Golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar capped off a successful 2012 with wins at Macau and the Chinese Taipei, but rubbing shoulders with Tiger Woods at the CIMB Classic stands out for the Kapurthala lad.

Ace rallyist Gaurav Gill, who has held top spot among the Asian drivers in the world rally rankings, is keen on his first challenge on the Indian motorsport circuit in 2013 — the 11th Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm. The six-day cross-country event will be held in the wild outback of Rajasthan from February 18 to February 23.

Cute bunnies, red roses, mushy heart-shaped gifts and imported chocolates are passé. So are expensive candle-light dinners and diamond pendants! The youth in the city are celebrating the annual ritual of love, namely the Valentine’s Day, but are looking for out-of-the-box gifts for their partners. We narrow down on a few such city couples.

The Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Greater Noida witnessed keen competition among 200 amateurs including former cricketer Kapil Dev for the top spot in the Northern India qualifiers of the World Corporate Golf Challenge.

Defending champion Suresh Rana will start the favourite in the 11th edition of the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm scheduled to be held in Rajasthan from February 18 to 23.

Action in the Equisport Delhi Spring Polo Season 2013 at the Army Equestrian Centre picked up in the form of the Sanawar SMS Gold Vase (eight-goal) tournament with the finalists spotted on Saturday.

Greece has ouzo, Germany loves its Jagermeister and Turkey swears by Raki. The French though, will not budge from their love for the anise-flavoured aperitif Pastis. Pastis emerged almost two decades after the ban on absinthe, during a time when France was still apprehensive of high-proof anise drinks.

The country’s elite distance runners will vie for the top honours at the Mawana Sugars Indian Open marathon, to be held in the capital on February 17.

Veteran Smriti Mehra sealed her first title of the season with a comprehensive 13-stroke victory in the second leg of the Hero WPGT 2013 at the Tollygunge Golf Club in Kolkata on Thursday.

An ‘outsider’ till the other day, Arata Izumi is now an integral part of the Indian senior national football team. From the moment he stepped into the national camp in Kochi, he was welcomed by his colleagues, a gesture which he admits has made him “very comfortable indeed.”