Good day for Indian GMs at Delhi International Open
New DelhI, June 9: India’s top seed GM Narayanan S L led the charge with a solid win over Vietnam’s GM Nguyen Duc Hoa, while Diptayan Ghosh and two other home GMs also registered clinical victories in round four of the Delhi International Open, here Monday. Adding to India’s strong showing at the top, IM Dinesh Sharma and IM Harsh Suresh notched up important wins to stay in the lead group, while GM Aditya S Samant continued his consistent run with another solid victory, keeping himself in contention. Among international players, GM Manuel Petrosyan, GM Mihail Nikitenko, GM Mamikon Gharibyan, GM Boris Savchenko, and GM Luka Paichadze also continued their winning runs with confident performances. The day also saw key draws in closely-contested games, including GM Aleksej Aleksandrov vs GM Karthik Venkataraman, and IM Aronyak Ghosh vs GM Mikulas Manik, as top boards fought to hold ground in an increasingly tight field. A noteworthy performance came from Bivor Adak, who held GM Pantsulaia Levan to a draw – a result that reflects the grit and growth of India’s grassroots chess talent. (PTI)
Anand back in action in world rapid and blitz team championship
London, June 9: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will be in the mix as part of the Freedom team helmed by none other than FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsly in the World Rapid and Blitz team chess championship that gets underway here. Anand is the only Indian in the fray in his team. Hot favourite WR Chess team will be spearheaded by Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia on the top board in the absence of world’s top player Magnus Carlsen who had refused to participate in FIDE tournament. The likes of Arjun Erigaisi on the top board will be assisted by P Harikrishna on the second board. World junior champion V Pranav is a welcome addition to the team alongside Luke Leon Mendonca who is probably the next big player making a mark in Indian chess after the quartet of world champion D Gukesh, Arjun, R Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram. The event will also see Nihal Sarin in action representing the fifth seed Ashdod elite chess club. Nihal and Anand will play as the top seed on top board like Arjun Erigaise but the event will miss the presence of Carlsen and Gukesh who have both skipped the event. (PTI)
Racing prodigy Atiqa first Indian to finish in top-10 at Rotax Euro Trophy
Trinec (Czech Republic), June 9: Ten-year-old Indian racing sensation Atiqa Mir added another first to her name by securing a creditable top-10 finish in the Rotax Euro Trophy, a major international karting series. The Akcel GP-backed driver finished ninth in the Rotax Euro Trophy Round 2 staged at Steel Ring Circuit over the weekend. Atiqa, the first Indian to get financial and technical support from Formula 1, had a strong qualifying, finishing seventh in her group. She had the misfortune of having two bumper penalties but despite that, she finished in 10th place after thee heats. In the pre-finals on Sunday, the heavens opened up and with no prior experience of driving in the wet on this track, Atiqa showed her exceptional natural talent and fought hard with the best drivers in the world. Atiqa, who is mentored by India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, qualified for the finals and was 10th on the grid. The finals were held in even more treacherous wet conditions and Atiqa was in top form again. After dropping four places at the start, she fought back to finish ninth. (PTI)
Aaqib Javed seeks to revolutionise Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy
Karachi, June 9: Pakistan’s former pacer and head coach Aaqib Javed has promised to turn the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore into one of the most productive academies in world cricket. Aaqib, who was appointed as the director of the NCA two months back, after his stint as interim head coach of the national teams ended in April, said he wanted to turn the academies in Pakistan into models for other cricket nations. “We shouldn’t have to look at other academies for guidance but develop our own system which other countries would look towards for guidance,” he said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast. Aaqib said he had given himself a target of six months to introduce a proper system in the NCA and its affiliated academies in Karachi, Multan and Faisalabad. “These academies should be run on a system where we groom and produce quality players of all age groups for the national teams and also provide players with the best rehabilitation facilities,” the former player, who is also a national selector, said. He said that the NCA in Lahore had all the facilities, but unfortunately, a proper productive system had not been developed over the years. “We are also trying to restore the biomechanics equipment and lab back at the NCA after it was outsourced by the board and dedicate the academy in Karachi only for women’s cricket,” he added. (PTI)
Derek Fisher, Gary Payton lead star-studded NBA House in Mumbai
Mumbai, June 9: NBA House made its debut in India this weekend, transforming Mumbai’s Dome, SVP Stadium, into a vibrant celebration of basketball, music, style, and culture. Held in conjunction with the 2025 NBA Finals, the two-day event brought together NBA legends, top celebrities, and music stars for an immersive fan experience unlike any other. The NBA curated a dynamic programming lineup that seamlessly blended the energy of live sport with the creativity of music and street culture, marking a milestone moment for basketball fans and cultural enthusiasts in the city. Five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton thrilled fans with meet-and-greets, courtside coaching, and panel discussions on the evolution of culture and style. One of the biggest crowd-pullers was the 3v3 Celebrity Game, where the court turned into a high-energy showcase of star power and skill. With Fisher and Payton coaching rival teams stacked with Indian celebrities like Badshah, Disha Patani, Rannvijay Singha, and Varun Sood, the game delivered edge-of-the-seat action. In the end, Team Payton took home the win. (IANS)