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Spikers enter Rashid semisDubai: THREE-time champions India thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan in straight sets to top Group A and storm into t...

Spikers enter Rashid semis
Dubai: THREE-time champions India thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan in straight sets to top Group A and storm into the semi-finals of the fifth Rashid International volleyball tournament here.

India, who won the title in the first three editions and finished runner-up last year, proved too good for Pakistan as they rallied after initial setbacks to register a convincing 25-19 25-19 25-17 victory on Friday night.India, who posted their third straight win after their success over Cuba and UAE, will take on African and Arab champions Tunisia in the semi-final while holders Ukraine set a match-up with youthful Cuba in the other last four clash.

One-dayer at Kochi
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The third One-day cricket match between India and South Africa will be held at Kochi in mid-March. The match was allotted to Kerala Cricket Association KCA by BCCI. A team of BCCI officials would soon inspect the stadium in this connection.

State womenlose
TIRUCHIRAPALLI: Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry have entered the men8217;s semi-finals in the 26th National junior volleyball championship on Friday. In the girls section, holders Kerala, AP, hosts Tamil Nadu and West Bengal entered the last four.

Results Men QF: Pondicherry bt Karnataka 19-25 25-16 26-24 21-25 18-16; AP bt Services 25-15 25-15 25-19;
Women QF: Kerala bt Haryana 23-25 25-16 25-17 25-23; AP bt UP 30-28 25-20 25-19; TN bt Assam 25-11 25-17 25-7; West Bengal bt Maharashtra 25-21 25-12 25-16.

Kidambi leads
SIVAKASI: Defending champion Sundarrajan Kidambi of Tamil Nadu and National B champion SS Ganguly of Goodricke Academy, Calcutta, continue to lead with seven points each despite being held to draws by their respective rivals in the eighth and penultimate round of the Kaliswari Fireworks National Junior Chess Championship.

Eight others, including international master Tejas Bakre, jointly lie in the second position, one point separatingthem from the leaders. While Bakre drew SS Ganguly in 40 moves, Kidambi was held by Sathyapragyan.

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Sandip upset
AURANGABAD: Lowly-ranked Kerala boy Gaurishankar stunned Y Sandip AP in the under-7 boys section, while D Harika AP continued on top after the end of seven rounds in the 13th National children chess championship. Vijay Keerthi 6 in under-9 boys, K Pani Chandra, Pallabhi Roy and Devangi Patankar 6 in under-7 girls maintained their leads.

Rlys, Manipur win
CHANDIGARH: Railways and Manipur cyclists pedalled to glory by winning the men8217;s and women8217;s team titles with 15 and 22 points respectively in the fifth National Road Cycling Championship in Bikaner recently.Maharashtra found success in the girls U-18 section, Rupali Repale clinching bronzes in 15 km individual and 30 km massed start; and in girls u-16, Rajashree Kadam and Pratima Lonari making it 1-2 in the 5 km individual time trial.

8212; ENS amp; Agencies