Sports

Madrid, Oct 23 (IANS) FC Barcelona’s 19-year-old defender Xavi Espart is preparing for a baptism of fire when he makes his Clasico debut against Real Madrid on Sunday. Espart made his first-team debut last season and was an unused substitute when Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-0 in May to clinch the league title. He has since established himself as a regular member of coach Hansi Flick’s squad.

The teenager’s versatility, which allows him to operate at either fullback position and contribute in attack, has helped him earn more playing time. He also scored his first Champions League goal in Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, reports Xinhua.

With Eric Garcia sidelined by a muscle injury, Jules Kounde doubtful with an ankle sprain and Andreas Christensen also injured, Espart is in contention to start Sunday’s potentially pivotal encounter, provided he recovers from a minor ankle problem of his own.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo in an interview published Thursday, the Barcelona academy graduate acknowledged the intensity of the challenge awaiting him.

“The truth is it will be a war,” Espart said, insisting that his side would hold nothing back.

“We will go all out; it’s a Clasico. You always have to give one hundred percent, and now we have the opportunity to move further ahead in points, so we will fight to the death,” he added.

If selected, Espart could face a difficult assignment against Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande, who scored a spectacular volley in Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.

Barcelona will look to extend their perfect La Liga start and open a nine-point lead over Real Madrid when the two Spanish giants meet in the season’s first Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Hansi Flick’s side has won all nine of its opening league matches to establish a six-point advantage over their archrivals, with Atletico Madrid sitting second, five points off the pace.

Although nearly three-quarters of the campaign would remain after Sunday, another Barcelona victory would leave Real Madrid facing a considerable challenge to close the gap in the title race.

Real Madrid head into the match in improved form after recording successive 4-1 home victories over Sevilla in La Liga and RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

Fede Valverde have impressed in an unfamiliar right-back role, while Kylian Mbappe has rediscovered his best form and new signing Yan Diomande has shown flashes of his potential.

–IANS

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Raipur, Oct 23 (IANS) In a battle of Indian Olympians in the opening match of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League, Surender Singh’s Nyayadhani Knights beat Lalit Upadhyay’s Rajdhani Royals 2-1 in Raipur on Thursday.

Playing at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, Raipur, the Knights were clinical in their efforts to register their first win, with goals coming from Ketan Kushwaha and Chirag, while Raushan was the lone scorer for Rajdhani.

It all started with Chirag sounding the board for the Knights in the 12th minute of the match, courtesy of a penalty corner conversion. The first rusher and the goalkeeper, Himanshu Malik, just could not stop the blazing flick. At the start of the 2nd quarter, Ketan Kushwaha managed to extend the lead for his team and found the net after getting past a couple of defenders.

Just a minute later, the Knights had the chance to extend the lead, but they squandered a PC chance that came their way. This was also the time Lalit looked to up the ante in the midfield for Rajdhani. But the team could not convert a rare PC that came their way.

Surender stood as a rock, in charge of the defence line, not really letting the opposition players move freely in the circle. The clearance from the Knights’ defenders remained exceptional, which also showed on the scoreline. The eventful quarter ended with Surender taking a blow to the face while trying to block a pass for Royals’ Aniket Kujur.

Come the second half, Nyayadhani started off with getting a PC after a stick check by Sanjit Tirkey. It’s a different matter that they could not convert; the next attempt was a failed one too. Ketan kept coming up with shots in the circle, but accuracy was what was lacking.

On the other hand, there were a few circle penetrations from Royals in the third quarter, but the forwards looked clueless and could not convert.

The fourth quarter looked slow, where the Royals were left to chase the match. Attack is what did not work well for them on the day, and missed chances only piled up. It also saw the second injury of the match, where Royals’ first rusher Premchand Soy crashed into Chirag. The collision saw both men down on the turf, stopping the match for some time.

Eventually, the match ended with no more surprises. Ketan was adjudged the Striker & Player of the match for his efforts throughout the match.

Aanchal Sahu helps Indravati Tigress beat Mahanadi Falcons 4-1 in women’s exhibition match.

