HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour: Suraj Chand bags crown

Suraj Kumar Chand defeated South Korean Jeongmin Ryu in straight games in the men’s final of the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Monday.

The Indian second seed, ranked 134 in the world, beat his eighth seed opponent 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 for his fourth PSA Tour title.

Egyptian seventh seed Rouqaia Othman defeated Malaysian second seed Harleein Tan 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 in the women’s final.

– Team Sportstar

HOCKEY

Hockey India announces Sub Junior Men and Women members for U-18 National Coaching Camp in Bhopal

Hockey India on Monday announced a list of 84 players (42 men and 42 women) for the upcoming U-18 National Coaching Camp, began at SAI Bhopal on April 19, 2026. The players have been selected based on the recently concluded 16th Hockey India Sub Junior National Championships.

The initial 42-member groups will be pruned down to 24 players after one week of evaluation, and they will be part of an intensive training block that is part of the final preparations for the Men’s and Women’s U18 Asia Cup Kakamigahara 2026, which will take place in Japan from May 29 to June 6.

A major highlight of the camp will be the exposure series at SAI Bhopal, where the Indian men’s and women’s U-18 sides will play practice matches against Australia’s U-18 teams from May 11 to 21. This camp serves as the final selection ground for the squads that will represent India at the U18 Asia Cup.

Rani Rampal has been named as coach for the Women’s team, while Sardar Singh and Rajnish Mishra will be in charge of the Men’s camp.

Commenting on the camp, men’s coach Singh said, “This camp is a fantastic initiative by Hockey India to nurture the next generation of talent. Our primary focus will be on strengthening their foundational basics while introducing them to the tactical demands of modern hockey. I see immense potential in this group. We may see several of these players representing India at the senior level for the next 10 to 15 years. The upcoming series against Australia will provide these young boys with a vital taste of international pressure.”

Women’s coach Rampal said, “Our focus in Bhopal will be on refining individual skills and team structure. The exposure matches against Australia are a fantastic opportunity for the girls to test themselves against a world-class side. It is the best way to prepare them for the demands of the Asia Cup and beyond. Moreover, these young athletes are the future of the sport, and we want to ensure they develop the temperament required to dominate at the highest level for years to come.”

The 42-member men’s squad features a strong contingent from Uttar Pradesh (7), followed by Madhya Pradesh (6), and Punjab (4). Additionally, there are three players each from Odisha, Jharkhand, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DDD), while two players each have been included in the camp from Bihar, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Also, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand and Rajasthan contribute one player each to the camp.

The 42-member women’s squad is led by eight players from Jharkhand, while Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Odisha contribute five players each. Uttar Pradesh has four representatives, with Haryana, Bihar, and Mizoram contributing three players each. Manipur is represented by two players, followed by Maharashtra, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu with one player each.

– Team Sportstar

GOLF

Aditi finishes T-51 in JM Eagle Champs in LA

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok couldn’t recover from an early triple bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, carding a four-over 76 to finish tied for 51st at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

Aditi had just one birdie, two birdies and a triple in her 76 that followed rounds of 70-72-69-76 for a total of 1-under for the week.

It has been a decent season for Aditi, who was T-3 at Blue Bay LPGA and T-14 at Fortinet and T-27 at Aramco Championship. However, Aditi, who joined the LPGA in 2017, is still searching for his maiden win.

Hannah Green won the JM Eagle LA Championship for the third time in first four years and the first at El Caballero, holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole after a back-nine comeback.

She was six strokes behind playing partner Sei Young Kim for a few moments on the 11th green. Green closed with a 4-under 68 to match Kim (70) and Jin Hee Im (67) at 17-under 271 on the tree-lined layout.

Patty Tavatanakit (70) was 14-under with Haeran Ryu (66). First-round leader Chizzy Iwai (70) was 12-under with Minami Katsu (68).

– PTI

Pranavi Urs finishes tied 36th in Joburg Ladies Open

Indian golfer Pranavi Urs closed the week with a round of 1-under 72 and finished tied 36th at the Joburg Ladies Open.

The sole Indian to make the cut this week, had a roller-coaster of a round with one stretch of four holes from the second to the fifth having par-birdie-eagle-bogey.

Overall, she had two birdies, an eagle and three bogeys in her 72 at the Par-73 Randpark Golf course.

The other four Indians, Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, Avani Prashanth and Hitaashee Bakshi, missed the cut.

Meanwhile, it took five extra holes to separate Agathe Laisne and Kirsten Rudgeley as Laisne from France won a marathon playoff to claim her second Ladies European Tour (LET) victory of the season.

After the duo were locked on 19-under par with South Africa’s Casandra Alexander following 72 holes, it was back to the 18th hole for sudden death action at Randpark Golf Club.

On the first playoff hole, home favourite Alexander, who bogeyed the final hole in regulation for a 66 (-7), was unable to match Laisne and Rudgeley’s birdies at the par-5 18th.

