I Dig Sports
Clean sweep for India, Harmeet Desai and Ayhika Mukherjee Commonwealth champions
After accounting for Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen (10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6, 11-2), Harmeet Desai secured the title at the final expense of colleague and top seed, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 17-15, 7-11, 11-9), the penultimate round winner in opposition to England’s Tom Jarvis (16-14, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9).
Defeat for Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and the second of the day; earlier partnering Sharath Kamal Achanta, also occupying the top seeded position, the men’s doubles silver medal had been their lot. After overcoming Pang Yew En Koen and Singaporean colleague, Josh Chua Shao Han (12-10, 11-4, 14-12), they experienced defeat at the hands of colleagues, Amalraj Anthony and Manav Vikash Thakkar (8-11, 11-6, 13-11, 12-10).
Hard earned success for Harmeet Desai, for Ayhika Mukherjee life was less fraught. In the penultimate round, the no.4 seed, she accounted for England’s Tin-Tin Ho, the top seed (11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4), prior to securing the title at the final expense of colleague, Madhurika Patkar, the no.2 seed (11-6, 11-4, 11-9, 19-17). In the counterpart semi-final, Madhurika Patkar had beaten compatriot Sreeja Akula (11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12).
Success for Ayhika Mukherjee but in the morning session of play, at the semi-final stage of the women’s doubles event, it had been the opposite experience. Partnering Sutirtha Mukherjee, the duo suffered defeat at the hands of compatriots Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul (11-8, 11-8, 11-6).
A fine effort from Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul but at the end of the day the medal colour was silver. They experienced a straight games defeat at the hands of Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Sinha Krittwika (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10), the semi-final winners in opposition to Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru.
Abundant success for India, at the conclusion of proceedings, they departed with seven gold, four silver and five bronze medals; for England it was two silver and three bronze, for Singapore one silver and four bronze. Completing the tally, for Malaysia and Nigeria it was one medal apiece.
Results
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Team – Stage 1 – Results (Wednesday 17th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Team – Stage 2 – Results (Thursday 18th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Team – Results – Stage 3 (Friday 19th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Team – Stage 1 – Results (Wednesday 17th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Team – Stage 2 – Results (Thursday 18th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Team – Detailed Results – All Stages (Friday 19th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Team – Detailed Results – All Stages (Friday 19th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Team – Detailed Results – All Stages (Friday 19th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Singles – Stage One – Results (Saturday 20th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Singles – Main Draw – Results (Monday 22nd July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Singles – Stage One – Results (Saturday 20th July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Singles – Main Draw – Results (Sunday 21st July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Men’s Doubles – Main Draw – Results (Sunday 21st July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Women’s Doubles – Main Draw – Results (Monday 22nd July)
2019 Commonwealth Championships: Mixed Doubles – Main Draw – Results (Sunday 21st July)
SPEED SPORT has been reporting on and covering motorsports happenings from all over the world for 85 years, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back in the archives to see what happened 10, 25 and 50 years ago each week.
So check out what SPEED SPORT was covering 10, 25 and 50 years ago this week in Looking Back!
10 Years Ago (July 22, 2009): After seven races and 600 laps worth of competition, the battle for the Indiana Sprint Week title came down to a battle between Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson. In the end it was Jones who hoisted the trophy, besting a determined drive from Clauson to win the finale at Tri-State Speedway and claim the race victory and the overall Sprint Week title by two points over Clauson.
Other Happenings: Donny Schatz held off Dale Blaney to win the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway in Ohio; Antron Brown inched closer to a sweep of the NHRA’s Western Swing with a victory at Pacific Raceways in Washington; Ryan Phelps won his first and second Super DIRTcar Series big-block modified features in consecutive days at at Cayuga County Fair Speedway, earning more than $20,000.
25 Years Ago (July 20, 1994): A record crowd at Pocono Int’l Raceway watched as Geoff Bodine drove his No. 7 Exide Ford to victory in the Miller Genuine Draft 500. Bodine, utilizing Hoosier rubber, dominated the race by leading 156 of 200 laps. He pocketed $103,720, which included the Unocal 76 Challenge bonus of $30,400. The top-four finishers were all utilizing Hoosier tires.
Other Happenings: Michael Andretti outran Bobby Rahal on the streets of Toronto; Doug Wolfgang settled his lawsuit against KSE Racing Products stemming from a crash in 1992 at Lakeside Speedway that left him severely burned and injured; Derek Lynch won the ACT True Value 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway; Les Richter was named vice president of the proposed California Speedway by Roger Penske.
