BOXING
Indian boxers to have 15-day camp in Istanbul ahead of women's world championship
The Indian boxing contingent, including Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, for the women's world championship next month is set to leave for Istanbul in the early hours of Thursday for a 15-day camp ahead of the event.
The world event, which was postponed from December last year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to take place between May 6 to 21 in the Turkish city as per the revised International Boxing Association (IBA) schedule.
"We had requested SAI to sanction a 15-day camp ahead of the world championships so that boxers could acclimatise before the event," women's head coach Bhaskar Bhatt said.
"The camp in Istanbul will also provide the boxers with the opportunity to train and spar with pugilists participating from other countries," Bhatt added.
The world championship will be the Indian women boxers' first major assignment in a busy year that includes big ticket events such as the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July-August and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
It will also be Borgohain's first competitive outing after her podium finish in the 69kg category in Tokyo, which no longer exists in either the International Boxing Association (IBA) events or the Olympics.
Talking about the Assam star, Bhatt said the 24-year-old, who will compete in 70kg category at the world championships, is mentally preparing to shift her weight class to 75kg for the Paris Olympics.
"The kind of body structure and reach that she has, going up a weight category to 75kg will cause her no harm. It will benefit her only.
"She is mentally preparing for the new weight categories. We have a busy year this year. Next year we will begin with the preparation for the Olympics," Bhatt added.
Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom will be missing in action as the veteran boxer had withdrawn from the world championship as well as the Asian Games to focus on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
-PTI
SHOOTING
Vijayveer wins men's 25m rapid fire pistol event, Rhythm Sangwan bags double gold
Twin brothers Vijayveer Sidhu and Udhayveer Sidhu topped the men’s and junior events respectively in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol National shooting fourth selection trials at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Wednesday.
Even though both had modest scores of 573 and 570 in qualification, they were able to step it up in the second stage of competition for the top eight.
Vijayveer beat qualification topper Anish Bhanwala (583) 32-28 in the gold contest, while Adarsh Singh placed third ahead of Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar.
In the junior section, Udhayveer beat Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu even though both shot 28.
Rhythm Sangwan won the rapid fire pistol event for both women and juniors with a score of 569, which was 10 points better than the second placed Simranpreet Kaur Brar.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
TENNIS
Nagal, Ramkumar bow out from Tallahassee Challenger
Davis Cuppers Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan made quick exit in the $53,120 Challenger in Tallahassee, US.
Sumit was beaten 6-3, 6-0 by Michael Mmoh while Ramkumar got beaten 6-1, 6-3 by Tomas Barios Vera in the first round.
In the $25,000 ITF women’s event in Orlando, Riya Bhatia in partnership with Elizabeth Haibauer of the US made the doubles quarterfinals.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
Korea asserts supremacy in Asia-Oceania World Juniors
Aishwarya Jadhav battled with guts for three hours and 14 minutes before being beaten 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 by Ju Heewon, as Korea asserted its supremacy in the group against the host, in the Asia-Oceania World Junior under-14 girls tennis championship at the DLTA Complex on
Wednesday.
In the hot and windy conditions, Aishwarya compensated for her relative lack of fire power against the Korean with a big game, with her ability to get to every ball and make the opponent work for her points.
The Korean tended to err with her strokes and it created the opening for Aishwarya who converted her eighth set point to take the match into the decider.
Earlier, Sai Janvi had played within her limitation while being beaten 6-3, 6-3 by the wiry Lee Ha Eum.
Having finished second to Korea, India opted to conserve energy for the quarterfinals against Kazakhstan, the topper from group-D, by skipping the doubles.
India was lucky to avoid Australia in the quarterfinals, and that option went to the second placed team from group-B, Thailand.
In the other quarterfinals, Japan will play Sri Lanka while Korea meets Uzbekistan.
The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the World group stage to be played later in the season in Europe.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
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