Indian Sports News Wrap, October 8: Diya Chaudhary wins Asian under-14 girls title

Here are all the major developments in Indian sports on Saturday, October 8.

Diya Chaudhary (left) and Sherry Sharma in Lucknow on Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Here are all the major developments in Indian sports on Saturday, October 8.

MOTORSPORT

Sai Sanjay, a teenager from Salem, stormed to victory in the MRF F2000 category while Thrissur’s Diljith Shaji took the top position in the Formula LGB 1300 class as the first round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit on Saturday.

Twenty-year-old Justin Singh from Gurugram claimed top honours in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category with a lights-to-flag win ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole and Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh).

Coimbatore’s Arjun Balu, 47, set the pace in the premier Indian Touring Cars category by qualifying for pole position with a lap of 1m 50s. He finished ahead of 2017 winner Arjun Narendran (01:52.560), who is returning to full-time racing after a five-year break.

The two Volkswagen Virtus cars, making their debut in the championship, and driven by Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) were fourth and fifth, respectively, 2.9 seconds off Balu’s pace.

Chennai veteran Gurunath Meyyappan (Race Concepts), returning to racing after a prolonged break, took pole position in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, and so did Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

MRF F2000 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (15min, 47.253secs); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (15:47.856); 3. Yash Aradhya S (Bengaluru) (15:51.725).

Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Diljith Shaji (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (14:59.136); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:03.587); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (15:12.926).

MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:32.066); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:34.812); 3. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh) (16:41.338).

TENNIS

Diya Chaudhary sustained her good game and beat Sherry Sharma 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 to win the girls title in the Asian under-14 tennis tournament at the Vijayant Khand Stadium courts on Saturday.

It was a double crown for third seed Diya, who had beaten top seed Aleena Farid in the semifinals, as she had partnered Sherry for the doubles title.

The boys title was bagged by top seed Prakaash Sarran as he eased past Vivaan Bidasaria for the loss of three games.

Prakaash was in the doubles final as well with Shaurya Bhardwaj, against Sanidhya Dwivedi and Vanshraj Jalota, but the match could not be played owing to rain. Both the teams shared the title and received runners-up points.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)

Under-14 boys: Prakaash Sarran bt Vivaan Bidasaria 6-2, 6-1. Under-14 girls: Diya Chaudhary bt Sherry Sharma 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. Doubles: Diya Chaudhary & Sherry Sharma bt Aleena Farid & Shrawasti Kundliya 6-3, 6-3.

- Kamesh Srinivasan

Purav Raja-Divij Sharan pair loses at Challenger in France

New Delhi: Two Indian pairs lost the doubles final in the Challenger tennis tournaments in France and Korea on Saturday.

Purav Raja and Divij Sharan were beaten 6-7(1), 7-6(6), [10-6] by Sander Arends and David Pei in the doubles final of the €67,960 Challenger in France. The champion team collected 90 ATP points and €3,950. The Indian team won 55 points and €2,350.

In the Challenger doubles final in Korea, Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni were beaten by top seeds Nicolas Barrientos and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 2-6, 6-3, [10-6]. The winner pocketed 80 points and $3,100. Yuki and Saketh had to be content with 50 points and $1,800.

The Results:

€134,920 Challenger, Parma, Italy

Doubles (semifinals): Tomislav Brkic (BIH) & Nilola Cacic (Srb) bt Sriram Balaji & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-3, 6-4.

€67,960 Challenger, Mouilleron le Captif, France

Doubles (final): Sander Arends & David Pel (Ned) bt Purav Raja & Divij Sharan 6-7(1), 7-6(6), [10-6].

$53,120 Challenger, Gwangju, Korea

Doubles (final): Nicolas Barrientos (Col) & Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela (Mex) bt Yuki Bhambri & Saketh Myneni 2-6, 6-3, [10-6].

$53,120 Challenger, Tiburon, USA

Doubles (semifinals): Leandro Riedi (Sui) & Valentin Vacherot (Mon) bt Carl Emil Overbeck (Den) & Siddhant Banthia 6-4, 6-3.

$25,000 ITF men, Sheffield, Britain

Singles (semifinals): Giles Hussey (GBR) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-4, 7-5.

$15,000 ITF women, Monastir, Tunisia

Singles (semifinals): Kyoka Kubo (Jpn) bt Jennifer Luikham 6-4, 6-4.

- Kamesh Srinivasan

Fenesta National Championship: Rain washes out opening day’s play

New Delhi: Not a ball was hit as persistent rain washed out play on the opening day of the qualifying events in the Fenesta National Championship at the DLTA Complex here on Saturday.

Referee Supreeth Kadavigere had scheduled matches from 7 a.m., but had to call of the day’s play as the rain would not relent.

"The forecast is rain for tomorrow also. Hope we get good weather and are able to start the matche," said Supreeth.

With men’s, women’s apart from under-18 boys and girls events lined up, the qualifying matches could be a gigantic proposition.

All the qualifying draws have a field of 64 each, and thus each event will require three round of matches to finalise the qualifiers.

The matches will be on a ‘best of 17 games’ format for the first two rounds, and a best of three sets format for the final qualifying round.

- Kamesh Srinivasan

HOCKEY

Nehru under-17 girls tournament: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beats Odisha Naval Tata Academy

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Gwalior, edged out Odisha Naval Tata Academy, Bhubaneswar, 3-1 in the shoot-off after the teams were locked 2-2 at the end of regulation period in the semifinals of the Charanjit Rai 28th Nehru under-17 girls hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium here on Saturday.

Swati, Palak Gupta and Huda Khan found the target for the Gwalior team in the shoot-off, while Munmuni Das alone was successful for the Bhubaneswar team.

In the regulation period, Palak Gupta and Kanak Pal scored for the Gwalior side, which equalised after the Odisha team had led 2-1 through goals from Ashima Rout and Doli Bhoi.

In the other semifinal, Sakshi Rana (3) and Khushi (2) powered NCC Directorate General to a 6-2 triumph. Sejal scored the other goal for the winner, while Lalthantluangi and Lalremruati were on target for the Mizoram side.

The final will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Results (semifinals):

Directorate General NCC (Sakshi Rana 3, Khushi 2, Sejal) bt Lallengvunga HS, Thenzawl, Mizoram (Lalthantluangi, Lalremruati) 6-2.

Madhya Pradesh Women’s Hockey Academy, Gwalior, (Palak Gupta, Kanak Pal) bt Odisha Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Bhubaneswar (Ashima Rout, Doli Bhoi) 3-1 (shoot-off).

- Kamesh Srinivasan