Category Archives: Sports

NATIONAL: SPORTS: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announces ‘National Sports Awards 2022’

President of India will give away the awards on 30th November 2022.

Key highlights

  • Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022 will be given to Sharath Kamal Achanta
  • 25 Sports persons will receive Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2022

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2022 today. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30th November, 2022 (Wednesday) at 1600 hrs.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches and entities:

(i)​Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022

S. No.Name of the sportspersonDiscipline
1.Shri Sharath Kamal AchantaTable Tennis

(ii)​Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2022

S. No.Name of the sportspersonDiscipline
1.Ms Seema PuniaAthletics
2.Shri Eldhose PaulAthletics
3.Shri Avinash Mukund SableAthletics
4.Shri Lakshya SenBadminton
5.Shri Prannoy HSBadminton
6.Shri AmitBoxing
7.Ms Nikhat ZareenBoxing
8.Ms Bhakti Pradip KulkarniChess
9.Shri R PraggnanandhaaChess
10.Ms Deep Grace EkkaHockey
11.Ms Shushila DeviJudo
12.Ms Sakshi KumariKabaddi
13.Ms Nayan Moni SaikiaLawn Bowl
14.Shri Sagar Kailas OvhalkarMallakhamb
15.Ms ElavenilValarivanShooting
16.Shri Omprakash MitharvalShooting
17.Ms Sreeja AkulaTable Tennis
18.Shri Vikas ThakurWeightlifting
19.Ms AnshuWrestling
20.Ms SaritaWrestling
21.Shri ParveenWushu
22.Ms Manasi Girishchandra JoshiPara Badminton
23.Shri Tarun DhillonPara Badminton
24.Shri Swapnil Sanjay PatilPara Swimming
25.Ms Jerlin Anika JDeaf Badminton

(iii)​Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games 2022

A. Regular Category:

S. No.Name of the Coach (S/Shri/Ms)Discipline
1.Shri Jiwanjot Singh TejaArchery
2.Shri Mohammad Ali QamarBoxing
3.Ms Suma Siddharth ShirurPara Shooting
4.Shri Sujeet MaanWrestling

B. Lifetime Category:

S.No.Name of the Coach (S/Shri/Ms)Discipline
1.Shri Dinesh Jawahar LadCricket
2.Shri Bimal Prafulla GhoshFootball
3.Shri Raj SinghWrestling

(iv)​Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2022

S. No.Name of the sportspersonDiscipline
1.Ms Ashwini Akkunji C.Athletics
2.Shri Dharamvir SinghHockey
3.Shri B.C SureshKabaddi
4.Shri Nir Bahadur GurungPara Athletics

(v) ​Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2022

S. No.CategoryEntity recommended for RashtriyaKhel Protsahan Puruskar, 2022
1.Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young TalentTransStadia Enterprises Private Limited 
2.Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social ResponsibilityKalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
3.Sports for Development Ladakh Ski & Snowboard Association

(vi)​Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2022:

Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar

National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over the period of the previous four years.

‘Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance over a period of the previous four years and for showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

‘Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games’ is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and for enabling sportspersons to excel in International events.

‘Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games’ is given to honour sportspersons who have contributed to sports by their performance and who continue to contribute to promotion of sports event after their retirement.

‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ is given to corporate entities (both in private and public sector), Sports Control Boards, NGOs, including sports bodies at the State and National level, who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.

The overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.

This year, for the first time, applications were invited only online and sportspersons/coaches/entities were permitted to self-apply through a dedicated portal. A large number of nominations were received for these awards this year, which were considered by the Selection Committee headed by Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, Retd. Judge, Supreme Court of India and consisting members from eminent sportspersons, persons having experience in sports journalism and sports administrators.

source/content: pib.gov.in (release: 187-5896)

WORLD: RECORDS: World Record Created by Nandan Choubey, a Climber from Bihar as he Unfurled the 328ft Tallest Tricolour in Lahaul-Spiti’s -Mount Kanamo peak

Nandan Choubey, a resident of Sarenja village of Bihar’s Buxar district created a world record by hoisting the tallest Tricolour of 328-feet on the top of Mount Kanamo.

