India U-16 boys gear up for Nepal Test

KATHMANDU, September 21, 2017: After an impressive three-nil victory against a strong Palestine in the first match of AFC U-16 Qualifiers, India U-16 stay cautious in their approach when they take on hosts Nepal at the Halchowk Stadium on Friday (September 22, 2017).

“There's no room for complacency,” Coach BibianoFernandes said. “Nepal are a strong side and we know each other with both teams having played in the recently concluded U-15 SAFF Championship final,” he added. “They will be backed by a partisan crowd and it will be a challenge for us.”

"Everybody saw what we're capable of but we can't afford to be complacent,” he reiterated. “We had an ideal start in the tournament but the target is far away. We aim to continue the winning momentum and prefer to take one match at a time,” he stated.

Bibiano also mentioned that India wouldn’t start as the favourites even after getting the better of their rivals twice in the recently concluded SAFF U-15 Championship. "We won't have any advantage over Nepal. Although we beat them twice recently, it won't have any effect on tomorrow's game and everyone should start afresh."

He vented his confidence on his squad and showed his faith for “creating quite a few opportunities against Palestine.”

"At times we were shaky the other day but at the end of the game, we won the game convincingly. I have full faith in my squad who have created so many opportunities throughout the game."

Meanwhile, Nepalese coach Sunil Kumar Shrestha showed his utmost respect for the Indian side. “India have been going through a good phase right now and they were clearly the deserving champions in the SAFF U-15 Championship,” Shrestha mentioned. "We will try to play our natural football to spoil their party tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Nepal went down fighting by a solitary goal to Iraq in their first match of the Group D.

Honey Baisoya in the driver’s seat with a seven-shot lead; Aman Raj slips to T11

Noida, September 21, 2017: Delhi’s Honey Baisoya was in the driver’s seat after round three of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course as he pulled ahead by a substantial seven shots courtesy a fiery six-under-66 on Thursday. Baisoya, who totaled 15-under-201 for three days, is now well-placed for a successful title defence at the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Bengaluru’s C Muniyappa (68) and Noida’s Vikrant Chopra (69) were a distant tied second at eight-under-208.

Honey Baisoya (66-69-66), the runner-up last week in Jaipur and the overnight leader by one shot, will now be the firm favourite for the title come Friday. Baisoya, looking for his second win of the year, had a blazing start in the third round with three birdies on the first six holes which gave him a handy lead early in the day.

The 21-year-old Baisoya’s bogey on the seventh was negated by three more birdies on the ninth, 10^th and 13^th as he sank almost everything that came his way. Honey bogeyed the 15^th against the run of play but ended the round on a high with birdies on the 17^th and 18^th, making a 15-feet conversion on the latter.

Baisoya, who fired a record 19 eagles on the PGTI last season, said, “I’m quite happy with my current position. I have the self belief since I won at this venue earlier this year.

“My best birdies today came on the sixth and 18^th. I was on the cart path on the sixth and didn’t have a clear shot at the green, but still managed to hit it within ten feet of the flag. The final birdie from 15 feet on the 18^th further lifted my spirits. I also made a great par save after landing it on the bunker lip on the third.

“I’m quite satisfied about the fact that I’ve been extremely consistent in the second half of the season so far having posted top-6 finishes in the last three events. I’ve been playing with my natural aggressive attitude and that has only helped me grow in confidence,” added Baisoya, who is currently placed sixth on the PGTI Order of Merit.

C Muniyappa’s (69-71-68) third round 68 propelled him from overnight tied ninth to tied second place. Muniyappa used his wedges to great effect setting up a tap-in birdie on the 14^th and thereafter recovering from the bunker on the 18^th to land it within six feet for par.

Local lad Vikrant Chopra (69-70-69) emerged as a contender for the second week running after a timely 69 that moved him up three places from overnight tied fifth. Chopra set up four feet birdie putts on three occasions thanks to some brilliant chipping.

Delhi’s Sachin Baisoya occupied fourth place at seven-under-209.

Gaurav Pratap Singh of Noida shared fifth place at six-under-210 along with Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane, Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha and Gurgaon’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia.

Today was a bad day for Aman Raj as he shot 4 over 76 to be placed tied 11 with an aggregate of 4 under 212. The Patna lad was on the lead on the first day of the championships with 7 under 65.

