Squash: Akanksha stuns Joshna; Anahat, Abhay also enter finals
NEW DELHI, Aug 27: Little-known Akanksha Salunkhe of Goa stunned the double World Championships gold medallist Joshna Chinappa en route to making the women’s final of the 81st Squash Nationals, here on Wednesday.With this massive win, Akanksha also secured her place in the Indian team for the 2025 Squash World Cup in Chennai in December along with Abhay Singh, Velavan Senthilkumar, and Anahat Singh.Goa’s Akanksha, who has reached a career high ranking of 62 in February, upstaged the 38-year Joshna, who is considered one of India’s finest in this sport, 11-5, 13-11, 7-11, 12-10 across four games of an enthralling semifinal at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.Joshna, who was awarded the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour — the Padma Shri — in 2024, remains the youngest Indian women’s national champion and has won the title for a record 18 times.Akanksha, 26, will take on Delhi’s teen sensation Anahat, who rallied to beat state-mate Tanvi Khanna 3-11, 11-5, 11-0, 11-9, in the title clash.In the men’s competition, Tamil Nadu’s Abhay and Velavan set up a summit showdown after winning their semifinal matches against West Bengal’s Ramit Tandon and Maharashtra’s Veer Chotrani respectively.Facing each other in the nationals for the first time, Ramit struck first, taking the opening game 13-11, but Abhay roared back with superior control and precision to seal the match 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 in 52 minutes.This will be the fourth time Abhay and Velavan will lock horns in the final of squash nationals.In the ProCoach semifinals, Matthew Godwin of Tamil Nadu held his nerve in key moments to edge out Maharashtra’s Raja Yadav 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, while Uttar Pradesh’s Atul Kumar Yadav outlasted Mohit Bhatt of Maharashtra 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6. (PTI)
Suryawanshi moves to second round of India junior badminton
PUNE, Aug 27: Unseeded Gatha Suryawanshi got the better of third seed Durga Kandrapu to move into the second round of the girls’ event, in the Late Sushant Chipalkatti India Junior International Grand Prix Badminton tournament here on Wednesday.Suryawanshi beat Kandrapu 22-20, 21-15.Unseeded Remya Pravin got the better of 12th-seeded Ananya Agarwal 21-16, 16-21, 21-12 while Vansh Dev defeated seventh seed Deepanshu 16-21, 21-14, 21-12 to move into the second round. (PTI)
Inaugural Archery Premier League in Delhi from October 2-12
NEW DELHI, Aug 27: The inaugural edition of the Archery Premier League will take place at the national capital’s Yamuna Sports Complex from October 2 to 12, the sport’s apex body said on Wednesday.The Archery Association of India (AAI) also unveiled the league’s logo, symbolising dynamism, focus and precision that define the precision sport.Apart from supporting India’s Olympic movement, the Archery Premier League also aims to intersect sports, entertainment, education in history and culture to differentiate itself from other sporting leagues, and increase the global popularity of the sport, the national federation said in a press release. AAI president Arjun Munda said, “We are proud to host this landmark event at the nation’s capital, reflecting our commitment to elevate the sport, both nationally and globally. The dates have been decided keeping multiple factors in mind, including the schedule and workload of archers and the weather conditions in the city.“With this league, we aim to not only showcase top-tier talent from around the world but also highlight and celebrate India’s rich archery heritage.The tournament will feature 36 Indian archers and 12 top global players divided into six franchises. The details regarding the franchises will be announced soon. (PTI)
