Indian sports activities news wrap, January 25

GOLF

Randhawa turns into first Indian to win Senior Euro Q-School, qualifies for Legends Tour

Veteran golfer Jyoti Randhawa grew to become the primary Indian to complete on high within the Senior European Tour’s Qualifying School and declare full enjoying rights within the Legends Tour this season.

Randhawa completed with a 12-under 276 whole and 4 pictures forward of his nearest rivals. Randhawa, who turned 50 in 2022 and performed his first few occasions on the Senior Tour in Europe in 2023, shot rounds of 71-67-68-70 for 276 on the Gloria Golf Club in Antalya.

Three gamers France’s Lionel Alexandre (72), Simon Griffiths (72) of England and Spaniard Carlos Balmaseda (72) have been tied for second at 280, whereas Andrew Marshall of England with 75 claimed the fifth and remaining card on provide.

The remaining stage of Legends School is commonly thought-about more durable than the primary occasion as solely 5 playing cards can be found from the sector. The discipline had 55 gamers this 12 months and plenty of have been previous European Tour champions.

“It feels really good,” stated Randhawa, a three-time (2000, 2006, 2007) Hero Indian Open winner.

-PTI

Avani to steer Indian group at Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific golf

Avani Prashanth, the one Indian ranked inside the highest 50 amateurs on the earth, will lead a six-member contingent from the nation on the prestigious Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship in Thailand, beginning February 1.

The different Indian gamers are Mannat Brar, Heena Kang, Vidhatri Urs, Keerthana Rajeev Nair and Saanvi Somu.

The WAAP champions obtain exemptions into three main championships in 2024 – the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, the Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship within the United States of America.

The winner will even obtain invites to a couple different elite championships such because the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, The 121st Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Avani, ranked 42 on the earth, is the winner of the Queen Sirikit Cup particular person honours in 2023, and was additionally fourth on the people within the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships.

Her predominant teen rivals will embody Japan’s Mamika Shinchi, Filipina Rianne Mikhaela Malixi and New Zealander Eunseo Choi.

Shinchi (33), Prashanth (42) and Malixi (43) are among the many top-ranked gamers within the discipline.

-PTI

HOCKEY

Hockey India names 40-member core possible group for Junior Men’s National Coaching Camp 

Hockey India on Thursday introduced a 40-player core possible group for the upcoming Junior Men’s National Coaching Camp set to begin on twenty ninth January 2024, on the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility in Bengaluru. 

The choice of this new core group was based mostly on their notable performances in the course of the home championships held in 2023. 

Under the steerage of Coach Janardhana C B, the gamers from the core possible group are scheduled to assemble on twenty ninth January for a 20-day coaching camp, concluding on seventeenth February. 

Among the notable choices are 5 goalkeepers, together with Prince Deep Singh from Hockey Punjab, Bikramjit Singh from Hockey Chandigarh, Adarsh G from Kerala Hockey, and Ashwani Yadav and Ali Khan from Uttar Pradesh Hockey. 

List of gamers within the 40-member core-probable group:  

-Team Sportstar

Sumeet, Harman excel as Army XI beat Comptroller in Beighton Cup

KOLKATA: Sumeet Pal Singh and Harman Singh discovered the goal twice every to assist Army XI put up a slim 4-3 victory over Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) within the Coal India 125 ^th Beighton Cup hockey match on the SAI astro-turf floor right here on Thursday.

The outcomes: Indian Oil 6 (Affan Yusuf-2, Talwinder Singh-2, Gurjinder Singh-2) bt Canara Bank 1 (Prithviraj G.N.); Indian Air Force 2 (Manip Kerketta, Jaggat Nachappa) bt Oil and Natural Gas Corporation 1 (Ajeet Yadav); Army XI 4 (Sumeet Pal Singh-2, Harman Singh-2) bt CAG 3 (Faraz Mohd., Abharan Sudev, Manish Yadav).

-Y.B. Sarangi

TENNIS

 ITF girls’s match: Rutuja Bhosale-Ankita Raina beat Shrivalli Bhamidipaty-Vaidehi Chaudhari

Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina bounced again from a gradual begin to beat Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehi Chaudhari 3-6, 6-4, [10-7] within the doubles quarterfinals of the NECC $40,000 ITF girls’s tennis match on the Deccan Gymkhana on Thursday.

