Indian sports news wrap, January 11

GOLF

Steady Nishna keeps 2-shot lead going into final round

Nishna Patel stayed a step ahead with a very steady even par 71 in the second round of the opening leg of the 2024 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Poona Club Golf Course on Thursday.

Nishna thus remains at 5-under 137 for two rounds and is two shots clear of Hitaashee Bakshi. Hitaashee shot 1-under 70 which allowed her to narrow the gap between herself and Nishna to two shots.

Nishna had one birdie on the front nine but surrendered that on the back nine on the Par-4 15th. With the WPGT having produced at least one amateur winner each year since 2017, Nishna could keep that trend going if she holds on to her lead on Friday.

Hitaashee Bakshi had four birdies against three bogeys. Three of those birdies came on the front nine. She is now 3-under 139 for two rounds.

Sneha Singh (69) and Seher Atwal (68), who had the day’s best round, moved up the leaderboard.

Sneha had a good run of three birdies towards the end of the front nine with gains on sixth, seventh and ninth, but back-to-back bogeys on 10th and 11th pulled her back.

She made up with birdies on the 14th and 18th to turn in a card of 69 and is 1-under 141 for the two rounds so far.

Seher, who won the opening leg of the previous season, had five birdies against two bogeys for the day’s best card of 68. She is now even par 142 for two rounds.

Another amateur Mannat Brar (74) slipped to tied-fifth alongside Khushi Khanijau (71) at 1-over 143.

Four players, Ananya Datar (71), Ananya Garg (72), Rhea Jha (73) and Jasmine Shekar (74) were tied for seventh place at 4-over 146, while the seasoned Amandeep Drall (74) was tied 11th with amateur Anuradha Chaudhuri (77), who slipped down the leader board from her tied-fourth position after the first day.

The cut fell at 10, with 19 professionals and three amateurs making it through to the final round.

The cut fell at 152 and 22 players made the cut.

With the final group featuring Nishna Patel, Hitaashee Bakshi and Sneha Singh, and Seher Atwal also in the race, it could produce a tight finish.

-PTI

Avani remains tied second despite a disappointing third round

India’s Avani Prashanth braved a tough round three to hang onto the shared second place on the third day of the Australian Masters of Amateurs tournament in Southern Golf Club here Thursday.

Avani, who shared the second place with two others at 3-under 143 for two rounds at the Par-73 course, was four shots behind the new leader, Lion Higo from Gold Coast, Australia.

Higo, who plays US College golf in Pepperdine, played rounds of 71-71-70 Avani, ranked 50th in the world, and one of the top contenders for the title shot 77 on this day, but still managed to be in second place with Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, who shot 1-over 74.

Malixi rose from third to tied second at 3-under 143.

The third player in the tie for second place was the leader of the first two rounds – Nika Ito of Japan who crashed to 5-over 78.

She had rounds of 68-70 on the first two days.

Needing a fast charge to make a bid for the lead, Avani struggled early with bogeys on the first and third and she became 3-over after six holes.

Things turned worse with a fourth bogey on 12th. She attempted a comeback with two birdies on 13th and the 15th, but two bogeys on the 14th and 18th saw her finish the day at 4-over 77.

Overall, the Indian amateur star played well but was unable to keep the momentum going despite some excellent play on the first two days.

She has another round to try to add to her international laurels.

Heena Kang had a rough international debut as she ended with a final round of 83 and missed the cut, which was applied after three days.

The top-33 and ties will play the fourth and final round.

Among men, Rohit Narwal shot 73 after 76-70 and missed the cut as did Sandeep Yadav (84-74-75).

The Top-45 and ties will play the final round in the men’s section.

The lead in the men’s section was shared by Scotland’s Oliver with Mukherjee (69-70-66) and Max Moring (67-67-71) at 11-under 205.

New Zealand’s Zackary Swanwick (67-67-72) was lying third at 10-under 206.

