Indian sports wrap, June 6: Volleyball Federation of India elections set to be held
VOLLEYBALL
VFI elections on June 7, overseen by Ad-Hoc Committee led by Rohit Rajpal
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) is set to conduct its long-awaited elections on June 7, 2025, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, in accordance with a directive from the Delhi High Court.
The federation was overseen during this time by an ad-hoc committee comprising Rohit Rajpal (Chairman), Stephen Bock (FIVB representative), Alaknanda Ashok, and Mr. Gopinath.
A total of 66 representatives from 33 States and Union Territories affiliated with VFI will vote to elect a new governing body. Twenty-nine candidates are contesting for 12 key positions, including five seats on the Executive Committee. These include: President (1), Vice Presidents (2), Secretary General (1), Treasurer (1), Joint Secretaries (2), and Executive Committee Members (5).
The presidential race will see Anand Shankar Rajhans (Bihar), Prem Singh Bajor (Nagaland), and Virender Kanwar (Himachal Pradesh) face off. For Secretary General, the candidates include Mohammad Akram Khan (Chhattisgarh), Nilesh Vishnu Jagat (Maharashtra), and Ramanand Choudhary (Rajasthan). Hari Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) and Prakash Borah (Assam) will contest for Treasurer, with six candidates in the fray for the two Joint Secretary posts and eleven for the five Executive Committee positions.
Voting will be conducted from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, followed by counting at 3:30 PM. The election is being overseen by Justice P. Krishna Bhat (Retd.), appointed as the Returning Officer by the court. To ensure full transparency, official observers from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) will monitor the proceedings.
– Team Sportstar
CRICKET
Abhishek Bachchan part-owned European T20 Premier League to officially launch in 2026
The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), partly owned by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, will officially launch in 2026, following unanimous approval by the Board. The decision comes after extensive consultation with key stakeholders across cricket, business and media.
The initial 2025 window envisioned for the tournament provided a solid base. However, conversations with franchise aspirants, broadcasters, sponsors, and governing bodies made it clear that 2026 gives ETPL the best chance to succeed.
Sanctioned by the ICC on November 27, 2024, the ETPL represents a landmark collaboration among the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, a united effort to grow the game and elevate European cricket on the world stage.
-Team Sportstar
BASKETBALL
Basketball Federation of India, ACG Sports to launch professional leagues for men and women
The Basketball Federation of India and ACG Sports announced a professional league for men and women in 5×5 and 3×3 formats here on Friday.
Jeremy Loeliger, the former CEO and commissioner of Australia’s National Basketball League, will be in charge of the development of the league, bringing international standards of governance, competition, and commercial aspects in a new role as director of ACG Sports.
ACG will launch a residential high-performance centre within the year. The academy will feature world-class facilities and attract coaching talent from the USA and Australia. It will offer a comprehensive training programme for players, coaches, and referees, including nutrition, mental wellness, and academic balance.
-PTI
MOTORSPORT
Rahil, Savion grab pole positions
Hyderabad businessman Rahil Pillarisetty ended a four-year wait for a pole position as he topped the qualifying session in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category to kickstart his campaign in the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2025 at the Madras International Circuit, on Friday.
Later, riding under dark rain clouds, Bengaluru’s Savion Sabu put the hammer down to qualify for pole position in the debut class, the Pro-Stock 165-200cc.
Equally impressive was Aizawl’s 22-year-old Lal Nunsanga who grabbed pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) class. It was his first pole in six years, the last being in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup.
Mohamed Mikhail from Thiruvallur, a graduate from the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, also qualified for the pole position in the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) class.
The results (Qualifying – top 3):
National Championship Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, RACR Castrol Power1) (01min, 49.184sec); 2. Alwin Sundar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (01:49.669); 3. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Petronas TVS Racing) (01:49.674).
Pro-Stock 165-200cc Open: 1. Savion Babu (Bengaluru, MadRabbit Racing) 01:57.898); 2. Senthilkumar (Coimbatore, RDX Torque Racing) (01:58.862); 3. Venkatesan Iyappan (Chennai, Rookies Racing) (01:58.992).
Stock 301-400cc (Novice): 1. Mohamed Mikail (Thiruvallur, Mad Rabbit Racing) (02:01.197); 2. Arjun Kanwar (Delhi, RACR Castrol Power1) (02:01.477); 3. Varun Patil (Bengaluru, Mad Rabbit Racing) (02:01.493).
Stock 165cc (Novice): 1. Lal Nunsanga (Aizwal, Motul Sparks Racing) (02:09.397); 2. Rajender Beedani (Hyderabad, MAI Racing) (02:09.581); 3. Yashwant Varma (Visakhapatnam, Motul Sparks Racing) (02:09.950).
One-Make Championship:
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CB 300F): 1. Solomon R (Chennai) (02:08.297); 2. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (02:09.806); 3. Deepak Kumar (Chennai)
TVS Expert (Apache RR310): 1. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (01:56.031); 2. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai) (01:56.228); 3. Mohan Babu (Chennai) (01:56.233).
TVS Girls (Apache RTR 200): 1. Elakiya Ravi (Chennai) (02:13.431); 2. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai) (02:13.897); 3. Shuriya SP (Bengaluru) (02:14.289).
– Team Sportstar