Indian sports wrap, June 17: World Padel League gears up for third season with two new franchises
PADEL
Two new franchises add to excitement of season three of the World Padel League
A glimpse of last season’s WPL summit clash.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A glimpse of last season’s WPL summit clash.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
After making a successful India debut in February this year, the World Padel League (WPL) announced its return for the third season. The league, supported by the Indian Padel Federation, is set to take place between August 12-16 at the Nesco Center in Mumbai, promising fans world-class action.
In the upcoming season, WPL is set to grow from four franchises to six, with two new teams joining the mix.
In the past year, India has witnessed over 2x growth in padel participation and infrastructure development, signalling the country’s growing appetite for the sport.
The previous season in February had seen 32 international players battle it out for the trophy. Expressing excitement for the upcoming edition, Hemali Sharma, the league’s co-founder, said, “The growth of padel in India has been a journey to watch out for. Just six months since our last edition, Season 3 of the WPL marks a major milestone as we expand the scale of competition and set new benchmarks for the sport. India is fast emerging as a high-potential growth hub for padel. Our ambition goes beyond fostering the sport as we aim to craft a dynamic, world-class sporting experience that captivates seasoned fans and first-time audiences alike.”
The last edition culminated with the SG Pipers Cheetahs clinching the title by defeating the Vernost Jaguars in a thrilling final.
-Team Sportstar
CHESS
Local teen Maniar holds GM Mikulas to a draw
Thirteen-year-old Hriday Maniar, a promising local talent, held seasoned Slovak Grandmaster Manik Mikulas to a surprise draw, in the first round of the Aurionpro International Grandmaster Chess Tournament in Mumbai at the World Trade Centre.
Despite a rating difference of nearly 500 points, Hriday played with remarkable poise and accuracy, showcasing flawless technique against his far more experienced opponent. The result is being hailed as one of the biggest upsets of the opening round.
The nine-round Swiss tournament has drawn 293 players from 18 countries, all competing for a total prize fund of Rs. 25 lakh. The tournament is organised by Indian Chess School under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation.
Key Results – Round 1
Levan Pantsulaia (1) beat Raman Siddharth B (0)
Petrosyan Manuel (1) beat Gada Om (0)
Paichadze Luka (1) beat Shubh Kapur (0)
Nikitenko Mihail (1) beat Gogte Soumil (0)
Lalit Babu M R (1) beat Ayaan Trikha (0)
Gharibyan Mamikon (1) beat Chavan Aditya (0)
Savchenko Boris (1) beat Advik Reddy (0)
Panesar Vedant (1) beat Saranya Devi (0)
Sanikidze Tornike (1) beat Bhavya Gupta (0)
Deepan Chakkravarthy J. (1) beat Shahan Vohra (0)
Davtyan Arsen (1) beat Arjun Singh (0)
Nguyen Duc Hoa (1) beat Parkar (0)
Slizhevsky Alexander (1) beat Patlolla Indra Reddy (0)
Aleksandrov Aleksej (1) beat Shitiz Prasad (0)
Fedorov Alexei (1) beat Vageesh Swaminathan (0)
Budhidharma Nayaka (1) beat Raj Kapoor (0)
Budhidharma Nayaka (1) beat Raj Kapoor (0)
Neelotpal Das (1) beat Karthik Gopal G (0)
Nithin Babu (1) beat Mithilesh P (0)
Nguyen Van Huy (1) beat Laddad Aadhavan Atish (0)
Nguyen Van Huy (1) beat Laddad Aadhavan Atish (0)
Tologon Tegin Semetei (1) beat Gnanaseelan (0)
Gochelashvili Davit (1) beat Aabhas Kumar Srivastava (0)
Saravana Krishnan P. (1) beat Jagesia Daksh (0)
Manik Mikulas (½) drew Hriday Maniar (½)
– Team Sportstar