Indian sports news wrap, August 29

Here are all the major updates and results from Indian sports on August 28.

Young archer T. Chikitha with the new equipment presented to her by K Raheja Corp group, under the Project Dhanush Shakti initiative in partnership with Nirmaan Organisation | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Archery

For someone dreaming big, young archer Taniparthi Chikitha could not have asked for a better gift ahead of the National Sports Day to be celebrated on Wednesday.

Chikitha will be sponsored by Inorbit Malls (India) Private Limited, a oK Raheja Corp group, under the Project Dhanush Shakti initiative in partnership with Nirmaan Organisation by way of taking care of the complete expenses for her equipment.

The talented archer from Peddapalli district in Telangana, M Chikitha is widely tipped as a potential champion at the highest level given her commitment and hard work by the coaches and the critics too.

This Intermediate student won a silver and a bronze in the sub-junior nationals two years ago and is also among the eight selected archers and only one from the State to be trained at the Sports Authority of India centre in Sonepat (Haryana).

“We believe in her talent and will surely help her realise the goal of making it to the Asian Games, World Cups in the days to come. Naturally, the 2028 Olympics is our target for her,” Mr. Shrawan Kumar Gone, COO (Telangana & AP), said.

“Yes, we want to be different in supporting a young athlete with immense talent and help her realise bigger coals,” he said.

For the record, Chikitha represented India in the Asian Cup this May and is also preparing now for the Asian championship to be held in October in Thailand.

Mr. Mayur Patnala, Founder & CEO, Nirmaan Organization, said Chikitha could well be the inspiration for many young athletes in the rural belt across the State.

“We are sure she will make it big. And, we will help her in the best possible manner,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Sharat Belavadi, Centre Head, Inorbit Mall (Cyberabad), felt that given Chikitha’s talent, once she starts winning medals at the highest level it is only a question of time for many to recognise her talent.

-V V SUBRAHMANYAM

TENNIS

AITA women’s tournament: Samaira Malik reaches quarterfinals

Qualifier Samaira Malik beat fourth seed Divya Bhardwaj 6-2, 6-3 in the pre-quarterfinals of Rs.100,000 AITA women’s tennis tournament at the Joygaon Academy on Tuesday.

In the quarterfinals, Samaira will play fellow qualifier Lavanya Sreekrishnan.

Top seed Sahira Singh, Kashish Bhatia, Sejal Bbutada, Rachita Talwar, Prathiba Narayan and Mirudhulla Palanivel were the others to make the quarterfinals.

The results

Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Sahira Singh bt Mushrath Shaik 6-4, 6-1; Sejal Bhutada bt Bhumika Dahiya 6-1, 6-2; Samaira Malik bt Divya Bhardwaj 6-2, 6-3; Lavanya Sreekrishnan bt Tanushri Pandey 6-4, 6-3; Rachita Talwar bt Breshna Khan 6-3, 6-3; Prathiba Narayan bt Shefali Arora 6-1, 1-6, 7-5; Mirudhula Palanivel bt Arthi Muniyan 6-1, 7-6(1); Kashish Bhatia bt Harini Parthiban 6-0, 6-3.

- Kamesh Srinivasan

Mallorca Challenger tournament: Balaji and Ramkumar in quarterfinals

Sriram Balaji and Ramkumar Ramanathan combined to beat Laurent Lokoli and Alexxander Ritschard 6-2, 6-2 in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the €73,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Mallorca, Spain, on Tuesday.

In the $25,000 ITF women’s event in Thailand, Sahaja Yamalapalli beat Polina Latcenko 7-5, 6-1 in the first round.

The results

€73,000 Challenger, Mallorca, Spain Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Sriram Balaji & Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Laurent Lokoli (Fra) & Alexander Ritschard (Sui) 6-2, 6-2. $15,000 ITF men, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand Singles (first round): Tang Sheng (Chn) bt Siddharth Vishwakarma 7-6(4), 6-1; Sidharth Rawat bt Krittin Koaykul (Tha) 6-4, 6-2. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Nitin Kumar Sinha & Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (Tha) bt Gage Brymer (USA) & Grigoriy Lomakin (Kaz) 7-6(4), 6-4; Ishaque Eqball & Faisal Qamar bt Michael Mathayomchand & Anapat Timangkul (Tha) 6-4, 3-6, [10-8].

$25,000 ITF women, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand Singles (first round): Sahaja Yamalapalli bt Polina Latcenko 7-5, 6-1. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Shrivalli Bhamidipaty & Anastasia Kovaleva bt Patcharin Cheapchandej & Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha) 7-6(6), 3-6, [10-5]; Vaidehi Chaudhari & Zeel Desai bt Punnin Kovapitukted (Tha) & Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-1, 6-2.

$15,000 ITF women, Baku, Azerbaijan Singles (first round): Tanisha Kashyap bt Ingrid Vojcinkova (Svk) 6-4, 6-2; Paavanii Paathak bt Zoziya Kardava (Geo) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Evgeniya urdina & Saumya Vig bt Danielle Daley (GBR) & Maria Toma (Rou) 7-5, 6-4; Sravya Shivani & Snehal Mane bt Adi Gavish & Paavanii Paathak 6-4, 6-3; Luliiia Ludenko & Alana Tuayeva bt Anhzelika Isaeva & Riya Uboveja 6-0, 6-4.

- Kamesh Srinivasan