-PTI

KABADDI

240 players from 12 states to participate in Yuva Kabaddi Series Winter Edition 2023

Budding Kabaddi talents are ready to showcase their high-flying moves in the seventh edition of the revolutionary Yuva Kabaddi Series 2023 with the Winter Edition scheduled to take place from January 12 to February 7 at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pondicherry.

Chola Veerans will take on Palani Tuskers on Friday in the first match of the winter edition of the tournament that was launched in 2022 and has been providing a highly competitive environment for India’s budding Kabaddi players to make them stars in their sport.

“The Yuva Kabaddi Series has been instrumental in shaping the future of Indian Kabaddi, with over 65 players currently showcasing their skills in the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League Season 10. We are committed to nurturing young talent for the sport through the Yuva Kabaddi Series, and our aim is to take the sport to every corner of the country. A total of 12 teams with players from 12 different states will participate in the winter edition of the tournament and we are expecting high-intensity clashes between all the teams,” commented the CEO, of Yuva Kabaddi Series, Mr Vikas Gautam.

The next-gen players (Below 80 kgs) get a chance to showcase their talent in the tournament, and it grooms them for the biggest stage in Kabaddi as well. To date, over 1400 youth players have engaged in 751 matches involving 85 coaches, and overseen by 183 officials in the Yuva Kabaddi Series.

In addition to establishing a feasible career route in sports, the series aims to develop a broader set of skills in players by providing assistance in financial literacy, media training, and nutrition throughout their participation in the Yuva Kabaddi Series.

LT. Governor UT of Puducherry & Governor Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan will inaugurate the tournament on Friday. The opening ceremony will also be preceded by the grand finale of the 50th Jubilee Pondicherry State Kabaddi Championship 2024.

The upcoming winter edition will witness a total of 120 high-intensity matches, with 240 players from 12 different states participating in the tournament. The fans can catch all the thrilling action Live on FanCode.

The participating teams are:

Aravalli Arrows, Palani Tuskers, Chola Verrans, Sindh Sonics, Himalayan Tahrs, Murthal Magnets, Periyar Panthers, Tadoba Tigers, Vijayanagara Veers, Hampi Heroes, Panchala Pride, Maurya Mavericks

The Three Round Schedule:

Survival Round: January 12-25

Challenger Round: January 26 to February 3

Summit Round: February 4 to 7

-Team Sportstar

TENNIS

ITS Junior: Rethin beats fourth seed Rohan in quarterfinals

Rethin Pranav sustained the Indian hopes as he cruised past fourth seed Rohan Belday 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the ITF junior tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex on Thursday.

In the semifinals, Rethin will challenge the top seed Nikita Bilozertsev of Ukraine, who outplayed Vihaan Reddy for the loss of two games.

The other semifinal will be between Ognjen Milic and Luc Wieland.

In the girls section, Maria Golovina continued to keep a check on the Indian talent. After having beaten Maaya Rajeshwaran in the first round, Maria won her third three-setter in a row as she blanked Rishitha Basireddy in the third set.

Rishitha had beaten the second seed Maya Iyengar in the first round and got past May Fadida in three sets in the pre-quarterfinals. She fell short in the quarterfinals, beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, after competently handling the challenge for two sets.

Maria will play fourth seed Daria Shadchneva, who turned the tide dramatically against Polina Berezina for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory, in an entertaining contest of high-quality game. The other semifinal will be between top seed Lidia Podgorichani of Thailand and third seed Christasha McNeil of the USA.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden enters semifinals of Adelaide

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden fought their way past Nicolas Barrientos and Rafael Matos 6-2, 6-7(4), [10-7] in the doubles quarterfinals of the $739,945 ATP tennis tournament in Adelaide, Australia, on Thursday.

It was the first match on court this season for the second-seeded Indo-Aussie pair which had a walkover in the pre-quarterfinals after a bye in the first round.

