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India’s Somdev Devvarman Sunday created history by becoming the first player to win a  gold medal  in the men’s singles at the Commonwealth Games tennis competition, which made its debut in this edition. Somdev outclassed Australia’s Greg Jones 6-4, 6-2. It is also India’s first gold in tennis which has been so far dominated by the Australians. Sania Mirza had to be content with a silver in the women’s singles while Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi settled for a bronze. Sania,  partnering  Rushmi Chakravarthi claimed women’s doubles bronze with a 6-4, 6-2 win over compatriots Nirupama Sanjeev and Poojashree Venkatesha here Sunday. Stakes were high for Somdev and he did it is style in front of a packed stadium. “I took my chances. I am happy to win a gold for my country. It is a great honour for me to represent my country in international events. I will be happy to do it again.” The 97th-ranked Indian made a quiet start and cleverly kept the ball in play as the toweri...

Tejaswini Sawant and Lajja Gauswami Tuesday won the fourth medal of the day for India in the Commonwealth Games here by bagging the silver in women’s 50-metre rifle 3 position pairs event. Tejaswini, who became the first Indian woman to win a World Championship (50-metre prone) in August, had a score of 575 (194 prone, 190 standing and 191 kneeling) while Lajja shot 568 (193 prone, 188 standing and 187 kneeling). They shot a total of 1143 points. The gold went to Singaporean duo of Aquilah Sudhir and Xiang Wei Jasmine with a Games record score of 1149 points, and Scotland’s Kay Copland and Jen McIntosh settled for the bronze with a tally of 1142. Aquilah shot 581 (199 prone, 190 standing, 192 kneeling) and Jasmine had a total of 568 (194 prone, 187 standing, 187 standing). They broke the Games record (1143) jointly held by Canada’s Sharon Bowes and Christina Ashcroft and England’s Lousie Minett and Becky Spicer. Scotland’s Kay shot 574 (195 prone, 186 standing and 193 kneeling) and...

India made a rousing start in wrestling with a clean sweep of all the three gold medals at stake on the opening day of the event at the 19th Commonwealth Games here Tuesday. All the three gold medals came in the Greco-Roman category, which made its debut at the Games. Anil Kumar (96 kg), Sanjay (74 kg) and Ravinder Singh (60 kg) scored fabulous victories before a sizeable number of cheering fans at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. Ravinder started the gold rush, humbling Terence Bosson of England 9-0 in a one-sided final. The 28-year-old Indian, a gold medallist in the Commonwealth Championship in 2007 and 2009, was in fine fettle and did not concede a single point in the three bouts he wrestled Tuesday. Ravinder took a 2-0 lead in the first round and then overpowered Bosson, taking another seven points. The Indian had earlier defeated Nigeria’s Romeo Joseph 8-0 in the semifinal. Joseph bagged the bronze, beating Marius Loots of South Africa 4-0 in a play-off. “I am happy to win the first G...

Four Indian archers reached the quarter finals of the individual recurve but the hosts’ challenge ended early in the compound event at the Commonwealth Games here Tuesday. Jayanta Talukdar, siblings Rahul Banerjee and Dola Banerjee and Deepika Kumari reached the last eight with contrasting victories over their rivals at the Yamuna Sports Complex. Laishram Bombayala Devi and Tarundeep Rai were the two losers in the recurve category. The hosts, however, fared poorly in the compound event, with all three archers – Jhanu Hansda, Bheigyabati Chanu and Gagandeep Kaur – making an early exit from the competition. In men’s recurve, Talukdar defeated Constantin Christodoulou of Cyprus 5-1 (54-54, 54-51, 58-52) in the pre-quarterfinals and would now face fancied English archer Simon Duncan Terry in the last eight. In the same round, Rahul Banerjee beat Shek Sojeb of neighbouring Bangladesh 4-0 (58-53, 54-53). He will take on Aussie Mat Masonwells for a place in the semis. Tarundeep Rai lost agai...

