DS Talk » Fasel has said the bill would be about $10 million for th

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Her father stood by the golf bag and held back tears when Aditi Ashok teed off in the Olympics. Better yet was watching the 18-year-old from India walk off the 18th green Thursday with another 68 and see her name high on the leaderboard.I didnt expect to be there, said Ashok, four shots behind Inbee Park through 36 holes. I just tried to follow my game plan and do my best every day. And now Im up there, so Im really looking forward to the weekend.And to think none of this would be possible if they had chosen somewhere else to eat breakfast long ago.Ashok, a single child with an inquisitive mind, was 5 when she went with her parents to a restaurant across from the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bangalore. The family knew nothing about golf.We were just having breakfast and we looked at the driving range where people are hitting balls, Gudlamani Ashok said. We were very intrigued and just walked in. We just wanted to get some family activity, so we all learned. I saw her interest growing and when she played her first round -- 18 holes from normal tees -- I could see red cheeks. But then she said, `I want to go back.I felt shes very, very passionate about the sport, and she took it on from there.Ashok is emerging on her biggest stage yet in womens golf. The youngest player in the field, she qualified through the womens world ranking at No. 462 in the world, and her appearance was seen mainly as chance to spark interest in golf in India.Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri have earned attention over the last decade in mens golf, from victories on the European Tour or PGA Tour. Lahiri, who also grew up in Bangalore, tied for fifth in the PGA Championship last year and was the first to play in the Presidents Cup.Ashoks hopes are to inspire the women, and she can only imagine what a medal would mean to her country.I think it would be big in India, and also being a golfer -- a woman golfer -- it will definitely boost the popularity of the sport. Thats what Im hoping to do, Ashok said. Because golf is in the Olympics for the first time, I think it would make golf more public among the general people who watch golf, not just the golf fans who watch it right now. ... We still need to have a lot more golf courses and a lot more juniors playing the sport. Im hoping that happens soon.For now, she has four shots to make up against a seven-time major champion, and she is trying to temper expectations.Even with such a low world ranking, Ashok was not a complete unknown when she arrived at Olympic Golf Course. She has been winning junior titles, competed in the Youth Olympics and last year became the youngest player -- and first from India -- to win qualifying school for the Ladies European Tour. She was 17 and shot 23-under par.And like her father detected, she is passionate about her sport.I think golf every day is different, she said. You never hit the same shot twice. So every day is a new experience, and you cant really come with any expectations. The game is bigger than all of us, so thats what I like about it.Her next stop no matter how the Olympics end for her is a trip to California for the first stage of LPGA qualifying. She was too young to go last year. Her father, who caddies for her, is along for a ride he never imagined. And the opening tee shot was a moment he wont forget.I was almost in tears, he said. I thanked her for this opportunity to be on her bag. Because as kids, we all dream. When we play when we are 10, 12 years old, we used to think that one day we will be Olympians. I dont think I can do that. But she brought me to the Olympics.In golf, of all sports. New Balance Canada Discount . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. New Balance Wholesale Canada . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. http://www.newbalancesalecanada.com/ . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. New Balance Online Sale Canada .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. New Balance Outlet Canada .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said he had a good discussion Wednesday with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players Association Executive Director Don Fehr about the worlds top hockey players participating in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.No hitting, and no elbows, Fasel joked in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.Bettman described the meeting as constructive and candid.Still lots of issues, Bettman wrote in an email to the AP.Fasel said his job is to raise funds for the players transportation and insurance. The International Olympic Committee does not want to cover those costs as it has the previous five Olympics. Fasel hopes to persuade the IOC to financially support the NHLs participation.It is the only league that shuts down to participate in the Winter or Summer Olympics, Fasel said.Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly declined to comment on a Sportsnet report indicating the league has offered to sign off on allowing players to go for gold in South Korea in exchange for the union not opting out of the collective bargaining agreement in September 2019, which would in effect extend the deal for three years.There have been some suggestions that could be construed that that discussion would be worth having, Fehr told reporters in New York. Obviously, we discuss that with players. We have begun that process, but were a long way from done.Bettman has said a decision would need to be made by early January at the latest, giving the league time to create its 2017-18 schedule with or without a two-plus week break for the Olympics.Fasel isnt in a rush.We can wait longer because we want to do all we can to keep best-on-best hockey in the Olympics, Fasel said.NHL andd NHLPA officials recently visited the Olympic site in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and have deemed it suitable for international competition.ddddddddddddWhether the worlds best hockey players go to South Korea in about 15 months is up to the league and union, though Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has said he will go even if there isnt an agreement.The IOC spent about $14 million to cover travel and insurance costs for NHL players for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Fasel has said the bill would be about $10 million for the next Olympics because it wont be necessary to charter planes to South Korea as it was to get players to Sochi.The NHL hasnt sounded eager about going to South Korea, but does appear very interested in tapping into Chinas huge market in 2022.When the IOC awarded the Beijing Games, it certainly created a bigger opportunity than we thought existed potentially before, Daly said in September. But it is also possible that you dont go to one Olympics and you do go to the other. I dont think anybody has ruled that out as a possibility.Fasel has been trying to persuade national Olympic committees and hockey federations to donate funds to keep the games best players on the biggest stage in sports. He acknowledged the IIHF could possibly use some of the $40 million it gets from the IOC every four years and make cuts from its development programs for boys and girls.Its not going to be easy to get this done, but thats my job, Fasel said.---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lage ' ' '