India thrash Canada 12-0 FIH Women’s Junior World Cup
SANTIAGO (Chile), Nov 30: The Indian team made a resounding start to its FIH Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup campaign by securing a commanding 12-0 victory over Canada here.Annu (4th, 6th, 39th minute), Dipi Monika Toppo (21st), Mumtaz Khan (26th, 41st, 54th, 60th), Deepika Soreng (34th, 50th, 54th), and Neelam (45th) were the goal scorers for India on Wednesday.India began the match with an attacking approach, and swiftly secured an early advantage as Annu scored two early goals through penalty corners.India were however unable to find more goals in the opening quarter as it ended 2-0 in their favour.Dipi Monika Toppo and Mumtaz Khan netted field goal each, further extending India’s lead in the second quarter. Indian team enjoyed a commanding 4-0 lead.Deepika Soreng converted a penalty corner, followed by which Annu completed her hat-trick, while Mumtaz Khan scored her second goal of the match.Neelam smashed home her shot from a penalty corner to make it 8-0 for India by the end of the penultimate quarter.The Indian team’s hunger for goals continued in the fourth quarter, resulting in strikes from Deepika Soreng and Mumtaz Khan as they completed their hat-tricks.India will next lock horns with Germany on Friday. (PTI)
Ganemat and Angad win skeet mixed team title
NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Ganemat Sekhon won a second national title in two days, this time in the company of Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, as the duo notched up the skeet mixed team crown in the 66th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) for Shotgun events at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, here.The Punjab pair were in fine form through the day, topping qualifications first with a score of 140.They then went on to defeat the Rajasthan pairing Darshna Rathore and Anantjeet Singh Naruka 47-41 in the gold medal clash. Darshna and Anantjeet had also finished second to the Punjab pair in qualifications with a score of 138.Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Areeba Khan won bronze for Uttar Pradesh overcoming Sanjana Sood and Ishaan Singh of Haryana 44-38 in the third-place decider.The Telangana pair of Munek Batulla and Zahra Deesawala won the junior mixed team skeet national title with a 41-38 win over Yashashvi Rathore and Yaduraj Singh, yet another pair from Rajasthan. (IANS)
First 3 stages of Tour de France 2025 in northern France
LILLE, Nov 30: The first three stages of the 2025 Tour de France will take place in the north of the country, organizers said on Thursday, with a sprinter likely to grab the first yellow jersey.Organizer ASO had already announced this month that cycling’s premier race would start from the city of Lille on July 5, 2025.The opening stage will be a loop around the city with a mainly flat finale. The next day, the peloton will cover 209 kilometres (130 miles) from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer, with the finish line at the top of a kilometre-long hill.That trek will be followed by Stage 3 from Valenciennes to Dunkirk. Organizers also unveiled the start of Stage 4 in Amiens, the capital city of the Picardy region. The opening of the 112th edition of the showcase race will return to France after three straight years of starting abroad. It began in Denmark in 2022 and from Bilbao in Spain earlier this year. Next year’s race begins in the Italian city of Florence. It will be the third time that the race starts in Lille , following on from 1960 and 1994. (PTI)
Junior boxers enter semis at Jr. World C’ships, assure medals
NEW DELHI, Nov 30: As many as eight boxers secured a medal after progressing to the semifinals on day six of the IBA Junior World Boxing Championships 2023 in Yerevan, Armenia on Thursday.Extending their phenomenal run at the tournament, six out of the seven junior girls made their way into the semifinals. The two gold medallists from the Asian junior boxing championships – Pari (50kg) and Nidhi (66kg) – won their quarterfinal bouts with identical unanimous 5-0 wins against Muller Micaela of Romania and Kao Chun Ai of Chinese Taipei respectively. Payal (48kg) scored a comfortable 5-0 win over Doherty Lauren of Ireland, while Amisha (54kg) outperformed Kim Jiae of South Korea for a unanimous decision win.Neha Lunthi (46kg) was tested by Hizouskaya Anhelina of Belarus before she emerged victorious with a 4-1 split decision win.Prachi (54kg), on the other hand, had to work hard against Kazakhstan’s Seiitkhankyzyc Panar. She came back strongly in the last two rounds to secure a 3-2 split verdict.Joyshree Devi (60kg) was the lone Indian woman to end up on the losing side as she lost 1-4 against Russia’s Leonova Kira.In the boys’ section, two out of four Indian boxers managed to progress into the medal rounds.Hardik Panwar (80kg) and Jatin (54kg) were on top of their game as they moved into the semifinals with unanimous decision wins over Park Damhyeon of South Korea and Mushkudiani Davic of Georgia respectively.Brijesh Tamta (46kg) and Divash Katare (50kg) were the two boxers who faced defeat in the quarterfinals.Five junior boys and girls will play their quarterfinal bout late on Thursday. (PTI)