Latest news with #CentreofExcellence
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Who is Lottie Woad? The English golf phenom targeting AIG Women's Open win on her professional major debut
Lottie Woad held the pose down the 18th at Dundonald Links, the final swing in anger on a glorious first stroll as a professional to complete an emphatic Scottish Open victory on debut. The AIG Women's Open is next for Woad, and the 21-year-old has retained an impressive demeanour to begin the week as a strong favourite at Royal Porthcawl. There is a skip in Woad's step this week, too, after pocketing her first cheque as a professional, with $300,000 (£223,000) secured on Sunday, particularly after going penniless earlier this month despite victory at the Irish Open due to her amateur status. "I need to get a car in America,' Woad said when asked about what she will do with her newfound wealth. Woad, who was a talented young footballer from time spent at Southampton's Centre of Excellence, is just setting out as a professional, but, of course, this dazzling run was foreseen by many in the game, ever since her astonishing win at the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2024. The Englishwoman made three birdies in her last four holes on that hallowed Georgia ground and proceeded to muscle in on the very best women in the world before turning over just last week. This month alone, she destroyed the field in the Irish Open at Carton House, Fairmont, surging to a six-shot victory, and she was then tantalisingly close to forcing her way into the Evian Championship playoff, finishing just a shot behind eventual champion Grace Kim and Atthaya Thitikul. Now, though, superstardom beckons with contention in her first major championship as a professional in South Wales, with the bookmakers installing her as a considerable favourite over Jeeno Thitikul and American superstar Nelly Korda. If her wins in Ireland and Scotland didn't already confirm it, the ease at which Woad perseveres in adverse conditions could be seen with her tied-10th finish at the Old Course last year, as Lydia Ko prevailed in, at times, fiendishly difficult conditions on the Scottish coast. Woad possesses enviable balance and a majestic swing, though her contemporaries point to her routine and ability to remain unflustered when the pressure rises. 'She's absolutely amazing,' Korda said glowingly of Woad before the pair tee it up on Thursday. 'I was very impressed with her composure, her process. I think, when it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to fidget and kind of doubt themselves, but she stuck to it. It's how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment.' Woad was introduced to the game growing up in Farnham, Surrey and started to hone her unmistakable swing from the age of seven with Luke Bone, the head professional at Farnham Golf Club. 'It's so obvious that something inside of her is driven by this,' Bone told Golfweek. 'That pressure is hers and hers alone.' Alongside Bone's influence, Woad took an increasingly popular path for British and Irish players to venture over to the United States, testing her game among the best amateur players in the world in the collegiate system of the NCAA. It was at Florida State University, under the watchful eye of Amy Bond, that Woad's trajectory skyrocketed, leaving her mark at some of the most prestigious courses in the sport, such as Augusta National, where Rory McIlroy created history of his own this year to clinch the men's career grand slam at The Masters. Bond maintains it is just "a matter of time" before she wins her first major, even at this early phase of her career, having witnessed her year-long spell as the No 1 amateur in the world and more than 18 months without finishing outside the top three in a collegiate tournament. 'She would practice all day long,' Bond revealed. 'And she could sit on the putting green for four hours working on drills. When that putter gets going, man, you just better get out of the way.' Success is coming so easily for Woad at the elite end of the sport that it is easy to draw parallels with fellow prodigy Luke Littler, whose relentless introduction to professional darts has changed the landscape entirely. That is a way off for Woad, but the ease in which she has found herself at the top of leaderboards welcomes a conversation of where her career will take her in majors and, invevitably the Solheim Cup, with a place pencilled in for Team Europe in the Netherlands for the 2026 edition of the event. 'I feel good obviously. I don't feel too different, to be honest,' Woad said after her landmark victory in Scotland. 'Yeah, I got a lot of confidence from the last few, the last month really. Just trying to continue to ride that. 'There's always pressure, obviously,' Woad remarked. 'But I don't think there's any more than there was, like from my perspective, before any of the last few weeks. Kind of still was wanting to contend there, and that's still the aim.' Confidence is high, but another major test at Royal Porthcawl will provide more answers in the remarkable rise of Woad.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka cabinet approves 1% fire cess on newly constructed multi-storeyed buildings
