EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 20 SPORT MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE COVID-19 IMPACT Axelsen takes the honours Sharath’s long wait ends A bit over­exaggerated, says Lockie Ferguson AUCKLAND Tai Tzu Ying wins her third crown Clinches Oman Open title; Harmeet loses in semifinal The way things played out after he reported a sore OMAN OPEN TT throat, leading to COVID­19 tests and isolation in his Press Trust of India hotel room, were a “bit Muscat over­exaggerated”, feels New A. Sharath Kamal ended his Zealand pacer Lockie decade­long wait for a title, Ferguson. “No. Probably a bit producing a sensational per­ over­exaggerated as to how I (Simsek, physio) and the formance to win the ITTF was. I just sort of had very, support staff. Completely very mild cold symptoms and understandable. So yeah, Challenger Plus Oman Open the procedures were as they kinda had a day in the hotel here on Sunday. Despite be­ were and followed by Tommy room by myself.” PTI ing a game down, the 37­ year­old Indian recovered to outclass top­seeded Marcos which he scored four goals in Freitas of Portugal 6­11, 11­8, the Champions League last 12­10, 11­9, 3­11, 17­15 in the week to a hospital in summit clash. Bergamo, at the centre of It was in 2010 that Sha­ Italy’s coronavirus drama. rath had bagged his last title, “We too are by your side, our at the Egypt Open. angels, to win the most important match of all,” said In the semifinals, Sharath Ilicic, who gifted the ball to had pulled off a stunning the Papa Giovanni XXIII come­from­behind victory Four­goal Ilicic donates Hospital in the city. Coach against Russia’s Kirill Skach­ ball to hospital Gian Piero Gasperini has The coveted trophy: Viktor Axelsen finally got his hands on the prestigious All England kov. ROME appealed for funds for the badminton crown on Sunday. * REUTERS The fourth seed rallied Atalanta forward Josip Ilicic hospital to purchase medical from two games down to re­ Special Sunday: Sharath Kamal, who won a title after 10 has donated the ball with equipment. AFP champion, beat Chinese title at the prestigious tour­ gister a 11­13, 11­13, 13­11, 11­9, years, with Marcos Freitas, his opponent in the final. * ITTF ALL ENGLAND Taipei’s top seed Chou nament. 13­11, 8­11, 11­7 win in a thrill­ Tien­Chen 21­13, 21­14 in a ing seven­set semi­final that with my wife to participate sive and my shots were Valencia confirms Press Trust of India Other results (finals): in the Oman Open,” revealed sharper.” five positive tests BIRMINGHAM lopsided final, lasting 46 Women’s doubles: Yuki Fu­ lasted one hour and eight minutes, to add another kushima & Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) minutes. Sharath after the triumph. Sharath is expected to MADRID Viktor Axelsen of Den­ feather to his cap. bt Du Yue & Li Yin Hui (Chn) 21­ Freitas had made it to the gain 800 points and his Valencia confirmed on Sunday mark claimed his maiden “It feels great to win a title 13, 21­15. final with a 5­11, 11­9, 6­11, 6­ world rankings might be 31 five of the club’s players and men’s singles title at the All The 26­year­old is the even if it is a Challenger Plus staff have tested positive, first Dane to win the pres­ Men’s doubles: Hiroyuki Endo 11, 11­8, 13­11, 11­3 victory over event after a long time. Win­ or 32 next month. England Championship, & Yuta Watanabe (Jpn) bt Mar­ including defender Ezequiel tigious tournament since India’s Harmeet Desai. ning a tournament has be­ The results: while two­time former cus Fernaldi Gideon & Kevin Garay, who became the first Peter Gade in 1999. The latter dominated the come tough nowadays. This Final: A. Sharath Kamal bt Mar­ winner Tai Tzu Ying of Chi­ Sanjaya Sukamuljo 21­18, 12­21, cos Freitas (Por) 6­11, 11­8, 12­ player in La Liga to confirm a match in the initial stages be­ is a good win before the nese Taipei regained the Former World No. 1 Tai 21­19. 