Indian sports activities wrap, February 5: India names junior squad for Dutch, German badminton meets

GOLF

Diksha, Tvesa, and Avani lead India’s problem at LET Opener

The skilled Diksha Dagar and Tvesa Malik will likely be joined by rookie Avani Prashanth because the Indian girls’s marketing campaign on the Girls European Tour (LET) kicks off this week on the Lalla Meryem Cup in Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Avani makes her skilled debut after coming by way of LET Q-Faculty. In the meantime, Pranavi Urs, India’s highest-ranked participant in final 12 months’s LET Order of Advantage (seventeenth), will start her season subsequent week on the Aramco Sequence in Riyadh, becoming a member of Diksha, Tvesa, and Aditi Ashok. Pranavi, Diksha, and Avani will then head to Australia for a three-event stretch.

Diksha, who secured a top-10 end on the 2024 Lalla Meryem Cup, will purpose to enhance on that outcome. Notably, Pranavi, tied-fifth final 12 months, is skipping the occasion this time. Tvesa returns after a protracted absence, having final competed in 2019 when she completed T-41.

Avani, a winner on the Hero Girls’s Professional Golf Tour and the LET Entry Sequence whereas nonetheless an newbie, now embarks on a full LET season. She would be the first Indian to tee off from the tenth alongside Spain’s Blanca Fernández and Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama.

-PTI

Ahlawat gaining in confidence on DP World Tour, set for Qatar with Sharma

India’s Veer Ahlawat on Wednesday stated he’s discovering his ft on the DP World Tour as he obtained able to play for the fourth week in a row on the Industrial Financial institution Qatar Masters 2025.

The opposite Indian within the area is the extra skilled Shubhankar Sharma.

Ahlawat, who began the 12 months at Hero Dubai Desert Basic however missed the reduce, has since figured within the weekend rounds of the Ras Al Khaimah Championships and the Bapco Bahrain Championships. He was T-27 in Ras Al Khaimah and T-49 in Bahrain.

Saying he’s enhancing and gathering expertise with every spherical, Ahlawat is focussed on making one of the best use of the chance he has obtained on the DPWT, the place he reached by topping the Indian PGTI Tour.

The 2 Excursions have an alliance by which the OOM (Order of Advantage) winner in India will get a card to DPWT.

The earlier two gamers who got here to DPWT through this route had been Manu Gandas and Om Prakash Chouhan, however they didn’t retain the cardboard.

“I need to play as a lot as I can and guarantee I’m again,” stated Ahlawat, who performed loads of golf with Sharma, who has been on the DPWT Tour since 2018.

An fascinating function is the consistency Ahlawat is attempting to get into his recreation. After lacking the reduce in Dubai, six of his final eight rounds have been below par and the 2 instances he went over, he shot 1-over 73.

“I’m studying every day,” stated Ahlawat, who trains on the DLF Golf Academy and performs at DLF Golf and Nation Membership, the place he completed T-2 on the 2024 Hero Indian Open.

Ahlawat performs his first spherical with China’s Jin Zihao, with whom the Indian performed the final two rounds in Bahrain. Since they are going to be collectively within the second spherical, too, that can make it 4 in a row.

The third participant within the group is England’s Calum Fitzgerald they usually tee off within the morning at 7.25 am from the primary.

Sharma’s begin to 2025 has been disappointing having missed the reduce in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. He returns to Qatar after having missed the reduce in 2024. In his 5 earlier begins in Qatar he has made the reduce solely twice with T-28 in 2021 as his greatest.

The sphere contains former champions Ewen Ferguson (2022), Antoine Rozner (2021), Jorge Campillo (2020), Justin Harding (2019), Eddie Pepperell 2018), Chris Wooden (2013), Alvaro Quiros (2009) and Darren Fichardt (2003).

Final week’s winner Laurie Canter is within the area after overhauling Tyrrell Hatton within the Worldwide Swing Rankings, with Daniel Hillier, Alejandro del Rey, Marcus Armitage, Dan Brown and Pablo Larrazábal all capable of declare the highest spot this week.

-PTI

BADMINTON

Gnana to guide 17-member junior squad for badminton meets

Nationwide U-17 champion Gnana Dattu T will lead India’s 17-member squad on the the Dutch Junior Worldwide and German Junior badminton tournaments to be performed in February and March this 12 months.

The squad additionally contains junior world quantity six Raunak Chouhan, Adarshini Shri and doubles specialists Bhavya Chhabra and Param Chaudhary, amongst others.

