Thulashi, Nithya win gold as India shine at Para Badminton event
New Delhi, July 27: Thulashi Murugesan and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan clinched gold medals to headline India’s impressive performance at the British & Irish Para Badminton International, a Level 1 tournament on the BWF circuit, held in Cardiff, UK. In an all-Indian final, Thulashi rallied to beat compatriot Manisha Ramadass 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in the women’s singles SU5 category, while Nithya overcame Peru’s Giuliana Poveda 21-11, 21-23, 21-11 in the SH6 final. India’s medal tally was further bolstered by strong performances in the men’s singles events, with Sukant Kadam and Krishna Nagar securing silver and bronze medals respectively. World No. 2 Sukant advanced to the SL4 final after defeating fellow Indian Naveen Sivakumar 21-14, 21-19 in the semifinals. He, however, went down 6-21, 14-21 to Paralympic champion Lucas Mazur of France in the title clash. Paralympic gold medallist Krishna Nagar fought hard before settling for a bronze in the SH6 category, losing a closely contested semifinal to Brazil’s Vitor Tavares 21-19, 20-22, 19-21. India’s other medallists at the tournament included: Prem Kumar Ale / Abu Hubaida – Bronze (Men’s Doubles WH1-WH2) Krishna Nagar / Nithya – Bronze (Mixed Doubles SH6) Manisha Ramadass – Silver (Women’s Singles SU5) Mandeep Kaur – Bronze (Women’s Singles SL3) Mandeep Kaur / Chirag Baretha – Bronze (Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5). (PTI)
Archery academy to be set up in C’garh’s tribal-dominated district
Raipur, July 27: An archery training centre will come up in a remote village in the tribal-dominated Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh as part of the government’s push to empower rural sporting talent, an official said on Sunday. With a vision to combine sports, education, and rural development under an integrated approach, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has been taking steps towards holistic progress in remote regions of the state, an official statement said. As part of this vision, an integrated multi-purpose complex will be developed in Pandrapath in Bagicha development block of Jashpur. It will be equipped with world-class facilities to nurture budding talent from tribal areas, it said. The public sector undertaking National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has sanctioned Rs 20.53 crore for this project under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the statement said. Spanning around 10.27 acres (approximately 41,565 square metres), the land for the project has been identified with support from the local administration. Site layouts, 3D designs, structural plans, and detailed cost estimates for each component have been prepared by consultants, it said. The CM, who hails from Jashpur district, has said that the innovative initiative will not only promote excellence in sports but also usher in a new era of inclusive growth in the area through enhanced education, healthcare, and skill-building avenues, the release added. (PTI)
Davidovich Fokina beats Shelton to reach DC Open final
Washington, July 27: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina broke big-serving Ben Shelton a half-dozen times and eliminated the No. 4 seed by a 6-2, 7-5 score in the D.C. Open semifinals to follow up his upset of No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz a night earlier. The 12th-seeded Davidovich Fokina, a 26-year-old from Spain, will face No. 7 seed Alex de Minaur on Sunday for the title at the hard-court tournament. De Minaur advanced to his second Washington final by beating Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-3. Davidovich Fokina will be seeking his first ATP trophy in his fourth career final. No matter the outcome, he has guaranteed himself a debut in the top 20 of the rankings after arriving in D.C. at No. 26. The semifinal win was de Minaur’s 20th victory on a hard court in 2025, the most on the ATP tour. The Australian, who is 13th in the rankings, moved into his 19th career final. In the women’s bracket, Leylah Fernandez will be trying to win her first WTA title of the season, and Anna Kalinskaya will seek the first of her career when they meet each other Sunday. (AP)