Indian sports wrap, December 10: Manush-Diya pair loses group-stage opener at WTT Finals
TABLE TENNIS
Manush-Diya pair loses group-stage opener at WTT Finals
India’s mixed doubles pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale suffered a straight-games defeat against Chinese wildcards Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha in the group-stage opener of the WTT Finals in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
World No. 3 Wang and Sun took down World No. 9 and WTT Finals debutants Manush and Diya 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-8) in 22 minutes.
Manush and Diya, the first-ever Indians to qualify for the season-ending tournament, will be up against the local duo of Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem in their match, which will be played on Thursday.
– Team Sportstar
BOXING
National Boxing Championship rescheduled to January due to pollution measures
The 9th Elite Men & Women National Boxing Championship, earlier scheduled from 31st December 2025 to 6th January 2026 at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has been rescheduled.
In light of the pollution control measures mandated by the Government and effective until December 31, the Championship will now be held from January 4 to January 10 2026, at the same venue.
All other arrangements remain unchanged.
-Team Sportstar
TENNIS
Maaya breaks into Top 50 in Junior Rankings
India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi gained four spots to make her Top 50 debut in the latest ITF Junior Rankings released on Monday.
The 16-year-old Maaya, country’s top-ranked junior, played at an J300 event in Bradenton, USA, last week where she reached the quarterfinals.
The girl from Coimbatore has won seven titles on the junior circuit. In 2025, she also played at all four Junior Grand Slams.
– Team Sportstar
Delhi Aces, Mumbai Eagles record wins in Tennis Premier League
GS Delhi Aces and Yash Mumbai Eagles recorded wins over Chennai Smashers and SG Pipers Bengaluru in their respective clashes of the Tennis Premier League, here on Wednesday.
In the contest between Delhi and Chennai, Sofia Costoulas got the better of Irina Bara and in a women’s singles match. The 20-year-old Belgian Costoulas controlled the rallies from the baseline and showcased a powerful backhand to help Delhi start with a 17–8 win.
Costoulas then teamed up with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to extend her winning run with a hard-fought 16–9 victory against Bara and Rithvik Bollipalli in the mixed doubles.
In men’s singles category, Billy Harris lost to Dalibor Svrcina in a tightly contested encounter with the latter winning it for Chennai Smashers with a narrow 13–12 win.
With overall points tallied, the Delhi pairing of Harris and Nedunchezhiyan in the men’s doubles category secured the tie 56-44.
In another match, Yash Mumbai Eagles emerged winner with a margin of 51-49 against SG Pipers Bengaluru.
In women’s singles, Riya Bhatia delivered a commanding performance to hand the Mumbai an early advantage with a 17–8 win against Shrivalli Bhamidipaty.
She then partnered Niki Poonacha in mixed doubles to face the Bhamidipaty and Rohan Bopanna. The Bengaluru duo continued their unbeaten run, securing a 14–11 victory.
In the men’s singles, Ramkumar Ramanathan faced Damir Dzumhur and got the better of the world No 57 by a margin of 15-10.
Ramanathan and Bopanna then paired up to edge out Poonacha and Dzumhur, with Mumbai Eagles pair edging out a tight 13–12 win.
-PTI
KHO KHO
Commonwealth Kho Kho to be held in March next year in India
Over 24 countries will compete in the inaugural Commonwealth Kho Kho Championship from March 9 to 14 next year, for which the venue is yet to be finalised in India.
The Kho Kho Federation of India is in talks with several states to finalise the venue after Commonwealth Sport (CS) gave the approval for the event to take place in India.
The event, which will see 16 men’s and as many women’s teams competing, will be organised on the lines of the first Kho Kho World Cup held in January this year in Delhi in which 23 nations participated.
This will be the first Commonwealth Kho Kho event in India after Ahmedabad was recently officially confirmed as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
“We are in talks with several states for the finalisation of the venue. Ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2030, we are hopeful that this championship would prove to be a stepping stone towards Kho Kho’s inclusion in the Doha Asian Games (2030), Commonwealth Games (2030) and Brisbane Olympics (2032),” said Upkar Singh Virk, general secretary, Kho Kho Federation of India.
– PTI
PICKLEBALL
Entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar acquires Jaipur Djinns as seventh World Pickleball League franchise
Billionaire investor and entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar, chairman of UK-based Tails Trading and Global COO at Komerz Ltd, has announced his investment in the World Pickleball League (WPBL) through the acquisition of the newly-introduced Jaipur Djinns franchise today.
With the inclusion of Jaipur Djinns, WPBL will now feature seven teams in Season 2, which will expand to a 120-match calendar, up from 90 matches in Season 1.
The franchise has already roped in Lee Whitwell as Head Coach and finalised its squad at the player draft held last month. The Jaipur Djinns roster includes Amanda Hendry, Giang Trinh, Naveen Beasley, Ritam Chawla, Lorena Duknic, Jack Foster, Isabella Nelson, and Connie Lee.
