Indian sports wrap, September 2: Kerala’s Mijo wins 400m gold medal at Indian Athletics Series

Mijo was part of the gold medal-winning men’s 4x400m Indian relay team at the 2022 Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Mijo Chacko Kurian/Instagram

ATHLETICS

Mijo Chacko Kurian wins gold medal in men’s 400m in Indian Athletics Series

Kerala’s international quarter-miler Mijo Chacko Kurian on Wednesday claimed the gold medal in men’s 400m event in the 15th leg of the Indian Athletics Series here.

Along with his triumph in men’s 400m, Kurian also claimed the second spot in the men’s 200m, finishing behind Rajasthan’s Adesh Garsa, while Reliance’s Ruchit Mori took the third spot.

Kurian clocked 46.89 seconds in his 400m victory.

Results:

Men’s:

100m: Sandeep Singh (Himachal Pradesh) 10.65s, Savin Thingalaya (Reliance) 10.66 seconds, Nikhil Sarjerao Patil (Maharashtra) 10.77 seconds.

200m: Adesh Garsa (Rajasthan) 21.39 seconds, Mijo Chacko Kurian (Air Force) 21.41 seconds, Ruchit Mori (Reliance) 21.50 seconds.

400m: Mijo Chacko Kurian (Air Force) 46.89 seconds, Muhammed Ajmal (Navy) 46.90 seconds, Rashid (Uttar Pradesh) 47.28 seconds.

800m: Akhil KA (Navy) 1:51.31, Virender (Army) 1:51.84, Aman Ojha (Delhi) 1:51.92.

1500m: Manpreet (Punjab) 3:51.39 seconds, Prabhjot Singh (Punjab) 3:51.76 seconds, Pravin Chaudhari (Maharashtra) 3:51.93 seconds.

Hammer throw: Nirbhay Choudhary (Delhi) 66.47m, Mukul (Madhya Pradesh) 62.54m, Amit Pundir (Haryana) 62.36m.

Javelin throw: Manoj Kumar (Tamil Nadu) 77.82m, Bibin Antony (Army) 73.94m, Vikash Sharma (Uttarakhand) 73.07m.

Shot put: Ramchandra Mali (Rajasthan) 15.91m, Balaji (Tamil Nadu) 15.83m, Malkeet Singh (Punjab) 15.74m.

High jump: Aaditya Raghuvanshi (Madhya Pradesh) 2.10m, Uchchaal Kumar Roy (BSF) 2.00m, Arnav Tyagi (Uttar Pradesh) 1.95m.

Triple jump: Shaheer Rizvee (Uttar Pradesh) 15.13m, Radhe Shyam (Madhya Pradesh) 15.10m, Ashok Kumar (Rajasthan) 14.88m.

Women:

100m: Avantika Narale (Railway Sports) 12.25 seconds, Kanishka Manchanda (Uttarakhand) 12.40 seconds, Aliza Mulla (Maharashtra) 12.44 seconds.

200m: Harita Bhadra (Reliance) 23.36 seconds, Nimeksha Siddi (Karnataka) 24.67 seconds, Priya Mohan (JSW) 24.78 seconds.

400m: Priya Mohan (JSW) 54.21 seconds, Rupal (NCOE Trivandrum) 54.89 seconds, Manisha (Haryana) 55.36 seconds.

800m: Tanvi Malik (Uttar Pradesh) 2:12.16, Pranjal Vinod B (Maharashtra) 2:13.08, Gug Kaur (Punjab) 2:13.76.

1500m: Ruhi Bohra (Delhi) 4:38.11 seconds, Ujala (All India Police) 4:39.49 seconds, Chanchal Jakhad (All India Police) 4:40.90 seconds.

100m hurdles: Anjali C (JSW) 13.36 seconds, Prajali Dilip (JSW) 13.91 seconds, Aliza Mulla (Maharashtra) 14.43 seconds.

Hammer throw: Anushka Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 64.92m, Neha Swami (Rajasthan) 52.22m, Poonam Jakhar (Haryana) 48.47m.

Shot put: Rakhi Sangwan (All India Police) 13.94m, Shikha Pawar (Uttar Pradesh) 13.10m, Tamanna (Haryana) 12.57m.

Javelin throw: Ishika Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 45.03m, Khushee Yadav (Rajasthan) 42.34m, Saroj Devi (Punjab) 41.85m.

High jump: Rimpal Kaur (Punjab) 1.64m, Samapti Ghosh (West Bengal) 1.64m, Sakshi Parit (Maharashtra) 1.55m.

Long jump: Ankita Chaudhary (Delhi) 5.72m, Deepti (Delhi) 5.72m, Sivapriya (Kerala) 5.58m.

Triple jump: Meera Shibu (JSW) 12.65m, Rinku Choudhary (Rajasthan) 12.27m, Manali Chauhan (Haryana) 12.11m.

