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#Indian #Sports #Wrap #June #Chambal #Ghariyals #seal #MPL #double">Indian Sports Wrap, June 27: Chambal Ghariyals seal MPL double GOLF
Diksha leads strong Indian charge with 66 as three finish inside top 30 in Czech Ladies Open
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar continued her rich vein of form on the Ladies European Tour, producing a superb six-under 66 to spearhead an impressive Indian challenge in the opening round of the Czech Ladies Open here.
Fresh from a strong performance at last week’s Dutch Ladies Open, Diksha carried that momentum into the Czech Republic, finishing the day tied ninth and just three shots behind Welsh leader Lydia Hall.
Diksha’s excellent start was complemented by fellow Indians Pranavi Urs and Vani Kapoor, who also enjoyed encouraging opening rounds to give India three players inside the top 30.
Pranavi carded a five-under 67 to be tied 14th, just one shot outside the top 10, while experienced Vani opened with a four-under 68 to share 26th place.
Hitaashee Bakshi also finished under par with a one-under 71, though she was tied 76th in the tightly-packed field. Ridhima Dilawari was tied 112th after a one-over 73, while last week’s Dutch Ladies Open joint third-place finisher Avani Prashanth endured a disappointing start, carding a three-over 75 to be tied 123rd.
Diksha once again looked comfortable from the outset, producing one of the most aggressive rounds of the day. She reeled off four consecutive birdies from the second hole to race to four-under through five holes. Another birdie on the seventh took her to five-under before a bogey at the ninth slightly slowed her momentum.
The 24-year-old quickly regained control after the turn. Although she dropped another shot on the 12th, she finished in style with three birdies over her final four holes. Birdies on the 15th, 17th and 18th ensured she signed for an excellent 66, featuring eight birdies against just two bogeys.
Her latest effort continues an encouraging run of form after last week’s impressive showing in the Netherlands and keeps her firmly in contention heading into the remaining rounds.
Pranavi also built on her recent confidence following a tied-fifth finish at the Dutch Ladies Open. The Mysuru golfer mixed six birdies with just a single bogey in a composed five-under 67 that left her within touching distance of the leading group.
Vani relied on her trademark consistency to post four-under 68. She collected five birdies during the day while conceding only one bogey, placing herself well for the weekend.
At the top of the leaderboard, Lydia Hall enjoyed the best round of her Ladies European Tour career. Playing in her 292nd LET event, the Welsh golfer fired a stunning nine-under 63 to claim the outright lead. Her remarkable round included eight birdies, an eagle and just one bogey.
Hall led by a single stroke over Spain’s Blanca Fernandez, Switzerland’s Vanessa Knecht and England’s Esme Hamilton, all of whom returned impressive rounds of eight-under 64 to remain within striking distance.
-PTI
Saptak Talwar lines up potential Top-5 finish
Indian golfer Saptak Talwar moved up to tied fifth on the leaderboard with a two-day total of 5-under par, three shots behind joint leaders Pablo Ereno and John Gough at the Blot Play9 here.
Talwar carded a second-round 3-under 67, registering five birdies against two bogeys. Starting on the back nine, he picked up three shots in the first four holes with birdies on the 10th, 11th and 13th before dropping a shot on the 14th to make the turn at 2-under for the day.
Talwar, who had opened with a 2-under round, dropped another shot on the sixth hole before making par on the seventh and finishing with consecutive birdies on the eighth and ninth to sign off with a 67.
Ereno (64-68) and Gough (63-69) shared the lead at the Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André with identical totals of 8-under par. They held a one-shot advantage over Charles Huntzinger (66-67), who was third at 7-under, while Tom Gueant (64-70) was fourth at 6-under.
Gough followed his opening-round 63 with a 1-under 69 to retain a share of the lead, making four birdies and three bogeys. Ereno, who started the day tied for second, joined Gough at the top after carding a 2-under 68, featuring two birdies, two bogeys and an eagle.
-PTI
Bhatia surges into contention with sparkling 62, Scheffler threatens history at Travelers
Akshay Bhatia produced one of the best rounds of the week to vault into contention at the Travelers Championship, firing a flawless eight-under 62 that lifted the Indian-origin American into a share of third place here.
Bhatia’s bogey-free display moved him to 12-under for the tournament, just four shots behind world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, whose sensational second-round 60 gave him a commanding lead at 16-under.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland occupied second place at 14-under, while overnight leader Eric Cole slipped back into a tie for third alongside Bhatia after returning a 65.
The impressive charge helped Bhatia emerge as the leading Indian-origin player in the elite PGA Tour field. Aaron Rai remained well placed after a steady two-under 68 took him to seven-under overall and into a share of 22nd, while Sahith Theegala bounced back from a disappointing opening 74 with a three-under 67 to make progress, although he was still tied for 65th at one-over.
Bhatia, who has shown flashes of his immense potential throughout the season, looked in complete control from the outset. He picked up early birdies on the second and third holes before adding two more on the sixth and eighth to reach the turn in four-under.
The left-hander maintained the momentum on the inward nine with birdies on the 10th, 13th and 15th before capping a memorable afternoon with another gain at the 18th. The blemish-free card underlined the quality of his ball-striking and putting as he climbed firmly into the title race heading into the weekend.
While Bhatia’s round was outstanding, Scheffler produced the performance of the day. The world No. 1 fired an astonishing 10-under 60 featuring 11 birdies and just a lone bogey to open a two-shot cushion over Hovland.
-PTI
CRICKET
Chambal Ghariyals make double in MPL T20 Scindia Cup
Chambal Ghariyals completed a dream campaign in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, defeating Royal Nimar Eagles by 31 runs in the final at the Holkar Stadium here.
The triumph marked a historic double for the franchise after the Chambal Ghariyals women’s team had earlier lifted the title with an unbeaten record, here on Friday.
The men’s team followed suit, finishing the tournament unbeaten as well following consistent performances.
After being put in to bat, Chambal Ghariyals made full use of the opportunity, posting a formidable 224/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
Apurve Dwivedi and skipper Shubham Sharma shared a superb 83-run partnership for the third wicket.
Dwivedi was the aggressor during the stand, smashing 51 off just 25 deliveries, including five sixes.
Shubham anchored the innings and found excellent support from Tripuresh Singh. The pair added another valuable 47 runs before the captain departed after a composed 57 off 38 balls.
Tripuresh remained unbeaten on 43 off 24 balls, striking three fours and three sixes.
Royal Nimar Eagles were restricted to 193/7 in their 20 overs as Mayur Patel was the standout bowler, returning impressive figures of 2/21 from his four overs.
-PTI
You inspire millions of young girls: Minister Goyal hails Indian women’s cricket team’s spirit
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the Indian women team’s spirit ahead of the crucial T20 World Cup match against Australia here on Sunday, saying the players have inspired “millions of girls” across the country.
India need to win against the Aussies at the Lord’s to ensure a spot in the ICC event’s semifinals.
“You inspire millions of girls, millions of children in the country,” said Goyal, who is in the UK to review the implementation of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The Minister also attended a special reception for the squad at India House here in London on Friday night.
“Sports is one of the areas that these days in our business arrangements we usually also engage with governments to work on developing together,” said Goyal.
“We have talked about encouraging sporting partnerships, coaching, and other ways in which we can work together, so that more and more children around the country can benefit from these business engagements.” He hailed India’s rise as a cricketing nation.
“The UK was the original cricketing country, but I think India seems to become the most preeminent cricketing nation, and I must compliment all of you for this wonderful merit that you have displayed, and for the glory that you bring to our nation,” he said.
P. Kumaran, the High Commissioner of India to the UK, welcomed the squad and Deputy High Commissioner Kartik Pande moderated an interaction with the team members.
During the session, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said she enjoyed “performing under pressure.” “Whenever I enjoy myself on the field, I always feel relaxed, always enjoy the moment… I enjoy performing under pressure,” said Kaur.
