Mirabai, Lovlina to be flag bearers at CWG opening ceremony
NEW DELHI, July 18: Olympic medallists Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain will serve as India’s flag and baton bearers at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Indian Olympic Association announced on Saturday.The opening ceremony of the scaled-down multi-sport event will be held on July 23.“It is a matter of pride Mirabai and Lovlina will be doing the honours at the OVO Hydro. I wish both the girls and the entire contingent good luck,” IOA President PT Usha said in a media release.“It is a matter of pride two women have been chosen to do the honours for Team India at the opening ceremony, which will set the tone and tenor for the Games.“Both Mirabai and Lovlina have time and again proved themselves in the international arena for India. They are at present training in right earnest for the Games in the United Kingdom,” Usha added.Mirabai, who turns 32 on August 8, has been India’s leading weightlifter for close to a decade. She won the silver medal in the women’s 49kg category at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and followed it up with gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.Although she was unable to replicate that success at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she remains one of India’s strongest medal hopes in Glasgow. She is also a multiple medallist at the World Championships.Lovlina, meanwhile, claimed the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics before winning gold at the 2023 World Championships. She also secured a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and is expected to be among India’s leading medal contenders in Glasgow. (PTI)
Anahat Singh given top seed at World Junior Squash
ONTARIO, July 18: Top Indian squash player Anahat Singh has been given top billing in the women’s section of the World Squash Junior Championships starting here on Monday.Her compatriot Aryaveer Dewan is seeded 5/8 in the men’s draw.World No. 20 Anahat will be looking to clinch her maiden world junior crown following her bronze-medal-winning semifinal finish last year.Meanwhile, Aryaveer will aim to build on his growing reputation after becoming only the fourth Indian to win the boys’ U-19 crown in the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in May.Other Indians competing at the World Juniors which concludes on July 31 are: Yusha Nafees, Gurveer Singh and Purav Rambhia in men’s category and Rudra Singh, Anika Dubey and Saanvi Kalanki in women’s section. (PTI)
Golf: Theegala makes cut at The Open, T-52 after two rounds
ROYAL BIRKDALE (UK), July 18: Indian-American Sahith Theegala was T-52 after two rounds at the 154th Open Championship.Theegala was the only Indian-origin golfer to advance into the final two rounds after a composed second-round 69. .Akshay Bhatia (71-73) dropped three late bogeys in the last four holes and missed the cut by three while the PGA Champion Aaron Rai (71-71) bogeyed his closing hole and missed the cut by one.The cut was set at 1-over 141 and 78 players will play the weekend.Theegala, who has been working his way back after an injury-hit 2025 season, handled Birkdale’s demanding conditions with impressive maturity.He avoided the course’s notorious pot bunkers, kept the ball in play to finish 36 holes at even-par. (PTI)
