TABLE TENNIS
Manush-Diya pair loses group-stage opener at WTT Finals
India’s blended doubles pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale suffered a straight-games defeat towards Chinese language wildcards Wang Chuqin and Solar Yingsha within the group-stage opener of the WTT Finals in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
World No. 3 Wang and Solar took down World No. 9 and WTT Finals debutants Manush and Diya 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-8) in 22 minutes.
Manush and Diya, the first-ever Indians to qualify for the season-ending match, will likely be up towards the native duo of Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem of their match, which will likely be performed on Thursday.
– Group Sportstar
BOXING
Nationwide Boxing Championship rescheduled to January as a consequence of air pollution measures
The ninth Elite Males & Girls Nationwide Boxing Championship, earlier scheduled from thirty first December 2025 to sixth January 2026 at Gautam Buddha College, Higher Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has been rescheduled.
In mild of the air pollution management measures mandated by the Authorities and efficient till December 31, the Championship will now be held from January 4 to January 10 2026, on the identical venue.
All different preparations stay unchanged.
-Group Sportstar
TENNIS
Maaya breaks into High 50 in Junior Rankings
India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi gained 4 spots to make her High 50 debut within the newest ITF Junior Rankings launched on Monday.
The 16-year-old Maaya, nation’s top-ranked junior, performed at an J300 occasion in Bradenton, USA, final week the place she reached the quarterfinals.
The lady from Coimbatore has gained seven titles on the junior circuit. In 2025, she additionally performed in any respect 4 Junior Grand Slams.
– Group Sportstar
Delhi Aces, Mumbai Eagles file wins in Tennis Premier League
GS Delhi Aces and Yash Mumbai Eagles recorded wins over Chennai Smashers and SG Pipers Bengaluru of their respective clashes of the Tennis Premier League, right here on Wednesday.
Within the contest between Delhi and Chennai, Sofia Costoulas obtained the higher of Irina Bara and in a girls’s singles match. The 20-year-old Belgian Costoulas managed the rallies from the baseline and showcased a robust backhand to assist Delhi begin with a 17–8 win.
Costoulas then teamed up with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to increase her profitable run with a hard-fought 16–9 victory towards Bara and Rithvik Bollipalli within the blended doubles.
In males’s singles class, Billy Harris misplaced to Dalibor Svrcina in a tightly contested encounter with the latter profitable it for Chennai Smashers with a slender 13–12 win.
With general factors tallied, the Delhi pairing of Harris and Nedunchezhiyan within the males’s doubles class secured the tie 56-44.
In one other match, Yash Mumbai Eagles emerged winner with a margin of 51-49 towards SG Pipers Bengaluru.
In girls’s singles, Riya Bhatia delivered a commanding efficiency handy the Mumbai an early benefit with a 17–8 win towards Shrivalli Bhamidipaty.
She then partnered Niki Poonacha in blended doubles to face the Bhamidipaty and Rohan Bopanna. The Bengaluru duo continued their unbeaten run, securing a 14–11 victory.
Within the males’s singles, Ramkumar Ramanathan confronted Damir Dzumhur and obtained the higher of the world No 57 by a margin of 15-10.
Ramanathan and Bopanna then paired as much as edge out Poonacha and Dzumhur, with Mumbai Eagles pair edging out a decent 13–12 win.
-PTI
KHO KHO
Commonwealth Kho Kho to be held in March subsequent yr in India
Over 24 nations will compete within the inaugural Commonwealth Kho Kho Championship from March 9 to 14 subsequent yr, for which the venue is but to be finalised in India.
The Kho Kho Federation of India is in talks with a number of states to finalise the venue after Commonwealth Sport (CS) gave the approval for the occasion to happen in India.
The occasion, which can see 16 males’s and as many ladies’s groups competing, will likely be organised on the traces of the primary Kho Kho World Cup held in January this yr in Delhi through which 23 nations participated.
This would be the first Commonwealth Kho Kho occasion in India after Ahmedabad was just lately formally confirmed because the host metropolis for the 2030 Commonwealth Video games.