He made a world record in August by conquering Mount Yunam located between Manali and Leh and Mount Kanamo located in Lahaul Spiti district of the Himalayas.

Choubey says that mountains seem small when one has the spirit and will to make the right efforts to reach the destination. He is the only mountaineer from Bihar to have achieved this success.

He added that conquering the peak, which has scarce oxygen, is considered to be very difficult.

“Carrying a flag weighing 10 kilograms is a big deal,” Choubey said.

Elated on his achievement, the mountaineer added that he is passionate about climbing mountains, exploring and taking up new adventures.

His success has been included in the World Book of Records and International Book of Records.

Choubey in a conversation with IANS said that he visited Kedarnath and Kedarkantha for the first time in 2017. His passion for mountaineering gained momentum after seeing the Himalayan Range from close.

He trained from Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering (JIM) in Jammu & Kashmir and the National Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarakhand.

Choubey’s journey from the Sarenja village to the mountain tops has been special and difficult too. His morale has increased by this success.

The mountaineer considers Reinhold Messner and Jimmy Chin as his idols.

He said that he has climbed many high peaks, including Kedarkantha, Kalanag, Yunam peak, Kanamo, Stok Kangri, Kang Yatse II, Dzo Jongo, Rudragaira, Friendship peak, Satopanth peak and Nun.

He dedicated the record to the country and other mountaineers. When asked about his upcoming plans, he said that he wants to hoist the Tricolour on Mount Denali in Alaska, North America.

He added that the biggest goal for him is to reach Mount Everest for which he is working exceptionally hard.

Choubey has received awards like ‘Iconic personality of India’, ‘Kalam Youth Leadership award’ and ‘Global Bihar Excellence award’ among others.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / BADMINTON: 18-year Shuttler Sankar Muthusamy Bags Silver in BWF World Junior Championships, Santander, Spain

It’s been a week to remember for budding shuttler Sankar Muthusamy. Up against some of the finest talents around the world, the 18-year-old showed his prowess with the racquet to stand apart. Entering the court for his final match in the BWF World Junior Championship in Santander, Spain on Sunday, Sankar had a chance to claim the top prize and enter the history books. However, things didn’t go according to Sankar’s script as his opponent, clearly superior on the day, outwitted him to take the gold instead.

Facing Kuo Kuan Lin of Chinese Taipei, Sankar was always playing the chasing game with his much taller and stronger opponent unleashing some big cross-court smashes in the opening game. Kuo was attacking Sankar’s, who’s left-handed, backhand. Sankar also showed grit, especially in the second game but that was too little, too late. Towards the end, he saved six game points to bring the contest to life. However, Kuo maintained his composure to win 21-14, 22-20.

Despite the loss, it goes without saying the silver medal effort is a massive boost for Sankar, who had won five matches to reach final.

Unlike some big performers in the country, the youngster is not from the well-known Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad or the Prakash Padukune Badminton Academy, institutes who have a reputation of  producing champions at will. Coming from Fireball Academy in Chennai, Sankar had been ticking the right boxes in recent years to help him come so far.

He is also repaying the faith put on him by his parents. His father had taken voluntary retirement to give more attention to him. And it goes without saying, they have spent a lot on his travels, something that has helped him attain match practice and learn about the sport. That had also helped him No 1 status (August 2022) in BWF junior rankings, an important stat that showed that he’s someone to be watched closely.  His coach Aravind Swamiappan has been with him for over a decade, helping him learn the nuances of the game.

Just a week or so back, Sankar and his coach had encountered off-the-field issues, something that forced him to sit out of the mixed team event of the championship at the eleventh hour. That had also meant that his participation for the individual event was in doubt. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS/CRICKET: 19-yr-old Vikramjit Singh to Don Netherlands Jersey at T20 World Cup, playing for Netherlands

Family fled Punjab in the 80’s, 19-yr-old at T20 World Cup for Netherlands

Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”.