Earlier in the day, in the women’s exhibition match, Indravati Tigress got the better of Mahanadi Falcons in a convincing fashion – 4-1. And it was skipper Aanchal Sahu who delivered the goods with two goals for Indravati, while Leena Korse and Mamteshwari Lahare scored one each.

On the other hand, the solitary goal for Mahanadi came from the stick of Riya Xalxo.

It was a lopsided match, where Indravati enjoyed close to 60% possession, while the opposition lacked coordination and firepower in the forward line.

–IANS

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Madrid, Oct 22 (IANS) Barcelona would look to extend their perfect start to the La Liga season and open a nine-point lead over Real Madrid when the two Spanish giants meet in the season’s first Clasico at Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday.

Hansi Flick’s side has won all nine of its opening league matches to establish a six-point advantage over their archrivals, with Atletico Madrid sitting second, five points off the pace. Although nearly three-quarters of the campaign would remain after Sunday, another Barcelona victory would leave Real Madrid facing a considerable challenge to close the gap in the title race.

Real Madrid head into the match in improved form after recording successive 4-1 home victories over Sevilla in La Liga and RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Fede Valverde has impressed in an unfamiliar right-back role, while Kylian Mbappe has rediscovered his best form and new signing Yan Diomande has shown flashes of his potential.

Diomande is expected to start on Sunday, with Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho likely to favour a compact defensive approach designed to exploit Barcelona’s vulnerabilities on the counterattack.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are looking to recover from their first defeat of the season after losing 4-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday. Flick remains without injured trio Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen and Dani Olmo, although Rodri could return to the starting lineup after playing just over half an hour against PSG.

Atletico Madrid would be watching Sunday’s encounter closely, with Diego Simeone’s side able to move within two points of Barcelona with victory at home over Deportivo on Saturday.

Ademola Lookman and Lee Kang-in are expected to feature in Atletico’s starting lineup as the club looks to maintain pressure on the league leader. Real Betis visit Celta Vigo on Sunday seeking to bounce back from last weekend’s 5-2 defeat to Barcelona.

Betis impressed before Facundo Bernal was sent off, but the Uruguayan midfielder will begin a four-match suspension against Celta, while striker Cucho Hernandez remains sidelined through injury.

Valencia host Villarreal in an east-coast derby at Mestalla, with the home side second from bottom despite consecutive draws under new coach Javier Aguirre. Villarreal arrive after narrow defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool, although Inigo Perez’s side produced encouraging performances in both matches.

The round opens on Friday when winless Malaga visit Deportivo Alaves, which have taken just one point from their last-five matches following a promising start to the campaign. Rayo Vallecano host Elche at Vallecas, where protests against club president Raul Martin Presa forced the suspension of Rayo’s previous home fixture.

Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez faces mounting pressure ahead of his team’s visit to Racing Santander, with both sides having collected just one point from their last four matches.

Athletic Club host Getafe amid a goalscoring crisis. The Basque side will also be without defender Aymeric Laporte, who is suspended after being sent off against Levante on Wednesday.

Levante, meanwhile, travel to face a Real Sociedad side that has climbed to fifth place following three consecutive league victories. However, La Real must first negotiate a Europa League fixture in Norway on Thursday. The round concludes on Monday when Sevilla host Osasuna.

–IANS

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Tashkent, Oct 22 (IANS) China defeated South Korea 3-0 to claim its fourth consecutive men’s team title at the 2026 ITTF-ATTU Asian Championships on Thursday, while Japan rallied to beat China 3-2 in the women’s team final.

Having won the men’s title in 2023, 2024 and 2025, China extended its dominance despite fielding a youthful squad as part of its preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Several established stars, including Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, were absent from the tournament as China looked to accelerate its generational transition, reports Xinhua.

China reached the men’s final with a 3-1 semifinal victory over Chinese Taipei earlier Thursday, while South Korea upset Japan, whose lineup featured world No. 1 Sora Matsushima and third-ranked Tomokazu Harimoto, by the same score.

