French Open prize money raised by 7%

PARIS: French Open prize money will increase by nearly seven per cent to 43.6 million euros compared to the pre-coronavirus edition of 2019.

The French Tennis Federation said on Wednesday that the rise is 6.8 per cent overall compared to three years ago, when the tournament was last held in normal circumstances before the pandemic affected the past two editions. Prize money for players in the men’s and women’s singles main draw is 1.43 per cent higher overall than in 2019, while doubles players will get 6.1 per cent more. Men’s and women’s singles champions will receive 2.2 million euros each. This year’s French Open begins on May 22.

Railways clinch senior women’s T20 title

SURAT: Maharashtra skipper Smriti Mandhana’s 84 went in vain as Railways defeated Maharashtra by seven wickets to win the senior women’s T20 tournament on Wednesday.

Electing to bat, Maharashtra rode on Mandhana’s 84 off just 56 balls to post a challenging 160 for four. In reply, opener S Meghana (52) and D Hemalatha (65) slammed half centuries as Railways chased down the target with 11 balls to spare.

Brief scores: Maharashtra 160/4 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 84, S Shinde 30; Swagatika Rath 3/33) lost to

165/3 in 18.1 overs (S Meghana 52, D Hemalatha 65; MD Sonawane 2/22)

Gavaskar returns plot alloted for academy

MUMBAI: Sunil Gavaskar has returned a government plot allotted to him in Mumbai 33 years ago to set up a cricket academy, an official from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) said on Wednesday.

State Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad had last year expressed displeasure over Gavaskar not utilising the plot in suburban Bandra, where a cricket academy was proposed, even after 30 years of the allotment.

Gavaskar has now returned the plot to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) after the latter’s eight-month-long deliberations and meetings with partners of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state, the official said.