The Dutch Junior Worldwide will likely be performed in Haarlem, Netherlands from February 26 to March 2, whereas the German Junior will likely be held in Mulheim an der Ruhr from March 5-9.

The Indian contingent consists of 4 girls and boys singles gamers every, two boys doubles and two ladies doubles mixtures, and two blended doubles pairs.

The squad was chosen based mostly on the BAI choice committee’s pointers, granting direct entry to winners of the All India Junior Rating Match (U-19) in Hyderabad, whereas the remaining spots had been crammed by way of choice trials held in New Delhi, that includes top-ranked gamers and semifinalists from the Hyderabad occasion.

Surya Charisma Tamiri had bagged the women’ singles bronze medal within the 2024 German Junior, whereas Ayush Shetty had received the boys’ singles bronze medal a 12 months earlier earlier than happening to clinch the 2023 world junior bronze.

RMV Gurusai Dutt is the one Indian boy’s singles participant to win the Dutch Junior Worldwide gold medal again in 2008 — the identical 12 months he additionally clinched the Commonwealth Youth Video games gold and the world junior bronze medal.

– PTI

GOLF

IGF objects to IOA’s interference in IGU polls, says it recognises Brijinder Singh faction

The Worldwide Golf Federation (IGF) has strongly objected to Indian Olympic Affiliation’s interference within the Indian Golf Union elections, and recognising the rival faction led by Harish Kumar Shetty, saying the IOA has “no jurisdiction” over the federation’s ballot course of.

The IOA had given recognition to the IGU led by Shetty whereas declaring the opposite physique, headed by Brijinder Singh, void in a letter issued on December 30.

In a strongly-worded letter to IOA president PT Usha, IGF govt director Antony Scanlon, stated the world physique absolutely helps the election received by the Singh faction held on December 15.

Shetty and Singh held separate elections and AGMs below totally different Returning Officers (ROs).

The election of Shetty’s faction was carried out by retired Allahabad Excessive Courtroom decide OP Garg, whereas Singh was re-elected in polls carried out by retired Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom decide, Rameshwar Malik.

“We write to object within the strongest phrases to your interference and that of the Indian Olympic Affiliation (IOA) within the latest Annual Normal Assembly and election of workplace bearers of our Nationwide Federation member, the Indian Golf Union (IGU),” Scanlon wrote in his letter.

“The IGF have discovered no purpose to query the legitimacy of the IGU Annual Normal Assembly and election of the workplace bearers held on 15 December 2024 at Tamarind Corridor, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (the place Singh was elected president) and imagine they had been held in accordance with their structure and the procedures of the Nationwide Sports activities Improvement Code of India, 2011.

“As such, we recognise and absolutely assist the workplace bearers introduced by the Returning Officer HJ Rameshwar Singh Malik and ratified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities. We contend that neither the IOA nor you as President of the IOA has any jurisdiction over the IGU Annual Normal Assembly nor its electoral course of.” The Sports activities Ministry has additionally pulled up the IOA for recognising IGU elections received by the Shetty-led faction.

Scanlon stated the Shetty-led faction’s election was “non-constitutional and invalid”.

“We discover it extraordinary that the IOA would actively undermine the IGU electoral course of and facilitate a faction holding a non-constitutional and invalid alternate Annual Normal Assembly and elections on the premises of the IOA.

“Moreover, that your interference then prolonged to wrongly recognising this faction’s elections and in flip to undermine the credibility of the constitutionally and fairly-elected IGU govt,” the letter learn.

“Subsequently, the IGF-recognised govt physique of the IGU, in accordance with Article 28 of the Olympic Constitution, stays the member physique for golf affiliated to the IOA. As such to recognise one other govt physique, not affiliated to the IGF, is in direct contravention of the Olympic Constitution. We strongly implore you to right away rectify this matter.” Scanlon additionally hit out on the IOA for eradicating golf from the continuing Nationwide Video games roster.

“However your spurious intervention within the electoral technique of the IGU, we’re additionally extraordinarily dissatisfied along with your choice to take away golf from the programme of sports activities on the thirty eighth All India Video games.

“It’s regrettable that your actions serve to punish the athletes for political functions and in direct battle with Article 27.2.2 of the Olympic Constitution whereby the function of an NOC is ‘to encourage the event of highperformance sport …’ “This choice does nothing however discourage high-performance golf athletes in India. As such, the IGF implores you to rethink this choice and to position the athletes’ pursuits above these of non-public and political pursuits,” he wrote within the letter, which was additionally marked to the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The IGF is guided by and believes strongly within the values of Olympism and as such it’s regrettable that we discover ourselves in disagreement with the IOA and that you simply select to behave with out mutual understanding and respect for the Olympic Constitution and for our athletes and Nationwide Federation.