- Press Trust of India

CRICKET

KCL 2026: Govind Dev Pai ‘s century powers Royals into semifinals

In a match defined by landmarks and records, Govind Dev Pai offered a masterful display of his precocious talent, powering Trivandrum Royals into the semifinals of the Kerala Cricket League 2026 with an emphatic eight-wicket win over defending champion Kochi Blue Tigers at the Sports Hub Greenfield stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Govind’s maiden KCL century (108 not out, 62b, 11x4, 4x6) and his record-breaking unbroken 188-run third wicket stand with captain Krishna Prasad (68 not out, 46b, 5x4, 3x6) - the highest partnership in KCL history- meant Royals aced its highest run chase (197) with 10 balls to spare.

After Royals lost two quick wickets, it was Krishna Prasad who took the fight to the opposing camp by attacking medium pacers Saly Samson and Manu Krishnan.

Govind, who survived a run out chance on 5 when Adhi Abhilash failed to hit the stumps from close, soon found his touch to tear the Tigers’ attack to shreds. Govind imperiously pulled Manu Krishan over square leg for a maximum to get going and then, in a statement over, flogged Eden Apple Tom for three sixes. The youngster reached his fifty, tickling Adhi to the fine-leg fence for a boundary. And after reaching the milestone, he went into an overdrive to race to his hundred, eventually ushering in the win by clubbing Ashique for two consecutive boundaries.

Earlier, a late-order flourish from Manu Krishnan (47) and Sachin Suresh (33) saw Tigers overcome a slow start to post 196 for seven.

The scores

Kochi Blue Tigers 196/7 in 20 overs (Vipul Shakti 43, Sachin Suresh 33, Manu Krishnan 47, C.V. Vinod Kumar 3/23) lost to Trivandrum Royals (Krishna Prasad 68 n.o, Govind Dev Pai 108 n.o.).

Tuesday’s match: Kochi Blue Tigers 242/4 in 20 overs (Jobin Joby 109, Vipul Shakti 39, Manu Krishan 31, Mohammed Ashique 31, Sibin Girish 2/29) bt Alleppey Ripples 173 in 18.4 overs (Mohammed Azharuddeen 32, K.A. Arun 59, Mohammed Ashique 3/18, Eden Apple Tom 2/10, Manu Krishnan 2/27).

- M. R. Praveen Chandran

GOLF

Vishesh, Amardeep share halfway lead at Telangana Golconda Masters

Vishesh Sharma and Amardeep Malik sit atop the standings at 14-under 126 after the second round of the Telangana Golconda Masters at the Hyderabad Golf Association.

Local favourite Vishesh (60-66), who matched the course record with an opening 10-under 60, followed it with a four-under 66 containing six birdies and two bogeys.

“The course played very differently compared with yesterday,” Vishesh said. “The fairways were much softer, the wind was considerably stronger, and the flags were tucked into more difficult areas. I had to adjust my strategy, aim for the correct sections of the greens and avoid chasing every flag,” the 19-year-old remarked.

Amardeep (61-65) made six birdies against a solitary bogey on the par-five 17th for a five-under 65. He later admitted that his opening score tempted him into playing more aggressively than the course demanded.

“I didn’t strike the ball particularly well today. There were stretches when I hit it nicely, but there were also moments when I left myself some challenging par saves. Fortunately, I managed to make the most of them, which is why I was actually happier with today’s round,” Amardeep said.

“After shooting a low number, the natural instinct is to attack again. But this isn’t a course you can overpower. You have to play intelligently, and I didn’t do that particularly well in a few places.”

Dhruv Sheoran (60-67) slipped one spot to third at 13-under 127. He mixed six birdies with a bogey on the par-five eighth and a double bogey on the par-four 18th, his final hole of the day, in a three-under 67.

Honey Baisoya (64-64) produced a second successive six-under 64, making seven birdies and one bogey to climb one place to fourth at 12-under 128. Bangladesh’s Md. Akbar Hossain (67-66) and Angad Cheema (66-67) shared fifth place at seven-under 133. Defending champion Jamal Hossain (72-66) of Bangladesh climbed from tied 72nd to tied 24th at two-under 138.

Major champions Reed, Watson set to turn up for DP World India Championship

Captain Bubba Watson takes a shot from a bunker. | Photo Credit: AP

Masters Champions Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson are set to make their debut at the star-studded DP World India Championship to be held at Delhi Golf Club from October 15 to 18.

Current Race to Dubai leader Reed, along with fellow winner at Augusta National, Watson have confirmed their participation in the tournament which will witness a field of global stars, including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy and 2026 Open Champion Ryan Fox.

Major winners Shane Lowry and Justin Rose, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and Ryder star Viktor Hovland will all return for the DP World India Championship, while DP World Tour and PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee will make his debut.

Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri are among the Indian stars aiming to delight the home fans.

Reed, who claimed his maiden Major title at Augusta National in 2018, is aiming to top the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings for the first time.

The three-time Ryder Cup star will arrive in Delhi seeking his third win of the season, after securing his first Rolex Series title at the Dubai Desert Classic in January, followed by his victory at the Qatar Masters two weeks later.

“I really enjoy playing all over the world, and I’m looking forward to teeing it up in the DP World India Championship for the first time,” Reed said in a release.

“It looks like a great event and field, and it comes at an important time in the season, so I’m excited to see what we can do in Delhi.”

Two-time Masters winner Watson, who claimed the Green Jacket in 2012 and 2014, will also arrive at Delhi Golf Club for the first time in October.

The left-hander, who boasts 15 career victories, said, "It's always fun to play in new events, and this is one that I was happy to be able to add to my schedule. I’ve heard that Delhi Golf Club is a great test, and golf fans in India are very passionate, so I’m looking forward to the week.”

It will be the eighth of nine events in the Back 9 phase of the Race to Dubai, building towards the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs and culminating in the DP World Tour Championship in November at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

- PTI

CUE SPORT

Dhruv Sitwala settles for silver medal in Pan Am Cup billiards championship

India’s Dhruv Sitwala settled for silver medal after losing 972-1500 against Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist in the final of the Pan Am Cup billiards championship in Winnipeg, Canada.

The reigning Asian billiards champion, Sitwala had started the game in a commanding manner but could not maintain his advantage. Sitwala was up by 450 points in the initial stages of the final but allowed the advantage to slip away from him.

Sitwala had beaten Gilchrist in the New Zealand Open final a couple of years ago but has struggled against him in recent times.

Gilchrist came up with three double-century breaks in quick succession to edge ahead and even as Sitwala got a few chances in his favour, he failed to capitalise. An unfinished break of 214 helped Gilchrist seal the contest.

- PTI

MOTORSPORT

Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir records two top-four finishes in WSK Final Cup

Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir overcame setup issues to collect two impressive top four finishes in Round 1 of the WSK Final Cup here, continuing her upward trajectory in the world of karting.

The qualifying session didn’t go as per plan for the 11-year-old and she could only set the ninth-fastest time.

However, the first Indian to be backed by the F1 Academy, made flying starts in both Race 1 and Race 2 to charge through the field and secure a creditable back to back fourth place. Following the two Heat Races, Atiqa was classified P14 among as many as 72 drivers.

This put her on seventh grid position for the pre final where she eventually finished ninth after running fifth for the majority of the race. In the final, Atiqa was involved in a crash that damaged her kart and ended her race.

- PTI

TENNIS

Tejas survives Amrit scare in boys, top 2 girls seeds out of KSLTA WTT J30 Bengaluru

Top seed Tejas Ravi survived a spirited challenge from compatriot Amrit Dhankar, while the leading seeds continued their progress into the quarterfinals of the KSLTA World Tennis Tour Junior J30 Bengaluru at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium on Wednesday. Tejas had to dig deep before overcoming Amrit Dhankar 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in an absorbing Round of 16 encounter.

Meanwhile in the girls section, Zoha Qureshi knocked out top seed Shaivi Gaurav Dalal 6-3, 6-3 for the biggest upset of the tournament so far while there was disappointment for second seed Karthika Padmakumar too, who, retired while trailing Akshita Antil 4-6, 2-3. 

Local lass and fourth seed Shreeniti Chowdhury recovered from losing the opening set to defeat Anjhalle Meka 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. The home crowd had more to cheer as two other seeds - third seed Disha Kumar was in dominant form defeating Tanusshri Maneni Sathesh 6-1, 6-2, while fifth seed Aahida Singh continued her impressive campaign with a convincing 6-0, 6-3 win over Deepthi Venkatesan.

The 17-year-old Tejas, who trains at Transform Academy and studies at Jain Sports School, made a fast start, breaking Amrit in the opening game. Amrit immediately hit back, but Tejas broke again twice to race to a 5-1 lead. He surrendered his serve in the seventh game before closing out the set 6-3.

The second set saw the momentum swing dramatically. Tejas found himself trailing 0-3 but fought his way back to lead 5-3 after breaking Amrit twice. Just when it appeared Tejas had taken control, Amrit produced another fightback, breaking back and winning four successive games to take the set 7-5.

The deciding set, however, took a different turn. With the score at 1-1, Amrit twisted his ankle and was visibly hampered in his movement. Tejas capitalised on the opportunity, stepping up his aggression to win the next five games and seal the match 6-1.

The victory was particularly significant given that the two youngsters had met previously in a school tournament in Pollachi, where Amrit had emerged victorious. Tejas thus reversed that result when it mattered most on the international junior stage.