TT star Manika recommended for Arjuna
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Friday recommended Manika Batra, the country’s only quadruple medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, for the prestigious Arjuna Award.
“We sent her nomination today. With such a strong performance in Gold Coast, it will be very difficult for the (government) committee to ignore her,” a TTFI official said.
Batra made history in Gold Coast by helping India win their maiden team gold, before clinching the women’s singles gold, another first.
The 22-year-old Manika beat world number four and triple Olympic medallist, Feng Tianwei of Singapore, twice in the tournament.
She also secured a women’s doubles silver alongside Mouma Das and mixed doubles bronze with G Sathiyan.
GANGJEE TIED-2ND
Rahil Gangjee played one of his best rounds in a long time to place himself Tied-second behind Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino (68) at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship on Friday.
Gangjee is now 8-under with rounds of 69 and 65 at par-71. Gangjee, two behind Hoshino, is tied with five others including Japanese legend Shingo Katayama (64-70) at 8-under. Ajeetesh Sandhu (69-69) is the next best Indian at T-15, while others making the halfway cut were Arjun Atwal (72-69), Shiv Kapur (70-71) and SSP Chawrasia (69-72).
NEWDELHI:
SHIVA THAPA IN WSB
World Championship bronze medalist Shiva Thapa will make a comeback in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) after a long gap. In 2014 he represented USA Knockouts while in the current edition he is representing Indian Tigers.
In the two-day competition that starts Saturday at Noida, Patriot Boxing team from Russia and China Dragons are the two other teams in fray.
OSAKA: NEWDELHI: