GOLF
Avani Prashanth struggles in third round as Pranavi makes early exit
India’s Avani Prashanth endured a difficult third round, carding an 81 to slip down the leaderboard at the 2026 Amundi German Masters on the Ladies European Tour.
After showing impressive resilience earlier in the week, the young Indian golfer struggled in challenging weather conditions during moving day at the Green Eagle Golf Courses near Hamburg.
Avani had opened the tournament with a 78 but bounced back brilliantly in the second round with a superb four-under 69 to comfortably make the cut. She was the lone Indian to make the cut, as Pranavi Urs missed the cut out and Vani Kapoor withdrew after a first round 83.
However, the demanding North Course and unpredictable weather proved far tougher in round three. Avani had no birdies and had four bogeys and two double bogeys and eventually signed for an 81, dropping well down the standings at 9-over-par after 54 holes.
-PTI
Rayhan Thomas within touching distance of top 20
Rayhan Thomas kept alive his hopes of a strong finish as he carded a third round of even par 70 to be placed tied 23rd with a total score of 5-under par at the Colonial Life Charity Classic in Elgin, US.
Thomas is seven strokes behind three co-leaders.
Thomas began his third round with a birdie on the first hole and added a second birdie on the seventh hole before dropping shots with a bogey on the eighth and a double bogey on the ninth.
On the back nine Thomas managed to pick a stroke on the 10th hole. Despite a bogey on the 12th he seemed set for a below par finish after a pair of birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. A late bogey on the 18th hole saw him finish the day with an even par card.
-PTI
WEIGHTLIFTING
2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships: India finishes 11th overall; China bags top honours
India finished 11th overall on the medal table with one silver and nine bronze medals as the 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships concluded at the Mahatma Mandir Exhibition Hall in Gandhinagar on Sunday.
The host nation produced a strong team performance, finishing third in the women’s team rankings with 487 points, behind China (578) and Chinese Taipei (491). India also finished fifth in the men’s team standings with 379 points.
China dominated the championship, topping the overall medal table with 41 medals, including 21 gold, 12 silver and eight bronze. It also finished first in both the women’s and men’s team championships, with DPR Korea taking second in the men’s standings.
The six-day event, organised by the Indian Weightlifting Federation from May 11 to 17, featured 172 athletes from 30 nations. The championship also witnessed 25 world records and 27 Asian records, underlining the high standard of competition.
-Team Sportstar
BADMINTON
Indian shuttler Shriyanshi bags runner-up finish at Baoji Masters 2026 tournament
India’s Shriyanshi Valishetty settled for the silver medal in the women’s singles at the Baoji China Masters 2026 after losing to local favourite An Qi Yuan in the final on Sunday.
Shriyanshi went down 14-21, 6-21 in the summit clash of the Super 100 event at the Baoji City Gymnasium in Baoji City – Shaanxi Province.
File photo: Shriyanshi Valishetty lost to An Qi Yuan in the final on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
File photo: Shriyanshi Valishetty lost to An Qi Yuan in the final on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
The Indian shuttler, who had put together a strong run to reach the final, could not find her rhythm against An, who controlled the contest from the start. The Chinese player kept the rallies tight and did not allow Shriyanshi enough openings to build pressure.
Despite the defeat, the runner-up finish marked an encouraging result for Shriyanshi at the USD 120,000 tournament, held from May 12 to 17.
-Team Sportstar
HOCKEY
India U18 Men and Women go down to Australia in second match of the series
India’s Under-18 men’s and women’s hockey teams suffered defeats against Australia in their respective second matches in Bhopal on Sunday.
In the men’s match at the Udhav Das Mehta (Bhai Ji) Central SAI Centre, Australia won 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series after the opening game had ended 2-2. Arjun Brian (16’) put Australia ahead early in the second quarter before Ashish Tani Purti (24’) equalised for India. However, Sam Peoples (39’) and Angus Mcmullen (45’) scored in the third quarter to seal the win.
In the women’s match, India went down 1-4. Diya (11’) gave the host an early lead, but Australia responded through Anneliese Cullen (26’), Giselle Thompson (31’), Aurora Kovacevich (36’) and Stella Bartholomeusz (48’) to register its second straight win of the tour.
Both Indian teams will play their third matches on Monday.
Published on May 17, 2026