Fairytale start for Rajasthan Roarers and UP Heroes as Delhi Dashers and Bangalore Stars falter

IJPL witnesses two stunning all-round performances on Day 2

Anshul Choudhary (3/14& 18 off 15 balls) & Aryan Lakra (5/16 &12 off 17b)

Rajasthan Roarers beat Delhi Dashers by seven wickets

UP Heroes beat Bangalore Stars by seven wickets

Owner of Hyderabad Hawks, star Laxmi Manchu give pep talk to young guns

Bangalore Stars co-owner Aindrita Ray and Diganth interact with team

Dubai, September 20, 2017: Day 2 of the path-breaking Indian Junior Players League Talent Hunt (IJPL Talent Hunt) witnessed two sensational all-round displays from a couple of unknown rookies, Anshul Choudhary of Rajasthan Roarers and Aryan Lakra of UP Heroes. Both youngsters, inspired by the recent exploits of emerging India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, flourished with the ball and bat with impressive maturity and temperament to  lead their respective team to emphatic wins against Delhi Dashers and Bangalore Stars respectively.

A state with rich heritage of cricket but unable to produce as many international cricketers as they should have ideally, Rajasthan Roarersshowed plenty of promise in the inaugural edition of the IJPL Talent Huntas they thrashed fancied Delhi Dashers by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Anshul Choudhary became the first all-round sensation of the IJPL. The youngster shattered the confidence of Delhi Dashers batsmen with a lethal spell of three wickets for just 14 runs and returned to hammer 18 runs off 15 deliveries, including a towering six to finish the match in style.

Earlier, Delhi Dashers finished with just 80 runs on the board at the cost of seven wickets from their quota of 20 overs. While Hitesh Kumar struck 22 runs off 48 deliveries to stick around for the longest time for Delhi Dashers, Choudhary, along with co-bowlers Ajay Tanwar (1/6) and Bheem Dhamala (1/19) worked up an effective strategy and didn’t allow the frontline batsmen to find their rhythm.

Rajasthan Roarers broke no sweat in chasing down the required runs as almost all their top batsmen struck form. Younus Ali took the expressway to score 29 runs off mere 14 balls, while Keshav Sharma (21 off 21 balls) and Choudhary (18 off 15 balls) chipped in with the rest.

In the second match of the day, UP Heroes trounced Bangalore Stars by seven wickets. Bangalore Stars were dismissed for 76 runs in 13. 3 overs, with Nayan contributing more than half the runs with a brisk 39 off 24 ballls. Aryan Lakra captured five wickets for 16 runs, while Subham Agarwal (2/0) and YajuurvedaJanmeda (2/23) shared the spoils with two wickets each. In reply, UP Heroes scored 77 for three in just 12.1 overs, with Virat scoring the bulk of the runs with 32 off 30 deliveries, and Agarwal (19 off 23) and Lakra (12 off 17) making the rest of the contribution.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Sikander Bakhtwho is part of IJPL commentary team, said, he was impressed with the all-round performance of both the young all-rounders. The former fast bowler said, “The IJPL is just two days old and the tournament has already produced some sensational performances. I hope people back in India are following the exploits of these young talents. Both Anshul Choudhary and Aryan Lakra were a sheer delight to watch and it’s so nice to see these young guns completely fired up to bowl and bat, just in the footstep of the legendary Imran Khan and Kapil Dev.”

Earlier in the day, Telugu star and the owner of Hyderabad Hawks, Laxmi Manchu and Kannada film’s hit onscreen pair and co-owner of Bangalore Stars, Aindrita Ray and Diganth drew loud cheers from the 16 teams participating in the IJPL. The stars interacted with their respective teams for a pep talk.

On this occasion,Laxmi Manchu said, “I come from a family where cricket in particular and sports in general is a huge passion. I’m extremely proud to be associated with Hyderabad Hawks. The IJPL is a unique initiative and I’m confident that some of these youngsters who are participating in the IJPL will become future stars of the Indian cricket team.”

On this occasion, Aindrita Ray said, “I’ve been the brand ambassador for CCL and when IJPL MD Dr Dinesh Kapoor approached me for Bangalore Stars I was bowled over by the concept. It’s important for these youngsters to get the right exposure in their career.” On this occasion,Diganth said, “I’ve been a state-level badminton player and also played cricket for the CCL. The IJPL model is a great platform for our youngsters to perform and get noticed.”

Earlier, in late matches completed on Tuesday, Chennai Champs beat Kolkata Strikers by 17 runs while Punjab Tigers thrashed Assam Rangers by 87 runs. Batting first, Chennai Champs were bundled out for 134 runs in 19.2 overs. In response, Kolkata began their innings well but finished 17 runs short, with a total of 117/7 in 20 overs.  In the other match, Punjab Tigers scored 177 runs in 20 overs and then wrapped up Assam Rangers for just 90 runs, to script the biggest winning margin in the IJPL so far.

Caption pic 1: IJPL MD Dr Dinesh Kapoor with Hyderabad Hawks owner and Telugu star Laxmi Manchu and their team members.