“We’re in talks with a number of states for the finalisation of the venue. Forward of the Commonwealth Video games in 2030, we’re hopeful that this championship would show to be a stepping stone in the direction of Kho Kho’s inclusion within the Doha Asian Video games (2030), Commonwealth Video games (2030) and Brisbane Olympics (2032),” mentioned Upkar Singh Virk, basic secretary, Kho Kho Federation of India.
– PTI
PICKLEBALL
Entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar acquires Jaipur Djinns as seventh World Pickleball League franchise
Billionaire investor and entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar, chairman of UK-based Tails Buying and selling and International COO at Komerz Ltd, has introduced his funding within the World Pickleball League (WPBL) by means of the acquisition of the newly-introduced Jaipur Djinns franchise at this time.
With the inclusion of Jaipur Djinns, WPBL will now characteristic seven groups in Season 2, which can develop to a 120-match calendar, up from 90 matches in Season 1.
The franchise has already roped in Lee Whitwell as Head Coach and finalised its squad on the participant draft held final month. The Jaipur Djinns roster consists of Amanda Hendry, Giang Trinh, Naveen Beasley, Ritam Chawla, Lorena Duknic, Jack Foster, Isabella Nelson, and Connie Lee.
-Group Sportstar
CYCLING
Pune Grand Tour to be held from January 19 to 23
Pune will host a serious worldwide street biking occasion — the Pune Grand Tour — from January 19 to 23 subsequent yr, in a bid to mark a major step in India’s push to stage world-class endurance competitions.
Organised by the Authorities of Maharashtra in affiliation with the nationwide biking federation below the aegis of the game’s world physique (UCI), the race will cowl 437 km throughout 4 levels, showcasing the area’s various geography.
The levels will span Pune’s signature mixture of city and rural landscapes: Stage 1 combines metropolis and countryside routes, Stage 2 runs fully by means of rural belts, Stage 3 returns by means of a rural-to-city course through the scenic Western Ghats, and Stage 4 concludes throughout the metropolis.
Categorized as a Stage 2.2 race, the occasion has already drawn affirmation from 24 nations, with 176 riders from Europe, Asia and Australia set to take part. The Bajaj group has come on board because the title sponsor.
Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi mentioned the long-term imaginative and prescient is to raise the occasion into one of many world’s premier biking excursions. “We need to hold increasing it and convert it right into a 10-stage, 1,500 km race, just like the excursions in Italy, the USA and China,” he mentioned.
He added that the route has been designed to spotlight key vacationer points of interest round Pune, with the Authorities of Maharashtra sanctioning roughly ₹500 crore to make sure world-class street situations. All roads alongside the race hall are anticipated to be prepared by December 15.
Calling the occasion an Olympic-level preparatory platform, Dudi mentioned the district’s possession of the venture displays India’s rising
functionality in internet hosting complicated worldwide sporting occasions. With Pune – as soon as known as a cyclists’ and pensioners’ paradise – typically criticised for its site visitors challenges, the organisers hope the Grand Tour will even spark a cultural shift in the direction of biking and more healthy existence.
-Group Sportstar
OTHER SPORTS
Kurash Natl Camp: Govt gives monetary assist of Rs 1.12 cr for 52 members
India’s Kurash contingent is present process a 25-day Senior Nationwide Teaching Camp on the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Gandhinagar as a part of its preparations for subsequent yr’s Asian Video games.
The 25-day camp, which began on November 21, has been sanctioned below SAI’s Goal Asian Video games Group (TAGG) scheme.
A complete of 52 members, together with 48 athletes and 4 coaches are part of the camp. They’re backed by a monetary assist of Rs 1.12 crore below the Help to Nationwide Sports activities Federations (ANSFs) scheme.
The important thing missions of the camp in SAI Gandhinagar embody making certain that the athletes get full entry to coaching amenities, teaching and sports activities science assist, tools and restoration inputs, in addition to seamless preparation for each the lads’s and ladies’s squads within the build-up to Asiad 2026, scheduled between September 19 and October 4, in Japan.
Regardless of the de-recognition of the Nationwide Sports activities Federation (NSF) for Kurash by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities, SAI is making certain India’s Kurash athletes proceed their high-performance coaching. The nationwide teaching camp will additional determine the cream of skills who will undergo publicity alternatives overseas.
Earlier than this camp in Gandhinagar, open nationwide choice trials had been carried out in SAI Bhopal from September 17–19 overseen fully by the Kurash Organising Committee of SAI.
These trials adopted worldwide norms, anti-doping compliance and videography-based scoring and analysis.
-PTI
BADMINTON
Odisha Masters: Hooda, Tanvi, Mannepalli, Kiran amongst Indians getting into pre-quarterfinals
High seeds Unnati Hooda and Tharun Mannepalli in addition to different main Indian shuttlers progressed comfortably to the pre-quarterfinals throughout singles classes of the Odisha Masters Tremendous 100 on Wednesday.
In girls’s singles, Unnati started her marketing campaign in commanding vogue, defeating UAE’s P. Bharath 21-12, 21-18.
Sixth seed Anmol Kharb survived a stern check from Thailand’s Y. Ketklieng, prevailing 21-17, 19-21, 23-21, whereas third seed Tanvi Sharma outlasted Japan’s Aika Iwaki 21-8, 17-21, 21-18.
Fifth seed Anupama Upadhyaya barely broke a sweat as she brushed apart Indonesia’s Dalila Aghnia Puteri 21-14, 21-13 to enter the pre-quarterfinals.
The boys’s singles draw additionally noticed emphatic performances from the seeded gamers.
Mannepalli dismantled Manav Choudhary 21-5, 21-8, whereas second seed Kiran George eased previous Rajesh Srikar 21-12, 21-13. Fourth seed Priyanshu Rajawat was stretched by Saneeth Dayanand, however he held his nerves for a 21-19, 14-21, 21-13 win.
Seventh seed S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian overcame Darshan Pujari 21-19, 23-21, and eighth seed Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar superior with a straight-game victory over Numair Shaik.
Govind Krishna, Orijit Chaliha, Siddhanth Gupta, Rounak Chouhan, Varun Kapur, Arya Bhivpathaki additionally gained their respective matches whereas AR Rohan Kumar eradicated sixth seed Manraj Singh 21-6, 21-12.
In different girls’s singles matches, Aditi Bhatt edged out Hong Kong’s Liang KW 21-19, 24-22, whereas Aditi Rao obtained the higher of Indonesia’s Catharine Handoyo 23-21, 21-9.
Isharani Baruah produced one of many standout outcomes of the day by thrashing Thailand’s second seed Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-15, 21-8.
Aakarshi Kashyap registered a convincing 21-9, 21-10 win over Chinese language Taipei’s Yi En Hsieh, eighth seed Shriyanshi Valishetty defeated Aalisha Naik 21-17, 21-12, whereas T Hemanth and Tasnim Mir progressed after hard-fought three-game victories.
-PTI
GOLF
Lanka’s Thangaraja sole lead in Vishwa Samudra Open with 6-under 66
Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja moved to the highest of the leaderboard after firing the second day’s greatest rating of six-under 66 on the Vishwa Samudra Open 2025, right here on Wednesday.
Thangaraja (73-66), a three-time winner this yr and presently positioned fourth within the PGTI Rating, took his 36-hole tally to five-under 139 for a two-stroke benefit over the remainder of the sector on the Delhi Golf Membership.
Thangaraja jumped 17 spots from his in a single day tied 18th.
Jairaj Singh Sandhu (68-73), the first-round chief, shot a 73 in spherical two to drop one place to second place at three-under 141.
Dhruv Sheoran (68), the PGTI Order of Benefit chief Yuvraj Sandhu (69), Viraj Madappa (69) and Rashid Khan (70) had been all tied third at two-under 142.
5 gamers out of a complete of 125 couldn’t full their second spherical on Wednesday when play was suspended at 5:30 pm as a consequence of fading mild.
