Indian batminton ace defeated Chinese Shixian Wang in the Hong Kong Super Series. She said after winning, “It is like a dream come true… I am very happy that I am finishing the year like this. It is like a dream come true.” She added further that it was important for her to win the series because she failed to make a mark in the recently held Asian Games in China.

She defeated the Chinese Champion in 15-21, 21-16, 21-17. This was her fourth Super Series title and third of 2010.

After losing the first game, Saina, 20, said she became more confident saying, “because I was moving well on the court… I knew she would hit some strokes… The third was set was very crucial… “I was very, very confident throughout. I was always confident after the second game.”

A former badminton player Usha said that Saina usually warms up in the first set.

Pullela Gopichand, coach of Saina and All England Champion, said that the victory of Saina in the Hong Kong Super Series was important in context of the rankings.

Gopichand said, “She missed quite a few Super Series tournaments to prepare for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. She slipped a few places down the ranking ladder. So, this win was crucial.”

Guangzhou, November 27 — It was a golden finish by Indian boxing’s poster boy Vijender Singh. In 75kg, he pummeled Abbos Atoev, the two-time world champion, into submission with a commanding 7-0 triumph on Friday at Guangzhou (China) in the 16th Asian Games.

25-year-old Vijender Singh, also called the Indian David Beckham for his good looks, lost in the semi-final of Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi last month. Earlier, in 2008 Olympic, Vijender grabbed the bronze medal.

Last night, two other Indian finalists were beaten of boxing action. Santosh Kumar lost to Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan by 16-1 and Manpreet Singh by Mohammad Ghossoun of Syria by 8-1 in the heavyweight.

Vijender Singh said later that his next aim to the win gold medal in Olympic Games 2012 going to be held in London.

Singh’s coach said, “At the end of the first round itself, he immediately told us that he had hurt his left thumb and he was in deep pain. The most important thing at the moment was not to allow his morale to sag. We just kept boosting his confidence and told him not to show any signs for the opponent camp to sense anything was amiss.”

Later, x-rays revealed the boxer had suffered dislocation of the thumb’s base part.

Delighted Vijender said, ““I am very happy to win in China. I used my height and reach to good advantage. It’s a dream come true after the disappointment at the Commonwealth Games for which I had prepared very hard.”

Guangzhou, November 25 — The Indian track squad turned miraculous. Men’s and women’s 400m hurdles brings gold medal for the country in the 16th Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou, China. Joseph Abraham and Ashwini Akkunji crates history.

23-year-old Akkunji won the title in the women’s 400m hurdles with a timing of 56.15 seconds. She was a part of the team in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi that won gold medal. This is the 9th gold for India.

She started running 44m hurdle in May and she became the third Indian to win gold in the category after MD Valsamma and PT Usha. Valsamma won in 1982 New Delhi Asiad and Usha in 1986 at Seoul. This is Ashwini’s first international individual gold medal.

Ashwini’s compatriot Jauna Murmu missed her bronze today by a whisker after clocking personal best of 56.88 seconds. She was behind Satomi Kubokura of Japan by just 0.05 points. Silver was won by Chinese Wang Xing.

Earlier today, in women’s 800m event Tintu Luka claimed bronze. She, finishing in 2:01.36 seconds, couldn’t keep pace in the last 50 metres. Margarita Matsko of Kazhakstan grabbed gold and silver medal was claimed by Truong Thanh Hang of China. Sinimole Paulose, Tintu’s compatriot finished seventh.

The 10th gold was claimed by boxer Vikas Krishnan in the 60kg category.

Indian men’s hockey team missed the final berth and settled down for bronze after defeating South Korea, the four-time champions.

Guangzhou, November 19 — India fetches second gold medal in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou with Bajrang Lal Takhar winning maiden rowing in the men’s single sculls event on Friday. Takhar had also given India first silver in last Asian Games in Doha, four years ago.

Takhar led all the way in the final and this is the first gold for an Indian rower in Guangzhou. He clocked seven minutes 4.78 seconds. Ming Hui Wang of Chinese Taipei won the silver medal with a timing of seven minutes 7.33 seconds and third place goes to Haeider Hamarsheied of Iraq who clocked seven minutes 10.10 seconds at the International Rowing Center.

Takhar completed first 500 metres in one minute 39.82 seconds and in three minutes 26.32 second he covered 1000 metres. He finished 1500 metres of the 2000 metres race in five minutes 14.56 seconds.

Takhar, 29, is a Subedar Naik belonging to the Rajputana Rifles. He is also a former handball and basketball player. He is an Arjuna Award winner too.

The first gold medal was won by Cueist Pankaj Advani.

Guangzhou, November 17 — Another medal for India at Guangzhou in the ongoing Asian Games. In the women’s sanshou 60 kg category Wushu event, Wangkhem Sandhyarani Devi won the silver medal. She lost to Khadijeh Azadpour of Iran in the finals.

India is now with one gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.

Earlier today, India won against Bangladesh in the men’s hockey by 9-0 at the Aoti field. This is the second straight victory of India in the Group B men’s league. On Tuesday, M Bimoljit Singh won bronze medal in the men’s 60 kg. He lost against Mohammad Seifi in the semifinal.

