U-19 Boxing: Suman Kumari wins, three others bow out
BANGKOK, Aug 1: Suman Kumari gave India a winning start even as three other boxers were knocked out of the U19 Asian Boxing Championships here on Friday.Competing in the women’s 48kg category, Suman outclassed Chinese Taipei’s Meng-Sin Cheng to record a commanding and unanimous decision win in the morning session and advance to the next round.However, the momentum did not continue for the rest of the Indian contingent.In the men’s 50kg division, Aakash Badhwar went down 1:4 in a hard-fought bout against Uzbekistan’s Odilshoh Khalimov.Sarthi Saini (70kg) was unable to get past Haosheng Zhang of China, suffering a defeat in his opening bout.The day ended on another disappointing note for India as Lokesh (80kg) lost to Norbek Abdullaev, also from Uzbekistan, in the evening session. (PTI)
Over 200 athletes to participate in Athletics event in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR, Aug 1: More than 200 athletes from 19 countries are expected to participate in 20 events of the prestigious World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze competition which will be hosted by Odisha, state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said on Friday.He said the event will be held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on August 10.“Hosting the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze in Odisha for the first time is a matter of immense pride. We are fully prepared to organise it successfully,” Suraj said after reviewing the preparedness for the mega event.In the review meeting, discussions were focused on ensuring a seamless event experience, from world-class sporting infrastructure to hospitality and security arrangements.The minister said that all aspects, including athlete safety, crowd management and deployment of police personnel, are being carefully planned.He assured that adequate administrative measures are being put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.“I am optimistic that athletes from Odisha will once again make the state proud with commendable performances in this upcoming event,” he added. (PTI)
Indian men and women teams qualify for London WTTC
NEW DELHI, Aug 1: The Indian men’s and women’s table tennis teams have booked their places for the prestigious World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) in London after a stellar show at the 2025 South Asia Regional Championships held in Kathmandu.Only 16 coveted Asian quota spots were available per gender. Four regional champions from Central Asia, South Asia, South-East Asia, and West Asia secured direct qualification for the WTTC — one of the most prestigious events in the international calendar.Both the Indian teams emerged undefeated in the five-nation round-robin format, reaffirming their supremacy in the South Asian region.The men’s team comprising Akash Pal, Ronit Bhanja, Anirban Ghosh, P B Abhinand and Divyansh Srivastava defeated Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Maldives with identical 3-0 wins.The women’s team, led by Krittwika Sinha, Selenadeepthi Selvakumar, Taneesha Kotecha, Sayali Wani, and Syndrela Das produced an equally commanding show to register comprehensive 3-0 victories over the same four opponents. (PTI)