India win team medal at Nomura Cup after 18 years

Denarau (Fiji): A brilliant performance by teenager Khalin Joshi helped the Indian golf team to end a

18-year long medal drought with a bronze in the team championships of the Asia-Pacific Golf championships for Nomura Cup on Friday. Joshi was also tied for third in individual standings here. The Indian team, which was lying third after three rounds at the Denarau Golf Course maintained their position and finished on the podium as they aggregated 211 in the fourth and final round for a total of 865. Australia won the Nomura Cup for a record ninth time with a final round of 201 and a total of 840, while New Zealand finished second at 861 with a final round of 209. Korea was fourth and Japan fifth as the best three cards counted each day. It was India`s first medal finish since 1993, when the Indian team, comprising Amit Luthra, Amritinder Singh, Arjun Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, won a bronze medal. Before that India won the gold in 1973 at Jakarta, Indonesia. The team then consisted of RK Pitamber, Billoo Sethi, Vikramjit Singh and Lakshman Singh. Khalin Joshi, one of the most promising young players in India, shot a superb four-under 68, his best score of the week for a total of three-under 285 that gave a share of the third place with two others. Cameron Smith returned a final round four-under 68, for a total of nine-under 279, while Jake Higginbottom (66) finished second at seven-under 281. Cameron Smith returned a final round four-under 68, for a total of nine-under 279, while Jake Higginbottom (66) finished second at seven-under 281.