-PTI
Published on Jun 27, 2026
GOLFDiksha leads strong Indian charge with 66 as three finish inside top 30 in Czech…
Sports news
#Indian #sports #wrap #June #Akshat #wins #Senior #Max #category #Meco #Meritus #Cup #Kochhar #finishes #ninth #IGPL #Bharath #Classic">Indian sports wrap, June 8: Akshat wins in Senior Max category of Meco Meritus Cup, Kochhar finishes ninth at IGPL Bharath Classic
MOTORSPORT
Meco Meritus Cup: Akshat Misra, Shiv Tummala, Aarav Sureka emerge champions
Bengaluru’s Akshat Misra (Peregrine Racing), with a win and another podium finish, picked up sufficient points to emerge champion in the Senior Max class as the third and final round of the Meco Meritus Cup karting concluded at the CoASTT Kartomania circuit in Coimbatore on Sunday.
Misra was placed third in Sprint Race-1, but he recovered well to win Sprint Race-2 and finished the three-round Meritus Cup, a forerunner to the Rotax Max Class National Championship, with 85 points, ahead of Chennai’s Shivaan Karthik (MSPORT) and Kiaan Shah (Rayo Racing) from Mumbai.
Hyderabad’s Shiv Tummala (Peregrine Racing), among the most consistent of drivers, retained the crown after winning both the sprint races in the Mini Max class.
Rayo Racing’s Aarav Sureka from Mumbai, who finished second and fifth in the two points-scoring outings, won the championship in the Micro Max category. Aarav ended up six points ahead of Bengaluru’s Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Peregrine Racing), winner of both the sprint races, on the leaderboard.
Rivaan Dev Preetham bags IKA Trophy
Meanwhile, in the Indian Karting Academy Trophy, running concurrently, Chennai’s Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSPORT) expectedly emerged champion in the OK-Junior class, though he finished second in the Super Heat and Final race won by teammate Rishik Rohit Reddy from Bengaluru and Rehan Khan Rasheed (Momentum Motorsports), also from Chennai, respectively.
The OKJ Junior class provides the Indian junior drivers an opportunity to experience the FIA OK-J engine, which is a replica of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy that runs with the FIA homologated OK-J engines and the FIA homologated OTK chassis.
RESULTS
Meco Meritus Cup:
Senior Max – Sprint Race-1 (14 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10mins, 45.043secs); 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT) (10:47.663); 3. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:48.674). Sprint Race-2 (15 laps): 1. Akshat Misra (11:35.198); 2. Kiaan Shah (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (11:37.053); 3. Shatveer Shetty (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (11:40.549).
Champion driver: Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing), 85 points.
Mini Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (07:52.372); 2. Micah Hayden Andrews (Tirunelveli, Peregrine Racing) (07:54.865); 3. Jishnu Seralathan (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (07:59.218). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (09:25.332); 2. Jishnu Seralathan (09:27.317); 3. Micah Hayden Andrews (09:28.268).
Champion driver: Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing), 96 points.
Micro Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (08: 14.876); 2. Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (08:15.862); 3. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (08:19.450). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (09:51.846); 2. Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (09:57.498); 3. Shriyan Rao Thakkallapelly (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (09:58.018).
Champion driver: Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing), 78 points.
India Karting Academy Trophy (OK Junior):
Super Heat (11 laps): 1. Rishik Rohit Reddy (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (08:25.138); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (08:26.751); 3. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (08:26.977). Final Race (14 laps): 1. Rehan Khan Rasheed (10:42.327); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (10:48.417); 3. Syed Luqman (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:51.930).
Champion driver: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT), 99 points.
-Team Sportstar
GOLF
IGPL Bharath Classic: Bogey-free Kochhar bags third Top-10 of the year; Sweden’s Lindh takes title

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Karandeep Kochhar fired a bogey-free 4-under 68 on the final day to register yet another top-10 finish this season at the $500,000 IGPL Bharath Classic in Morocco. The lanky Chandigarh golfer finished T-9, his third top-10 of the year, which carried him up to 12th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Kochhar, who had rounds of 66-73-70-68, totalled 11-under, as Sweden’s Charlie Lindh (69-70-67-64) totalled 18-under for a comprehensive win. Lindh was second in his last outing at the Kolon Korea Open, and this week he produced a very consistent performance that saw him rise to third on the Order of Merit. Lindh closed his win in a commanding manner, landing an eagle on the 18th for a four-shot win.
The tournament was co-sanctioned by the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) and the Asian Tour.