Press release

Defending champ Honey Baisoya moves ahead in round two; Patna's AmanRaj slips to 2nd

Honey Baisoya

Noida, September 20, 2017: Delhi’s Honey Baisoya, the defending champion, posted a solid three-under-69 to establish a one-shot lead in round two of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course. Baisoya’s total read nine-under-135 at the halfway stage of the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Round one leader Aman Raj (71) of Patna slipped to second place at eight-under-136.

The cut fell at three-over-147. Fifty-seven professionals made the cut.

Honey Baisoya (66-69) shot a 69 that helped him move up from overnight tied second to first place. Baisoya displayed the kind of form that saw him win at the Noida Golf Course earlier this year.

Honey, a three-time winner on the PGTI, dropped bogeys on the 11^th and 13^th, before rallying with consecutive birdies on the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th where he came up with some outstanding wedge shots. The 21-year-old Baisoya, who made the turn at even-par after a bogey on the 18^th, produced a flawless front-nine, adding three more birdies to his card to end up with an imposing nine-under.  

Baisoya said, “I’ve done pretty well with 13 birdies in the tournament so far. This is not an easy course to score low once the wind comes into play as it did today. Importantly, I’ve been striking it really well and have been aggressive on the first two days.

“I recovered extremely well today despite the early setbacks. I’m now looking at scoring 11-under over the next two days to take my total to 20-under which should be good enough for the title,” added Honey whose 69 was the day’s joint best score.

Aman Raj (65-71) too had a slow start like Baisoya as he dropped a couple of strokes on the first five holes. Aman was thereafter denied birdies as his putts lipped out on multiple occasions. But the former 2016 Emerging Player of the Year turned it around with a chip-in birdie on the seventh. That was followed by two more birdies on the eighth and ninth.

Aman Raj said, “I was striving for a birdie all day but when I saw my chip roll in on the seventh it gave me a lot of satisfaction and confidence. I knew I was still in the game at that stage. I fought my way back into the match thereafter. The approach on the ninth was special as it landed three feet from the pin and led to another birdie.

“I’ll need to grind it out from here on and just repeat what I did in the first two rounds.”

Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane kept himself in contention as he closed the second round in third place at seven-under-137. Gurgaon’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia was another shot back in fourth.

Vikrant Chopra was the highest-placed among the Noida golfers. He was tied fifth at five-under-139.

Noida golfers Amardip Sinh Malik (three-under-141) and Gaurav Pratap Singh (two-under-142) were placed tied 13^th and tied 17^th respectively.

Among the other Noida golfers who made the cut, were Dipankar Kaushal (tied 20^th at one-under-143), Rahul Bajaj (tied 29^th at even-par-144), Arjun Singh Chaudhri, Raju Singh and Vikram Rana (all in tied 47^that three-over-147).

Press release

Patna's Aman Raj blasts 7 under 65 to take lead at Noida

Aman Raj of Patna

Noida, September 19, 2017: Patna’s Aman Raj came up with a terrific seven-under-65 to take the lead in round one of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course.

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya and Gurgaon-based Shivendra Singh Sisodia occupied tied second at six-under-66.

Aman Raj took the early advantage at the Noida Golf Course on Tuesday thanks to a round that featured an outstanding nine birdies against two bogeys. Aman’s hot putter ensured he was quick off the blocks as he sank some long putts to move to five-under through eight holes.

The 22-year-old, playing his second season as a professional, bogeyed the ninth but came back stronger with four more birdies on the back-nine where he landed his chip shots within a couple of feet on two occasions. The 2016 Emerging Player of the Year dropped a stroke on the 18^th to end the day with a seven-under.

Aman said, “I shot an eight-under in the final round of the Jaipur event last week that helped me finish in the top-10. I feel I’ve carried forward the form and confidence from there.

“I struck it well today and didn’t miss many greens. Whenever I missed the green, I recovered with some good chips. I capitalized on all four par-5s today with birdies. I believe hitting fairways will be crucial this week as the fairways are pretty narrow here. My target score for the week will be anything above 15-under. That will give me a good chance to bag my first title.

“The first half of the 2017 season was good, but the second half has not been up to my expectations so far. However, I feel my game is coming back and I just need to keep grinding from here on,” added Aman, who is currently in 13^th position on the PGTI Order of Merit.

Defending champion Honey Baisoya, who finished runner-up last week in Jaipur, continued to impress with seven birdies and a bogey in the opening round at Noida. Baisoya, a winner of three events, including one this year, made some brilliant recoveries from the bunker and the rough on at least three occasions to salvage birdies.