On a cold December night in 1984, Khushi Cheema returned home and asked his wife to pack their belongings. The following day, the Sikh family from village Cheema Khurd near Jalandhar boarded a train for Delhi. During the 52-km ride, 5-year-old Harpreet kept asking his father where they were going. He only got a smile as an answer.

“I can never forget that night and the next morning. It still feels like it happened yesterday. My father took that decision to keep his family safe after the rise of insurgency in Punjab during the mid-1980s,” Harpreet tells The Indian Express over phone from Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

Cut to the present, Khushi Cheema is back on his farm in Jalandhar, and Harpreet is running a transportation company in Amstelveen.

His 19-year-old grandson, Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”

After the win against Pakistan in the opening game, India will start as favourites against a nation where cricket isn’t a mass sport.

“I was five when I came to the Netherlands. It was very hard; you didn’t know the language, it was a completely different culture. It took me a few years to settle down,” says Harpreet.

He goes down memory lane, recollecting his family’s hardships and the discrimination he faced growing up.

“Back then, there was racism. I faced a lot because of my skin colour, turban and beard,” says Harpreet.

But with time, things eased. Khushi Cheema, who started driving a taxi in his new country, handed over his transportation company to his son before moving back to India in 2000.

“My father handed over the business to me and moved back to India. He said his duty as a father was done, we are well settled here now, and he wanted to go back to his pind (village), to his people,” Harpreet says.

The family’s bond with India was too strong to cut off. Vikramjit was born in Cheema Khurd and he moved to the Netherlands only after he turned seven. He never had to face problems like his father.

At 11, he was spotted at an U-12 tournament by then Dutch skipper Peter Borren, who spent hours and hours in the nets to groom the youngster. He also got a sponsorship from Beat All Sports (BAS), a sports goods manufacturers company that made bats for Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh.

At 15, he was already in the Netherlands ‘A’ side and two years later, made his senior team debut.

“For me, cricket started in Cheema Khurd. When I moved to the Netherlands, I used to go with my father as he used to play in the local leagues. At 12, I played alongside him when he was captain,” Vikramjit says from Sydney.

Borren got Vikramjit enrolled at his club VRA, Amsterdam, where he was captain.

“Not sure what he saw in me but I feel lucky that someone like Peter, with so much international experience, is my mentor. He has guided me throughout my cricketing career so far,” says Vikramjit.

It is not easy to be a professional cricketer in a country obsessed with football with a cricket season ending in September before resuming in March.

Here, Harpreet came to his son’s rescue. During his playing days, he had become friends with Amit Uniyal, a former Punjab and Rajasthan Royals bowler, who used to play league cricket with him in the Netherlands. From 2015-16 to 2019-20, the youngster spent six months at Uniyal’s Gurusagar Cricket Academy in Chandigarh.

“I had my doubts first. NRI kid, will he be able to train twice a day? Will he be able to get along with the local lads? But he surprised me with his temperament, his immense self-belief and hard work. He never complained and I am not surprised to see his rise in International cricket,” says Uniyal.

In 2021, Vikramjit shifted his base to Jalandhar and started training with former India U-19 player Taruwar Kohli, who also used to play for a club in Amsterdam.

“One of the reason was that Taruwar Kohli’s Powerplay Cricket Academy was near my village (Khurd Cheema), and now my mother doesn’t have to worry about me anymore. It was kind of exhausting for her too. Above all, I got to spend more time with my Dadu (grandfather),” says Vikramjit, who has gifted his Netherlands jersey to his grandfather, a die-hard cricket fan.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / CRICKET: Roger Binny, First World-Cup Winner, Elected as President – Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at its 91st Annual General Meeting, Mumbai

Roger Binny becomes the first World Cup-winner to become the president of the BCCI.

