Anahat finishes runner-up at British Junior Open
Birmingham, Jan 7: Indian top seed Anahat Singh lost in four close games in the women’s Under-19 final at the prestigious British Junior Open squash, held at the University of Birmingham on Tuesday. Anahat, ranked 29th in the world, was defeated in the final by French second seed Lauren Baltayan with scores of 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11. She was competing in her ninth BJO final across different age groups. She advanced to her first women’s under-19 final at the prestigious squash tournament, winning her semifinal match 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 over Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy (3/4) in just 28 minutes. Anahat defeated Malika in last year’s BJO U-17 final and the World Junior Championships quarterfinals, repeatedly targeting the front corners and turning those chances into winners, winning the match in straight games during the 100th anniversary edition of the tournament. (IANS)
Haryana top medal tally at 68th Nat’l Shooting Championship
New Delhi, Jan 7: Haryana topped the medal tally, followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan at the 68th National Shooting C’ship Competitions here. After 36 days of competition across New Delhi and Bhopal, featuring over 16,500 athletes, Haryana finished on top with 31 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals to claim a total of 60 national medals. Maharashtra finished second with 24 gold medals, along with nine silver and nine bronze, while Rajasthan placed third with 15 gold, 15 silver and 21 bronze medals, accumulating 51 medals overall. Madhya Pradesh finished fifth with 12 gold medals, followed by Delhi and Karnataka with 11 gold medals each. Uttar Pradesh and the Army secured eight gold medals apiece, while Tamil Nadu claimed six gold medals to complete the top ten. A total of 33 states and institutional units featured on the National Championship medal table, sharing 473 medals. (PTI)
Khelo India National Tribal Games selection trials underway in Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Jan 7: Bilaspur witnessed enthusiastic participation from tribal athletes across Chhattisgarh as selection trials for the upcoming Khelo India National Tribal Games are underway in the city. The trials are being conducted by the Chhattisgarh government’s Sports and Youth Welfare Department. Both online and offline registration facilities were made available for the players. Athletes can register online via a QR code and registration link, or register on-site. All participants were required to carry the original copies of their Scheduled Tribe certificates and Aadhaar cards when reporting for the trials. Bilaspur hosted the Khelo India National Tribal Games selection trials for the first time. (IANS)
SAI organises sports science workshop for combat sports coaches
New Delhi, Jan 7: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Wednesday launched a four-day Sports Sciences Workshop for combat sports coaches at its Sports Science Division in New Delhi. The workshop was attended by SAI coaches from key combat sports disciplines including Boxing, Wrestling and Judo, and aims to strengthen the integration of sports science into daily coaching practices. Designed as an immersive and hands-on programme, the workshop focuses on applying scientific principles to training methodologies, with special emphasis on strength and conditioning models specific to combat sports. The coaches are being trained in functional strength training, plyometrics, periodised resistance training programmes, and core principles of exercise physiology relevant to elite performance. (IANS)
Indian squads for SAFF men’s, women’s Futsal C’ships announced
New Delhi, Jan 7: India’s squads for the SAFF Futsal Championship 2026 and the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship 2026 have been announced. Both tournaments will take place in parallel in Nonthaburi, Thailand, later this month. The Futsal Tigers and the Futsal Tigresses, each with 14 players, arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday. The men’s team, led by Iranian Reza Kordi, and the women’s team, led by Indian Joshuah Vaz, held a month-long training camp together in Bengaluru before travelling to Thailand for the first-ever SAFF futsal tournaments. The SAFF Futsal Championship will be held from January 14 to 26, while the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship will take place from January 13 to 25. Both competitions will be held in a single round-robin format, and the team with the most points will be crowned champions. All seven SAFF member associations will participate in both events. (IANS)
India’s middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson retires
New Delhi, Jan 7: Indian middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson announced his retirement from competitive athletics on Wednesday, bringing a decade-and-a-half-long career to a close. Johnson, who competed in the 800m at the Rio 2016 Olympics, ended his career with the 1500m national record, which he set at the ISTAF Berlin meet in 2019 with a time of 3:35.24. His participation in Rio 2016 made him the first Indian male runner to qualify for the 800m at the Olympics since Sriram Singh in 1980. “From a boy with a dream started the journey from Kolkata and reached up to Asian Games podium in Hangzhou 2023. Thank you Athletics. Some journeys are measured in meters and seconds. Some are measured in tears, sacrifices, faith, and the people who never let you fall,” Jinson wrote in a social media post. “I was blessed to represent my country at the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Every time I wore the tricolour, I ran not just with my legs but with my heart. The 34-year-old runner is a three-time Asian Games medallist, with gold (1500m) in 2018, silver (800m) in 2018, and bronze (1500m) in 2023. He also won silver and bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2015 and 2017, respectively. In 2018, Jinson held the 800m national record after breaking Sriram Singh’s 42-year-old record by clocking 1:45.65. His mark was later eclipsed by Mohammed Afsal in 2025. “As I step away from competitive athletics, I do so with humility, gratitude, and peace. The track taught me discipline, resilience, and respect. (IANS)
