EQUESTRIAN
Barath Manoharan triumphs in India’s inaugural FEI CSI 2 tournament
Barath Manoharan claimed victory in India’s inaugural FEI Concours Saut International 2* (CSI 2*) Two-Phase competition, held at the Surge Stable in Bangalore. On Day 3 of the event, Barath rode Qina to a remarkable win, completing the 135 cm course in just 36.03 seconds.
In a thrilling contest for the top spot, he narrowly surpassed Kirat Nagra, who finished second on Little Joe with a time of 37.29 seconds. Kirat, who had also secured a podium finish on Day 1, demonstrated consistent excellence throughout the competition. M Krishna Sahithi, riding Asca IX Z, took third place with a time of 39.74 seconds. Barath’s victory earned him ₹3,50,000, while Kirat and Sahithi received ₹2,70,000 and ₹2,02,500, respectively. The Grand Prix competition, scheduled for later that day, was canceled due to inclement weather.
In the FEI CSI Junior event, Jaiveer Verma emerged victorious, executing a flawless jump-off round on Gianninaa to defeat Jai Singh Sabharwal, who had dominated the first two days. Jai, riding Elliot De Vesquerie, incurred penalties, reversing the standings from Day 2, where Jaiveer had placed second. Neil Kendall, riding Connecticut 16, secured third place, surpassing Day 2’s bronze medalist, Avik Bhatia on BB’s Nirvair. The top three riders in the Junior category received ₹87,750, ₹70,200, and ₹52,260, respectively.
In the Children’s category, Aradhana Anand continued her winning streak, securing first place on Democratic for the second consecutive day. Harshvardhan Singh Gulia, riding Lady Kanan, finished second on Day 3, while Aagastya Sharma on Porto Bello took third place for both Day 2 and Day 3. Sresht Raju Mantena had finished second on Day 2, riding Dancing Queen 221. The winners in this category also received cash prizes, with Aradhana taking home approximately ₹68,000.
-Team Sportstar
BRIDGE
Vinay Desai to spearhead India campaign at World Bridge Games
A strong Indian contingent, led by Vinay Desai, will compete in all four categories of the 16th World Bridge Games to be held in Buenos Aires from October 22 till November 3.
The contingent comprises several stalwarts, including 2018 Asian Games gold medallist in men’s pairs Pranab Bardhan (seniors), Raju Tolani and Jaggy Shivdasani (Open category), among others.
A total of 34 countries are in the fray in the ‘Open’ section, while in the women’s section, there are 24 nations.
An all-play-all round-robin will take place in Stage 1 with the qualifying teams to play in the round-of-16 knockout round.
The competitions will be held in ‘Open’, seniors, women’s and mixed categories.
India will take on Canada in the Group B opener in the ‘Open’ category, while in the senior section, they will square off against Turkey. The Indian women will play Brazil in the opener, while in the mixed section, they will compete against Germany.
The last time South America hosted the competition was in 2009 when it was organised in Sao Paulo.
The tournament is held every four years and every country can enter their team, without any pre-qualification.
The qualification round will conclude on October 26, with the round of 16 scheduled on October 28. The finals and playoffs will be held on November 2-3.
Indian teams:
Open -- Sanjit Dey, Ajay Khare, Binod Kumar Shaw, Jaggy Shivdasani, Sandeep Thakral, Raju Tolani, Vinay Desai (captain).
Seniors -- Arun Bapat, Pranab Kumar Bardhan, Badal Chandra Das, Ravi Goenka, Kamal Krishna Mukherjee, Vibhas Todi, Girish Bijoor (captain).
Women -- Puja Batra, Devi Muthu Bhatnagar, Bharati Dey, Alka Jain, Alka Kshirsagar, Asha Sharma, Anal Shah (captain).
Mixed: Himani Khandelwal, Rajeev Khandelwal, Bindiya Kohli, Kiran Nadar, Thondiculam Venkatraman Ramani, Bachiraju Satyanarayana, Vinay Desdai (captain).
-PTI
OTHER SPORTS
India to host Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition next month
Over 250 athletes from 15 countries will be vying for honours when India hosts the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition for the first time here from November 18 to 23.
In the lead-up to this prestigious event, Shivani, who clinched three gold medals at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin last year, has been named the athlete ambassador.
Athletes from regions including East Asia, Europe Eurasia, and Asia Pacific will participate, with countries like Australia, Bangladesh, Macau, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, and Singapore.
The competition will focus on older athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), aged 22 and above.
While the women’s team has been finalised, the men’s team selection is still underway. Events will include singles, doubles, mixed, and team formats.
In the lead-up to the competition, a ‘Run for Inclusion’ event is scheduled for November 9, alongside a health summit on November 18 which will address issues faced by IDD athletes. A carnival featuring exhibitions will also take place.
Last year, 198 Indian athletes participated in the World Summer Games, returning with an impressive 202 medals, including 76 gold, 75 silver, and 51 bronze.
-PTI
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