India rules the roost

By Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI, NOV. 10. Like on preceding days, there were no surprises in store on the concluding day of the third World carrom championship. India completed the expected sweep by taking the top spots in the men's and women's singles events at the NDMC Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

National champion R.M. Shankara duly won the men's title beating compatriot Yogesh Pardeshi 25-23, 25-16, while Rashmi Kumari surprised quite a few by emerging victor in a hard- fought women's final over P. Nirmala.

For Bangalore player Shankara, who is looking for a job on sports basis, this title could help the cause quite a bit. Showing fine form and confidence, he set aside the challenge from Pardeshi, who is known for long strings of pocketing coins when in flow.

Shankara kept his focus to win the first game after the scorers were level 23-23, and shook off his opponent, who was at par on 9-9 and 13-13, to take the second game with relative ease.

For Rashmi, it was the first big title at the senior level. Runner-up in the National championship as well as the Federation Cup this year, the 18-year-old came out strong in tense situations against the National champion.

The first game was an even contest, the scores moving from 13-13 to 22-22, when Rashmi came up with a fine burst that helped her go ahead. Rashmi lost the second game tamely, but came back strongly again in the decider, in which she ran up a 21-0 lead.

Rashmi said after the match that she was happy to have figured in a keen match. ``The good patch that I hit towards the end of the first game, was crucial,'' said Rashmi, who said that she did not take it easy even when she was well ahead in the third game.

The results :

Men (final) : R.M. Shankara (Ind) bt Yogesh Pardeshi (Ind) 25-23, 25-16; For third place : M. Nataraj (Ind) bt A. Maria Irudayam (Ind) 25-12, 25-6.

Semifinals : Pardeshi bt Nataraj 25-17, 22-25, 25-18; Shankara bt Irudayam 24-25, 25-7, 25-9.

Women (final) : Rashmi Kumari (Ind) bt P. Nirmala 25-22, 6-25, 25-13; For third place : R. Sharmila (Ind) bt G. Rewathi (Ind) 25-8, 23-25, 25-17.

Semifinals : Rashmi bt Sharmila 8-25, 25-9, 25-0; Nirmala bt Rewathi 1-25, 25-15, 25-24.

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