OID‰‰†‰KOID‰‰†‰OID‰‰†‰MOID‰‰†‰C 20 Monday, November 10, 2003 TIMES SPORT The Times of India, New Delhi Lodha qualifies Pune: Karin Marlies Lems In the end, Atwal is the Master of The Netherlands was the Pankaj Nangia only foreign entrant while By Siddharth Saxena looking around and no fidgeting. local lass Shardha Lodha led TIMES NEWS NETWORK Just an easy, relaxed drinking in of six other Indians into the New Delhi: On a golf course as leafy the atmosphere. main draw of the ITF as the Delhi Golf Club, Final Day os- The approach found him about women’s tennis tournament cillation of fortune is revealed by the eight feet right of the pin. If the 17th here on Sunday. roar. And that’s how the world heard was pure genius, the 18th putt was Results: Karin Marlies Lems (Ned) bt pure gumption. Atwal held off jang- Chirashanti Rajur (Ind) 7-5 6-7 (8 -6) 7-5; and heeded the fact that Arjun Atw- Punam Reddy (Ind) bt Oormila Ram (Ind) al was back. The roar after the 17th ly nerves, if any, and sank it. To yet 6-0 6-1; Rati Kumar (Ind) bt Sandra Sasid- green was loud enough to even re- another great roar; and Randhawa haram (Ind) 7-5 6-2; Nidhi Shah (Ind) bt on the fairway surely heard it. Pallavi Sharma (Ind) 6-1 6-2; Shardha verberate in the clubhouse. Lodha (Ind) bt Deepa Eng ade (Ind) 6-1 6-1; On a day of wildly-fluctuating ex- Card submitted, and it was Parul Goswami (Ind) bt Anupama Rajur (Ind) changes in lead, suddenly all that straight to the practice green for At- 6-3 6-0. PTI Gary Rusnak, Unho Park and in par- wal. The clubhouse crowd had ticular Jyoti Randhawa were at- turned its attention to Randhawa Saratoga sizzles tempting to achieve, overturn or who was lined for birdie at exactly TIMES NEWS NETWORK even retrieve, turned insignificant. where Atwal had saved par. Rand- Atwal had wrested the initiative hawa, who has had some memorable New Delhi: Saratoga Sizzle away in one swift, smooth half-swing putts on the 18th here, probably hit won the Krishnaraja Trophy, of his wedge — a 15-footer chip on the his most perfect putt. The line was the main event of the Banga- rough off the green, and plonk, into there, the speed, the intent too. But lore races on Sunday. the cup. The roar came then. Rand- Arjun Atwal (R) and Jyoti Randhawa share a happy moment at the prize dis- only destiny differed. Mr. Ball rolled Results: The Krishnaraja Trophy: 1. hawa on the adjacent fairway must tribution ceremony after the Hero Honda Masters in the Capital on Sunday. in, and at the last moment, changed Saratoga Sizzle, 2. Rio Tinto, 3. Blue Hare. have heard it, as he lined his ap- his mind, lipped around the entire The Air Force Cup (Div. II): 1. Self Decision, lars on the Asian Tour with his first fairway bunker. Recovery to the 2. Smart Supreme, 3. Bajo Grande. The No- proach for the 16th, and not far away rim as if playing some cruel, sick vember Plate: 1. Oxford Don, 2. Laguna but way behind, the struggling prize $ 48,450. mouth of the green, and then a wait joke and stopped away. It was over. Blue, 3. Flightingale. overnight leader Digvijay Singh too The 17th is all hearsay.We missed ensued. Atwal had won. It was so much more would have looked up, a mite startled. it, so preoccupied the horde at the Sudden title-contender Park had than a million dollars. It simply killed the field. Atwal fi- DGC was with the battle between found the far right cart pathway Important scores: 281 — Arjun Atwal (69, 71, 70, 71) nally did not have to go into the Randhawa and Digvijay. “It was the with his second shot. While referees ($ 48,450); 282 — Pablo del Olmo (Mex) (68, 74, 72, sealer,” Atwal was to say of the 15- and organisers conferred on how 68), Gary Rusnak (USA) (73, 71, 65, 73), Jyoti Randhawa added torture of a play-off, after (71, 70, 68, 73) ($22,330 each); 283 — Kim Felton (Aus) Randhawa, a stroke adrift, saw his footer later. We believed him, since best Park could rescue himself — (77, 68, 69, 69), Rafiq Ali (71, 70, 71, 71), Unho Park birdie putt lip the cup and roll away he