Indian Sports activities Wrap, March 17: RBI ladies’s staff beats PSPB at Senior Desk Tennis Nationals

TABLE TENNIS

PSPB males, RBI ladies emerge champions at 87th Senior Nationwide Desk Tennis Championship

The Petroleum Sports activities Promotion Board (PSPB) males’s staff clinched its twenty fourth consecutive title, defeating West Bengal within the ultimate of the 87th Inter-State and Senior Nationwide Desk Tennis Championship, sponsored by Final Desk Tennis, in Indore on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, the spotlight of the day was the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) ladies’s staff scripting a exceptional comeback to edge previous PSPB in an exhilarating ultimate on the Abhay Prashal Indoor Stadium, securing its third title in 4 years. In a contest that lasted over three hours, Sreeja Akula — India’s highest-ranked paddler — defeated Yashaswini Ghorpade within the deciding fifth recreation of the ultimate rubber to seal the victory.

PSPB had appeared set for a double when Taneesha Kotecha shocked Sreeja within the opening match and Yashaswini comfortably beat Ayhika Mukherjee to provide her staff a 2-0 lead.

Diya Chitale, the reigning nationwide champion, discovered herself trailing 1-6 within the second recreation towards teenager Syndrela Das after shedding the opener. Nonetheless, Diya turned the tide with aggressive play, countering Syndrela’s sidespin returns to maintain RBI in rivalry.

Ayhika then levelled the tie by dominating Taneesha to pressure a decider. Within the ultimate match, Sreeja held her nerve, unleashing her trademark down-the-line forehand topspin winners at essential moments to clinch the title.

The boys’s ultimate, as anticipated, was largely one-sided. Nonetheless, veteran Harmeet Desai was examined by left-hander Bodhisatwa Chaudhury. After main 2-0 and 9-3, Harmeet appeared to lose focus, conceding eight consecutive factors to drop the sport. Bodhisatwa carried the momentum ahead to stage the match at two video games apiece, however Harmeet’s expertise in the end prevailed as he received the decider to safe each the match and PSPB’s title.

The person occasions started late on Tuesday night, with Swastika Ghosh pulling out of the person occasions resulting from medical causes.

-Amol Karhadkar

GOLF

World No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood to defend DP World India Championship title

Tommy Fleetwood will return to defend his title on the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Membership from October 15 to 18.

The world No. 3 triumphed over a robust subject within the inaugural version final season to say his eighth title on the DP World Tour and can tee it up once more within the 4,000,000 greenback occasion.

“I had an unimaginable week on the DP World India Championship final season,” Fleetwood stated in a launch.

“There may be a lot to get pleasure from about being in India, from the heat of the individuals and the ambiance within the metropolis to the meals, and enjoying at such a difficult and strategic course.”

-Crew Sportstar

Ridhima, Tvesa and Jasmine prepared for battle in sixth leg of Hero WPG Tour

Ridhima Dilawari, Tvesa Malik and Jasmine Shekar, who’ve received 4 of the 5 occasions held to date this season on the Hero Girls’s Professional Golf Tour, will lead a subject of 53 gamers within the sixth leg.

Jasmine received the opening leg this season, whereas Ridhima claimed the second and fourth legs and Tvesa took prime honours within the third.

The robust subject on the Jaypee Wishtown Golf Course will even function contenders resembling Amandeep Drall, a former runner-up on the Girls’s Indian Open, Anvitha Narender, Seher Atwal, Neha Tripathi, Heena Kang, Jahanvi Bakshi, Vidhatri Urs and Saanvi Somu.

The occasion will even function seven amateurs. The presence of amateurs has grown in significance as they’ve recurrently been in rivalry in recent times.

-Crew Sportstar

Aryav takes lead in PGTI NexGen opening spherical

Aryav Shah fired a four-under 68 to take the lead after the opening spherical of the Rs 25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen 2026 occasion right here on Tuesday.

Ayaan and Ruhanraj, like Aryav, are additionally competing of their debut season on the DP World PGTI.

Aryav had a gradual entrance 9, making two birdies and two bogeys. Nonetheless, he produced a robust again 9 with 4 birdies.

The 54-hole occasion includes a subject of 90. The highest 35 gamers and ties will make the minimize on the finish of the second spherical on Wednesday.

-Crew Sportstar

MOTORSPORTS

Akshay Gupta to race in Nürburgring endurance collection with Sorg Rennsport

Indian racing driver Akshay Gupta will take the subsequent step in his endurance racing profession by becoming a member of Sorg Rennsport to compete within the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

The 33-year-old from Ahmedabad will race the No. 949 Porsche Cayman GT4 CS within the Cup3 class, which kinds a part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring.

Gupta will share driving duties with 19-year-old German driver Darian Donkel, his former teammate at Mertens Motorsport in 2025, and fellow German racer Aaron Wenisch.

After three seasons competing within the VT2 manufacturing courses with Hyundai and BMW equipment, Gupta now steps as much as the extremely aggressive Cup3 class. Throughout this era he secured six podium finishes and two race victories.

The Cup3 class kinds a part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring and is thought for attracting a few of the largest grids within the NLS championship. The vehicles are equipped by Porsche and are equivalent, with restricted setup changes, inserting higher emphasis on driver efficiency.

Within the opening race on March 14, the Cup3 class options 21 entries.

Sorg Rennsport is without doubt one of the most established Porsche endurance groups on the Nürburgring and fields 10 entries within the NLS. The staff has recorded greater than 50 class victories throughout the NLS and RCN Rundstrecken Problem Nürburgring.

