Indian sports wrap, November 26: IGU likely to host Asia-Pacific events

Here are all the major updates, scores and results of Indians in the world of sports on November 26.

REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

GOLF

Indian Golf Union likely to host Asia-Pacific events

The Indian Golf Union (IGU) is likely to host some Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) tournaments in 2025 and 2026 respectively, the federation said on Tuesday.

With excellent support from global bodies like the International Golf Federation (IGF), the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and the APGC, the IGU has also been working hard to get funding from Olympic Solidarity programme.

The IGU has already sent presentations and initiated necessary paperwork in this regard. It has also received a boost by getting complete voting membership in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which means a lot of government support for golf.

“We have asked the APGC to give us events to host and will keep pressing them,” said Brijinder Singh, the IGU president.

“Our pitch at recent international events like the Asian Amateur Championship has received favourable support to host Asia-Pacific events in the next year or two. That would mean our golfers will be able to play top competitions at home and reap the benefits of home advantage.” The IGU is also the custodian of the Indian Open, a USD 2 million event on the DP World Tour (European Tour).

“We have had very strong fields in the last couple of years, and we have already begun preparing for them in early 2025 and have been in touch with many top stars. The response from the sponsors like Hero is also terrific,” said the IGU official.

-PTI

TENNIS

ITF junior tennis: Samarth beats Nikita in boys first round

Samarth Sahita overcame a tough start to get past Nikita Nikolenko of Kazakhstan 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4 in the boys first round of the ITF junior tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex on Tuesday.

Samarth, with a classical single-handed backhand that he uses with considerable craft, will challenge the top seed Arnav Paparkar, who wriggled out of the clutches of qualifier Tanussh Ghildyal in two hard-fought sets.

Samarth Sahita in the first round of the ITF junior tennis tournament in Delhi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Kamesh Srinivasan

Arjun Rathi played smart to beat the seventh seed, Aaron Gabet of France. He will challenge Vihaan Reddy in the pre-quarterfinals.

Second seed Varun Verma was unwell and thus could not continue after reaching the tie-break in the first set against qualifier Aarav Samrat Hada of Nepal.

In the girls section, top seed and champion of the last tournament, Rishitha Basireddy overcame a hiccup in the second set to beat qualifier Savitha Bhuvaneswaran in straight sets. She will meet Alexandra Bayuschenko in the pre-quarterfinals.

The results (first round):

Under-18 boys: Arnav Paparkar bt Tanussh Ghildyal 6-4, 7-6(9); Samarth Sahita bt Nikita Nikolenko (Kaz) 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4; Egor Shcherbakov bt Praneel Sharma 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1; Izyan Ahmad bt Aashravya Mehra 7-6(3), 6-0 Arjun Rathi bt Aaron Gabet (Fra) 7-5, 6-3; Maximus Wong (Sgp) bt Shanker Heisnam 6-3, 6-4; Aarav Samrat Hada (Nep) bt Varun Verma 6-6 (retired).

Under-18 girls: Rishitha Basireddy bt Savitha Bhuvaneswaran 6-0, 7-5; Alexandra Bayuschenko bt Ishi Maheshwari 6-0, 6-1; Priyanka Rana (USA) bt Jaya Kapoor 7-6(1), 7-5; Polina Sleptsova (Kaz) bt Vaishnavi Singh 6-0, 6-1; Nelli Ivanova bt Disha Behera 6-2, 6-2.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

AITA ranking tennis: Gowda beats Sahayak in women’s pre-quarters

Lakshmi Gowda fought her way past qualifier Shatakshika Sahayak 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the women’s pre-quarterfinals of the HPCL-Mittal Rs.200,000 AITA ranking tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Tuesday.

The results (pre-quarterfinals)

Men: Sarthak Suden bt Arjun Abhyankar 6-1, 6-1; Vansh Yadav bt Rakshit Dhankar 0-0 (retired); Omar Sumar bt Aryan Chauhan 7-6(5), 6-4; Mayank Yadav bt Rahul Singh 6-4, 6-4; Sourav Yadav bt Arnav Harsh 6-1, 6-1; Keshav Dangi bt Tushar Bali 6-3, 6-3; Anshumat Srivastava bt Pranav Saravanakumar 6-0, 6-2; Moksh Puri bt Arntya Ohlyan 6-1, 6-0.

Women: Vidula Amar bt Pragati Solankar 6-2, 7-6(3); Suhani Gaur bt Shagun Kumari 6-3, 6-3; Lakshmi Gowda bt Shatakshika Sahayak 2-6, 6-2, 6-1; Danica Fernando bt Mrinalini Sharma 6-1, 6-1; Sreenidhi Amireddy bt Shrawasti Kundliya 6-1, 6-3; Jeetesh Kumari bt Isha Budwal 6-3, 6-3; Samriti Punyani bt Aarushi Raval 6-4, 6-4; Saily Thakkar bt Alexa Jagdeep 6-2, 6-0.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ITF women’s tournament: Zeel Desai beats Eliska Tichackova to enter last 16

Fourth seed Zeel Desai beat Eliska Tichackova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 7-6(5) in the first round of the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, on Tuesday.

The results:

$15,000 ITF men, Luanda, Angola Doubles (pre-quarterfinals):

Rishabdev Raman & Yash Yadav bt Fernando Andre & Emerson Pedro (Ang) 6-7(1), 6-4, [10-5]; Alan Bojarski (Pol) & Aryan Lakshmanan bt Matteo Covato (Ita) & Chirag Duhan 6-7(1), 6-4, [12-10]; Alexey Aleshchev & Leo Matthysen (RSA) bt Tarun Karra & Victor Pagotto (Bra) 6-7(0), 7-5, [10-2].

$15,000 ITF women, Monastir, Tunisia Singles (first round):

Zeel Desai bt Eliska Tichackova (Cze) 6-2, 7-6(5).

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ROWING

International Friendship regatta underway in Kolkata

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jack Beaumont and Guangzhou Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Lal Takhar will be among some of the top rowers to take part in the International Friendship Sculling Regatta to be held at the Rabindra Sarovar here from Wednesday to Saturday.

The third edition of the regatta, marking the 166-year-old Calcutta Rowing Club’s relocation to the Rabindra Sarovar 100 years ago, will have competitions in single scull, double sculls and quad sculls.

According to the organisers, rowers from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, the USA, South Africa and India are expected to compete in the event.

-Team Sportstar