Making a come-back

Just about four months after his epic US Open victory, Tiger Woods returned to Torrey Pines without a limp, and without his Golf clubs.He had been ut of action since beating Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff for his 14th career major.Showing no signs of his season-ending knee surgery a week after the US Open, Woods wore a green caddie's bib inscribed with Abel's name as he guided him around the back nine of the South Course, where he has won six times in the Buick Invitational and once in a US Open he called his best ever. Playing with torn ligaments in his left knee and a double stress fracture in his leg, Woods made a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to force an 18-hole playoff, made a 4-foot birdie on the 18th in the playoff to stay alive and finally won with a par.

I think the Beijing effect courtesy Sushil Kumar was evident in wrestling at the third Commonwealth Youth Games at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex wit

I think the Beijing effect courtesy Sushil Kumar was evident in wrestling at the third Commonwealth Youth Games at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex withthe Indian grapplers claiming all the three golds which were up for grabs. Amit Kumar dominated the men's 50-kg category in which he defeated Steven Takahashi in the final two rounds to nil (7-3, 7-0) . Jitendra Kumar Hariprasad won the second gold for India in wrestling in the 54kg category when he pinned down Naatele Shilimela of Namibia, also two rounds to nil in the final. Mohammad Mushtaq of Pakistan picked up the bronze. Rahul Aware completed the clean sweep for India by bagging the gold in the 58 kg category. Canada's Ducan Mossat won the silver while Nigerian Wilson Apkbmo took the bronze.

Serbian training

From what I know,the Indian table tennis team has had frequent training stints in Europe, but for the first time the paddlers will be training in Serbia. A 12-member team will be leaving shortly for a 10-day stint followed by the Pro Tour Serbian Open (October 22-26) in Belgrade. What is encouraging to note about this stint is that unlike in the past when only six to eight players travelled abroad for training and tournaments, this time the pool is of 12. It’s learnt that the Table Tennis Federation of India(TTFI) wanted the paddlers to train in Europe, but somebody in the TTFI suggested that they should try out a new destination this time as it would save time.

India at the championship

National Snooker champions Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra will be representing the country in the men's section of the IBSF World Snooker Championship which is to be held at Wels, Austria from 27Th october to 8thNovember. In the second selection trial by the Billiards and Snooker Federation, Advani most certainly continued with his fine form and topped the overall rankings. Manan Chandra finished third but based on combined points from two rounds of the selection trials, he edged out Alok Kumar who finished second and made it to the Indian team. .

National-level swimmer dies

In a tragic turn of event, a national-level swimmer, Shampa Das, died of a stroke while competing in the 10-km long distance invitational swimming championship in the the Hoogly river.23-year-old Shampa had completed nine kilometres when she developed spasms that seized her and she became senseless.A veteran of more than 18 national championships in backstroke and freestyle events, Shampa was representing Bally Swimming Centre, Howrah in the meet which had the participation of about 30 swimmers.

Defamation suit dropped

Former Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe dropped a defamation suit against one of five French defendants over reports of an irregular doping test result in 2006. According to an article in a French sports newspaper, Thorpe gave a urine sample in May 2006 which showed abnormal levels of testosterone and a luteinising hormone, both of which are on the list of banned drugs. Thorpe, five-times Olympic gold medallist and one of the greatest swimmers of all time, is trying to seek compensation for damage to his reputation. He retired from the sport in November 2006 and was cleared of doping by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

Russians in the dock

Twice the world 1,500 metres champion Tatyana Tomashova was one of seven Russian female atheletes to receive a two-year doping ban for manipulating drug samples, the Russian athletics federation (RAF). Along with Tomashova, world indoor 1,500 metres champion Yelena Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva and former world 5,000 metres champion Olga Yegorova were banned