Ankita lifts first singles title of 2019 season in Singapore
NEW DELHI: Ankita Raina on Sunday won her first singles title of 2019 and eighth overall after trampling top seed Arantxa Rus 6-3, 6-2 in straight sets in the final of the $25,000 event in Singapore.
CHIKKA ENDS TIED-24
SINGAPORE: S Chikkarangappa finished tied-24th after a final round of 71 at the SMBC Singapore Open on Sunday. Chikka, who was in top-10 midway through the second round, finished with rounds of 71, 66, 72 and 71 for a four-under 280. Arjun Atwal shot 74 on the final day and ended T-51. Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond found his winning rhythm when he closed with a six-under-par 65 to take home the trophy.
PAK NAMES TEAM
KARACHI: Pakistan selectors on Sunday effected a wholesale change in the country’s hockey squad for the FIH Pro League beginning next month by dropping 11 players, including captain Muhammad Rizwan, who were part of the team’s disastrous campaign in the recent World Cup.
TAMIL NADU WIN
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu beat Central Secretariat 4-3 in a hard-fought final on Sunday to claim top honours in the Senior National men’s hockey championship (B Division) here. The two finalists qualify for the senior national ‘A’ division.
SON TROUNCES CHEN
KUALALUMPUR: South Korean Son Wan-ho put on masterful display of badminton to beat China’s Chen Long 21-17, 21-19 and clinch the Malaysia Masters title on Sunday. In women’s singles, Ratchanok Intanon defended her title with a 21-9, 22-20 triumph over Spain’s Carolina Marin.
PUNJAB GET PWL WIN
LUDHIANA: Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia pulled off the deciding bout against Delhi Sultans’ Andrey Kviatkovski to guide Punjab Royals to their first win of the ongoing Pro Wrestling League (PWL) season.
Kenya’s Cosmas Lagat stormed to a surprise win with the second-best timing (2:09:15) for elite men in the Mumbai Marathon on Sunday whereas Ethiopian Worknesh Alemu (2:25:45) pipped defending champion Amane Gobena for gold in the elite women’s race here.
Apart from Lagat’s one-man show, Ethiopian runners dominated the track on an otherwise cool Mumbai morning wherein temperatures ranged between 23-26 degrees with around 47 per cent humidity.
The Ethiopian duo of Aychew Bantie (2:10:05) and Shumet Akalnew (2:10:14) bagged silver and bronze respectively in the men’s category whereas Gobena (2:26:09) in second spot was followed by compatriot Birke Debele (02:26:39). Birke battled a stomach bug during the race but never lagged behind, finishing third. Both winners — Lagat and Worknesh — pocketed a cheque of $45,000 (~32.04 lakh) each. Along with Lagat, Worknesh also recorded the second-best timing in the Mumbai Marathon’s 16-year history in her category.
LAGAT’S SHOW
The day’s biggest disappointment might have come from Abera Kuma — who finished seventh after declaring that he was look-