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HOCKEY
Rourkela’s Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium set to host 13th Sub Junior National Championship
After the Men’s World Cup and FIH Men’s Pro League matches earlier this year, Birsa Munda International Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha is set to host 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2023 (May 4–14) and the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2023 (May 18–28) this month.
President of Hockey India, Dilip Trikey said, “As we gather in Rourkela for the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Women and Men National Championships, I am reminded of the city’s rich history in promoting the sport of hockey. We saw during the World Cup and the Pro League how Rourkela is always a great venue for hockey, and I am confident that this tournament will be no different. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the players and teams and wish them the best of luck for the tournament. This an excellent opportunity for our young athletes to showcase their skills, gain valuable experience and take their first steps towards achieving their dreams.”
Ahead of the historic event, Sports and Youth Services Minister, Odisha, Tusharkanti Beher spoke about the importance of deploying the infrastructure towards empowering young athletes. He said, “We are thrilled to welcome the teams to Odisha and are proud to host the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Women and Men National Championships at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. This reflects our commitment to providing our young athletes with world-class infrastructure and empowering them to reach their full potential.”
While the city of Rourkela is anticipating the two events, an initiative has also been launched that will provide school children with free entry to the stadium to watch the matches.
– Team Sportstar
TENNIS
Madrid Open: Bopanna-Ebden pair reaches quarterfinals
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden beat Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev 6-4, 1-6, [10-5] in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the ATP1000 tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain.
In the quarterfinals, the seventh-seeded Indo-Aussie pair will challenge the top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski.
In the $60,000 ITF women’s event in Prague, qualifier Karman Kaur Thandi beat another qualifier Ivana Sebestova 6-0, 6-3 to reach the pre-quarterfinals.
RESULTS
ATP1000, Madrid, Spain
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Rohan Bopanna & Matthew Ebden (Aus) bt Marcelo Melo (Bra) & Alexander Zverev (Ger) 6-4, 1-6, [10-5].
$15,000 ITF men, Monastir, Tunisia
Singles (first round): Omni Kumar (USA) bt Aryan Shah 6-2, 6-4.
$60,000 ITF women, Prague, Czech Republic
Singles (first round): Karman Kaur Thandi bt Ivana Sebestova (Cze) 6-0, 6-3.
$40,000 ITF women, Tbilisi, Georgia
Singles (first round): Sahaja Yamalapalli bt Nino Natsvlishvili (Geo) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; Ankita Raina bt Daria Khomutsianskaya 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
$25,000 ITF women, Tossa de Mar, Spain
Singles (first round): Nahia Berecoechea (Fra) bt Vasanti Shinde 6-1, 6-4.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Francesca Curmi & Elaine Genovese (Mlt) bt Suhani Patil & Prisha Vyas (USA) 6-0, 6-1; Lucija Bagaric (Cro) & Isabella Shinikova (Bul) bt Emilie Gallagher (GBR) & Vasanti Shinde 4-1 (retired).
– Team Sportstar
Junior Billie Jean King Cup, Asia-Oceania qualifiers: India’s hopes end after loss to Thailand
Thailand scotched India’s hopes with a 2-1 victory in the second league match of the Asia-Oceania Junior Billie Jean King Cup under-16 tennis tournament in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday.
Sejal Bhutada and Asmi Adkar were beaten in straight sets in singles. Asmi, who had won her singles match in the earlier tie against Chinese Taipei, won the doubles against Thailand, in partnership with Aakruti Sonkusare, 10-7 in the super tie-break.
India will play Mongolia in the third and last league match. With two wins each, both Thailand and Chinese Taipei have already ensured their progress to the quarterfinals.
Results (league)
Thailand bt India 2-1
Kamonwan Yodpetch bt Sejal Bhutada 6-1, 6-2; Lidia Podgorichani bt Asmi Adkar 6-4, 7-6(3); Maya Boonya & Kamonwan lost to Asmi & Aakruti Sonkusare 6-3, 3-6, [7-10]
Chinese Taipei bt India 2-1
Yu-Ning Tsai bt Sejal Bhutada 6-3, 7-5; Li-Ya Chu lost to Asmi Adkar 4-6, 6-4, 1-2 (retired); Yi-Ching Huang & Yu-Ning Tsai bt Asmi & Sejal 6-2, 6-4.
