Anuja surprises Kamala

NEW DELHI, January 3: Two-time National champion and top seed Farah Khan (Karnataka) convincingly outclassed a determined team-mate Sride...

NEW DELHI, January 3: Two-time National champion and top seed Farah Khan (Karnataka) convincingly outclassed a determined team-mate Sridevi by three frames to nil (105-85, 123-61, 91-81) to enter the semi-finals of the seventh Women’s Nationals Billiards Championship at IIT badminton hall here today.

Earlier, Farah outplayed Ashwini Puranik (Madhya Pradesh) in two straight frames with the scores being 77-67 and 142-62 in the pre-quater final match of the championship. She exhibited control and command on the cue ball and her placements were perfect.

Sixteen-year-old Anuja Thakur of Maharashtra created a major surprise in the championship when she defeated former champion Kamala C Babu of Madhya Pradesh, the oldest participant at the age of 65 years, with the scores being 58-111, 109-69, 90-58.

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In the other best-of-three frames pre-quarterfinals, the results are: T V Sridevi (Kar) beat Neelam Mittal of MP, 89-84, 64-66, 81-67; Amrita Mohapatra (Ori) dropped a frame before beating Judith Walia of Karnataka, 78-81, 94-70, 84-79; Meenal Bairagi (Maharashtra befeated Jagruti Patel, also of Maharashtra, 106-66, 107-30; Uma Devi (Karnataka beat Chitra of Karnataka with the scores being 74-55 and 100-65; Renu Bharkatia (MP) beat Bhanumati of Karnataka 61-96, 65-42, 136-47; and Puja Galundia of Rajasthan beat Henna Khandelwal of Maharashtra 91-34, 72-69.

The championship today had a couple of interesting incidents. Renu Bharkatia and her daughter Puja Galundia have made it to the quarter-finals. Sisters Anuja Thakur and Meenal Bairagi will clash for a place in the semi-finals.

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