Indian sports news wrap, January 19

SHOOTING

Asian shotgun championship: Sekhon, Maheshwari on top

Ganemat Sekhon and Maheshwari Chauhan shot remarkably well to stay among the top, after three rounds of women’s skeet in the Asian shotgun championship in Kuwait on Friday.

Ganemat had 71 out of 75, following rounds of 24, 24 and 23 as she was one point behind the leader Gao Jinmei of China.

Maheshwari had rounds of 23, 23 and 24 as she followed in third place with 70. Two more rounds will be followed by the final for the top six. Only China and Korea have managed to win one Olympic quota each so far in the event. Thus, the second day’s competition is expected to be fierce.

Raiza Dhillon was in eighth place with 67.

In men’s skeet, Asian Games silver medallist Anant Jeet Singh Naruka was joint second along with two others with a score of 72, following rounds of 25, 23 and 24. Ma Chenglong led with 73. Gurjoat Khangura and Munek Battula had low third rounds and thus slipped to the 14th and 25th spots with scores of 68 and 67 respectively.

Asia has won three Olympic quota in the event so far through Korea, Qatar and Chinese Taipei. It should be a very competitive battle on Saturday, for the two Olympic quota places on offer, in a field of 60 shooters.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

TENNIS

ITF men’s tennis tournament: Bogdan overcomes fighting Manish in quarters

Bogdan Bobrov overcame a fighting Manish Sureshkumar to score a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory in the quarterfinals of the $25,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament at the Arera Club courts on Friday.

Bobrov broke Manish’s serve in the first game of the decider, and served strong thereafter to ensure his semifinal against David Pichler of Austria, who knocked out second seed Dominik Palan.

Qualifier Aryan Shah gave a good account of himself before being beaten 6-3, 6-4 by top seed Oliver Crawford of Britain. National champion Siddharth Vishwakarma was tamed by third seed Eric Vanshelboim for the loss of five games.

In doubles, Ishaque Eqbal and Faisal Qamar sustained their good work of beating the top seeds in the first round, by progressing into the final. The duo beat Sai Karteek Reddy and Vishnu Vardhan 10-8 in the super tie-break to set up the title clash against Bogdan Bobrov and Luca Castelnuovo.

The results:

Singles (quarterfinals): Liver Crawford (GBR) bt Aryan Shah 6-3, 6-4; Eric Vanshelboim (Ukr) bt Siddharth Vishwakarma 6-3, 6-2; Bogdan Bobrov bt Manish Sureshkumar 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; David Pichler (Aut) bt Dominik Palan (Cze) 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles (semifinals): Ishaque Eqbal & Faisal Qamar bt Sai Karteek Reddy & Vishnu Vardhan 6-4, 3-6, [10-8]; Bogdan Bobrov & Luca Castelnuovo (Sui) w.o. Nicholas Bybel (USA) & Eric Vanshelboim (Ukr).

– Kamesh Srinivasan

Rithvik Bollipalli and Niki Poonacha beat Billy Harris and Akira Santillan 7-6(3), 6-4 to make the doubles final of the $82,000
Challenger tennis tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Friday.

In the final, the Indian pair will challenge the top seeds Luke Johnson of Britain and Skander Mansouri of Tunisia.

In the €120,000 Challenger in Spain, second seeds Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan were beaten 10-8 in the super tie-break by Filip Bergevi and Mick Veldheer in the doubles quarterfinals.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

ITF Junior Tennis: Indian challenge comes to an end

The progress of the Indian players was clipped in the semifinals as fourth-seeded Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar and eighth-seeded Cahir Warik crashed out while losing to their respective opponents in the boys’ singles matches of the Central Excise and CGST ITF Junior (J200) tennis championship at the BTA Complex on Friday.

Playing the first semifinal, Cahir Warik retired citing illness while trailing 0-2 against the third-seeded Ognjen Milic of Serbia. The other match saw Senthil Kumar making a good start to be tied 3-3 at one stage against top seeded Nikita Bilozertsev of Ukraine.

The Indian failed to keep up the consistency and eventually lost the opening set 4-6. Bilozertsev did not offer much allowance to Senthil Kumar in the second which he won 6-2 to wrap up the match in straight sets.