Among other Indian IGPL players, Gaganjeet Bhullar (75-70-69-68) and Yashas Chandra (75-68-71-68) at 6-under were the next best at T-27. Bhullar had five birdies against one bogey, while Yashas was bogey-free in his 68.
Rashid Khan, with a final round of 71 and a total of 3-under, was T-41, as were Kartik Singh (71) and Sachin Baisoya (67), whose final round had two eagles on the Par-5 third and Par-5 seventh. Kartik had an action-packed round with seven birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.
Shaurya Bhattacharya, after a good start, finished close with 71 with three birdies and a double bogey and was T-52, while Aman Raj (70) was T-56, Pukhraj Singh Gill (75) was T-59, and Raghav Chugh (77) was T-64, as was Udayan Mane (73). Amateur Jai Bahl (74) finished T-67.
Winner of IGPL Dubai, Kochhar had an outstanding week in terms of hitting, as he found a lot of fairways and greens in regulation. However, the putter could have been better, as he needed 28 or more putts on each of the four days, including 34 on the second day when he shot 73.
Kochhar, who was T-5 at the International Series Japan, is now looking forward to the $2M International Series Morocco as he continues his search for a maiden Asian Tour win after having had a maiden win in Egypt on the Asian Development Tour, which had led to him gaining an Asian Tour card.
Kochhar birdied the third, 10th, 11th and the 14th, as he had 16 birdies during the week and left many more on the course.
The 28-year-old Lindh started the day three behind the overnight leader, Thailand’s Settee Prakongvech, but his eight-under par 64 was also the best round of the tournament.
Lindh, who had his childhood friend Isaac Bondesson on his bag, reached the edge of the green on the 18th in two shots and then putted from the fringe from 20 feet for the eagle.
Lindh said, “It feels good…feels really good. Feels like I’m still focused, but when everything settles a little bit, I will realise what I have done today. I have been playing well coming into this week, and I have been very, very excited to play golf the last couple of months because the game has been feeling better. And thankfully, I got some good results today.”
Lindh now goes to next week’s $2M International Series Morocco with a lot of confidence.
The Asian Tour will now move to the capital, Rabat, for the $2M International Series Morocco.
-Team Sportstar
ESPORTS
S8UL’s Apex Legends team qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026

S8UL Esports of India has qualified for the Apex Legends tournament at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 following a standout performance in the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2026: Split 1 Pro League – APAC South.
The qualification makes Apex Legends the fourth title in which the organisation has officially secured a spot at the world’s biggest esports event, after making the cut in Honor of Kings, chess, and Fortnite.
The ALGS 2026 Split 1 Pro League – APAC South brought together 30 of the region’s top teams.
S8UL’s all-Australian roster of Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko), and Tom Canty (Legacy), under the guidance of head coach Harrison Rogers (Rogers), delivered a consistent performance throughout the season, earning 21 additional Pro League Points to secure second place in the overall regular season standings with a total of 127 Pro League Points.
The result secured qualification for the global event while also earning the team USD 15,000 (approximately INR 14.2 lakh) in prize money and 1,350 Championship Points towards the ALGS 2025-26 rankings.
This marks the second consecutive year that S8UL will compete in Apex Legends at the EWC.
Scheduled to take place in Paris, France, from July 6 to August 23, EWC 2026 will bring together more than 2,000 players representing 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a record-breaking prize pool of USD 75 million (~INR 714 crore).
-Team Sportstar
Published on Jun 08, 2026
RESULTS
Meco Meritus Cup:
Senior Max – Sprint Race-1 (14 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10mins, 45.043secs); 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT) (10:47.663); 3. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:48.674). Sprint Race-2 (15 laps): 1. Akshat Misra (11:35.198); 2. Kiaan Shah (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (11:37.053); 3. Shatveer Shetty (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (11:40.549).
Champion driver: Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing), 85 points.
Mini Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (07:52.372); 2. Micah Hayden Andrews (Tirunelveli, Peregrine Racing) (07:54.865); 3. Jishnu Seralathan (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (07:59.218). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (09:25.332); 2. Jishnu Seralathan (09:27.317); 3. Micah Hayden Andrews (09:28.268).