These 5 gamers are scheduled to renew their second spherical from 7:30 am onwards on Thursday. The minimize is prone to fall at eight-over 152.
Earlier, Thangaraja capitalised with birdies on all of the 4 Par-5s. He sank two putts from a spread of 12 to twenty ft and landed his chips inside 5 ft on 4 events.
“My dwelling in Colombo was affected by the current floods. Thankfully, there was no main injury. I had determined to not play in Delhi this week as me and my household had been nonetheless making an attempt to get our lives again on monitor.
“However my spouse insisted that I play in Delhi as a result of I’ve been in good kind. Maintaining the circumstances in thoughts, I’m fairly happy with my effort to this point this week,” mentioned Thangaraja.
-PTI
SQUASH
Australia, Brazil and South Africa struggle again on thrilling second day of SDAT Squash World Cup
Australia, Brazil and South Africa mounted spectacular comebacks on day two of the SDAT Squash World Cup at Categorical Avenue Mall, Chennai.
1996 champions Australia, and Brazil, taking part in their first World Cup since that very same yr, hit again towards Poland and Switzerland after dropping their opening matches as a consequence of walkovers, with Australia recording a 3-1 win and Brazil a 2-2 draw.
South Africa, in the meantime, recovered from going a match right down to defeat Republic of Korea.
Australia, considered one of simply three groups to have certified for each version of the World Cup, went into their first tie of this yr’s championship realizing they’d must do it the laborious approach after girls’s second string Madison Lyon was unable to compete, leading to a walkover win for Poland’s Sofia Zrazhevska.
Regardless of the added stress, Joseph White rose to the event within the first contested match of the tie, establishing his facet nicely with a 3-0 win over Jan Samborski.
Jessica van der Walt then had a difficult check towards Karina Tyma, and Tyma briefly threatened to revive Poland’s lead earlier than van der Walt pulled clear to win 3-1.
Dylan Molinaro then made the consequence positive with a one-sided win towards Kajetan Lipski.
“It’s tough [starting 1-0 down] as a result of it places stress on the opposite gamers, particularly for Joe coming in first as a result of it means he has to win,” Australia Nationwide Coach Stewart Boswell mentioned afterwards.
“However they did rather well; it’s actually not a simple coming in 3-0 down in your first match.”
In contrast to Poland, Switzerland had been in a position to capitalise on their numerical benefit to file a draw towards Brazil.
Beginning 1-0 down as a consequence of Marchesi Petrillo’s absence, Brazil shortly introduced the scores again to 1-1 by means of Diego Gobbi, who got here again from a rocky begin to beat Louai Hafez 3-1.
Switzerland responded brilliantly by means of Celine Walser. Regardless of Walser being ranked 65 locations beneath her opponent, 18-year-old rising star Laura Silva, she was completely dominant, blowing away Silva in simply 13 minutes to revive Switzerland’s lead.
In an thrilling closing match, Brazil’s Pedro Mometto ensured the factors could be shared as he survived two sudden demise tie breaks towards Robin Gadola to win 7-6, 7-3, 7-6.
That consequence signifies that Brazil might want to win not less than two video games from their 4 matches towards hosts India, who’ve already booked their spot within the knockout stage, within the final conflict of the Swimming pools Stage tomorrow to have an opportunity to progress.
South Africa, in the meantime, charged again in an entire turnaround as Dewald Van Niekerk, Hayley Ward and Damian Groenewald struck again after Teagan Russell had been overwhelmed by Track Chaewon within the opener.
Elsewhere, defending champions Egypt crushed Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Swimming pools Stage of the SDAT Squash World Cup concludes tomorrow, 11 December, from 12:00 at Categorical Avenue Mall and the Indian Squash & Triathlon Academy, Chennai. Watch the motion reside on the Olympic Channel, ANOC TV, WORLDSQUASH.TV and the YouTube pages of the Squash Rackets Federation of India and the Authorities of Tamil Nadu.
-Group Sportstar
Revealed on Dec 10, 2025