E-SPORTS
‘Landmark moment’
Hailing the sports ministry’s decision to include e-sports medallists and their coaches under its cash incentive program, the ESFI on Wednesday said the move would lead to “exponential rise in grassroots participation”.
The ministry has come out with a list of 51 sports that will be eligible for cash rewards, including all those which are part of the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the World University Games roster.
The list includes sports like mallakhamb, e-sports and kho kho.
This move aligns e-sports with traditional sports, opening doors for millions of gamers to represent India on the global stage, the Esports Federation of India said in a media release.
“This is a landmark moment for Indian e-sports. The government’s recognition of Esports medalists and their coaches with financial incentives is a defining step for our sports,” Director of ESFI and VP-Asian Esports Federation Lokesh Suji said.
“India is already a force to reckon with in e-sports, and this initiative will inspire more young talents to compete on the international stage. We foresee an exponential rise in grassroots participation and the development of India’s e-sports ecosystem,” he added.
The inclusion of coaches for e-sports players in the incentive scheme will foster a whole new ecosystem of structured training and professional development of technical and coaching staff dedicated to e-sports, which currently is a biggest missing link for the country.
Indian e-sports has already made significant strides on the global stage, with players like Wasfi Bilal, Pavan Kampelli, Tirth Mehta, and DOTA2 Team bringing laurels to the country.
– PTI
CRICKET
Maharani of Vadodara Radhikaraje Gaekwad extends support to Gujarat Giants ahead of WPL home debut
Ahead of their much-anticipated home debut in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner, along with teammates Kashvee Gautam, Phoebe Litchfield, and Deandra Dottin, enjoyed a memorable outing with Maharani of Baroda, Radhikaraje Gaekwad at the iconic Laxmi Vilas Palace.
Maharani Radhikaraje, a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, extended her support to the team and shared insights on her initiatives and the legacy of Vadodara’s cricket culture.
The players, joined by Bowling Coach Pravin Tambe and Mr. Sanjay Adesara, Chief Business Officer of Adani Sportsline, also visited Gazra Cafe, an initiative by Shri Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogalaya (MCSU). Founded in 1914 by Maharani Chimnabai II, MCSU focuses on empowering women through education, vocational training, and skill development, particularly in handicrafts and embroidery. The cafe is run by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The visit featured an engaging interactive session between the players and Maharani Radhikaraje, who shares a deep-rooted connection with cricket. As a gesture of appreciation, captain Ashleigh Gardner presented her with a special Gujarat Giants jersey. In return, Maharani extended her best wishes to the team ahead of the new season, reaffirming her support to the home team, women’s cricket and its growing impact in India.
GOLF
Pranavi, Aditi, Diksha and Tvesa aim to shine in Saudi Ladies International
Young golfer Pranavi Urs, the top Indian on the Ladies European Tour in 2024, will aim to make an impression when she makes her debut at the sixth PIF Saudi Ladies International, starting in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The other Indians in the field for the lucrative USD 5 million event include five-time LET winner Aditi Ashok, who also competes on the LPGA Tour, two-time LET winner Diksha Dagar, and Tvesa Malik Sandhu.
Pranavi, who impressed on the domestic Hero Women’s Golf Tour with several wins, secured five Top 10 finishes, including two third-place finishes at the Dormy Open and Andalucia Open de Espana.
In her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour, the 21-year-old finished 17th on the Money List and will hope for a good outing this week.
Diksha Dagar, who had a strong start to the 2025 season, finished second last week after losing in a play-off to Cara Gainer at the season-opening Lalla Meryem Cup.
Last season, Dagar, who represented India at the Paris Olympics, had a more modest campaign by her standards, recording four Top-10 finishes and finishing 29th in the OOM, after securing third place in 2023.
Tvesa Malik Sandhu, meanwhile, bounced back to regain her LET card and finished 60th on the Money List in 2024. She came close to her first win before losing a play-off to Alice Hewson at the VP Swiss Bank Ladies Open.