In the semifinals, Bopanna and Ebden will play Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

State inter-district tennis in Kochi from Jan. 25

The Kerala State inter-district tennis championships for the B.M. Edward Memorial Trophy will be held at the Regional Sports Centre in Kochi from January 25 to 28.

Competitions for men, women and for boys and girls in the under-14, 16 and under-18 age groups will be conducted in this prize-money event.

-Stan Rayan

ATHLETICS

Gopi T, Aarti Patil headline Indian elite line-up

Defending champion Gopi T and runner-up Aarti Patil will headline the Indian elite line-up in the USD 405,000 prize money Mumbai Marathon, scheduled to be held on January 21.

Also toeing the start line will be 2020 champion Srinu Bugatha and Tirtha Kumar Pun, the 2023 Vasai Virar Mayor’s Marathon winner.

Last year’s runner-up Patil will be gunning for her maiden title and will be challenged by Jigmet Dolma, the runner-up in 2017 and 2019.

The prestigious marathon will witness over 56,000 participants take to the start line at the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Joining from different parts of the world will be an additional 2900 runners participating virtually through the TMM app.

The World Athletics Gold Label Road Race will witness defending champion and event record holders Ethiopians Hayle Lemi Berhanu and Anchialem Haymanot take centre stage.

Reigning Olympic and world champion in pole vault Katie Moon along with marathon running icon Meb Keflezighi will add sheen to the occasion as event ambassadors, boosting the morale and serving as an inspiration for runners.

The Indian men and women marathon winners will bag Rs 5,00,000 each, further incentivised with a Rs 2,00,000 course record bonus.

In the half marathon category, Asian Games silver medallist Kartik Kumar and bronze-medallist Gulveer Singh will be the main attraction and will be challenged by TSK 25K 2023 winner Sawan Barwal.

-PTI

SQUASH

Abhay, Anahat top seeds in JSW-Willingdon Squash

Asian Games mixed doubles bronze medal winners Abhay Singh of Tamil Nadu and Anahat Singh of Delhi are the men’s and women’s top seeds in the JSW-Willingdon Little Masters and Senior Squash Open scheduled to begin here from Saturday.

Abhay, who had lost to Velavan Senthilkumar in the 79th National Squash Championship last November, is expected to dominate the men’s competition.

The 25-year-old from Chennai is expected to encounter a strong challenge from Maharashtra’s 22-year-old second seed Suraj Kumar Chand, who would hope to set the record straight after he lost to the former in the Nationals semifinals.

Maharashtra’s 23-year-old Rahul Baitha is seeded third ahead of 21-year-old Australian Remi Young (world rank 312), who will be vying for the top honours in the men’s draw.

The 15-year-old Anahat, ranked 123 in the world, had become the second youngest National women’s champion, and has had an impressive run in the lead-up to this tournament.

She recently won the girls’ under-17 silver medal in the British Junior Open and had earlier emerged victorious in the Girls’ Under-19 category at the Scottish Junior Open.

Having won four titles in two major tournaments in Mumbai last year, she is the firm favourite to again come out trumps at the Willingdon Sports Club on January 17.

Standing on Anahat’s road to success is Canadian-born 23-year-old Japanese Erisa Sano Herring (world rank 127), the second seed.

The third seed is Sri Lanka teenager Chanithma Sinaly (world rank 173), and the fifth seed is Serbia’s Jelena Dutina (world rank 193).

Rathika Suthanthira Seelan from Tamil Nadu and Mumbai’s Janet Vidhi are the fourth and sixth seeds respectively.

An overwhelming 435 players from India and overseas will compete in 16 categories over the six-day championship.

-PTI

FOOTBALL

IWL: Kaviya’‘s goal gives Sethu FC second win

Kaviya Pakkirisamy headed the ball into the net in the 50th minute to give Sethu FC full points over a struggling Sports Odisha in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) here on Thursday.

Sethu FC now sits in the fourth position in the table, level on seven points with Gokulam Kerala, having played four matches.