Led by three-time world champion and Athens Olympic gold medallist Anna Maree Meares, Australia began their cycling campaign at the 19th Commonwealth Games on a high winning all the three gold medals on offer and setting Games records in each of the events here Tuesday. The Australian contingent made a strong statement on the opening day itself with three gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the Cycling Velodrome at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex. Meares, one of the international stars to visit Delhi, timed 33.758 secs in women’s 500 metre time trial event and in the process went past her previous Commonwealth record mark of 34.326 seconds that she achieved in Melbourne, 2006. Her compatriot, 18-year-old Kaarle McCulloch finished clocking 34.780 while James Becky of Wales was third (35.236 seconds). In the men’s 1 km time trial, Scott Sunderland clocked 1 minute:01.411 seconds for the gold, and made a Commonwealth Games record. He erased legendary Scottish cyclist Chris Hoy’s mark ...

As usual, India kept their supporters on tenterhooks before snatching a 3-2 win against Malaysia to provide a fitting finale for the day in the men’s hockey competition at the Commonwealth Games here Tuesday. The Malaysians were twice in the lead, but failed miserably to capitalise to allow India off the hook in a pool A match that kept the near-capacity crowd at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on its feet. Giving a Malaysian perspective, team coach Stephen van Huizen admitted his team was not smart enough to maintain the lead on both the occasions. His counterpart, Jose Brasa opined that the deep defence was not up to the mark and to an extent, India were fortunate that the Malaysians missed a few more scoring opportunities. Ultimately, it was left to Bharat Chhikara, the unheralded lad from Haryana to save the blushes for India with a 66th minute strike that gave the hosts a 3-2 edge. Chhikara slapped home a long hit four minutes from time for the match-winner. Earlier, goals by Dhana...

Results of the medal events that were decided on the second day of the Commonwealth Games competition here Tuesday. Aquatics 50m Butterfly Women Rank Name Country Timing 1 Francesca Jean Halsal ENG 00:26.24 2 Marieke Katherine Guehrer AUS 00:26.27 3 Emily Jane Seebohm AUS 00:26.29 50m Backstroke Men Rank Name Country Time 1 Liam John Tancock ENG 00:24.62 Games Record 2 Hayden Ernest Stoeckel AUS 00:25.08 3 Ashley Jason DELANEY AUS 00:25.21 50m Breaststroke Women Rank Name Country Time 1 Leiston Jane Pickett AUS 00:30.84 2 Leisel Marie Jones AUS 00:31.10 3 Kate Emma Haywood ENG 00:31.17 200m Freestyle Men Rank Name Country Time 1 Robert Peter Renwick Sco 01:47.88 2 Kenrick John Monk AUS 01:47.90 3 Thomas William Fraser-Holmes AUS 01:48.22 Shooting Pairs 25 m Pistol Women Precision Prone Total 1 India 572 584 1156 Games Record Rahi Sarnobat 288 296 Anisa Sayyed 284 288 2 Australia 577 569 1146 Linda Ryan 284 281 Lalita Yauheuskaya 293 288 3 England 570 552 1122 Go...

Following is the schedule of the Commonwealth Games Wednesday. Twenty seven medals including two in para sport will be decided Wednesday, the third day of the competition– Athletics (2) Swimming (9), Cycling (4), Artistic Gymnastic (2), Shooting (4), Weightlifting (2), Wrestling (4) Swimming: Men: 200 metre backstroke, para sport 50 metre freestyle, 50 metre butterfly, 100 metre breaststroke, 4×200 metre freestyle Women: 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre breaststroke, 100 metre backstroke, 4×200 metre freestyle Shooting: Men: 10 metre air rifle, 50 metre pistol, double trap (Pair) Women: 25 metre pistol Athletics : 5,000 metre, Women: shot put para sport Cycling: Women: 25 km point race, team sprint Men: 40 km point race, Keirin Weightlifting: Women: 58-kg category Men: 69-kg category Wrestling: Final: Greco Roman: 55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg , 120 kg

World No.3 Gagan Narang shot a perfect 600 to equal his world record and qualified for the finals of 10 metre air rifle individual event along with his compatriot and Beijing Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra in the shooting competition of the Commonwealth Games here Wednesday. Narang, a double world record holder, had shot a similar score two years back at the World Cup Finals in Beijing, where he went on to win the gold. At the Karni Singh Shooting Range, Narang took some time to warm up but once he got going there was no stopping him. Bindra was also calm and composed and finished second with 595 points. The golden boy of Indian shooting had a similar score Tuesday when he teamed up with Narang to win the pairs gold in the same event with a Games record.

