Indian sports wrap, September 30: Mahaveer Raghunathan takes class win P1 at Imola in Italian GT Sprint
MOTORSPORT
Mahaveer Raghunathan, India’s only driver in the Italian GT Sprint Championship, delivered one of his strongest weekends of the season at Imola. Partnering with Lorenzo Ferrari in the AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, the duo clinched first place (P1) in the GT3 Pro-Am category and fourth overall (P4) in Race 2 of the ACI Racing Weekend.
The result marked a return to the podium for the pairing after a run of mixed fortunes in the previous races. Speaking about this weekend’s race, Mahaveer shared, “Race 2 at Imola was incredible. After a great qualifying, starting top 5 overall, we fought our way forward, and I handed the car to Lorenzo in a strong position.”
“In Race 1, we were well on course for the overall win. We had built a strong 16-second gap to P2 after the pit stops during my stint. Unfortunately, a jump-start penalty cost us the overall Race 1 win. But bouncing back with the Pro-Am win in Race 2 felt great after Saturday’s disappointment. Still, standing on the top step of the podium at such an iconic track feels fantastic and shows what our team can do,” he added.
– Team Sportstar
FOOTBALL
Five players released from national football team camp
Indian men’s football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Tuesday released five players, including Jithin MS and Manvir Singh (Jr.), from the preparatory camp in the lead up to the AFC Asian Cup qualifier matches against Singapore.
“Defender Asheer Akhtar, forwards Jithin and Manvir Singh (Jr.), Mohammed Aimen, who plays on the wing, and midfielder Vibin Mohanan have been released from the camp,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on its social media handle.
This comes a day after talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri and his two Bengaluru FC team-mates – Rahul Bheke and Roshan Singh Naorem – joined the preparatory camp in Bengaluru.
With the joining of the trio, the total number of players who have reported to the camp has risen to 28.
– PTI
Published on Sep 30, 2025