Indian sports wrap, September 29: Top international stars vs India’s best in Women’s Indian Open

Amid the international lineup in the Women’s Indian Open, the Indian contingent aims to claim the title for the first time in 10 years. The last Indian winner was Aditi Ashok in 2016. | Photo Credit: AFP

GOLF

Top international stars and India’s best set to fight for title in Women’s Indian Open

Three of the last four champions will return for the 2026 edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open, when it tees off at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi with the tournament set to be played from October 22-25.

Defending champion Shannon Tan of Singapore, England’s Liz Young (2024 winner), and Germany’s Olivia Cowan (2022 winner) will be among those attempting to take back the coveted trophy, which signifies the champion of one of the elite Ladies European Tour tournaments in Asia.

Tan won the USD 500,000 event last year after finishing in a four-way tie in 2024 for second behind the winner Liz Young. A year ago, she started the final round five shots off the lead but then proceeded to pull off a stunning win for her third Ladies European Tour title.

Tan played a final-round of 67 for an overall score of 7-under 281, one stroke ahead of Alice Hewson, with India’s Hitaashee Bakshi third at 5-under.

Early entries include three past LET Order of Merit winners Tan (2025), Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini (2024), and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab (2023).

Also in the field are four current season winners in Eleanor Givens of England (VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open), Thai golfer Aunchisa Utama (Dutch Ladies Open), Germany’s Leonie Harm (Amundi German Masters), and Agathe Laisné of France (Joburg Ladies Open and Ford Women’s NSW Open).

Last year’s runner-up Hewson has also shown strong recent form, finishing tied second at the La Sella Open in September at 8-under 208.

Amid this international lineup, the Indian contingent aims to claim the title for the first time in 10 years. The last Indian winner was Aditi Ashok in 2016.

-PTI

Golf isn’t a rich man’s game; infrastructure needs government push: WGAI

The Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) has called for greater government support and grassroots infrastructure to make golf more accessible to young players, while rejecting the perception that the sport is meant only for the wealthy.

WGAI president Kavita Singh said the lack of basic facilities and equipment was holding back the sport and urged the government to provide better support to women golfers.

“We try to approach this with a balance. Sometimes the girls complain, and sometimes their complaints are valid. But the whole game is about rules; we don’t make our own rules,” Singh said during the press conference of the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2026 here on Tuesday.

She stressed that discipline and hard work, rather than luck, were key to succeeding in golf.

“I tell the girls all the time: there must be discipline and hard work. In this game, there is no luck. As Gary Player said, the more I practise, the better I’ll get. It isn’t about luck,” she said.

Singh said the WGAI was also working to reduce the financial burden on players by providing resources such as mental and physical coaches.

“Right now, these girls are hiring mental coaches and physical coaches at their own expense. We want to change that, and starting this year, the board is working to bring these resources to them directly,” she said.

Recalling the difficulties faced by Indian women golfers during their first Olympic appearance in Rio, Singh said the sport’s elite image had translated into inadequate support for players.

“When our girls went to the Olympics for the first time, they hardly had anything. Officials told us, ‘This is a rich person’s game, why did you go? You are all rich people.’ I told them, ‘You are an official in the Government of India. I didn’t put this game into the Olympic Committee, the world did,’” she said.

Singh also raised concerns over the quality and availability of kits for players.

“They don’t get proper kits, either they are too small, too big, or they tear in a day. What should we do? They tell us, ‘This is Government of India, they have to do it, you cannot do it.’ I am truly fed up,” she said.

She cited Japan and South Korea as examples of countries that have made the sport more accessible by creating compact practice facilities.

“Why are there so many players coming out of Japan and Korea? They put nets on rooftops, and girls can go and hit balls under floodlights at night. You don’t need vast land or huge money for that,” Singh said.

“In our country, whether in villages or cities, you can build chipping, pitching or putting greens. We can provide the equipment, but in every other country, the government does this.”

Hero MotoCorp executive vice-president Sanjay Bhan also challenged the perception of golf as an elitist sport, comparing it with cricket’s aristocratic origins.

“People ask if this is a rich man’s game. What was cricket earlier? Nawabs, lords, kings and maharajas — cricket was also a rich person’s game. Why wasn’t that discarded? It was a British legacy,” Bhan said.