Shivendra Singh Sisodia also had seven birdies and a bogey to show on his card. Sisodia was two-under at the turn but his round took off after his birdie chip-in on the 12^th. He collected three more birdies thereafter to end the day with a solid 66.

Local lad Amardip Sinh Malik was the highest-placed among the Noida golfers. He shot a 68 to be tied for fourth along with Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane and Delhi-based Himmat Singh Rai.

Among the nine golfers bunched in tied eighth at 69 was Noida’s Vikrant Chopra.

PGTI release

Dehradun Rockers trounce Pune Panthers in inaugural IJPL match

Dubai, September 19, 2017: Dehradun Rockers, powered by a record three wickets haul by Rohit Rana (3/16), easily won the inaugural match of the path-breaking Indian Junior Players League Talent Hunt (IJPL Talent Hunt), thrashingPune Panthers by seven wickets here on Tuesday.

September 19, 2017. Probably 10 years from now this day will be talked about for being that day in history which revolutionized grass root cricket. The IJPL commenced amidst lot of hearsay and exhilaration. The opening ceremony of the inaugural edition of the IJPL was a spectacular affair but it fell way short on the day, when compared to the fireworks displayed by the young cricket guns.

It was a blockbuster that gripped Dubai here today.  There was also glam quotient. Kannada film stars and co-owners of Bangalore Stars, Aindrita Ray and Diganth cheered Rohit Rana and Co., who bundled out Pune Panthers for just 78 runs in 17.1 overs.  Rana was assisted by his fellow-bowlers in the attack, Suraj Satwal (3/12) and Vidhigya Pathak (3/20) as the trio left Pune reeling right from the beginning. Nikit Singh (29 runs off 34 deliveries), Rohit Dinode (11 runs) and Pranay Lubal (11 runs) tried to counter the Doon bowlers but they ran short of partners and steam for a rearguard action to become a possibility.

Dehradun Rockers reached the winning run in style, scoring 83 for three wickets in just 9.4 overs. Prateek Panwar set up the run chase in a brilliant manner with an unbeaten 42 off merely 31 deliveries. Uvaish Ahmad (15 runs off 7 balls), Aditya Khokhar (11 runs off 9 balls) were the other contributors for the winning side. For Pune Panthers, Amit Chawarekar, G Toshniwal and Aditya More bagged a wicket each.

On this occasion, former Pakistani fast bowler Sikander Bakht, who is here as a commentator, praised the IJPL for being a great platform for showcasing Indian cricket’s junoon in this age category. He said, “This is a unique initiative and I salute the effort of Dr Dinesh Kapoor, IJPL managing director, for giving this opportunity to young cricket talent in India. I’m absolutely confident that the IJPL will take Indian cricket to great heights.”

In other matches, Chennai Champs take on Kolkata Strikers while Assam Rangers will face off with Punjab Tigers. Earlier, His Excellency, Hamad Abdullah Al Qasemi, chairman of Freehold Mediation Authority, UAE, Dr Ram Buxani, chairman, ITL Cosmos Group, Dubai, Mr Mohan Jashanmai, chairman, Emeritus Indian Business Professionals Group, Abu Dhabi and Dr Dinesh Kapoor, managing director, IJPL, were part of a grand opening ceremony of the IJPL.

Pune Panthers: Nikit Singh (captain), Amit  Anand Chawarekar, Aftab Alam Shaikh (wk), More Aditya Suresh, Yajurveda Janmeda, Atharva Satish Gaikwad, Navseerat , Rohit Ajay Dinode, Pranay Sampatrao Lubal, Rehan Shamim Khan, Gaurav Toshniwal, Pranav Anil Dhimate. 

Dehradun Rockers:Uvais Ahmad (captain), Prateek Panwar, Aditya Khokhar,  ArkoJyoti Chattopadhyay, Eash Paliwal, Ashwin Hooda, Shreyas Saklani, Rohit Rana, Vidhigya Pathak, Suraj Satwal, Jatin Bhatia, Harsh Mittal.

Wednesday’s schedule: Delhi Dashers vs Rajasthan Roarers; Bangalore Stars vs UP Heroes; Mumbai Masters vs Ranchi Boosters.

All IJPL matches LIVE streaming on Sports Flashes: Sports Flashes will cover every single ball bowled and every single run scored live. Download the Sports Flashes app for your ios and Android devices and don't miss a single second of the action, live and exclusive from Dubai!  