In the semifinals, the third seeded Rutuja and Ankita will problem the highest seeds Naiktha Bains and Fanni Stollar.

It was the one Indian problem left within the match, as Prarthana Thombare, seeded second with Sapfo Sakellaridi of Greece, was overwhelmed by the Japanese duo of Saki Imamura and Naho Sato in straight units.

In singles, lucky-loser Zeel Desai was overwhelmed 6-1, 6-2 by fifth seed Alexandra Eala of Philippines. National champion Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was unable to match second seed Anastasia Tikhonova and managed to eke out three video games.

The outcomes:

Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Darja Semenistaja (Lat) bt Naho Sato (Jpn) 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-2; Alexandra Eala (Phi) bt Zeel Desai 6-1, 6-2; Moyuka Uchijima (Jpn) bt Viktoria Morvayova (Svk) 6-3, 6-3; Anouk Koevermans (Ned) bt Anastasia Kulikova (Fin) 5-7, 6-0, 7-5; Anca Alexia Todoni (Rou) bt Sapfo Sakellaridi (Gre) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) bt HimenoSakatsume (Jpn) 6-4 (retired); Tina Nadine Smith (Aus) bt Tatiana Prozorova 6-3, 7-5; Anastasia Tikhonova bt Shrivalli Bhamidipaty 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Naiktha Bains (GBR) & Fanni Stollar (Hun) bt Anastasia Kulikova (Fin) & Diana Marcinkevica (Lat) 1-6, 7-6(2), [10-6]; Rutuja Bhosale & Ankita Raina bt Shrivalli Bhamidipaty & Vaidehi Chaudhari 3-6, 6-4, [10-7]; Alexandra Eala (Phi) & Darja Semenistaja (Lat) bt Jessie Aney (USA) & Lena Papadakis (Ger) 6-4, 2-6, [10-4]; Saki Imamura & Naho Sato (Jpn) bt Sapfo Sakellaridi (Gre) & Prarthana Thombare 6-4, 6-2.  

-Kamesh Srinivasan

Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in quarterfinals

Fourth seeds Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan reached the doubles quarterfinals with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Viktor Durasovic and Otto Virtanen within the €145,625 Challenger tennis match in Quimper, France.

The outcomes:

€148,625 Challenger, Quimper, France

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Arjun Kadhe & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan bt Viktor Durasovic (Nor) & Otto Virtanen (Fin) 7-6(5), 6-4.

$25,000 ITF girls, Le Gosier, France

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Brandy Mina & Aminata Sall (Fra) w.o. Nifemi Akinbiyi (Can) & Priyanka Rodricks.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ITF Futures 25K International Championship: Sasikumar stuns second seed Palan

Mukund Sasikumar is the only real Indian to maneuver into the quarterfinals of the USD 25,000 ITF Futures males’s International Tennis Championship right here, upsetting second-seeded Czech Republican Dominic Palan in an evenly-contested thriller right here on Thursday.

Both the gamers served and performed strokes with sensible ease and Palan seemed to be the favorite to stroll away with a victory, having wrapped the opening set 7-5 within the contest that lasted for 3 hours and 10 minutes.

However, Mukumd had different plans and upped his ante within the second set, taking it into the tie-breaker. He used his first serve to nice benefit and was profitable in levelling the competition.

Both the gamers served properly within the deciding set and managed to carry serve until 5-5 earlier than Mukund broke Palan’s serve with two forehand winners, adopted by two unforced errors by the latter.

Mukund led 40-0 within the twelfth recreation, thanks to 2 sturdy well-placed first serves, whereas he inexplicably served two double faults.

On his subsequent benefit, Mukund closed out the encounter to attain a well-deserved success.

Bernard Tomic of Australia had a comparatively comfy straight-set conquer native lad Abinav Sanjeev 6-1 6-4.

In the second set, the Indian did handle to elevate his recreation, however Tomic was too good for him.

Ukarine’s Eric Vanshelboim scored a simple victory over Ranjit, whereas Alexey Zakharoie of Russia beat eighth-seeded Israeli Orel Kemhi in straight units.

