CHESS
SDAT to give virtual presentation to FIDE on June 5
Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) is all set to give a virtual presentation to FIDE (world chess body) on June 5 on why it is best placed to host the World championship chess match between local boy D. Gukesh and Ding Liren scheduled in November this year.
While All India Chess Federation (AICF) has bid for Delhi SDAT is hoping that FIDE will grant the match to Chennai as the city has all the facilities to host the premium tournament.
“Our financial bid has already been accepted by FIDE. And there is no clause, which says that a city or a State Government cannot bid for the World Championship [independent of AICF]. FIDE has invited us to give a presentation that will have the FIDE president and CEO. Given that we have hosted several global tournaments, including the International Surfing Open, Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, Chess Olympiad and Squash World Cup in a foo-proof manner, we are hopeful of a positive outcome,” J. Meghanath Reddy, Member Secretary of SDAT, told Sportstar here on Monday.
-Keerthivasan. K
World Junior Chess Championship: Bodrogi holds Grebnevto to a draw, consecutive wins for Divya Deshmukh
Second seed Aleksey Grebnev from Russia was held to a draw by Bendeguz Bodrogi of Hungary in the second round of the World Junior Chess Championship at Gandhinagar on Monday.
In the girls’ section, top seed Divya Deshmukh beat fellow-Indian Sherali Pattnaik to post her second successive win.
Important results (second round):
-P. K. Ajith Kumar
TABLE TENNIS
UTT 2024 Coach Draft: Eight teams set for an exciting season with new coaches and expanded lineup
The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) is set for an exciting 2024 season following its Coach Draft event, where each of the eight franchises selected both a foreign and an Indian coach. This year, the league has expanded to eight teams with the addition of Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots.
The draft saw significant selections, with Bengaluru Smashers picking Elena Timina from Netherlands, a four-time Olympian who led Goa Challengers to victory last season. Ahmedabad SG Pipers opted for the experienced Francisco Santos, marking his fifth UTT participation. Dabang Delhi TTC and Jaipur Patriots chose Indian coaches Sachin Shetty and Somnath Ghosh, respectively.
Four Indian coaches will make their UTT debut this season, Jay Modak with Ahmedabad SG Pipers, Anshuman Roy with Bengaluru Smashers, former national champion Subhajit Saha with Goa Challengers, and Subin Kumar with Chennai Lions. Dabang Delhi TTC reunited the successful combination of Shetty and Slovenian coach Vesna Ojstersek, aiming to improve on their 2019 runner-up finish.
Other notable appointments include U Mumba picking John Murphy, the current England team head coach, while retaining Anshul Garg. Goa Challengers selected Hungarian women’s team coach Zoltan Bartofi, and Chennai Lions will be guided by Tobias Bergman, head coach of the Swedish National team, making his UTT debut.
The upcoming season, scheduled in Chennai from August 22 to September 7, promises to be an exciting chapter in UTT’s journey. The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
Teams and coaches (in the order of selection):
- Team Sportstar
SHOOTING
Esha makes it to final of women’s 25-metre sports pistol in Munich World Cup
Esha Singh shot 584 and made the final of the women’s 25-metre sports pistol in the World Cup in Munich, Germany, on Monday.
World record holder Rhythm Sangwan shot 570 for the 55th spot, while Manu Bhaker skipped the event.
In women’s air rifle final, Ramita Jindal finished sixth after having shot an impressive 633.0 in qualification.
The results:
10m air rifle:
Ganga Singh gets gold in 50-metre rifle in 22nd Kumar Surendra Singh shooting championship
Ganga Singh shot 456.1 and beat Zahid Hussain Parray by 2.3 points for the gold in the 50-metre rifle 3-position event in the 22nd Kumar Surendra Singh shooting championship at the Madhya Pradesh Academy on Monday.
Nikhil Tanwar of Navy won the bronze behind the two Army shooters, and ahead of Olympian and qualification topper Deepak Kumar (584) of the Air Force.
In the junior final, Shivam Dabas beat Adriyan Karmakar by 0.5 point for the gold.
The results:
50m rifle 3-position:
TENNIS
Aryan Shah wins maiden pro title at the ITF men’s tennis tournament
Aryan Shah won his maiden professional singles title as he beat Dan Martin of Canada 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the $15,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament in Kingston, Jamaica, on Sunday.
After beating top seed Peter Bertran of Dominican Republic in the first round in three rounds, the 18-year-old Aryan cruised to the trophy, dropping only 17 games in all in the next four rounds.
It was the second title in Jamaica for Aryan, a trainee of Altevol Waske Centre in Ahmedabad, as he had won the doubles title last week with Adhithya Ganesan of USA.
The 922nd ranked Aryan had also made another singles final in his three-week spell in Kingston.
Aryan was ranked a career-best No.39 in the world among the juniors last year, and has stepped it up nicely in the men’s circuit with wide exposure around the world, including the Challengers.
“Aryan will next play in South Africa”, said Shrimal Bhatt, the chief coach of the Altevol Academy, understandably delighted about the progress of his ward.
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