India File

Ropar-based Chandel, 25, upstaged V Satyabhama clocking three hours, 16 minutes, 59 seconds. Indresh Dhiraj from Dadri in Haryana was third at 3:27:42.

Bankmen in final
KOLAR: Federation Cup runners-up Vijaya Bank, Bangalore and Indian Bank, Chennai, will lock horns in the final of the All-India basketball tournament for the Kribhco Gold Cup here tomorrow.

In the first semifinals, Indian Bank defeated ONGC, Dehradun 56-40, while in the second semifinals, Vijaya Bank overcame Central Excise and Customs, Kochi 71-51.

Smriti makes cut
NEW DELHI: Top Indian woman pro Smriti Mehrareturned a poor second round card of 77, but managed to make the cut with the final bunch of qualifiers in the 600,000 Safeway LPGA championship at Portland, Oregon yesterday.

Mehra, who fired a two-under 70 in the opening round, had an aggregate of three-over 147 to squeak through with four others as the cut was applied on that score.

Parikh leader
AURANGABAD: Valay Parikh of Gujarat and Y Pratibha of Tamil Nadu emerged sole leaders in boys8217; and girls8217; sections respectively in the National Sub-junior chess championships after the fifth round here today.

Though Parikh committed a mistake in opening move, he managed to level position in middle game and beat Akash Deep in 42 moves to maintain his winning record intact.

Both P Harikrishna of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu8217;s M R Venkatesh, the joint leaders along with Parikh after four rounds yesterday, had to concede half-a-point each after fifth round draws and have fallen to the second position, also shared by Sudhir Sinha of Bihar.