In the doubles, Adil Kalayanpur and Bogdan Bodraov outsmarted the youthful pair of Kabir Hans and Aryan Shah in a well-fought contest.

-PTI

SHOOTING

National choice trials to start on February 24

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has revised the dates for the third and fourth choice trials for rifle and pistol occasions to February 24 to March 1. It might be hosted on the Madhya Pradesh Academy in Bhopal.

The third choice trials for shotgun might be held on the New Moti Bagh Gun Club, Patiala, from February 25 to March 2.

Unlike rifle and pistol, which may have separate Olympic choice trials later, the shotgun shooters have already shot two trials that additionally double up as Olympic trials. The third can be related in nature, serving each as nationwide and Olympic choice trial.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

CRICKET

After a 100-day follow-up, Kerala’s new stadium tasks to begin inside a 12 months

With assurances of investments price Rs 5,000 crore coming in by way of the continued International Sports Summit Kerala right here, the State Government has fastened a 100-day goal to comply with up issues.

“There will be a 100-day follow-up and within one year we are going to start all the projects. That is our goal,” stated V. Abdurahiman, the Kerala Sports Minister, on the Sports Hub in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

He additionally stated the Kerala Cricket Association will get all of the assist for its new cricket stadium which it plans to construct close to the Kochi airport.

“If any permission is needed or if any delay is there, we will rectify that and we will help the KCA. And we will complete the FIFA-standard football stadium in Malappuram by May next year. Already, the design has been completed,” stated the Sports Minister.

“When the Kochi stadium comes up and with the Greenfield Stadium – the preferred venue for international cricket in the State now – Kerala can host a lot of cricket. That will also improve the sports economy in a big way in the State with restaurants and hotels coming up around the stadiums.”

The minister revealed that the ISSK had attracted investments price Rs 10,000 crore.

“But we have signed MoU only for projects worth Rs 5000 crore because we were convinced about them, we didn’t want projects just for name’s sake. That is why we have rejected projects worth Rs 5000 crore, we wanted to bring projects that will happen.”

PANCHAYAT LEVEL

There will even be loads of motion on the panchayat stage. Each panchayat has been requested to provide you with a proposal to construct sports activities infrastructure and the State Government will fund these tasks by way of the native self authorities division.

The minister additionally stated the Dubai-based Regency Group will begin a sports activities attire manufacturing agency in Thiruvananthapuram and 25 acres has been allotted for it within the Kinfra Park. The group will make investments practically Rs 250 crore over a four-year interval into the challenge.

– Stan Rayan

KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES

Deepika breaks meet document in ladies javelin throw

Deepika has been the undisputed queen of ladies’ javelin throw within the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG). The 18-year-old from Fatehabad, Haryana, clinched her third straight javelin gold medal in KIYG, with a brand new meet document, throwing the spear to a distance of 56.79m. She erased her personal document set in 2022-23 in Bhopal, which was once more a meet document. She had gained gold in Panchkula 2021-22 as properly, creating a brand new meet document then.

Later within the day, Paras Singhal of Haryana gained the gold within the boys’ 2000m steeplechase in a brand new meet document time of 5:53.74.

In Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu bagged the boys’ and ladies’ basketball titles. In the boys’ remaining, TN edged out Rajasthan by a solitary level (86-85) and within the ladies’ summit conflict, the host defeated Punjab 70-66.

The outcomes:

Athletics: Boys: 200m: 1 J. Gokul Pandiyan (TN) 21.90; 2. Gowtham Alluri (TS) 22.16; 3. Shivam (UP) 22.18; 2000m steeplechase: 1. Paras Singhal (Har) 5:53.74 (NMR) (OR: Ajit Kumar, Bhopal, 6:01.11); 2. Mohit Yadav (Raj) 5:54.14; 3. Sahil Yadav (Guj) 5:57.40; 1000m dash medley: 1. TN (Anton Sanjay, J. Gokul Pandiyan, Nithya Prakash & Sharan) 1:55.49; 2 Odisha (Rajendra Sidhu, Pratik Maharana, Astik Pradhan, M. Reyan Basha) 1:56.12; 3. Karnataka (Chaitanya Karekar, Ayush Devadiga, Okay. Yaswanth, N. Dhruva Ballal) 1:56.52; triple soar: 1. Ravi Prakash (TN) 14.76m; 2. Okay. Yuvaraj (TN) 14.34; 3. Bhushan Shinde (Mah) 14.08; javelin throw: Dipanshu Sharma (UP) 65.08m; 2. Gaurav Patel (MP) 63.85; 3. Aditya (Har) 62.85.

