Indian sports wrap, August 30: Vinesh Phogat gets cash award at par with Neeraj Chopra

WRESTLING

Vinesh Phogat gets cash award on par with Neeraj Chopra

Olympic finalist Vinesh Phogat, whose disqualification for being overweight by 100 grams before the final, had the country in tears. She was given a heroine’s welcome on return home from Paris.

The Lovely Professional University honoured Vinesh with a cash award of 25 lakh rupees, on par with Olympic silver medallist Neeraj Chopra, in a felicitation function at its campus in Phagwara, Punjab, on the National Sports Day.

The Founder Chancellor of LPU, Dr. Ashok Mittal, announced that 100 female athletes would be sponsored as a token of appreciation for Vinesh. It was also mentioned that there would be a chapter on Vinesh in LPU’s physical Education program.

“If you want to be like me, you have to be mad for sports”, said Vinesh, as she addressed the fellow students, who showered their love and appreciation on the athletes.

The LPU had 24 players competing in the Paris Olympics, and 14 of them were at the felicitation function, including members of the bronze winning hockey team.

Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Hardik Singh, Shamsher Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Jarmanpret Singh were presented Rs. 15 lakh each.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, boxers Lovlina Borgohain, Preeti, Jaismine Lamboria, wrestlers Antim Panghal, Anshu Malik, Nisha, shooter Arjun Singh Cheema, athletes Kiran Pahal, Vikash Singh, Balraj Panwar, Paramjeet Singh, Vikash, apart from archer Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Roy were presented five lakh rupees each for making it to the Olympics.

A purse of 10 lakh rupees was presented to the coaches for preparing the athletes at the University.

The other athletes who could not be present, including Neeraj Chopra, would be felicitated in the next function.

“We are dedicated to empowering our students to shine on the global stage”, said Dr. Mittal.

It was also announced that suitable job opportunities would be arranged for the Olympians within four years.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

SQUASH

Anahat to face Jemya in Squash Tour final

Indian teen sensation Anahat Singh defeated her Iranian rival Fereshteh Eghtedari 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-4) without breaking a sweat to enter the final of the HCL Squash Tour PSA here on Friday.

The Asian Games bronze medalist Indian will face Jemya Aribado of Phillipines in the women’s singles final here on Saturday.

In the men’s singles category, there was heartbreak for Indian challenger Suraj Chand who conceded his match to Kuwait’s Ammar Altamimi as he retired hurt. Chand was 2-0 (11-8, 15-13, 0-2) up at that time.

Altamimi will be up against Sri Lanka’s Ravindu Laksiri in the men’s singles final. Laksiri got the better of Rahul Baitha 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-7).

-PTI

ATHLETICS

New meet record for Gulveer Singh at National Open Athletics Championships

Asian Games medallist Gulveer Singh created a new meet record in men’s 5000m on the opening day of the 63rd National Open Athletics Championships at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday.

The 26-year-old Army athlete, a bronze winner at Hangzhou 2022 in 10,000m, shaved two-hundredths of a second off Bahadur Singh’s three-decade old Open Nationals record (13:52.72s). Gulveer, in fact, had created a new National best in 5,000m just this June, clocking 13:19.92s at the Portland Track Festival.

-Team Sportstar

TENNIS

Vaidehi Chaudhari beat third seed Naho Sato of Japan 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, on Friday.

Vaidehi, however, was beaten in the doubles semifinals, in partnership with Shrivalli Bhamidipaty by the top seeds Natsumi Kawaguchi and Momoko Kobori of Japan 6-7(4), 7-5, [10-3].

-Kamesh Srinivasan

GOLF

Legends India championship: Haeggman in front on opening day

Joakim Haeggman of Sweden handled the hot conditions well to shoot a 7-under 65 on the opening day of the HSBC $500,000 Legends India golf championship at the Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida on Friday.

The 55-year-old Haeggman, had nine birdies against a lone bogey. He led American Dennis Clark (67) apart from Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, and six-time Legends champion Adilson Da Silva of Brazil, who all shot 68.

“The key was driving the ball pretty straight into the fairways, hitting a lot of good shots onto the greens and staying out of trouble. This is my third visit to India, and it is by far the hottest”, said Haeggman.