Caption (top): IJPL Managing Director Dinesh Kapoor with Mr Mohan Jashanmai, chairman, Emeritus Indian Business Professionals Group, Abu Dhabi 

Photo caption (second from top): IJPL MD Dr Dinesh Kapoor with His Excellency, Hamad Abdullah Al Qasemi, chairman of Freehold Mediation Authority, UAE

IJPL Press release

Lin and Zhu crowned Asian Cup champions

Ahmedabad, September 17: The ITTF-ATTU 30th Asian Cup finals at the TransStadia here today threw up two new champions today, both from China, as Lin Gaoyuan won the men singles title and Zhu Yuling took the women singles crown home. In addition, they also received $7,000 each in cash, the winner’s purse. But the biggest bonus for both was the instant World Cup berths.

Lin defeated compatriot Fan Zhendong, twice finalist, 4-2 but it was the women final between Zhu Yuling and Liu Shiwen, four-time winner, that brought the packed stadium down with the din created by the audience on a day India was playing Australia in the first one-dayer at Chennai. Zhu won 4-3, the match lasting 75 minutes.  

For the fans of India, especially the ones from Ahmedabad, it was a real feast served on a pltter with a variety of Chinese spread. In the men final, top-seed Fan was the favourite to win but the 20-year-old failed to raise his game against a more determined 22-year-old, who was making his maiden Asian Cup appearance.

Matching stroke for stroke, the left-handed Lin played percentage game and drove well with fewer negative give-aways as compared to his rival, a former junior world champion. Unlike the women singles final, this one saw fewer rallies as the two preferred to go for the kill at the first opportunity. Fan did try his best to level the game 2-2 but once Lin went 3-2 up, it was a mere formality for him to finish off in style.

Zhu reign supreme

The fast-paced women singles final with full of long rallies was one of the finest in recent time. The top-seeded Liu, with four Asian Cup title wins to her credit, was in some discomfort despite beginning well. But she slowly clawed her way back with precise backhands and equally effective forehands to make it three games apiece. The fourth game win at 12-10 looked like giving her the confidence but the next one went the way of Zhu.

In the decider, Zhu held five match points and playing close to the table, she tackled everything that was sent back to her. Of course, a couple of negatives from Liu too helped her inch closer to victory. In the end, it turned out be an anti-climax when the 22-year-old served for the Asian Cup title point as Liu’s return escaped the edge much to the elation of Zhu.  

For records, this was the sixth occasion when the second seed, who is world No. 3, had beaten the Liu, world No. 3, in their 13 meetings so far. Thus, she also snatched away Liu’s fifth shot at the crown.     

Tickets to World Cups

Left-handed Ishikawa didn’t throw in the towel after being down 0-2. Showed a lot of patience and believing in her experience, the 24-year-old played the match the hard way and conquered Miu Hirano, the only Japanese to become the Asian Champion. In fact, Ishikawa’s deep returns coupled with her proper exploitation of the angles added meat. Yet, the 17-year-old world No. 6 fought back well to make it 3-3. In the decider, Ishikawa ran away with a sizeable lead and held four match points. All that Hirano could do was to bring them down but couldn’t stop Ishikawa from winning 4-3 and booking her World Cup berth as the third player.

Like the women singles third position match, the men singles fight, too, was between lefthander Chen Chien-An of Taipie and right-hander Lee Sangsu of Korea and this time the right got it absolutely right, winning the bronze with a 4-2 verdict and getting World Cup ticket as a bonus.

Sangsu was aggressive and in a hurry to finish off while the Taipei southpaw was unable to hit the groove as his rhythm going haywire. Cashing in on, the Korean surged with a 2-0 lead before Chen arresting it momentarily when he won the third game 12-10. But Sangsu pounced on the opportunities very early and thwarted all possible threats emanating from the left-hander.

Results:

Women: Final: Zhu Yuling (CHN) bt Liu Shiwen (CHN) 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-13, 11-6; Third Position: Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN) bt Miu Hirano (JPN) 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8.

Men: Final: Lin Gaoyuan (CHN) bt Fan Zhendong (CHN) 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5; Third Position: Lee Sangsu (KOR) bt Chen Chien-An (TPE) 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10.

TTFI release

Putt Pirates set the pace in round one of SGL

Shillong, September 17, 2017: Ms Daniella S Majaw owned Putt Pirates  got off to an ideal start at the 1^st round of Shillong Golf League (SGL)  played on 10^th Sept 2017 with an exquisite opening round of 43.5 points with team comprising of Anil Ram,Jonathan Iawphniaw,Mar J Lanong and Master Mohit Subramanium

Siddharth Goenka owned THE DABANGS comprising of  Rahul Bajaj,Master Lakshya Bajaj ,Mrs Pooja Goenka and Mr Jit Bahadur Chetri were  in 2^nd place with 43.5 points followed by Abhishek Singhania Owned The Ball Washers in third place with 41.5 points with team comprising of Master Sidhanth Singhania,Mr Rudy Warjri,Lt Col Rajat Sharma and Mr Gautam Lama.There was a tie for 4^th place between Col J Singh owned Swigs of Albatross and Anthony Lyngdoh owned Sultans of Swing with 38 points

The second round will be played on 8^th Oct and third round on 22^nd Oct 2017.  12 of the 17 teams will proceed to round 4 which will be on match play format.   