BENGALURU : Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday announced that the state cabinet has approved several key initiatives, including the setting up of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in space technology and the launch of the Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP). The proposed SpaceTech CoE will be established as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013, with a total allocation of Rs 10 crore over five years. "The Satellite Communication Industry Association (SIA-India) has been selected as the industry partner. The project has been granted exemption under Section 4(g) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999," the Minister briefed reporters after the cabinet meeting. The initiative aims to address the shortage of testing infrastructure in the space sector, as facilities operated by ISRO, DRDO, and other government agencies are currently at capacity and focused on their own missions. With around 30 working prototypes emerging from the state's startup ecosystem each month, the demand for independent testing is growing, he noted. The cabinet also approved the launch of the Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP) with a total budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore over five years. In the first year, Rs 200 crore will be allocated for implementation. LEAP is designed to support emerging and existing startups across Karnataka and position the state as a future-ready innovation hub. The cabinet also approved amendments to the Karnataka Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2024-29 to improve clarity and consistency in the policy language and structure without altering its core provisions or objectives, he added. Approval was given for establishment of a Kidwai Peripheral Cancer Treatment Unit at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore comprising Rs 20 crore for civil works and Rs 30 crore for equipment purchase within the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Raichur. An additional Rs 62 crore was sanctioned for procuring medical equipment, furniture, and other apparatus for setting up a 450-bed hospital at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Bengaluru. A notification has been issued appointing the Revenue Minister as the chairperson of the seven boards and authorities. It has been now been decided to amend the Acts of the respective Boards/Authorities, the Minister said. The proposed amendment bills pertain to Kudalasangama Development Authority, Kaginele Development Authority, Basavakalyan Development Board, Banavasi Development Authority, Sarvajna Development Authority, Kittur Development Authority and Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority. Seeking to regulate private ambulance service providers and register mobile medical units as private medical establishments, and mandate permanent registration within 30 days, Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has also been proposed. The cabinet has given its nod to impose one per cent fire cess along with the property tax on newly constructed multi-storeyed buildings in the state to improve the efficiency of the fire department.
Finextra
14-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Deloitte and AuditBoard ally for GRC services
AuditBoard, the leading global platform for networked risk management and transformation in the areas of audit, risk and compliance, is expanding its partnership with Deloitte. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. As a result, joint clients will receive targeted local support to make their work processes more efficient, fulfil regulatory requirements and gain valuable insights into their audit and risk processes. As part of AuditBoard's recent market entry in Germany, Deloitte Germany is establishing a Centre of Excellence to support the implementation of AuditBoard solutions and provide immediate added value to clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The certified team will provide specialised training, resources, content and tailored consulting tailored to the specific requirements in Germany and beyond. The partnership comes at a time when organisations are increasingly turning to AI-centric platforms such as AuditBoard to boost the productivity of their teams. In global internal audit and GRC functions in particular, manual processes lead to significant efficiency losses. According to a survey of 232 German audit managers, 66 per cent plan their audits at least partially manually, which makes it difficult to optimally allocate resources and react quickly to new risks. Over two-thirds of respondents also rely on manual or partially manual reporting processes, which limit the timeliness and analytical depth of risk reporting for company management. 'The expanded alliance comes at just the right time to help organisations transform their audit and risk processes,' explains Bert Glorieux, Partner at Deloitte Germany. 'With Deloitte's extensive industry experience and AuditBoard's innovative technology, German clients can optimise their governance, risk and compliance processes, realise efficiency gains and achieve better business results.' Ravi Patel, Director of Alliances, EMEA, at AuditBoard, added: "This collaboration builds on the success of the Deloitte and AuditBoard partnership to date, which has delivered successful implementations and measurable results for hundreds of major clients. Together, we will deliver sustainable value to our clients in Germany and promote excellence in audit and compliance." AuditBoard's growth is based in part on the success of AuditBoard AI, an intelligent solution that supports advanced workflows in audit, risk and compliance. These features allow teams to save valuable time and focus on the most strategic issues. For more information on how AuditBoard and Deloitte are working together to overcome challenges in risk management and compliance, please visit