-Team Sportstar
CYCLING
Pune Grand Tour to be held from January 19 to 23
Pune will host a major international road cycling event — the Pune Grand Tour — from January 19 to 23 next year, in a bid to mark a significant step in India’s push to stage world-class endurance competitions.
Organised by the Government of Maharashtra in association with the national cycling federation under the aegis of the sport’s global body (UCI), the race will cover 437 km across four stages, showcasing the region’s varied geography.
The stages will span Pune’s signature mix of urban and rural landscapes: Stage 1 combines city and countryside routes, Stage 2 runs entirely through rural belts, Stage 3 returns through a rural-to-city course via the scenic Western Ghats, and Stage 4 concludes within the city.
Classified as a Stage 2.2 race, the event has already drawn confirmation from 24 countries, with 176 riders from Europe, Asia and Australia set to participate. The Bajaj group has come on board as the title sponsor.
Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi said the long-term vision is to elevate the event into one of the world’s premier cycling tours. “We want to keep expanding it and convert it into a 10-stage, 1,500 km race, like the tours in Italy, the USA and China,” he said.
He added that the route has been designed to highlight key tourist attractions around Pune, with the Government of Maharashtra sanctioning approximately ₹500 crore to ensure world-class road conditions. All roads along the race corridor are expected to be ready by December 15.
Calling the event an Olympic-level preparatory platform, Dudi said the district’s ownership of the project reflects India’s growing
capability in hosting complex international sporting events. With Pune – once referred to as a cyclists’ and pensioners’ paradise – often criticised for its traffic challenges, the organisers hope the Grand Tour will also spark a cultural shift towards cycling and healthier lifestyles.
-Team Sportstar
OTHER SPORTS
Kurash Natl Camp: Govt provides financial support of Rs 1.12 cr for 52 members
India’s Kurash contingent is undergoing a 25-day Senior National Coaching Camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Gandhinagar as part of its preparations for next year’s Asian Games.
The 25-day camp, which started on November 21, has been sanctioned under SAI’s Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme.
A total of 52 members, including 48 athletes and 4 coaches are a part of the camp. They are backed by a financial support of Rs 1.12 crore under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) scheme.
The key missions of the camp in SAI Gandhinagar include ensuring that the athletes get full access to training facilities, coaching and sports science support, equipment and recovery inputs, as well as seamless preparation for both the men’s and women’s squads in the build-up to Asiad 2026, scheduled between September 19 and October 4, in Japan.
Despite the de-recognition of the National Sports Federation (NSF) for Kurash by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, SAI is ensuring India’s Kurash athletes continue their high-performance training. The national coaching camp will further identify the cream of talents who will go through exposure opportunities abroad.
Before this camp in Gandhinagar, open national selection trials were conducted in SAI Bhopal from September 17–19 overseen entirely by the Kurash Organising Committee of SAI.
These trials followed international norms, anti-doping compliance and videography-based scoring and evaluation.
-PTI
BADMINTON
Odisha Masters: Hooda, Tanvi, Mannepalli, Kiran among Indians entering pre-quarterfinals
Top seeds Unnati Hooda and Tharun Mannepalli as well as other leading Indian shuttlers progressed comfortably to the pre-quarterfinals across singles categories of the Odisha Masters Super 100 on Wednesday.
In women’s singles, Unnati began her campaign in commanding fashion, defeating UAE’s P. Bharath 21-12, 21-18.
Sixth seed Anmol Kharb survived a stern test from Thailand’s Y. Ketklieng, prevailing 21-17, 19-21, 23-21, while third seed Tanvi Sharma outlasted Japan’s Aika Iwaki 21-8, 17-21, 21-18.
Fifth seed Anupama Upadhyaya barely broke a sweat as she brushed aside Indonesia’s Dalila Aghnia Puteri 21-14, 21-13 to enter the pre-quarterfinals.
The men’s singles draw also saw emphatic performances from the seeded players.
Mannepalli dismantled Manav Choudhary 21-5, 21-8, while second seed Kiran George eased past Rajesh Srikar 21-12, 21-13. Fourth seed Priyanshu Rajawat was stretched by Saneeth Dayanand, but he held his nerves for a 21-19, 14-21, 21-13 win.
Seventh seed S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian overcame Darshan Pujari 21-19, 23-21, and eighth seed Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar advanced with a straight-game victory over Numair Shaik.
Govind Krishna, Orijit Chaliha, Siddhanth Gupta, Rounak Chouhan, Varun Kapur, Arya Bhivpathaki also won their respective matches whereas AR Rohan Kumar eliminated sixth seed Manraj Singh 21-6, 21-12.
In other women’s singles matches, Aditi Bhatt edged out Hong Kong’s Liang KW 21-19, 24-22, while Aditi Rao got the better of Indonesia’s Catharine Handoyo 23-21, 21-9.
