy the upper hand. There was variety in their moves with the forwards never starved of passes from the midfield.

Centre Forward Navneet Kaur again made important contribution in Haryana’s victory scoring 2 goals against Uttar Pradesh.

In the second semifinal, Chandigarh defeated Delhi 6-1. Anjali scored maximum number of three goals for Chandigarh, followed by Saroj (2) and Shilpi Dabas (1) against Delhi.

Hosts Haryana will now face Chandigarh in the final  Monday.

Haryana face Chandigarh in semifinal

New Delhi, April 13, 2013: Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh from Pool A and hosts Haryana and Delhi from Pool B entered the semifinals of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) played at Sonepat on Saturday.

Hosts Haryana registered easy victory 13-0 over Jammu & Kashmir while Punjab beat Himachal Pradesh 3-0 in Pool B.

In Pool A, Chandigarh defeated Uttarakhand 5-3.

Hosts Haryana will take on Chandigarh in the first semifinal while Punjab will face Uttar Pradesh on in the second semifinal.

Pool A- Chandigarh 5 (Manjinder Singh 11, Hartaj Singh Aujla 18, Harkirat Singh 21, Harmeet Singh 45 and Milanpreet Singh 47) beat Uttarakhand 3(Vikas Joshi 16, Raj Kumar 32 and Rahul Kumar 38)

Pool B- Punjab 3 (Kawaljit Singh 2, Ajmer Singh 26 and Dharminder Singh 69) beat Himachal Pradesh 0.

Haryana 13 (Amit 6, 50, 70, Viney 12, 20, 52, 56, Amit 22, Kuldeep 24, 33, Akshay Antil 29, 58 and Mohit 45) beat Jammu & Kashmir 0.

UP, Chandigarh girls move into semifinals

 New Delhi, April 13, 2013: Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh entered the semi-finals from Pool-B on the day-4 of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (North Zone) played at Sonepat on Saturday.

Uttar Pradesh defeated Himachal Pradesh 6-0 in the first match played today. Uttar Pradesh, who led 4-0 at the half time, scored through Mohini Nishad (2nd and 22nd minutes), Sonal Tiwari (7th minute) and Nilamjati (12th minute).

In the second half of the game Uttar Pradesh scored another two goals through Ananaya Verma in the 46th and Khushboo Kumari in the 59th minute.

In another game of the Pool-B, Punjab beat Chandigarh 5-1.

Haryana will now face Uttar Pradesh in the first semi-final while Chandigarh will take on Delhi in the second semi-final.

Results

Pool B- Uttar Pradesh 6 (Mohini Nishad 2, 22, Sonal Tiwari 7, Nilamjati Ram 12, Ananaya Verma 46 and Khushboo Kumari 59) beat Himachal Pradesh 0.

Punjab 5 (Saroj  4, 59, Shilpi Dabas 53, 67 and Sarabdeep Kaur 56) beat Chandigarh 1 (Navneet Kaur 23)

: Hockey Maharashtra outplay Rajasthan

Mumbai, April 13, 2013: Hockey Maharashtra defeated Rajasthan 9-1 in the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (West Zone) here on Saturday.

In Pool B, Chhattisgarh drew 2-2 against Hockey Bhopal while Gujarat beat Goa 2-1.

Results

Pool A-   Hockey Maharashtra 9 (Taleb Shah 1, Sarfaraz Shaikh 5, 62, Ajinkya Jadhav 7, Ajit Shinde 24, Pranav Mane 27, 48, Aquib Sayyed 31 and Aniket Gurav 61 ) beat Rajasthan 1(Sumit Bhati 16).  

Pool B- Chhattisgarh 2 (Suhail Khan 21, 37) drew Hockey Bhopal 2 (Mohammed Faheem 30 and Mohd Shariq 59)

Gujarat 2 ( Murari Rajput 38, Ajay Thakur 48) beat Goa 1(Francis Rodrigues 18).

MPHA trounce Mumbai Hockey Association Limited 16-0

Mumbai, April 13, 2013: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy defeated hosts Mumbai Hockey Association Limited 16-0 in their Pool A league game of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (West Zone) here on Saturday.

In the third win registered by MPHA, Preet Dubey scored maximum number of four goals followed by Suman Devi (3), Jyoti Pal (2), Karishma Yadav (2), Rakhi Prajapati (2), Neelu Dadiya (1), Brajnandini Dhuriya (1) and Neha Singh (1).

In another match of Pool A, Hockey Maharashtra beat Hockey Bhopal 8-0.

In the Pool B, Chhattisgarh defeated Goa 8-0.

Results-

Pool A- MPHA 16 (Neelu Dadiya 4, Jyoti Pal 15, 17, Preet Dubey 19, 20, 31, 44, Karishma Yadav 27, 42, Suman Devi 30, 50, 55, Brajnandini Dhuriya 39, Rakhi Prajapati 48, 69 and Neha Singh 69) beat MHA Ltd 0.