10, 11­9, 3­11, 17­15. positive test earlier on Sunday. fore the World No. 26 fought Olympic qualifiers.” women’s singles crown Tzu Ying, playing in her Mixed doubles: Praveen Jordan Semifinals: Sharath bt Kirill Valencia said all those affected his way back. here on Sunday. fourth straight All England & Melati Daeva Oktavianti (Ina) About the final, he said: Skachkov (Rus) 11­13, 11­13, 13­ were “now at home, in good final, overcame top­seed­ bt Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Our Special Correspon- “it was one of my best 11, 11­9, 13­11, 8­11, 11­7; Freitas health and obeying self­ The second­seeded Ax­ ed Chinese Chen Yu Fei 21­ Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) dent adds from Chennai: games. My shots were land­ bt Harmeet Desai 5­11, 11­9, 6­ isolation measures.” AFP elsen, a former World 19, 21­15 to claim her third 21­15, 17­21, 21­8. “I literally had to fight ing right. I was more aggres­ 11, 6­11, 11­8, 13­11, 11­3. coronavirus, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in a statement has said all its 45 years ago: A look back at Indian hockey’s only World Cup triumph Lausanne­based staff will Press Trust of India work from home starting wanted to win it for our the final and the Indian com­ painted in bright red on the Monday, until further notice, New Delhi country,” recalls Aslam. munity in Malaysia was entrance to the team dormi­ with the exception of some More than four decades ago, “We were riding high on equally excited. tory during the training essential functions. It also the Indian hockey team lifted confidence after the semifi­ “Wherever we went, peo­ IOC staff to work from been decided to close the camp. The boys played with its only World Cup crown on nal win. Pakistan was the ple gathered to have a home starting Monday Olympic museum from unity, for each other and this day — a glorious chapter former champion and a very glimpse. Autographs and LAUSANNE Monday, for two weeks. After there was no place for show­ strong team but they could photographs were taken. Pe­ In order to pro­actively limit this time, the situation will be written after the heart­break­ manship. It was the com­ not match our confidence in ople went crazy and we were the risk of spreading the reassessed. IANS ing loss two years earlier in bined efforts that made win­ 1973. the final,” he added. treated like heroes in Malay­ ning for India possible.” For Ashok Kumar, there sia and India.” After enduring a topsy­ Fortyfive years have Paul Pogba makes was added pressure as he Balbir Singh Sr. also went turvy campaign, the Ajit Pal passed since then and India fund­raising pledge was Dhyan Chand’s son. down memory lane. Singh­led Indian team script­ is yet to win another World LONDON “The historic World Cup ed history with a thrilling 2­1 “Definitely pressure was Cup. Manchester United star Paul win over Pakistan on the there. More because of my triumph almost didn’t hap­ Pogba has promised to Ashok Kumar lamented night of March 15 at the Mer­ Celebration time: Team captain Ajit Pal Singh proudly holds family background. When pen. The team entry for the financially support the fight to that despite such a historic deka Football Stadium in the trophy after the final. * THE HINDU ARCHIVES we reached Malaysia and I tournament was almost stop the spread of the Kuala Lumpur. saw the World Cup trophy withdrawn before it started. feat, the winning team did coronavirus. He has organised not get its due. The golden voice of Hindi we did not want to leave any the equaliser to take the for the first time in the hotel So many people worked so a fundraising page on stone unturned in 1975,” said match into extra time. lobby, I made a promise to hard to make it possible,” he “Forget about celebra­ Facebook and the France commentator Jasdev Singh, Ashok Kumar, the son of le­ myself that I will make my said. tions, nobody called us to midfielder will double the describing the winning mo­ “I can never forget that gendary Dhyan Chand, who father proud,” he said. congratulate on this day. I amount raised if the target of ments of that iconic final, goal in my life. We had left still reverberates in the scored the winning goal Chandigarh with only one Team motto think not many remember £27,000 is reached. The against Pakistan in the final. appeal had raised over £2,000 hearts and minds of millions goal: to win the World Cup. National holiday “I had created a unique team the day. After all we are a within hours of being of Indians. “We had a practice camp Every member of the team A National holiday was de­ motto — ‘Regaining world su­ cricket crazy country. Who launched. AFP Ashok Kumar and Aslam in Chandigarh prior to the had the same goal and we clared in India on the day of premacy is our goal.’ It was remembers hockey heroes?” Sher Khan, the stars of the tournament. Huge crowd semifinal and final, remem­ used to gather to watch us. Miami make its home debut, bered those moments on the Giani Zail Singh was the chief which was to have ended 45th anniversary of that his­ minister then and he along Saturday, has been extended.