Indian sports wrap, June 15: Poonam, Deepak only Indians to win in Boxing World Cup

BOXING

Deepak, Poonam progress as India begins boxing World Cup campaign in China

Deepak and Poonam emerged as the lone Indian winners on the opening day of the Boxing World Cup (Stage 2) in China, advancing to the next round of their respective categories while seven other Indian boxers suffered defeats.

Competing in the women’s 54kg category, Poonam registered a convincing 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Aziza Yokubova in the preliminary round of 32 to move ahead in the competition. Deepak joined her in the next round after producing an equally dominant display in the men’s 70kg division, defeating Turkmenistan’s Bayramdurdy Nurmuhammedov by a unanimous 5-0 verdict in the preliminary round of 32.

The remaining Indian boxers, however, could not progress further.

In the preliminary round of 16, Rishi Singh (50kg) lost to Azerbaijan’s Subhan Mamedov, while Sanamacha Chanu Thokchom (75kg) went down against Canada’s Tammara Thibeault. Sawan Gill also bowed out after suffering a defeat to Norway’s Omar Shiha in the men’s 90kg category.

In other preliminary contests, Anmol (60kg) was narrowly beaten 2-3 by Salim Ellis Bey (USA). Meanwhile, Harsh Choudhary (90kg) had his bout stopped prematurely, losing to Sweden’s Elwin Belezika via Referee Stops Contest due to Injury in the third round.

India also endured disappointment in the quarterfinals as Naina lost to China’s Xiaomeng Wang in the women’s 80kg category, while Alfiya Tarannum Akram Khan Pathan was defeated by Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik in the women’s 90+kg division.

Deepak and Poonam will now look to continue India’s challenge in the tournament as the competition progresses.

-Team Sportstar

CHESS

Mitrabha Guha tops regional qualifier to qualify for Esports Nations Cup

Indian Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha topped the regional qualifiers to book a place in the Indian chess contingent for the Esports Nations Cup here in November, joining compatriot Nihal Sarin in the squad.

Sarin had secured a direct invitation through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard.

Chess at ENC will feature 128 players competing for a prize pool of USD 600,000 (Rs 5.7 crore). The competition will begin on November 2 and conclude with the playoff final on November 8. The ENC will run till November 29.

The first stage will consist of all 128 players competing in a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players each. The second stage will see 64 players advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket.

Of the 128 participants, 64 players received direct invitations through the official CCT rankings, ensuring representation from 64 different countries and territories.

Among the players already confirmed for the ENC 2026 are some of the biggest names in world chess, including Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen, Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, France’s Alireza Firouzja, and the United States’ Hikaru Nakamura.

-PTI

Iniyan Pa records fifth consecutive victory in Global Chess Festival

GM Iniyan Pa continued with his winning spree in the Global Chess Festival but the third seeded GM Abhijeet Gupta lost his contest in the fifth round here on Monday.

Iniyan got the better of Ayush Sharma to take one-point lead over Akash Sharadchandra Dalvi and Soham Kamotra. Iniyan and Kamotra will face off in the sixth round.

As many as as 11 players are clubbed below these three at 3.5 points each.

Gupta, who has not been in his best form, lost to IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete, while the second seed Sankalp Gupta was defeated by IM Srihari.

In the Challengers section, Viresh Sharnarthi and Vedant Nagarkatte have a joint lead with five points each, whereas Madhvendra Pratap Sharma has the sole lead with five points in the Junior Masters Category.

Sri Lanka’s Oshini Gunawardhana Devindya got the better of the seventh seed GM Mihail Niketenko of Belarus. The Sri Lankan player has bounced back remarkably after defeats in the first two rounds.

While Dalvi defeated Akshay Borgaonkar, IMs Nitish Belurkar and Kamotra played out a draw.

Iniyan remained in control of his game against Ayush who had opted for the Nimzo Indian Opening and faced challenges right from the beginning, especially after his opponent grabbed a rook for his bishop.

Iniyan maintained his position in the game and kept on building the advantage, eventually forcing Ayush to resign on the 53rd move.

-PTI

FENCING

India All Set to Host Historic Asian Senior Fencing Championships 2026 in New Delhi

India is officially ready to make sporting history as the nation prepares to host the highly anticipated Asian Senior Fencing Championships, scheduled to take place from June 19 to June 24, 2026, at the iconic Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This monumental event marks the first time India has ever hosted a continental-level fencing championship.

Widely recognized as the “Asia Cup” of fencing, the tournament is the most prestigious annual competition in the Asia-Oceania region.