“As such we’ve been compelled to repeat the Worldwide Olympic Committee on this letter in order they’re conscious of your inappropriate actions,” Scanlon added.

– PTI

CRICKET

Telangana CM felicitates G. Trisha after U-19 World Cup heroics

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy introduced a money incentive of Rs 1 crore to G. Trisha, who was the ‘participant of the match’ and ‘participant of the ultimate’ within the recently-concluded Girls’s World Cup (under-19) cricket championship which India received in Kuala Lumpur.

This gesture was made when Trisha referred to as on the Chief Minister at his Jubilee Hills Residence right here on Wednesday.

Revanth Reddy congratulated Trisha and hoped she would proceed to deliver laurels to the nation.

The Chief Minister additionally introduced a money incentive of Rs 10 lakhs every to Dhruthi Kesari, who was additionally a member of the victorious Indian staff, coach Shalini and head coach Nooshin Al Khadeer.

Telangana Ministers P. Srinivas Reddy, Chief Secretary to the State Authorities Mrs Shanti Kumari, Advisor to Telangana Authorities (Sports activities) A. Jitender Reddy had been additionally current.

V V SUBRAHMANYAM

HCA Apex Council honours G. Trisha, Dhriti Kesari, Tanay Thyagarajan

Apex Council of the Hyderabad Cricket Affiliation introduced money rewards to excellent cricketing achievements by gamers and officers from Hyderabad who represented Group India and the Hyderabad staff in BCCI tournaments.

A few of them together with G. Trisha, Dhriti Kesari, Tanay Thyagarajan had been felicitated on the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium right here by the Apex Council members R. Devraj and others.

G. Trisha was offered a handbag of Rs 10 lakhs, Dhriti Rs 5 lakhs, Nooshin Al Khadeer Rs 5 lakhs and coach Shalini Rs 5 lakhs.

Tanmay Agarwal, highest scorer for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy, main wicket-taker and left-arm spinner and BCCI Madhav Rao Scindia Award winner Tanay Thyagarajan had been additionally offered Rs 5 lakhs every.

V V SUBRAHMANYAM

Rowing

Olympian rower Balraj Panwar shines with males’s single scull gold in Nationwide Video games

Paris Olympian Balraj Panwar, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal on the Asian Video games in China final 12 months, strengthened his standing as one of many nation’s prime rowers as he defended his males’s single scull gold on the Nationwide Video games right here on Wednesday.

Panwar, born in Haryana however competing for Companies right here, clocked 7 minute and 26.68 seconds to row previous the 2km distance and take the primary place on the Water Sports activities Advanced right here. Navdeep Singh (7:41.17) of Uttarakhand and Guru Pratap Singh (8:04.01) of Maharashtra took the silver and bronze respectively.

The 25-year-old Indian Military rower, who can also be a two-time nationwide champion, had completed fourth within the males’s single scull occasion in his maiden look on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China final 12 months, clocking 7:01.27.

He later certified for the Paris Olympics the place he completed twenty third.

Companies and Madhya Pradesh shared the spoils in a straight struggle for rowing supremacy as each collected 5 gold every.

The neck-and-neck rivalry was anticipated as each are among the many top-class rowing facility suppliers within the nation. Indian Military and Navy (whose athletes compete for Companies) have top-class coaching services for rowers, the identical in case of Madhya Pradesh additionally, particularly in Bhopal.

Panwar had received the lads’s singles scull gold within the 2023 Goa Nationwide Video games with a time of 6:28.5.

For Madhya Pradesh, rising rower Khushpreet Kaur gave them the primary gold by successful the ladies’s single scull closing with a time of 8:40.35. Maharashtra’s Mrunmayee Nilesh (8:47.65) and Andaman and Nicobar’s Amrita Minj (8:48.18) took the silver and bronze respectively.

-PTI

TENNIS

Chennai ATP Challenger: Indian duos Nedunchezhiyan/ Prashanth and Ramanathan/ Myneni superior to quarterfinals

It was a superb day for the Indians doubles staff on the Chennai Open ATP Challenger, with second seeds Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan/ Vijay Sundar Prashanth and defending champion Ramkumar Ramanathan/ Saketh Myneni advancing to the quarterfinals.

