HOCKEY
Indian women’s squad for U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara
Hockey India announced an 18-member squad for the Women’s Under-18 Asia Cup 2026 to be held in Japan from May 29 to June 6.
India will open its campaign against Malaysia on May 30 having prepared for the tournament in a one-month training camp in Bhopal under coach Rani Rampal.
The tournament will serve as an opportunity for the young Indian squad, captained by Sweety Kujur, to test itself against some of Asia’s strongest teams.
As part of the preparations, the Indian team played a four-match series against Australia in Bhopal, which the hosts ended with a confidence-boosting win.
Placed in Pool A, India will compete against Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.
The top two teams from Pool A and B will progress to the semifinals scheduled on June 5, while the final will be played on June 6.
Indian Women’s U-18 Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mahak Parihar, Khili Kumari
Defenders: Sugan Sanga, Nilam Topno, Rubina Baxla, Kiran Ekka, Sulochani
Midfielders: Shruti Kumari, Diya, Sneha Davde, Rashmeen Kaur, Nammi Geetashree, Pushpa Manjhi
Forwards: Nousheen Naz, Sweety Kujur (captain), Priyanka Minz, Sandeepa Kumari, Nancy Saroha
India’s Match Schedule (All Times IST):
May 30, 2026: India vs Malaysia – 05:30 am
May 31, 2026: India vs Korea – 05:30 am
June 2, 2026: India vs Singapore – 09:30 am
ARCHERY
Line-ups confirmed for Para Asian Games and World Archery Para Series
Archery Association of India confirmed the lineups for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Para Asian Games and World Archery Para Series after the second and final phase of the selection trials were completed in Sonepat on Thursday.
Para Asian Games squad: Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Toman Kumar, Shyam Sundar Swami, Pooja, Bhawna, Harvinder Singh, Vijay Sundi, Adil Mohd Nazir Ansari, Vinayak Amolrao Breed, Swati Chaudhary
World Para Series squad: Jyoti, Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Vivek Chikara, Tomar Tomar, Shyam Sundar Swami, Pooja Kumari, Bhawna, Pooja, Sahil, Vijay Sundi, Harvinder Singh, Adil Mohd Nazir Ansari, Vinayak Amolrao Breed, Swati Chaudhary, Yugal Garg
– Team Sportstar
VOLLEYBALL
Delhi Pro Volleyball League to conduct phase wise trials starting May 24 in Delhi
The Delhi Pro Volleyball League (DPVL), India’s first women-led professional volleyball league, has announced the start of player trials for its inaugural season, with the first phase scheduled to be held in Delhi on May 24.
The Phase 1 trials will be held from 8:00 am onwards at Laxmi Public School in Karkardooma.
The league said the trials will be conducted in multiple phases to ensure wider participation and talent identification across different regions and categories.
After the completion of all trial phases, shortlisted players will enter the official auction pool, where the six DPVL franchise teams will select players for the inaugural season.
The trials are aimed at identifying and nurturing talented volleyball players and providing them with an opportunity to compete on a professional platform. DPVL, which was launched earlier this year with the backing of the Delhi Volleyball Association and the Delhi Olympic Association, is focused on creating a structured and sustainable ecosystem for volleyball in India.
The Delhi Pro Volleyball League is set to feature six franchise teams in a professional league format, with the inaugural edition scheduled to be held later this year. The league aims to raise the profile of volleyball in India through structured competition, athlete development and enhanced media visibility.
– Team Sportstar
WRESTLING
PWL 2026 Wrestlers Gear up to represent India at U-17 & U-23 Asian Wrestling Championships
The Pro Wrestling League’s growing influence on India’s wrestling ecosystem will once again be reflected on the continental stage, with multiple athletes from PWL 2026 set to represent the country at the Under-17 and Under-23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, from May 23 to 31.
Among the Indian contingent are four wrestlers who featured prominently in PWL 2026, underlining the league’s emergence as a platform for nurturing and developing India’s next generation of wrestling talent.
In the Under-23 men’s freestyle category, reigning Under-23 Asian champion Chandermohan of Punjab Royals will compete in the 79kg division, while Haryana Thunders’ Sachin Mor, part of the franchise’s title-winning campaign in PWL 2026, will represent India in the 86kg category.
The Under-23 women’s contingent will also feature strong PWL representation through Haryana Thunders wrestlers Neha (59kg) and Kajal (76kg), both of whom were integral members of the franchise’s triumphant PWL 2026 campaign.
Neha heads into the championships with significant international pedigree, having previously won bronze at the Under-20 World Championships and gold at the Under-17 Asian Championships. Kajal, meanwhile, has quickly established herself as one of India’s brightest wrestling prospects, arriving in Da Nang as a reigning Under-20 World Champion, Under-17 World Champion and Under-20 Asian Champion.
The championships in Da Nang will feature some of Asia’s top emerging wrestlers, with India aiming for a strong showing across categories over the coming days.
– Team Sportstar
GOLF
Pranavi Urs tied second after opening round in Morocco
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs carded a 3-under 70 to be tied second with nine other players after the opening round of the Lalla Meryem Cup.
The other Indians in the field had modest starts, with Avani Prashanth and Diksha Dagar carding rounds of 2-over 75 to be tied 61st, while Hitaashee Bakshi shot 5-over 78 to be tied 99th.
Australia’s Kelsey Bennett led the field by two strokes after carding 5-under 68 in her opening round.
Pranavi began her round on the back nine and made an early birdie on the 11th hole before making par on the next seven to turn at 1-under.
On the front nine, she made three consecutive birdies on the first, second and third holes before dropping a shot with a bogey on the fourth. Pars on the last five holes helped the 23-year-old finish the day tied second.
Pranavi, who finished in the top 10 at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, is searching for her maiden professional title on the Ladies European Tour. Late last year, she won the IGPL Invitational Mumbai in a mixed field to become the first Indian woman professional to win a title in a field that also featured men’s professionals.
Bennett, the first-round leader, made seven birdies and two bogeys. She birdied the first, second, seventh, eighth, 12th, 13th and 16th holes, while dropping shots on the 14th and 15th.
Avani began her round with a bogey on the 10th hole and was even par at the turn after making two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine.
On the front nine, Avani dropped four shots with a quadruple bogey on the second hole before recovering with birdies on the third and eighth to finish at 2-over 75.
Diksha also started on the back nine and was even par for the first eight holes before dropping her first shot of the day on the 18th to turn at 1-over.
On the front nine, she picked up a shot with her only birdie of the round on the second hole, but dropped two strokes with bogeys on the fifth and sixth.
Hitaashee started her week on the back nine and made five bogeys before the turn to be 5-over.
On the front nine, she dropped two more shots with bogeys on the third and seventh before late birdies on the eighth and ninth helped her recover two strokes.
Ayako Uehara, Shannon Tan and Hannah Screen were the only three players inside the top 10 to record bogey-free opening rounds. All three carded 3-under 70 to be tied second alongside Pranavi.
– PTI
Published on May 22, 2026