Zhou Qihao gave China the lead in the final with a 3-1 victory over South Korean defensive specialist Kang Dong-soo before Lin Shidong extended the advantage by sweeping Park Gyu-hyeon 3-0. Xiang Peng then sealed the title with a 3-1 win over Park Gang-hyeon.

In the women’s competition, Japan rallied from 2-1 down to defeat China and claim the title, with Honoka Hashimoto winning the decisive fifth match.

Both teams had advanced to the final with 3-0 semifinal victories, China over South Korea and Japan over Chinese Taipei.

Japan struck first as defensive specialist Hashimoto swept Chen Yi in straight games, but Wang Yidi edged Miwa Harimoto in a five-game contest to level the tie.

Kuai Man then defeated Hina Hayata 3-0 to put China within one victory of the title, only for Harimoto to beat Chen in straight games and force a deciding match.

Hashimoto then completed Japan’s comeback with a 3-1 victory over Wang.

China also enjoyed a successful day in the doubles competitions, with all six of its pairs advancing.

In the mixed doubles, Huang Youzheng and Chen Yi defeated Thailand’s Thitaphat Preechayan and Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul 3-1 to reach the quarterfinals.

Yuan Licen and Wang Yidi also advanced to the last eight with a 3-0 victory over Yiu Kwan To and Ng Wing Lam of Hong Kong, China.

In the men’s doubles, Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng, along with Wen Ruibo and Yuan Licen, secured places in the round of 16. Kuai Man and Wang Yidi, and Chen Yi and Jiang Yiyi, also advanced to the women’s doubles round of 16.

The mixed doubles champions will be crowned on Friday.

–IANS

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Gurugram, Oct 22 (IANS) Nihal Cheema, Aadya Kaushal and Aahana Shrivastava emerged as the star performers in the third-leg of the US Kids Golf India New Delhi (IN) Fall Local Tour 2026, producing impressive rounds at the Classic Golf and Country Club in Gurugram on Thursday.

Nihal was the most prominent performer of the day, returning a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to win the Boys 9 category. His composed round set him apart from the field, as he finished comfortably ahead of Zowra Veer Sikand, who was second with a 76. Starting on the back nine, Nihal had two birdies on the back nine and four more on the front nine.

Aadya was equally impressive in the Girls’ 11-12 category, carding a three-under 69 to claim the title. Her round featured six birdies against three bogeys, reflecting an attacking approach that helped her finish four shots clear of Tiya Laxmi Gangadhara of the US, who returned a 73. Aadya.

Aahana, another tenth-tee starter, also produced a strong performance in the Girls 9-10 section, finishing with a one-under-par 71. She made five birdies against four bogeys to take the title, with Naaysha S Sinha finishing second on 74.

Among the other notable winners, Vidit Aggarwal claimed the Boys’ 13-14 title with a two-over-par 74. The competition in this category was close, with Rayirth Jain, Samarjot Singh and Raajveer Surri sharing second place on 75, just one shot behind the winner.

Shambhavi Chaturvedi won the Girls’ 15-18 category with a round of 79, while Kabir Dahiya took the Boys 15-18 title with an 82. Kabir finished two shots ahead of Vivaan Sachdeva, who carded an 84.

In the younger age groups, Unnat Yadav won the Boys 6 and under category with a score of 48, finishing three shots ahead of Vihaan Nanda Gajula. Amairaa Kaushal took the Girls’ 8 and under title with a 42, while Abbakka Rawat Chettri finished second on 44.

Jaiveer Ahuja won the Boys’ 12 category with an 86, ahead of Madhav Kamal Sachdev, who carded an 88. In the Girls’ 13-14 section, Prisca Sachdeva secured the title with a 101, followed by Amaira Kapil on 104. Adhrit Gulati was the winner in the Boys’ 11 category with a score of 42.

The third-leg continued the Fall Local Tour’s programme of competitive opportunities for young golfers across multiple age groups.

