CHESS

Asian Junior Classical C’ship: Pratitee takes sole lead; Mayank stays ahead

Top seed WFM Pratitee Bordoloi surged into the sole lead of the Asian Junior Girls Classical Chess Championship after scoring a crucial victory over WCM Aadya Gowda in the seventh round.

The victory took Pratitee’s tally to 6/7 and put her half a point ahead of her nearest challengers. WCM Shohradova Leyla of Turkmenistan, who was sharing the lead going into the round, was held to a draw by Shivamshika G and slipped to 5.5 points.

FM Prishita Gupta strengthened her title challenge with a victory over WFM Nivedita V C to also reach 5.5 points, joining Leyla in the immediate chasing group. WFM Mariya Kholyavko of Kazakhstan and WCM Dakshita Kumawat drew their encounter and moved to 5 points.

In the Open Championship, top seed GM-elect Mayank Chakraborty maintained his sole lead after the completion of seven rounds. Mayank was held to a draw by IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula on the top board, but the result was enough to take his tally to 6/7 and keep him half a point ahead of the chasing pack.

IM Artem Pingin of Russia was surprisingly held to a draw by Daksh Goyal, while FM Sharnarthi Viresh scored an important victory over FM Amanmuhammet Hommadov of Turkmenistan to move to 5.5 points. Vignesh, Pingin and Viresh are among the players breathing down Mayank’s neck as the championship enters its decisive stage.

– Team Sportstar

Pranesh M wins Kanizsa Open chess title

Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M won the prestigious Kanizsa Open following a thrilling final round win against Germany’s Vadim Petrovskiy here.

In the ninth and final round, the 19-year-old defeated Petrovskiy with the white pieces to seal the championship. Rated 2673, Pranesh is currently ranked 44th in the latest FIDE World Rankings.

The Indian Embassy in Hungary was quick to congratulate Pranesh on a successful tournament.

“Huge Congratulations! to Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M on his brilliant victory at the prestigious Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary! “​After a thrilling 9th round, Pranesh secured the top spot in one of Central Europe’s most competitive open tournaments.

“We are incredibly proud to see Indian talent shining so brightly on the global stage. Hungary continues to be a happy hunting ground for Indian Chess,” the Indian Embassy in Hungary wrote on X.

Pranesh hails from Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu. He finished the tournament with seven points from nine rounds. Or Bronstein, Andrei Volokitin and fellow Indian Karthik Venkataraman also ended with seven points.

-PTI

GOLF

PGTI launches ‘Race to DP World India Championship’ to be held in October

India’s premier men’s professional golf tour, the DP World PGTI announced the launch of the ‘Race to DP World India Championship’, a season-long competition that will be a key feature of the 2026 season.

The competition will determine the season’s top performers and their route to the USD 4 million DP World India Championship, scheduled to be played at the Delhi Golf Course from October 15 to 18.

The Race will also help restructure the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) calendar to align with the DP World Tour calendar, giving the PGTI members more playing opportunities.

Under the new format, the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion will be decided after the DP World India Championship, with the season finale playing a key role in determining the year’s champion.

The nine tournaments in the Race will offer a combined prize purse of Rs 10 crore, taking the season’s total prize purse to Rs. 41 crore.

The first three events — J&K Open, Coal India Open and Kolar Open — have already been held in the first three weeks of August.

The Race will conclude with the inaugural Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 30 to October 3.

At the end of the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship, the top 24 players in the Race standings will qualify for the DP World India Championship 2026.

Besides, the top 60 players in the DP World PGTI Order of Merit will retain their playing rights for the 2027 DP World PGTI season.

Also, the DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion will be honoured during the prize presentation ceremony of the DP World India Championship 2026.

All these changes have been made to ensure the DP World PGTI calendar aligns more closely with the DP World Tour.

