Karlberg maintains hot pace at the SAIL Open

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
New Delhi, March 31
Richard Karlberg of Sweden tightened his grip in the SAIL Open after retaining his lead with a second round three-under-par 69 on Wednesday.
The Asian Tour rookie produced an impressive back nine performance highlighted by four birdies for a two-day total of 10-under-par 134 at the Delhi Golf Club.
Veteran Gaurav Ghei of India rolled back the years when he signed off with a 67 to sit in second place on 135 while compatriot Shamim Khan and Thai stalwart Chinnarat Phadungsil are a stroke back on 136 in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event.
Japanese Kodai Ichihara was the talk of the day as he recovered from his disastrous 76 with a sizzling 64, sprinkling his card with nine brilliant birdies against one bogey to move up to tied 10th place.
Starting from the back nine, Karlberg endured a slow start where he turned in 37. He bounced back brilliantly after a birdie four on the first hole where he reached the green in two.
“It was a good recovery on the back nine and my game plan is to get to 18-under, I think that would be the winning score,” said the 23-year-old, winner of the Swedish domestic tour Order of Merit in 2007.
Karlberg, playing in only his second Asian Tour tournament, was delighted to remain in contention for his first win in the region but he is not taking his lead lightly. “There wasn’t pressure on me despite coming in as leader. I just need to keep my shots straight like how I did in these past two days and see how it goes,” added the Swede.
Ghei, 41, got off to a bright start when he had an easy tap in for an eagle three on the first hole after a pin point approach shot with his rescue club. He however rued missed chances where he made par from the second hole onwards but was delighted to close with three birdies over his last four holes.
“It was a strange round because I started off hitting it really well but couldn’t covert my chances. On the back nine I was hitting it average but holed a few putts!” said Gaurav, holder of three Asian Tour victories but not since 2007.
Ghei recalled his first Asian Tour victory on the same venue way back in 1995 and was pleased to be in contention in front of his adoring fans. “I’m a shot back so I’m obviously playing alright. I’ve won on this golf course before and had a couple of good finishes. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and go out and have some fun,” added the Indian.
Chinnarat, who holds the distinction of being the youngest winner on the Asian Tour, was tied for the lead after a birdie on the 11th hole but he failed to keep the momentum when he dropped two shots on the 13th and 16th holes.
He was unlucky to add a birdie on the last hole when his four foot putt was derailed by his spike mark.
“When I was tied for the lead, I told myself to remain calm and just play my game. I was very unlucky on the last hole but I that’s fine. I’m not too far from the leader. I have to try my best for the next two rounds,” said the 21-year-old, who is also a three-time winner on the Asian Tour
Ichihara, aiming for a maiden win on the Asian Tour, produced a remarkable performance where he shot seven birdies on the trot starting from the 15th hole.
“I had a disappointing round yesterday (Tuesday) especially on the back nine where most of my shots flew into the bushes. But today, my irons and putting helped and I’m happy to be able to recover. My confidence is really high especially after my round. Maybe I can shoot the same score again!” said Ichihara, who finished 13th on the Order of Merit last season.
Defending champion Chapchai Nirat shot a 71 to lie in tied 33rd position, nine shots behind the leader.
The cut was set at one-over-par 145 with a total of 69 players making it through to the final two rounds.
Leading second round scores: 134 - Richard Karlberg (SWE) 65-69. 135 - Gaurav Ghei (IND) 68-67 136 - Shamim Khan 70-68. 139 - S.S.P. Chowrasia (IND) 66-73, Shiv Kapur (IND) 67-72. 140 - Artemio Murakami (Phi)69-71, Kodai Ichihara(JPN) 76-64, Hirotaro Naito (JPN) 70-70, Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 68-72, Himmat Rai (IND) 69-71, Pol Kemmarat (THA) 69-71, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 69-71, Pappan(IND) 71-69.

Nine Indians in the top 10

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
New Delhi, March 31
Indian professionals had an excellent outing in round two of the SAIL Open on Wednesday as nine of them were placed in the top-10 at the halfway stage. This is perhaps the strongest presence that India has had in the top-10 after round two of an Asian Tour event in a long time.
The highest placed Indian is Gaurav Ghei, who came up with an immaculate five under 67 in round two to move up from overnight tied sixth to second. His total reads nine under 135 and he trails the leader, Richard Karlberg of Sweden, by one stroke.
Shamim Khan is the next best Indian. He is placed tied third at eight under 136. Jyoti Randhawa is two strokes behind Shamim in fifth place.
The cut was declared at one over 145. Sixty-eight professionals including thirty-one Indians made the cut. The lone amateur who made the cut was India’s Rashid Khan.
Gaurav Ghei (68, 67), playing at his home course, got off to a great start on the first hole as he hit a good second shot with his rescue (240 yards) to about a foot away and made eagle. He hit it close on the next six holes but didn’t hole a putt.
Ghei’s big break came on the 11th where he hit a really poor tee shot which hit the trees and came out. He had about 180 yards to the green from the rough and hit it in the left bunker and holed out. Ghei subsequently dropped a bogey on the 13th but hit it very close from there on to earn birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th.
Ghei said, “It was a strange round because I started off hitting it really well but couldn’t convert my chances and on the back nine I was hitting it average and holed a few putts. I just need to keep doing what I have been doing these past two days and keep putting like how I did today.
“I know how to play the golf course so the key is to go out and do it, which is easier said than done. You got to hit the fairways off the tee and hopefully the putter will work after that.”
He added, “I’m a shot back so I’m obviously playing alright. I’ve won on this golf course before and had a couple of good finishes so I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and go out and have some fun.”
Shamim Khan (67, 69), who like Ghei, also calls the Delhi Golf Club his home course, is currently in tied third along with Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil at eight under 136. Shamim’s 69 in round two included six birdies and three bogeys.
Shamim said, “I hit it really close today and therefore earned as many as six birdies. The lob wedge shot to within one foot on the first was my best moment of the day. Even though I’m in a pretty good position at the moment I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself and just want to get the simple things right such as driving as straight as possible and being consistent with the putter.
“The amazing success rate of Indians at the DGC in recent years has spurred me on to give it my best shot this week.”
Jyoti Randhawa produced a 68 on Wednesday to climb from tied 23rd to lone fifth. His total reads six under 138.
Shiv Kapur and SSP Chowrasia share sixth place at five under 139 while Rahil Gangjee, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Himmat Singh Rai and Pappan are in tied eighth with identical totals of four under 140.

