Teen prodigy Shane Chandaria clinches Formula 4 Indian C’ship title
Chennai, Dec 14: Shane Chandaria won the third season of the FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship, which is part of the Indian Racing Festival, and became the youngest title winner at the age of 15, here at the Madras International Circuit. Having entered the 2025 season as a fresh-faced rookie, Kenya’s Chandaria finished it as the indisputable champion. It was the first championship win of his young career. The Chennai Turbo Riders carried a 24-point lead at the top going into the fifth and final round this weekend. However, he had a challenge on his hands as his more experienced rivals were closing in, and a tricky track and trying conditions awaited at the Madras International Circuit. But Chandaria, nicknamed ‘Baby Samurai’, was up to the task and made the most of the head start to clinch the championship in race 1 itself. Starting the first race of the day in pole position, the teenager completed 23 laps in 26 minutes, 23.059 seconds. Though he finished second behind Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru’s Sachel Rotge, who clocked 26:22.674, the top 2 finish was enough to seal the title. Even after the championship was wrapped up, Frenchman Rotge and Chandaria, as they so often have this season, were once again locked in battle in race 2 and despite the reverse grid pushing them at the back of the track, they fought off the competition and staged some daring overtaking moves towards the end to finish on the podium. (IANS)
Odisha Masters: Unnati Hooda, Kiran George clinch singles titles
Cuttack, Dec 14: Top seed Unnati Hooda and Kiran George delivered commanding performances to clinch the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively in the Odisha Masters Super 100 tournament here on Sunday. Hooda was a picture of composure as she defeated compatriot Isharani Baruah 21-17, 21-10 in just over half an hour. The 18-year-old controlled the rallies from the outset, denying Baruah the momentum that had powered her impressive run in the BWF World Tour event. Despite the loss, Baruah capped a memorable week with a well-earned silver medal after a series of standout performances at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The men’s singles final witnessed a gripping contest with second seed George prevailing over Indonesia’s Muhamad Yusuf 21-14, 13-21, 21-16 in a hard-fought battle that lasted 65 minutes. George took the opening game before Yusuf fought back to level the match. Showing resilience and tactical clarity, George closed out the decider to secure the title. (PTI)
Sr Natl Judo C’ship: VBF judoka Kalpana to bags gold
Imphal, Dec 14: Vijayi Bharat Foundation (VBF) judoka Irengbam Kalpana Devi bagged gold in the women’s 63 kg category at the Senior National Judo Championship 2025-26. Kalpana stunned the judo fraternity by defeating Himanshi Tokas, the former Junior World No. 1 and current Jr. World No. 3, in the semifinals of the event. She carried that momentum into the final, where she overpowered Unnati Sharma, the Senior Asian Championship silver medalist, with a commanding performance to win gold. Kalpana, who hails from Manipur, has been training under coach Lal Krishan Baghel at VBF’s high-performance centre in Ahmedabad since mid-2024. “I am really happy to win gold today. It has all been through the hard work and dedication of my team at VBF, so first of all, I would like to thank Vijayi Bharat Foundation and my coach, Lal Krishan Baghel, for what I have achieved today. I will now aim to continue this momentum and reach many more milestones for our country,” said Kalpana. (IANS)
