SQUASH

Top-ranked Indian Abhay Singh went down in a five-game thriller to Egyptian world No 7 Youssef Ibrahim in the men’s second round of the El Gouna Open squash, a PSA Platinum event, in El Gouna, Egypt, on Monday.

World No. 25 Abhay began strongly, winning the opening and third games, before the Egyptian wrested control to advance with a hard-fought 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8 victory in 68 minutes.

-Team Sportstar

SURFING

The championship is aiming to expand India’s competitive surfing circuit. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Surfing Federation of India, in association with the Department of Tourism, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, is set to host the national-level surfing championship ‘Little Andaman Pro 2026’ for the very first time in the islands.

Scheduled from April 9 to 12, the four-day championship will take place at Butler Bay Beach.

Speaking about the upcoming championship, SFI President Arun Vasu said, “The Little Andaman Pro marks an important milestone for Indian surfing. It not only strengthens our National Surf Series but also provides athletes the opportunity to compete in high-quality reef conditions, which is essential for their growth at the international level.”

-Team Sportstar

GOLF

Dhruv Sheoran leads by one on Day 1 of Andhra Open Golf Championship

Dhruv Sheoran, a winner on the DP World PGTI, posted an opening round of four-under 67 to set the pace in round one of the Rs 1 crore Andhra Open at the East Point Golf Club (EPGC) in Visakhapatnam.

The 31-year-old Dhruv soared to the top of the leaderboard with an eagle on the par-5 12th and a run of three consecutive birdies from the first through the third.

On the 12th, Dhruv hit a massive 372-yard drive followed by a gap wedge that left him two feet short of the hole, and he converted the putt for eagle on the par-71 course.

The Bengaluru-based duo of PGTI winners Chikkarangappa S. and Khalin Joshi were tied second, one shot back at three-under 68.

– PTI

HOCKEY

Odisha overpowers Kerala; Chandigarh and Haryana register win

Chandigarh, Haryana, Odisha, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu registered victories in their respective Division ‘A’ matches at the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship in Rajgir.

In the first match of the day, Chandigarh staged a spirited comeback to defeat Maharashtra 5–3 in a pulsating Pool A match.

Maharashtra drew first blood through Pravin Patiyal Pratham (21’), but Chandigarh skipper Sahil Duhan (27’) responded swiftly to restore parity.

Rehan Shafi Khan (32’) put Maharashtra back in front soon after the break, yet Chandigarh showed resilience once again. Goals from Parambir Singh (46’) and Arjandeep Singh (53’) turned the tide in their favour, giving them a crucial one-goal lead.

Maharashtra refused to back down, with Rehan Shafi Khan (56’) scoring his second of the match to level proceedings. However, the momentum swung decisively in Chandigarh’s favour as Parambir Singh (56’) completed his brace moments later, before Afridi (57’) put the result beyond doubt

The second game of the day saw Hockey Haryana register a comfortable 3–0 win over Hockey Manipur in their Pool C clash. Aditya Kumar (11’) , Ashish (16’) and Rohit (42’) were the goal scorers.

Odisha delivered a dominant performance, thrashing Kerala 8–0 in their Pool D match with Deepak Prakash Toppo (13’), Mohan Majhi (18’, 48’), Amandeep Dang (38’), Manesh Naik (41’), Bikash Majhi (45’), Mithles Kerketta (52’) and Bipul Tirkey (57’) scoring.

In the fourth and final match of the day, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Hockey registered a commanding 6–0 victory over Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu in their Pool B encounter.

Dhiraj Pal (20’, 54’) and Abhishek Pal (31’, 60’) scored a brace each while Ajay Yadav (17’) and Pawan Yadav (47’) also resgistered their names on the scoresheet.

– PTI

CRICKET

Bengal Pro T20 League to get a ninth team in 2026 season

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Tuesday welcomed a ninth franchise, Novus Purulia Royals, for the third season of the Bengal Pro T20 League (BPTL) scheduled in June.

“BPTL has been a success, helping find talent. I am thrilled to announce the ninth franchise for the league,” said CAB president Sourav Ganguly in the presence of well known cricketers such as Jhulan Goswami, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammed Shami and Rinku Singh in Kolkata.

-Team Sportstar

Published on Apr 07, 2026