Results:

Boys’ 6 and under: 1. Unnat Yadav (48); 2. Vihaan Nanda Gajula (51)

Boys’ 9: 1. Nihal Cheema (66); 2. Zowra Veer Sikand (76)

Boys’ 10: 1. Kabir Kanwar (80); 2. Yuvraj Bhatia (81)

Boys’ 11: Adhrit Gulati (42)

Boys’ 12: 1. Jaiveer Ahuja (86); 2. Madhav Kamal Sachdev (88)

Boys’ 13-14: 1. Vidit Aggarwal (74); T-2. Rayirth Jain, Samarjot Singh and Raajveer Surri (75 each)

Boys’ 15-18: 1. Kabir Dahiya (82); 2. Vivaan Sachdeva (84)

Girls’ 8 and under: 1. Amairaa Kaushal (42); 2. Abbakka Rawat Chettri (44)

Girls’ 9-10: 1. Aahana Shrivastava (71); 2. Naaysha S Sinha (74)

Girls’ 11-12: 1. Aadya Kaushal (69); 2. Tiya Laxmi Gangadhara (US) (73)

Girls’ 13-14: 1. Prisca Sachdeva (101); 2. Amaira Kapil (104)

Girls’ 15-18: 1. Shambhavi Chaturvedi (79)

–IANS

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Chümoukedima (Nagaland), Oct 22 (IANS) The Nagaland United Sports Club (NUSC) have formally marked their entry into the Indian Football League (IFL), becoming the first club from Nagaland to compete in the country’s national second-tier league.

It is a historic moment for a state that had, until now, followed the national league from the outside. When the 2026-27 season gets underway on October 30, the Chümoukedima-based club will begin its debut campaign carrying Nagaland’s name, and its hopes, into national league football.

Chief Minister of Nagaland, Dr Neiphiu Rio, attended the club’s opening programme at the Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence in Sovima on Thursday, where NUSC opened its club office and the Elevenses Cafe Lounge. His presence reflected the importance the state has attached to the club’s arrival in the IFL.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland, said, “We are extremely happy and proud that Nagaland United Sports Club is playing in the Indian Football League for the first time. This is the beginning of a journey, and I hope the club will give its best and make this dream come true, inspiring the youth of Nagaland and Nagas wherever they are.”

Along with the Chief Minister, the programme was attended by Temjen Imna Along, Minister for Tourism and Higher Education, Govt. of Nagaland; KT Sukhalu, MLA, Zunheboto Constituency and Advisor for Food and Civil Supplies; and Abu Metha, Advisor to the Chief Minister. Representing Nagaland United Sports Club were Rusemtong Longkumer and Kechangulie Rio, Co-Founders, and John Longkumer, President of NUSC.

Representing the All India Football Federation and IFL, Nildeep Mondal, CEO of the Indian Football League, and Abhishek Yadav, Head of Operations, IFL, were present and discussed future development activities in grassroots and other aspects in Nagaland.

NUSC was founded in 2024 by local leaders, sportspeople and supporters who wanted to give young footballers in the state a place to play, compete and be seen. It made its competitive debut in the inaugural Nagaland Super League in 2025, the state’s top-tier competition run by the Nagaland Football Association, and finished third.

Less than two years after its formation, the club now steps up to national league football. It will play its home matches at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium in Dimapur, bringing IFL fixtures to Nagaland.

Reflecting on the wider significance of the club’s entry, Dr Rio said, “The intention behind building this club is to create a platform and opportunity for our talented youth, so that they can progress from playing in villages, districts and communities to the state and national levels. If they excel, we should also dream of seeing them play on international platforms.”

The club’s route into the league came through an arrangement with Aizawl FC, approved by the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), under which NUSC took over the Mizoram club’s IFL sporting rights. For Nagaland, the outcome is a club carrying the state’s name to grounds across India over the course of a national league season.

The league’s Governing Council has also welcomed Nagaland as one of the new venues for the 2026-27 season. NUSC joins a Northeast contingent in the IFL that includes Shillong Lajong and Chanmari, extending the region’s presence in the national league to another state.

