Indian sports wrap, December 14: India finishes fifth in World Squash Team Championship 2024

SQUASH

India finishes fifth in World Squash Team Championship 2024

Indian men’s team registered its best ever finish in World Squash Team Championship 2024 in Hong Kong on Saturday.

India defeated Hong Kong 2-0 in the fifth-place match. Abhay Singh defeated Tsz Kwan Lau 12-10, 11-7, 11-4 in the first game before Velavan Senthilkumar beat Henry Leung 12-10, 8-11, 5-11, 11-1, 11-8 in the second to confirm the position.

– Team Sportstar

CYCLING

Sports Minister set to launch ‘Fit India Cycling Tuesdays’ on Dec 17

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will flag off the ‘Fit India Cycling Tuesdays’ initiative on December 17 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

The ‘Fit India Cycling Tuesdays’ initiative will spread to over 100 venues across India on December 17, with simultaneous events happening across the Sports Authority of India regional centres.

The initiative will be continued in the form of cycling events taking place every Tuesday across the nation following the launch.

CWG gold medallist boxer Nitu Ghanghas also shared an Instagram post, emphasising the event’s potential to combat pollution and create a brighter future.

Fit India champion Manas Saha and kettlebell sports athlete Anshu Taravath have also voiced their support, highlighting the dual benefits of fitness and environmental sustainability.

-PTI

BRIDGE

Indian Railway A, Fenesta enter Ashok Ruia Memorial Winter National Bridge quarterfinals

Indian Railway A, Fenesta, Monica Jajoo, Pravaha, Eisk, Challengers, Shree Cement and Mohota entered the gold group quarterfinals of the Ashok Ruia Memorial Winter National Bridge Championship.

Eight other teams in the silver group made it to the quarterfinal round here in the tournament played in Balewadi, with Northern Green topping the league.

In the gold group, Indian Railway A emerged as the top performer in the eighth round, accumulating 120.55 points. Fenesta and Monica Jaju secured the second and third positions with scores of 108.39 and 103.12 points, respectively.

The Indian Railway A team consists of Sumit Mukherjee, Debabrata Majumdar, Sayantan Kushari, Sagnik Roy, Gopinath Manna and Sandip Datta.

-PTI

VOLLEYBALL

CAVA announces Nations Cup to promote sport across Central Asia

Central Asian Volleyball Association, announced decision to build CAVA Nations Cup to promote volleyball across Central Asian region. The tournament is poised to become a flagship event, bringing together top teams from Central Asia to compete at the highest level. The introduction of the CAVA Nations Cup aligns with the growing popularity of volleyball worldwide and serves as a catalyst for the sport’s development across Central Asia.

Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) is affiliated to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Mohamed Latheef, President CAVA, expressed his excitement, “We are excited to partner with Baseline Ventures who have been the brainchild behind the very popular Prime Volleyball League in India. We are excited to work on the CAVA Nations Cup with Baseline as we witnessed India’s stand out performance during the last Asian Games which was a direct result of the success of Prime Volleyball League.”

The details on the number of participants in the CAVA Nations Cup, along with the qualification criteria, the venues and dates for the inaugural edition are yet to be finalised.

Speaking about the partnership, Tuhin Mishra, Co-Founder & MD, Baseline Ventures said, “We are proud to collaborate with Central Asian Volleyball Association on the CAVA Nations Cup, which promises to be a game-changer for volleyball in central Asia. This tournament will not only showcase the region’s talent but also provide players with a platform to compete for FIVB ranking points.”

-Team Sportstar

CAVA men’s volleyball club c’ship 2024: PVL 3 champion Calicut Heroes defeats HNSC to clinch maiden title

Prime Volleyball League season three winner Calicut Heroes won its maiden CAVA Men’s Volleyball Club Championship 2024, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

 India defeated home favourites HNSC, Nepal 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-14, 25-17) to win its first title.

The tournament features five teams from four countries: Nepal, India, Iran, and the Maldives. Gandaki and Help Nepal will represent the host nation, while Iran’s Chadormalu and Club HDC from the Maldives will join the Heroes from India.

-Team Sportstar

TENNIS

ITF women’s tournament: Shrivalli Bhamidipaty beats second seed Sahaja Yamalapalli

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty cruised past second seed Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the District Sports Complex on Saturday.

The 23-year-old Shrivalli converted five of eight breakpoints in the match for her dominant performance. She faced only two breakpoints in the match and saved one.

In the final, fifth seeded Shrivalli will play unseeded Bunyawi Thamchaiwat of Thailand who was equally authoritative in her victory over Zhibek Kulambayeva of Kazakhstan.

Bunyawi won the doubles title in partnership with compatriot Thasaporn Naklo, beating Akanksha Nitture and Soha Sadiq for the loss of six games. It was the fifth doubles title in the professional circuit for Bunyawi.

The results:

Singles (semifinals): Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (Tha) bt Zhibek Kulambayeva (Kaz) 6-1, 6-4; Shrivalli Bhamidipaty bt Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles (final): Thasaporn Naklo & Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (Tha) bt Akanksha Nitture & Soha Sadiq 6-4, 6-2.

-Kamesh Srinivasan