RUGBY
Hembram, Rathore to lead Rugby India at Asia Rugby U18 7s Championship
The U18 Indian boys and girls rugby team will compete at the Asia Rugby U18 7s Championship held between September 28 and 29, 2024. The teams led by Charan Hembram and Vijayshree Rathore have left for Malaysia today, after a 30-day national camp that was held in SAI Kolkata.
“Many congratulations to the boys and girls who have made it to the U18 Indian national team. This cohort of players, part of the federation’s age-grade teams, are paramount as they represent the future of rugby in our country and shall be donning the Indian jersey for the first time. We wish them the very best.”, said Mr. Rahul Bose, President, Indian Rugby Football Union.
The boys are pooled with UAE, Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia while the girls are competing with UAE, Hong Kong China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The boys will start their campaign against Saudi Arabia whilst the girls will go head-to-head with Thailand to kickstart their campaign.
Complete Fixtures:
September 28
September 29
-Team Sportstar
CHESS
Megha, Tijan to lead India’s campaign in world junior chess for blind
Asian Para Games medallists Megha Chakraborty and Tijan Gawar will lead India’s campaign in the 12th IBCA World Junior and Women Chess Championship for the Blind and Visually Impaired to be held here from Saturday.
The nine-day tournament, conducted under the aegis of All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB), is being staged in Asia for the first time.
Apart from the Indian challengers, top 32 chess players from nations such as USA, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine are participating in the event.
“It is our honour to host this event, where we not only celebrate the exceptional talents of players with visual impairments but also strengthen the chess community around the world.
“We look forward to some sensational games and personal stories the next few days will bring,” said Charudatta Jhadhav, the AICFB president in a release.
-PTI
GOLF
Yuvraj Sandhu lies T-2, Indians start well in Taipei
India’s Yuvraj Sandhu got off to a superb start with a 7-under 65 that placed him tied second after the first round of the Yeangder TPC golf tournament in Taiwan.
Sandhu, who was one of the early starters from the first tee, had three birdies in the first four holes and turned in 3-under. Then over the last seven holes, he had five birdies, one bogey and one par for a brilliant 65.
He was one behind Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who blasted an eight-under-par 64 to take the lead after the first-round.
The leader had an eagle, seven birdies and one dropped shot at Linkou International Golf & Country Club. Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan, who also carded a 7-under 65, shared the second spot with Sandhu.
Indians had a good day as Ajeetesh Sandhu (67) and Karandeep Kochhar (67) were tied sixth while Shiv Kapur (68) was T-14.
Among other Indians, Rashid Khan (70) was T-46, Gaganjeet Bhullar (71) was T-67, SSP Chawrasia (75) was T-128, S Chikkarangappa (76) was T-137 and Varun Chopra (82) was T-150. Indian-American Manav Shah (70) was T-46.
“Game is good. I am confident but do have a few nerves. Quite far from home, of course. As I played here last year so I knew what to prepare for,” Sandhu said.
He has been struggling this year and missed the past six cuts, but he is still enjoying his debut season on the Asian Tour.
-PTI
MORE SPORTS
World Padel League’s second season to be held in Mumbai
The second season of the World Padel League for both men and women players from around the world will be held here from February 6-9 next year in a franchise-based format.
The first edition of the competition was organised in Dubai.
Padel is a racquet-based sport which is similar to tennis and squash. It is played in an enclosed space with a net in the middle but the court size is much smaller than tennis.
The players here are allowed to hit the ball bouncing off the enclosure in order to keep it in play.
It was developed by a Mexican named Enrique Corcuera in the 1970s.
Padel is usually played by four people in a contest of doubles but players can also compete as singles.
The Indian Padel Federation’s president Sneha Abraham Sehgal said, “Padel has been rapidly rising in India, and more people are increasingly interested in taking up the sport. With the World Padel League coming to India, it shows Padel’s growing popularity in the country,” she said in a release.
-PTI
TENNIS
AITA U-14 tournament: Double crown for Vivaan Mirdha
Kaustubh Singh and champion Vivaan Mirdha in the AITA Super Series junior tennis tournament in Jodhpur. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vivaan Mirdha won a double crown in the AITA super series under-14 tennis tournament at the Mallinath Sardar Academy.