Fatehdeep and Rishab Dev in semi-finals

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
JASSOWAL (LUDHIANA), MARCH 31
Eighth seed Aayush Mintri, fourth seed Fatehdeep Singh, second seed Rishab Dev, all of Punjab and third seed S.K. Mukund of Andhra Pradesh complete the semi-finals line- up of the boys’ singles Under-16 at the HTA – AITA Championship Series at the Harvest Tennis Academy.
In the soys’ singles Under-18 top seed Vilasier Khate of NTA, unseeded Rishab Dev, seventh seed Manoj Sheoran of Chandigarh and second seed Vishwesh Sinha of Maharshtra reached the semi-finals. Rishab Dev of Punjab and a trainee at HTA defeated fifth seed Sonam Phuntsok in three sets coming back from a set down 5-7,6-3,6-2.
In the girls’ singles Under-16 top seed Rimpledeep Kaur of Punjab, third seed Ambika Pande of Tamil Nadu, fifth seed Riya Bhatia of Delhi and second seed Rajbir Kaur of Punjab will face each other in the semi finals. The Girls’ Singles Under 18 semis line up is top seed Megha Sehrawat of Maharshtra, third seed Rimpledeep Kaur of Punjab, eighth seed Ambika Pande of Tamil Nadu and second seed Jaspreet Kaur of Punjab.
Results: Boys’ Singles Under-16 (quarter-finals): Aayush Mintri (8) beat Sahaj K. Dave (Guj)(LL) 6-2,6-3; Fatehdeep Singh (4) beat Arindam Dutta (NTA) 6-1,6-3; S.K. Mukund (AP)(3) beat Pranav Suri (Chd)(Q) 6-1,6-1; Rishab Dev (2) beat Pawan Surya (AP)(5) 1-6,6-2,6-2.
Boys’ Singles Under 18 (quarter-finals): Vilasier Khate (NTA)(1) beat B. Sai Reddy (AP)(8)(WC) 6-7(6-8),6-1,6-2; Rishab Dev beat Sonam Phuntsok (HP)(5) 5-7,6-3,6-2; Manoj Sheoran (Chd)(7) beat Pawan Surya (AP) 3-6,6-2,6-2; Vishwesh Sinha (Mah)(2) beat Fatehdeep Singh 6-1,6-0.
Girls’ Singles Under 16 (quarter-finals): Rimpledeep Kaur (1) beat Tejaswani Surya (AP)(8) 1-0 (Conc); Ambika Pande (TN)(3) beat Hasan Abdaal Dhanoa (7) 6-1,6-0; Riya Bhatia (Del)(5) beat Harkirat Kaur Bains 6-2,6-1; Rajbir Kaur (2) beat 6-0,4-6,6-1.
Girls’ Singles Under 18 (quarter-finals): Megha Sehrawat (Del)(1) beat Riya Bhatia (Del)(6) 6-4,6-3; Rimpledeep Kaur (3) w/o Tejaswani Surya (AP); Ambika Pande (TN)(8) beat Gundeep Kaur (4) 6-7(5-7),6-3,6-3; Jaspreet Kaur (2) beat Rajbir Kaur (5) 6-4,5-7,7-5.
Boys’ Doubles Under 16 Quarter Finals : Sushant Mohanty (NTA) & Arindam Dutta (NTA)(1) beat Nishat Eqbal (WB) & Ishaque Eqbal (WB) 5-3,4-0; Aditya Vikram (Del) & Shaurya Dhankar (Har)(3) beat Kapil Ghuraiya (Har) & Pardeep Andrews (Chd) 4-1,4-0; Jotpal Singh & Jagtar Singh (4) beat Faizal Qumar & Dalwinder Singh 5-3,4-2; Pranav Suri (Chd) & Sean Yip (Chd) beat Ravinder Singh & Jajbir Singh (2) 4-1,4-1.
Boys’ Doubles Under-16 (semi-finals): Sushant Mohanty (NTA) & Arindam Dutta (NTA)(1) beat Aditya Vikram (Del) & Shaurya Dhankar (Har)(3) 4-6,6-4,10-5; Pranav Suri (Chd) & Sean Yip (Chd) beat Jotpal Singh & Jagtar Singh (4) 6-0,6-2.
Boys’ Doubles Under-18 (q-finals): Harpreet Singh & Hardeep Singh Sandhu w/o Vishwesh Sinha (Mah) & Manish Kumar (Del)(1); Arjun Tomar (Del) & Pawan Surya (AP) beat B. Sai Reddy (AP) & Rishab Dev (4) 4-5(5-7),5-4(8-6),10-4; S.K. Mukund (AP) & Vilasier Khate (NTA)(3) beat Prithvi Kanda (Del) & Sohrab Singh Kunwar 4-1,4-1; Aayush Mintri & Manoj Sheoran (Har) beat Sonam Phuntsok (HP) & Harry Jindal (Chd)(2) 4-2,4-2.
Boys’ Doubles Under-18 (semi-finals): Arjun Tomar (Del) & Pawan Surya (AP) beat Harpreet Singh & Hardeep Singh Sandhu 6-3,6-3.
Girls’ Doubles Under-18 (Q-finals): Jaspreet Kaur & Gundeep Kaur (1) beat Simarjeet Kaur & Pooja Maurya 4-1,4-1; Ambika Pande (TN) & Hassan Abdaal Dhanoa (3) beat B. Moulika Ram (AP) & Prabhuti Singhania (Mah) 5-4(8-6),5-3; Riya Bhatia (Del) & Shivani Dabas (Del)(4) beat Lavanya Sarvanan (TN) & Tejaswani Surya (AP) 2-4,5-4(7-4),10-6; Megha Sehrawat (Del) & Pooja A. Narayana (Del)(2) beat Victoria Chahal (Har) & Kavita Mishra (Mah) 4-0,5-3.
Girls’ Doubles Under-18 (semi-finals): Megha Sehrawat (Del) & Pooja A. Narayana (Del)(2) beat Riya Bhatia (Del) & Shivani Dabas (Del)(4) 6-3,6-2.

Rimledeep Kaur enters two quarter-finals

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
JASSOWAL, MARCH 31
Rimpledeep Kaur of Punjab, a trainee of Harvest Tennis Academy, stormed into the quarter finals of both Girls’ Singles Under 16 and Girls’ Singles Under 18 in the HTA – AITA Championship Series at the Harvest Tennis Academy. In the Under 16 event Rimpledeep, the seed, defeated AP girl B. Moulika Ram 6-1,6-3. In the Under 18 she white washed Kirandeep Kaur Kotade of Gujarat 6-0,6-0.
Results: Boys’ Singles Under 16 Pre Quarterf-inals: Sahaj K. Dave (Guj)(LL) w/o Manish Kumar(Del)(1); Aayush Mintri (8) beat Pranav Malhotra(Del) 7-6(8-6),6-2; Fatehdeep Singh (4) beat R. Rishab Kumar (AP)(LL) 6-2,6-0; Arindam Dutta (NTA) beat B. Sai Reddy (AP)(7) 2-6,6-4,6-3; Pranav Suri (Chd)(Q) beat Kapil Ghuraiya (Del)(Q) 6-1,6-3; S.K. Mukund (AP)(3) beat Dhruv Goyal (Del) 6-4,6-1; Pawan Surya (AP)(5) beat Ravinder Singh 6-1,6-2; Rishab Dev (2) beat Harsha Manjunath (Kar) 6-1,6-2.
Boys’ Singles Under 18 Pre Quarter Finals: Vilasier Khate (NTA)(1) beat S.K. Mukund (AP) 6-1,6-3; B. Sai Reddy (AP)(8)(WC) beat Shaurya Dhankar (Har)(Q) 6-3,6-2; Rishab Dev beat Harry Jindal (Chd)(3) 6-3,7-5; Sonam Phuntsok (HP)(5) beat Aayush Mintri 6-2,6-2; Manoj Sheoran (Chd)(7) beat Vikram Aditya (Del)(Q) 6-0,6-1; Pawan Surya (AP) beat Ravinder Singh(WC) 6-3,6-3; Fatehdeep Singh beat Arjun Tomar (Del)(6) 7-6(8-6),6-3; Vishwesh Sinha (Mah)(2) beat Pranav Malhotra (Del)(Q) 6-0,6-0.
Girls’ singles Under 16 Pre Quarter-Finals: Rimpledeep Kaur (1) beat B. Moulika Ram (AP) 6-1,6-3; Tejaswani Surya (AP)(8) beat Gulmehar Kaur 6-1,6-0; Ambika Pande (TN)(3) beat Srija Kodali (Ker) 6-0,6-0; Hasan Abdaal Dhanoa (7) beat Pooja Maurya 6-2,6-0; Riya Bhatia (Del)(5) beat Lavanya Sarvanan (TN) 6-4,6-2; Harkirat Kaur Bains beat Victoria Chahal (Har) 0-6,6-4,6-1; Renu Sharma (Har) beat Kirandeep Kaur Kotade (Guj)(6) 6-3,2-6,6-4; Rajbir Kaur (2) beat Prabhuti Singhania (Mah)(Q) 6-0,6-1.
Girls’ singles Under 18 Pre Quarter-Finals: Megha Sehrawat (Del)(1) beat Lavanya Sarvanan (TN) 6-1,6-1; Riya Bhatia (Del)(6) beat Shivani Dabas (Del) 6-4,5-7,6-3; Rimpledeep Kaur (3) beat Kirandeep Kaur Kotade (Guj) 6-0,6-0; Tejaswani Surya (AP) beat Hasan Abdaal Dhanoa (7) 1-6,7-6(10-8),6-4; Ambika Pande (TN)(8) beat Bhavani Balakumar (TN) 6-1,6-0; Gundeep Kaur (4) beat Pooja A. Narayana (Del) 4-6,6-1,6-3; Rajbir Kaur (5) beat Srija Kodali (Ker) 6-1,6-3; Jaspreet Kaur (2) beat Kavita Mishra (Mah) 6-4,6-1.

Karlberg makes flying start at Sail Open

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
NEW DELHI, MARCH 30
Asian Tour rookie Richard Karlberg of Sweden overcame fatigue and jetlag to seize the first round lead with an impressive seven-under-par 65 at the SAIL Open on Tuesday.
Karlberg, who arrived here on Monday afternoon from Kenya, posted nine birdies against two bogeys to open up a one-stroke lead from Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil and India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia in the US$300,000 full field event held at Delhi Golf Club.
Local stalwarts Shiv Kapur, who has won once on the Asian Tour, and unheralded Shamim Khan are tied fourth after matching 67s while Gaganjeet Bhullar, winner of the season-opening Asian Tour International in Bangkok, and veteran Gaurav Ghei of India and Mark Purser of New Zealand are a further stroke back.
Chowrasia, who claimed his first Asian Tour title on the same venue in 2008, was delighted to continue his rich vein of form as he won a local event three weeks ago. The self-taught golfer, nicknamed “Chipputtsia” because of his superb short game, was delighted to close with four consecutive birdies.
“The victory earlier this month has done wonders for my confidence and I am feeling very good about my game at the moment. I had a memorable win at the Delhi Golf Club in 2008 and I hope I can repeat that performance this time around,” said Chowrasia.
Leading first round scores: 65 - Richard Karlberg (Swe). 66 - Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha), S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind). 67 - Shamim Khan (Ind), Shiv Kapur (Ind). 68 - Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind), Gaurav Ghei (Ind) Manav Jaini (Ind), Mark Purser (Nzl). 69 - Sean Shahi (Usa), Sujjan Singh (Ind), Raju Ali (Ind), C. Muniyappa (Ind), Himmat Rai (Ind), Rahil Gangjee (Ind), Pol Kemmarat (Tha), Panuwat Muenlek (Tha), Ferdinand Aunzo (Phi), Artemio Murakami (Phi), Peter Cooke (Aus), Baaz Mann (Ind).