The club’s first test comes quickly. NUSC will contest the opening match of the 2026-27 IFL season, an away fixture against Real Kashmir at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar on October 30.

Urging the club to approach the challenge with commitment, Dr. Rio said, “I request the coaches, officials, management and players to show commitment and sincerity, play with discipline and professionalism, respect their opponents and uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship. Our target must be to aim for the top, and I hope the team will give its best and inspire our young generation to dream bigger.”

Later on Thursday, the IFL Trophy Tour programme was held at Zone Niathu, 7th Mile, Chümoukedima, bringing the league’s trophy to Nagaland ahead of the new season. The evening also saw the launch of NUSC’s jerseys, with the club unveiling the three kits it will wear in its debut campaign.

–IANS

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Ahmedabad, Oct 22 (IANS) The 25-year-old Shaurya Sharma of India carded the third day’s best score of five-under 67 to storm into a one-shot lead at a total of four-under 212 at the Final Qualifying Stage of the PGTI Qualifying School 2026-27, being played at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Chandigarh-based Shaurya (71-74-67), who was overnight tied seventh and five shots off the lead at the halfway stage, moved up six spots as a result of his five birdies on Thursday.

Round one leader Md Siddikur Rahman (69-73-71) of Bangladesh and Indian amateur Arin Ahuja (70-73-70) occupied tied second place at three-under 213.

Shaurya Sharma, a regular on the PGTI since 2025, staged a great fightback after ending round two in tied seventh place. Shaurya, who hails from Chandigarh, was sharp with his short game on day three as he rolled in a 25-footer and a 15-footer for birdies and also produced some great wedge shots to leave himself three tap-in birdies.

Shaurya said, “The long conversions on the third and eighth gave me early momentum. I backed that up with three outstanding wedge shots to end the day high on confidence. I also saved par by draining a long putt on the 13th. I nearly holed-out my second shot on the 12th. This course has provided a tough challenge, but I’m happy to be hitting form at the right time with just one round to go.”

Interestingly, Nim Dorji Tamang became the first player from Bhutan to make the halfway cut in the Final Stage of the PGTI Q School.

Earlier, Aditya Bhandarkar took a two-shot lead at a total of four-under 140 following his second-round effort of three-under 69 at the Final Qualifying Stage of the PGTI Qualifying School 2026-27.

Bhandarkar (71-69), who was overnight tied sixth, moved up five spots on Wednesday as a result of his round of 69 that featured five birdies and two bogeys.

Round one leader Md Siddikur Rahman (69-73) of Bangladesh returned a 73 to slip into tied second position along with Indians Joysurjo Dey (73-69) and Vedant Sirohi (71-71) at a total of two-under 142.

The halfway cut went at 12-over 156. Out of a field of 123, the top 80 players, including 11 amateurs and eight foreign players, made the cut.

Pune-based 37-year-old Aditya Bhandarkar, who finished second at the Pre-Qualifying event at Vooty last week, hit his wedges close, made a couple of tap-in birdies and also drained two long birdie putts in round two.

Aditya said, “I’m carrying forward the confidence and momentum from my good performance at the Pre-Qualifying event last week, where I shot rounds of two-under and four-under to finish second. Today, I was quite calm through the round, stayed in the moment, and handled the hot conditions in the afternoon really well by staying hydrated.”

At the end of round four, the top 48 players will earn their full cards for the 2026-27 DP World PGTI season.

–IANS

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Rajgir (Bihar), Oct 22 (IANS) Rajgir is set to host a historic India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series, bringing young rugby players from both countries to Bihar as part of the 100 Years of Unity through Sport initiative, celebrating a century of sporting ties between India and New Zealand. The series will take place from October 23 to 28, 2026 at the Rajgir Sports Complex.

Both Indian U20 squads and the visiting New Zealand teams have arrived in Rajgir ahead of the series. The New Zealand teams received a traditional welcome at Patna Airport upon arrival in Bihar. The teams will participate in joint training sessions and cultural exchanges during their stay, leading up to the matches on October 27.