Despite getting three points at the Tilak Maidan, Sethu FC will not go home a completely satisfied side since its performance was not too convincing.

Sethu was expected to dominate the match, but surprisingly, Sports Odisha made things tough for the hosts.

Perhaps, Sports Odisha, which previously suffered a 0-8 defeat against Gokulam, came into this match with something to prove. But Odisha has itself to blame, as it wasted a penalty that could have earned it its first point of the season.

Sports Odisha had a good start to the game as it enjoyed the majority of the possession in the first 10 minutes.

Thereafter, the battle for ball possession in the middle of the park was competitive and exciting as both teams shared equal possession throughout the match. Surprisingly, it was Sports Odisha which made more efforts at the end.

Manisha Naik squandered a wonderful chance in the 14th minute as her shot from close range was saved by Purnima Kumari.

Similarly, Lisham Babina Devi missed a sitter when her shot went wide of the post in the 33rd minute.

Sethu FC came into the second half with intent and it did not take much for them to take the lead as Kaviya scored off a header from close range after the ball was brilliantly lobbed by Kajol.

Kajol herself hit the post from distance in the 53rd minute which could have doubled Sethu’s lead.

Sports Odisha had a chance to equalise as the referee awarded them a penalty in the 60th minute, only for Rashmi to steer it wide of the post.

It was not a game of clear chances, and Sethu FC having taken the lead managed the game well to emerge victorious.

-PTI

Kerala Premier League: Aghin shines in Parappur FC’s big win

T.S. Aghin scored twice in 12 minutes as Parappur FC blanked Little Flower FA 4-0 in the Scoreline Kerala Premier League football at the Corporation Stadium here on Thursday.

In another match, at Kannur, Kollam’s SAI Centre forced Kovalam FC to a 1-1 draw.

-Stan Rayan

Mar Athanasius Trophy all-India schools football tournament: Rishwanth scores four for NNM

Rishwanth scored four goals as Malappuram’s NNM HSS (Chelambra) crushed Coimbatore’s Puliyakulam Jr FC 9-1 and entered the quarterfinal of the Mar Athanasius Trophy all-India schools football tournament at the Municipal Stadium in Aluva on Thursday.

-Stan Rayan

BADMINTON

State inter-district badminton from Friday

The Kerala State inter-district mixed team badminton championships begins at the Ultimate Sports Academy, Vadakara, on Friday.

Competitions for sub-juniors (under-15), juniors (under-19) and seniors will be held in the event until January 17. The sub-junior event will be held on the first two days and the junior and senior events will follow. The finals of each age group will be held on the second day.

-Stan Rayan

BASKETBALL

Kalyan Kendra schools basketball begins on Friday

The ninth Kalyan Kendra all-Kerala schools basketball tournament for boys and girls, organised by the Basketball Lovers of Kozhikode, begins at the CBC Warrior Memorial Court, Mananchira, on Friday.

Mannanam’s St Ephrem’s, St. Joseph’s (Pulincunnu, Thalassery and Alappuzha), Kottayam’s Girideepam Bethany, Kozhikode’s Silver Hills, Providence and St. Michael’s and Koratty’s Little Flower are among the teams which will be seen in action.

-Stan Rayan

SNOOKER

Badami and Wadhawan qualify for main draw

Hasan Badami and Samay Wadhawan won their respective matches by an identical 4-2 margin in a qualifying draw second-round match of the All India Snooker Open on Thursday.

Badami started in rousing fashion piecing together a perfect break of 92 in the opening frame against Briju Kanani, who fought well but was unable to match the superior play of his opponent.

The lanky Badami went on to wrap up the contest registering a 92-1, 2-61, 64-9, 60-16, 34-61 and 68-6 victory.

Meanwhile, Wadhawan was his cool composed self and warded off a spirited challenge from Rohan Sakalkar and snatched a well-deserved 73-37, 61-45, 20-54, 49-18, 56-68 and 64-26 victory to join Badami in the main draw.

-PTI