J’khand, Maha, Mizoram enter semis in National Hockey C’ship
Panchkula, March 9: Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Mizoram entered semifinals of the Hockey India Senior Women National Championship after winning their respective matches here on Sunday. Jharkhand defeated Madhya Pradesh 3-1 in Division A in the first quarter-final match of the day. Captain Albela Rani Toppo (4th minute) led from the front while Rajni Kerketta (41st) and Pramodni Lakra (59th) also scored one goal each for Jharkhand. Karishma Yadav (55th) scored the solitary goal for Madhya Pradesh. In the next quarter-final match, Maharashtra blanked Karnataka 5-0 with Akansha Singh (41st, 54th) scoring a brace for her side. Priyanka Wankhede (30th), Kajal Sadashiv Atpadkar (44th) and Yogita Bora (59th) also struck one each. In the third quarter-final, Mizoram defeated Bengal 1-0 in a close match. Deepika’s 50th minute strike made all the difference. (PTI)
Matthew Wade joins Gujarat Titans’ support staff
New Delhi, March 9: Gujarat Titans have named former Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade as the team’s assistant coach ahead of the IPL 2025. Wade was with GT for two seasons as a player – in 2022 and in 2024 – but was not part of the IPL mega auction following his retirement from international cricket. “Champion. Fighter. Now our Assistant Coach! Welcome back to the GT Dugout, Matthew Wade!,” Gujarat Titans wrote on X. Wade, who had a short career of 15 matches in the IPL, played 12 of them for GT and was part of the title-winning squad in 2022 under Hardik Pandya’s leadership. Wade will join head coach Ashish Nehra, batting coach Parthiv Patel, and assistant coaches Aashish Kapoor and Narender Negi in GT’s coaching staff. (PTI)
Indian Wells: 5-time champion Djokovic crashes out in opener
Indian Wells, March 9: Five-time champion Novak Djokovic suffered an opening round loss at the Indian Wells Open at hand of lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp on Sunday (IST). Van de Zandschulp upset Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to add to his ever growing giant killing reputation. He became the second lucky loser in a row to beat Djokovic at Indian Wells, following in the footsteps of Luca Nardi 12 months ago. Djokovic lost his third match in a row, which last happened in 2018 as part of an injury-hit season. He has dealt with injuries in 2025, too, hurting his hamstring at the Australian Open. After retiring in his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev, falling to Matteo Berrettini in his Doha opener and now suffering defeat to Van de Zandschulp, it is just the second time Djokovic has lost three consecutive matches since the start of the 2008 season (2018 Australian Open-Miami). (IANS)
Jeneath Wong first Malaysian to win WAAP, tame finish for Indians
Da Nang (Vietnam), March 9: Jeneath Wong, who moved to Australia when she was ten years old and now plays at Pepperdine University in college golf in the United States, became the first Malaysian to win the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP). She turned in a superb finish which included a clutch par putt on the 16th, a perfect tee shot to within six inches on the 17th and a great pitch for a 8-foot birdie on the 18th for a round of 68. Wong, who now gets to play three Women’s Majors and a host of other iconic events, totalled 18-under, and won by one shot over Korea’s Soomin Oh (66), who made a great charge with a bogey free 66, but fell short by in the face of a nerveless finish from Wong. Meanwhile, it was a tame finish for the Indian trio, which had made the halfway cut. Saanvi Somu was the best at Tied-38th, while the 14-year-old Guntas Kaur Sandhu was 47th and Mannat Brar was 48th. (IANS)