Final selection of Indian team on April 1

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30
The final selection of the Indian team for the inaugural World Cup Kabaddi Punjab-2010 will be conducted on April 1 at the Guru Nanak Stadiu in Ludhiana.
Organising Secretary and Punjab Sports Director Pargat Singh said here today that the Indian team would be finalized during the final selection trials scheduled for April 1. The final selection trials will begin after receiving a report from the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee, headed by Dr Manmohan Singh and convener Dr Munish Chander.
The Indian probables are attending the coaching camp in Ludhiana.
Ten countries are taking part in the World Cup Kabaddi Punjab-2010 to be held at different venues of the state from April 3 to 12. The Punjab Government is conducting the prestigious prize money international tournament. Pakistan, UK, USA, Canada, Iran, Australia, Italy, Norway, Spain and hosts India are competiting for the top honours.
The winners will get a fatty purse of Rs 1 crore and runners-up Rs 51 lakh. The second runner-up and third runners-up will get Rs 21 and 10 lakh, respectively. Besides, individual prizes to the best raiders and stoppers would be awarded. The winning teams would get glittering trophies.
The teams will arrive at Ludhiana on April 2. They will be received at the airport in New Delhi and escorted to Ludhiana. The teams will proceed to Patiala for participation in the opening ceremony at the Yadvindra Public School. One match is billed for the inaugural day on April 3.
On April 4, three matches will be played at Sangrur and four matches will be conducted at Jalandharon April 5.
Other fixtures: April 6: Amritsar (4 matches). April 7: Gurdaspur (4 matches). April 8: Amritsar (4 matches). April 9: Rest day. April 10: Bathinda (semi-finals). April 11: Rest day. April 12: Matches for third and fourth place and final and closing ceremony.
Meanwhile, the organizing committee, chaired by Secretary Sports PS Aujla, reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the prestigious WCKP2010.

AG Jharkhand win A&A Hockey Trophy

AG Jharkhand team which won the Indian Audit and Accounts Hockey Tournament in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30
Accountant General Jharkhand beat Accountant General Punjab by 3-1 in the final of the Indian Audit and Accounts Hockey Tournament which concluded at the Sector 18 Hockey Stadium here today.
AG Jharkhand dominated the proceedings and led 2-0 at half time. JM Dang scored two goals within a spell of three minutes. His first goal came in the 12th minute and second in the 14th minute.
Avtar Singh reduced the margin for AG Punjab in the 53rd minute while Xavier Gidh rounded up the winners tally with a field goal in the 61st minute.
Jharkhand forced three penalty corners and Punjab got two.

Satbir among 12 players honoured by Adviser

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30
Member of the gold medal winning Indian team in the second Asian Indoor Kabaddi Champions held in China in 2007, Satbir Singh was among the 12 oustanding sportspersons of Chandigarh who were felicitated today by the Chandigarh Sports Counciil at a function organized at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today. Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr. Pradip Mehra was the chief guest on the occasion and disbursed a sum of Rs 3,10,000 among international players and two coaches. Satbir Singh received a cash award of Rs 50,000. The other players were given Rs 20,000 each.
Mukesh Kumar, a handicap, got a standing ovation when he received a cash prize of Rs 20,000 for brining laurels to the City Beautiful by winning gold in Belgian Paraympic Championship in 2008 at Blakenberge-Flanders.
Others who were honoured were bronze medal winners in the 12th Asian Roller Hockey Championship in Kolkata in 2007 Jaswinder Singh, Gaurav Raheja, Abhishek Ratanpal, Arjun Singh Bawa, Amandeep Singh, Rohit Randhawa, Navdeep Puri and Sudhir Arora. Coaches who were honoured included Mr. Avind Sehgal (rowing) and Sarabjit Singh (skating). Kanav Dosajh and Nirmal Nanda secured third positon in the 12th Junior Asian Rowing Championship held at Chung-Ju Korea in 2007.
Arvind Sehgal (rowing) and Sarabjit Singh (skating) were the coaches who got cash awards.
Congratulting the players for their meritorious performances Mr Mehra credited the impressive and extensive sports infrastructure in the city for these results. The city has collection and amalgamation of different forms of sports infrastructure. He also pressed that in conjunction with providing the best infrastructure the UT Administration is maintaining the infrastructure by taking personal interest. He also mentioned that the laurels brought by the players are also due to right kind of guidance and expertise provided by the coaches.
Finance-cum-Sports Secretary, Mr. Sanjay Kumar, MC Commissioner, Dr. Roshan Sankaria, Director Sports, Mr. M. L. Sharma, Joint Director Sports Dr JPS Sidhu and Dronacharya Desh Prem Azad were also present on the occasion.

12 Chandigarh sportsmen to be honoured

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 29
The Chandigarh Sports Council will honour 12 international players and two coaches for bringing laurels to the city in 2007-8 and 2008-9 by winning medals in international meets, tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here.
Disclosing this today, Joint Director Sports Dr JPS Sidhu said that a sum of Rs 3,10,000 would be disbursed among 12 players in the game of Paralympics table tennis, kabaddi, rowing and roller skating along with two coaches.
Adviser to the Chandigarh Administrator Pradip Mehra will be the chief guest and distribute the prizes.
Nine skaters, one kabaddi, one Paraympic and one rower have won international positions. Each will get Rs 20,000.
They are: Mukesh (Belgian Paraympics 2008), Satbir Singh (2nd Asian Indoor Kabaddi, China, 2007), Kanav Dosajh, Jaswindeer Singh, Gaurav Raheja, Abhishek Ratanpal, Arjun Bawa, Amandeep Singh, Rohit Randhawa,Nirmal Nanda and Navdeep Puri (skating).
Coaches to be honoured are Avind Sehgal (rowing) and Sarabjit Singh (skating).

Lalli and Kamaljit joint winners for Bari Jhandi

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
MULLANPUR, MARCH 29
Lalli of Kuali and Kamajit Dhumcheri kept more than 3500 spectators spell bound in the most important bout of the Vishal Kusti Dangal organised by Vishwakarama Mahavir Gymnasium and Wrestling Club in Mullanpur on Monday. Both wrestlers were evenly matched in the bout fought on a muddy akhara, a traditional arena for Indian wrestlers.
With equal points, they were declared joint winners for the "Bari Jhandi" which carried a cash prize of Rs 51,000. They split the money.
In a bout which carried a cash prize of Rs 41,000, Kinder Lalian outpointed Balwinder Delhi. Kinder got Rs 27,000 and Balwinder will take home Rs 14,000.
In another prize money of Rs 41,000, Sunny Lalian and Kakka Baras were declared joint winners and they split the prize money equally.
Local wrestler Gollu Mullanpur and Satish of Alamgir were involved in an exciting draw. With equal honours, Gollu and Satish split Rs 41,000. Another local wrestler Ashok defeated Kukoo Barliwal for a cash prize of Rs 21,000.
Tarsem of Mullanpur defeated Kuldeep Nada and pocked Rs 3100. There were several other bouts which carried cash prizes.
According to Organising Secretary Vinod Sharma more than 500 wrestlers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other states took part in the wrestling dangal.
Former Kansal Sarpanch Arjun Singh inaugurated the dangal while Hardayal Singh Cheema distributed the prizes. Club president Sher Singh, vice-president Harjinder Singh Rana and cashier Ravi Sharma were also present on the occasion.
The organisers also engaged more than 12 'dholus" who kpet in beating drumbs in groups to cheer up the wrestlers.

HDFC Bank XI bank upon Gurinder Saini

The victorious HDFC Bank XI team with the Bharat Kesho Gupta Memorial Trophy.