50 Years Ago (July 23, 1969): With a little help from relief driver Richard Petty, David Pearson won the wreck marred Volunteer 500 at Bristol Int’l Speedway. Pearson, who was suffering from the flu, gave up the car to Petty just past the 50-mile mark. Pearson got back in the car just before halfway and proceeded to win the race by three laps over Bobby Isaac. The victory pushed Pearson’s season-long winnings above the $100,000 mark.
Other Happenings: Mario Andretti earned his fifth victory of the season in the STP Oil Treatment Hawk Ford after winning the Trenton 200 USAC National Championship race at Trenton Speedway; American Raceawys Inc. announced that plans were moving forward for a $7 million racing facility to be known as Eastern Int’l Speedway in Burlington County, N.J.; Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina Motor Speedway, Darlington Int’l Raceway and Bristol Int’l Raceway announced plans for a merger.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Officials from the CARS Tour have revealed the list of luminaries that will be on hand during the third edition of the Throwback 276 presented by Baker Distributing at Hickory Motor Speedway on Aug. 3.
Fans will have the opportunity meet with six motorsports legends during the on track fan fest autograph session, which begins at 6 p.m. They included Ernie Irvan, Dave Marcis, Brett Bodine, Dennis Setzer, Billy Hess and Tommy Houston.
In addition, the drivers from the super late model and late model stock divisions, will be on hand to sign autographs as well. Once the autograph session is complete, fans will be treated to stories from the past with the “Lookback with the Legends” sessions as the group reflects on the sports history with announcer Tony Stevens.
Irvan is a veteran of 313 NASCAR Cup Series starts with 15 series victories, including the 1991 Daytona 500. Irvan made four starts at Hickory Motor Speedway in his career, all in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition from 1991 to 1993.
Bodine, a member of the famous Bodine racing family, made 480 NASCAR Cup Series starts during his career. He earned one victory at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1990. He also earned five NASCAR Xfinity Series victories in his career. He made seven starts at Hickory Motor Speedway in Xfinity Series competition.
Marcis competed in 883 NASCAR Cup Series starts, earning five victories during his lengthy career. The Wisconsin native, famous for his Goodyear hat and wingtip shoes, made eight starts at Hickory Motor Speedway during his career.
Setzer, a local native, raced in all three of NASCAR’s National divisions. He enjoyed success in the Xfinity Series, winning twice, and in the Truck Series, where he won 18 times. He won the track championship at Hickory in 1983 and 1993.
Originally from Miami, Fla., Hess is both driver and chassis builder. He won the 1980 Limited Sportsman track champion at New Asheville Speedway as a driver. He later became a chassis builder, building roughly 300 Hooters Pro Cup Series cars for drivers like Clay Rogers, Bobby Gill and Benny Gordon.
Houston, a native of Hickory, N.C., is a two-time track champion at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1975 and 1976. He later advanced to NASCAR, earning eight of his 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series victories at Hickory Motor Speedway.
STATESVILLE, N.C. — GMS Racing has announced that Jeff Stankiewicz will assume the crew chief duties for the No. 2 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet piloted by Sheldon Creed in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
Stankiewicz, who replaces Doug Randolph as Creed’s crew chief, worked with Creed last year and the pairing captured the ARCA Racing Series championship together at MDM Motorsports.
Last season Creed won four races and earned 11 top-five finishes, 12 top-10 finishes and three poles with Stankiewicz atop the pit box en route to the ARCA championship. Stankiewicz was previously with GMS Racing from 2015 to 2017.
With three races remaining before the Truck Series playoffs begin, the driver and crew chief are hoping to revisit their previous success.
“I’m super excited to work with Jeff again,” Creed said. “We had a lot of success last year and always seemed to be on the same page. We got along great and I’m pumped to see what we can do the rest of the season together.”
“I’m happy to be back at GMS and back with Sheldon,” Stankiewicz said. “We won quite a few races and a championship together last year, so I’m hoping we can pick up right where we left off. We’ve got three more chances to get a win to put Sheldon into the playoffs, and from there we’ll keep building on what we’ve got.”
SOMERSET, Ky. — Officials with the Schaeffer’s Oil MARS Racing Series and Windy Hollow Speedway in Owensboro, Ky., have mutually agreed to cancel the event scheduled for Aug. 2.
After consideration regarding the possibility of a low car count, track promoter Jimmy Westerfield and series promoter Chris Tilley have mutually agreed that it wouldn’t be best to have the event in 2019.
“When Jimmy and I spoke we felt it best to cancel the event. There’s just not any Super Late Models in the Owensboro area anymore and we didn’t feel that it was fair to the race fans in that area if we couldn’t get enough cars to put on a good show,” said Tilley. “Jimmy and his crew are battling weather and other variables that several other promoters have faced this season and we wish him nothing but the best and we really look forward to the opportunity of working with them in the years to come.”