This edition serves as a direct qualifier for the upcoming Asian Games, while offering vital ranking points that directly shape the global standings and competitive road to the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 cycle.

Key international headliners locked in to compete include Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong, the reigning, back-to-back Olympic Individual Foil Gold Medalist; Oh Sang-uk of South Korea, the reigning Olympic Individual Sabre Gold Medalist and global fencing icon; and Yamada Masaru of Japan, the Olympic Gold Medalist and defensive powerhouse in Men’s Épée.

A massive contingent of elite squads representing 32 powerhouse nations will face off in New Delhi.

As the host nation, India is fielding a full, elite squad of 24 fencers anchored by four marquee trailblazers who have successfully put Indian fencing on the international map. Leading the charge is Bhavani Devi (Sabre), India’s premier fencing pioneer who made history as the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games and clinched a historic Bronze at the 2023 Asian Championships—marking India’s first-ever Asian Championship medal alongside 14 medals in various international tournaments. She is joined by Karan Singh (Sabre), a dominant national force known for his explosive speed who secured the Silver Medal in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Round for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Also anchoring the team are Tanishka Khatri (Épée), India’s rapidly rising star who has consistently proven her caliber to go toe-to-toe with Asia’s best, and Gisho Nidhi (Sabre), a critical pillar bringing vital technical aggression and extensive international experience to the team format.

Beyond the competitive action, the tournament stands as a monumental leap for sports technology. Right before the games, the Fencing Association of India hosted the world’s first-ever training workshop for an AI Video Referral System. This makes the New Delhi championship the official global testing ground for high-precision, artificial intelligence-driven refereeing, highlighting India’s technological leadership on the world.

-Team Sportstar

GOLF

Saptak Talwar records top 20 finish in Austria

Saptak Talwar, who looked set for a Top-10 finish, ultimately ended tied 17th at the Interwetten Open this week after carding a 2-under 67 in the final round.

His score stood at 10-under par (64-69-66-67) for the week.

Earlier Veer Ahlawat missed the cut.

Talwar had a strong start to his final round and looked set to break into the top 10 as he made birdies on the second, fourth, fifth and ninth holes to be 4-under par for the first nine holes.

On the back nine he picked up another shot on the 12th hole before facing his first setback of the day with a triple bogey on the 13th hole.

A bogey on the 16th hole would briefly drop Talwar down to 9-under par before he made a late birdie on the 18th hole to secure his T-17 result. Talwar recorded a birdie on the 18th hole in all four rounds this week.

This result moves him back into the top 30 of the Race to Mallorca standings on the Hotel Planner Tour.

Filip Mruzek of Czech Republic won the title after carding a 4-under 65 on the final day. Mruzek finished the week with a score of 18-under par (65-65-63-65).

Mruzek recorded his breakthrough win on the Hotel Planner Tour with a strong showing in the final two rounds as he only made one bogey over 36 holes to secure the title by one stroke. The final round saw Mruzek open with a bogey before he made five birdies card a round of 4-under 65 and clinched the title with a score of 18-under par.

Mruzek gained 58 positions on the Race to Mallorca standings with his win this week to breach the top 10.

-PTI

Bhullar finishes as best-placed Indian at tied 31st in Morocco

Experienced golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar emerged as the best-performing Indian at the International Series Morocco here, closing with a final-round 1-over 73 to finish tied 31st at the USD 2 million Asian Tour event.

Bhullar, one of India’s most decorated professionals with 11 Asian Tour victories and four AM Green IGPL wins, put together rounds of 70, 74, 68 and 73 for a four-day total of 6-under-par.

Despite not being able to mount a challenge for the title over the weekend, the seasoned golfer was the highest-placed Indian in a field that included several of the Tour’s leading names.

The final round proved challenging for the Indian contingent. Karandeep Kochhar, another winner on the AM Green Indian Golf Premier League, struggled to a closing 78 and slipped to tied 61st.

Ajeetesh Sandhu also found the conditions difficult and carded a 77 to finish alongside Kochhar in tied 61st position.

The week, however, highlighted the difficulty of the Moroccan layout, with seven other Indian players failing to make the cut after the opening two rounds. Bhullar’s consistency over four days ensured that India remained represented in the upper half of the leaderboard, even as several compatriots exited early.

The tournament produced a memorable winner in Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho. The 25-year-old secured his first International Series title and second Asian Tour victory after a composed final-round performance.

Kho (68) finished at 19-under-par, edging out former Masters champion Bubba Watson (70) in a tense finish.

Bubba Watson’s last win came in 2018.