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 28
Riding on a brilliant century by Gurinder Saini, HDFC Bank XI edged Godrej & Boyce XI by six runs to win the VIIth Bharat Kesho Gupta Memorial League Cricket Tournament organised by the Chandigarh Sports Club at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today.
Batting first after winning the toss, HDFC Bank XI suffered two quick jolts and were 32 for 2 in 5 overs. Therafter Gurinder Saini held the fort with Vipan Chauhan. They built up a partnership of 70 runs in the next 12 overs. Gurinder Saini smashed the ball to all parts of the ground and raced to his half century in just 36 balls and took another 36 deliveries to get to his score of 110 runs before being bowled out by Umesh Kaira. The masterful innings consisted of 11 boundaries and four sixes.
Once Gurinder Saini fell, it was all downhill for HDFC as the remaining five wickets fell for just 17 runs in four overs. Umesh Kaira and Ajay Bhardwaj were largely responsible for this crunch as they bundled up the HDFC lower order with some clever bowling and some fine fielding towards the end by the Godrej fielders. HDFC posted 204 runs in 27.3 overs.
In reply, Umesh Kaira gave his team a good start even after the loss of an early wicket. Umesh batted sensibly as the bowlers with their line and length bowling as many as 15 extras in the first 15 overs. Umesh Kaira and Jai Kapil together put together a partnership of 50 runs for the second wicket before a mix up between the two well settled batsmen resulted in a run out and Umesh had to leave the crease after completing his half century off 47 deliveries. His innings was studded with 4 boundaries and a massive six over long on.
Thereafter Inderjeet was the only batsman who impressed with the bat as the other batsmen were kept quiet, with the bowlers tightening their line and length. Inderjeet made 53 valuable runs for the team off 44 deliveries before Gurinder Saini cleaned him up in the 28th over. But he got his team sufficiently close to the target with 17 runs required off the last over. Vijaypal tried his best to get those runs, but a fine last over by Gurinder Saini ensured that Godrej fell short of the target by 6 runs.
Brief scores: HDFC Bank XI: 204 all out in 27.3 overs (Gurinder Saini 110, Ravinder Nain 25, Vipan Chauhan 24, Ajay Bhardwaj 4 for 35, Umesh Kaira 3 for 33, Inderjeet 2 for 32).
Godrej & Boyce XI: 198 for 6 in 30 overs [Indrejeet 53, Umesh Kaira 51, Rajesh Monu 31, Chandan Puri 2 for 46, Gurinder Saini 1 for 33).
Earlier ICICI Bank XI defeated Ria Constructions XI by 15 runs for the third position.
Brief scores: ICICI Bank XI: 178 for 5 in 20 overs (Gourav 62, Rakesh Mehta 39). RIA Constructions XI: 163 for 7 in 20 overs (Rajneesh Mittal 51, Tejdeep 2 for 20, Pankaj 2 for 23).
Dr. Kesho Ram Gupta, father of Bharat Kesho Gupta and Managing Director, International Testing Centre. Panchkula, gave away the prizes.
The following were declared the best players: Man of the Match : Gurinder Saini (HDFC Bank XI). Best Batsman : Gurinder Saini (HDFC Bank XI). Best bowler: Naresh Dhingra (Godrej & Boyce XI). Best All-Rounder : Amarjit Singh (Godrej & Boyce XI).

Muniyappa shoots 61 to defend title

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
Gurgaon, March 28
With his title under serious threat, C Muniyappa
went all out to secure the BT Honda Pro-Am of Champions title at the
Classic Golf Resort for the second year in a row. In the end, it
required the reigning Indian Open champion to shoot a low number and
he did just that by submitting a card of 11-under 61 to win the
tournament by two strokes with a two-day total of 17-under 127.
Delhi Golf Club’s Ashok Kumar had to be content with a second-place
finish despite a round of nine-under 63 that gave him a tournament
total of 15-under 129. The experienced Mukesh Kumar finished one
behind Ashok in third place while Anirban Lahiri shot up to fourth on
the leaderboard with a round of ten-under 62 today.
Muniyappa had a total of 11 birdies in his round and kept the
scorecard free of any bogeys. The round included a run of four
straight birdies from the fourth to the seventh and another run of
five back-to-back birdies from the 12th to the 16th hole.
Ali Sher guided his team of four, which included Chandar Uday Singh,
Ajay Dadwal and Rahul Maroli, to a win in the team title. The former
two-time winner of the Indian Open had a total of nine-under which
helped the winning team to secure the highest overall total.
Leading scores: 127: C Muniyappa (66,61), 129: Ashok Kumar (66,63), 130: Mukesh Kumar (66,64), 131: Anirban Lahiri (69,62), 132: Siddikur Rahman (64,68).

Eight-under 64 puts Siddikur on top

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 27
Bangladesh’s Siddikiur Rahman took the outright lead with a round of eight-under 64 in the first round of the BT Honda Pro-Am of Champions par-72 Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Gurgaon today.
The Kurmitola Golf Club pro carded a near-perfect scorecard as he made four birdies each on the front-nine and the back-nine to be one clear of the nearest contender.
Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh, who holds the tag of being the current number one on the local tour’s Order of Merit list, stayed true to his form this season as he placed himself in second place with a round of seven-under 65.
The second-placed Singh finds himself in a tight spot as he will look to mount the challenge on the leader tomorrow but will be wary of the pack of players breathing down his neck. As many as five golfers —Mukesh Kumar, C Muniyappa, Jaiveer Virk, Ashok Kumar and Kunal Bhasin — returned cards of six-under 66 to be tied for third place.
Siddikur holds the distinction of being the first player from Bangaladesh to hold full playing rights on the Asian Tour. He looks determined to leave his mark on the Indian circuit, with four wins already against his name in his three-year-old professional career.
The 25-year-old went about his task in clinical fashion at the Classic Golf Resort as he kept it simple and picked up birdies on all the par-5s on the course. A couple of additional birdies each on either side of the turn helped him post the best score of the day.
Pre-tournament favourite Jyoti Randhawa disappointed with a round of two-under 70 while last year’s top-ranked golfer in India — Anirban Lahiri — played marginally better than the experienced Randhawa to finish with a round of 69.
Being the venue of some record-breaking scores where low numbers do not beg a second glance, it promises to be a close fight to the finish line with a majority of players capable of getting to within striking distance of the leader with a low round on Sunday.
Leading scores: 64: Md. Siddikur Rahman, 65: Sujjan Singh, 66: Mukesh Kumar, 66: Jaiveer Virk, 66: Ashok Kumar, 66: C Muniyappa, 66: Kunal Bhasin, 67: Gurki Shergill, 67: Ali Sher, 68: Shamim Khan.

Rastogi wins India F2 Futures title

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 27
Down by one set, Karan Rastogi staged a splendid rally to snuff out the challenge of qualifier Romain Sichez of France in the singles final of the $10,000 India 2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association Stadium here today. Twenty-four-year old Rastogi won by 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 128-minute of action on court one.
Mumbai-based Karan Rastogi trailed 0-40 on his serve in the first game of the first set before bouncing back strongly to hold serve. He fired an ace also to take a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
Tied 3-all, Karan Rastogi was broken in the seventh game in which he committed a double fault as Romain Sichez took the vital break for a 4-3 lead and went on to win the set at 6-3.
Rastogi was broken in the first game of the second set and Romain Sichez took a 3-1 lead. Rastogi was not disappointed. Rather it made him stronger and confident. He engaged his rival in long rallies and when in a position, he executed winners down-the-line. Rastogi started asserting himself as the set progressed. In the sixth game, Romain Sichez committed a double fault. Rastogi mounted pressure and broke back to make it 3-all. Sichez fired an ace and later committed a double fault which paved the way for Rastogi to break Romain Sichez from France a 6-4 verdict.
The decider witnessed both players holding their serve till ninth game as Rastogi won the ninth game at love. The Indian player capitalized the opportunity by shattering the hopes of the French player who was broken in the 10th game in which he committed a double fault also.
Karan Rastogi won a cash prize of Rs 60,672 and Sichez Rs 42,066. Talwandi Sabo Power Limited Director and Chief Executive Officer B K Sharma distributed the prizes.
Karan Rastogi got 18 computer points while Romain Sichez received 10.
“I was confident that I will put my strokes together, I can make it. Romain Sichez was a tough player. He reached the final through qualifying rounds. He had good experience of matches in this tournament,” said Karan Rastogi.
The players now move to Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) for India F3 Futures. Karan Rastogi got direct entry into the main draw as he is at the 17 position in the list of direct entries for main draw.

Vijayant Malik-Ashutosh go down fighting in doubles final

Doubles winners Ruben Gonzales (left) and Nathan Thompson in the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Circuit in Chandigarh on Friday.
Runners-up Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh Singh in the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Circuit in Chandigarh on Friday. Photos by Balbir Singh.

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 26
Plucky Indian pair of Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh Singh went downfigthng to American pair of Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson in the doubles final of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Circuit at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association Stadium in Sector 10 here today.
Gonzales and Thompson won 7-5, 7-6 (4) in the final which lasted one honour and 33 minutes. The first set progressed with the serve till it was 5-all before Vijayant Malik was broken in the 11th game. Then Thompson served for the set and won it at 7-5.
In the second set, the Indian pair saved a match-point with a cross-court return by Vijayant Malik to make it 5-all. The set was extended to tie-breaker which the USA pair won at 7-6 (4).
The winners got a purse of Rs 29,446 while Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh got Rs 15,424. The winners get 18 ATP points while runners-up will be awarded 10 points. The semi-finalists will get 6 points
CLTA chairman Rajan Kashyap distributed the prizes.