This week, a massive prize pool of USD 5 million is on offer, split across two events. The Team competition has a prize fund of USD 500,000, while the Individual competition boasts a total prize pool of USD 4.5 million.
– PTI
Tata Steel PGTI: Yuvraj Sandhu takes sole lead after Round 2
Indian golfer Yuvraj Sandhu.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Indian golfer Yuvraj Sandhu.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Yuvraj Sandhu shot a sensational nine-under 61 to take the sole lead after the second round of the season-opening Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship on the Tollygunge Club course in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Overnight joint leader Sandhu totalled 16-under 124 to take a three-shot lead at the halfway stage.
Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain struck an impressive eight-under 62 to take the second position with an aggregate of 127.
Five players, including Honey Baisoya, Rahil Gangjee, S.S.P. Chawrasia, M. Dharma and Arjun Sharma, shared the third place with an identical total of 130.
The cut was decided at two-under 138. Fifty-nine professionals and one amateur, Anshul Mishra, made the cut.
The scores (second round):
124-Yuvraj Sandhu (63, 61); 127-Jamal Hossain (65, 62); 130-S.S.P. Chawrasia (64, 66), M. Dharma (67, 63), Arjun Sharma (63, 67), Honey Baisoya (65, 65), Rahil Gangjee (63, 67); 131-Shamim Khan (67, 64).
-Y.B. Sarangi
TENNIS
Balaji-Miguel enters quarterfinals of Delray Beach Open
Sriram Balaji in partnership with Miguel Reyes-Varela of Mexico beat Ethan Quinn and Learner Tien 3-6, 6-2, [10-4] in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the $766,290 ATP tennis tournament in Delray Beach, USA.
In the $688,985 ATP event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sumit Nagal retired in the third set of the second and final qualifying round but made the main draw as a lucky-loser.
The results:
$766,290 ATP, Delray Beach, USA
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Sriram Balaji & Miguel Reyes-Varela (Mex) bt Ethan Quinn & Learner Tien (USA) 3-6, 6-2, [10-4].
$200,000 Challenger, Manama, Bahrain
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Ivan Liutarevich & Luca Sanchez (Fra) bt Anirudh Chandrasekar & Ray Ho (Tpe) 7-6(4), 6-3; Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & Vijay Sundar Prashanth bt Saketh Mynnei & Colin Sinclair (Nmi) 6-4, 7-6(1).
$15,000 ITF men, Monastir, Tunisia
Singles (first round): Manas Dhamne bt Alberto Campos (Esp) 7-6(2), 6-3.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Oleksii Krutykh (Ukr) & Dimitris Sakellaridis (Gre) bt Lorenzo Carboni (Ita) & Manas Dhamne 6-7(4), 7-6(0), [10-7].
-Kamesh Srinivasan
BASKETBALL
INBL Pro league: Mumbai Titans beats Chennai Heat
Mumbai Titans sustained a strong performance right through the match to beat Chennai Heat 85-70 after leading 44-31 at halftime in the INBL Pro basketball league at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
It was the second victory in four matches for the Mumbai team, which had revived its fortunes with a victory over Hyderabad Falcons two days earlier.
Hyderabad did well to record a thrilling 88-84 victory over Punjab Warriors late on Tuesday night for its third win in four matches.
The results:
Mumbai Titans 85 (Elijah Puna 18, Liam Judd 14, Dalph Panopio 14, Durrell McDonald 11) bt Chennai Heat 70 (Tad Dufelmeier 17, Shakem Johnson 12, Jack Stanwix 10)
Hyderabad Falcons 88 (Jack Purchase 32, Kushal Singh 11, Harry Morris 11, Alex Robinson jr. 10) bt Punjab Warriors 84 (Stokley Chaffee 21, Lucas Barker 18, Gurbaz Sandhu 12, Uche Dibiamaka 11).
-Kamesh Srinivasan
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com