Indian sports wrap, September 18: Tvesa, Pranavi lead Indian challenge in Spain

GOLF

Tvesa, Pranavi lead Indian challenge in LET La Sella Open

Tvesa Malik and Pranavi Urs will lead the Indian challenge at the La Sella Open as the Ladies European Tour resumes action after a break due to the Solheim Cup.

Tvesa and Pranavi, who have had modest seasons, will be joined by Ridhima Dilawari and invitee Seher Atwal. Diksha Dagar has taken a break while Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall are playing on the domestic Hero WPG Tour.

La Sella Open came on the LET calendar in 2023 and returns this year with the 72-hole stroke play competition taking place at La Sella Golf Resort.

A field of 132 players will be teeing it up with a cut to the top 60 professionals and ties at the end of the second round.

– PTI

Hitaashee shoots 2-under 70 to take one-shot lead in Leg 12 of Hero WPGT

Hitaashee Bakshi shot 2-under 70 to lead by a shot over amateur Lavanya Gupta and three-time champion Vidhatri Urs on the opening day of the 12th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.

Hitaashee, with two wins this season so far, struggled in the back nine with a double bogey and a bogey. However, her fine fare in the first nine holes, when she had four birdies, saw her emerge as a sole leader.

The persistent rain and wet conditions were quite challenging for the players to put up good scores.

Only five players shot par or better on the day. Vani Kapoor and amateur Keerthana Rajeev were tied on even par 72.

Four players, Sneha Singh, Gaurika Bishnoi, Kriti Chowhan, and Janneya Dasannjee were tied sixth at one-over 73. Shweta Mansingh and Anvvi Dahhiya were tied for 10th place at 3-over 75.

Amandeep Drall had a rough day with five-over 77 for the tied 14th spot.

-Team Sportstar

FOOTBALL

AIFF renames Junior Girls National Championship to honour Dr Talimeren Ao

The AIFF on Wednesday rechristened the Junior Girls’ National Championship in the name of India’s first men’s Olympic football captain Doctor Talimeren Ao in its bid to recognise his contribution to the game.

Starting from the 2025-26 season, the tournament will be known as the “Dr. Talimeren Ao National Football Championship for Junior Girls”, the AIFF stated.

This change marks the first national tribute to Dr Ao by the Federation, acknowledging his pioneering role and achievements in the sport.

The championship, now in its 18th edition, has been dominated by Manipur with 11 titles and two runners-up finishes.

In addition to the tournament renaming, the AIFF plans to commission a biography detailing Dr Ao’s remarkable journey from his native Changki village in Nagaland to becoming a prominent figure in Indian football, with notable achievements including leading the national team at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

It is also reported that Dr Ao received offers from prestigious English clubs such as Arsenal FC during his career. He reportedly declined the contract to complete his medical studies and fulfill his father’s dream.

Despite his father’s wish for him to become a doctor, Ao excelled in football with Mohun Bagan and captained India at the Olympics.

Ao became a prominent physician, serving as the director of Health Services in Nagaland.

Posthumously he was honoured with the Mohun Bagan Ratna Award in 2002.

The AIFF has recently named the Senior Women’s National Championship trophy after Rajmata Jijabai and dedicated the Under-20 Boys National Championship trophy to Swami Vivekananda Cup.

– PTI

WEIGHTLIFTING

Records and medals galore in 2024 Commonwealth Youth, Junior, and Senior weightlifting Championships

Indian contingent set new records and won medals during the first two days of the 2024 Commonwealth Youth, Junior, and Senior weightlifting Championships in Fiji.

Babulal Hembrom set a new Commonwealth and national record in 49 kg youth men category in Jerk section with 114 kg while Mina Santa set a national record in 55 kg in women Snatch, 81 Kg Clean & Jerk 99 kg and in total with 180 kg.

Bedabarat Bharali also set a national record in Snatch, Clean & Jerk and total in 73 kg category in youth section.

– Team Sportstar

HOCKEY

Hockey India Junior Men Natl C’‘ship: Uttar Pradesh to meet Punjab in final

Uttar Pradesh will be pitted against Punjab in the final of the Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship after both teams won their respective semi-finals against Karnataka and Haryana here on Wednesday.

In the first semi-final, UP beat Karnataka with Rajesh Yadav (41st min), Ajeet Kumar (45th min) and Fahad Khan (57th min) netting a goal each for the winners.

Captain Sunil PB (53’) earned a consolation goal for the opposition.

Punjab was engaged in a competitive encounter versus Haryana in the second semi-final, settling for a 4-4 draw before prevailing 7-6 in the shootout.

– PTI

SQUASH

Anika Dubey, the under-19 girls champion in the NSCI Open squash championship in Mumbai on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Second seed Anika Dubey won a thriller against Navya Sundararajan 6-11, 13-11, 11-5, 13-15, 11-9 in the under-19 girls final of the NSCI Open squash championship on Wednesday.

Navya had earlier cruised past top seed Durga Paradhi in the quarterfinals, but found her match in Anika in the final

Rahul Baitha and Anjali Semwal won the men’s and women’s titles. They too had to endure tough five-set finals against Om Semwal and Akanksha Gupta respectively.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ATHLETICS

World 25K Kolkata on December 15

The ninth edition of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, the richest 25K event in the world offering a total prize money of $142,214, will be held here on December 15.

Registration for the race, which has been elevated as a World Athletics gold label event, can be done at  https://tatasteelworld25k.procam.in from 7 a.m. on Thursday onwards, according to an announcement made at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The registration process will be open until November 22 11:59 p.m. or till running places are filled.

Additionally, a virtual run will be organised alongside the on-road event.

A new logo of the annual running event was also unveiled on the occasion.

Last year, Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo had hit the headlines by setting a world-best mark of 1:11:13 for a stand-alone 25K race and winning the men’s competition.

TENNIS

Chengdu Open: Bhambri-Olivetto duo notches win in doubles pre-quarterfinals

Yuki Bhambri in partnership with Albano Olivetti of France beat Toshihide Matsui of Japan and Adam Walton of Australia 6-3, 6-3 in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the $1,269,245 ATP tennis tournament in Chengdu, China, on Wednesday.

In the $60,000 women’s event in Perth, Australia, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty sailed into the second round with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Alexandra Bozovic.

-Team Sportstar

BRIDGE

International bridge championship: Pro3max beats Dhampur Sugar Mills in pre-quarters

Pro3max from Russia, comprising Jacek Maxim Feofanov, Mikhail Toprover, Evgeny Rudakov, Sergey Orlov, Elena Rudakova, Alexei Gerasimov beat Dhampur Sugar Mills 133-117 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Team of Four gold event, in the 21st HCL International bridge championship on Wednesday.

The Russian team had earlier topped qualification when 16 teams made it to the pre-quarterfinals from a strong field of 51 teams.

In the Team of Four silver pre-quarterfinals, qualification topper Team Kabra was beaten 12-101 by Andromeda, after four sessions of 14 boards each.

– Team Sportstar