GOLF

Diksha shoots over par, out of top 10; Kouskova secures Tenerife Women’s Open title

Diksha Dagar carded a dismal 1-over par 73 in the final round to finish tied 14th at the Tenerife Women’s Open.

The Indian had been well placed to secure a top 10 finish after the third day, but a difficult final round saw her slip five places with a cumulative score of 4-under 284.

The other Indian player to make the cut was Avani Prashanth, who, after a rough third round, played a fine final round of 4-under 68 and rose 23 spots to finish tied 20th.

Sara Kouskova, who moved into the lead at the end of the third day, converted that into her second consecutive LET title. Kouskova shot 1-under 71 with five birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. She finished at 9-under and one shot clear of second-placed German Helen Briem (70).

She has now become the third Czech player to win two LET titles alongside Klara Davidson Spilkova and Jana Melichova. Kouskova is now placed second in the order of merit.

– PTI

Saptak Talwar struggles in final round, finishes 44th

India’s Saptak Talwar struggled in windy conditions to card a 7-over 78 in the final round, finishing tied 44th at the Swiss Challenge in Lucerne.

After three steady under-par rounds had positioned him for a strong finish, the Indian golfer struggled on the final day and slipped out of contention. Talwar, who was inside the top 20 heading into the last round, tumbled down the leader board to end the tournament tied for 44th.

– PTI

MOTORSPORT

Racing prodigy Atiqa Mir first Indian to secure top-10 finish at Rotax Euro Trophy

Ten-year-old Indian racing sensation Atiqa Mir added another first to her name by securing a creditable top-10 finish in the Rotax Euro Trophy, a major international karting series.

The Akcel GP-backed driver finished ninth in the Rotax Euro Trophy Round 2 staged at Steel Ring Circuit over the weekend.

Atiqa, the first Indian to get financial and technical support from Formula 1, had a strong qualifying, finishing seventh in her group. She had the misfortune of having two bumper penalties but despite that, she finished in 10th place after the heats.

Atiqa, who is mentored by India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, qualified for the finals and was 10th on the grid. Atiqa ended as the highest placed Indian and Asian in the highly competitive field.

The Rotax Euro Trophy (RMCET) is a major international karting championship for drivers who race using Rotax MAX engines, which are some of the most popular kart engines globally.

Among Formula 1 drivers who have raced in this series in their formative years are reigning world champion Max Verstappen, George Russell, Lando Norris ad current championship leader Oscar Piastri.

-Team Sportstar