The U-23 World Wrestling Championships has always been a happy hunting ground for Indian grapplers. But this time, 21 out of 30 Indian wrestlers will miss the tournament as the Embassy of Spain denied them visas for the October 17-23 tournament being held in Pontevedra. The embassy informed them about the cancellation of their visa forms, except for nine wrestlers who have already left for the event without any coaching and support staff, because they might overstay in the northwestern Spanish city.
Rudrankksh is world champ in 10m air rifle shoot
When ‘junior’ Rudrankksh Patil defeated Arjun Babuta for the National Games gold two weeks ago, he was in disbelief having outplayed the World Cup gold medallist in the final. Last week the Thane boy, all of 18, beat not just Babuta but also the Tokyo podium winners to become the new world champion in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Championships in Cairo. In the process, Rudrankksh also won a quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He will have to safeguard the Paris ticket with consistency for two years, as quotas won by shooters belong to the country and not individuals. With this feat, Rudrankksh became the second Indian world champion in the 10m air rifle category after Abhinav Bindra, who won the gold in 2006.
Women's IPL likely in March
The inaugural edition of Women’s IPL will have five teams and is set to take place in March 2023 before the start of men’s IPL. As per a BCCI note, the tournament will feature 20 league games with teams to play each other twice. The table toppers will get a direct entry into the final, while the second and third place teams will battle out in the Eliminator. Each team can have no more than five overseas cricketers in the playing eleven.
Indian GM Erigaisi shocks Carlsen
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on Sunday hogged the spotlight, beating world champion Magnus Carlsen in round seven of the preliminaries of the Aimchess Rapid online chess tournament. The 19-year-old Erigaisi, who had gone down to compatriot Vidit Santosh Gujrathi to make a losing start in the event, is currently in fifth place after eight rounds. The win over Norwegian superstar Carlsen in the seventh round early on Sunday was the Indian’s first over the world champion. Erigaisi won three straight games, beating Nils Grandelius (Sweden), Daniel Naroditsky (USA) and Carlsen before settling for a draw against Jan-Krzyszstof Duda (Poland). He has 15 points and is in fifth place behind Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattoro v (17 points), Shahkriyar Mame-dyarov (Azerbaijan) and Carlsen (both 16) and Duda (15).
Doping ban for discus thrower Kamalpreet
Olympic discus finalist Kamalpreet Kaur was banned for three years for doping with an anabolic steroid, track and field’s Athletics Integrity Unit said. Kamalpreet had one year cut from the standard four-year ban after she admitted the violation and accepted her sanction, the AIU said. She will be allowed to keep her sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics last year but will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics before the ban expires in March 2025. The 26-year-old tested positive for stanozolol in a urine sample given in March when training at Patiala.
The steroid was most famously used by sprinter Ben Johnson at the 1988 Olympics.
Gujarat bag five medals at Pickleball meet
Gujarat won five medals - four gold and a silver - at the recently concluded National pickleball championship in Indore. Sixteen-year-old Rakshika Ravi won the gold medal in the women’s singles category, beating women much senior in age and experience. Purvansh Patel and Dev Shah added another gold in the U-16 boys’ doubles category. In the 35+ age category, Dhiren Patel emerged victorious, clinching the men’s singles gold medal. He added a silver also in the men’s open singles category. Players from 16 states had participated in the meet. Pickleball is a racquet/paddle sport, combining many elements of tennis, badminton & table tennis.
Pakistan down NZ to clinch tri-series
Pakistan beat New Zealand by five wickets in the final of a tri-series in Christchurch, giving themselves a timely boost ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. Chasing 164 against New Zealand, Pakistan's middle order came good to secure victory with three balls to spare. Skipper Kane Williamson top scored for the hosts with 59. The tourists lost skipper Babar Azam (15) Mohammad Rizwan, made 34 to keep them on course. Brief scores: New Zealand: 163/7 in 20 overs (Williamson 59, Phillips 29, Chapman 25; Naseem 2-38, Rauf 2-22) lost to Pakistan: 168/5 in 20 overs.
