Weekly update of Indians in International meets

SHOOTING:
INDIANS BAG THREE GOLDS
Indian shooters won three golds in the double trap event in the Asian Clay Shooting championship at Almaty, Kazakhastan. Ronjon Sodhi won the individual gold and India won the team gold. Sangram Dahiya won the third gold in the junior section. Sodhi shot an excellent score of 188 (144 + 44) for the gold. The team comprising Sodhi (144), Vikram Chopra (132) and Vikram Bhatnagar (124) put up a splendid performance for the team gold.

WRESTLING:
RAMESH ENTERS WORLD STAGE
Becomes the first Indian in 42 years to win a freestyle medal at the wrestling world championships.Kumar defeated Alexandr Burca of Moldova on technical points after the repechage round ended with both the wrestlers tied at the score of 7-7.

SUSHIL FAILS IN MEDAL QUEST
Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar lost out on a medal opportunity in the World Wrestling Championship after losing the bronze medal play-off in the 66kg freestyle category in Herning, Denmark. Sushil lost 0-5 to Japanese Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu in the repechage.

GOLF:
RANDHAWA STAYS IN HUNT, BHULLAR FALTERS
Jyoti Randhawa remained in the hunt for a top-five finish, carding one-under 70 to be placed tied eighth after the penultimate round of the Japan Tour’s Panasonic Open in Kyoto on Saturday. Randhawa has a total of three-under 210 after three rounds. The other Indian, Gaganjeet Bhullar, however, had a nightmarish day, going eight-over 79 for a total of seven-over 220.

TENNIS:
INDIA IN DAVIS CUP
Somdev Devvarman was never going to lose this game. It wasn’t an option.
The match in question was the first of the reverse singles between India and South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group play-off in Johannesburg.
After 2 hours and 15 minutes of play, the match was as good as sealed. The India No. 1 was down by two sets and a break in the third. He was broken on a doublefault in the first game of the third set. The break of serve silenced the Indian bench and threw the South Africans into a frenzy of action, with the seasoned Wesley Moodie leaving the arena to possibly prepare for the fifth match. Right then, at the change over, Somdev told his teammates, I’m not losing this one.’’
He didn’t. Miraculously, the Indian, with the heart of a bullfighter and the legs of a marathon runner, beat his friend and practice partner Rik de Voest 3-6, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in 4 hours and 43 minutes. The win gave India a 3-1 lead and a place in the elite World Group after over a decade in tennis wilderness.

GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
Yuki Bhambri made a memorable Davis Cup debut with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over South African Izak Van der Merwe in the dead fifth rubber of their Davis Cup World Group play-off in Johannesburg. India won 4-1.

SANIA MAKES MAIN DRAW
Sania Mirza qualified for the main draw of the $2 million Toray Pan Pacific Open with a battling win over Ukraine’s world No. 87 Viktoriya Kutuzova on Saturday. After trailing by a set and 1-3 in the second, Sania, the world No. 65, staged a strong fightback to eventually win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

BADMINITION:
SHUTTLERS ADVANCE
Shuttlers Aditya Prakash, Trupti Murgunde, Gayatri Vartak and Sayali Gokahle entered the pre-quarterfinals of the Czech International in Brno on Friday after winning their respective opening round matches. Aditya spanked Polish Maciej Kowalik 21-8 21-9 in just 21-minutes. Among women, Trupti beat French Elisa Chanteur 21-15, 21-12 while Gayatri stunned eighth seed compatriot Neha Pandit 21-18, 14-21, 21-13. Second seed Sayali Gokhale beat Croatia’s Andrea Zvorc 21-15, 21-12.

LAST INDIAN SHUTTLER OUT
P Kashyap lost in straight sets to Peter Gade 10-21 10-21 in the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals of the Yonex Open Japan Super Series badminton in Tokyo. Kashyap proved to be no match for the world No.3 and went down in 31 minutes.

SQUASH:
SAURAV CRASHES OUT
India’s top ranked player Saurav Ghosal crashed out of the $147,500 Sky Open Squash Championships in Cairo after he was humbled in the first round by Laurens Jan Anjema of Netherlands. World No. 32 Ghosal lost 6-11, 11-5, 3-11, 4-11 to 11th seed Anjema in 54 minutes in the PSA World Tour event.

JOSHNA CRASHES OUT
Joshna Chinappa crashed out of the Forexx Women’s World Open Squash tournament in Amsterdam, bringing down the curtains on the Indian challenge in the premier event.The India No. 1, who made the main draw by beating junior world champion Nour el Sherbini of Egypt in the final qualifying round, lost 4-11, 5-11, 6-11 to 16th seeded Egyptian Raneem el Weleily.Meanwhile, Dipika Pallikal failed to make the main draw, losing 5-11, 11-2, 8-11, 12-10, 10-12 to England’s Sarah Kippax in the final qualifying round.

FOOTBALL:
MITTAL MAY BUY OUT BRIATORE FROM QPR
Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal is now considering buying out Falvio Briatore stake at Queens Park Rangers after he was engulfed in controversy as manager of Renault's Formula One team. Briatore, the Italian playboy, ordered a racing driver to crash his car deliberately last year, costing him his job. The Indian billionaire was persuaded by Briatore to become an investor in Queens Park Rangers football club in 2007, but is now reportedly reconsidering his ties with the flamboyant tycoon, The Telegraph, London reported. Mittal is represented at the club by the popular board member and his son-in-law, Amit Bhatia. Lakshmi is extremely concerned about what has happened,said one of his associates.