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Canada sees ASEAN FTA as vital for inclusive economic growth
KUALA LUMPUR: Canada views the proposed ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a crucial step toward fostering inclusive and resilient economic growth for both regions. The High Commission of Canada in Malaysia emphasised that the FTA aligns with Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, focusing on trade expansion, supply chain stability, and sustainable development. The statement noted that Canada's 48-year strategic partnership with ASEAN is rooted in shared values and multilateral cooperation. 'Our strategic partnership has matured into a robust bond built on mutual trust and a commitment to inclusive development,' it said. With Malaysia set to chair ASEAN in 2025, Canada welcomed the focus on inclusivity and sustainability, which complements its own regional priorities. The ASEAN-Canada partnership extends beyond trade, encompassing initiatives like the SEED Canada-ASEAN Scholarships, the ASEAN-Canada Trust Fund, and cybersecurity collaborations such as the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in Malaysia. Digital transformation remains a key area of cooperation, with Canada engaging ASEAN through platforms like the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials' Meeting to boost innovation and cyber resilience. The statement also highlighted border management programs, including the CBSA Border Management Symposiums, to enhance trade efficiency and security. As both regions approach milestone anniversaries—Canada-ASEAN relations in 2027 and ASEAN's 60th founding anniversary—efforts are underway to deepen sectoral ties in digitalisation, energy, and food security. Foreign Minister Anita Anand recently led Canada's delegation at the ASEAN-Canada Post Ministerial Conference, attended by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn. – Bernama
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
2nd Test: Laxman arranged for India U19 team to watch day two's play, says Kanitkar
Birmingham: India U19 men's head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar has revealed that VVS Laxman, the head of BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE), ensured that they got to watch the second day's play in the ongoing Test at Edgbaston, where skipper Shubman Gill smashed a masterly career-best score of 269. During the second day's play, the entire India U19 team, led by young Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre, along with Kanitkar and other coaching staff members, were seen watching the game live. Kanitkar, the former India batter, felt watching a day's play live has served as great exposure to the young batters on how to build an innings in a red-ball game. 'VVS Laxman was instrumental in arranging this. He was the one who actually said that it would be a good thing to go and watch this game. It's definitely a special occasion for any upcoming cricketer to be at a Test venue,' said Kanitkar in a video posted on on Friday. 'The main thing I want them to take back from what we have watched so far, as a batter, is that not every ball has to be whacked for a four and six. You can still be extremely effective, score runs at a good rate, and still score a lot of runs, like what Shubman has done. When we go back, there will be a session on what they learnt from it.' 'He has batted like a classical Test innings, but he has not just ground it. He has played his shots. He has chosen the right ball, getting into good positions. They can relate to it for sure that if this person succeeds at this level by doing the basic stuff very well, we can as well, and I think that will be the biggest learning," he added. Young left-handed batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who's hit scores of 48, 45, and 86 in the ongoing youth series in England, said there was a lot to learn from Gill's majestic knock. 'I am feeling very good. This is my first Test match of watching in England, and I am seeing how the game is going.' 'I am feeling very good. We all came to watch the match. We got a lot of inspiration because Shubman Gill is a role model for us, and everyone's dream is to play red-ball cricket for their country.' Young spinner Anmoljeet Singh, who hails from Punjab, where Gill is also from, said seeing day two's play served as a further motivating factor for him to play for the country. "Yesterday evening, sir told us that everyone has to go and watch the match. We were ready to go and watch the match from morning itself.' 'Gill was batting at 114 at that time, and it felt good that he was playing, and we went and watched his batting. Representing India is a big achievement. When I see them, I get motivated to play for India like them and become like them,' he said. India U19 are currently leading the five-match Youth ODI series 2-1 against England, and are all set to play the fourth match at New Road, Worcester on July 5, before the fifth and final game happens at the same venue on July 7.
