Aryaveer Dewan emerges boys’ U-19 Asian squash champion
New Delhi, May 24: Aryaveer Dewan became only the fourth Indian to emerge the Asian boys’ U-19 champion as he clinched the coveted crown at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in Panzhihua, China, on Sunday. Aryaveer, seeded 3/4, beat South Korea’s Jonghyeok Lee, seeded 5/8, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9 in just under an hour in the final, as India return with one gold, three silver and four bronze medals. Delhi boy Aryaveer had won the boys’ U-17 title in this competition last year. “Truly a magnificent achievement from Aryaveer winning back-to-back titles. This will give him immense confidence going into the World Junior Championships in two months,” said Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI) secretary-general Cyrus Poncha. Shiven Agarwal (boys’ U-17), Anika Dubey (girls’ U-17) and Amarya Bajaj (boys’ U-13) finished runner-up in their respective categories. (PTI)
Gulveer Singh sets 5000m outdoor national record
New Delhi, May 24: Top Indian long distance runner Gulveer Singh set a new 5000m outdoor national record while finishing second at the LA Track Fest, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver level meet, in Los Angeles. He clocked 13 minute 03.93 seconds to better his own outdoor national record of 13:11.82 on Saturday. The 27-year-old Gulveer had clocked 12 minutes and 59.77 seconds at the Terrier DMR Challenge indoor competition in Boston last year and that stands as his overall national record in 5000m. Saturday’s timing was thus his second career best. Eritrea’s Habtom Samuel produced a world-leading 12:57.23 to finish ahead of Gulveer in Los Angeles. Gulveer is also the reigning Asian champion in 5000m. He also holds national records in 10,000m and half marathon. (PTI)
Sandhu shoots 68, lies Tied-33rd, as Lombard leads in Belgium
Rinkven (Belgium), May 24: Yuvraj Sandhu shot a second straight 3-under 68 to be placed Tied-33rd at the end of third round at Soudal Open on the DP World Tour. Sandhu with rounds of 70-68-68 is now 7-under as he slipped down one place. Earlier Shubhankar Sharma missed the halfway cut. South African Zander Lombard produced a brilliant finish with three birdies on the trot on day three to catapult himself into a three-shot lead heading into the final round. He started the day in a share of the lead and even as jumped clear, a wobble in the middle of the round allowed countryman MJ Daffue to join him in the lead after a 65. Lombard, however, had a big finish to sign for a 66 and vault to 18 under as he looks to seal a maiden DP World Tour title in wire-to-wire style. Dane Jacob Skov Olesen, England’s Ben Schmidt and Frenchman Tom Vaillant were at 14 under, a shot clear of Swede Albin Bergstrom, Spain’s Jorge Campillo, Englishman Andrew Johnston and South Africa’s Richard Sterne. Lombard has seven runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour, with five of them coming between 2022 and 2024, before he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing padel and suffered a seven-month layoff. Vaillant signed for a 70, while Olesen and Schmidt both carded rounds 67 as all three search for their own maiden wins. (PTI)
Pranati Nayak wins silver medal in FIG World Challenge Cup
New Delhi, May 24: India’s Pranati Nayak clinched silver medal in the women’s vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent. The 31-year-old Odisha gymnast, a three-time Asian Championship medallist, secured an average score of 13.025 after registering 12.950 and 12.700 across her two vaults in the final on Saturday. Vietnam’s Thi Quynh Nhu Nguyen won the gold medal with a score of 13.375, while Uzbekistan’s Shakhinabonu Yusufova claimed bronze with 12.950. Another Indian finalist, Protistha Samanta, finished sixth with a score of 12.850. Reflecting on her achievement in a social media post, Pranati said the past few months had been challenging but credited perseverance and faith for helping her bounce back. “The last couple of months have not been easy,” Nayak, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, wrote on her social media account. “There were moments of doubt, setbacks and hard days, but through it all, I never stopped believing. And standing at the podium with this medal was proof that patience, perseverance and faith always give back to you,” she said. Pranati also thanked her coach Ashok Mishra, support staff and institutions including the Sports Authority of India, Gymnastics Federation of India and the AM/NS India High Performance Centre for their backing. “Thank you to everyone who kept me in their wishes and stood by me through every phase. Proud of this moment. Thank you god for everything,” she added. (PTI)
Mandaviya inaugurates facilities at SAI Gandhinagar centre
Ahmedabad, May 24: Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday inaugurated several integrated infrastructure facilities at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar. The newly inaugurated facilities include a para athlete hostel, centralised dining hall, strength and conditioning hall, multipurpose training hall and a meditation park, said a PIB release. In his address at the inaugural ceremony held at the SAI campus, Mandaviya said the country is building world-class sporting ecosystem focused on scientific training, modern infrastructure and athlete-centric development. Addressing athletes, coaches and officials at the event, Mandaviya said the country’s sports ecosystem is undergoing a transformational shift under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “New India is building a sporting ecosystem where every athlete gets the opportunity to dream big and win for the nation. The government is focusing on inclusive sporting infrastructure and athlete welfare, particularly for para-athletes,” he said. “PM Narendra Modi is truly the ‘Param Mitra’ of our para-athletes. Under his leadership, India has not only expanded sports infrastructure across the country, but has also ensured dignity, accessibility, recognition and equal opportunities for every para-athlete,” Mandaviya added. Mandaviya said India’s recent performances at international sporting events reflected the strengthening of its sports ecosystem, citing the country’s 111 medals at the Asian Para Games and a record 29 medals at the 2024 Paralympics. (PTI)