The visiting New Zealand squads, Tama Toa (men’s team) and Hine Toa (women’s team), comprise 24 young Māori players selected from across New Zealand. Their visit marks the first time New Zealand’s U20 rugby teams have travelled to India for a series of this nature, making Rajgir the setting for a significant milestone in the sporting relationship between the two countries.

Rajgir has emerged as an important venue for rugby in India, having hosted the Senior National Rugby Championships in April 2026 and the Asia Rugby Emirates U-20 Championship in August 2025. Hosting the India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series further strengthens the city’s association with the sport and brings another international rugby event to Bihar.

The series will culminate on October 27 with four Rugby Sevens matches at the Rajgir Sports Complex. The programme will feature a men’s match between India and New Zealand, followed by the women’s match and two mixed matches, bringing players from both countries together as teammates.

Raveendran Sankaran, IPS, Director General-cum-CEO, Bihar State Sports Authority, said: “Rajgir hosting the India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series is a proud moment for Bihar and reflects the state’s growing role in hosting major sporting events. Welcoming young players from both countries provides an opportunity to strengthen international sporting ties, encourage cultural exchange and inspire more young people in Bihar to take up rugby. We look forward to supporting the continued development of sports in the state and creating more opportunities for athletes to train, compete and excel.”

Rahul Bose, President, Indian Rugby Football Union, said: “100 years ago, New Zealand and India created history, establishing sporting ties between the two nations. Today, 100 years later, history will be created again with the first-ever New Zealand rugby team to visit Indian shores. For our young players, the opportunity to compete against New Zealand opposition on home soil will provide valuable exposure to the best practices in international rugby and provide impetus to their development. Training together, playing matches against each other and then (the highlight for me) playing two more matches as mixed teams (IND-NZ). What better testament to the power of sport in making nations stand shoulder to shoulder.”

Manu Albert, Head of the New Zealand Rugby delegation and Injury Prevention Wellbeing Programme Manager, said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating 100 years of sport uniting our two countries, helping Rugby India grow Sevens, and sharing our rugby knowledge, but equally to sharing our cultures and developing a lasting relationship through sport. There will no doubt be a competitive edge when the respective teams meet on the field, and we’re looking forward to playing a part in developing India’s young rugby players and coaches.”

The series builds on the growing rugby relationship between India and New Zealand. In May 2026, Rugby India hosted New Zealand Rugby coaches at Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for coaching workshops involving 35 Indian coaches. The Rajgir series continues this collaboration by bringing young players from both countries together through competition and cultural exchange.

Indian U20 Squads for Ind-NZ U20 Rugby Series

Men:

Ajit Nag, Aman, Arun Prajapati, Bajrangi Kumar, Bharat Kisan, Bidyadhar Majhi, Charan Hembram, Naman Yadav, Pranav Gavit, Pushpender, Rahul Majhi, Rajan Rawat, Rohit Kumar, Sagar Prakash, Shivam, Subash Hansdah

Women:

Akshaya N.S, Alpana Kumari, Anita Murmu, Anushka Sankpal, Arti Kumari, Beauty Kumari, Dipali Tathe, Khushi Devi, Kirti Jadhav, Aditi Londhe, Mamali Singh, Raimani Murmu, Saloni Kumari, Samruddhi Kadam, Sumitra Murmu, Tanushree Bhosale

–IANS

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Ahmedabad, Oct 22 (IANS) India’s women and men begin their quest for the first Commonwealth kabaddi crown on Friday, facing Malaysia and England in successive matches as the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship opens at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.

From October 23 to 31, 23 squads from 13 nations will contest 62 matches, 39 men’s and 23 women’s, starting with Kenya vs Singapore in Men’s Group B at 11:00 AM.

The 13 men’s teams are split into a seven-team Group A (India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Uganda, England, Tanzania, Sri Lanka) and a six-team Group B (Bangladesh, Kenya, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Singapore).

The 10 women’s teams play in two groups of five: India, Singapore, Nigeria, Uganda and Malaysia in Group A, and Bangladesh, Kenya, England, Scotland and Sri Lanka in Group B. Every team plays the others in its group once, and the top two advance. Group A winners meet Group B runners-up in the semifinals, and vice versa.