The event is conceptualised by Meghalaya Golf Promoters Society (MGPS) in association with Shillong Club Ltd. (Golf Section).

Press release

Shamim Khan snatches victory with a sublime 63 on thrilling final day; Patna's Aman Raj finishes T7

Jaipur, September 16, 2017: It was indeed a ‘Royal’ finish in the land of kings, Rajasthan, as the final round of the inaugural Jaipur Open 2017 presented by Rajasthan Tourism saw five players rise into contention before the seasoned Shamim Khan snatched victory with a sublime seven-under-63.

Delhi-based Shamim came from behind to dash the title hopes of a bunch of players including overnight leader Vikrant Chopra of Noida. Khan totaled 20-under-260 for the week to bag his second title of the season and extend his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Honey Baisoya, another Delhi golfer, delivered an error-free final round of 65 to finish runner-up at 19-under-261 at the Rs. 30 lakh.

Vikrant Chopra, the leader for the first three rounds, who entered the final round with a two-shot advantage, missed out on his maiden title after a last round of 69 that saw him drop to tied third at 18-under-262.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa, who recorded the tournament’s best round of nine-under-61, and Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar (67), also took a share of third place.

Shamim Khan (65-65-67-63), lying overnight fourth and four off the lead, made an early charge with three birdies on the first 10 holes that brought him within striking distance of the lead. The 39-year-old’s bogey on the 11^th was his only blemish of the day which was quickly neutralized by consecutive birdies on the 13^th and 14^th, both tap-ins from three feet.

After a 20-feet birdie conversion on the 16^th, the pro from the Delhi Golf Club, turned the contest on its head by draining it from 10 feet for eagle on the next which gave him a decisive two-shot lead. Honey Baisoya, Vikrant Chopra and Sanjeev Kumar couldn’t catch up with Khan thereafter. Shamim thus took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 4,50,000 and as a result pulled ahead by almost Rs. 5 lakh in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Shamim, who won his 14^th professional title on Saturday, said, “I had a great start with couple of birdies on the first three holes. I then knew that a score of seven to eight under was possible and I did have a chance of climbing into contention.

“The back-to-back birdies on the 13^th and 14^th also helped me grow in confidence. The turning point for me was the birdie-eagle stretch on the 16^th and 17^th which resulted in a three-shot swing in my favour that suddenly put me two ahead and within reach of the title.

“Not playing in the leader group worked for me as it got my mind off the leaderboard and helped me focus on my game. I only ended up seeing the scores on the 17^th tee and realized that I was within one shot of the lead.

“My iron-play was exceptional this week. I also played some extraordinary shots in each round. This win is a huge boost for my hopes to bag my second PGTI Order of Merit title,” added the consistent Khan, who won his first Order of Merit crown in 2012.

Honey Baisoya (67-64-65-65), overnight third and three off the lead, almost took the match into a playoff as his brilliant bunker shot for eagle on the 18^th stopped an inch from the hole.

“I knew with two par-5s at the end I had an opportunity to take the match into a playoff but unfortunately I couldn’t grab a birdie on the 17^th. I was then extremely focused during the bunker shot on the 18^th and was trying to visualize all my successful bunker shots from the past. It was a great shot but missed the hole by a whisker,” said Baisoya, a winner of three titles on the PGTI.

Viraj Madappa also rose into contention for a brief spell on the final day thanks to his sizzling round of 61 that featured an eagle and seven birdies. He made six conversions from a range of 15 to 25 feet. Rookie Madappa, currently leading the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year race by a mile, was unlucky to miss out on eagle opportunities from 15 feet on both the 17^th and 18^th holes.

Vikrant Chopra looked comfortable till the 12^th having knocked in three birdies to stay ahead by two shots. But a three-putt bogey on the 13^th followed by another dropped shot on the 15^th saw him slip out of the lead. Chopra did mount a challenge with a birdie on the 17^th but his hopes faded away when his approach found the water on the 18^th resulting in another bogey.

Sanjeev Kumar slipped from overnight second to tied third after shooting a final round of 67.

Aman Raj of Patna

Bihar's Aman Raj played brilliantly throughout the tournament to finish tied seventh along with Abhijeet Singh Chadha and Manu Gundas with 15 under 265. He played superb today and carded 8 under 62. His final score was 67, 69, 67, 62.