Rastogi sets up title clash with Frenchman

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda flanked by Romain Sichez (right) and Ranjeet Virali Murugesan before the singles semi-final of the $10,000 India F2 Futures in Chandigarh.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with CLTA Chairman Rajan Kashyap.
by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARY 26
In his quest to stage a comeback after recovering from injury, Indian Davis Cupper Karan Rastogi marched into the singles final at the expense of seventh seed Adrian Sikora of Slovakia whom he defeated in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in semi-final of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Circuit at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium here today.
Rastogi will now lock horns with Qualifer Romain Sichez of France in the final tomorrow at 10 a.m. Sichez, down by one set, staged a remarkable rally to snuff out the challenge of third seed Ranjeet Virali Murugesan by three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Watched by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who regularly plays tennis, Sichez took two hours and 12 minutes to dispose of the challenge of Ranjeet at the Centre Court.

Ranjeet started on a promising note by winning the first set. The set progressed with the players holding their serve. In the eighth game, Ranjeet got the vital break to lead 5-3 and went on to hold his serve and win the set at 6-3.
However, Sichez had other ideas. He overcame heat and his spirited rival by winning the next two set at an identical score of 6-3. Sichez gained a 3-0 lead in the second set by breaking Ranjeet in the second game. He then held his seerve in the fifth and seventh games to win the set and it was one set all. The third set was marked by six breaks. Ranjeet recorded breaks in the second and fourth games. Sichez broke Ranjeet in the first,third, seventh and ninth games.
In the second semi-final Karan Rastogi continued to excel on his way to set up a title clash with Romain
Karan Rastogi from Mumbai won the first set at 7-5. Both players were executing their strokes from the baseline. Long rallies were witnessed which drew repeated cheers from the spectators. They seldom came for the netplay. Hitting forehand or double backhand returns strongly from the baseline, they waited for each other to commit mistakes to gain point.
In the eighth game of the second set, Sikora made a double fault as Karan Rastogi broke his opponent to take a 5-3 lead. Rastogi then held his serve to wrap up the set and match at 6-3.
Impressed with the facilities at the CLTA Complex, Mr Hooda said that the state government would identify some fresh Haryana boys for the CLTA Rural Academy (CHART)for training. The CLTA will be consulted in selecting players from Haryana villages for training in CHART.
The Haryana Chief Minister also promised to support rising star of Haryana Vijayant Malik, who is a trainee of CLTA, for his training abroad and competitions in India and abroad.
Mr Hooda was welcome by CLTA chairman Rajan Kashyap, secretary former Punjab Director General of Police Sarabjit Singh and other officials of CLTA.

Chapchai Nirat from Thailand will defend SAIL Open tile

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) along with Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) today announced the schedule for SAIL Open 2010 at a press conference held in Delhi which was attended by key tournament competitors Gaurav Ghei and Himmat Singh Rai.
The third edition of the SAIL Open, to be held at Delhi Golf Club from March 3 to April 2 will have a total prize money purse of US$ 300,000 and will boast of 156 world-class players from across the globe.
Providing the details of the tournament, professional golfer Amandeep Singh Johl from SAIL said that a pro-am event was also scheduled for April 3. “SAIL extends a warm welcome to all the players in the tournament,” he said, adding that world tournament record holder Chapchai Nirat from Thailand will defend his title. Star players from India who will compete for the prestigious title include Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Himmat Singh Rai, Gaurav Ghei, Muniyappa and SSP Chowrasia. Now in its third year, the SAIL Open is one of most eagerly awaited tournaments on the Asian Tour. “Tournaments like these are the perfect opportunity for our young golfers to play alongside the top golfers from Asia and around the world,” Johl remarked.
Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI said, “SAIL Open 2010 has reaffirmed the strength of commitment from SAIL for the growth of professional golf in India on a larger scale. I would like to thank SAIL for its continuing support to golf.”
Speaking to media persons, Gaurav Ghei said, “I eagerly await the opportunity to play alongside the best professionals in Asia. SAIL Open is one of the most awaited tournaments on the Asian Tour and it showcases the best of talent and the highest level of competition in the Asia. I am delighted to be a part of it.” Himmat Singh Rai supported the views of his fellow PGTI member: “I am extremely excited to be playing the SAIL Open 2010. The competitive field playing this year will ensure that golf enthusiasts get to witness the finest golfing action.”

Deva stars in Sector 16 Stadim Academy

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 25
An all-round performance by Deva (59 and 3 for 26) helped Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy beat Desh Prem Azad Cricket Academy by 48 runs in the Second St Stephen’s Cricket Tournament for Under-16 being organized by DP Azad Cricket Academy here today.
Stadium Academy won the toss and elected to bat. They piled up 203 before they were all out for 203 in 46.2 overs. Deva topscored with 59. Kuljinder Singh and Pranshu were their other valuable contributors. While Kuljinder scored 41, Prashanu remained not out on 31.
Jagpreet Singh impressed with his bowling by taking five wickets for 26 runs for Azad Academy. Daksh Aggarwal and Siddharth got two wickets each for 31 runs apiece.
In reply, DP Azad Academy could muster 155 for 9 in allotted 50 overs. Daksh Aggarwal (29), Talwinderjit Singh (28) and Karan Chaudhary (29) were the principal scorers for DP Azad Academy.
Azad innings was restricted by Deva (3 for 26), Kuljinder (2 for 41) and Abhijit Garg (2 for 38).
Brief scores: Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy: 203 in 46.2 overs (Deva 59, Kuljinder Singh 41, Pranshu 31 not out, Megha Pandey 16, Jagpreet Singh 5 for 26, Daksh Aggarwal 2 for 31, Siddharth Chaudhary 2 for 31, Talwinderjit Singh Sr 1 for 24).
Desh Prem Azad Cricket Academy: 155 for 9 (Daksh Aggarwal 29, Talwinderjit Singh 28, Karan Chauhan 29, Navjit Singh 16, Deva 3 for 26, Kuljinder 2 for 41, Abhijit Garg 2 for 38).
Tomorrow’s fixture: CCA-GNPS vs YPS-MCA.

Vijayant Malik-Ashutosh in doubles final

Vijayant Malik covering the court while Aushtosh Singh taking care of the net in the doubles semi-final match in the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 on Friday.
Ashutosh Singh smashing while Vijayant Malik keeps himself ready.
Vijayant Malik, Ashutosh Singh, Srirambalaji Narayanaswamy and Vignesh Peranamallur-Chandersekhar shaking hands after the doubles semi-final.
Karan Rastogi maintains his winning spree on way to semi-final.
by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 26
Commonwealth Games 2010 probable and Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association trainee Vijayant Malik stormed into the doubles final of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 here today.
Partnering national champion Ashutosh Singh, lankyVijayant Malik, who hails from Haryana, got the better of Srirambalaji Narayanaswamy and V Peranamallur Chandrasekhar by 6-4, 4-6(10-8) in the doubles semi-final match.
The Malik-Singh duo will now face fourth seeded Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson (USA) in the final. The American duo got the better of Mithun Murali and N Vijay Sundar Prasanth 6-2, 6-3 in the second semi-final match.
Unseeded Karan Rastogi and third seeded R Virali Mugugesan advanced into the singles semi-finals.
Karan Rastogi continued to give impressive display as he upset India F1 Futures winner in Kolkata and sixth seeded Nathan Thompson of USA in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-final match from the lower half of the draw.
In a 76-minute action at the centre court, Karan Rastogi began in a majestic style by breaking Thompson in the first game to give a clear indication of the things to come. The American was again broken in the fifth and ninth games as Karan Rastogi won the set at 6-3. Karan Rastogi was also broken in the fourth game after committing two double faults.
In the second set, Rastogi was broken in the fifth game as Thompson lead 3-2. The inspired Indian player immediately broke back in the next game to make it 3-all. Rastogi went on to win the next seventh, eighth and ninth games to wrap up the set and the match.
Karan Rastogi’s opponent in the semi-final will be seventh seeded Adrian Sikora of Slovakia who eliminated the challenge of Ruben Gonzales of USA in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Virali Murugesan overcame qualifier Patrik Brydolf of Sweden 7-6 (5), 3-1 retired. Brydolf also lost his cool and has been booked for racket abuse. After losing a point, Patrik hit his racket on the ground with force and broke it. A penalty point was awarded against him. His court violation will be reported to the Internantional Tennis Federation. Brydolf may be fined for deliberte gross court violation.
Coming to the match, Virali Murugesan won the first set at 7-6 (5) and was leading 3-1 in the second set before Brydolf conceded the match ‘due to shoulder injury.”
Virali Mugugesan will now cross swords with qualifier Romain Sichez of France in the second semi-final. Sichez ousted giant-killer Indian Davis Cupper Vivek Shokeen in three sets at 6-2, 6-7 (5) 6-3 in 90 minutes.
Results: Men’s singles (q-finals): Q-Romain Sichez (Fra) bt Vivek Shokeen (Ind) 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-R Virali Murugesan (Ind) bt Q-Patrik Brydolf (Swe) 7-6 (5), 3-1 retired, 7-Adrian Sikora (Svk) bt Ruben Gonzales (USA) 6-4, 6-2, Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt 6-Nathan Thompson (USA) 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles (semi-finals): 4- Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson (USA) bt Mithun Murali and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth (Ind) 6-2, 6-3, Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh Singh (Ind) by Srirambalaji and R Pernamallur-Chandrasekhar 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Three Indians move into quarter-finals

Rajya Sabha Member and former Editor In-Chief of The Tribune Group of Newspapers, Mr H K Dua, with Commonwealth Games 2010, Vijayant Malik, at the CLTA Tennis Stadium in Chandigarh on Wednesday.


