Indian sports wrap, September 19: Super Kings Academy to open a new center in Vellore

CRICKET

Super Kings Academy to open a new center in Vellore

The Super Kings Academy will open its 13th centre in Tamil Nadu in partnership with Sunbeam CBSE School in Vellore. This will be the 17th centre overall including three overseas locations (UK, USA and Australia).

Cricket coaching for boys and girls will begin in October 2024. Interested students can register at www.superkingsacademy.com.

The Academy in Vellore will be a state-of-the-art facility consisting of three turf wickets, three astroturf wickets, two matting wickets, a mini ground and floodlights.

-Team Sportstar

BASKETBALL

NBA Champion Aron Baynes and Four-time WNBA Champion Cynthia Cooper to coach 60 top prospects at Basketball Without Borders Asia 2024

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in collaboration with the National Basketball League (NBL) on Thursday announced 60 of the top high-school-age prospects from more than 15 countries across the Asia-Pacific region who will travel to Perth, Australia for the 14 ^th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia, which will be held Thursday, September 19 – Sunday, September 22 at Warwick Stadium. 

The campers will be coached by current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches, including NBA champion Aron Baynes (Australia) and four-time WNBA champion Cynthia Cooper. 

Current and former NBA assistant coaches Bobby Jackson (Philadelphia 76ers), Jay Larranaga (LA Clippers) and Terry Porter, and FIBA Players’ Commission member and former Australia Women’s National Team member Jenni Screen (Australia) will also serve as BWB Asia coaches. President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches Patrick Hunt (Australia) will join as the camp’s director, while Kristen Crenshaw (Orlando Magic) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer.

The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life-skills and leadership development sessions. 

A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the male and female players who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders. 

As part of BWB Asia 2024, NBA Basketball School Australia, a tuition-based basketball development program open to youth players aged 6-18, will host a clinic for boys and girls from Perth on Friday, September 20.

-Team Sportstar

TENNIS

AITA men’s tennis tournament: Vansh Nandal beats Bhavya Singhmar

Vansh Nandal battled his way past Bhavya Singhmar 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Rs.100,000 AITA men’s tennis tournament at the Faridabad Academy on Thursday.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

ITF women’s tennis: Shrivalli, Ankita reach quarterfinals

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty outplayed eighth seed Melisa Ercan of Australia 6-1, 6-1 in the pre-quarterfinals of the $60,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Perth, Australia, on Thursday.

In fact, it was a good day for Ankita Raina also, as she beat her doubles partner Naiktha Bains 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

Both Ankita and Shrivalli also reached the doubles semifinals with Naiktha and Tenika McGiffin respectively.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

GOLF

Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour: Vidhatri Urs in joint-lead with Hitaashee Bakshi

The champion of the last three events, Vidhatri Urs, jumped into the joint lead with Hitaashee Bakshi with a 2-over 74 on the second day of the 12th leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

Despite a double bogey on the ninth hole and a triple bogey on 17th, Vidhatri could catch up with the overnight leader Hitaashee who was one shot ahead. The two had 1-over 145 after two rounds.

Kriti Chowhan shot identical scores of 1-over 73 on the two days and was third with 2-over 146.

Shweta Mansingh and Vani Kapoor were joint fourth with 4-over 148. Sneha Singh was sixth with 5-over 149. Janneya Dasannjee (150) was seventh while Ananya Sood and Lavanya Gupta were tied eighth at 151. Two more amateurs Kashika Misra and Anvvi Dahhiya were joint 10th at 154.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

Tvesa Malik makes solid start at La Sella Open

Indian golfer Tvesa Malik made a steady start with a two-under 70 in the opening round of the million-dollar La Sella Open on the Ladies European Tour here on Thursday.

Tvesa, who is seeking her maiden win and also preparing for her home open, the Hero Women’s Indian Open next month, teed off from the tenth. She had a very steady back nine with eight pars and a birdie in between on par-4 15th.

On her second nine, she started with a birdie on the first and added one more on the third to go to a healthy 3-under. She then dropped her only shot of the day on the Par-3 fourth and parred the remaining holes for a 2-under card.

Tvesa, who lost in a playoff at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, was lying T-15, though the position will change as the round is yet to be completed.

-PTI

HOCKEY

Punjab crowned as the champions of 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024

After an exciting eleven days of action-packed performance in the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024, Hockey Punjab clinched the title after defeating Uttar Pradesh Hockey 3-3 (4-3 SO) in the final at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.

Punjab defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey 3-3 (4-3 SO) in a closely contested Final of the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024.

Sukhwinder Singh (5’), Jarman Singh (33’) and Jobanpreet Singh (39’) scored for Hockey Punjab. Ajeet Yadav (31’) Suraj Pal (48’) and Akash Pal (54’) scored one goal each for Uttar Pradesh Hockey. In the shootout, Akash Pal, Nitish Bhardwaj and Ajeet Yadav scored for Uttar Pradesh whereas Punjab proved to be the better one on the day of the final as Japnit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Jarman Singh and Lovenoor Singh scored for Hockey Punjab to lift the trophy.

In the other match, Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Karnataka 5-0 to steal the third place on the podium. Amit Khasa (30’), Navraj Singh (50’), Nitin (54’), Manish Kumar (55’) and Sahil Ruhal (59’) scored one goal each for Hockey Haryana and took the game away from Hockey Karnataka.

-Team Sportstar

MCC Murugappa Gold Cup: Central Secretariat defeats Hockey Odisha

India’s Selvam Karthi scored a brace in Central Secretariat’s 2-2 draw with Hockey Odisha in the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament here on Thursday.

In the second and last match of the day, former champion BPCL edged out Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 2-1. 

Down by a goal twice, it was International Karthi who came to the rescue of Secretariat. After Prasad Kujur’s goal early in the first quarter, Secretariat pulled up its socks with a series of raids but couldn’t convert any of its openings. Towards the end of the second quarter, Karthi dribbled past the goalkeeper Dilip Ku Sa but his shot ended up in the side of the net.

The former International, however, made amends with a stinging backhander at the start of the third quarter to equalise. Sudeep Minz enlarged the lead by converting off a corner for Odisha. Karthi did it again for Secretariat with a powerful backhander on the run, that helped his team share the spoils. 

-Team Sportstar

BRIDGE

HCL International Bridge: Shurie shocks topper Pro3Max in quarterfinals

Shourie shocked topper Pro3Max 134-79.5 in the quarterfinals of Team of Four Gold event in the 21st HCL International bridge championship in New Delhi on Thursday.

-Kamesh Srinivasan