JANUARY: Viswanathan Anand retained the Corus Grandmasters’ Chess title with an easy win over Holland’s Ivan Sokolov in just 14 moves. V.V.S. Laxman led India to a 19-run victory over world champions Australia in a one-day match on Jan. 18, after a gap of 12 years. The National Basketball Association removed several dozen sweatshirts made in Myanmar from its Fifth Avenue store after a labor rights advocate accused the league of violating federal law by selling goods made in that country. India-Australia Test series ended in a draw. The Australian captain Steve Waugh bid farewell to Test cricket after the series.



FEBRUARY: Veteran golfer Vijay Kumar climbed atop the Order of Merit list on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour by winning Rs. 633,628 ($13,999). Leander Paes made a comeback from a set down to beat Simon Rea in four sets to give India a 3-2 win over New Zealand in the Asia-Oceania Group One tie. Indian women’s hockey team won its maiden Women’s Asia Cup in New Delhi. Australia defeated India to clinch the best-of-three finals series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Leander Paes and his partner Martina Navratilova lost in the mixed doubles final of the Australian



MARCH: Jyoti Randhawa booked place in BritishGolf Championships. The 9th South Asian Federation (SAF) Gamesd in Islamabad. India beat Pakistan in the one-day series to lift the Samsung Cup. Ninety two-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh joined world’s leading sports stars in having signed a contract with sports equipment manufacturer Adidas to appear in a British advertising campaign.



APRIL: Vijay Singh earned his second PGA Tour title of the season by winning the Houston Master Chirukandath Manoj Gaurishankar won the first place trophy in the K-12 division at the 11th Space CoastChess Festival in Indiatlantic, Florida. India trounced Pakistan 5-2 to clinch their maiden Junior Asia Cup field hockey title. Daniel Chopra won at the First Tee Arkansas Classic in Arkansas. Formula 3 driver Karun Chandhok finished 14th in the Silverstone International Circuit in England.

Continued on Page 35