The next Schaeffer’s Oil MARS Racing Series event will be Aug. 3 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway, paying $10,000-to-win during the 15th annual Hall of Fame Classic.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins and forward Zach Aston-Reese avoided arbitration on Monday, agreeing to a two-year deal that runs through the 2020-21 season.
The deal is worth $1 million annually. The two sides came together minutes before heading to arbitration.
"We were actually setting up for the meeting and kind of right before it started, right at nine o'clock, it got done," Aston-Reese said. "Right on time."
Aston-Reese, 24, posted career highs in goals (eight) and assists (nine) despite being limited to 43 games because of a hand injury. Aston-Reese -- who skated alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line but also put in work with the fourth line -- gives the Penguins more options as they try to bounce back from a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the New York Islanders.
"Zach is a responsible player who plays a solid two-way game," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He has a heavy style of play that is especially effective on the forecheck and penalty kill."
Aston-Reese admitted he was relieved to get a new contract ironed out before going through arbitration.
"It's a little bit awkward and I was just really happy to get the deal done before that meeting began," he said. "You hear stories of things like that and it's no coincidence that only what, 5% actually go through with the meeting. I was happy to avoid that."
CALGARY, Alberta -- The Calgary Flames have a tentative agreement for a new arena to replace the Saddledome.
The city, NHL team and the Calgary Stampede have agreed in principle to terms. The Stampede, a rodeo exhibition, owns the land.
The deal was to be presented to the City Council on Monday and then put to a vote. Calgary citizens would then have a week to voice their opinion before a council vote next week to ratify the deal.
The Saddledome is almost 36 years old. The cost of the event center is $550 million to $600 million. It is to have a seating capacity of about 20,000 for sports and would be the heart of a larger, revitalized commercial and residential district.
This week in golf (July 22-28): TV schedule, tee times, info
Here's a look at what's happening in professional golf this week, and how you can watch it:
World Golf Championships
WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
Thursday-Sunday, TPC Southwind, Memphis. Tenn.
Course specs: Par 70, 7,237 yards
Purse: $10.25 million
Defending champion: Justin Thomas (won WGC-Bridgestone); Dustin Johnson (won FedEx St. Jude Classic)
Notables in the field: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Matthew Wolff
Tee times: N/A
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 2-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, Noon-1:45 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 2-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
PGA Tour Live: Thursday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
PGA Tour
Barracuda Championship
Thursday-Sunday, Montreux G&CC, Reno, Nev.
Course specs: Par 72, 7,472 yards
Purse: $3.5 million
Defending champion: Andrew Putnam
Notables in the field: Collin Morikawa, John Daly, Jim Herman, Doc Redman, Martin Kaymer
Tee times: N/A
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 7-9:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
LPGA
Evian Championship
Thursday-Sunday, Evian Resort, Evian-les-Bains, France
Course specs: Par 71, 6,527 yards
Purse: $4.1 million
Defending champion: Angela Stanford
Notables in the field: Sung Hyun Park, Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Sei Young Kim, Brooke Henderson
Tee times: N/A
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 5-7 a.m. ET and 9:30-11:30 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 6-9 a.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 9-11:30 a.m. ET (CNBC)
R&A/European Senior Tour
The Senior Open
Thursday-Sunday, Royal Lytham and St. Annes, Lytham St. Annes, England
Course specs: Par 70, 6,948 yards
Purse: $2 million
Defending champion: Miguel Angel Jimenez
Notables in the field: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples, Tom Watson
Tee times: N/A
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 7-9:30 a.m. ET and 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-Noon ET (Golf Channel) and Noon-2 p.m. ET (NBC)
Korn Ferry Tour
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Thursday-Sunday, Highland Springs CC, Springfield, Mo.
Course specs: Par 72, 7,115 yards
Purse: $675,000
Defending champion: Martin Trainer
Notables in the field: Kristoffer Ventura, Braden Thornberry, Doug Ghim, Davis Riley, Henrik Norlander
Tee times: N/A
More than an Open: Fractured Northern Ireland brought together by Lowry's triumph
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Those who watched the first Open Championship played on these rugged shores in nearly seven decades would learn that Shane Lowry is an infinitely likable bloke with the kind of short game that would make the late Seve Ballesteros envious.
They would have also gleaned that Royal Portrush was as good as advertised and that the best and worst of links golf can only be appreciated when the wind howls and the rain lashes in from every direction.
But only those paying close attention to the 148th edition could have truly grasped the transformative powers of sport.