– Amitabha Das Sharma

HOCKEY

Beighton Cup: Eastern Railway beats Police Club

Kunjan Topno scored a brace to help Eastern Railway Sports Association (ERSA) beat Police Athletic Club 3-1 in the 125th Coal India Beighton Cup hockey tournament at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) astro-turf ground here on Friday.

– Team Sportstar

ARCHERY

Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda was re-elected the president of the Archery Association of India (AAI) on Friday.

In the elections held in Delhi, former AAI treasurer Virendra Sachdeva was elected the secretary general. Joris Paulose Ummacheril became the new treasurer of the association.

The newly-elected office-bearers will function for four years until 2028.B

– Y.B Sarangi

KABADDI

Khelo India Youth Games: Tamil Nadu Men and Women complete commanding wins in Kabaddi

Tamil Nadu kabaddi teams stayed on course for semifinal berths in the 6th Khelo India Youth Games as they registered convincing victories over their respective opponents at the Nehru Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

The Tamil Nadu girls’ team crushed Telangana 78-13 in a Group A clash while TN boys’ side beat Chandigarh 46-31. Both the home teams had lost their opening round-robin match against defending champions Haryana on Thursday.

– Team Sportstar

MOTORSPORT

Harith Noah first Indian to win Dakar Rally 2 Class title

Kerala’s Harith Noah won the Rally 2 class of the Dakar Rally, considered to be the toughest rally in the world, in Saudi Arabia on Friday. He is first Indian to win a Dakar Rally title.

The 29-year-old biker from Shoranur also finished 11 ^th overall in the event acclaimed as the Mount Everest of Motorsport.

“I’m happy that I’ve finished. That was the main goal, to reach the finishing line and we are here. I’m really blessed to be here. I learned a lot this year, especially during the second week, I felt really strong and it’s something to build on for next year,” said Noah.

– Stan Rayan

SNOOKER

Advani pips Chadha to win snooker title

Pankaj Advani of Bengaluru beat back a spirited fight from Mumbai’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha, the lone Indian playing on the professional circuit, by a 10-8 scoreline in a thrilling final of the All India Snooker Open here on Friday.

Ishpreet started on a winning note as he seized a chance to roll in a break of 67 to take the first frame and lead 1-0.

Advani, after losing the opening frame came roaring back, firing in four successive heavy breaks of 79, 82, 73 and 86, as he dominated the first 5-frame session to grab the initiative with a 4-1 lead.

Ishpreet returned a transformed man after the break and knocked in a fluent 133 and 53 to bridge the gap to 3-4.

But, the cue sports genius Advani, who holds 27 world titles and multiple national titles, replied with a smart 141 to equal the record for the highest break with Vijay Nichani, who had compiled that break in the qualifying phase.

Advani went on to win the ninth frame to increase the lead to 6-3.

– PTI

GOLF

Shubankar Sharma makes cut at Dubai Classic

India’s Shubhankar Sharma carded a fine 1-under 71 after his first round 72 to make the cut in tied-52nd place at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic here on Friday.

Sharma has been playing the event since 2018 and it is the fifth time he has made it to the weekend rounds.

Sharma saw all the action in the first eight holes, which he began with a double bogey after being stuck in the rough, as against an eagle a day earlier.

But Sharma fought back superbly. Producing some great approach shots, the Indian birdied the second and third and on the Par-3 fourth he hit his third birdie in a row.

However, he then missed a two-footer for par on Par-3 seventh, but again fought back with a birdie on the eighth. He would miss another short putt inside three feet for birdie on 13th as he parred the last 10 holes for 71.

– PTI

ATHLETICS

Mumbai Marathon defending champions Berhanu, Haymanot set to face stiff competition

The elite defending champions of the Tata Mumbai Marathon Hayle Lemi Berhanu (men’s) and Anchialem Haymanot (women’s) are set to face stiff competitions from there compatriots Kinde Atanaw and Sofia Assefa when the 2024 edition of the gold label race goes underway here on Sunday.

Heading into the 19th edition of the Mumbai Marathon, Ethiopia’s 30-year-old Atanaw is leading the men’s field with the fastest personal best time of 2:03:51 which he had clocked four years ago in Valencia.

“I want to make a difference this time and (I am) looking for a big and memorable win here,” he said at a media conference held here at the Press Club on Friday.

The women’s field will also have Ethiopia’s 32-year-old Tadelech Bekele known for her fastest time of 2:21:40 that won her the bronze medal. She is returning after a break of four years.

– PTI