India’s Anwar beats Ghana’s Kpakpo in Super Fighter Series
Bengaluru, May 19: India’s Faizan Anwar secured a dominant victory over Ghana’s Kpakpo Allotey in their 10-round welterweight international professional boxing clash, the main event of the Super Fighter Series 3, here. The Dubai-based Anwar, who is originally from Kolkata, sent the crowd into an applause after every round as Bengaluru witnessed an intense fight hosted by Grassroot Boxing and Crown Boxing. Ukraine’s Danylo Honcharu won the WBA Asia Middle-East Super Lightweight title after Ruslan Kamilov of Dagestan retired in Round 3 and a Technical Knock Out was awarded to the Ukrainian. In other supporting contests, F. Zoramchhana of Mizoram beat the Bengaluru-based Harsh Saroha through a unanimous decision while another Bangalore based pro-boxer, Kamla Roka, also took a unanimous decision win over Mehakpreet of Punjab. Rohit Choudhary, Aman Bahadur and Ritesh Singh Bisht also won their respective bouts. In the women’s category, Rani Devi of Haryana defeated Aleksandra Sitnikova of Belarus through a unanimous decision. (PTI)
Ben Stokes quits alcohol to aid hamstring injury rehabilitation
London, May 19: England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has quit drinking alcohol during his ongoing hamstring injury rehabilitation in an effort to be battle-ready for the upcoming Ashes series against traditional rivals Australia. The flamboyant cricketer said he gave up drinking at the start of the year in the hope abstinence would hasten his recovery from the injury. The 33-year-old Stokes had surgery on his left hamstring in December after suffering a tear during the third Test against New Zealand, which ruled him out of action for a prolonged period. Stokes tore his hamstring in the Hundred last year and then injured it again during the Test tour of New Zealand. The English skipper is set to make his comeback on Thursday in England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. (PTI)
Three-month long HIL registration window opens
New Delhi, May 19: More than 1,000 men’s and women’s players from across the world are expected to sign up for the Hockey India League’s three-month long registration process, which began on Monday. HIL was revived last year after a gap of seven years with Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers winning the men’s title and Odisha Warriors bagging the honours in the women’s section. Players from Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia and South Korea besides India can sign up for the registration process in the men’s section. In the women’s section, players from India, Netherlands, Argentina, Belgium, China, Australia, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, Chile, Japan, USA and Scotland are eligible for registration. The registration process for 2026 HIL will conclude on August 20. (PTI)
ASIP announces policy advocacy initiative for sports startups
New Delhi, May 19: The Association for Sports Industry Professionals (ASIP) has announced policy advocacy initiative for sports startups in India, with IMT Ghaziabad as knowledge partner. The ASIP is advancing its policy advocacy efforts to address critical gaps in India’s sports startup ecosystem. Recognising the pivotal role of startups in driving innovation and growth, ASIP said in a press release that it is developing a comprehensive policy framework to support entrepreneurship, investment, and scalability in this sector. The initiative, developed following discussions at the inaugural ASIP board meeting on May 3, will be supported by Institute of Management & Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, which will serve as the official knowledge partner, ASIP said in the release. The project aims at ensuring research-driven insights and policy recommendations that will shape the future of sports startups in India. (PTI)
Thailand, Nepal secure entry to ICC Women’s T20 WC Qualifiers
New Delhi, May 19: Thailand and Nepal have secured entry to the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers after finishing in first and second place respectively in the Asia Qualifiers held in Bangkok. The tournament saw nine teams compete for the top two spots that would take them to the global qualifying tournament, where teams will square off against each other to decide who would enter the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in England and Wales. Nepal, Thailand and the UAE were in the final three of the tournament, where Thailand beat the UAE by 54 runs. It was followed by Nepal who emerging victorious by five wickets over the UAE on Monday to finish in the top two and claim their place in the global qualifying tournament. At the global qualifier, Nepal and Thailand have joined Bangladesh, Scotland, and the USA. (IANS)