For a country that’s been defined for far too long by walls – most notoriously the looming “peace walls” that meander through Belfast and more subtly the flags that frame and define neighborhoods, the British Union Jack for the protestant majority and the Republic of Ireland standard for the catholic enclaves – it didn’t go unnoticed that, at least for one week, Northern Ireland was a country without borders.
It was there late Sunday as Ireland’s Lowry put the finishing touches on his major masterpiece to a cacophony of thunderous applause at every turn. As the Champion Golfer of the Year climbed the hill at the par-3 16th hole, a young lad waved a Republic of Ireland flag that had been hastily fastened to an umbrella. It wasn’t that long ago such a display would have been unwise, if not unwittingly dangerous.
Despite the differences that continue to split Northern Ireland - even two decades after the Good Friday Agreement ended the violence to the masses - at least for one breathless moment, the country was equally and unequivocally united behind Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, native sons who honed their game on the country’s rolling links, as well as Lowry, who grew up four hours to the south in Ireland across a transparent border.
“This event and the people that have come out to support this event, it means a lot to this whole island economically and really just from a showcasing of this amazing place,” said McDowell, who grew up playing next door at Rathmore Golf Club. “It's history and everything that's gone on, it's more about the present and really where Ireland can go, north and south. And hopefully we're one place in the future.”
To the untrained and uninitiated this was little more than a golf tournament, albeit a grand golf tournament on a grand layout. Those watching the action unfold in Sunday’s gale probably had no clue that the night before a concert had been held in the center of Portrush that included the Sons of Ulster marching band.
This was an affront to some who called it an “unnecessary provocation” and the R&A went so far as to issue an advisory that warned vendors to stay clear of the potential political fray.
Several hundred people gathered for the concert according to various reports without incident, Northern Irish, Irish and a horde of fans from across the globe mingling about and enjoying a perfect summer evening.
Most sidestepped the question because of a lack of knowledge. Others avoided answering because of an abundance of it.
“Without getting into politics or religion, because that's not a good thing to get into around here,” McDowell said when asked the significance of last week’s championship. “It's symbolic. It's a shift. It's a move on. It's a step from our past. It shows how many hurdles we've overcome, how far we've come as an island.”
If last week’s gathering was symbolic, and it was, a stroll through Portrush’s narrow streets was proof, however circumstantial, that even the most frenzied change of pace can make things seem so normal.
There were no flags, either Union Jack or Irish, laying claim to the village. Along Causeway Street there are three churches, two catholic and a protestant offering, within a Dustin Johnson 3-wood of each other. That means nothing in most places but in the not-so-distant past the proximity was a potential flashpoint, but there was no tension, no side glances, no concerns.
In fact, the most radical statement to be found was a curious message scratched into a wall across an alley from the Atlantic Bar – “I hate golf.”
Officials downplayed the significance of The Open’s return to Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951, instead navigating the political no-man’s land with a message everyone could understand.
“We are very conscious that the Open comes to town once every X years,” explained R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers. “As guests we are very conscious that we want to be part of the community, we are very clear that we want to spend money in the community. We want to help with legacy funds in the community. But we will be gone in a couple of weeks. And so we want to live with the community.”
This Open lived up to those lofty expectations flawlessly. So much so, that the drumbeat for a return engagement had already started long before Lowry began his victory celebration. McDowell, who along with McIlroy and Darren Clarke helped lead the charge to bring The Open back to Portrush, went so far as to say he’s heard “whispers” that The Open could return to Royal Portrush in five years.
“With the financial commitment that Portrush have made for this, for it to get the recognition and then get back here soon, to keep that Portrush train rolling, it would be huge,” he said. “If we have to wait another 10 years, the icing might rub off between now and then. People might forget a little bit. Hopefully we can get back soon.”
The quality of golf and infrastructure certainly would justify such a quick turnaround, but it’s the more esoteric qualities of this year’s championship that shouldn’t be ignored. This was so much more than simply another major. This was a sea change, even if for a moment.
Even before Lowry hoisted the claret jug, metaphorically uniting north and south, the ability of sport to blur ancient rivalries and differences was evident as McIlroy, whose inexplicable 79 to start the week stunned the island, grinded to nearly make the cut. He didn’t play the weekend, missing out by a stroke, but he did prove a point.
“I wasn't coming here to try and produce any sort of symbolism or anything like that,” said McIlroy in an emotional exit interview. “But to see everyone out there sort of cheering on one cause, cheering for the same thing was pretty special. And that thing was me, fortunately.”
This shouldn’t be overstated. The Open won’t be a panacea for lasting tranquility on the island. But it was a week when the world viewed Northern Ireland through the lens of a championship sporting venue and not a fractured country.