Champion driver: Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing), 96 points.
Micro Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (08: 14.876); 2. Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (08:15.862); 3. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (08:19.450). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (09:51.846); 2. Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (09:57.498); 3. Shriyan Rao Thakkallapelly (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (09:58.018).
Champion driver: Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing), 78 points.
India Karting Academy Trophy (OK Junior):
Super Heat (11 laps): 1. Rishik Rohit Reddy (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (08:25.138); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (08:26.751); 3. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (08:26.977). Final Race (14 laps): 1. Rehan Khan Rasheed (10:42.327); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (10:48.417); 3. Syed Luqman (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:51.930).
Champion driver: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT), 99 points.

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

MOTORSPORT
Meco Meritus Cup: Akshat Misra, Shiv Tummala, Aarav Sureka emerge champions
Bengaluru’s Akshat Misra (Peregrine Racing), with a win and another podium finish, picked up sufficient points to emerge champion in the Senior Max class as the third and final round of the Meco Meritus Cup karting concluded at the CoASTT Kartomania circuit in Coimbatore on Sunday.
Misra was placed third in Sprint Race-1, but he recovered well to win Sprint Race-2 and finished the three-round Meritus Cup, a forerunner to the Rotax Max Class National Championship, with 85 points, ahead of Chennai’s Shivaan Karthik (MSPORT) and Kiaan Shah (Rayo Racing) from Mumbai.
Hyderabad’s Shiv Tummala (Peregrine Racing), among the most consistent of drivers, retained the crown after winning both the sprint races in the Mini Max class.
Rayo Racing’s Aarav Sureka from Mumbai, who finished second and fifth in the two points-scoring outings, won the championship in the Micro Max category. Aarav ended up six points ahead of Bengaluru’s Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Peregrine Racing), winner of both the sprint races, on the leaderboard.
Rivaan Dev Preetham bags IKA Trophy
Meanwhile, in the Indian Karting Academy Trophy, running concurrently, Chennai’s Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSPORT) expectedly emerged champion in the OK-Junior class, though he finished second in the Super Heat and Final race won by teammate Rishik Rohit Reddy from Bengaluru and Rehan Khan Rasheed (Momentum Motorsports), also from Chennai, respectively.
The OKJ Junior class provides the Indian junior drivers an opportunity to experience the FIA OK-J engine, which is a replica of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy that runs with the FIA homologated OK-J engines and the FIA homologated OTK chassis.
RESULTS
Meco Meritus Cup:
Senior Max – Sprint Race-1 (14 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10mins, 45.043secs); 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT) (10:47.663); 3. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:48.674). Sprint Race-2 (15 laps): 1. Akshat Misra (11:35.198); 2. Kiaan Shah (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (11:37.053); 3. Shatveer Shetty (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (11:40.549).
Champion driver: Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing), 85 points.
Mini Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (07:52.372); 2. Micah Hayden Andrews (Tirunelveli, Peregrine Racing) (07:54.865); 3. Jishnu Seralathan (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (07:59.218). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (09:25.332); 2. Jishnu Seralathan (09:27.317); 3. Micah Hayden Andrews (09:28.268).
Champion driver: Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing), 96 points.
Micro Max – Sprint Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (08: 14.876); 2. Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (08:15.862); 3. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (08:19.450). Sprint Race-2 (12 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (09:51.846); 2. Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (09:57.498); 3. Shriyan Rao Thakkallapelly (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (09:58.018).
Champion driver: Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing), 78 points.
India Karting Academy Trophy (OK Junior):
Super Heat (11 laps): 1. Rishik Rohit Reddy (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (08:25.138); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (08:26.751); 3. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (08:26.977). Final Race (14 laps): 1. Rehan Khan Rasheed (10:42.327); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (10:48.417); 3. Syed Luqman (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:51.930).
Champion driver: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT), 99 points.
