Akhil Rao wins men's nett division

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

GOLF: Cricketer Nimal Wettimuny (men's Gross), Akhil Rao (Men's Nett) Niloo Jayatilake (Ladies Gross) and Sue Rao (Ladies Nett) stole the show at the eighth round of the Lectra Golf Championship organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by Apparel Technologies (Pvt.) Limited Agents for Lectra France and worked at the picturesque Victoria Golf course at Rajawella.

It was a great day for the mother and son duo of Sue Rao and Akhil Rao to have taken to golf not so long ago and carry away two of the major titles at this monthly competition.

Twelve year Akhil Rao playing to a handicap of 16 registered 67 nett strokes to lift the Men's Senior Nett Division pushing Nimal Wettimuny who got 70 Nett to the runner up berth. Mother Sue Rao a regular golfer at Victoria playing to a handicap of 36 emerged winner in the Ladies Nett Division by getting 78 strokes. In the previous round her other son Kelly Rao won the Nett Division for Mens. Thus the Rao family are flying high these days at Victoria with Pappa Srinivas Rao a pilot by profession too coming up with some good performances.

But the plum of the competition for Men was pocketed by Nimal Wettimuny who playing to a handicap of six got 76 strokes to win the Men's Gross Division title. Englishman Ian Tait who is in roaring form in the last few months had to be satisfied with the second place having made 80 strokes.

Versatile Niloo Jayatillake came back into reckoning once again by winning the Ladies Gross Title by getting 89 gross way ahead of the second placed Sonia Boyle who got 97 gross. But Niloo Jayatillake has to come up with some excellent performances in the next two rounds if she is to oust Thushani Selveratnam who has returned to the United States of America from the top slot of the Table of points for the Gross title.

Avinash Kumar playing to a handicap of 8 won the Junior Championship title by getting 83 strokes and in second place was kelly Rao with 83 gross.