Chopra warms up for Asiad with another gold

New Delhi, July 29 

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Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra today won a gold in the Savo Games in Finland, beating his Chinese Taipei rival Chao-Tsun Cheng as the duo warmed up for an Asian Games showdown. Chopra, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Asian season leader, threw 85.69m in the event held at Lapinlahti, Finland, where he is undergoing training as part of preparations for the Asian Games. Cheng managed 82.52m to take the second place. The 23-year-old Cheng is the only Asian to have thrown the javelin beyond 90m. He threw 91.36m during the World University Games in Taipei last year to shatter the previous Asian record of 89.15m, set by Zhao Qinggang of China at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. — PTI

Gold for Bajrang, Pinki; Sakshi disappoints 

New Delhi, July 29 

Bajrang Punia won his second consecutive international gold while Sandeep Tomar had to be content with a silver medal at the Yasar Dogu International event. The Indian wrestlers returned with 10 medals, including seven by women, from the ranking event in Istanbul, Turkey. In the women’s competition, Pinki was the lone gold medallist, in the 55kg category, with her 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Olga Shnaider in the final. Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik failed to reach the medal round in the 62kg category. CWG champion Punia, who won a gold at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in Gerogia early this month, had it easy as his gold medal opponent Andriy Kvyatkovskyy from Ukraine withdrew from the 70kg final due to an injury. In the 61kg final, Tomar lost 2-8 to an Iran’s wrestler. Vicky had won a bronze in the 57kg yesterday. Today two gold medals were at stake in the women’s 53kg and 57kg categories but both Seema and CWG silver medallist Pooja Dhanda lost their final bouts. The other women medallists are Sarita (bronze, 62kg), Rajni (silver, 72kg), Sangeeta Phogat (bronze, 59kg) and Geeta (bronze, 65kg).  — PTI

Comeback man Sourabh wins Russian Open

Vladivostock, July 29 

Former national champion Sourabh Verma pulled off a come-from-behind win over Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the final of the Russia Open Tour Super 100 tournament here today. It’s the first title of the shuttler this season. The 25-year-old Indian, who is on a comeback trail after recovering from injuries, overcame world No. 119 Watanabe 19-21 21-12 21-17 in the final that lasted exactly. He had clinched the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix and finished runners-up at the Bitburger Open in 2016. The second-seeded Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Kuhoo Garg, however, suffered a 19-21 17-21 loss to Russia’s Vladimir Ivanov and Min Kyung Kim of Korea in the final to settle for a runners-up finish. — PTI