– PTI

CRICKET

Kerala Cricket League: Rohan Kunnummal’s blitz guides Calicut Globstars to win over Alleppey Ripples

It was a perfect lucky Monday for Calicut Globstars captain Rohan S. Kunnummal. He won an important toss and saw his bowlers exploit the friendly bowling conditions to bundle out Alleppey Ripples for an under-par total of 131.

Rohan then rode his own wave of luck during the chase, dropped on 3 and 49 by Akshay Pillai, to smash a blistering 47-ball 94 (6×4, 8×6) to turn the run chase into a breeze.

However, Calicut’s win was set up by left-arm spinner M.U. Harikrishnan, whose double-wicket maiden over delivered a sucker punch from which the Ripples never really recovered. Harikrishnan scalped Jalaj Saxena and skipper Sachin Baby off successive deliveries in the second over of the innings to push Ripples on the back foot

Akhil Scaria tightened the screws further by dismissing the in-form Mohammed Azharuddeen (16) and K.A. Arun in the third over as Ripples crumbled to 16 for four. There was a brief recovery when Abhijith Praveen (24) and Sibin Girish (17) added 30 runs for the eighth wicket. Ashiq Ali’s cameo in the end (33 not out, 17b, 4×4, 1×6) took the total to 131.

Jalaj Saxena struck twice in the PowerPlay to reduce Globstars to 18 for two. However, Rohan capitalised on his early lifeline and batted aggressively to put Ripples’ bowlers under pressure. Rohan celebrated his second reprieve by clubbing Ajinas K for three consecutive sixes. Rohan missed the century while trying another big hit, but Scaria (31 not out) was there to guide Globstars home.

-M.R. Praveen Chandran

Women’s Andhra Premier League auction set to be held on August 25

Andhra Cricket Association will conduct the auction for the inaugural Women’s Andhra Premier League (WAPL) on Tuesday in Vijayawada.

The four franchises – Amaravati E-champions, Rayalaseema Zen Stars, Vizag Firebirds and Godavari Golden Eagles – will operate with a purse of Rs. 15 lakh and will have to spend a minimum of 90% of it (Rs. 13.50 lakh). The auction will be streamed live on APL’s YouTube channel from 12 p.m. onwards.

As many as 191 players have signed up for the league, and they have been divided into two categories: Grade A (Rs. 50,000 base price) and Grade B (Rs. 30,000 base price). The former (45 players) includes players who have represented India, played in the Women’s Premier League or represented the State at senior and under-23 levels. The latter (146 players) consists of those who have played at the district and zonal levels.

Each team will consist of a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 20 players. The season is scheduled to take place from September 15 to 26 at the ACA Stadium in Mangalagiri.

-Team Sportstar

MORE SPORTS

Suraj Narredu becomes the first Indian jockey to win at the Japan Racing Association

Suraj Narredu created history in Japan, becoming the first Indian jockey to register a victory at the Japan Racing Association (JRA), after guiding Fier Chanter to victory at Sapporo Racecourse on August 22.

The landmark victory comes in a defining year for the Indian jockey. Earlier this year, Narredu became the first Indian jockey to surpass 2,500 career wins, adding another milestone to a career that has already established him among India’s most accomplished riders.

He has also recorded more than 250 domestic graded-race victories and over 100 classic titles.

Making his much-anticipated Japan debut as one of six overseas jockeys selected for the prestigious 2026 World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ), Narredu produced the historic result on only his second mount in Japan. Partnering three-year-old Fier Chanter over 2,600 metres, he secured the win with a horse that was the sixth choice in the field, making the result even more significant.

The victory came in a highly competitive international environment, with Narredu sharing the stage with leading jockeys from Australia, South Africa, France and Canada, alongside Japan’s top riders.

Speaking after the race, Narredu said, “It feels very special to win on my very first day, and to do it in front of my family is always a very special moment. It’s a very special moment for India as well. I thank the fans for their warm messages on social media and those who are here today waving the Indian flag.”

Published on Aug 24, 2026