Down by a goal in the fourth minute, England showcased their collective character to beat Canada 4-1 and notch up their second win in the women’s hockey competition of the Commonwealth Games here Wednesday. The hot and oppressive weather conditions are obviously impacting the quality of performance and it was no different with England, who huffed and puffed before sending Canada hurtling to their second defeat. The Canadians, who had lost 2-3 to Malaysia in their previous game, converted a fourth minute penalty stroke through Diana Roemer, but could not capitalise on the lead. England, 4-1 winners against Wales in their first game, came back strongly on goals by Chloe Rogers (19th), Alex Danson (39th), Charlotte Craddock (48th) and Crista Cullen (68) to wrap up the match. “It is not easy to play in such conditions where the temperature and humidity is very high humidity, but I am happy with my girls for the way in which they played,” said England head coach Danny Kerry. “Yes, we had a...

Indian shooters struck gold early third day of the Commonwealth Games Wednesday as World No.3 Gagan Narang pipped compatriot and Beijing Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra in the 10-metre air rifle competition. With the shooting gold and silver, India’s medal tally swelled to six gold, five silver and two bronze. Narang, who equalled his own world record in the qualification round with a perfect score of 600, went on to score 103.6 in the final round, leaving Bindra (698 points, 595+103) behind. The bronze medal went to James Huckle (693.5, 591+102.5) of England. When he struck perfect 600, he pumped the air with clenched fist in jubilation. There was a palpable feeling of elation in Narang who, his admirers felt, did not get his due in the shadow of Bindra. “It was a great feeling to perform so well at home. I would strive to keep performing the way I have done here,” said Narang. In fact, Narang bettered his own World record of 703.5 he set at Bangkok World Cup final in 2008 and his ow...

Junior world champion Asher Noria and world No.3 Ronjan Sodhi of India teamed up to win the silver in the men’s pairs double trap shooting event at the Commonwealth Games here Wednesday. They missed the gold by one point. Noria and Sodhi together shot 188 points. Stevan Walton and Steven Scott of England bagged the gold with a total of 189 points, a new Games record. Sodhi had a perfect 50 in the first and 45 in the second at the Karni Singh Shooting Range. Noria shot a total of 93. Of this, 46 came in the first round and 47 in the second. Walton shot 96 and Scott 93. They went past the record of 186 set by Australian Mark Russell and Craig Trembath in the 2006 Melbourne Games. Malaysian pair of Benjamin Cheng Jie Khor (93) and Seng Chye Khor (92) got the bronze. India’s Italian coach Marcello Dradi was unhappy with the performance of the shooters. “I am not happy with the silver. I am a professional coach and have come here to give India a gold medal. This was the best team we could ...

Tejaswini Sawant and Lajja Gauswami Tuesday won the fourth medal of the day for India in the Commonwealth Games here by bagging the silver in women’s 50-metre rifle 3 position pairs event. Tejaswini, who became the first Indian woman to win a World Championship (50-metre prone) in August, had a score of 575 (194 prone, 190 standing and 191 kneeling) while Lajja shot 568 (193 prone, 188 standing and 187 kneeling). They shot a total of 1143 points. The gold went to Singaporean duo of Aquilah Sudhir and Xiang Wei Jasmine with a Games record score of 1149 points, and Scotland’s Kay Copland and Jen McIntosh settled for the bronze with a tally of 1142. Aquilah shot 581 (199 prone, 190 standing, 192 kneeling) and Jasmine had a total of 568 (194 prone, 187 standing, 187 standing). They broke the Games record (1143) jointly held by Canada’s Sharon Bowes and Christina Ashcroft and England’s Lousie Minett and Becky Spicer. Scotland’s Kay shot 574 (195 prone, 186 standing and 193 kneeling) and...