Girls: 2000m steeplechase: 1. Anjali Madavi (Mah) 7:16.51; 2. Chaitali Borekar (Mah) 7:16.96; Sunita Santa (Odi) 7:21.16; 1000m medley relay: 1. TN (V. Dhesika, Abinaya Rajarajan, Akslin, Anslin) 2:13.96391; 2. Kar (Sthuthi Shetty, Vaibhavi Budruk, Priyanka Olekar, R. Shree) 2:15.81; 3. Mah (Aliza Mulla, Rujula Bhosale, Madhura Birje, Shravani Sangle) 2:16.39; javelin throw: 1. Deepika (Har) 56.79m (NMR) (OR: Deepika, Bhopal, 55.19); 2. Versha (Pun) 47.27; 3. Navreet Kaur (Pun) 46.52; excessive soar: 1. S. Alice Deva Prasanna (TN) 1.66m; 2. Brinda (TN) 1.63; 3. Amandeep Kaur (Jhr) 1.63.

Basketball (finals): Boys: TN bt Raj 86-85; Girls: TN bt Pun 70-66.

Shooting: Boys: 50m rifle 3 place: 1. Adriyan Karmakar (WB) 450.1 pts; 2. S. Hitesh (TN) 444.2; 3. Rana Ggaarry (Har) 432.8; Girls: 50m rifle 3 place: 1. Anushkah Thokur (Kar) 460.8 pts; 2. J. Melvina Angeline (TN) 439.8; 3. Prachi Shashikant (Mah) 439.6; 10m air pistol: 1. Suruchi (Har) 239.8; 2. Lakshita (Har) 239.3; 3. Saina Bharwani (Del) 219.1.

Volleyball: Boys: Har bt Raj 23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-16; TN bt J&Okay 26-24, 22-25, 25-15, 25-16; Girls: WB bt Har 25-10, 25-15, 25-17; Raj bt Ker 23-25, 25-17, 25-15.

-TEAM SPORTSTAR

FOOTBALL

Kerala Super League to start on August 24

The lengthy wait is over. The Kerala Super League will lastly start on August 24 and run until October 18. And Thiruvananthapuram, which was not a part of the plans earlier, will even be within the State’s glamorous new six-team soccer league which can embody overseas gamers.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur would be the six groups in KSL. Two extra groups might be added in a few years. The franchise launch is more likely to occur by the top of February or early March.

Scoreline Sports, the Kerala Football Association’s business companion which can run the league, will even be roping in worldwide stars as ambassadors for the golf equipment.

“We have spoken to eight players, and most of them are willing to come to Kerala for very reasonable fees. I’m supposed to travel to Argentina, Brazil and Spain soon,” Mathew Joseph, the CEO of Scoreline Sports, advised The Hindu on Thursday.

He additionally that exposed {that a} main sports activities channel will telecast the occasion and a deal might be signed subsequent week.

And 25% of the franchises might be owned by followers or fan golf equipment.

“There are NRIs from Saudi Arabia and Qatarwho will be backing the clubs,” stated Joseph.

The six golf equipment, which might be backed by a few of Kerala’s greatest company homes, are more likely to have a technical tie-up with sister golf equipment from Europe or from the MiddleEast.

The Kochi group’s matches might be held on the Nehru Stadium, which can be the house floor of the Kerala Blasters and the KSL organisers have ensured that there isn’t a conflict with the Indian Super League.

“That’s the reason why we chose these days. I’ve had many discussions with the Kerala Blasters, they are have been extremely supportive, the Blasters are willing to co-exist with us so that we are also able to do the matches,” stated Joseph.

– Stan Rayan