The pair returned to the tee on three more occasions matching one another’s scores as darkness set in. On the third playoff hole, Rudgeley, still chasing a maiden LET win, missed a seven-foot birdie for the victory.

With one more hole of light remaining, the 18th was shortened to a 78-yard pitch as the playoff intensified once more. Laisne dialled one in to 10-feet, rolling in the birdie to pile the pressure on the Australian once more.

Rudgeley’s eight-foot effort would shave the hole giving Laisne a second victory in two months after she won the Ford Women’s NSW Open in Australia.

In solo fourth was Celine Herbin on 16-under par as England’s Cara Gainer and Slovenia’s Pia Babnik finished the week in a tie for fifth on 15-under.

Next up on the LET is the Investec SA Women’s Open in Cape town.

– PTI

DP World Players Championship tees off in Nuh with strong field

As many as 130 professionals, including leading domestic names such as Veer Ahlawat, Om Prakash Chouhan and Manu Gandas, will vie for top honours when the Rs 1 crore DP World Players Championship tees off at the Classic Golf & Country Club in Nuh on Monday.

The tournament will have a strong field with Saptak Talwar (2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit leader), Khalin Joshi and Honey Baisoya (both winners on the DP World PGTI this season) and Angad Cheema (two-time winner on the DP World PGTI last year) also competing.

Sri Lanka’s N Thangaraja, a three-time winner on the DP World PGTI last year, will be the leading foreign contingent in the field.

The host region of Gurugram and Nuh will be represented by prominent names such as Dhruv Sheoran and Tapendra Ghai — both winners on the DP World PGTI — as well as Manish Thakran and Shivendra Singh Sisodia, winners on the DP World PGTI NexGen, and Kushal Singh, Manav Bais and Saurav Rathi.

– PTI

Shooting

Two medals to be decided as ISSF Junior World Cup commences Tuesday

India’s junior shooters will be in action for the first time this season, with two medals on offer in the women’s 10m air rifle and men’s 10m air pistol events as the ISSF Junior World Cup begins in Cairo on Tuesday.

India has fielded a strong 71-member contingent, with the first batch of 58 athletes and support staff arriving in Cairo on Sunday.

Day one will also feature the 25m pistol precision stage for men and women, along with skeet qualification (75 targets) in both categories.

India has entered six athletes in the women’s 10m air rifle event, led by Asian junior record holder and 2025 ISSF Suhl World Cup champion Shambhavi Kshirsagar. She will be joined by 2025 Asian champion in 50m rifle 3 positions Anushka Thokur, 2026 New Delhi Asian Championships medallists Manyata Singh and Aneesha Sharma, 2024 Asian Championships bronze medallist Anvii Rathod and Panaah Bhugra.

In the men’s 10m air pistol event, India will also field six athletes, led by former junior world champion and 2023 World Championship mixed team gold medallist Shiva Narwal, who returns to international competition after three years.

Deaflympics 2025 champion Abhinav Deshwal, Abhinav Choudhary, Abhay Dhama, Himanshu Rana and 17-year-old Chirag Sharma complete the line-up.

A maximum of three athletes per country will qualify for the final, based on the top three scores in the qualification round.

Former World Championship and Junior World Championship medallist Sameer Gulia headlines India’s 25m pistol squad. In the men’s event, Abhinav Choudhary, Sahil Choudhary, Sagnik Banerjee, Pranshu Suryavanshi and Bhanu Pratap Singh Shekhawat will compete, while Parisha Gupta, Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat, Agam Kaur Grewal, Manvi Jain, Sejal Kamble and Shikha Chaudhary will feature in the women’s category.

In skeet, India has entered five athletes in the men’s section and four in the women’s. Zoarawar Singh Bedi, Harviraj Singh, Ishaan Singh Libra, Yashvardhan Singh Rajawat and Anjaneya Singh Mandawa will compete in the men’s event, while Risham Kaur Guron, Parmeet Kaur, Agrima Kanwar and Sanyogita Shekhawat will represent India in the women’s section.

A total of 284 athletes from 25 countries will compete in Cairo, with India fielding the largest contingent. Host Egypt has entered 29 athletes, while Russia, competing as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), has a 43-member squad. France (24), Great Britain (16) and Italy (13) have also sent sizeable contingents.

– PTI

FOOTBALL

India Under-17 men’s team to play two friendlies against Qatar in Doha

The Indian Under-17 men’s team will play two friendly matches against Qatar on April 25 and 28 in Doha.

The friendlies, India’s last two preparatory games before the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026, will be played behind closed doors.

The Blue Colts are currently in Thailand to play two friendlies against United Arab Emirates, the first of which they won 1-0 on Friday.

After the second game on Tuesday, Bibiano Fernandes’ side will depart for Doha on April 22. They will travel from Doha to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 30.

In the Asian Cup, India will take on Australia on May 6, Uzbekistan on May 10 and DPR Korea on May 13 in Group D.

-Team Sportstar

Published on Apr 20, 2026