soon saved par on the 18th, a putt and it was taking time — Atwal in- (Aus) (72, 70, 69, 72) ($10,500 each); 284 — Simon on the final 18th. It would cost him $ that looked like a monster. It was ac- dulged in some quick stretching and Yates (Sco) (73, 69, 73, 69), Jeev Milkha Singh (66, 72, 73, 74) ($7,095 each); 285 — Mukesh Kumar (73, 69, 26,000, while Atwal ended up being tually all of eight feet alone. A poor small talk with caddie Ali Jaan. 72, 71), Rafael Ponce (Ecu) (74, 69, 67, 75), Digvijay the first Indian with a million dol- second shot and he had found the There were no creases of tension, no Singh (71, 68, 68, 78) ($5,552 each). WHEN EAST MEETS WEST East Bengal Salgaocar Soccer feast in offing STRENGTHS STRENGTHS Prior to the final, Durand Cup itself chose to speak to TNN. ● Big match temparent: Debjit, Suleh ● Cohesive midfield: It’s stinging. By Nilanjan Datta in Shasthi Duley or Chandan Das that Musah, Mike Okoro & Co. have always Tomba, Dharamjit and Jatin Bisht can TIMES NEWS NETWORK had flattened the mighty Bec Tero in the Asean Cup final. Beware! lifted their socks up in a big match. run out the steam of any rival team. New Delhi: Hello Bhowmick babu ● The Baichung factor: This doesn’t ● Fresh lot: What is East Bengal’s Subhas, I never doubted your pedi- (East Bengal coach), Hello Saviosaab gree as a tactician. You appreciated need description. weakness, is Salgaocar’s strength. (Salgaocar coach), I know that your They have not played other than the the Salgaocar midfield on Sunday WEAKNESS heart no longer throbs as loud as it evening, but in the corner of your Goa League. No doubt, they run faster. does for the new beauty on the ramp ● Past glory: The team peaked too eyes, I spotted your strategy for them. early. The Asean form is something that WEAKNESS — the National Football League. I Savio, the Kolkata team may start apologise, for Subhas Bhowmick, isn’t the players are trying to attain. ● Temperament: Current lot is in-ex- with five midfielders and four defend- it the AFC Champions League that ers. You have to stop their counters. ● Absence of Dipak and Douglas: perienced. If the big-occasion gets to now hogs your mindspace?. Another thing, Savio. Whatever his They are being sorely missed. Only if their head, their rhythm can suffer. The football scenario in the coun- state may be, a zonal marking for the two were here, Bhowmick would ● Slow starters: In previous matches, try has changed. On the eve of my Baichung would be too risky.Is it worth have stayed more confident. they conceeded early goals. 116th birthday,I recollected nostalgia taking? You know best. K. K Laskar — both of you as players, had for in- My pain lies elsewhere. There numerable times, in front of a full- weren’t serpentine queues in front of house (of which graceful ladies were the counters for tickets. It’s been a section), battled over me. three years since we witnessed a full- Hi Baichung, Hi Tomba, the two of house in the final. you play together in the national team. On Monday,nevertheless, you will play Honourable APJ Abdul Kalam, the against each other.And by the evening, walls of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, I one will hold me in your arms. know, are too thick for my voice to Baichung, it was good to know that reach you. you will start from the kick-off as will But there was a time, not long back, your pal Surkumar Singh. Babu- when your predecessors stepped moshai, I feel sad for Alvito (D’Cun- down the stairs to present me to the ha). He’s put on loads of weight. winning captain. I stay optimistic that my plea will reach you in the Tomba, it will be a test of your char- next 365 days. acter. The red and gold defence has been listless in the Capital. Final: East Bengal vs Salgaocar The East Bengal squad stretches at a swimming pool prior to the final. But Subhas’ pep-talk prior to the Kick-off: kick-off may ignite the same passion 2.30pm. TOID101103/CR2/20/M/1TOID101103/CR2/20/C/1TOID101103/CR2/20/K/1TOID101103/CR2/20/Y/1 CMYK.