Catch up on the latest triumphs or setbacks through Indian sports roundup in tennis, golf, shooting, surfing, and chess this weekend. Discover inspiring stories of grit and determination.
Setbacks in tennis for Niki Poonacha and Rithvik Bollipalli
Niki Poonachan and Rithvik Bollipalli, the Indian tennis stars, had a challenging weekend. Canadian pair Liam Draxl and Benjamin Sigouin just narrowly defeated Rithvik Bollipalli and his partner Hans Verdugo at the $82,000 Challenger in Little Rock, USA by 6-4, 3-6,[10-7]. Similarly, Niki Poonacha lost with Andre Begemann to Vladyslav Manafov and Patrik Niklas-Salminen 6-3, 6-4 at the €74,825 Challenger in Vicenza Italy. Nevertheless both of them showed their mettle during their respective games which only proves that Indian Tennis is globally competitive.
Golf: Aditi Ashok and Pranavi Urs Show Grit and Determination
Aditi Ashok continued her fight against all odds at the US Women’s Open where she ended up tied -29 th after a tough third round of three over par 73. Her ambition of getting into the top twenty of a major championship remains elusive but she keeps working hard. This was followed by Pranavi Urs who came so close to winning her first Ladies European Tour title at the Dormy Open in Sweden. After hitting two doubles on the last hole she ended up sharing third place; however this marked her career best performance ever showing that she can join India’s top women golfers as soon as possible.
Shooting Stars: Ramita Jindal and Esha Singh Shine in Munich
A score of 633.0 qualified Ramita Jindal for the women’s air rifle final at Munich World Cup, confirming her position as one of India’s leading shooters. The other shooter, Esha Singh, did not perform badly either and managed to enter into the Women’s 25m Pistol Final. This indicates that Indian shooters are becoming more competitive on the international stage.
Surfing Triumphs: Ajeesh Ali and Kamali Moorthy Dominate
Indian open surfing in 2024 witnessed Tamil Nadu surfers Ajeesh Ali and Kamali Moorthy win in various categories. Ajeesh took the Men’s Open title while Kamali defended her titles successfully in the Women’s Open and Groms Girls & U-16 categories. Therefore, their successes not only indicate their talents but also show the increasing influence of India in global surfing.
Chess Sensation: Harshit Pawar Stuns at World Junior Championship
Harshit Pawar’s upset victory over the top seed Abhimanyu Mishra in round one of the World Junior Chess Championship, which highlighted his strategic genius and potential for global recognition was a major shock. In the contest with girls, Divya Deshmukh who is seeded first and Rakshitha Ravi have both won their respective games thus maintaining India’s strong performance at junior chess level.
This weekend Indian sports roundup brings together energetic Indian sports personalities from all disciplines. They show that despite wins and losses, they have gradually become a great power in international sports and there is hope for a brighter future through commitment and hard work.
