Puma to be the official merchandise partner for Indian GP

Mumbai: Sport and lifestyle brand Puma will be the official merchandise partner for Buddh International Circuit in Noida, the venue for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix later this month.

"It is our pleasure to be associated with Buddh International Circuit this year. We see this association as a pioneering effort in the field of motorsports merchandise and suits the need of the million fans to reflect their spirit and passion for the sport," Puma India MD Rajiv Mehta said in a media release.

Puma would also continue to be the official licensing partner for Ferrari branded products and the official supplier of team and race wear for Scuderia Ferrari, the release added.

The Indian GP is scheduled on October 30.

PTI

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Chowrasia continues Merit chase in Indian Open

New Delhi: The impressive short game that gave him the nickname "Chipputtsia" has deserted him right now, says Indian golfer SSP Chowrasia, who is hoping to regain lost form for next week`s Hero Indian Open to push for the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown.

The Indian was atop the Order of Merit for a lengthy period of time following his triumph at the season-opening Avantha Masters on home soil in February but recently slipped back to second place behind Japan`s Tetsuji Hirasuka after an uncharacteristic run of missed cuts.

A return to the venerable Delhi Golf Club for the USD 1.25 million event, which is the richest full field Asian Tour tournament, will bring about a fresh dose of confidence as he seeks to change his fortunes and land a maiden Hero Indian Open title.

Chowrasia, who has missed 10 consecutive cuts in Asia and Europe, is known for his short game prowess but admits his putting touch has deserted him following his second career victory in February.

"I`m playing well but my putting has been bad. There is always something missing from my golf game. It is either my chipping or putting that has let me down. I`ve really been struggling in the last few months," said Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up twice in the Indian Open.

Chowrasia stormed to stardom when he won his maiden Asian Tour victory in 2008 at the Indian Masters but his ultimate dream is to follow in the footsteps of decorated countrymen Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa by becoming Asia`s number one.

"I`m aiming to win the Order of Merit. That`s my dream and goal for the year," said Chowrasia, who is the son of a greenskeeper at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

The lucrative Hero Indian Open, the fourth Asian Tour event to be played in the sub-continent this season, has attracted many of the biggest stars on the Asian Tour.

Defending champion Rikard Karlberg of Sweden, Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant, a 12-time winner in Asia, Angelo Que of the Philippines, and this year`s newest Asian Tour champions Berry Henson of the United States and Joonas Granberg of Finland will feature in the event.

India`s young guns Anirban Lahiri and Himmat Rai, who both won their maiden Asian Tour titles this year, and the experienced Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur will spearhead the local challenge.

Gaganjeet Bhullar will also be in the elite field and will be determined to end the season like how he started the year.

He won three consecutive titles in India and Bangladesh early on but has since struggled to maintain his momentum. Strangely by his high standards, Bhullar has yet to claim a single top-10 finish on the Asian Tour this year.

"There`s a bit of pressure for me to go out there and win one title this year but that`s golf and I`m sure everybody is feeling the same. We do work hard to win a tournament every year. The more you work and the luckier you get," said the two-time Asian Tour champion.

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WSB`s Indian franchise picks up world champ, CWG medallist

Baku (Azerbaijan): Former world champion Abbos Atoyev and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Patrick Gallagher were among the five international pugilists that the World Series of Boxing`s Indian franchise -- Mumbai Fighters -- picked up in a draft order conducted by the sport`s governing body AIBA.

The World Series of Boxing draft was held during the rest day of the ongoing World Championships yesterday, which has already seen 12 WSB boxers qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games through the competition.

It was primarily held for the Mumbai Fighters and the Leipzig Leopards from Germany.

"International Boxing Association (AIBA) President and WSB Chairman, Ching-Kuo Wu, signed a Declaration of Cooperation with Jurgen Kyas from the German Boxing Federation and Marco Schulze, General Manager of the Leipzig Leopards," the AIBA said in a statement.

Fifteen months after the first international draft was held in London, where 87 international boxers were chosen to fill the required quota of non-national squad members, 25 more were again drafted from a list of 67 available athletes representing almost 30 countries from all five continents.

