National TT: G Sathiyan, Diya Chitale crowned champions
NEW DELHI, Sep 11: It was a day dominated by the top seeds as G Sathiyan and Diya Chitale stamped their authority to win the men’s and women’s singles titles at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships here on Thursday.Their victories not only reinforced their stature on the domestic circuit but also underlined the gap in class and experience between the established stars and the chasing pack.In the men’s final, former national champion Sathiyan showcased his trademark blend of experience and resilience.The multiple international medallist stormed into a 2-0 lead against Ankur Bhattacharjee, though he allowed the youngster to snatch the extended third game after holding a game point.Undeterred, Sathiyan adjusted his tactics smartly, denying Ankur the fast-paced rallies he thrives on and mixing up his strategies to keep him guessing. That shift helped him regain control and move 3-1 up.Ankur, however, refused to roll over. The Bengal paddler seized a slender advantage in the fifth game and stretched it to 9-6, threatening to take the contest deeper. But Sathiyan’s sharp serves close to the net and clinical finishes at crucial moments tilted the balance back in his favour.Wrapping up the match 4-1, he lifted his season’s first crown – a timely confidence boost before he heads to Turkey tonight for the upcoming WTT event.Top seed and defending national champion Diya Chitale rediscovered her champion’s touch, storming to the title with a commanding 4-0 win over former national champion Sutirtha Mukherjee in the final.Back to full fitness after battling early-season injuries, the RBI paddler combined composure with consistency to keep Sutirtha, representing RSPB, under pressure throughout. Though the third seed managed to push Diya in a couple of games, she never looked capable of halting her rival’s momentum. (PTI)
Olympic medalist moves to no-drug-testing Enhanced Games
LONDON, Sep 11: Ben Proud, who won a silver medal at last year’s Paris Olympics, announced he will swim next year in the Enhanced Games, the start-up sports event that will allow performance-enhancing drugs.The 30-year-old British swimmer, who finished runner-up last year in the Olympic 50-meter free, said he was looking forward to a new chapter in his career “and a chance to chase the outer edge of human potential with the tools and possibilities of our time.” The Enhanced Games will debut next May in Las Vegas, offering $500,000 first prizes in track, swimming and weightlifting events.Last month, it filed an $800 million lawsuit against swimming’s international federation, World Aquatics, and others, claiming they were illegally pressing athletes to boycott its event. World Aquatics passed a rule earlier this year barring athletes who competed in the Enhanced Games from competing in events it sanctions.Proud signaled he was fine not returning to traditional swimming.“I think realistically I’ve achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced (Games) is giving me a new opportunity. I definitely don’t think that’s undermining a clean sport,” he said in an interview with BBC.Britain’s swimming and anti-doping federations both denounced the move. (PTI)
Chotrani, Tanvi march into final of Squash Indian Tour 2
MUMBAI, Sep 11: Mumbai’s Otters Club witnessed a dominant show from India’s Veer Chotrani and Tanvi Khanna as both stormed into the finals of the Squash Indian Tour 2, a PSA Challenger event, on Thursday. Top seed Chotrani underlined his status as the favourite in the men’s draw, cruising past Hong Kong’s Ming Hong Tang 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 in just 23 minutes. With this win, Chotrani sets up a title clash against fifth seed Chi Him Wong of Hong Kong.In the women’s section, sixth seed Tanvi Khanna advanced to the final in dramatic fashion. Facing her compatriot and second seed Akanksha Salunkhe in the semis, Tanvi benefitted from an unexpected retirement. Akanksha, who had taken the opening game 11-7 and was leading 5-4 in the second, was forced to pull out. For Tanvi, this will be a second successive final after finishing runner-up in the Jaipur leg of the last month. She will now take on Egyptian top seed Amina El Rihany for the crown. (IANS)