Hockey Maharashtra 8 (Siyona Rohekar 26, 39, Own Goal 48, Mohini Alawa 55, Alaknanda Bagadi 57, 60, Bhavana Khade 66 and Ankita Sapate 68) beat Hockey Bhopal 0.

Pool B- Chhattisgarh 8 (Iswari Dewangan 3, Nisha Nagvanshi 12, Own Goal 15, Tripti Sen 19, Rusali Kashyap 40, 65, 68 and Own Goal 43) beat Goa 0.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy thrash Rajasthan

Mumbai, April 12, 2013: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy registered second thrashing Rajasthan 11-0 in their Pool A game of the 3^rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (West Zone) at Mumbai Hockey Association Limited Ground here on Friday.

In Pool B, Chhattisgarh beat Gujarat 10-0.

Pool A- MPHA 11 (Amin Khan 3, 4, 63, Izhar Quershi 15, Sandesh Narwade 28, Manish Gurang 35, Mohd Nizamuddin 44, Ravi Pache 45, 62, Mohd Umar 47, 48)beat Rajasthan 0

Pool B- Chhattisgarh 10 (Love Yadav 4, Own Goal 5, Suhail Khan 6, 57, Manish Yadav 12, 66,  Sukhdev Nirmalkar 33, 42, Kartik Yadav 67 ) beat Gujarat 0

Chhattisgarh decimate Gujarat in National sub-junior women's hockey

Mumbai, April 12, 2013: Chhattisgarh registered a big victory over Gujarat 21-0 on the day-2 of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (West Zone) at Mumbai Hockey Association Limited Ground here on Friday.

Rusali Kashyap scored maximum number of seven goals for Chhattisgarh followed by Disha Nagvanshi (6), Heena Ansari (3), Ankita Bakshi (3) and Ishwari Dewangan (2).

In another match of Pool B, Rajasthan defeated Goa 6-0. Skipper Rita scored three goals for Rajasthan while Aarti, Tanya Singhla and Alis Gautam scored a goal each for their team. 

In Pool A, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Hockey Bhopal 16-0.

Results:

Pool B- Chhattisgarh 21 (Rusali Kashyap 5, 8, 23, 28, 30, 35, 68, Disha Nagvanshi 6, 10, 29, 33, 41, 58, Ishwari Dewangan 18, 25, Heena Ansari 34, 55, 57 and Anita Bakshi 47, 50, 52) beatGujarat 0.

Rajasthan 6 (Aarti 16, Rita 32, 43, 58, Tanya Singla 41 and Alis Gautam 69) beat Goa 0

Pool A- MPHA 16 (Rakhi Prajapati 12, Upasana Singh14, 15, Anujua Singh 18, 52, 59, Preet  Dubey 23, Nutan Topna 29, Brajnandini Dhuriya 42, Jyoti Pal 43, 63, Karishma Yadav 50, 60, Prathibha Arya 57, Own Goal 65 and Suman Devi 68) beat Hockey Bhopal 0.

Big win for Punjab in National sub-junior hockey

Sonepat (Haryana) April 12, 2013: Punjab defeated Jammu & Kashmir 12-0 in their Pool B game on the day-3 of the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) here on Friday.

Kawaljit Singh scored a maximum number of seven goals for Punjab followed by Shubkarman (3) and Inderjit Singh (2).

In another game of Pool B, the hosts Haryana beat Himachal Pradesh 5-2.

In Pool A Uttar Pradesh defeated Himachal Pradesh 4-1.

Results:

Pool B – Punjab 12( Kawaljit Singh 2, 11, 19, 29, 46, 47, 67, Inderjit Singh 51, 63, Shubkarman Singh 59, 60, 70) beatJammu & Kashmir 0.

Haryana 5 (Prabhjot Singh 26, Deepak 39, Viney 44, Mohit 62 and Sahil Preet 65) beat Himachal Pradesh 2 (Harsh Preet Singh 55 and Gurmit Singh 69)

Pool A- Uttar Pradesh 4 (Abhay 4, 16, Amit Singh 27 and Darmesh 63) beat Himachal Pradesh 1 (Rahul 41).

Haryana, Delhi girls enter semifinals

New Delhi, April 12, 2013: Hosts Haryana entered the semifinals from Pool A in the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (North Zone) played in Sonepat defeating Delhi 8-1 on Friday.

Devika scored two goals and other players Ritu, Reet, Navpreet, Manpreet Kaur, Navneet Kaur and Manisha scored one goal each for Haryana while Manisha from Punjab scored their only goal. Delhi also entered the semifinals from Pool A.

In another match, Uttar Pardesh defeated Punjab 4-1 in Pool-B.

