India women win Challenger Trophy
Cuttack: Teenager Shafali Verma smashed 89 off 45 balls to power India ‘C’ to a title triumph in the women’s T20 Challenger Trophy with an eight-wicket victory over India ‘B’ here on Friday. India ‘B’ posted 131 for six in their allotted 20 overs after opting to bat at the Barabati Stadium. In reply, India ‘C’ chased down the target with as many as 28 balls to spare. During her scintillating knock, the 15-year-old Verma from Haryana blasted 15 fours and two sixes. Earlier, Pooja Vastakar made an unbeaten 43 to help her team reach a respectable total. Vastrakar hit three fours and as many sixes, scoring her runs in 22 balls. Manali Dakshini was the pick of the bowlers for India ‘C’ as she returned with figures of 3/15 while Dayalan Hemalatha and Rajeshwari Gaekwad piked up one wicket each. Brief scores: India ‘B’: 131/6 in 20 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 43 not out, Manali Dakshini 3/15) lost to India ‘C’ 135/2 in 15.2 overs (Shafali Verma 89 not out) by eight wickets. (PTI)
Dr T Ao Football tourney in Kohima
Kohima: The North East Dr T Ao Football Trophy 2020 will be held in the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima from January 20 to 28. Official sources informed that all the Northeastern states including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland have confirmed their participation. The teams will arrive on January 18. The game will be played on a league-cum-knockout basis and the final will be held on January 28, coinciding the birth anniversary of Dr. T. Ao. The winning team will walk away with prize money of Rs 10 lakh, along with the trophy and certificate. The other prizes like runner-up, player of the tournament, fair-play winner, highest scorer, best goalkeeper/defender/midland/forward and man of the final will also be awarded. The inaugural programme of the tournament will be graced by Nagaland Governor RN Ravi here on January 20 at 9 am. All sports lovers and enthusiasts have been informed to come to witness the event as per the fixture which will be published, sources said. (UNI)
Bopanna-Koolhof bags Qatar Open
Doha: Veteran tennis star Rohan Bopanna won the USD 1,465,260 Qatar Open with men’s doubles partner Wesley Koolhof of Netherlands with a come-from-behind win in the final on Friday. The pair beat British-Mexican pair of Luke Bambridge and Santiago Gonzalez 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 to clinch the title. Third-seeded pair Bopanna and Koolhof had reached the final earlier after beating second seeds Henri Kontinen and Franco Skugor 7-5, 6-2. The title win hands them 250 ATP points and a prize money of USD 76,870. Unseeded Bambridge and Gonzalez, on the other hand, had got the better of Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen and Tim Puetz of Germany 2-6 6-2 10-4 in the semis to get to the final themselves. (IANS)