Rajya Sabha Member and former Editor In-Chief of The Tribune Group of Newspapers, Mr H K Dua going round the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 on Wedneday. Mr Dua was accompanied by CLTA officials, including chairman Rajan Kashyap.
by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 24
Indian Davis Cupper Vivek Shokeen put up a superb and determined show as he demolished the challenge of top seeded Juan Pablo Villar of Argentina in three-hotly contested sets 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in two hours and 19 minutes in the pre-quarter-final singles match of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit being played at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association Stadium in Sector 10 here today. After splitting the first two sets, Vivek Shokeen kept his nerves under control and just managed to prevail over long-haired Argentinean in tie-breaker.
Shokeen, along with Karan Rastogi and third seed R Virali-Murugesan, are keeping the Indian challenge alive in the ITF Men’s Futures.
Other seeds to make their exit earlier in the rounds were eighth seed Vijayant Malik and fourth seed Roman Jebavy of Czech Republic. Vijayant lost to Patrik Brydolf 6-7 (5),4-6 and Ruben Gonzales (USA) upset fourth seed Roman Jebavy of Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2.
Commonwealth Games 2010 probable Vijayant Malik went down fighting to Patrik Brydolf of Sweden in 40 minutes as the local challenged ended. Tall Vijayant, seeded eighth was upset by qualifier from Sweden on the centre court.
With Patrik committing two double faults, Vijayant Malik, a trainee of Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, gained a 3-2 lead which he increased by retaining his serve in the next game. The Swedish player broke Vijayant Malik in the 10th game to level the score 5-all. It was the turning point of the game and the set was extended to tie-breaker after being tied 6-all. In the tie-breaker Patrik led 4-1 before the local star made it 5-6. However, Patrik clinched the set in tie breaker at 7-5.
Serving powerfully, Patrik, who fired 10 aces and committed six double faults, broke Malik in the third game of the second set to take an early 2-1 lead. Thereafter he did not look back and won the second set also at 6-4.
Vijayant Malik rued for not holding his serve after leading 5-4 in the tenth game. “I should have held my serve. I committed mistakes. Patrik is a good player,” said Malik after the match. Both were facing each other for the first time.
Indian Karan Rastogi maintained his winning spree as he ousted wild card N Vijay Sundar Prashanth in a tough match and qualified for quarter-final. In the 160-minute tussle in the middle, Karan Rastogi, who had yesterday upset second seeded Rohan Gajjar, won after losing the first set 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0. Prashanth won the first set after breaking Rastogi in the third game. In a ding-dong battle, Rastogi led 4-1 before Prashanth won sixth, seventh and eighth games in a row and tied it at six-all. The tie-breaker became a close affair but Rastogi won it at 8-6. With one-set all, it was virtually a cake walk for Rastogi in the third and deciding set. He did not drop even a single game and raced to a 6-0 win.
Rajya Sabha Member H K Dua was the chief guest. He went around the CLTA Complex along with CLTA chairman Rajan Kashyap, Patron Justice SS Sodhi, Hony Secretary Sarabjit Singh and Chief Operating Officer Gajendra Singh.
Mr Dua, former Editor in-Chief of the Tribune Group of Papers, was highly impressed with the tennis facilities and training programme of the CLTA. Mr Dua also interacted with the players participating in the ongoing international tournament.
Results: Men's singles (pre-qfinals): Vivek Shokeen (Ind) bt 1-Juan Pablo Villar (Arg) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6), Romain Sichez (Fra) bt 5-Rupesh Roy (Ind) 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 3-R Virali Murugesan (Ind) bt Ashutosh Singh (Ind) 6-2, 6-2, Q-Patrik Brydolf (Swe) bt 8-Vijayant Malik (Ind) 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-Adrian Sikora (Svk) bt V Peranamallur Chandrasekhar (Ind) 6-1, 6-1,Ruben Gonzales (USA) bt 4-Roman Jebavy (Cze) 6-2, 6-2, 6-Nathan Thompson (USA) bt Q-Murali Mithun (Ind) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt WC-N Prasanth (Ind) 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0.

Pushp and Vikram star in Ranbaxy win

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by sportswire4.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 23
Fine knocks by Pushp and Vikram helped Ranbaxy beat Nector Life by 17 runs to win the 1st Pharma Cup T20 Cricket Tournament here on Sunday.
Ranbaxy won the toss and elected to bat first. Pushp came up with a good performance with the bat to score a brilliant 50. Vikram scored 35 runs. For Nector Life Gagan took 2 wickets for 22 runs.
Nector came into bat with a huge target of 162 and started off well with Gagan who scored a brisk 31 and Nishant who compiled 27 runs. They still fell short by 17 runs.
Pushp got the man of the match award. The best batsman of the tournament award went to Pushp of Ranbaxy. The best bowler award went to Saurav of US Vitamin and the player of the tournament went to Suninder.
Brief scores: Ranbaxy 161 for 7 in 20 overs (Pushp 50, Vikram 35, Gagan 2 for 22).
Nector Life: 144 for 5 in 20 overs (Gagan 31, Nishant 27).

198-run partnership proves futile

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 23
A powerful knock of 140 by Karan Pathak and his 198-run partnership with Mandeep Bawa (44) for the opening wicket stand proved futile as NICS Patiala lost to Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy by seven runs in the second St Stephen's Cricket Tournament for Under-16 being organised by Desh Prem Azad Cricket Academy here today.
Chasing a tough target of scoring 285, the Patiala team were given a grand start by Karan Pathak and Mandeep Bawa. The openers punished the Sector 16 Stadium Academy bowlers to realise a huge 198-run partnership. Karan's strokeful 140 was studded with seven sixes and 14 boundaries. He faced 93 balls. Mandeep Bawa contributed 44 with the help of three fours. After this partnership was broken, the NICS batsmen ran out of ideas. Their three batsmen were run out. Sagar made 29. From 198 for 1, they slumped to 277 in 48 overs.
Off spinner Kuljinder Singh was the most successful bowler by taking five wickets by giving away 54 runs. Deva bagged 2 for 38.
Earlier, Sector 16 Stadium Academy batted first and posted an impressive total of 284 runs in 49 overs. Abhijeet Garg (73, 2x6s, 10x4s) and Deva (71, 7x6s, 2x4s) were associated in a 113-run partnership for the second wicket. Kuljinder Singh (43, 2x6s, 5x4s) and Pranshu (37) were the other main scorers for Sector 16 Stadium Academy.
Navinder Sharma (3 for 25), Palwinder Singh (2 for 51) and Mandeep Bawa (2 for 36) were the most succesful bowlers for NICS.
Brief scores: Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy: 284 in 49 overs (Abhijeet Garg 73, 2x6s, 10x4s, Deva 71, 7x6s, 2x4s, Kuljinder Singh 43, 2x6s, 5x4s, Pranshu 37, Navindu Sharma 3 for 25, Palwinder Singh 2 for 51, Mandeep Bawa 2 for 36).
NICS Patiala: 277 for 48 (Karan Pathak 140, 7x6s, 14x4s, Mandeep Bawa 44, Sagar 29, Kuljinder Singh 5 for 54, Deva 2 for 38).
Tomorrow's fixture: CCA-GNPS Academy vs YPS-MCA at YPS Mohali at 9 a,m.

Selection for Capt Hawa Singh Boxing Academy in Bhiwani from March 29

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 23
Capt. Hawa Singh Boxing Academy, which was announced by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is all set to start functioning. Bhiwani is popularly known as the Cuba of India in the boxing circles as many boxers hailing from the area
have brought laurels to the country at various international sports events.
The trial to select the promising boxers for the academy would be conducted at Bhim Stadium, Bhiwani from March 29 to 31. Mr Hooda had announced the boxing academy at Bhiwani after the remarkable performance of Bhiwani boxers in the Olympic Games.
Haryana Sports Minister Gopal Kanda said that the State Government is committed for the development of sports and encouraging the sportspersons. The Sports
Department would let no stone unturned for the betterment of the games and the players, he added.
He said that trials for Capt. Hawa Singh Boxing Academy would be conducted in the weight groups of 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 64, 69, 75, 81, 91 and more than 91 kgs. The players in the age group of 16 to 25 years would be selected. The interested
players should reach the Bhim Stadium at 8 a.m. along with the certificates for age and sports achievements.
The Minister said that the selected players would be provided best facilities and training by the reputed coaches.