-Team Sportstar
GOLF
IGPL Bharath Classic: Bogey-free Kochhar bags third Top-10 of the year; Sweden’s Lindh takes title

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sweden’s Charlie Lindh poses with the IGPL Bharath Classic trophy in El Jadida, Morocco. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Karandeep Kochhar fired a bogey-free 4-under 68 on the final day to register yet another top-10 finish this season at the $500,000 IGPL Bharath Classic in Morocco. The lanky Chandigarh golfer finished T-9, his third top-10 of the year, which carried him up to 12th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Kochhar, who had rounds of 66-73-70-68, totalled 11-under, as Sweden’s Charlie Lindh (69-70-67-64) totalled 18-under for a comprehensive win. Lindh was second in his last outing at the Kolon Korea Open, and this week he produced a very consistent performance that saw him rise to third on the Order of Merit. Lindh closed his win in a commanding manner, landing an eagle on the 18th for a four-shot win.
The tournament was co-sanctioned by the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) and the Asian Tour.
Among other Indian IGPL players, Gaganjeet Bhullar (75-70-69-68) and Yashas Chandra (75-68-71-68) at 6-under were the next best at T-27. Bhullar had five birdies against one bogey, while Yashas was bogey-free in his 68.
Rashid Khan, with a final round of 71 and a total of 3-under, was T-41, as were Kartik Singh (71) and Sachin Baisoya (67), whose final round had two eagles on the Par-5 third and Par-5 seventh. Kartik had an action-packed round with seven birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.
Shaurya Bhattacharya, after a good start, finished close with 71 with three birdies and a double bogey and was T-52, while Aman Raj (70) was T-56, Pukhraj Singh Gill (75) was T-59, and Raghav Chugh (77) was T-64, as was Udayan Mane (73). Amateur Jai Bahl (74) finished T-67.
Winner of IGPL Dubai, Kochhar had an outstanding week in terms of hitting, as he found a lot of fairways and greens in regulation. However, the putter could have been better, as he needed 28 or more putts on each of the four days, including 34 on the second day when he shot 73.
Kochhar, who was T-5 at the International Series Japan, is now looking forward to the $2M International Series Morocco as he continues his search for a maiden Asian Tour win after having had a maiden win in Egypt on the Asian Development Tour, which had led to him gaining an Asian Tour card.
Kochhar birdied the third, 10th, 11th and the 14th, as he had 16 birdies during the week and left many more on the course.
The 28-year-old Lindh started the day three behind the overnight leader, Thailand’s Settee Prakongvech, but his eight-under par 64 was also the best round of the tournament.
Lindh, who had his childhood friend Isaac Bondesson on his bag, reached the edge of the green on the 18th in two shots and then putted from the fringe from 20 feet for the eagle.
Lindh said, “It feels good…feels really good. Feels like I’m still focused, but when everything settles a little bit, I will realise what I have done today. I have been playing well coming into this week, and I have been very, very excited to play golf the last couple of months because the game has been feeling better. And thankfully, I got some good results today.”
Lindh now goes to next week’s $2M International Series Morocco with a lot of confidence.
The Asian Tour will now move to the capital, Rabat, for the $2M International Series Morocco.
-Team Sportstar
ESPORTS
S8UL’s Apex Legends team qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026

S8UL Esports of India has qualified for the Apex Legends tournament at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 following a standout performance in the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2026: Split 1 Pro League – APAC South.
The qualification makes Apex Legends the fourth title in which the organisation has officially secured a spot at the world’s biggest esports event, after making the cut in Honor of Kings, chess, and Fortnite.
The ALGS 2026 Split 1 Pro League – APAC South brought together 30 of the region’s top teams.
S8UL’s all-Australian roster of Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko), and Tom Canty (Legacy), under the guidance of head coach Harrison Rogers (Rogers), delivered a consistent performance throughout the season, earning 21 additional Pro League Points to secure second place in the overall regular season standings with a total of 127 Pro League Points.
The result secured qualification for the global event while also earning the team USD 15,000 (approximately INR 14.2 lakh) in prize money and 1,350 Championship Points towards the ALGS 2025-26 rankings.
This marks the second consecutive year that S8UL will compete in Apex Legends at the EWC.
Scheduled to take place in Paris, France, from July 6 to August 23, EWC 2026 will bring together more than 2,000 players representing 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a record-breaking prize pool of USD 75 million (~INR 714 crore).
-Team Sportstar
Published on Jun 08, 2026
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