Indian sports activities wrap, April 27: Rugby Premier League to have ladies’s franchises; S8UL to symbolize India at Worlds

RUGBY

Rugby Premier League Season 2 introduces ladies’s franchises

The second version of the Rugby Premier League will introduce ladies’s franchises, constructing on the success of the lads’s league within the 2025 season.

4 of the prevailing six males’s groups—Chennai Bulls (owned by Avid Sys Sports activities), Delhi Redz (owned by RMZ Corp), Mumbai Dreamers (owned by Dream Sports activities), and Kolkata Banga Tigers (owned by Hunch Ventures), previously Kalinga Black Tigers and now relocated from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata—may even discipline ladies’s groups.

“It has at all times been our dream at Rugby India to have an RPL Girls’s version. This yr, that dream involves fruition,” Rahul Bose, President, Rugby India, stated.

The 2026 version of the Rugby Premier League is scheduled to be held from June 16–28 at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad. The participant draft and public sale for the 4 ladies’s groups and 6 males’s groups, together with Hyderabad Heroes and Bengaluru Bravehearts, will happen in Hyderabad on April 30.

Sujoy Ganguly, CMO, GMR Sports activities, added, “At GMR Sports activities, we now have at all times believed in constructing platforms that drive significant change in Indian sport. The inclusion of girls’s groups within the Rugby Premier League is a pure and vital development for the league.”

– Workforce Sportstar

ESPORTS

S8UL wins nationwide qualifier to seal spot in Pokémon UNITE World Championship

S8UL gained the India Qualifier of the Pokémon UNITE World Championship Sequence 2026, and can now symbolize the nation on the Worlds in San Francisco between August 28 and 30.

The event will function a prize pool of USD 500,000 (~INR 4.7 crore).

The India Qualifier featured a double-elimination format, with all matches performed as best-of-three sequence besides the grand finals, which had been contested in a best-of-five showdown.

Led by Captain Manmohan Singh (All May), the S8UL roster comprising Anklesh Satelkar (Novaa), Darshan Nate (Kai), Naitik Jain (Wolf), and Md Sarim Hasan (Qing) delivered a commanding efficiency all through the event.

S8UL will now symbolize India on the World Championships in San Francisco between August 28 and 30.
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

With the win within the qualifier, S8UL claimed USD 15,000 (~INR 14.1 lakh) from the event’s total USD 25,000 (~INR 23.5 lakh) prize pool.

“For us, the main focus was on staying disciplined, speaking clearly, and adapting rapidly in each match. I’m pleased with the way in which everybody on the group stepped up when it mattered most,” Manmohan Singh, aka All May, Captain of S8UL’s Pokémon UNITE group, stated.

– Workforce Sportstar

MOTORSPORTS

Johann Emmanuel turns into first Indian rider to win QSTK 600 championship

India’s Johann Emmanuel, astride a Kawasaki ZX-6, scripted historical past by changing into the primary from his nation to win the coveted Qatar Superstock 600 Championship (QSTK) by successful each the races within the postponed ultimate spherical on Friday to supply a grand climax to his debut season on this class.

Johann Emmanuel demonstrated outstanding consistency and tempo, successful six out of ten races in Qatar.
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

The 19-year-old Chennai-based Johann, trailing championship chief Marton Belleli from Hungary by 9 factors going into the weekend’s double-header, wanted to win each races to seal the title, and he delivered in a shocking vogue.

Qualifying second, Johann gained each races, withstanding immense strain to clinch the championship with a 21-point benefit. He completed the season with six wins out of 10 races, having endured a 200 km/h crash and three retirements attributable to mechanical points.

“It’s an unimaginable feeling to safe my first worldwide title in my debut season on a 600cc machine. I used to be thrilled after the race. Each little bit of laborious work and sacrifice was price it. However that is just the start, and there’s nonetheless a great distance forward,” Johann stated.

– Workforce Sportstar

Mascarenhas, Karumbaiah end seventh on WRC3 debut, forty eighth total

Indian rally driver Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah completed seven on their WRC3 class debut on the Rally Islas Canarias in Las Palmas, Spain.

Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally 3 ready by PH Sport, the Indian pair completed total forty eighth and seventh of their WRC3 class.

“We overcame brake points and settled down, and on Saturday the main focus has been on regrouping and studying as a lot as doable from each kilometre. Each stage taught us one thing new,” Mascarenhas stated in a launch.

– PTI

GOLF

Anshul Mishra topped India’s No. 1 beginner golfer

Younger golfer Anshul Mishra has formally turn out to be India’s top-ranked beginner golfer.

In keeping with the newest Gents Benefit Listing issued by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) for the 2026 season, Mishra has claimed the coveted No. 1 spot, consolidating his standing because the nation’s premier beginner expertise.

Mishra, a product of Roundglass Golf Academy, secured his No. 1 place on the again of victory on the IGU Northern India Novice Golf Championship in March 2026.

Enjoying on the difficult Panchkula Golf Membership, he carded a ultimate spherical of 69 to win the event with a complete rating of 6-under 282.

In 2025, Mishra completed ranked third total on the IGU listing. He additionally demonstrated his kind by taking the highest spot within the stroke play qualifying rounds of the IGU 124th Novice Championship of India in December.

-PTI

GYMNASTICS

Tapan, Harschit win gold at Nationwide Inventive Gymnastics Championships

Tapan Mohanty and Harschit Damodaran secured the lads’s senior and junior all-around gold medals, respectively, within the Nationwide creative gymnastics championships on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Railways took the senior males’s group title. 

-Workforce Sportstar

BRIDGE

Prime bridge gamers to compete in upcoming Kolkata meet

Over 400 contributors from throughout the nation will vie for prime honours within the ninth Annual All India Bridge Championships starting on Thursday.

Company Bridge Affiliation of India’s Secretary Debashish Roy stated the four-day meet could have an enhanced prize cash to Rs. 10 lakh.

Recognised by the Bridge Federation of India, the occasion can be a class A occasion within the nation. There might be two predominant occasions — Workforce of 4 and Match Level Pairs.

-PTI

Printed on Apr 27, 2026