“Today, there is so much money in cricket, and everyone’s mindset has changed. What is wrong with golf? Calling it a ‘rich man’s game’ just shows a very narrow mindset.”

Bhan said wider public access to golf courses could help change the perception of the sport.

“In the United States, there are 16,000 golf courses and 90 per cent of them are public courses. That means local residents can play for free,” he said.

“Any sport is not inherently rich; it only becomes ‘rich’ by the way it is played and conducted.”

Bhan said Hero MotoCorp’s efforts with the WGAI were aimed at improving access to the sport and helping Indian players compete at the highest level.

“Our effort at Hero, alongside WGAI, is to give golf the access and stature it truly deserves, giving our players the opportunity to compete with the best in the world,” he said.

WGAI secretary general Champika Sayal said creating a level playing field and changing the perception of golf were essential for developing the sport in India.

“The first and most important thing we need is a level playing field, which we don’t have. Golf is a very special game, and currently, there is no vision for it,” Sayal said.

“When you don’t give a level playing field to children, labelling it an ‘elite game’ keeps the sport away from the youth of India. The Ministry has to change this perception.”

Sayal also underlined the potential for golf to create career and employment opportunities beyond playing.

“We have a huge country, so many people, and so much opportunity that can come out of a career for players, plus subsequent job opportunities within golf clubs and driving ranges,” she said.

“It is very important that the Skill Development Ministry and the Sports Ministry work in tandem to make sure this happens over the next five years. It is very, very crucial.”

-PTI

SHOOTING

Hyderabad-based national shooter uses technology to deal with athletes’ injuries

A Hyderabad-based national level shooter, Homanshika Reddy is using technology to confront a problem that can abruptly end an athlete’s journey due to injury.

At 12, Homanshika picked up a rifle as a hobby but nine years later, the 21-year-old is developing Somatrace, a wearable system that uses sensors to track spinal movement in real time.

Initially designed for rifle shooters, the technology aims to give athletes and coaches deeper insights into posture and movement during training and help them identify patterns that may be associated with injury risk.

Her innovation has taken her to the Top 20 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, Samsung’s flagship national education and innovation programme, which helps young people transform ideas addressing real-world challenges into potentially scalable solutions.

For Homanshika, Somatrace is rooted in her own experience, as she has dealt with injury herself and also watched a friend leave sport because of one.

“I wanted to solve this for others as well. I have seen how an injury can change an athlete’s journey,” she said.

-PTI

OTHER SPORTS

National Paragliding Accuracy Cup to be held in Jammu

Jammu is set to add a thrilling new dimension to its adventure tourism calendar with the first National Paragliding Accuracy Cup to be held from October 24 to 26, a senior Tourism Department official Aijaz Qaiser said on Tuesday.

Qaiser, a Joint Director Tourism said that the action-packed sporting spectacle at Aithem is expected to showcase the destination’s stunning natural beauty and growing adventure tourism potential, while providing a platform to promote the scenic Surinsar belt as an emerging hub for adventure and outdoor activities and offering participants and visitors a glimpse of Jammu’s rich and diverse landscape.

Qaiser said the event is being organised by the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, in collaboration with the local adventure sports and paragliding associations.

The championship will feature two disciplines -- National-level spot landing competition and duration flying competition -- and with special prize category for J&K locals, he said.

On the directions of Commissioner Secretary Tourism Ashish Chander Verma, the entire championship is envisaged as a national-level sporting event and the first event of its kind in Jammu with paragliding enthusiasts and competitors from across the country expected to participate, he said.

Through such events of national reach, he said the J&K government intends to position Jammu as a destination for adventure sports and experiential tourism.

Besides providing a competitive platform to paragliding athletes, the event will offer participants and visitors an opportunity to experience the scenic landscape and adventure tourism potential of Jammu, he said.

He said Director Tourism Jammu Vikas Gupta had already held detailed discussions with the local adventure sports association and the Paragliding Association J&K for planning and operational coordination.

Deliberations were also held on the modalities of conducting the championship, safety, participation and other arrangements for the upcoming event, he said.

Qaiser invited paragliding enthusiasts from across the country to participate in the championship and discover Jammu’s emerging adventure tourism offerings.

He said free registrations will remain open from October 1 to 15 for P4 certified pilots only.