Rashid steers India to glory

The Indian junior team qualified for the World Junior Team Championship by winning the Asian qualifiers at the Perak Royal Golf Club in Malaysia. The team comprising Rashid Khan, Chikkarangappa, Ashbeer Saini and Abhijit Chadha finished tied for the top place along with Thailand to book their spot in the world stage of the championship, which will be held in Japan in June.

Rashid bagged another international title as he led the individual standings with a three-day total of five-under 211. India matched Thailand’s mark with a total aggregate of six-over 654 in the three rounds. Only two teams qualify for the final stage from the Asian qualifiers.

This is the third time that India made it to the final stage of the World Junior Golf Team Championship.

They had earlier done it in 2007 and 2008.

Kapur tied 17th

Abu Dhabi: Shiv Kapur continued his fine form with a solid four-under 68 in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open golf on the European Tour.

The Delhi golfer had five birdies and one bogey in his 68 that placed him tied 17th. He was three shots behind Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Keith Horne, who shot 65 each.

Jeev Milkha Singh, who started on the tenth was four-under after 13 holes dropped five straight bogeys from the fifth to the ninth to plummet to one-over and tied 88th place.

Jyoti Randhawa carded a two-under 70 and was tied 36th, while SSP Chowrasia opened with a 72 and was tied 72nd.

Kapur opened with a birdie on tenth and then gave away that shot on the 16th before slotting back to back birdies on 17th and 18th to turn in two-under. On the second nine, the front half of the course, Kapur had birdies on second and eighth to finish in 68th.

Randhawa had one birdie on the front nine and then had three more on the second but also gave away two bogeys in his 70.