ESFI begins process to select Indian Esports squad for Asian Games
New Delhi, Feb 21: The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) on Saturday opened registrations for the National Esports Championships, a qualification tournament that will determine the country’s contingent for the Asian Games. India will have the opportunity to compete across 10 video game titles at the Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. Esports will feature as a full-fledged medal event for only the second time, since the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023. Registrations for the Nationals will continue till March 7. The NESC qualification will feature competition across titles confirmed under the Asian Games Esports Program and will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV (clubbed as one team event), Pokemon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), Puyo Puyo, Naraka: Bladepoint, eFootball and Gran Turismo. Through NESC 2026, ESFI will identify and select athletes to represent India across eight medal events, offering a cumulative medal opportunity of up to 24 medals at the continental showcase. (PTI)
India win four medals at Asian Cross Country in Japan
New Delhi, Feb 21: Distance runner Harmanjot Singh showcased impressive speed endurance but settled for silver in the men’s 10km event, as India also bagged three bronze medals at the Asian Cross-Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on Saturday. The 30-year-old Harmanjot clocked 29:21 seconds, missing gold by a whisker, as Japan’s Ryuji Miura took the title in 29:20. However, Harmanjot marked the run with a personal best time, eclipsing his previous best of 29:57 set in 2024 in Bengaluru. In the senior women’s 10km event, India’s Soniya finished fifth with a time of 35:24 seconds. India also won three bronze medals in the team event. In the U20 women’s team championships (6km), India finished third with 22 points, behind Japan (9 points) and China (20 points). India’s U20 men’s team also won a bronze securing 25 points. Host Japan claimed the gold (6 points), while China, with 19 points, took home the silver. India also clinched bronze in the women’s team event (10km), with Japan taking the top podium sport with six points, followed by China on 17 points. (PTI)
Baboo and Manju win full marathon gold at Indian Open Race Walk event
Chandigarh, Feb 21: Uttar Pradesh’s international athlete Ram Baboo and Punjab’s Manju claimed gold medals in the newly-introduced men’s and women’s full marathon walk events respectively at the Indian Open Race Walk Competition held on Saturday. The 26-year-old Baboo clocked three hours, nine minutes and 17 seconds to win the gold medal in the gruelling 42-km full marathon walk event introduced by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Manju emerged on top in a strong field that included experienced race walker and Olympian Priyanka Goswami of Uttar Pradesh. Manju stayed with the leading group of three athletes, including Priyanka, till the 32km mark of the race. Thereafter she made a decisive move. As the race progressed, she left behind Priyanka who finished second. (PTI)
Banthia-Donski lift Delhi Open doubles title
New Delhi, Feb 21: Top seeds Siddhant Banthia of India and Alexander Donski of Bulgaria saved a match point to clinch the doubles crown at the Delhi Open, prevailing in a tense summit clash here on Saturday. In the singles draw, fifth seed Oliver Crawford of Great Britain and unseeded Stefanos Sakellaridis of Greece set up a title clash at the DLTA Complex. Banthia and Donski went down 4-6 in the opening set against the second-seeded pair of Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha (India) and Pruchya Isaro (Indonesia) but bounced back to take the second set by the same scoreline. The third set tie-break proved to be a tense affair. At 10-10, both teams had saved one match point each before Banthia and Donski sealed the contest 4-6, 6-4, 12-10 to clinch the title. (PTI)
