Kashyap secures first title in three years
VIENNA: Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap clinched his first international title in over three years as he overcame Malaysia’s June Wei Cheam to emerge men’s singles champion at the Austrian Open International Challenge.
Kashyap, a former National champion and second seed, saw off Cheam 23-21, 21-14, in a 37-minute clash late Saturday.
“It has been a tough week. I haven’t won so many matches in a single tournament for quite sometime and then playing two rounds in a day was tough. I have been struggling against almost same set of players in the last three super series and I knew I have to cross them here. So happy with my performance,” Kashyap told PTI.
His last title came at the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships in 2015.
SILVER FOR MARY KOM
SOFIA: Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom had to be content with a silver medal after going down in the final of the 69th Strandja Memorial boxing tournament. Mary Kom (48kg), who came into the event in pursuit of a third consecutive gold medal after the Asian championships and the India Open, lost to Bulgaria’s Sevda Asenova.
Also settling for a silver was Seema Poonia (+81kg), who went down to Russia’s Anna Ivanova.
LAHIRI MOVES UP TO T-46
PALM BEACH (FLORIDA): Anirban Lahiri carded a second successive one-over 71 but improved his position marginally to T-46th at the end of the third round of the Honda Classic, here.
SAMEER WINS
BASEL(SWITZERLAND): Indian shuttler Sameer Verma outwitted former world No 2 Jan O Jorgensen and clinch the men’s singles title at the $150,000 Swiss Open Super 300 tournament on Sunday. He showed great anticipation and technique to bambazoole Jorgensen 21-15 21-13 in a lopsided contest.