Indian sports wrap, October 21: Atiqa Mir delivers overtaking masterclass for top-10 finish in IAME Karting Championship
MOTORSPORT
From 33rd to 8th, Atiqa delivers overtaking masterclass for top-10 finish in IAME karting
Indian racing sensation Atiqa Mir staged a remarkable recovery drive after a sudden technical issue pushed her to the back of the grid, climbing as many as 25 spots to finish a creditable eighth in round three of the IAME Karting Championship in Dubai.
The 10-year-old, who is the first Indian to be backed by Formula 1, passed a melee of karts from 33rd on the grid for a top-10 finish. Atiqa’s determined effort came after her memorable win in the RMC Championship last week.
Starting the final second on the grid, the Akcel GP driver was the favourite to win again, but disaster struck when her kart did not start on the formation lap due to a technical issue.
Atiqa was forced to start the race from the pit lane but that did not deter her steely spirit as she put up an overtaking exhibition.
“That felt like a win… I could have finished even higher but for a few unruly drivers. I was gutted obviously when my kart didn’t start on the grid but I used that energy to move forward,” said Atiqa.
On Saturday, Atiqa finished P4 in Round 2, narrowly missing out on the podium after setting the fastest lap in the final.
Asif Mir, Atiqa’s father and India’s first National Karting Champion, is a hard man to please but he too was mighty impressed with her daughter’s dogged display.
“That was astonishing. I couldn’t believe the precision and pace she showed in overtaking, making all clean moves. One of her best performances ever in the kart. It’s a pity what happened with her kart on the grid, but that is motor racing,” said Asif.
-PTI
SQUASH
Abhay Singh loses to world No. 4 Makin in US Open
Abhay Singh lost to Welsh third seed Joel Makin in the round of 16 at the US Open squash, a USD 226,000 PSA Platinum event in Philadelphia.
The 27-year-old multiple Asian Games medallist and world No. 30 lost 2-11, 5-11, 4-11 to the world No. 4 on Monday (EDT).
-Team Sportstar
ATHLETICS
First batch of Indian athletics team arrives in Ranchi for SAAF championships
The first batch of the Indian athletics contingent arrived in Ranchi as the city gears up to host the South Asian Senior Championships (SAAF) 2025 from October 24 to October 26 at the iconic Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Morabadi.
Sprinters Pranav Gurav, Uttam Patil, and Arnav Takalkar, along with their coach, were the first to arrive, marking the beginning of preparations for a strong Indian campaign at the three-day continental event.
Sprinter Pranav expressed his excitement and said, “The arrangements are excellent, and I am looking forward to competing here.”
Madhukant Pathak, general secretary of the Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) and SAAF 2025 co-ordinator from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), said: “Athletes from different states are arriving in batches to acclimatise properly and begin their practice sessions promptly. This approach ensures they are in top condition for the championships. We are hopeful that India will surpass its previous medal tally.”
The remaining members of the 92-strong Indian contingent are expected to arrive later on Tuesday, alongside the Nepal team.
-PTI
BOXING
India’s 23-member boxing squad departs for Asian Youth Games in Bahrain
A 23-member Indian boxing contingent has departed for Manama, Bahrain, to compete in the third Asian Youth Games beginning on October 23.
The squad includes standout names such as Dhruv Kharb, Udham Singh Raghav, Khushi Chand, Ahaana Sharma and Chandrika Bhoreshi Pujari, all national gold medallists who have been at the forefront of India’s recent youth boxing success.
The team also features several boxers who impressed at the Asian U-17 Championships in July 2025, where India won 43 medals to finish second overall.
The team was selected based on performances at the sixth U-17 Junior Boys and Girls National Boxing Championships earlier this year, where gold medallists earned direct selection, while silver medallists were named as reserves.
The contingent will compete across 14 weight categories—seven each for boys and girls—in the U-17 age group.
“Our young boxers have shown tremendous progress over the past few months, proving that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in Asia,” president of Boxing Federation of India Ajay Singh stated in a release.
The boxers recently completed a high-intensity training camp in Patiala from September 23 to October 20.
The camp focused on enhancing technical, tactical, and physical conditioning under the expert supervision of Head Coaches Vinod Kumar (Boys U-17) and Jitender Raj Singh (Girls U-17).
The competition will have three-round bouts in a single-elimination format.
-PTI
Published on Oct 21, 2025