Indian challenge ends early as Kashyap, Sourabh lose in Korea Open

GWANGJU (KOREA): India’s campaign ended early at the Korea Open badminton tournament with Parupalli Kashyap and Sourabh Verma crashing out on the opening day on Wednesday. CWG champion Kashyap lost 17-21, 21-13, 8-21 to eighthseeded Lee Dong Keun of Korea, while Verma went down 13-21, 21-12, 18-21 against Finland’s Eetu Heino.

KOLKATA 25K RACE

KOLKATA: Ethiopa’s Degitu Azineraw will return to defend her women’s title in the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K road race here on December 16. Heading the men’s field is Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese who will be chasing the course record of 1:13:48 set by compatriot Kenenisa Bekele last year.

Apart from Azineraw, the women’s section will also have two-time world champion Florence Kiplagat of Kenya. Other men’s top runners include Kenya’s Eric Kiptanui and Tanzania’s Agustino Sule.

SRI LANKA BEAT INDIA

NEW DELHI: A fine 22 runs off 25 balls and a three-wicket haul by Tharaka Sampath Jayasinghe led Sri Lanka to victory against India in their last group match of the Deaf-ICC T20 World Cup on Wednesday. Sri Lanka’s Gimadu Malkam (29) and DJ Tharanga (25) helped the team amass 155 for 6.

They then bundled out India for 104 in the last over. This was India’s first defeat. Earlier, South Africa defeated Nepal.

SMRITI TAKES LEAD

NOIDA : Smriti Mehra bogeyed the last hole, but still managed to hold a two-shot lead at the end of the opening day of the 17th leg of the Hero Womens Pro Golf Tour at the Noida Golf Club.

Smriti had three birdies against three bogeys that helped her lead over Ridhima Dilawari (74) and Millie Saroha (74) by two strokes while Amandeep Drall was two shots further down at 76, along with Neha Tripathi and Gursimar Badwal.