– Team Sportstar
AITA women’s tournament: Kashish beats Ruma, reaches quarterfinals in Jhajjar
Second seed Kashish Bhatia was pushed to her wit’s end by Ruma Gaikaiwari before she prevailed 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-3 in the pre-quarterfinals of Rs.100,000 AITA women’s tennis tournament at the Joygaon Academy in Jhajjar on Tuesday.
Singles (pre-quarterfinals)
Sahira Singh bt Poorvi Bhatt 6-1, 6-2; Shefali Arora bt Gauri Mangaonkar 6-1, 7-5; Sonal Patil bt Ishi Maheshwari 6-0, 6-0; Rachita Talwar bt Sanjam Arora 6-2, 6-1; Chandana Potugari bt Kashish Kant 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Divya Bhardwaj w.o. Tanushri Pandey; Medhavi Singh bt Shruti Gupta 6-3, 6-2; Kashish Bhatia bt Ruma Gaikaiwari 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-3.
– Team Sportstar
SHOOTING
Shotgun World Cup: Shreyasi sixth in women’s trap after two rounds
Shreyasi Singh shot a score of 45 following rounds of 22 and 23, to be sixth in women’s trap after two rounds, in the shotgun World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.
It was the third best score, with two on 47 and three on 46. Rajeshwari Kumari had two rounds of 22, to find herself in the 17th spot, while Preeti Rajak shot a total of 41, following rounds of 19 and 22.
In men’s trap, Prithviraj Tondaiman shot 22 and 25 for the third best score that put him in the 18th spot. Zoravar Singh Sandhu had rounds of 25 and 22 for the 25th place.
Olympic quota winner Bhowneesh Mendiratta had two rounds of 23 that put him in the 39th spot in a strong field of 119 shooters.
Two more rounds will be shot on Wednesday, followed by the fifth round on Thursday, leading up to the semifinals for the top eight.
– Team Sportstar
ATHLETICS
Kipkorir Kimeli, Cheptai return to defend titles at TCS World 10K Bengaluru
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Irene Cheptai will return to defend their men’s and women’s crowns, respectively at the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bengaluru on May 21.
The two had won the prestigious World Athletics gold label road race with course records last year.
Kimeli scorched the course in a time of 27:38 and Cheptai stormed to victory in 30:35 in the USD 210,000 prize fund road race that will see a formidable International elite field take part in the landmark 15th edition.
“I’m excited to be defending my title. I’ve prepared well and am feeling confident,” said Kimeli in a release.
The top 12 runners in the men’s field, hold personal bests under the course record and the top 3 have timed below 27 which makes the current line-up one of the closest and most competitive.
In the women’s section, the top four runners have personal bests under the course record.
“I’m thrilled to be back in Bengaluru and I have fond memories of India. I’ve trained well, but a lot depends on how you feel on race day,” said Cheptai.
Also in the men’s fray are Ethiopians Gemechu Dida and Birhanu Legese, Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who finished seventh at this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Australia.
Legese is a two-time winner of the Tokyo Marathon, Berlin Marathon silver medallist and a former champion of the Delhi Half Marathon and the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, but the top spot has eluded him at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru; where he has finished on the podium a few times.
“I’m feeling very positive but I hope that things fall my way,” said Legese, the world’s fourth fastest male marathoner.
Dida is in good form after winning the 10K in Lille, France in March and a fourth place at the RAK Half Marathon in the UAE in February.
Kissa, a Tokyo Olympian over the 10,000m, brings years of track speed to the road and clocked an impressive 2:04.48 on his debut Haspa Marathon in Hamburg in 2022. He was also a third-place finisher at the 2020 Delhi Half Marathon in 58:56.
On the distaff side, Ethiopia’s Dera Dida, the 2019 World Cross Country silver medallist, ran a personal record and took home her first marathon victory in 2:21:11 at the Dubai Marathon in February this year.
Among the favourites for the women’s honours is also the talented Tsehay Gemechu, who took second place at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:16.56.
– PTI
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