Vivaan defeated his doubles partner Kaustubh Singh 6-3, 7-5 in the final while the duo together beat Tanish Patil and Vir Chattur.
The girls title was bagged by Aaradhya Meena who outplayed Darshamini Singh for the loss of one game in the final.
The results (finals):
- Team Sportstar
HPCL-Mittal AITA tournament: Pooja Ingale wins women’s final; Debasis Sahoo men’s champion
Second seed Pooja Ingale recovered from a slow start to beat qualifier Mahika Khanna 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in the women’s final of the HPCL-Mittal Rs.200,000 AITA men’s and women’s tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Friday.
In the men’s final, qualifier Debasis Sahoo asserted himself against Shanker Heisnam for the loss of four games.
The results (finals):
- Team Sportstar
Nonthaburi Challenger Tennis: Rithvik, Arjun win in doubles semifinals
Top seeds Rithvik Bollipalli and Arjun Kadhe beat Toshihide Matsui of Japan and Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles semifinals of the $133,250 Challenger tennis tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Friday.
In the final, the Indian pair will be challenged by Blake Ellis and Adam Walton of Australia.
The results
-Team Sportstar
ITF masters: Nagaraj Revanasiddaiah outplays Pawan Jain in over-60 final
Nagaraj Revanasiddaiah was in top form as he outplayed Pawan Jain 6-1, 6-1 in the over-60 final of the ITF Masters tennis tournament at the Joygaon Academy.
Nagaraj dropped only eight games in all in four rounds in emerging the champion.
In the women’s over-35 event, Askhitha Basavaraju asserted herself with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over her doubles partner Nikunj Kamal in the final. Akshitha did not drop a game in the earlier two rounds.
The results:
- Team Sportstar
BADMINTON
Kapur, Dharmadhikari top seeds in inter-district and state badminton tournament
Pune’s Varun Kapur and Saad Dharmadhikari have got the top billing in the men’s and women’s categories respectively for Shri Nandu Natekar Memorial Maharashtra State Senior Inter District (Team) and State Badminton Championship.
The competition will be held after nearly a decade and starts on Sunday. It will be conducted under the auspices of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) and Badminton Association for Mumbai Upanagar (BAMU).
The second seeded players in the men’s and women’s categories are also from Pune in the form of Yash Shah and Shruti Mundada.
In the men’s doubles, siblings Viplav Kuvale and Viraj Kuvale are the top seeds whereas in the women’s draw, Thane’s Mrunmayee Deshpande and Kolhapur’s Prerana Alvekar is seeded number one.
Thane’s Aman Farogh Sanjay and Anagh Karandikar are the top seeds in the mixed doubles event.
- PTI
FOOTBALL
Mahindra Super League: Dorielton sparkles as Forca Kochi celebrates first win
Thanks a ton, Dorielton!
Forca Kochi FC could be saying that again and again as its Brazilian forward Dorielton Gomes scored a goal and provided an assist as the home side defeated Thiruvananthapuram Kombans 2-1 and celebrated its first win in the Mahindra Super League Kerala at the Nehru Stadium here on Friday night.
The second-half substitutions made by Kochi coach Mario Lemos proved effective and changed the complexion of the match. For it was Thiruvananthapuram, which had not lost earlier in the league, which dominated the first half and created many chances.
The boys from the capital used the flanks well, especially the left, where Abdul Badish and Ganesan did a good job with the combination sending some promising crosses to Marcos Wilder.
Brazilian Wilder gave Thiruvananthapuram the lead in the 41st minute, off a corner, heading in a perfect floater from his compatriot Davi Kuhn. But he missed a few chances too before and after this.
But it was a very different story in the second half and Kochi held the upper hand. K.P. Rahul, who had come in the 59th minute, brought some life into the home side with his quick runs. He also scored Kochi’s opening goal. It began with Dorielton moving into the box from the right, outwitting two defenders, and sending a cross to Rahul on his left. Rahul was quick with his effort and the goalkeeper Michel Santos fumbled with the ball and watched in horror as it went in.
Dorielton scored Kochi’s match-winner came in the 75th minute with the cross coming in from Nijo Gilbert from the right, following a corner.
The result:
- Stan Rayan
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