Captain Surjeet Singh and vice-captain Naveen Kumar lead a 14-man squad that also includes Yogesh Dahiya, Shubham Shinde, Deepak Sankar, Nitesh Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Ajit Pawar, Sachin Tanwar, Pankaj Mohite, Bharat Hooda, Shivam Patare, Neeraj Narwal and Aditya Shinde.

After England on Friday, India face Uganda (October 24), Malaysia (October 25), Nigeria (October 26), Tanzania (October 27) and Sri Lanka (October 29), all at 8:30 PM.

India women face four group games in four days

Nidhi Sharma captains India’s women, with Ritu as vice-captain, in a 14-strong squad that includes Muskan Sharma, Sabhai Gadhavi, Priya, Champa Thakur, Riya Kumari, Suman Sahu, Jyothi, Ritu Mitharwal, Renuka Choudhary, Simran Kamboj, Anu Sen, Sakshi and Karthika Ramesh.

After Malaysia, they meet Singapore (October 24), Uganda (October 25) and Nigeria (October 26), all at 6:45 PM. The women’s group stage ends on October 28.

The semifinals are on Friday (October 30) — the women at 6:00 PM and 6:45 PM, the men at 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM. The finals follow on Saturday (October 31), with the women at 7:30 PM and the men at 9:00 PM, under the theme “One Breath. One Raid. One Commonwealth.”

Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) with the approval of the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the championship also offers a first look at kabaddi’s Commonwealth potential as Ahmedabad prepares to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

–IANS

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Nagoya, Oct 22 (IANS) India produced another stellar day at the Asian Para Games as the athletes added 26 more medals to take the tally to an impressive 88 after Day 4 in Nagoya on Thursday.

New benchmarks were registered; a podium clean sweep and stellar performances in para-athletics, para-archery and para-swimming hogged the limelight in another fruitful day as India moved closer to the 100-medal mark.

Speaking after Day 4, Satyanarayan, Head Coach of Team India, reflected on the performances and kept his focus on the triple-digit medal mark.

“Reaching 88 medals is a proud moment for the entire Indian contingent and reflects the determination, discipline and relentless efforts of our athletes. Their performances across disciplines, including record-breaking achievements and historic milestones, demonstrate the growing strength of Indian para-sports.

“Every medal represents countless hours of hard work and the collective commitment of our athletes, coaches and support staff. With the momentum we have built, we aim to cross the 100-medal mark and conclude the Games on an even stronger note,” Satyanarayan said.

Star Indian archer Sheetal Devi won a compound mixed team gold with Toman Kumar and another gold in the women’s individual compound event. Debutant Swati Chaudhary etched her name into the history books by winning India’s first-ever medal in the Women’s W1 Individual event at the Asian Para Games. She secured a silver after narrowly losing the final to China’s Mengkan Cen 4–6.

India also had another podium sweep at the Games. Para athletics continued giving strong results to India as the athletes swept the medals in the Men’s High Jump T42/T63, and replicated the achievement from the 2022 Games.

Shailesh Kumar won the gold and established a new Games record by clearing 1.89m. Varun Singh Bhati secured silver with a jump of 1.84m, while Rahul won the bronze at 1.81m.

Meanwhile, Suvarna Raj won a gold medal in the Women’s Discus Throw F54 with a throw of 15.66m. Tejalben Damor also brought laurels as she won a silver in the Women’s 400m T12, concluding her campaign with one silver and one bronze medal.

India had a double-medal finish in the Women’s 400m T47 event. Anjanaben Bumbadiya won the gold medal with a time of 59.97 seconds, while Jayanti Behera claimed the silver with a time of 1:00.65. In the Men’s 400m T47, Dilip Mahadu Gavit further strengthened India’s medal tally with a gold.