Former Indian cricketer Roger Binny has been appointed as the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 67-year-old was elected unopposed during BCCI’s annual general meeting (AGM), which was held on Tuesday, 18 October, at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah, departing president Sourav Ganguly, treasurer Arun Dhumal and vice-president Rajeev Shukla were all present at the 91st annual general meeting of the board. With his appointment, Binny becomes the first-ever former World Cup-winning to become BCCI’s president.

Jay Shah has been re-inducted as the secretary of the board, while it now remains to be seen whether the BCCI will field a candidate for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) elections.

Among the other decisions taken during the meeting, Arun Singh Dhumal vacated his position as the treasurer of the board and was appointed as a member of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council. Avishek Dalmiya, the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), was also appointed as an IPL Governing Council member.

Ashish Shelar, the former chief of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), took over as the new treasurer, with former secretary of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), Devajit Saikia was appointed as the joint-secretary. Assam M Khairul Jamal Majumdar was appointed as an Apex Council member.

Besides confirming the new appointments, the BCCI also approved to conduct the inaugural edition of the Women’s IPL in 2023.

source/content: thequint.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / WRESTLING: Sajan Bhanwala Wins Bronze, Becomes First-Ever Indian Greco-Roman Wrestler to Win a Medal at ‘U23 World Championships 2022’, Pontevedra, Spain

Sajan Bhanwala became the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win a medal at the Under-23 World Championship when he edged past Ukraine’s Dmytro Vasetskyi on ‘criteria’ to emerge winner in the bronze play-off, here.

It was the Ukrainian who pulled off a four-pointer on the edge of the circle for a solid start but Bhanwala bounced back immediately with a strong move that got him into a position from where he could pin his rival.

Though he could not pin his rival, it was good enough to earn four points. Bhanwala lost two more points and got into defensive mode.

For staying passive, Bhanwala put on a ‘Par Terre’ position, something Indian wrestlers are very poor at defending and the Ukrainian pulled off another four-pointer from the ground position for a handsome 10-4 lead.

Bhanwala scored two points with a take-down move and with 35 seconds left in the bout, managed to push his rival on the back to level the scores.

The bout ended at 10-10 but since the Indian had scored the last point he was declared winner on criteria.

Bhanwala had begun with a 3-0 win over Lithuania’s Aistis Liaugminas but lost his pre-quarterfinal bout to Moldova’s Alexandrin Gutu.

As Gutu made the final, Bhanwala bounced back into medal contention via the repechage route and he made full use of that with a 9-6 win over Kazakhstan’s Rassul Zhunis.

Meanwhile, Vikas will fight for a bronze in the 72kg after losing his semifinal by technical superiority to Croatia’s Pavel Puklavec.

He will be up against the winner of the repechage contest between Georgios Theodoros Sotiriadis and Jpana’s Daigo Kobayashi.

Before losing his semifinal clash, Vikas beat Kyrgyzstan’s Adilkhan Nurlanbekov and home team rival Marcos Sanchez Silva Mejias by technical superiority, losing just one point across bouts.

In the 60kg category, Sumit got back to medal reckoning when he made the repechage round. He will be up against Kazakhastan’s Olzhas Sultan.

In the 67kg competition, Ashu bowed out after losing his qualification bout by technical superiority to Georgia’s Diego Chkhikvadze.

Six Greco-Roman wrestlers travelled to the Spanish city for the championship along with two women and one free-style wrestler while visas of 21 other Indians were rejected by the Embassy of Spain.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL – ASIA: SPORTS / CRICKET: India Women Dominate by beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to Win the 7th Asia Women’s Cup Title

India maintained their dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup with an eight-wicket demolition of a self-destructing Sri Lanka in the final here on Saturday for their seventh title in eight editions.

Sri Lanka, who were playing their first tournament final in 14 years, imploded after opting to bat on a slow and turning pitch.

They could only manage 65 for nine which India knocked off in 8.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana struck a sublime 51 not out off 25 balls.