The Nedunchezhiyan-Prashanth duo, which received the ATP Hangzhou Open final September, got here again from the brink of defeat to beat the wildcard pairing of Chirag Duhan and Dev Javia. After the pair break up the primary two units with some thrilling exchanges on the internet, Duhan/ Javia constructed a 9-5 lead within the deciding match tiebreak and held 5 matchpoints. However Nedunchezhiyan/ Prashanth used all their expertise to save lots of all 5 and ultimately emerged 6-3, 3-6, 13-11 winners.

Ramanathan/ Myneni, who’re seeded third within the doubles draw, had a a lot smoother experience into the final eight with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kimmer Coppejans/ Ergi Kirkin.

Within the singles draw, Sweden’s Elias Ymer booked his spot within the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 7-6 win over Nice Britain’s Jay Clarke in a match that lasted practically two and a half hours. Japan’s Rio Noguchi additionally secured his berth within the final eight with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Italy’s Jacopo Berrettini, the youthful brother of former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini.

The three remaining first-round singles matches had been additionally accomplished on Wednesday with fourth-seeded Alexis Galarneau and Turkey’s Ergi Kirkin shifting into the spherical of 16. Nonetheless, eighth seed Zsombor Piros was knocked out by Ukraine’s Oleksandr Ovcharenko 7-6, 6-4.

The Doubles finals will likely be performed on Saturday, February 8, 202,5 whereas the singles closing has been scheduled for Sunda,y February 9, 2025. The match is wanting ahead to the participation of the tennis followers from throughout Chennai.

-Group Sportstar

Sriram Balaji strikes into Lille Challenger quarters

Sriram Balaji in partnership with Francisco Cabral of Portugal beat Arthur Bouquier and Arthur Gea of France 4-6, 7-5, [10-4] within the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the €181,250 Challenger tennis match in Lille, France, on Wednesday.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

MORE SPORTS

Yogasana, Mallakhamb now medal sports activities at Nationwide Video games

Yogasana and Mallakhamb will not be simply demonstration sports activities on the ongoing Nationwide Video games now and can supply medals, a choice which was taken on the request of the organisers, an Indian Olympic Affiliation (IOA) supply confirmed to PTI on Wednesday.

The IOA had categorised the 2 video games as demonstration sports activities forward of the multi-sport occasion, which started on January 28.

In December final 12 months, the IOA had stated that the thirty eighth Nationwide Video games in Uttarakhand (January 28 to February 14) would function 32 core and 4 demonstration sports activities — yogasana, mallakhambh, kalarippayattu and rafting.

However on Wednesday, the organisers issued a launch by which yogasana and mallakhamb had been added as medal sports activities.

The transfer meant that the continuing Nationwide Video games are being competed in 34 sports activities and two demonstration sports activities.

Kalarippayattu — a type of martial arts that originated in Kerala — and rafting — of which Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is a well known place — will stay as demonstration sports activities (non-medal).

“Sure, they (yogasana and mallakhamb) had been confirmed as medal sports activities by the IOA because the host (state) has a proper to request two sports activities (as medal sports activities),” an IOA supply instructed.

Yogasana is a sport that focuses on the bodily facet of yoga, the place gamers must carry out yogic postures and are judged on their issue, stability, management, flexibility and endurance.

Mallakhamb is a standard Indian sport by which the practitioner performs yoga-like postures and actions on a vertical wood pole or a rope. Mallakhamb is derived from the phrases ‘malla’ which suggests a wrestler and ‘khamb’ which means a pole.

As per the assertion issued by the IOA in December final 12 months, the Video games had been to function 34 sports activities disciplines below the unique Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the IOA and the Uttarakhand State Olympic Affiliation in 2014.

Nonetheless, IOA President PT Usha and the GTCC (Video games Technical Conduct Committee) had authorized 32 sports activities disciplines and 4 demonstration sports activities.

-PTI

BASKETBALL

INBL Professional league: Chennai Warmth overcomes Gujarat Stallions

Shakem Johnson was the star performer with 23 factors, as Chennai Warmth recorded a 74-66 victory over Gujarat Stallions within the INBL Professional basketball league on the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

It was two wins in two matches for Chennai, which had crushed Punjab Warriors by a 12-point margin on Tuesday and a second defeat for Gujarat, which had earlier been crushed by Hyderabad Falcons by a 25-point margin.

The groups had been effectively matched, and Chennai pressured itself ahead within the first quarter itself after having trailed 7-14 and led 47-35 at halftime. Gujarat marginally bridged the hole within the third quarter, however Chennai dealt with the climax with conviction, guaranteeing a good defence.

Gujarat was additionally much less correct in its makes an attempt to attain and thus was unable to press its case any additional than what it managed.

– Kamesh Srinivasan