Indian sports news wrap, June 30

BOXING

Youth Women’s Nationals: Nine Haryana pugilists enter semifinals 

Riding on impressive performances, nine talented boxers from Haryana have secured their berths in the semifinals on the fourth day of the ongoing 6th Youth Women’s National Boxing Championship held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

In the 50kg category Anshu of Haryana triumphed over Kafi of Madhya Pradesh with a 5:0 win. She will take on Khushi Jadhav of Maharashtra in the semis.

Recording identical victories after the referee stopped contest (RSC) in the first round , Pranjal Yadav (70kg) and Muskan (75kg) sealed their spots in the last four. While Pranjal will clash with the talented Amullya of Karnataka, Muskan of Haryana will take on Sharvir Shetty who is also from Karnataka.

Other pugilists from Haryana who will take to the ring to compete in the semifinals are Asian Junior champion Kirti (+81kg) alongside Bhawna Sharma (48kg), Mohini (52kg), Tanu (54kg), Priya (57kg) and Ankur Yadav (63kg).

Two-time Asian junior champion Nikita Chand (60kg) secured a hard fought 5:2 win on points against Sakshi of Haryana and made her way to the semi-finals.

-Team Sportstar

GOLF

Modest start by Indian golfers; Pranavi, Vani best among them in Finland

A week after winning her second Ladies European Tour title, it was not the best of starts for Indian golfer Diksha Dagar as she was tied 90th after a storm-hit opening day on Friday.

Diksha’s fellow Indian golfers had decent starts at the Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort.

The day’s proceedings were hindered by not one but two storm delays and it took a toll on many players.

Diksha, who had 13 birdies and an eagle last week, had no birdies in her round of 74 and will need a solid second round to make the cut.

Pranavi Urs, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, shot even par 72 and was T-55, as was Vani Kapoor. Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari (73) were T-78th while Tvesa Malik and Diksha, with 74 each, were T-90.

But with the scoreboard rather tight, a good round could see the Indians make the cut.

Pranavi had two birdies against two bogeys. Ridhima Dilawari had as many as five birdies, but also gave away three bogeys and a double bogey.

Carmen Alonso of Spain stormed into an early lead after firing a magnificent 64 (-8). She capitalised on her late start and missed the storm delays to fire birdies and one eagle to lead the field.

One back from Alonso is Austrian Christine Wolf, who after her first and only win on the LET in Hero Indian Open some years back, is still looking for her second win.

Starting on the back-nine, the one-time LET winner posted birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 17th before play came to a halt following an electrical storm. After a three hour delay, Wolf kept her composure to birdie the third, fifth and seventh holes before setting up another on the ninth following a fine approach.

Hot on Wolf’s heels in T3 on six-under-par 66 were Finland’s Linda Osala and Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson.

-PTI

Gandas and Shubhankar struggle in first round at British Masters

Indian golfers Manu Gandas and Shubhankar Sharma struggled to get their act right in the first round of the British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in Belfry on Friday.

Gandas did have two birdies and an eagle on his first nine, which was the front side of the Brabazon Course but he also gave away two bogeys and a double bogey.

With one bogey on the second nine, he ended with 1-over 73 and will need a low round to make the cut. Gandas, playing his first season on the DP World Tour, came into the Tour by topping the Indian Tour’s Order of Merit.

Also in trouble was Shubhankar with a 77 that had two birdies against five bogeys and a double bogey.

Former world number one Justin Rose carded a seven under par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round.

A former winner and host of the British Masters, tasting victory at Woburn in 2002 and hosting at Walton Heath in 2018, Rose carded eight birdies on the Brabazon Course to lead by one stroke from 2014 Ryder Cup teammate Jamie Donaldson.

Starting his round on the iconic tenth hole at the four-time Ryder Cup venue, Rose opened his account with a birdie and made three further gains before the turn. Three birdies followed on the second, fifth and sixth holes and he cancelled out a bogey on the eighth hole with his eighth birdie of the day, holing a 25-foot putt to sign for a seven under par total.

Three-time DP World Tour winner Donaldson was six shots off the pace when he stood on the 13th tee but carded five birdies on his closing six holes to sign for a 66 and a six under par total.

Five golfers share third including Germany’s Yannik Paul, who has recovered from the back injury which forced him to withdraw from last week’s BMW International Open on home soil, and English amateur John Gough.

Joining them on four under par are Spaniard Sebastian Garcia, James Morrison of England and Frenchman Adrian Saddier.

– PTI

TENNIS

Yuki Bhambri reaches doubles final in Mallorca

Yuki Bhambri, in partnership with Lloyd Harris, beat the top seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-6(2) to make the doubles final of the ATP250 tennis tournament in Mallorca, Spain.

In the final, the Indo-Aussie pair will play Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald.

– Team Sportstar

AITA Tournament: Ruma beats Sahira in final

Qualifier Ruma Gaikaiwari of Maharashtra outplayed top seed Sahira Singh of Punjab 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Rs.100,000 AITA women’s tennis tournament at the Joygaon Academy on Friday.

– Team Sportstar