Aditi Ashok slips on final day, signs off with silver in women's golf
Hangzhou (PTI): Aditi Ashok's fortunes tumbled on the final day as she carded a topsy-turvy 73 to sign off with a silver for India's first medal in women's golf at the Asian Games here on Sunday.
Coming into the final day with a commanding seven-stroke lead, Aditi saw the advantage evaporate as she stumbled upon four bogeys and a double bogey against a lone birdie to slip to the second position.
The 25-year-old ended her campaign with a four-day aggregate of 17-under 271 as Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol held her nerves to produce her week's best card of 64 and claim the coveted gold medal.
Korea's Hyunjo Yoo, too, carded an improved 65 to win a bronze.
India's other two players, Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth, too struggled to bring home cards of 75 and 76 as the Indian women's team ended its campaign at the fourth place.
While the gold slipped out of her hands, it was still a creditable performance from the two-time Olympian from Bangalore, who had missed a medal by a whisker at the Tokyo Games after finishing fourth.
It was India's fourth individual medal in golf with Lakshman Singh and Shiv Kapur winning the gold in the 1982 and 2002 editions and Rajiv Mohta claiming a silver in New Delhi.
An Indian squad comprising Lakshman, Rajiv, Rishi Narain and Amit Luthra had won the team gold in 1982, while the country also won two team silver medals in 2006 and 2010 editions at Doha and Guangzhou.
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Press bodies demand withdrawal of FIR Against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair
New Delhi: Several press organisations have called for the withdrawal of the FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking platform Alt News. The FIR includes allegations of endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity under s. 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case stems from Zubair’s social media post on October 3, where he shared a video of Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand’s speech that allegedly contained derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), led to protests from Muslim groups across several cities. The complaint against Zubair was filed by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation, claiming the post was intended to incite violence.
On November 27, the Allahabad High Court was informed that s. 152 of the BNS and s. 66 of the Information Technology Act had been added to the FIR. While the court allowed these additions, press bodies expressed strong opposition to the charges, calling them a misuse of laws meant to stifle press freedom and dissent.
The Press Club of India described s. 152 as a "new avatar" of the sedition law, warning of its potential to silence media and free thinkers. Similarly, DIGIPUB, an association of digital news organisations, condemned the FIR as a "vindictive and unreasonable overreach" by the authorities.
DIGIPUB questioned whether the Uttar Pradesh government intends to target journalists who expose hate speech against minorities. It urged the police to shift focus to prosecuting individuals making hate speeches rather than harassing journalists like Zubair.
The Allahabad High Court has scheduled the next hearing on December 3, directing the investigating officer to provide detailed affidavits regarding the charges. Meanwhile, Zubair has sought legal protection against arrest.
