The victory completed a hat-trick of men’s doubles titles for Abhay and Velavan, who have now won the crown in all three editions of the continental championship. | Photo Credit: Asian Squash

SQUASH

Abhay-Velavan pair clinches third successive Asian doubles squash title

India’s top-seeded pair of Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar extended their dominance on the continental stage by winning a third consecutive men’s doubles title at the Asian Doubles Squash Championships in Sarawak, Malaysia, on Sunday.

The Indian duo rallied from a game down to defeat Pakistan’s second-seeded combination of Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman 7-11, 11-7, 11-2 in 47 minutes in a repeat of last year’s final.

The victory completed a hat-trick of men’s doubles titles for Abhay and Velavan, who have now won the crown in all three editions of the continental championship.

India also secured medals in the other two categories through veteran Joshna Chinappa.

The second-seeded women’s doubles pair of Joshna and Rathika Seelan claimed bronze after reaching the semifinals, while Joshna and Velavan earned another bronze in the mixed doubles event.

India’s other women’s doubles pair, Janet Vidhi and Pooja Arthi, finished sixth.

In the men’s final, Abhay and Velavan made a sluggish start and dropped the opening game, but quickly found their rhythm in the second.

The Indians used a blend of aggressive shot-making and deft touch to create openings in both front and back corners of the court, levelling the contest before racing through the decider.

-PTI

GOLF

Diksha chasing second top five finish of the season

Golfer Diksha Dagar stayed as the top Indian at Tied-5th and was well on her way to record another solid finish at the Dutch Ladies Open.

Two-time LET winner Diksha carded a round of 2-under 70 be 5-under par after two rounds.

Avani was just outside the top 10 after carding even par 72, with a total score of 3-under par (69-72). Charlotte Heath leads the field with a score of 8-under par (69-67).

Charlotte put together a bogey free round of 5-under 67 to take the lead heading into the final round. She leads the field by two strokes after making birdies on the first, fourth, seventh, ninth and 16th holes. The closest challengers are Lee-Anne Pace, Harang Lee and Sophie Witt with a score of 6-under par.

Diksha began her second round with an early bogey on the second hole but was able to put together a strong round with five birdies and two more bogeys on the ninth and 13th hole to close the day with a card of 2-under 70.

The birdies were made on the fifth, seventh, 14th, 16th and 17th holes. This score helped her stay within the three shots of the leader Charlotte and is one of four players in T-5.

Avani Prashanth carded an even par round to keep herself within touching distance of the top 10 as she has a total score of 3-under par.

Avani is placed T-15 after the second round. She made three birdies and three bogeys in her second round.

Having started the day with a birdie Avani made consecutive bogeys to 1-under par for the day after just three holes. Once on the back she made birdies on the 12th and 16th holes before dropping a shot on the 18th hole to close the day at even par 72.

One stroke behind Avani was Pranavi Urs at T-25 with a score of 2-under par. Pranavi had a much slower start to the week but she carded a bogey free second round of 3-under par with three birdies to move up the leaderboard and put herself into a good position to record a strong finish.

Hitaashee Bakshi missed the cut despite recording a round of even par 72 on the second day. She was let down with her opening round card of 10-over 82 as the cut was set at 1-over par for the week.

Sarah Kemp, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Dorothea Forbrigd are the three players in T-5 alongside Diksha with a score of 5-under par.

-PTI

Theegala T-2 at US Open

Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala continued his impressive run at the 2026 US Open and was T-2 after the third round here.

Leader Wyndham Clark moved within touching distance of a second national championship at Shinnecock Hills.

Theegala carded an even-par 70 to be one-under-par 209, sharing second place with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, South Korea’s Tom Kim and American Sam Stevens.

While Clark stretched his advantage to six shots at seven-under 203, Theegala emerged as the leading Indian-origin contender heading into Sunday’s final round.

-PTI

SHOOTING

NRAI conducts ISSF ‘B’ judges course for rifle and pistol disciplines

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), under its education programme, is conducting the ISSF ‘B’ judges course for rifle and pistol disciplines from June 20 to 24 at Taj Surajkund here.

The course has brought together 31 technical officials from various state rifle associations and affiliated units across the country, providing them with an opportunity to enhance their officiating knowledge and skills in accordance with the latest International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) rules and standards.

The programme is being conducted by Ghislaine Briez (France), chairperson of the ISSF judges committee, and Paul Gumn (United Kingdom), member of the ISSF technical committee.

The two distinguished ISSF officials will share their expertise through a series of classroom sessions and practical learning modules designed to strengthen technical officiating capabilities.

They are joined by Dhiraj Singh and Arun Wareshi of India, both ISSF ‘A’ licence holders and instructors for the course.

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President, NRAI, said, “Technical officials are the backbone of any sport, ensuring fairness, consistency and adherence to the rules of competition. Through the NRAI Education Programme, we are committed to continuously upgrading the capabilities of our officials and aligning them with the highest international standards.

“We are grateful to the ISSF for extending its support and expertise through this Judges Course, which will contribute significantly to the development of shooting sport in India.” Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General, NRAI and Director, NRAI Education Programme, said, “The development of technical officials is as important as the development of athletes. Well-trained judges play a vital role in ensuring fairness, consistency, and the smooth conduct of competitions in accordance with international standards.” The ISSF ‘B’ judges course is the second such programme conducted in India this year and forms part of the federation’s efforts to build a robust pool of qualified technical officials.

Through regular education initiatives and international collaborations, NRAI aims to ensure that competitions conducted across the country adhere to the highest standards of officiating while creating a strong pathway for the development of technical officials, the federation said in a press release.

-PTI

Published on Jun 21, 2026