Isharani Baruah produced one of the standout results of the day by thrashing Thailand’s second seed Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-15, 21-8.
Aakarshi Kashyap registered a convincing 21-9, 21-10 win over Chinese Taipei’s Yi En Hsieh, eighth seed Shriyanshi Valishetty defeated Aalisha Naik 21-17, 21-12, while T Hemanth and Tasnim Mir progressed after hard-fought three-game victories.
-PTI
GOLF
Lanka’s Thangaraja sole lead in Vishwa Samudra Open with 6-under 66
Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja moved to the top of the leaderboard after firing the second day’s best score of six-under 66 at the Vishwa Samudra Open 2025, here on Wednesday.
Thangaraja (73-66), a three-time winner this year and currently placed fourth in the PGTI Ranking, took his 36-hole tally to five-under 139 for a two-stroke advantage over the rest of the field at the Delhi Golf Club.
Thangaraja jumped 17 spots from his overnight tied 18th.
Jairaj Singh Sandhu (68-73), the first-round leader, shot a 73 in round two to drop one place to second position at three-under 141.
Dhruv Sheoran (68), the PGTI Order of Merit leader Yuvraj Sandhu (69), Viraj Madappa (69) and Rashid Khan (70) were all tied third at two-under 142.
Five players out of a total of 125 could not complete their second round on Wednesday when play was suspended at 5:30 pm due to fading light.
These five players are scheduled to resume their second round from 7:30 am onwards on Thursday. The cut is likely to fall at eight-over 152.
Earlier, Thangaraja capitalised with birdies on all the four Par-5s. He sank two putts from a range of 12 to 20 feet and landed his chips within five feet on four occasions.
“My home in Colombo was affected by the recent floods. Fortunately, there was no major damage. I had decided not to play in Delhi this week as me and my family were still trying to get our lives back on track.
“But my wife insisted that I play in Delhi because I have been in good form. Keeping the circumstances in mind, I’m quite proud of my effort so far this week,” said Thangaraja.
-PTI
SQUASH
Australia, Brazil and South Africa fight back on exciting second day of SDAT Squash World Cup
Australia, Brazil and South Africa mounted impressive comebacks on day two of the SDAT Squash World Cup at Express Avenue Mall, Chennai.
1996 champions Australia, and Brazil, playing their first World Cup since that same year, hit back against Poland and Switzerland after losing their opening matches due to walkovers, with Australia recording a 3-1 win and Brazil a 2-2 draw.
South Africa, meanwhile, recovered from going a match down to defeat Republic of Korea.
Australia, one of just three teams to have qualified for every edition of the World Cup, went into their first tie of this year’s championship knowing they’d have to do it the hard way after women’s second string Madison Lyon was unable to compete, resulting in a walkover win for Poland’s Sofia Zrazhevska.
Despite the added pressure, Joseph White rose to the occasion in the first contested match of the tie, setting up his side well with a 3-0 win over Jan Samborski.
Jessica van der Walt then had a challenging test against Karina Tyma, and Tyma briefly threatened to restore Poland’s lead before van der Walt pulled clear to win 3-1.
Dylan Molinaro then made the result sure with a one-sided win against Kajetan Lipski.
“It’s difficult [starting 1-0 down] because it puts pressure on the other players, especially for Joe coming in first because it means he has to win,” Australia National Coach Stewart Boswell said afterwards.
“But they did really well; it’s certainly not an easy coming in 3-0 down in your first match.”
Unlike Poland, Switzerland were able to capitalise on their numerical advantage to record a draw against Brazil.
Starting 1-0 down due to Marchesi Petrillo’s absence, Brazil quickly brought the scores back to 1-1 through Diego Gobbi, who came back from a rocky start to beat Louai Hafez 3-1.
Switzerland responded brilliantly through Celine Walser. Despite Walser being ranked 65 places below her opponent, 18-year-old rising star Laura Silva, she was totally dominant, blowing away Silva in just 13 minutes to restore Switzerland’s lead.
In an exciting final match, Brazil’s Pedro Mometto ensured the points would be shared as he survived two sudden death tie breaks against Robin Gadola to win 7-6, 7-3, 7-6.
That result means that Brazil will need to win at least two games from their four matches against hosts India, who have already booked their spot in the knockout stage, in the last clash of the Pools Stage tomorrow to have a chance to progress.
South Africa, meanwhile, charged back in a complete turnaround as Dewald Van Niekerk, Hayley Ward and Damian Groenewald struck back after Teagan Russell had been beaten by Song Chaewon in the opener.
Elsewhere, defending champions Egypt crushed Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Pools Stage of the SDAT Squash World Cup concludes tomorrow, 11 December, from 12:00 at Express Avenue Mall and the Indian Squash & Triathlon Academy, Chennai. Watch the action live on the Olympic Channel, ANOC TV, WORLDSQUASH.TV and the YouTube pages of the Squash Rackets Federation of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu.
-Team Sportstar
Published on Dec 10, 2025