In tennis the Indians had mixed day. Vishnu Vardhan and Karan Rastogi experienced a comfortable victory in men’s double, but in women’s doubles Poojashree Venkatesha and Rushmi Chakravarti lost in the first round.

November 14 — Pankaj Advani grabs the first gold medal for India in the Asian Games in men’s billiards singles event. He defeated Myanmar’s Oo Nay Thway Ol by 3-2 today, on Sunday. He beat with frames 33-100, 100-61, 12-101, 101-4, 100-45 in the summit clash.

The former world professional champion earlier in the day defeated another player from Myanmar, Oo Kyaw Oo in the semifinals by 3-2. He beat Kyaw with frames of 100-28, 0-100, 100-77, 11-100, 101-0.

25-year-old Bangalorean won first world championship title in 2003 in China – IBSF World Snooker Championship.

Pankaj Advani is the only player who has achieved a grand double of winning the points as well as timed formats at IBSF World Billiards Championships in 2005. The same was repeated in 2008 Championships in Bangalore.

Other Indians in fray at Asian games is Alok Kumar who advanced to semifinals defeating Ricky Yang of Indonesia by 7-4.

New Delhi, Oct. 11 – The world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar had an easy win, grabbing gold for the country Sunday. It was already given that Beijing Olympic bronze medallist would have won his 28th gold, but nobody perhaps expected that it would be so easier for him.

An injured Sushil came and won. The people who are aware of the sport could find it humorous because the opponent was nowhere in the arena.

The 27 year-old has given a message to Indian wrestlers to believe they can also achieve the highest feat. India’s gold haul in wrestling alone testifies the fact, and now it’s a matter of serious contemplation to make these young and energetic wrestler to compete for the Olympic.

“Earlier, coaches used to think that a wrestling bout against an Indian wrestler is as good as a walkover. Not any more though. In fact, I was speaking to the team and they told me ‘sir ab koi bhi aajaye, hum toh maar denge.’ They are a confident lot and they have self belief. That has made all the difference,” Sushil’s coach Satpal Singh told MiD DAY yesterday.

Other wrestlers Vijay Kumar and Anuj Kumar bagged silver medals in their categories.

Sunday, the seventh day of CWG 2010, was indeed fabulous for India. India bagged 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze to the medal tally till yet. India has 28 gold, 18 silver and 21 bronze medals. It is India’s highest gold medal hunting in the history of Commonwealth Games.

October 10 — Archer Deepika Kumari becomes star with the claim of gold medal on Sunday in the women’s recurve individual event at the XIX Commonwealth Games New Delhi.

The 16-year-old girl from Ranchi maintained her cool composure at the Yamuna Sports Complex even in the windy conditions and thrashed Olympic bronze medallist Alison Wiliamson for the gold medal in straight sets (6-0).

India has so far won two gold medals in archery. The first gold was in the women’s trio event of Deepika, Dola and Bombayala Devi Laishram.

Earlier today, the most experienced player of India, Dola Banerjee, settled down for bronze in archery. Dola is a Double Olympian and winner of 2007 World Cup finals.

Poornima Mahato, the coach of women’s team, said to the media after the claim of gold medal by Deepika, “The wind was blowing from right to left very strongly, something that did Dola in. I asked Deepika to maintain her cool and not to get disturbed by the wind factor. She did just that. I am so happy for her.”

Deepika is a daughter of an autorickshaw driver and recently she had won silver medal at the World Cup stage 4 last month in Shanghai.

For her triumph, today, she credited her parents and coaches at the Tata Archery Academy. She said, “I am over the moon. I am thankful to my parents, coaches who have supported through out.”

October 07 — On the fourth day India stood in second position in medals tally in the XIXth Commonwealth Games with 33 medals. Australia still tops with 70 medals. In the third place is England with 46 medals. Canada is in the fourth place and South Africa the fifth.

On Thursday India had 14 gold medals, 10 silver and 9 bronze. Australia had bagged a total of 33 gold medals and England could manage only 11 gold.

Neighbor Pakistan is in the 18 place with a single bronze medal and Sri Lanka ranks 16th with 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. Bangladesh is in the 20th place with only 1 silver medal.

India created history by bagging its first Commonwealth gymnastics medal. 19-year-old Ashish Kumar grabbed bronze medal in floor exercise category in the men’s event. India had always lagged in Gymnastics.

Tiger Woods the Golf star Tiger struggled through most of the 139th Open Championship, majorly due to a switch to a new putter designed by Nike.

Woods said that he used the Nike Method putter in anticipation that it would help him adjust to the slower speed of the greens in the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Woods had hit the ball well off the tee , but he struggled putting. And finally he ended up scoring a frustrating 1-over-par 73 Saturday to fall well behind leader Louis Oosthuizen, who has finished at 15-under-par.

“I hit it good today,” Woods told reporters. “I mean, I striped it all day. I just didn’t get anything out of the round. I couldn’t build any momentum and wasn’t making any putts.”

Woods was in the final round on Sunday in an attempt for pulling off something that he had never done i.e. claiming a major championship win after coming from behind in the last round. In all the 14 victories, Woods held the lead going to the final round.

He told reporters that he switched back to the to the Scotty Cameron putter made by Titleist. He has used the Titleist putter since 1999.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said before teeing off. “The forecast is for it to be windy and possibly a few showers here and there, but you don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”