Indian sports wrap, April 23: Ruturaj Gaikwad launches new Super Kings Academy centre in Pondicherry
CRICKET
Ruturaj Gaikwad launches 24th Super Kings Academy centre in Pondicherry
Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad inaugurated the latest Super Kings Academy centre in Puducherry on April 23. The Academy in Puducherry is a partnership with Stansford International Higher Secondary School and is the 24th centre across the world. The academy is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with four turf wickets, two astro turf wickets and two matting wickets apart from floodlights.
Apart from Ruturaj, KS Viswanathan (Managing Director, Chennai Super Kings), AK Sai J Saravanan Kumar (Hon’ble Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare, Puducherry), Sam Paul (Chairman, Sam Paul Educational Trust), M Sivasankar (Member of Puducherry Legislative Assembly Ozhukarai Constituency), R Sathiya Sundaram IPS (Deputy Inspector General of Police), Louis Mariano (Director of Cricket, Super Kings Academy) and Sriram Krishnamurthy (Head Coach, Super Kings Academy) were the other guests of honour.
Ruturaj inaugurated the centre and also interacted with the students as well.
– Team Sportstar
BASKETBALL
Tamil Nadu placed in Group B of FIBA West Asia Super League Final 8
Tamil Nadu has been placed in Group-B in the FIBA West Asia Super League Final 8 to be held in Zouk Mikael, Lebanon from May 10 to 18 along with Shabab Al Ahli (UAE), Tabiat Basketball (Iran) and Al Qadsia SC (Kuwait). Group-A has four more teams: Al Riyadi Beirut Club (Lebanon), Ittihad Club (Saudi Arabia), Sagesse SC (Lebanon) and BC Astana (Kazakhstan). In fact, Tamil Nadu qualified for the West Asia Super League by virtue of winning the South Asian Basketball Association Championship held in Chennai recently.
Earlier, speaking to The Hindu, Tamil Nadu’s head coach C. V. Sunny said. “the South Asian Basketball Association title-win was expected. But it would be tough this time at the West Asia League as there are teams from Kuwait and Lebanon. Last time, we lost in the group stages. This time, we would like to qualify for the knock-outs. To make it happen, we have recruited two from USA–one a centre training in Italy and the other a power forward playing in College, as guest players. We are trying to get the foreign players for the coaching camp for five days to be held in Chennai soon.”
– Keerthivasan K
TENNIS
AITA National Series Juniors: Ribhav Saroha beats third seed Shreyas Dogial
Ribhav Saroha beat third seed Shreyas Dogial 7-5, 6-2 in the under-18 boys pre-quarterfinals of the AITA National series junior tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Wednesday.
The results (pre-quarterfinals):
Under-18 boys: Swaraj Dhamdhere bt Amrit Dhankar 7-5, 6-4; vivaan Bidasaria bt Neev Kothari 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Dhruv Ghanghas bt Heet Kandoriya 6-2, 7-5; Armaan Walia bt Dev Nandasana 6-2, 6-3; Anur Tahsildar bt Mahijith Kaura 6-0, 6-4; Ribhav Saroha bt Shreyas Dogial 7-5, 6-2; Megh Patel bt Aritra Sasmal 6-3, 6-0; Nithin Barath bt Himanish Brinda 6-3, 6-4.
Under-18 girls: Ranjhana Sangram bt Avni Sahraya 6-0, 6-2; Manshi Singh bt Manvi Gupta 6-4, 6-0; Shagun Kumari bt Alexa Singh 0-6, 6-3, 7-5; Pal Upadhyay bt Miraya Agrawal 6-0, 6-4; Iha Joshi bt Dhatri Dave 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; Nainika Bendram bt Tamanna Walia 6-2, 6-0; Sherry Sharma bt Shrawasti Kundilya 6-3, 6-2; Riya Sachdeva bt Eshanya Khattar 6-3, 6-1.
– Team Sportstar
GOLF
Delhi Golf Club to host DP World India Championship
Delhi Golf Club (DGC) will host the $4 million DP World India Championship from October 16 to 19.
It will be the biggest prize money event in the country and marks the return of international golf to the DGC after 2016. The president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Kapil Dev assured all efforts to make the event a “grand success”.
“The inaugural DP World India Championship is a landmark moment for Indian golf. The tournament provides a great opportunity for our professionals to rub shoulders with some of the best players in the world and gain valuable international exposure. A world class field vying for a record prize purse and playing at a top notch international venue, the Delhi Golf Club, makes it a spectacle for the golf fans”, said Kapil Dev.
The president of DGC, Raj Khosla, was happy to play host to such a top class event, amidst growing competition.
“The wonderful DGC course is inter-woven between Lodhi era monuments, offering a fabulous old world charm while retaining a city-centre location that is easily accessible for fans”, said Raj Khosla.
The Indian event will be eighth of nine in the ‘Back 9” phase of the Race to Dubai, leading to the play-offs and culminating in the championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
“We are committed to growing golf in the country. We are working to elevate the Tour in every way and drive positive community impact. The DP World India Championship will ensure that golf continues to evolve in exciting ways,” said the CEO and Managing Director of DP World, Rizwan Soomar.
– Team Sportstar