Kho’s victory carried additional significance as it boosted him to second place in the Asian Tour Order of Merit standings and third in The International Series Rankings. The win also helped him recover from the disappointment of losing in a playoff on the Japan Golf Tour the previous week.

For India, the tournament yielded mixed results. Bhullar’s top-31 finish demonstrated his ability to remain competitive on demanding international layouts, while Kochhar and Sandhu will look to rebound quickly in upcoming events.

With a busy stretch of tournaments ahead on the Asian Tour calendar, the Indian contingent will hope to convert promising performances into stronger finishes in the weeks to come.

-PTI

OTHER SPORTS

Goa to host 350 players from 16 nations at 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championship

Around 350 bridge players from 16 countries across the Asia-Oceania region will compete for top honours at the 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championship, to be held here from June 21 to 27.

Bridge Federation of India (BFI) President Prasad Keni said Goa would be hosting the quadrennial event for the second time, having previously staged it in 2018.

BFI Secretary Debasish Ray said participating nations include Australia, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Hong Kong China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and hosts India.

Ray said Pakistan had expressed interest in participating but did not submit its entry.

The championship will feature Team and Pairs events in the men’s, women’s, seniors and mixed categories. India has fielded ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams in all categories.

Expressing confidence in the host contingent, Ray, who is also captain of the Indian men’s team, said the squads comprise several accomplished players and medal winners.

India has won 20 medals in the previous four editions of the championship, including eight gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.

The Indian contingent includes Asian Games medallists and seasoned campaigners such as Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Sayantan Kushari, Anil Padhye, Sukomal Das and Sagnik Roy.

The women’s team features Monica Jajoo, Pooja Batra and Himani Khandelwal, while veteran international Kiran Nadar will spearhead India’s challenge in the Mixed Pairs category

-PTI

CRICKET

Andhra Premier League: Vizag Lions defeat Vijayawada Sunshiners

Vizag Lions brought an end to the Visakhapatnam leg of Andhra Premier League with a 67-run win against Vijayawada Sunshiners at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Sunday.

Lions got too a strong start thanks to K. Haneesh Veera Reddy’s unbeaten half century (79 n.o., 40b, 8×4, 4×6) before a cameo from B. Vinay Kumar (30, 9b, 1×4, 4×6) helped set a 235-run target.

Sunshiners’ chase got off to a good start thanks to skipper K. Ashwin Hebbar (55, 25b, 6×4, 3×6). However, the middle and lower orders couldn’t keep the momentum going and the team registered its second defeat in three matches. Lions, on the other hand, picked up its first win of the campaign after three defeats on the trot.

The action next shifts to Kadapa, with Tungabhadra Warriors and Sunshiners going head-to-head on Wednesday.

-Team Sportstar

Sourav’s hat-trick powers Kolkata Royal Tigers to first win

Sourav Halder produced a four wicket haul, including a sensational hat-trick, to help Kolkata Royal Tigers register its first win of the Bengal T20 League season. Royal Tigers edged past current leader Servotech Siliguri Strikers by one run at the Eden Gardens on Monday.

Batting first, Royal Tigers posted 147 for nine in 20 overs. Abishek Porel anchored the innings with a fine 76 off 53 balls, while Ritwik Roy Chowdhury chipped in with 33 to help the side reach a competitive total.

In reply, Siliguri Strikers appeared well on course, powered by a 67-run opening stand between captain Sudip Chatterjee (35) and Karan Lal (46 off 35 balls). The match turned dramatically in the 13th over when left-arm spinner Halder dismissed Vishal Bhati, Snehasish Saha and Badal Singh Balyan off successive deliveries to become only the second bowler in the league’s history to claim a hat-trick after Mohammed Shami.

Pramod Chandila fought hard with a brisk 35, but Sayan Ghosh struck twice in the final over to seal the victory for Royal Tigers. Siliguri finished on 146 for 7, falling short of the target by a run.

WRESTLING

HC upholds WFI decision to remove affiliation of Sharad Pawar-led Maharashtra wrestling body

The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) decision to cancel the affiliation of the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) led by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.

A division bench headed by Justice Bharati Dangre dismissed the MSWA’s appeal against the WFI’s decision. A detailed order was not available yet.

The WFI in January 2023 replaced the MSWA with the Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh led by former BJP MP Rajendra Tadas.

The MSWA moved the HC, claiming that the de-affiliation decision had been taken by the WFI’s oversight committee and not its executive committee as mandated under the law.

Hence, the decision was illegal and arbitrary, it had contended.

-PTI

Published on Jun 15, 2026