Para swimming also brought more laurels as Kapil Kumar clinched a silver medal in the Men’s 400m Freestyle S10 with a time of 4:38.44. Swatik Patil also added a medal as he claimed a bronze in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB9, with a time of 1:13.77s, while Tejas Nandkumar also secured a bronze in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S7 with a time of 1:18.58s.

India has 88 medals after the end of Day 4 with 21 gold, 26 silver, and 41 bronze as the contingent hold the fourth position in the overall standings.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Indian skater Anirudhan Vinod called winning the gold medal and standing to the national anthem at the World Skate Games 2026 in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, a really proud moment. Anirudhan won a gold medal in the Junior Men’s Road 1-Lap and a silver in the Junior Men’s 200m Dual Time Trial to cap off his stellar outing, where India won seven medals.

Speaking during a celebration ceremony in Delhi, the skater reflected on his stellar performances, which made him and the nation proud.

“I won a gold in the road 1 lap event in world championship and a silver in 200m. I have come a long way, from Kerala. I feel so proud, because this is the first time that a Malayali from Kerala climbed to the top. I feel so proud of myself. I want to thank my family and my coaches,” he told IANS during an interaction.

He revealed that he took a break from college to focus on the competition and was happy that it paid dividends, as hearing the national anthem at the top of the podium was a proud moment. “I took an entire break from college to prepare for this. I am so happy that it came good in the end.

“It was a proud moment when I heard the national anthem as all the hard work paid off. My next aim is to become world champion in senior,” he added.

Meanwhile, Charita Sri Madepudi, who won a bronze in the Junior Women’s 3000m Relay, along with Rutva Prakash, Pragathi Shivabalan and Lakshita Ranjith Kumar Sinthu, also opened up on her achievement and revealed how challenging the skating sport is. “Our sport is really challenging, where we need balance and coordination. It is a really fast sport, where you should be really quick and concentrated.

“It is not easy to win a medal in world skating games. So, I practised twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. It is more about strength training and coordinated training together. I want to continue the sport along with my studies; I want to balance it,” she added.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Asian U-19 silver medallist Aditya and Mausam Suhag booked their quarterfinal berths with facile wins in the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro.

Aditya opened the day for the Indian contingent with a clinical 5:0 win over Filip Stanojevic of Serbia in the men’s 55 kg category to get within one win of a medal. Later in the day, Mausam scored an identical win over Mehmet Enes Sanli of Turkey to reach the last eight round of the men’s 65kg category.

In the women’s 60kg, Chahat went down 1:4 against Ekaterina Nesvetaeva of Russia while Tridev went down 0:5 against Nazar Stalchuk of Belarus in men’s 85kg.

Earlier, Asian U19 silver medallist Prachi Tokas assured the first medal for the Indian contingent when she outplayed Samoa’s Kealey Perez to reach the women’s 80+ kg category semifinals of the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships.

In the quarterfinals on late Tuesday evening, Tokas dominated all the three rounds against Perez, who had won the gold medal in the the 80kg at the U19 World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this year.

In the semifinals, the Indian boxer will face Russia’s Samira Itonieva.

Meanwhile, Harshika and Lakshu are now a win away from an assured medal after they registered contrasting wins in their pre-quarterfinals bout.

Harshika defeated Tiana Rew of Australia 4:0 in the women’s 65kg category while Lakshu got the better of Buse Nur Yahan of Turkey 3:2 in the women’s 70kg category.

Later in the men’s 90 kg category, Dhruv went down 0:3 against Aleksander Sikora of Poland.

Aman Dev came up with yet another clinical performance to beat Pavle Popovic of Serbia to reach the men’s quarter-finals in the 50 kg category of the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro.

Aman dominated all three rounds against Popovic to earn a 5:0 verdict and will now face Shalva Beridze of Georgia in the last eight.

Mausam Suhag booked his place in the round of 16 with a 5:0 win over Giuseppe Cavallo of Italy in the men’s 65kg category. He will now face Turkey’s Mehmet Enes Sanli for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Shivam lost to Nikola Bogatinoski of Serbia in the men’s 60kg category by RSC late on Sunday evening.

–IANS

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