Guntas Kaur Sandhu best Indian at tied 17th after Round 1 of Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific

By Deepak Arora

WELLINGTON (New Zealand), Feb 12: India’s Guntas Kaur Sandhu produced a solid performance, shooting a one-under 71 at the Royal Wellington Golf Club on Thursday to finish as the best-placed Indian, tied for 17th after the opening round of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.

The prestigious event, organized by The R&A (Royal & Ancient, Scotland) in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), brings together top amateur golfers from across the region competing for coveted invitations to major championships, including the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, and The Chevron Championship.

Part of the four-member team sent by the Indian Golf Union (IGU), Guntas began on a modest note with a bogey on the first hole before sinking birdies on the third, eighth and 12th holes. But a bogey on the 15th hole pegged her back. She trails the leader Yunseo Yang of South Korea by seven strokes.

Other Indians in fray, Ananyaa Sood (2-over 74; Tied 42nd), Zara Anand (7-over 79; Tied 66th) and Jia Kataria (9-over 81; Tied 75th) had a disappointing first round.

Guntas Kaur Sandhu, ranked 545th in the world, had a remarkable domestic season winning four times on the IGU circuit, namely the Gujarat Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur, Eastern India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur, Southern India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur and the Maharashtra Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur Golf Championships. She finished third in the 2025 IGU All India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur Championship.

Speaking about her round, Guntas said: “Royal Wellington is a challenging parkland course. I attacked the flags from the start but got mixed results today. I will draw inspiration from some of my good performances on the domestic IGU circuit tomorrow. Looking forward to a memorable outing here.”

Yunseo Yang Dominates Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Wellington

WELLINGTON (New Zealand), Feb 15: South Korea’s Yunseo Yang delivered a commanding performance to win the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship 2026 at the prestigious Royal Wellington Golf Club.

The 18-year-old golfer secured victory with an impressive 16-under-par total of 272, finishing a remarkable eight strokes ahead of her nearest rival, Soomin Oh. Yang led the tournament from start to finish, showcasing consistency and composure across all four rounds.

The championship, held from February 12 to 15, marked the first time New Zealand hosted the event, drawing top amateur golfers from across the Asia-Pacific region. Despite challenging windy conditions in the final round, Yang carded a steady 69 to seal her historic win.

With this triumph, Yang became the first South Korean to win the WAAP title and matched the tournament’s record for the largest winning margin. Her victory also earns her invitations to some of the world’s most prestigious women’s golf majors, including the AIG Women’s Open and the Chevron Championship.

Other notable performances included strong finishes by players such as Rianne Malixi and Australia’s Jazy Roberts, highlighting the depth of talent in the region.

Organised by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, the WAAP Championship continues to play a crucial role in promoting women’s golf and providing a global platform for emerging players.

Yang’s emphatic victory in Wellington not only marks a milestone in her career but also reinforces the growing dominance of Asian golfers in the international arena.

Pakistan to play against India in T20 World Cup 2026

NEW DELHI, Feb 10: The ICC have released a statement confirming the participation of Pakistan in all their scheduled ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 matches – including their match against India on 15 February in Colombo.

The statement released by ICC said: “The dialogue between ICC and PCB took place as part of a broader engagement with both parties recognising the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation.

“In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a success.

“With respect to Bangladesh, the ICC reiterated its continued facilitation of growth in one of cricket’s most vibrant markets, with more than 200 million passionate fans to ensure that the national team's non-participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 does not have any long-term effects on cricket in the country.”

The ICC had previously noted the statement issued by the Government of Pakistan regarding its decision to restrict the team’s participation in the tournament to select matches.

Ahead of what will be a highly-anticipated contest against India, Pakistan will play their second game of the tournament against the USA on 10 February in Colombo.

They secured a three-wicket victory against Netherlands in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The announcement on Monday also followed a meeting between the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The BCB and ICC thereafter confirmed that Bangladesh will not face penalties for their absence from the tournament and will have the opportunity to host an ICC event ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to standard ICC hosting processes and requirements.

Pakistan to boycott India match at T20 World Cup, ICC says not aware of official word

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: In an unprecedented move, Pakistan on Sunday confirmed its participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 but announced that it will boycott its group-stage match against arch-rivals India. The decision was taken by the Government of Pakistan after the International Cricket Council (ICC) removed Bangladesh from the tournament following Dhaka’s refusal to play matches in India citing security concerns.

The development comes despite prior agreements between the ICC, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hold all India–Pakistan fixtures at neutral venues. Notably, the Pakistani government did not spell out a specific reason for opting out of the February 15 fixture against India.

Earlier, the PCB had publicly backed Bangladesh during an ICC vote that asked member nations to ratify Dhaka’s request for a venue change. Pakistan and Bangladesh were the only two boards to support the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), while 14 other nations rejected the request, stating that the security threat did not warrant a shift away from India.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government said in a statement posted on X.

However, it added that “the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”

Alcaraz beats Djokovic to win Australian Open; completes career Slam

MELBOURNE, Feb 1: Carlos Alcaraz has rewritten tennis history by becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam with his victory over the great Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2026 in Melbourne.

Alcaraz, 22, overcame a first-set loss to complete a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 triumph over the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday. In the process, he denied the 38-year-old a chance to become the only player with 25 Slam titles.

While the world number one later admitted his “legs were shaking” as he served for the title, he seemed to have the upper hand as the match wore on and finished after three hours and two minutes.

The top seed now has an Australian Open trophy to add to his two French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles each, also making him the youngest to garner seven Slams.

Djokovic, from Serbia and a 10-time champion in Australia, was the quicker of the two out of the blocks and broke his younger rival twice to swiftly claim the opening set.

But Alcaraz, of Spain, didn’t waste time in pulling back and claiming the second set with the same scoreline in a display of speed, power and finesse.

In breaking the career Slam record, Alcaraz surpassed his idol and compatriot Rafael Nadal – who watched from the stands and who was two years older when he did the same.

It was a first defeat for Djokovic in a Melbourne final after he won all 10 previously, leaving him still searching for a landmark 25th major to better Australia’s Margaret Court, who was also watching on.