Abhay, Raiza top national shotgun selection trials 4
BUCHO, (Punjab) Sep 4: Abhay Singh Sekhon and Raiza Dhillon topped the national selection shotgun trial 4 (T4) in the men’s and women’s skeet event respectively here on Thursday.Raiza also topped the women’s qualification rounds in the line-up of 19 athletes while Asian Shooting Championship gold medallist Anantjeet Singh Naruka dominated the men’s qualification among 35 athletes at Bhucho Village Bhai Devinder Singh Sidhu Gun Club.In the skeet men, Abhay hit 55 out of 60 targets to finish on the top in the T4, while Gurjoat Singh and Naruka finished second and third in the finals with 53 and 44 hits, respectively. Earlier in the qualifications, Abhay finished fourth in the qualification with 117 hits in the five series of 25 shots each (24, 21, 23, 24, 25) and +3 in the shoot off.Naruka topped the T4 qualification line-up with 121 hits (24, 23, 25, 25, 24) while Gurjoat Singh finished second with 118 (23, 24, 22, 25, 24) and +2 in the shoot-out as Bhavtegh Singh Gill, also on 118 (24, 25, 24, 24, 23), finished third in the qualification with a hit less in the shoot-out.Yuvek Battula with 117 hits (24, 24, 22, 23, 24) and Zorawar Singh Bedi, also with 117 hits (23, 24, 23, 23, 24), were the other finalists with +2 and 0 in the shoot-off.Raiza Dhillon emerged as the top performer in T4 skeet women, as she maintained the high scores across all five rounds to finish with 119 hits (24, 25, 23, 23, 24) in the qualification and secured the top spot in the finals with 55 hits while Ganemat Sekhon shot two less to finish second in the finals. (PTI)
Pranavi Urs to lead Indian challenge at Houston C’ship
HOUSTON, (USA) Sep 4: Pranavi Urs leads the Indian contingent at the Houston Championship, the fourth event of the PIF Global Series this year. Pranavi, who had to miss a lot of earlier events due to a wrist injury, is hoping to get back to form for the latter half of the season. With Diksha Dagar sitting out the event at Golfcrest Country Club in Houston, the other two Indians in the field are rookie Avani Prashanth and the experienced Tvesa Malik.The Houston Championship sees 104 professionals compete in both the 36-hole Team competition and the 54-hole Individual stroke play competition.Pranavi, a former multiple-time winner on the Tour, the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, is still looking for her maiden win on the LET. For the team event, she is alongside Manon De Roey (BEL), Daniela Darquea (ECU), and Polly Mack (GER).Avani Prashanth’s teammates are Laura Fuenfstueck (GER), Rosie Davies (ENG), and Vanessa Bouvet (FRA).Tvesa is in the team with Darcey Harry (WAL), Olivia Cowan (GER), and Virginia Elena Carta (ITA).A total of 26 teams comprising four professionals will take part in the tournament, with Team Captains selected using the official Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of August 25, 2025. (IANS)
Delhi High Court asks EFI to explain selection criteria
NEW DELHI, Sep 4: The Delhi High Court has directed the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) to submit an affidavit within three weeks, detailing the selection criteria adopted to pick the Indian team for the upcoming Asian Youth Games even as one more athlete has knocked on the judiciary door questioning his exclusion.The Youth Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Manama, Bahrain, from October 22 to 31.The Court order came on a writ petition filed by show jumping athlete Vaasvi Khaitan, through her father Vedant Khaitan, challenging her exclusion from the list of eight probables named by the EFI.The last date to send India’s entries was August 31 and it is clear that Vaasvi won’t get a chance to compete in Bahrain despite having competed extensively at the international level, including FEI events.Rider Fateh Jahan Singh Dhaliwal, aged 16, has also approached the court, through his mother, seeking quashing of the list of selected athletes and requested “further directions to conduct the shortlisting of riders for the Asian Youth Games”.While hearing the Vaasvi matter on September 1, the Court said given that the names of Indian athletes for participation in the concerned event have already been sent to the International Federation, and considering that the deadline for submission of names has expired, it may no longer be possible for the petitioner to participate in the said event.“Be that as it may, let an affidavit be filed by the EFI setting out the criteria adopted for selection of the athletes who have been selected to participate in the Asian Youth Games, Bahrain,” said Justice Sachin Dutta. (PTI)