Among the 25 boxers drafted, there were World Champions, Youth Olympic Games Champions, World Youth Champions, World Junior Champions, Continental Champions and many National Champions.

The draft was presided over by Wu in front of the National Federations` representatives and the Mumbai Fighters managed to rope in some of the top names in international boxing.

Atoyev is currently the world number one in the middleweight division. The Uzbek is an old nemesis of India`s Olympic and World Championship bronze-medallist Vijender Singh, having defeated him in the previous World Championships before being beaten in the Asian Games.

But both Atoyev and Vijender were ousted from the ongoing World Championships here after preliminary losses.

Another talented boxer that Mumbai picked was Australia`s Damien Hooper. Hooper beat Dinesh Kumar in the pre-quarters of the ongoing competition before losing by a solitary point in the last-eight stage of the light heavyweight division.

Gallagher was a welterweight gold-medallist at the Delhi CWG last year. But all three of them will compete in the 73kg division in the WSB.

The draft proceeds with a draw between the new franchises to determine the order of picks. The remaining draft order is then based on the previous season`s ranking.

The first round of the draft starts with each franchise having the opportunity to choose a boxer from the `Boxer Draft List`.

Each taking turns, the franchises have a maximum of five minutes to choose an athlete per round. Franchises are allowed to pass their turn.

Once the franchise representative announces the drafted boxer, the next team repeats the process. Surpassing the allocated time means a forfeit of the round.

The draft ends once all franchises have passed their turn twice.

PTI

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Two support races for maiden Indian Grand Prix

New Delhi: The Buddh International Circuit will host two support races -- the JK Asia Series and the Delhi Championship with MRF -- before the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix on October 30.

The organisers released the race calender on Friday according to which the first practice session for the race will be held at 1000hrs on October 28 and the second at 1400hrs on the same day.

The third and final practice session will take place at 1100hrs on October 29, three hours before the crucial qualifying session.

The 60-lap race will start at 1500hrs on Sunday, the October 30.

The Delhi championship and the JK Asia series will have two races, one each on Saturday and Sunday.

"We are thrilled to be hosting the first ever F1 Grand Prix in India and intend to make this the most compelling race of the year. The excitement, about the race and the circuit, has built up considerably and our aim is to make this a complete and memorable experience for all our guests," Sameer Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI said through a press release.

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Indian team lacked preparation: Robin Singh

Visakhapatnam: Former cricketer Robin Singh has said that the Indian team touring England lacked preparation to acclimatise with the conditions there.

Commenting on the Indian team`s dismal performance in England, Robin Singh, who was here to attend a function, said, "The Indian team lacked preparation, conditions there are not suitable to the team and England is a strong side."

But, he maintained that the poor performance cannot be attributed to players playing a lot of cricket.

"A player has to manage himself. There are many matches being played now and the young players must utilise the opportunity," he said.

On former England captain Naseer Hussain`s comments about the poor fielding by some Indian players, Robin Singh said "one must be aware of what he is talking in public".

PTI

First Published: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 22:50

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F1 teams’ association chief denies speculations of Indian GP boycott

London: Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) chairman Martin Whitmarsh has played down speculation that the Indian Formula One Grand Prix at Greater Noida’s Buddh International Circuit could be boycotted because of wrangling over tax.

According to reports, the F1 teams and drivers are concerned that they will be hit with big tax bills over the race, which will be held on October 30.

“The teams are concerned about the implications of withholding tax in India and being taxed locally. But I don’t believe [the race] is seriously under threat,” Whitmarsh, who is also the McLaren Mercedes team principal, said.

“I am sure this will be resolved,” he added.

Whitmarsh further admitted that the there have been no assurances from the Indian tax authorities that the matter will be resolved in a satisfactory manner.

“There is a concern, we do need to get it resolved, but I’m sure it will be resolved, so we shouldn’t get too excited about it. It’ll be fine,” he said.

Bureau Report

First Published: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 16:50

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