Takhellambam Inunganbi won a bronze medal in the women’s -70kg division at the Asian Judo Championships in Ordos City, China, on Friday. | Photo Credit: INSPIRE INSTITUTE OF SPORT

JUDO

Takhellambam Inunganbi wins bronze, India’s first medal at Asian Championships in 13 years

Takhellambam Inunganbi won a bronze medal in the women’s -70kg division at the Asian Judo Championships 2026 in Ordos City, China, on Friday.

The 27-year-old judoka’s bronze ended India’s 13-year-wait for a podium-finish at the continental event.

She beat Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Sarantsetseg by ippon in the bronze medal match to secure the bronze.

Angom Anita Chanu was the last Indian to clinch a medal at the AsianChampionships, having also won a bronze in the women’s -52kg category at the 2013 edition held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tulika Maan will be in action in the women’s +78kg division on the final day of competition.

- Team Sportstar

SQUASH

Chotrani goes down to world No 19 Masotti in Hamburg thriller

India’s Veer Chotrani went down to French fourth seed Baptiste Masotti in a five-game thriller in the men’s quarterfinals of the Hamburg Open, a PSA Bronze-level event.

Chotrani, ranked world No 47, recovered twice to take the contest down to the wire before the French world No 19 clinched the decider for a 12-10, 9-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-6 victory in 69 minutes.

Other Indians -- fifth seed Abhay Singh, seventh seed Ramit Tandon, and former women’s world No. 10 Joshna Chinappa -- bowed out of the competition on Thursday night.

- PTI

HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour: Suraj Chand, lone Indian in semis

Suraj Kumar Chand was the lone Indian to advance to the semifinals of the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai.

Men’s second seed Chand will meet Hong Kong’s Wailok To in the last-four stage after easing past compatriot Om Semwal in straight games in the quarterfinals.

- Team Sportstar

GOLF

Aditi Ashok makes cut in LA

An eagle towards the end of the day saw Indian golfer Aditi Ashok make the cut at the JM Eagle LA Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Aditi carded 72 after a first round 70 and at 2-under for 36 hole.

She bogeyed the 10th and 15th but picked one shot on the 16th. A bogey on the 18th was followed by a birdie on the first. The see-saw continued as she bogeyed the second before landing an eagle on the seventh.

Sei Young Kim shot her second straight 7-under 65 at El Caballero to take a one-stroke lead in the final event before the first women’s major of the season.

First-round leader Chizzy Iwai of Japan was tied for second with Ina Yoon of South Korea. Iwai followed her opening 63 with a 68, making three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine late in the afternoon.

Yoon had a 64. She played her opening nine holes — the back nine at El Caballero — in 7-under 29 and added a birdie on the par-5 seventh.

- PTI

Pranavi lone Indian to make cut in Joburg Ladies Open

Pranavi Urs was the sole Indian to make the cut as she scraped through into the weekend rounds on the cutline at the Joburg Ladies Open.

Pranavi, who carded 3-under 70 on the opening day at the Par-73 Randpark Golf Club, added 1-over 74.

Pranavi flirted with danger as she turned in 1-under 36, but then had four bogeys against just two birdies. She even bogeyed her closing hole, the ninth, but managed to survive by a whisker. She was tied 52nd.

Two of the other four Indians in the field this week, Tvesa Malik (72-73) and Diksha Dagar (72-73), missed the cut by one. Avani Prashanth (75-74) and Hitaashee Bakshi (77-74) missed by a bigger margin.

France’s Celine Herbin and USA’s Brianna Navarrosa shared the lead after two rounds. The second round finished early on Saturday as play was suspended earlier due to darkness. Fifteen players had to come in the morning to resume their round.

The pair had completed their second rounds on Friday at 11-under par through 36 holes on a rain-ridden day at Randpark Golf Club.

Herbin, 43, made the most of dry morning conditions firing a 67 (-6) to set the early target. The Frenchwoman, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET), got off to a hot start birdying five of her first seven holes in South Africa.

A string of pars followed before Herbin birdied the par-5 14th and 18th after hitting the green in two. Herbin is chasing a third LET victory.

Navarrosa meanwhile had to deal with a more testing, wet afternoon carding early birdies at the 12th and 18th before the horn sounded due to the threat of thunder and lightning in the area.

Returning for the restart following a 45-minute suspension, the 23-year-old proved rain was no hinderance as she carded three birdies in a row at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to move into the solo lead.

In solo third on 10-under par sits France’s Camille Chevalier who matched the round of the week 66 (-7). Chevalier, a one-time winner in Hero Women’s Indian Open on the LET, did not drop a single shot on Friday at Randpark Golf Club.

- PTI

MOTORSPORT

Brilliant Karna Kadur snatches advantage

The Bengaluru-Coimbatore combination of Karna Kadur and co-driver Kumar Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) came up with a drive to remember as he opened a 22-second lead over legendary Gaurav Gill (Srikanth GM) from Delhi and topped the 49th South India Rally at the Madras on conclusion of Leg-1 at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai.

With four more Special Stages to be run on Sunday and a sizeable lead, Kadur is within striking distance of the title.

The three-day event which concludes tomorrow doubles up as the Round-2 of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship powered by Vamcy Merla and Round-1 of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship.

- Team Sportstar

ATHLETICS

TCS World 10K Bengaluru: Abhishek Pal, Sanjivani Jadhav lead record-breaking 35,000+ participants

The 18th edition of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru is set to welcome a record 35,000+ participants across on-ground and virtual races on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

With a total prize purse of USD 210,000, the World Athletics Gold Label Race will feature a fast elite field, including Uganda’s Harbert Kibet and defending champion Sarah Chelangat, alongside defending champion and event record holder Abhishek Pal of India and Sanjivani Jadhav.

- Team Sportstar

BADMINTON

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has announced a nationwide mascot design contest for the upcoming BWF World Championships 2026, inviting fans, artists, and creators to play a role in shaping the identity of one of badminton’s most prestigious global events.

Open to participants of all ages, the contest runs from April 18 to May 10, with the winner set to receive Rs. 25,000 along with VIP tickets to the semifinals or finals.

- PTI

TABLE TENNIS

Syndrela completes rare double at Nationals

Syndrela Das capped a remarkable run by defeating Divyanshi Bhowmick 4–1 in the U-19 singles final, bringing the curtain down on the girls’ team events in the first leg of the Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships in Dehradun.

With this victory, Syndrela completed a rare double, having already secured the Under-17 singles crown at the same championships. The promising paddler from West Bengal continues her impressive rise, adding to her earlier silver at the Senior National Championships in Indore.

- PTI

INDIAN FOOTBALL

Bengaluru wins again

Bengaluru FC beat FC Goa 1-0 to secure its third Reliance Foundation Development League title, maintaining its stance as the most successful team in the league.

Haobam Ricky Meetei scored the lone goal in the match.

- Team Sportstar

Published on Apr 18, 2026