The NLS season options 10 races, together with 9 four-hour occasions and one six-hour race, together with the flagship 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

-Crew Sportstar

EQUESTRIAN

Inaara Mehta finishes sixth in FEI World Dressage Problem rankings

Inaara Mehta was additionally chosen to characterize Crew India alongside Gaurav Pundir, Miraya R. Dadabhoy, and Samanna Everaa T. The staff delivered a commendable efficiency, incomes the No. 1 spot in FEI Zone 9 and rating No. 7 worldwide.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has launched the rankings for the FEI World Dressage Problem 2025, with Indian rider Inaara Mehta Luthria delivering a notable efficiency.

Representing the Novice Riders Membership, the 15-year-old competed on Dasha Deluxe and scored 69.875 per cent within the Youth class (12–16 years).

Inaara completed No. 1 in India and topped FEI Zone 9, which incorporates India, Singapore, the Philippines, New Zealand, Hong Kong and China. She additionally secured sixth place within the international rankings.

Inaara was a part of the Indian staff alongside Gaurav Pundir, Miraya R. Dadabhoy and Samanna Everaa T.

The staff completed first in FEI Zone 9 and seventh on the planet standings.

-Crew Sportstar

TENNIS

Wild Card Arnav Paparkar enters second spherical of MSLTA 25K ITF Males’s Match

India U-18 No. 1 and native wildcard Arnav Paparkar made probably the most of his alternative, reaching the second spherical of the lads’s singles on the opening day of the MSLTA 25,000 {dollars} – ITF Males’s Tennis Match, organised by the Maharashtra State Garden Tennis Affiliation (MSLTA) on the Dr G.A. Ranade Tennis Centre.

The 17-year-old from Pune was main 6-2, 5-1 when his opponent Grigoriy Lomakin retired from the match.

Indian gamers delivered a powerful efficiency within the first spherical of the singles foremost draw. Seventh seed Sasikumar Mukund led the cost for the house contingent with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Thailand’s James Van Herzeele.

Ishaque Eqbal additionally progressed comfortably, defeating wildcard Raghav Jaisinghani 6-3, 6-2.

-Crew Sportstar

CUE SPORTS

Dhruv Sitwala defeats Aashit Pandya 4-0 in Snooker Traditional

Dhruv Sitwala produced a dominant present to defeat Aashit Pandya 4-0 of their fourth spherical match of the CCI Snooker Traditional occasion in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The billiards professional Sitwala confirmed that he’s equally proficient within the multi-coloured balls inexperienced baize recreation, successful the competition 4-0 (74-17, 46-31, 50-41, 63(48)-35).

Younger Rohan Pai performed confidently and grabbed his possibilities to build up the factors and obtained the higher of Ashish Gore 4-2 (69-42, 75(46)-1, 47-50, 53-40, 44-57, 78-42) in one other spherical 4 match.

One other billiards participant, Siddharth Parikh, recorded a powerful win as he beat Rohan Kothare 4-1 (58-16, 70-20, 72-44, 47-68, 76-55).

Rovin D’Souza was made to work exhausting for a 4-3 (92-45, 13-108(51, 55), 52-49, 53-49, 34-70, 41-58, 45-11) victory by R Girish to advance to the subsequent spherical.

In the meantime, veteran cueist Rafat Habib hammered Amit Sapru 4-0 (53-43, 73-43, 68-45, 72-28).

-PTI

BADMINTON

Aakarshi Kashyap enters Orleans Masters foremost draw

Aakarshi Kashyap superior to the ladies’s singles foremost draw after registering two wins within the qualifying rounds on the Orléans Masters right here on Tuesday.

World No. 63 Aakarshi first defeated compatriot Shriyanshi Valishetty 21-19, 17-21, 21-13 earlier than overcoming Lee Y H of Chinese language Taipei 21-17, 21-19 within the subsequent spherical.

She’s going to face Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min subsequent.

In males’s singles qualifying, S Subramanian went down 12-21, 18-21 to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, a bronze medallist on the Paris 2024 Olympics, who’s on a comeback path after an injury-plagued 2025 season by which he opted for rehabilitation over again surgical procedure.

In ladies’s doubles, the Indian pair of Ashwini Bhat Okay and Shikha Gautam conceded a walkover to the Japanese duo of Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara.

Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi, who received the Al Ain Masters, Turkiye Worldwide Problem and Telangana India Worldwide Problem titles in 2025, superior after Czechia’s Jiri Kral and Ondrej Kral retired after shedding the opening recreation 10-21.

-PTI

FOOTBALL

I-League 2 to start on March 27

The I-League 2 season, the third tier of Indian males’s soccer that includes 9 golf equipment, will start on March 27 and can be performed in a single round-robin, home-and-away format, with every staff enjoying eight matches — 4 at residence and 4 away.

Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC will tackle Sudeva Delhi FC on the KASA Stadium in Diphu, whereas GMSC will face Sporting Membership Bengaluru on the Cooperage Stadium in Mumbai on the opening day.

The season will conclude on Could 15, with the champions and runners-up set to be promoted to the Indian Soccer League 2026–27.

The ninth-placed membership, together with Sports activities Academy Tirur (who’ve withdrawn from I-League 2 2025-26 previous to the graduation of the league), can be relegated to I-League 3 2026-27.

The 9 collaborating groups embody two relegated golf equipment from the I-League 2024–25 — Delhi FC and Sporting Membership Bengaluru; two promoted sides from the I-League 3 2024–25 — GMSC and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC; 4 returning groups from the I-League 2 2024–25 — United SC, NEROCA FC, Sporting Clube de Goa and FC Bengaluru United; and Sudeva Delhi FC, who have been reinstated to I-League 2 following a choice by the AIFF Government Committee.

TRAU FC and KLASA FC have been relegated from I-League 2 2024-25 after ending eighth and ninth, respectively.

-PTI

Revealed on Mar 17, 2026