It was a procession after Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu got run out in the third over following a mix-up with Anushka Sanjeewani who too got run out six balls later.

Renuka, who has been in top form since the Commonwealth Games in August, sent back Hasini Perera on the very first ball she faced. The left-hander checked her shot only to be caught at cover, leaving Sri Lanka at nine for four.

The Sri Lankans were in dire need of a partnership but Kavisha Dilhari’s fall made it 16 for five as she was bowled while trying to play an incoming delivery from Renuka across the line.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad got her first wicket after Nilakshi de Silva played onto her stumps while trying to cut a ball close to her body.

At 32 for eight, being bowled out for a sub-50 total was very much on the cards, but Ranaweera saved them from that ignominy with an unbeaten 18 off 22 balls.

The Indians bowled with discipline but poor shot selection contributed more to Sri Lanka’s steep slide. After a memorable win over Pakistan in the semifinals, it seemed the occasion got the better of Sri Lanka. India lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues cheaply in the run chase.

However, both the batters did well in the tournament, with Shafali getting back to form and Jemimah making a successful comeback from injury.

The elegant Mandhana played some exquisite strokes on way to completing the formality alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11 not out of 14).

Smriti’s effort included three sixes and six boundaries. Fittingly, she sealed the win with a maximum off Oshadi Ranasinghe. The win is a shot in the arm for India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year.

They were able to test players for different roles during the competition, though that also contributed to their only loss in the tournament, against Pakistan in the league stage.

The Indians took a lap of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and, in a fine gesture, got clicked with the entire ground staff after their triumph, which was witnessed by a sizeable turnout.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPORTS / RIFLE SHOOTING: 18-yr-old Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil Wins Gold beating Italy’s Danilo Solazzo in 10m Air Rifle ‘World Championship’ Cairo, Egypt

Indian 18 year old had topped 10m air rifle qualification, and brought India its first Paris Games quota place in air rifle.

India’s Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil scored a sensational come-from-behind victory in the men’s 10m Air rifle final, beating Italy’s Danilo Sollazzo 17-13 in a shootout, to win the gold medal at the ongoing World Championships in Cairo on Friday. In the process of winning gold, Patil also earned India its first pistol/rifle event quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The other two quotas besides India and Italy went to China (Lihao Sheng finishing 3rd & Haoran Yang 4th) and Czech Republic through Jiri Privatsky (5th).

India’s last World Champion in the men’s air rifle was Abhinav Bindra at Zagreb in 2006, while Gagan Narang picked a bronze at the World Championships at Munich in 2010. Anjum Moudgil won silver in women’s in 2018.

The final was a glimpse into what the ISSF has in plans for the Paris Games with regards to the format. The last rule change meant that the eight participants in the final compete for rankings from 1-8. After a series of three, consisting of five shots per series, the two shooters with the least number of points are eliminated. From thereon out, two shooters get eliminated at the end of every series, until only the top 2 remain. Those two are then supposed to battle it out in a first-to-16 duel scenario, where a level score for both nets a point, and the higher score between both leads to two points to the winner.

After a 51.8 in his first series, Patil never shot under 52 for the next four series. The result – a score of 261.9, the second position in hand and the chance to go for gold with the slate all clean. Facing him in the final duel would be Italian shooter Danilo Sollazzo who had shot a monstrous 262.7 to qualify for the shootout.

In the shootout the first two attempts for both led to an identical 10.5 score which meant the scores were tied at 2-2. Sollazzo then took the lead in the next two shots as he continued to hit 10.5 and Patil managed only a 10.3 in his next couple of attempts. The scores now were 6-2. The Italian attempted to seize the initiative of the shootout, scoring yet another 10.5. But the 18-year-old Indian shooter responded with a perfect 10.9 to some loud shouts from the Indian contingent watching in support. At 6-4 though, Sollazzo won the next two rounds making the score 10-4.