Host Jeev Milkha Singh was happy with his performance.

“I have been playing very good golf in the last few weeks. I have struggled with my short game, but it was better today”, said Jeev, who made five birdies and had a bogey on the 13th.

Jyoti Randhawa did not start well, but settled down to play strong.

“It was not a good putting experience in the first nine. But, I made some putts in the back nine. The eagle on the second was great. That kept me going”, said Jyoti.

Carl Suneson of Spain, Emanuele Canonica of Italy, Greit Hutcheon of Scotland, Lionel Alexandre of France and Gary Marks of England were tied at sixth, with 2-under 70, in the three day championship.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

Sharma, Chouhan T-30th at British Masters after first round

Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan fired identical cards of 1-under 71 to be tied 30th after the opening round of the Betfred British Masters.

Both Sharma and Chouhan had three birdies against two bogeys.

-PTI

Pranavi falters on the back nine, Diksha lies T-29 in Dublin

Indian golfer Pranavi Urs gave away all the gains she made on the first nine with three bogeys on her second nine to open the Women’s Irish Open with an even par 73.

Pranavi was 3-under through her first four holes with birdies on the 11th, 12th and the 13th. She then traded a bogey on 15th with a birdie on the 17th.

On her second nine, the front side of the Par-73 O’Meara Course at Carton House, she bogeyed fourth, eighth and ninth to be tied 45th after the first round.

A multiple winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in India, Pranavi is in her rookie season. She is making her first start since the Aramco Team Series London at the start of July and is hoping to get back to the form that saw her bag three Top-10s in the first half of the season.

Compatriot Diksha Dagar, who is coming from starts in two Majors and the Paris Olympics, carded a 1-under 72 which included three birdies and two bogeys. She sits at T-29.

While Tvesa Malik (76) was T-93 and Ridhima Dilawari (79) was T-128th.

Three players are tied on five-under-par at the top. Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes all shot opening rounds of 68.

-PTI

Veer Ahlawat top Indian at Tied-10th in Jakarta

Indian golfer Veer Ahlawat had a good start to the week as he carded a 4-under 67 to be placed tied 10th at the USD 500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open.

Ahlawat, who had five birdies and one bogey, is six shots behind Australian Aaron Wilkin, who sensationally broke Frank Nobilo’s 30-year course record at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course.

Wilkin shot a bogey-free 10-under-par 61, one better than New Zealander Nobilo. Wilkin had a three-shot lead over Australian Andrew Dodt, who carded a 64.

Ahlawat was the lone Indian in the top-10 after the first round with Saptak Talwar, Varun Chopra and Khalin Joshi, who shot identical 69s, at T-30.

Angad Cheema (70) sits at T-53 while S Chikkarangappa, SSP Chawrasia and Rashid Khan carded even par 71 each to be T-66. Yuvraj Sandhu (72) was T-87 and Karandeep Kochhar (73) was T-104 alongside Gaganjeet Bhullar (73). Ajeetesh Sandhu and Honey Baisoya (76 each) were T-129.

Ahlawat, who was the runner-up at the Indian Open, had five birdies on the first, fourth, sixth, 14th and the 17th. His lone bogey came on the eighth.

-PTI

BADMINTON

Suryaksh qualifies for semifinal in India Junior International Grand Prix

Qualifier Suryaksh Rawat knocked out the second seeded Denis Azzary from Indonesia to reach the semifinals of the India Junior International Grand Prix Badminton Tournament here on Friday.

The tournament continued to witness upsets as sixth seeded Chinese Taipei’s Chiang Tzu Chieh defeated fourth seeded Rounak Chouhan 21-19, 16-21, 21-15.

The qualifier Maharishiel Timotius Gain of Indonesia upset 11th seeded Yan Shu Wang from Chinese Taipei 21-11, 21-14 to enter the boys’ semifinal.

In girls’ singles, Indonesia’s Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan and Indian players Tanvi Reddy Andluri, Prashansa Bonamand and Surya Charisma Tamir reached the semifinals.

In the mixed doubles, the fifth seeded Indian pair of Bhavya Chhabra and Taarini Suri upset the top seeded Attawut Sreepeaw and Pannawee Polyiam from Thailand 21-19, 17-21, 21-12 to move into the next round.

– PTI