IPL panel to conduct hearing with Ravindra Jadeja and two franchises

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22
The Indian Premier League Governing Council today announced that it has requested Arun Jaitley to chair and conduct a fresh hearing into the conduct of banned Rajasthan Royals player Ravindra Jadeja. This is basis an appeal from the cricketer and the two franchises involved, the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians. The hearing to be chaired by Jaitely will hear representations from Jadeja and both the franchises involved, prior to reaching a decision. The hearing will be held in Mumbai on March 25.
Earlier in February 2010, the IPL Governing Council had based on a unanimous decision and on instructions from the President of the BCCI, decided to ban India cricketer – Ravindra Jadeja for one year. The ban was on account of Ravindra Jadeja not signing the renewal contract with the Rajasthan Royals and attempting, instead to negotiate a larger financial contract with another IPL franchise. Thus, resulting in a serious non-adherence to the IPL player guidelines.
Mr. Lalit Modi, Chairman & Commissioner, IPL today stated, “The IPL Governing Council has taken a decision to hear Ravindra Jadeja’s plea and will also listen to representations from the two franchises involved, namely the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians. Arun Jaitley will at the behest of the IPL Governing Council chair the hearing and arrive at a final decision on Ravindra Jadeja and the same shall be binding on all parties concerned.”

Rastogi shocks second seed Rohan Gajjar

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 23
The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association players had a mixed luck in their first round matches in the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Cirucit at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 here today. While eighth seeded Vijayant Malik walked into the second round virtually unchallenged, wild card Digvijay Singh Mehta made his exit in straight sets, losing to qualifer Mithun Murali 6-1, 6-2.
Lanky Vijayant Malik, seeded eighth, had an easy round as he outplayed Yannick Nelord in straight sets 6-4, 6-1. Malik, a Commonwealth Games 2010 probable, disposed of his rival's challenge in one hour and three minutes. The first set progressed with players retaining their serves. Malik, with a ranking of 751st, got the vital break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and went on to retain his serve in the tenth game and won 6-4.
Vijayant started playing his strokes more freely in the second game which he completely dominated. Comfortably placed at 4-0, Nelord had the consolation of winning his solitary game in the fifth game on his serve. Malik broke Nellord in the 1st, 3rd and 7th games for an easy triumph.
Unseeded Karan Rastogi, ranked 933th, pulled off a big upset by shocking second seeded and 459th ranked Rohan Gajjar in three sets 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 Rastogi had beaten Rohan Gajjar 6-2 3-0 (retired) in second round match. In the India F1 Futures in Kolkata,
Fifth seed Rupesh Roy prevailed over qualifier Mikhail Palov of Russia in two hotly contested sets which were extended to tie-breaker 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in a first-round men's singles match Runner-up in the India F 1 Futures in Kolkata before coming here, fifth seed Rupesh Roy found Michail Pavlov a tough opponent. Both exhibited good tennis in the action-packed 65-minute round. Both retained their serve till the sixth game before they exchange breaks in the seventh and eighth games. Pavlov broke Rupesh in the seventh game. Rupesh who hails from Kolkata, hit back in the next set as Pavlov committed a double fault to make it 4-4.
Then the games moved with the serve and they were tied six-all which necessitated the tie-breaker rule to resolve the deadlock.
Rupesh was in total control in the tie-breaker as he raced to a 4-1 lead. However, the Russian fought back and reduced the margin to 5-6. Rupesh clinched the issue by 7-5 to win the set at 7-6.
The second set began on a thrilling note. Deuce was called thrice before Rupesh broke Pavlov in the first game and retained his serve in the second to take a 2-0 lead. The spirited Russian broke Rupesh in the sixth and eighth games to make it 4-all. In between Rupesh also broke Pavlov in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The tenth game was full of thrills which kept the spectators spell-bound. After deuce was called five times, Rupesh just managed to retain serve to make it 5-5. As the set ended six-all, the tie-breaker rule was enforced . Here Rupesh again displayed his dominance as he raced to a 4-1 lead. Pavlov did not give up easily, He fought gallantly and made it 5-5 before Rupesh clinched it at 7-5 for a 7-6 (5) verdict.
Ashutosh Singh advanced to the second round afte a hard-fought victory over Stephen Fransen of Netherlands in three sets 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Results: Men's singles (Ist round): Romain Sichez (Fra) bt Marquis Christopher (Ind) 7-5, 7-6 (2), 5-Rupesh Roy (Ind) bt Q-Michail Pavlo (Rus) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 3-R Virali Murugesan (Ind) bt WC-Ronak Manuja (Ind) 6-3, 6-1, Q-Patrik Brydolf (Swe) bt Q-B. Vikram Reddy (Ind) 6-0, 6-4, 8-Vijayant Malik (Ind) bt Yannick Nelory (Ind) 6-4, 6-1, V Peranamallur Chandrasekhar (Ind) bt Q-Viju George Jr (USA) 7-6 6), 6-3, 4-Roman Jebavy (Cze) bt Divj Sharan (Ind) 6-1, 6-2, Q-Murali Mithun (Ind)bt WC-Digvijay Singh Mehta (Ind) 6-1, 6-2, Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt 2-Rohan Gajjar 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, 6-N Thompson (USA) bt Q-Ilia Starkov (Rus) 6-3, 6-4, Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt 2-Rohan Gajjar (Ind) 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, Ashutosh Singh (Ind) bt Stephen Fransen (Netherlands) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Karan’s all-round display goes in vain

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22
An all-round display by Karan Bhargava (103 and 3 for 44) went in vain as Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy defeated APJ Academy of Kharar by 35 runs in the second St Stephen’s Cricket Tournament for Under-16 here today.
Required to score 233 for victory, APJ Academy were dismissed for 197 in 39.2 overs. Karan batted freely and earned the distinction of slamming the first century of the tournament. His innings of 103 came in 98 balls and it was laced with 12 boundaries and four sixes. However, Karan’s polished knock could not extricate his team from the jaws of death.
Shivraj (20) and Harshdeep Singh (13) were the other main scorers for APJ Academy. Kuljinder (3 for 33), Deva (2 for 35), Abhijit Singh (2 for 44) and Daksh Sharma (2 for 10) restricted APJ innings.
Earlier, batting first, Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy, scored 232 in 40.2 overs. Nawansh (57), Megha Pandey (30) and Nishant (29) were their main scorers. All-rounder Karan Bhargava took three wickets for 44 runs. Karanveer Singh, Tushar and Manik got two wickets each for 44, 42 and 40 runs, respectively.
In another match DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 Academy defeated Mohali Cricket Academy by three wickets.
DAVSSS-8 overtook their rivals total in 33.1 overs by scoring 210 for 7. Karan topscored with 72 in 45 deliveries. He reached the fence seven times. He also scored two huge sixes. Jatinder got four for 35.
Earlier, MCA made 209 in 35 overs. Ravi Saini made 54 with the help of nine fours. Pardeep Kumar and Kulbir got four and three wickets by conceding 40 and 30 runs, respectively.
Brief scores: Mohali Cricket Academy: 209 in 35 overs (Kinderpreet 28, Pukhraj 22, Ravi Saini 54, 9x4s, Anmol 71, 11x4s, 1x6, Pardeep Kumar 4 for 40, Kulbir 3 for 30).
DAVSSS-8 Academy: 210 for 7 in 33.1 overs (Simranpreet 24, Bhagminder 36, Karan 72, 7x4s, 2x6s, Jatinder 4 for 35). DAVSSS-8 Academy win by three wickets.
Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy: 232 in 40.2 overs (Nawansh 57, Megha Pandey 30, Nishant 29, Karan Bhargava 3 for 44, Karanveer Singh 2 for 42, Tushar 2 for 40, Manik 2 for 51).
APJ Academy, Kharar: 197 in 39.2 overs (Karan Bhargava 103, 4x6s, 12x4s, Shivraj 20, 3x4s, Harshdeep Singh 13, Kuljinder 3 for 33, Deva 2 for 35, Abhijit Singh 2 for 44, Daksh Sharma 2 for 10).
Tomorrow’s fixture: Sector 16 Cricket Stadium Academy vs NICS Patiala at St Stephen’s School , Sector 45 (9 a.m).

