Indians dominate the Asian Tour Order of Merit

New Delhi, April 12, 2011: Indian professional golfers are currently ruling the roost on the Asian Tour Order of Merit thanks to their exceptional performances in the first quarter of the 2011 season. There are as many as five Indians in the top-10 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit at this stage.

SSP Chowrasia maintains his stranglehold on the Order of Merit where he has a comfortable lead with earnings of US$ 410,077. Chowrasia won the prestigious Avantha Masters on home soil in February and followed that up with a tied 12th finish at the Panasonic Open last week.

Sujjan Singh sits in second place with earnings of US$ 97,326. Sujjan came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School this year and thereafter made a major impact with a tied fifth finish at the Avantha Masters and a tied 19th result at the Panasonic Open.

Anirban Lahiri fulfilled his potential as one of India’s rising stars when he won the Panasonic Open by defeating countryman Manav Jaini and Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat in a three-way play-off at the Delhi Golf Club last week. The 23-year-old’s maiden international triumph pushed him up to fifth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with a season haul of US$ 57,720.

Shiv Kapur lies in seventh position on the Order of Merit with earnings of US$ 51,538 courtesy a tied ninth finish at the Avantha Masters.

Manav Jaini has produced two brilliant performances this season to occupy 10th place on the Order of Merit. Jaini, who claimed tied third position at the Indian Open last year, was the joint runner-up at the recently concluded Panasonic Open and also secured fourth place at the SAIL Open last month.

Hosni Mubarak detained with his two sons

Egyptian prosecutors on Wednesday detained the country's ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons to face investigations on charges of corruption and abuse of power. "Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal have been detained for 15 days for questioning on corruption and abuse of authority charges," official news agency reported quoting a statement from the Justice Ministry.The dramatic announcement came just hours after the former president, 82, was abruptly hospitalised in the beach resort of Sharm al-Shaikh.Officials said, Mubarak took ill as prosecutors began questioning him about accusations.The specific reasons for Mubarak's admission into the Sharm al-Shaikh international hospital was not clear, although media reports said he had heart problems.But Justice Minister Mohammad al-Guindi said questioning of the toppled President continued in hospital, in an indication that his health problems were not severe.Mubarak and his family retreated to the Red Sea resort after he stepped down in the face of 18 days of protests and turmoil, that led to a clamour for reform in the entire Arab world from Tunisia to Egypt.The protests have since spread to Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria and elsewhere. The arrest of Mubarak and his sons came under snowballing protests in Egypt to prosecute him.
Tens of thousand of people have been rallying in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square calling for his trial.The people's fury remained unabated as the crowds in Sharm al-Shaikh pelted a police van carrying Mubarak's two sons to prosecutor's office with water bottles and stones.Mubarak arrest came despite his coming out of seclusion to appear on Al-Arabiya television to defend his reputation and deny that he and his family had abused power or had assets abroad.

After the Prosecutor General ordered their detention, Mubarak's two sons Alaa and Gamal were driven away in a police van with curtains drawn.Gamal, the former president's younger son, was a senior official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father, before popular uprising brought down the regime.Gamal is believed to be the architect of Egypt's privatisation programme which brought in billions in foreign investments, but also widened the gulf between the rich and the poor.Many of his close associates and cronies became billionaires overnight and held senior posts in the government, triggering allegations that they used their positions for personal gains.

At least 800 people are estimated to have been killed in popular uprising and the authorities are now investigating government officials for their role in ordering crackdowns.The ouster of Mubarak is leading to rapid changes in the political scenario of the country.With most of the leaders of the dominant National Democratic Party, now under detention, a former opposition MP Talat Sadat, nephew of the slain former president Anwar Sadat has been appointed the new Secretary General of the party.The party has also changed its name to the New National Democratic Party.