Sanjana claims bronze at Asian Weightlifting C’ships
Gandhinagar, May 16: Sanjana added a fourth medal to India’s tally at the Asian Weightlifting Championships, clinching bronze in the women’s 77kg category here on Saturday. Sanjana registered a total lift of 220kg (96kg in snatch and 124kg in clean and jerk) to finish third in a four-lifter field. China’s Guifang Liao won the gold medal with a combined effort of 265kg (118kg+147kg), while North Korea’s Kyong Ryong Kim claimed silver with a total of 260kg (115kg+145kg). With her podium finish, Sanjana joined Komal Kohar (48kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg) and Ajith Narayana (71kg), all of whom have won bronze medals for India at the ongoing continental championships. In the women’s 86kg category, the other Indian in action, Vanshita Verma, finished fourth with a total lift of 220kg. She managed 95kg in snatch and 125kg in clean and jerk. China’s Cuiting Peng secured the gold medal with a total lift of 270kg. Bahrain’s Alina Marushchak took silver with 265kg, while South Korea’s Hyeonju Jang claimed bronze after lifting 245kg. (PTI)
Aryaveer to spearhead Indian challenge at Asian Jr squash
Chennai, May 16: Aryaveer Dewan will spearhead India’s challenge at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships to be held in Panzhihua, China later this month. Dewan, who clinched the U-17 boys’ title last year, will move up to the U-19 category this time and enter the tournament, scheduled from May 20 to 24, as the third seed. India will field a 32-member contingent across the U-11 to U-19 categories and will aim to better its seven-medal haul – comprising two gold, two silver and three bronze medals – from the previous edition. (PTI)
Senthilkumar, Joshna win big in HCL National Doubles squash
Chennai, May 16: Top seeds Velavan Senthilkumar and Joshna Chinappa produced a superb display to clinch the mixed doubles title at the 3rd HCL National Doubles Squash Championships here on Saturday. The top-seeded pair defeated the second-seeded duo of Abhay Singh and Rathika Seelan 11-7, 11-9 in a closely fought final at the Indian Squash Academy. Earlier in the tournament, both Senthilkumar and Joshna had also captured the men’s and women’s doubles crowns respectively with their partners. Senthilkumar teamed up with Abhay to secure the men’s doubles title for a third consecutive year after beating second seeds Rahul Baitha and Suraj Kumar Chand 11-8, 11-5 in the final. In the women’s doubles final, Joshna and Rathika outclassed Janet Vidhi and Pooja Arthi 11-8, 11-4 to lift the title. (PTI)
Keegan Smith wins K’taka Open; Poonacha-Myneni win doubles
Bengaluru, May 16: Top seed Keegan Smith capped off a dominant week, defeating fourth seed Philip Sekulic to lift the men’s singles title in the Karnataka Open here on Saturday. American Smith registered a 6-2, 7-5 win. Earlier, the Indian duo of Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Saketh Myneni claimed the men’s doubles crown with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Petr Bar Biryukov and Grigoriy Lomakin. The title earned Smith USD 9,500 and 50 ATP ranking points, while runner-up Sekulic collected USD 5,500 and 25 ATP points. In the doubles final, Indian hopes were carried emphatically by Poonacha and Myneni, who displayed excellent chemistry and aggressive returning throughout the encounter. For their triumph, Poonacha and Myneni received USD 2,980 and 50 ATP points, while finalists Biryukov and Lomakin earned USD 1,740 and 30 ATP points. (PTI)
Fatima Sana to lead as Pak name squad for Women’s T20 World Cup
Lahore, May 16: Fatima Sana will continue to lead Pakistan which will have five players set to make their maiden appearance in next month’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales. The selectors announced Pakistan’s 15-member squad on Saturday, which will also take part in a triangular T20I series in Ireland before the T20 World Cup. The West Indies will be the third team in the tri-series. Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Saira Jabeen and Tasmia Rubab are the players bound for their first appearance in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan will take on India in their tournament opener on June 14 at Birmingham. The tri-series will be played in Dublin from May 28 to June 4, following which Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka on June 6 and Scotland on June 9 in the two warm-up matches before the 12-team T20 World Cup. (PTI)
Parul runs 2nd career-best time in 3000m steeplechase in Shanghai DL
Shanghai, May 16: National record holder Parul Chaudhary ran her second career-best 3000m steeplechase race to finish seventh in the season-opening Diamond League meeting here on Saturday. The 31-year-old Parul clocked 9 minutes 12.84 seconds in a quality field. Uganda’s 2021 Tokyo Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai won the title in 8:51.47 as world champion Faith Cherotich of Kenya finished just 0.01 behind in 8:51.48. Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani was third in 8:58.09. This was Parul’s season-opening race and first after the World Championships in September 2025 in Tokyo, where she had failed to make it to the final round. Her national record stands at 9:12.46 which she clocked in 2025. She also holds the 5000m national record. Parul had won a 3000m steeplechase silver and 5000m gold in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. (PTI)