36 shortlised for national kabaddi camp

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22
The Selection Committee has identified 36 probables for the National camp to prepare the Indian team for Prize Money World Cup Kabaddi Punjab 2010 being conducted by the Punjab Government at various venues of the state from April 3 to 12. As many as 95 players turned up for the trials.
The WCKP2010 carries a handsome cash prize of Rs 2.16 crore, including Rs one crore for the winners. It is a Punjab Government’s venture to make kabaddi more popular among the rural and urban youth.
Giving this information today, Organising Secretary Pargat Singh said that the probables were chosen during selection trials held in Ludhiana on March 20. The selected players will attend a week-long coaching camp at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana where the hardline cup match and the finals will be held under lights on April 13. The final 14, who will represent the country in the WCKP2010, will be announced during the camp on the basis of the players’ performance.
The selection committee comprised Shiv Dev Singh (chairman), Balbir Singh Bittoo, Harpreet Singh Baba, Devi Dayal and Balwinder Singh. Punjab Kabaddi Association president SS Maluka and Secretary Sports, Punjab Government, P S Aujala were the observers. Also present during the trials were Punjab Sports Director Padamshree Pargat Singh and Technical Adviser Swaran Singh.
National teams of United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Pakistan, Iran, Australia, Italy, Spain, Scotland and India are taking part in the mega international kabaddi meet.
A Medical Anti-Doping Committee, with Dr Manmohan Singh as its chairman and Dr Munish Chander as its convener, has been formed. The medical team was in Ludhiana during the selection trials and took more than 35 samples for analysis at the WADA accreditated laboratory in New Delhi.
The organizing committee will deal with an iron hand against those who test positive. The players and even the teams can be barred from the tournament for drug abuse.
Those invited to attend the camp are: Raiders: Manjot Singh, Gulzar Singh, Anil Kumar, Shillu, Kartar Singh, Partap Singh, Harpreet Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Manminder Singh, Maninderjit Singh, Mahinder Pal Singh, Amritpal Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Harpreet Singh II, Harmeet Singh LKaddi, Bachhittar Singh.
Stoppers: Khushdeep Singh Khushi, Hardeep Singh Dhillon, Vikram, Vijender, Harbinder Singh Bindu, Gurdarshan Singh Golu, Kawal Singh Bhau, Narpinder Singh Dhandari, Jatinder Singh Bains, Gurdeep Singh Ghuggi Kishangarh, Talwinder Singh Soni, Gurpreet Singh Soni, Manjinder Singh, Attama Singh, Lalli Butaro and Balraj Singh.

Mithun-Prashanth upset top seeded Jebavy-Sikora

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22
N Vijay Sundar Prashanth of India held the spotlight on the opening day of the $10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit being played at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association Stadium in Sector 10 here today.
A wild card entrant in the men’s singles main draw, Prashanth justified it by defeating Liang-Chi Huang of Taipei in three sets in the first round match. After splitting the first two sets, Prashant looked more confident and in total control as he raced to a 6-1 verdict in the deciding third set.
Later partnering Mithun Murali, Prashanth toppled the top seeded doubles pair of Roman Jebavy (Czech Republic) and Adrian Sikora (Slovakia) in a keenly contested first round encounter. The Indian duo clinched the match at 6-7 (3), 6-3 (10-8)
The American pair of Peter Aarts and Christopher Racz overcame a stiff resistance from wild card pair of Abhijeet Tiwari and Akash Wagh 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-6,
Local lad Vijayant Malik, a trainee of CLTA and Ashutosh Singh moved into the men’s doubles second round after beating wild card duo of Yogesh Phogat and local lad Shiva Sangwan in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.
Top seeded Juan Pablo Villar of Argentina served a stern warning upon his rival as he found CLTA trainee wild card Mandeep Singh Gill any easy pray. Serving powerfully and hitting with power Juan Pablo Villar gave a tennis lesson to Mandeep Gill. The top seed won by 6-1, 6-1 in the men’s singles first round encounter.
Indian Vivek Shokeen, ranked 827th, advanced to the second round as he overcame plucky Almong Mashiach of Israel, ranked 839th, by 7-5, 7-6 (2). In an all USA affair, Ruben Gonzales outclassed Christopher Racz in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.
Men’s doubles (Ist round): Mithun Murali and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth (India) bt 1- Roman Jebavy (Cze) and Adrian Sikora (Svk) 6-7 (3), 6-3 (10-8), Peter Aarts and Christopher Racz (USA) bt WC- Abhijeet Tiwari and Akash Wagh 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-6, Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson (USA) bt Alexei Filenkov and Michail Pavlov (Rus) 6-4, 6-1, Liang-Chi Huang (Tpe) and Yannick Nelord (Ind) bt Francesco Garzelli (Ita) and Juan-Palo Villar (Arg) 6-4, 6-3, Srirambalaji Narayanaswamy and V Peranamallur-Chandrasekhar (Ind) bt Stephan Fransen (Ned) and Divij Sharan (Ind) 4-6, 7-5, 10-8, Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh Singh (Ind) bt WC-Yogesh Phogat and Shiva Sangwan 6-1, 6-4, Rohan Gajjar andRupesh Roy (Ind) bt WC- Chandril Sood and Lakshit Sood (Ind) 6-1, 6-4.
Men’s singles (Ist round): 1-Juan-Pablo Villar (Arg) bt WC-Mandeep Singh Gill (Ind) 6-1, 6-1, Vivek Shokeen (Ind) bt Almong Maschiach (Isr) 7-5, 7-6 (2), Ruben Gonzales (USA) bt Christopher Racz (USA) 6-1, 6-1, WC-N Prashanth (Ind) bt Liang-Chi Huang (Tpe) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

HUDA to renovate Panchkula Golf Course

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by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22
Haryana Urban Development Agency (HUDA) has decided to renovate 18-hole Golf Course on turn-key-basis in Sector 3, Panchkula by making suitable alterations/improvements to existing layout of the Golf Course.
While disclosing this here today, a spokesman of HUDA said that
expression of interest has been invited from construction
agencies/firms to carry out renovation work.
The renovation work to be carried out included development of six
new greens, one kid’s putting green, one practice putting green, turf
nursery, over 50 new tees, over 25 new bunkers, automatic irrigation
system, modification to driving range and water bodies, etc., he
added.
He said that the bidding firm must have a minimum of five years of
experience in the golf course construction industry, besides having
carried out renovation of atleast one 18-hole golf course or atleast
two 9-hole golf courses in the last three years.
The firm/agencies should submit applications on prescribed documents
to the Executive Engineer, HUDA, Division Ist, Panchkula by April 6,
2010.

Four Indians qualify for main draw

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Vijayant faces Yannik Nelord in first round
by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 21
Commonwealth Games probable Vijayant Malik, a trainee of Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, has been drawn to meet Yannick Nelord in the first-round match in the main draw of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men's Circuit which begins tomorrow at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium here. Vijayant Malik, with a ranking of 751 is eighth seed.
Another CLTA trainee Mandeep Singh Gill, who is a wild card entrant, has a tough opponent in his opening match. Mandeep will face top seed Argentinian Villar Juan Pablo, ranked 397th. Mandeep will get a good exposure.
Wild card Digvijay Singh, also a CLTA product, though he hails from Himachal Pradesh, is pitted against qualifier Mithun Murali in his opening round fixture. Wild card Ronak Manuja will begin his campaign as he cross swords with third seed Ranjeet Virali Murugesan,
Wild card N Prashanth will challenge Liang-Chi Huang of Taipei in the first round. While Prashanth is ranked 972th, Huang is ranked 1155th.
Second seeded and ranked 459th Rohan Gajjar’s opponent in the first round will be Karan Rastogi (933) in the first round match.
Mithun Murali, B Vikram Reddy, Viju George Jr and Marquis Christopher made it to the main draw of 32 through qualifying round draw of 48. Mithun Murali defeated Kaza Vinayak Sharma 7-5, 6-4 in the final qualifying round. B Vikram Reddy overcame a stiff resistance from Peter Aarts of USA in a three sets 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2. Viju moved into the main draw at the expense of Nishank Mishra whom he defeated 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Christopher Marquis ended the challenge of Anand Kunal in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
The foreigners who advanced to the main draw were Patrik Brydolf (Sweden), Mikhail Pavlov (Russia), Ilia Starkov (Russia) and Romain Sichez (France).
Seedings: Men’s singles: 1 Villar Juan Pablo (Arg), 2 Rohan Gajjar (Ind), 3 Ranjeet Virali Mureugesan (Ind), 4 Roman Jebavy (Cze), 5 Rupesh Roy (Ind), 6 N Thompson (USA), 7 Adrian Sikova (Svk), 8 Vijayant Malik (India).
Qualifying (final round): Patrik Brydolf (Swe) bt Shahbaz Khan (Ind) 6-3, 7-6 (5), Mikhail Pavlov (Rus) bt Akash Wagh (Ind) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, Mithun Murali bt Kaza V Sharma 7-5, 6-4, Ilia Starkov (Rus) bt Chrish Kwon (Tpe) 7-5, 6-4, B Vikram Reddy (Ind) bt Peter Aarts (USA) 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2, Viju George Jr (Ind) bt Nishank Mishra 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, Marquis Christopher (Ind) bt Anand Kunal (India) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, Romain Sichez (France) bt Mohd Fariz (India) 6-3, 6-2.