Prize Presentation picture caption:

Shamim Khan receives the winning trophy and cheque from (l - r) Mr. Shirish Sacheti, Secretary, Rambagh GC, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI and Mr. Giriraj Singh, Captain, Rambagh GC.

Asian Cup TT: Chinese men and women at it, yet again

Ahmedabad, September 16:  Fan Zhendong joined compatriot Lin Gaoyuan in the men singles final of the of the ITTF-ATTU 30th Asian Cup at the TransStadia here today. Lin first accounted for Taipei’s Chen Chien-An 4-0 and Fan steamrolled Korea’s Lee Sangsu, also by the same margin.

Just before that, top-seeded Liu Shiwen and No. 3 Zhu Yuling ensured that the women singles crown will remain with the Chinese when they entered the final, beating their Japanese rivals.

The men singles semi-finals failed to raise the din as it did in the women matches, especially the one between Liu Shiwen and Kasumi Ishikawa.

Fan and Lin are not the ones to waste time. Focused as they were, they didn’t relax the grip at any point of time during the semis. Fast and furious were their dictum and unable to cope with the pressure their Taipei and Korean opponents succumbed by their accuracy and measured strokes on either flanks.

On their way to the women final, Liu struggled against Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan before winning 15-13, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-6 and Zhu just packed off the other Japanese Miu Hirano packing in straight games to win 13-11, 11-8, 11-2, 12-10, to make an all-China affair.

Unlike Miu, who had to play three matches on the day, including the playoff challenge round first up, Kausmi had a lot of steam left in her to challenge the supremacy of Liu. In fact, it started off with the first game where Liu won on the third game point. The struggle continued from the third game but the seasoned Chinese put an end to the ordeal in the sixth to grab the final slot.

Just before that Zhu ensured that her entry was not prolonged, knowing well the capabilities of the 17-year-old Japanese. Though she won the first game on extended points, Zhu went 3-0 up very quickly. In the fourth, Miu looked like waging some battle but it was not good enough to keep her Chinese at bay.

In women singles quarterfinals, two matches stood out for tenacity and quality. In the first, No. 2 seed Miu Hirano, who had a play her first match in the challenge round, was visibly tired against Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu as the 11th seed played exceptionally well to lead 3-2. However, the 17-year-old Japanese turned it around by keeping her opponent engaged with long rallies and tiring out. That was when she went all out and making clever use of flanks beat the stuffing out of Chen to take the next two games.

But what surprised everyone was the way Korean Suh Hyowon stretched top-seed and title favourite Liu Shiwen. The Korean played with the patience of the Chinese and, to a large extent, succeeded in her mission. With her defensive skills coming to the fore, the Korean made things difficult for Liu. Making a lot of unforced errors, she hit the net going for the flat drives.

So much so, the players took every alternative game and despite her 3-2 lead Liu was unable to stop her opponent at that. However, in the decider she called the shots and emerged the deserving winner. 

Both Zhu Yuling and Kasumi Ishikawa quickly disposed of their quarterfinal opponents, Cheng I-Ching and Doo Hoi Ken, respectively, with an identical 4-0 wins.

The men singles quarterfinals, too, went the same way with Lin Gaoyuan and Fan Zhendogn quickly fixing Korean Sangeun Jeong and Japanese Jun Mizutani with 4-1 triumphs. But the other Korean, Lee Sangsu, had to fight till the end to oust Taipei’s Chaung Chih-Yuan.

In the gripping encounter, the fifth seeded Korean led comfortably at 3-1 but the determined sixth seed from Taipei took the battle from there to euqalise, often using his down-the-line backhands to surprise his opponent. However, it was the Korean’s day as he progressed winning the decider with minimal points.

Taipei’s Chen upped the ante in the fifth game to win it 13-11 and replicated it in the next to topple the fourth seed Japanese. Before that, Koki Niwa fought well to first level the score after Chen went 2-1 up.

Earlier in the day, Manika Batra could not sustain the pace and guile of Miu Hirano and went down 1-3 (7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11) in 20 minutes flat to end the Indian challenge .

Coach Massimo Costantini seemed satisfied with the progress of Manika when he said: “We knew the result, but I must say I am impressed with the way she fought against Hirano.”

In the second match, Su Hyowon of Korea accounted for Lee Ho Ching of Hong Kong 3-1 to enter the main draw.

Results:

Women:

Semi-finals: Zhu Yuling (CHN) bt Miu Hirano (JPN) 13-11, 11-8, 11-2, 12-10; Liu Shiwen (CHN) bt Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN) 15-13, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-6.

Quarter-finals: Zhu Yuling bt Cheng I-Ching (TPE) 11-5, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3; Miu Hirano bt Chen Szu-Yu (TPE) 11-13, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3; Kasumi Ishikawa bt Doo Hoi Ken (HKG) 11-9, 12-10, 14-12, 14-12; Liu Shiwen bt Suh Hyowon (KOR) 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-3.

