Indian sports wrap, December 26: Dhakshineswar Suresh gets Bengaluru Open wildcard
TENNIS
Dhakshineswar Suresh gets Bengaluru Open wildcard
Dhakshineswar Suresh has been named as a wildcard entrant for the singles main draw of Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger, scheduled to be held from January 5 to 11 at the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium, Bengaluru.
Standing at 6’5”, the 25-year-old featured in India’s extended Davis Cup World Group I squad in 2024, followed by a memorable debut during the September 2025 tie against Switzerland, defeating higher-ranked Swiss player Jérôme Kym 7–6(4), 6–3 to give India an early lead and contribute to the team’s historic 3–1 victory on Swiss soil.
Dhakshineswar is the third Indian to receive a main draw wildcard after Sumit Nagal and Aryan Shah.
The Bengaluru Open, an ATP Challenger 125 event, offers a total prize purse of over USD 225,000 with 125 ATP ranking points awarded to the singles champion.
-Team Sportstar
EQUESTRIAN
Court restores Jaiveer Singh’s position as EFI Secretary General
A Delhi court has restored the position of Col (retd) Jaiveer Singh as Secretary General of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), holding his suspension by the federation’s Executive Committee illegal and restored his authority over the federation’s official communications and bank accounts.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna on December 22 restrained EFI from giving effect to the minutes of its Executive Committee meeting on August 21, 2025, which had extended Singh’s suspension and appointed another official as acting secretary general.
The court also barred Joint Secretary M M Rehman from functioning as acting secretary general and restored Singh’s authority over the federation’s official communications and bank accounts.
Singh, a former Army officer, was elected Secretary General of the EFI in 2019. The federation has been embroiled in prolonged litigation since 2019.
In November that year, the Delhi High Court appointed former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi as a court-appointed observer to oversee EFI’s functioning amid allegations of mismanagement.
In May 2024, the High Court ordered the reinstatement of the 2019-elected Executive Committee, including Singh, pending disposal of related writ petitions.
The controversy escalated in March 2025 when EFI’s Executive Committee issued a show-cause notice to Singh alleging financial misconduct, violation of federation statutes and abuse of authority. On April 11, 2025, Singh was suspended, pending inquiry.
Singh challenged the suspension, arguing that it was imposed without approval of the High Court-appointed observer and without convening the general assembly, as mandated under EFI statutes.
He also pointed out that an application seeking High Court permission for his removal was withdrawn by EFI office-bearers in May 2025.
Despite objections raised by the observer through emails in April 2025, EFI’s Executive Committee extended Singh’s suspension in an August 21 meeting and appointed an interim secretary general.
Singh alleged that during this period, rival office-bearers changed official email credentials and opened and operated bank accounts without lawful authority.
The court noted that no valid executive committee resolution approving Singh’s initial suspension had been placed on record and that the observer’s approval was neither sought nor obtained. It held that under the EFI statutes, a member of the Executive Committee could only be suspended or removed by a two-thirds majority of the general assembly.
“The role assigned to the observer cannot be undermined,” the court observed, adding that the suspension of a secretary general was a matter of “due importance” requiring adherence to court-mandated oversight.
Allowing Singh’s plea for interim relief, the court restored his functional authority as secretary general, directed banks to lift debit freezes on EFI accounts and dismissed EFI’s application seeking vacation of the interim order.
The court clarified that its observations were prima facie in nature and would not affect the final adjudication of the suit.
-PTI
KHO KHO
Junior National Kho Kho Championship to begin in Bengaluru from Wednesday, December 31
Around 35 boys and girls teams will compete in the 44th Junior National Kho Kho Championship to be held in Bengaluru from December 31 to January 4.
Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Delhi are the Union Territories participating in the Championship.
The teams have been divided into eight groups each.
“It is a festival of Kho Kho in which young talents from all across the country compete for the title. Identification of the talent and its recognition plays an important role in promoting sport and sportspersons as we religiously aim for Kho Kho’s inclusion in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics,” said Sudhanshu Mittal, President, Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI).
-PTI
MOTORSPORT
Muddappa back with renewed vigour for Drag Nationals 2025 finale
After a measured first half of the season, ace Bengaluru biker Hemanth Muddappa will be returning this weekend with the title in mind as the final two rounds of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2025 gets underway here on Saturday.
Riding for Mantra Racing, the 15-time National champion will once again saddle up across four premier categories as he chases yet another milestone season.
The rider, known across the paddock as India’s ‘Drag King’, currently leads two of the four classes he contests and remains firmly in the hunt in the other two, keeping alive the prospect of adding multiple championships to an already unmatched resume.
Supported by his long-time tuner and technical partner Sharan Pratap, Muddappa will line up on his trusted superbikes, the Gen3 Hayabusa, BMW S1000RR and Ninja 6R in the Unrestricted (Super Sport) category, 1051–1650cc, 851–1050cc and 551–850cc Super Sport categories.
Muddappa began the season in familiar fashion with a commanding triple, winning the 551–850cc, 851–1050cc and 1051–1650cc classes. He returned on the last Sunday of September to secure a double in the 851–1050cc and 1051–1650cc categories.
The Unrestricted class produced new winners, with Mumbai’s Hanuman Pawshe and Bengaluru’s former National champion Alimon Saidalvi taking turns at the top, while Hyderabad’s seasoned Mohammed Riyaz, Bengaluru’s Mujahid Pasha and a clutch of emerging riders kept the pressure high.
Mantra Racing also celebrated the rise of Mumbai youngster Shahrukh Khan, who swept the Indian bike categories in Round 2.
For Muddappa, the focus now is on precision and execution over the final two rounds, where hundredths of a second could decide the season.
“Every championship comes down to consistency, teamwork and staying calm when it matters most,” said Muddappa, looking ahead to the decisive double-header.
“The competition has grown stronger every year, but that only pushes us to work harder. We are ready for the challenge.”
-PTI
Published on Dec 26, 2025