Indian sports news wrap, September 26

Here are all the major updates and results from Indian sports on September 26.

FILE PHOTO: Indian blind footballers in action in Kochi as Kerala Balsters players look on. | Photo Credit: VIBHU H/ The Hindu

Football

IBSA Blind Football Intercontinental Cup at Kochi from September 26

The ‘IBSA Blind Football Intercontinental Cup 2023’ will be held in Kochi from September 26 to October 2 at the United Sports Centre at Kakkanad, the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) said on Monday.

Teams from Costa Rica, Chile, Poland, Romania, Greece, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea and India will participate in the tournament.

Mariano Travaglino, technical delegate from Argentina, conducted the tournament draw.

“India will compete in Group B and will face Chile in the opening match on Tuesday at 06:30 PM,” the IBFF said in a release.

Kerala High Court Chief Justice, Justice Ashish J Desai, will inaugurate the Intercontinental Cup.

IBFF said the Indian men’s team is ranked 14th in the world while the women’s team emerged as the 4th ranked team in the World Championship held in August 2023 at Birmingham in UK.

- PTI

St. Patrick High School defends Subroto Cup title

Anita Dungdung (2) and Shaulina Dang scored the goals as St. Patrick’s High School, Gumla, defended its title with a 3-0 victory over Government Senior Secondary School, Alakhpura, Bhiwani, in the under-17 girls final of the 62nd Subroto Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium on Tuesday.

The champion team was presented the trophy by Air Marshal AP Singh, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, along with a cheque for Rs.3,50,000. The runner-up trophy and a cash award of Rs.2,00,000 was presented by Air Marshal PK Ghosh, Director General.

Anita was adjudged the ‘best player’ of the tournament and presented Rs.40,000. Suraj Muni of St. Patrick’s School was presented the ‘best goalkeeper’ award and a cash prize of Rs.25,000. The best coach award was given to Beena Kerketta of the Jharkhand team.

Overall, 32 teams competed in the under-17 girls event, including teams from Jammu and Kashmir, and one from Bangladesh.

- Team Sportstar

GOLF

Tvesa eyes back-to-back wins ahead of 14th leg of Hero WPGT

Tvesa Malik, who seems to be getting into her rhythm just at the right time, will aim for back-to-back wins when she tees up at the 14th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Delhi Golf Club here on Wednesday.

Tvesa, who had finished in Top-2 of the last three events on the Tour, is hoping to reverse her fortunes in time ahead of next month’s Hero Women’s Indian Open.

After winning the 11th leg in July, the Tour had a break and Tvesa came back to finish runner-up in the 12th leg and last week won the 13th leg by a whopping eight shots despite a double bogey finish.

“It is nice to win again after a lean patch and I am hoping I can carry this form into Hero Women’s Indian Open,” she said.

Tvesa and Neha Tripathi have won twice each in the last four events and will be looking to keep the momentum going.

Neha won the 10th and 12th legs and was one of the three players tied for second last week at the DLF Golf and Country Club, which will be the venue for the Women’s Indian Open.

As the coming leg is the last event before Indian Open, all other players will be hoping to run into some good form. They include Order of Merit leader Sneha Singh, who has struggled for a while, Ridhima Dilawari, Seher Atwal and Ananya Datar.

There are three amateurs in the field, including Lavanya Gupta, who had a podium finish at the US Kids World Teen Championship in United States in August.

- PTI

TENNIS

Anirudh, Vijay pair in final qualifying round of ATP tournament in China

Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth beat Xin Gao and Qian Sun 6-2, 6-3 in the first qualifying round of doubles in the $3,798,915 ATP tennis tournament in Beijing, China, on Tuesday.

In the second and final qualifying round, the Indian pair will challenge the top seeds Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler of Austria.

The results:

$3,798,915 ATP, Beijing, China

Qualifying doubles (first round): Anirudh Chandrasekar & Vijay Sundar Prashanth bt Xin Gao & Qian Sun (Chn) 6-2, 6-3.

$15,000 ITF men, Monastir, Tunisia

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Rushil Khosla & Lucca Pinto (Bra) bt Seydina Andre (Sen) & Pierre Delage (Fra) 6-2, 6-2.

$15,000 ITF women, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Ashmitha Easwaramurthi & Anna Sedysheva bt Lara Charles & Anastasia Ogno (Ita) 6-3, 6-3.

- Team Sportstar

HOCKEY

International umpire Sokhi passes away

International hockey umpire Harkirat Singh Sokhi passed away at Asansol on Tuesday due to a heart attack, according to a Hockey Bengal statement.

Sokhi, 59, who played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal clubs before switching to umpiring in 1996, served as an international umpire and technical delegate.

Sokhi was honoured with the prestigious Hockey India President Award for Technical Official of the Year 2021.

- Team Sportstar