At this point, it seemed hard to imagine a comeback for the Thane-teen. But the Italian’s next shot was a 10.3 and Patil responded with a 10.6. Both shooters then shot an identical 10.4 to claim a point apiece and make the scores 11-7 in favour of the Italian. The Italian lost two further points when he shot 10.2 and his counterpart replied with a 10.6.

But Sollazzo was far from done. In the next set, he dropped a 10.7 to Patil’s 10.4 to take his lead to four points again. But at 13-9, the Italian would not score any more points.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: Indian-Australian Kay Godkhindi Creates History in All-Female Chair Umpire Team at ATP’s ‘Sofia Open’, Bulgaria

In a first, supervisor, tournament director, referee and chief of umpires are all women who have been assigned to an ATP tour event.

There’s a strong Dubai connection to the ongoing Sofia Open in Bulgaria run by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits.

This is for the first time, an all-female chair umpire team, including the ATP supervisor, tournament director, referee and chief of umpires, was assigned to an ATP Tour event.

Tournament Director Kay Godkhindi, who is of Indian origin and holds an Australian passport, grew up in Dubai and went to college in the USA.

She told Khaleej Times from Sofia about the exciting aspect of the event.

“Truth be told, we had no clue about history being made in front of our eyes. At the end of the day, it’s a sport where gender is of little consequence. Besides, gender doesn’t define an individual’s capabilities. However, it’s a wonderful concept to have equal opportunity in both the ATP and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and empowering women as and when possible is a step towards the right direction,” she said while lavishing praise on ATP for championing the gender cause.

Tennis has had several prominent female officials, including those officiating in men’s matches, for several decades.

Anne Lasserre, who is the ATP Supervisor for the ATP 250 in Sofia, is the gender-bender pioneer.

“I think it’s an honour as well to be the first female. I worked as a chair umpire for the ATP a long time ago,” Lasserre said.

“I think things and the situation are evolving, which I think is a good thing. It’s an honour, I’m proud of it…

“It’s good to think about the future and being able to break this glass ceiling and give this opportunity to other females to do the same job as we do in every sport,” she told atptour.com.

ATP Senior Director of Officiating Administration Ali Nili told atptour.com: “The ATP Officiating Department prioritises high performance and a diverse officiating team. The tournament in Sofia is an example of our successful efforts in that direction. While the road to progress is long, we are proud of the direction we are heading, and the future seems bright.

source/content: khaleejtimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORT, TENNIS: Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop Win the ‘ATP250 Tel Aviv Open Men’s Doubles Title’, making this Bopanna’s Third of Season

The 42-year-old Indian now breaks back into the top 20 rankings for the first time since August.

Rohan Bopanna partnered Matwe Middelkoop to win his third tour title of the year, when the pair beat third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-2, 6-4, in the ATP 250 Tel Aviv Open on Sunday.

With the doubles crown, the 42-year-old now breaks back into the top 20 rankings for the first time since August, currently placed 19. Earlier this year, he had partnered Ramkumar Ramanathan to win titles in Adelaide and Pune.

But this was the first title he won with his Dutch partner. The duo had reached the final at the Hamburg Open and semifinals at the French Open earlier this year. They also hold a 16-10 record this season.

The top seeds in Israel however, had to work their way back into each of the three matches they played before getting to the final.

They beat Hamad Medjedovic and Yshai Oliel 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-6 in the first round. In the quarterfinal they beat Denys Molchanov and Franko Skugor 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-5 before beating the all-French team of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 4-6, 7-6(3), 10-8.

In the final though, they played their best tennis.

“I think those close matches, pulling through those you’re obviously having more court time, you’re trying to come through and fight some close battles,” Bopanna said to the ATP website.

“We were a couple of points or one point away from losing those matches, so sometimes those weeks make a huge difference for your confidence.”

This was Bopanna’s first event since the US Open. He was scheduled to compete for India in the Davis Cup World Group 1 tie against Norway, but pulled out because of a knee injury.

source/content: scroll.in (headline edited)