Playoff Challenge: Miu Hirano (JPN) bt Manika Batra (IND) 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6; Su Hyowon (KOR) bt Lee Ho Ching (HKG) 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9.

Men:

Semi-finals: Lin Gaoyuan (CHN) bt Chen Chien-An (TPE) 11-5, 12-10, 15-13, 11-7;  Fan Zhendong (CHN) bt Lee Sangsu (KOR) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. 

Quarter-finals: Chen Chien-An bt Koki Niwa (JPN) 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 13-11, 13-11; Lin Gaoyuan bt Sangeun Jeong (KOR) 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5; Fan Zhendong bt Jin Mizutani (JPN) 11-8, 11-13, 16-14, 11-5, 11-8; Lee Sangsu bt Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9.

Playoff Challenge: Lee Sangsu bt Noshad Alamiyan (IRI) 11-4, 10-12, 11-13, 11-2, 12-10; Chen Chien-An bt Nima Alamian (IRI) 11-5, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7.

IJPL Talent Hunt: Telugu star Laxmi to own Hyderabad Hawks; Kannada stars Aindrita and Diganth to co-own Bangalore Stars

New Delhi, September 16, 2017:The Indian Junior Players League Talent Hunt (IJPL Talent Hunt) is proud to reveal its first woman-owner in the path-breaking league for upcoming cricketers. Telugu starLaxmi Manchu, who has also starred in American television series, Desperate Housewives and Las Vegas, comes on board as the owner of Hyderabad Hawks franchise.

In another major boost to the IJPL Talent Hunt, Kannada film’s hit onscreen pair, Aindrita Ray and Diganthhave padded up for their maiden cricket venture as the co-owners of Bangalore Stars franchise.

IJPL Talent Hunt’s managing director, Dr Dinesh Kapoor expressed that he was extremely proud to reveal Laxmi Manchu as the owner of Hyderabad Hawks and Aindnrita Ray and Digant as the co-owner of Bangalore Stars and welcomed them to the family of IJPL Talent Hunt. 

Kapoor said, “In addition to having film-maker and actor Arbaaz Khan and actor Rajeev Khandelwal, the introduction of Telugu star Laxmi Manchu and Kannada film icons Aindrita Ray and Diganth speaks a lot about the level of the IJPL Talent Hunt. Their stardom will be an honourable addition to the existing group of owners of teams in IJPL Talent Hunt.” 

Laxmi Manchu has carved a niche for herself as an actor, TV host and film producer. She has worked in 20 feature films in India and the US, besides acting in American television series, Las Vegas, Desperate Housewives, Mystery ER to name a few of them. 

Manchu said, “I’m super excited to be part of IJPL Talent Hunt and I hope my team, Hyderabad Hawk goes all out to win the Cup in Dubai.”

Aindrita Ray received critical acclaim for essaying the role of a mentally-challenged girl in the Kannada film, Manasaare, and has worked in successful films down south. She is already connected to cricket as the brand ambassador of Celebrity Cricket League. Diganth Manchale, popularly known as Diganth, is in the top league of Kannada actors.

The IJPL Talent Hunt will culminate in a grand competition between 16 teams at Dubai’s state-of-the-art International Cricket Stadium, from September 19-29, 2017. Star cricketer, Gautam Gambhir is the Brand Ambassador of IJPL Talent Hunt. All the IJPL Talent Hunt matches will be brought to the cricket-crazy fans via LIVE streaming on India’s No.1 Sports App, Sports Flashes, and online on sportsflashes.

The young guns will have plenty at stake in the path-breaking IJPL Talent Hunt as the 16 franchise teams will slog it out for the winner’s trophy, with the champions set to take home a prize money of INR 21 lakh and INR 11 lakh for the runners-up. The man of the tournament will be sent to play in minor county cricket in the UK. 

List of 16 Franchises in 2017 IJPL Talent Hunt:

Gujarat Greats, Kolkata Strikers, Bangalore Stars, Assam Rangers, Pune Panthers, Delhi Dashers, Ranchi Boosters, Punjab Tigers, Dehradun Rockers, UP Heroes, Hyderabad Hawks, Chennai Champs, Rajasthan Roarers, Mumbai Masters, MP Warriors, and Haryana Hurricanes.

Format of the 2017 IJPL Talent Hunt: The 16 teams have been divided into four groups where all the teams will play against each other once. The top-2 teams from each group with maximum points will qualify for the quarterfinals, followed by the winning teams’ progress to the semi-finals and further to the final. 

IJPL Press release