Result

Pool  A- Haryana 8 (Devika Sen 7, 48, Ritu 19, Reet 32, Navpreet 35, Manpreet Kaur 63, Navneet Kaur 65, Manisha 68) beat Delhi 1 (Manisha 40)

Pool B- Uttar Pradesh 4 (Mohini Nishad 4, Sonal Tiwari 22, 47, Anjali Gautam 35) beat Punjab 1 (Rupinder 22)

Rashid Khan bags title at Classic Golf Resort

Rashid Khan receives the trophy from Mr. Ravi Puri, CEO, Classic Golf Resort.

Mewat (Haryana), April 12, 2013: Rashid Khan of Delhi won the PGTI Players Championship at the Classic Golf Resort in Mewat, Haryana on Friday. Rashid came up with a score of 39 points in the final round to take his total to 159 points. Chandigarh’s Gurbaaz Mann was the runner-up with a total score of 157 points.

The stableford points scoring format was followed during the tournament. Under this scoring format, each par accounts for two points, each birdie for three points, each eagle for four points, each bogey for one point and each double bogey (or worse) for zero points.

Rashid Khan (40-40-40-39), who was two off the lead after round three, made a steady start with six pars and then produced a fabulous chip-in from 15 yards for birdie on the seventh. Rashid’s next birdie came on the ninth where he landed his third shot within three feet of the pin. He then hit it out of bounds on the 11th and dropped a bogey. The 22-year-old sank a 20-feet eagle putt on the 14th to all but seal his third professional title.

Rashid picked up a cheque of Rs. 4,84,950 for his effort and as a result climbed from sixth to third place on the 2013 Rolex Rankings.

Rashid said, “I was in good hitting form this week. I hit it pretty close on all four days. However, my short-game wasn’t that great. I got into my rhythm today with the chip-in on the seventh. I then made a fantastic recovery after finding the trees on the ninth. There was no looking back from there on. It’s good to have a win under the belt early in the season. This victory will help me focus harder during the rest of the season.”

Gurbaaz Mann (41-44-37-35), the overnight leader, slipped to second position after he fired a 35 on Friday. His final round featured an eagle, a birdie and four bogeys. After dropping four bogeys on the first 13 holes, Mann pulled it back a bit with an eagle on the 14th and a birdie on the 18th. On the par-5 14th, he found the green in two shots and subsequently sank a 10-footer for eagle.

Mann said, “My hitting was phenomenal through the week but my putter went cold in the last two rounds. I missed about 20 putts for birdie and par on the last two days. However, I have a lot of positives to take from this event. I stayed disciplined in my game all week and this has been my best result on the PGTI so far.”

Delhi’s Shamim Khan finished third with a total of 156 points.

Playing at his home course, Gurgaon-based amateur Ainesh Ahluwalia claimed fourth place with 155 points. Ainesh bagged the trophy for the best performance by an amateur.

Australian Kunal Bhasin, Mukesh Kumar of Mhow and Delhi’s Vikrant Chopra were tied fifth at 154 points.

Gurbaaz Mann maintains lead in round three

Gurbaaz Mann of Chandigarh

Mewat (Haryana) April 11, 2013: Gurbaaz Mann of Chandigarh will head into the final round of the PGTI Players Championship at the Classic Golf Resort in Mewat, Haryana with a two-point lead. Mann posted 37 points in round three on Thursday to take his total to 122 points. Delhi’s Rashid Khan is currently placed second with a total score of 120 points.

The stableford points scoring format is being followed in the tournament. Under this scoring format, each par accounts for two points, each birdie for three points, each eagle for four points, each bogey for one point and each double bogey (or worse) for zero points.

Gurbaaz Mann (41-44-37) made three birdies against two bogeys in the third round. The 30-year-old enjoyed a solid start to the day as he made pars on the first nine holes. He then misjudged the wind with his second shot and subsequently missed up and down to drop a bogey on the 10th. Mann earned his first birdie of the day on the 12th with an accurate chip that stopped a few inches from the hole.

Gurbaaz went on to three-putt the 13th for bogey before picking up birdies on the 14th and 15th. He drove the green to set up a birdie on the par-4 15th.  

“I had changed the grip of my driver after round one and as it turned out the new grip was a little loose. As a result I didn’t drive as well as the first two days. The putting was good but unfortunately the putts didn’t role in for me today. I’ll look to fix the problem with the grip before of the final round. I feel I have a good chance as I’m still hitting it well and have a two-point lead at this stage,” said Mann, who will be looking to win his first title after a gap of seven years.    

Rashid Khan (40-40-40) shot his third straight 40 to trail the leader by two points. Rashid’s round featured six birdies and two bogeys.

Gurgaon-based amateur Aienesh Ahluwalia (41-41-37) is placed third at 119 points while Mukesh Kumar (38-42-38) of Mhow is in fourth position with a total of 118 points.

The Delhi duo of Shamim Khan and Vikrant Chopra along with Kolkata’s Shankar Das are in tied fifth place at 117 points.

Press release