Indian Sports Report, November 6: Rathika Seelan progresses in NSW Open squash

SQUASH

Rathika wins in round of 16

Indian second seed Rathika Suthanthira Seelan defeated Anantana Prasertratanakul (Thailand) 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 in the round of 16 at the NSW Open, a PSA Challenger event, in Sydney.

Meanwhile, compatriot Age Kasturiraj lost to fourth seed Sze Yee Lee, The Australian Winning 11-4, 11-3, 11-3

– Team Sportstar

FOOTBALL

Matthaus to visit Calcutta

Germany’s FIFA World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus will visit Kolkata on November 16 to promote a new football tournament expected to start in December. Matthaus has been named the official ambassador of the Bengal Super League, a new tournament created by Shrachi Sports.

The legendary defender who was named the first FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991 will appear in various programs focused on motivation, mentorship and meaningful conversations with key voices in the Bangladeshi sporting ecosystem, organizer Bengal Super League announced.

– Team Sports Star

GOLF

Diksha Dagar best Indian after first round in China tournament

Golfer Diksha Dagar, returning from the break she took after the women’s Indian Open, carded 1-under 72 and was seeded T-42 after the first round of the Aramco China Championship.

Pranavi Urs was the best Indian after Diksha, with an even-par 73 to be seeded T-57. Two other Indians in the field, Tvesa Malik and Avani Prashanth, scored 1-over 74 and were tied for 75th.

– PTI

Vani cards second consecutive series 68, taking one stroke lead in WPGT’s 14th leg

Vani Kapoor took just two birdies but parried the rest of the second round for a steady 2-under 68 to leave her with sole lead heading into the 14th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Rambagh Golf Club.

Vani was a four-time winner in 2025 and is now 4-under 136 through two rounds and one shot ahead of Jasmine Shekar (69-68) on the Par-70 course.

Vidhatri Urs (70-68) moved to third at 2-under 138, while Ridhima Dilawari (71-68), Sneha Singh (70-69) and Shagun Narain (68-71) finished in fourth place at 1-under 139.

Ridhima Dilawari parred her first eight holes and birdied the ninth. On the back nine, she landed an eagle on the Par-5 14th and birdied the Par-5 17th, but also dropped shots on the 12th and 16th.

Sneha Singh had four birdies against three bogeys for 69, while Shagun, who shared the first-round lead with Vani and Jahanvi Bakshi, had four birdies, all of which came on the back nine.

Amandeep Drall (72-68) was even par 140 and seventh. She bogeyed the second, but birdied three times at the eighth, fourteenth and eighteenth, all Par-5s, for a solid 68.

Co-leader Jahanvi Bakshi staged an overnight comeback, dropping three shots in the final two holes of her round of 73 to finish eighth at 141, while Astha Madan (71-71) finished ninth.

Five players, Khushi Khanijau (72-72), Smriti Bhargava (73-71), Neha Tripathi (71-73), Kriti Chowhan (70-74) and amateur Riya Jadon (69-75), were all tied for 10th at 4-over-144. The cut dropped to 151 and 25 players made the cut.

– PTI

Bhullar lies tenth in the Singapore Open

Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar birdied the closing stages to shoot a thrilling five-under 67 to finish tied for 10th in the unfinished first round of the Moutai Singapore Open.

Bhullar took seven shots, including four birdies in his last six holes, against two bogeys.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (70) was T-57, as was SSP Chawrasia, while Viraj Madappa (71) was T-79 and Shiv Kapur (72) was T-98 and S Chikkarangappa (75) was T-121.

– PTI

Pukhraj is on fire to take seven shots lead at IGPL Jamshedpur

Pukhraj Singh Gill continued his blistering form and fired a sensational eight-under 64 in the second round to take a big lead at the IGPL Invitational Jamshedpur on Thursday.

The 29-year-old from Ludhiana, who shot a nine-under 63 on the first day, is now 17 under for two rounds on the Par-72 Beldih Course, which can be quite tricky and challenging.

Yet Pukhraj has had just one bogey against 16 birdies and one eagle, which came on the Par-5 16th. He started from the first and had a hat trick of birdies from the second, adding two more on the sixth and seventh to reach 5 under.

On the back nine, he birdied the 10th and 12th and Eagled the 16th, while dropping his only shot in the two rounds so far on the Paf-4 14th.

Pukhraj, who finished second in the IGPL Jaypee Greens, is looking for his first professional title and his seven-shot lead over the incumbent Sachin Baisoya (67-67) is the largest any player has ever had after two rounds.

Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta, a multiple winner on the Indian Tour, added a bogey-free 4-under 68 to his first-round 67 and is third at 9 under.

Former Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar (67) is now eight under and only fourth.

– PTI

Published on November 6, 2025