CHESS
Asian junior blitz championship: Vignesh, Saranya emerge champions
Vignesh Vemula and Saranya Narahari emerged as champions at the Asian junior blitz championship in Mumbai on Monday. India, in fact, claimed five of the six medals on offer.
Viresh Sharnarthi and V.S. Nandish won the silver and the bronze in the open section to make it a clean sweep for the host. In the girls’ event, Sannidhi Bhat took the bronze.
The standings (Indians unless specified):
1-3: Vignesh Vemula, Viresh Sharnarthi and V.S. Nandish 6/7; 4-7. Akshay Borgaonkar, Madhvendra Sharma, Imangali Akhilbay (Kaz) and Apoorv Kamble 5.5; 8-10. Vivaan Sardana, Shageldi Kurbandurdyeev (Tkm) and Pratyush Kumar 5.
Girls: 1. Saranya Narahari 6.5/7; 2. Lala Shohradova (Tkm) 6; 3. Sannidhi Bhat 5.5; 4-10. Prishita Gupta, S. Shanmathi Sree, Anushka Kutwal, V. Tripurambika, B. Krithika, Sravyasree Bheemarasetty and V.C. Nivedita 5.
– Team Sportstar
HOCKEY
Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka continue winning spree in Women’s Jr Hockey Nationals
Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana and Hockey Karnataka continued with their winning run in the Women Junior National Championship in Pune on Monday.
In a Division B’s Pool B match, Karnataka produced a dominant show to thrash Goans Hockey 9-0. Pearlin Ponnamma AG scored four goals, finding the net in the 4th, 48th, 54th and 59th minutes.
Manish Ponnamma CD added two goals in the sixth and 46th minutes, while Lakshmi scored twice in the 19th and 29th minutes. Meher Kaur Mehta completed the scoring in the 52nd minute.
In another Division B’s Pool B match, Hockey Bihar registered a 5-1 victory over Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.
In Division B Pool A match, Delhi Hockey beat Kerala Hockey 5-0, while Hockey Mizoram secured a 4-1 victory over Hockey Andhra Pradesh.
In Division A’s Pool A, Hockey Jharkhand registered a 3-1 victory over Hockey Punjab while in Pool B, Hockey Haryana recorded a 3-0 victory over Hockey Association of Odisha.
In Division A Pool C, Uttar Pradesh Hockey secured a 3-0 victory over Hockey Maharashtra, while Hockey Madhya Pradesh recorded a 3-1 victory over Chhattisgarh Hockey in Division A Pool D.
– PTI
PADEL
Game Changers Lions beat Aussie Mavericks Jaguars to win maiden World Padel League title
As the curtains came down on Season 4 of the World Padel League, Game Changers Lions beat Aussie Mavericks Jaguars 19-10 to win its first title in Mumbai on Monday.
The Finals saw Beatriz Gonzalez and Paula Josemaria of the Lions face Alejandra Alonso and Claudia Jensen of the Jaguars in the first set. The Lions made a strong start and took the opening set 6-3 after a closely fought contest. Federico Mourino and Teodoro Zapata then took on Ignacio Piotto and Enzo Jensen in the second set.
The Lions pair produced a strong performance to win 6-2 and put their team in control. The Jaguars fought back in the decider, with Pol Hernandez and Guille Collado keeping the contest close against Gonzalo Alfonso and Sanyo Gutierrez. Both pairs were involved in some close exchanges, but the Lions held their nerve in the final stages to take the set 7-5 and claim the title.
– Team Sportstar
CRICKET
Warner, Yuvraj, Bravo among stars set to feature in WCL Season 3
The third season of World Championship of Legends (WCL), starting October 3, will feature former Australian opener David Warner alongside stars of yesteryear such as Yuvraj Singh, Dwayne Bravo and AB de Villiers.
While the venue is yet to be announced, the tournament is scheduled to be held from October 3-18. The organisers, however, confirmed that the event will move out of the UK this year. Bangladesh Champions will be a new addition to the competition this year.
India Champions won the first season against Pakistan Champions. South Africa Champions won the title last year.
– Team Sportstar
GOLF
Diksha Dagar drops one place to 11th on LET Order of Merit after Swiss Open
Diksha Dagar fell out of the Top 10 on the LET Order of Merit after missing the cut at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open this week.
Diksha, who had reached the Top-6 at one stage, is now 11th after starting the week in 10th.
Among the other Indians, Pranavi Urs is 46th, while Avani Prashanth, who did not play this week, is 53rd, and Aditi Ashok, who has played only six events on the LET, is 55th.
Hitaashee Bakshi is 133rd, Tvesa Malik is 117th, and Vani Kapoor is 181st.
The winner this week, Eleanor Givens, jumped to 23rd after collecting 500 points for the win. South Africa’s Casandra Alexander still leads the way with 1,899.98 points.
The next event for the stars of the LET is a trip to the prestigious K Club for the 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open. The tournament gets underway following an off-week on August 27.
– PTI
TENNIS
Kia Tennis Premier League Hosts Telangana State Ranking Tournament in Hyderabad
Tournament marks Kia TPL’s continued push to strengthen grassroots tennis across India.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Tournament marks Kia TPL’s continued push to strengthen grassroots tennis across India.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Kia Tennis Premier League (TPL) hosted the State ranking Tournament in Hyderabad on August 15 and 16, in association with the Telangana State Tennis Association (TSTA) in Hyderabad. The tournament featured young players competing across Boys Singles Under-10, Boys Singles Under-12, Boys Singles Under-14, Girls Singles Under-12 and Girls Singles Under-14 categories under Race to Gold Scholarship Program.
In the Boys Under-10 category, Ayansh Abhilashi clinched the title, defeating Month Sai 6-5 (7-3) in the final. In the Boys Under-12 category, Hiyan Shah emerged winner, beating Venkatram Jayakrishna 6-4. In the Boys Under-14 category, Adhitya Devarakonda emerged champion, defeating Adyan Kabbir 6-2.
In the Girls Under-12 category, Parivita V. emerged victorious, defeating Thanusri C. 6-0. Parivita continued her strong run in the Girls Under-14 category, winning the title against Upadhriti W. by a 6-0 scoreline.
The TSTA State Ranking Tournament by TPL provided young players with an opportunity to gain valuable competitive experience and earn state ranking points. In the coming months, Kia Tennis Premier League has planned to host more such events across India to give aspiring tennis players a platform to showcase their talent.
The Race to Gold Scholarship provides young tennis players with a year of tennis equipment support, including a tennis racquet, professional kit bag and much more, along with regular access to experts through sessions with coaches, nutritionists, physiotherapists and mental trainers. It also gives them opportunities to meet Indian and international tennis players, interact with tennis legends and experience the Tennis Premier League, helping them build confidence, stay motivated and gain the right exposure to pursue their tennis journey.
The tournament also comes ahead of the highly anticipated eighth season of Kia Tennis Premier League, set to be hosted in Hyderabad in December, further strengthening the league’s presence in Telangana.
Speaking on the tournament, Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, said, “State Ranking Tournaments are an important part of creating a strong pathway for young tennis players. We are delighted to host this tournament in association with TSTA and provide young players with an opportunity to compete, gain experience and grow. We are excited to continue building our connection with the city’s tennis community.”
Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League echoed the sentiment and said, “It is encouraging to see the enthusiasm and talent among the young players. Tournaments like these are important for strengthening the grassroots tennis ecosystem, and we look forward to bringing even more attention to the sport in the city.”
– Team Sportstar
CRICKET
Trivandrum Royals seeks redemption
Trivandrum Royals is the default host of the Kerala Cricket League, and despite being promoted by celebrity owners, it hasn’t quite produced the performances needed to excite cricket fans in the capital city.
After an underwhelming show last season, the Royals will look for redemption in the upcoming tournament with a balanced roster and thorough preparation.
The Royals camp is buzzing with confidence as it aims to seize early momentum in the tournament. “It is important to start well and gain early momentum,’’ said captain Krishna Prasad. “But we don’t want to put ourselves under any pressure. We are trusting our process and hopefully results will follow,’’ he added.
Central to the Royals’ strategy this year will be explosive opening batter Vishnu Vinod. The team is banking heavily on his ability to dismantle bowling attacks early on to provide rapid start to the team.
Krishna Prasad, all-rounder Sijomon Joseph, youngster Govind Dev Pai and dependable medium pacer C.V. Vinod form the core of the side.
– Team Sportstar
Published on Aug 17, 2026
