Indian Sports Wrap, August 16: Anahat reaches final at NSW Squash Bega Open

SQUASH

Anahat reaches final at NSW Squash Bega Open

Top seed Anahat Singh overcame hiccups to beat Nour Khafagy of Egypt 10-12, 11-5, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7 in 54 minutes in the semifinals of the $27,500 Bega Open PSA women’s squash tournament in Australia.

After a sluggish start, Anahat did have the match in control, and led 10-7 in the fourth set before Khafagy stepped up her game to make a fight of it by bagging five points.

In the decider, Anahat led 9-6 when she literally caught Khafagy on the wrong foot, as the Egyptian lost balance at the back court. After medical time out, Anahat closed out the match with a similar shot that had Khafagy in a tangle.

In the final, Anahat will play second seed Habiba Hani of Egypt who overcame the resistance from Akanksha Salunkhe with a 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6 victory in 42 minutes.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

BOXING

India’s young boxers arrive in China for International Youth Boxing Gala

A 59-member Indian contingent has arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China to participate in the 3rd “Belt and Road” International Youth Boxing Gala – U17/U19/U23 International Training Camp & Tournament, scheduled from August 15–30, 2025.

The squad comprises 20 boys and 20 girls, supported by 12 coaches, 6 support staff, and 1 Referee & Judge (R&J). Organised by the Chinese Boxing Federation and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Government, the event begins with a training camp from August 17 to 25 in Urumqi, followed by the competition phase from August 26 to 29 in Urumqi and Yili.

Only U-17 boys and girls are representing India at this edition. The boxers were selected from the 6th U-17 Junior Boys & Girls National Boxing Championships 2025, with gold and silver medalists in the Asian Youth Games weight categories and gold medalists in the Non-Asian Youth Games weight categories making the cut.

Boxers will compete across multiple divisions. U17 boys and girls will contest in 13 weight categories – 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, +80kg.

– Team Sportstar

GOLF

Copenhagen Golf: Ahlawat makes cut as Shubhankar’s woes continue

Veer Ahlawat played a strong second round to sneak inside the cut line at the Danish Golf Championship on the DP World Tour.

Ahlawat shot (73-68) to be 1-under and Tied-45th, getting into the weekend, while Shubhankar Sharma, despite two rounds of even par, once again failed to make the cut, which was kept at 1-under.

Having shot 2-over 73 on the first day, Ahlawat needed a strong second round, but an early double on the Par-4 13th, his fourth hole, set him back further. Ahlawat fought back with five birdies in six holes from the 16th.

After an early double bogey on the 13th hole, two consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes helped him bring the round back under control. He began the front nine with three consecutive birdies.

He was once again in trouble with a bogey on the Par-3 fifth, at which point he was in danger of missing the cut. A birdie on the Par-4 eighth hole ensured weekend action for the young Indian.

Rasmus Højgaard played a second round of 7-under 64 for a total of 12-under to move into the lead at the halfway mark. Højgaard shot 66 in the first round.

The 24-year-old home favourite is now two shots ahead of his closest competitor, the first-day leader Marco Penge (64-68), who is 10-under.

-PTI

Boise on Korn Ferry: Rayhan Thomas makes cut

Rayhan Thomas played a second round of 1-under 70 at the Hillcrest Country Club to make the cut in the Albertsons Boise Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Thomas slipped to tied 33rd from tied 8th on the leaderboard at the end of the second day but safely made the cut. He had three birdies and two bogeys in the round.

Having started on the back nine, he began the round with a bogey and then recovered the shot with a birdie on the 11th before making another bogey of the day on the 18th hole.

On the front nine, he made consecutive birdies on the second and third holes for a score of one under for the day. His combined score now stands at seven under.

Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju, a past winner on the Korn Ferry Tour, shot a round of 1-under 70 as well but missed the cut by one stroke after a first-round 67.

The cut was set at six under par, and Yellamaraju had a two-day score of five under par. Indo-American Julian Suri (63-72) also made the cut at T-33 alongside Thomas.

Philip Knowles shot a second round of 7-under 64 to move into the lead at the halfway mark. The American played a bogey-free second round, including seven birdies.

-PTI

Aditi Ashok makes cut in Portland

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok made the cut at the Standard Portland Classic on the LPGA after an action-packed second round of 2-under 70, here.

Aditi had five birdies and three bogeys in her 70 and is now Tied-27th at the halfway stage with an aggregate of 5-under for two days.

Indian-American Gurleen Kaur (65-68) is still Tied-second while Savannah Grewal, a Canadian with Indian origins, is T-11 with cards of 69-67.

Korea’s Jeongeun Lee5 shot a 6-under 67 to take the lead while 65-year-old Juli Inkster fell short in her bid to become the oldest player to make a cut in LPGA Tour history.

Lee5, the 36-year-old South Korean player, had a 12-under 132 total at Columbia Edgewater. Winless on the LPGA Tour, she birdied the final five holes on her front nine in the morning round.

-PTI

Saptak Talwar plays bogey free to make cut in Finland

Saptak Talwar played a strong bogey-free second round at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge to make the cut and be placed Tied 36th.

With rounds of 73-67, he was 4-under at the Par-72 Cooke Course.

Talwar had three birdies and one eagle during the day. He started on the back nine and made birdie on the 13th hole and turned in one-under.

On the front nine he made consecutive birdies on the first and second and then closed his round with an eagle on the ninth.

George Mason played a second round of 6-under 66 to take the lead at the halfway mark. The Englishman made eight birdies and two bogeys. Mason had played a bogey free round of 7-under 65 on the first day and has a combined score of 13 under par.

-PTI

SHOOTING

Part of strong Indian contingent departs for Asian Championship

The first batch of the strong Indian contingent of 182 shooters left for the 16th Asian Shooting championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

The championship, scheduled to be held from August 18 to 29, featuring rifle, pistol and shotgun events for men and women, apart from juniors and youth will feature about 750 shooters from 28 countries.

Part of the Indian shooting contingent bound for the Asian Shooting Championship at the Delhi airport.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Host Kazakhstan will have the second biggest squad of 111 shooters, while Korea will have 70. The world powerhouse of shooting, China will have 41 shooters.

India has chosen its best shooters for the Asian championship with an eye on maximum collection from the 58 medal events.

Apart from the Olympic events, the championship will also have centre fire pistol, standard pistol, free pistol, rifle prone and double trap events.

TENNIS

Sidharth Rawat loses semifinals

Sidharth Rawat was beaten 6-2, 6-4 by top seed Arthur Gea of France in the semifinals of the $30,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament in Bali, Indonesia.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

BADMINTON

Top seed Tanya Hemanth lifts Saipan International badminton crown

Top seeded Indian Tanya Hemanth capped off a strong run at the Saipan International 2025 with a straight-game win over Japan’s Kanae Sakai in the women’s singles final on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, ranked 86th in the world, defeated the unseeded Sakai 15-10, 15-8 at the Oleai Sports Complex in Northern Mariana Islands to secure her fourth international series title.

Hemanth, who had earlier triumphed at the India International (2022), Iran Fajr International (2023) and Bendigo International (2024), added another feather to her cap with Saturday’s victory.

She had also finished runner-up at the Azerbaijan International last year, losing to compatriot Malvika Bansod in the final.

En route to the title in Saipan, Hemanth overcame Japan’s Ririna Hiramoto in the semi-finals, Singapore’s Lee Xin Yi Megan in the quarter-finals, beat Japanese player Nodoka Sunakawa in the round of 16. She had received a bye in the opening round.

-PTI