India file

SA Test in Mumbai
CHENNAI: The Indian cricket board has decided to provide sporting turfs, on the lines of those in Australia, at home in a year. The decision was taken at a meeting of the pitches committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headed by K Srikkanth on Saturday.

Test and One-day venues for the coming South Africa tour to India in February next have been identified, according to Srikkanth. Bangalore and Mumbai would play host to the Test matches, whileBaroda, Jamshedpur, Faridabad, Nagpur and either Goa or Kochi would be venues for One-day internationals.

Mongia’s fate
CHENNAI: A decision on wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia’s chances of remaining in Australia with the Indian team would be taken on Sunday after the working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The Indian team management in Australia had sent the medical reports of first choice keeper M S K Prasad and this would also be discussed at the meeting, A C Muthiah, president, BCCI, told said.

Honour for duo
CHENNAI: The world No 1 doubles duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes have been named Sportstar’s Sports Persons of the Year 1999.

Bhupathi and Paes won two Grand Slam titles during the year, the French Open and Wimbledon, and were runners-up at the Australian Open and the US Open, apart from the World Doubles Championship at Hartford.

Kartiki’s double
PUNE: Top seed Kartiki Bhatt (Pune) bagged a double crown in the girls’under-12 and 14 years sections in the Pravin Masalewale State-Ranking Junior Tennis Championship here on Saturday.

Final results: Boys’ under-16: Shashank Kulkarni (Pune) bt Aniruddha Kulkarni (Pune) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3). Under-14: Aditya Madkekar (Mumbai) bt Aniruddha Kulkarni (Pune) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5, 6-2. Under-12: Krishnak Shah (Mumbai) bt Hrishikesh Pataskar (Pune) 6-0, 7-5.
Girls’ under-16: Priyanka Mehta (Mumbai) bt Ashlesha Lokhande (Pune) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Under-12: Kartiki Bhat (Pune) bt Karisha Mehta (Mumbai) 6-1, 6-0. Under-10: Roshni Luthra (Mumbai) bt Daksha Mulay (Pune) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Isha wins two
GUWAHATI: Top seed Isha Lakhani of Maharashtra won both under-14 and under-16 girls’ titles in the Vinay Cement All-India Tennis Association (AITA) junior tennis championship.

Isha beat second seed Priyanka Parek of West Bengal 6-0, 6-4 in the under-14 and Samrita Sekhar of Tamil Nadu 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the under-16.

Rahul Verma of Delhi tookthe under-14 boys’ title while Saurav Sukul of West Bengal won the under-16 crown.

Varun champ
CHENNAI: Varun Sharma of Punjab Police clinched gold in a jump-off against Pushpender Singh of RVC in the final of the medium grade show jumping event of the United India National Equestrian championships.

Ritwik in final
CALCUTTA: Top seed Ritwik Bhattacharya beat RS Brar 9-1, 9-3, 9-7 to storm into the men’s final of the East India squash championship at the Calcutta Racket Club.

In the boys under-19, Rahul Suri prevailed over Gaurav Yadav 9-4, 9-6, 9-4 to set up title clash with Varun Kataruka.