Hockey:Chandigarh, Mizoram, Punjab, Manipur win on day 6
SECUNDERABAD, Dec 2: Chandigarh, Mizoram, Punjab, Manipur and Andhra Pradesh emerged winners on the sixth day of the 14th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship here Monday. Chandigarh defeated Arunachal 3-1 in Pool E with captain Apram (7’), Annu (13’) and Tamanna (31’) scoring for the winners. Arunachal’s one goal was scored by Captain Ranu Tiwari (60’).Mizoram blanked Kerala 7-0 in another Pool E match with Laldinpuii (16’, 18’, 31’, 52’) bagging four goals for her side. Captain Laltlanchhungi (11’), Vanlalrinhlui (29’) and Manglawmsang (40’) also contributed with a goal each.In Pool G, Punjab trashed Assam 9-0. Captain Sanna (12’, 15’, 36’, 47’, 53’, 57’) had an incredible performance and scored six goals for her side.Khushveer Kaur (3’), Saloni (33’) and Maskeenpreet Kaur (51’) also featured on the scoresheet.Manipur won in its Pool A clash against Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu 5-1 with captain Devi Moirangthem Prinja (2’, 51’) and Huidrom Bidyaluxmi Devi (33’, 52’) contributing with braces and Seram Henthoi Chanu (49’) also scoring a goal.Rashi Singh (37’) scored the solitary goal for Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu. In Pool H, Andhra Pradesh notched up an incredible 26-1 win over Puducherry.The quarterfinal matches will be played on Tuesday. (PTI)
Terry Griffiths, former world snooker champion, dies at 77
WALES, Dec 2: Terry Griffiths, a Welsh snooker player who won the world championship as a qualifier and later became a coach to top players like Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, has died. He was 77.World Snooker announced Griffiths’ death early Monday. His son, Wayne, wrote in a post on Facebook that his father died on Sunday, surrounded by his family, and had been battling dementia.Renowned for his slow and methodical style of play, Griffiths was one of the most recognizable figures in British sport during snooker’s heyday in the late 1970s and 1980s.The undoubted highlight of his career was becoming world champion in 1979 after beating Dennis Taylor in the final at the Crucible Theatre.But, he is also one of 11 players to win the so-called “Triple Crown” of major events after capturing the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982. “He is a legend of the game,” top-ranked player Judd Trump said.Griffiths turned professional in 1978, by which time he had worked as a bus conductor, a postman and an insurance agent. That’s after starting off working in the mines in south Wales at the age of 15.It made his run to the world title a year later a great underdog story – and it included a 1:40 am finish in his semi-final against Australia’s Eddie Charlton, another famously slow player.Griffiths was sharp and witty, and by the end of his playing career had bouncy, coiffured hair he even mocked himself in the popular 1980s song “Snooker Loopy” – by Chas & Dave – when he sang the line: “I’ll buy another eight hairbrushes for me, barnet.” He retired in 1997 after a first-round loss in the world championship to Williams, a fellow Welshman and world champion and one of some top players who went on to be mentored by Griffiths.The list included seven-time world champion Hendry, Mark Allen and China’s Ding Junhui.(PTI)
Kumar Nitesh nominated for Para Badminton ‘player of the year’
NEW DELHI, Dec 2: India’s Paralympic champion Kumar Nitesh has been nominated along with three others for the men’s Para Badminton Player of the Year, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Monday.Nitesh, who won his maiden gold medal in SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics, will be competing for the award with two-time Paralympic gold medallists Cheah Liek Hou (SU5) of Malaysia, Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara (WH2) and China’s Qu Zimo (WH1).The 29-year-old Indian is also a two-time silver and one-time bronze medallist at the World Championships.In women’s category, Li Feng Mei, Sarina Satomi, Liu Yu Tong and Leani Ratri Oktila have been nominated for the award.Qu, Liu, Oktila and Li have a shot at a double, as they have also been nominated for the Para Badminton Pair of the Year with respective partners Mai Jian Peng, Yin Meng Lu, Hikmat Ramdani and Lin Naili.The winners will be announced during the BWF World Tour Finals Gala Dinner on December 9. (PTI)
