India Sports Wrap, March 14: Four Indian boxers in final at Futures Cup

BOXING

Four Indians one win away from winning the gold medal at the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup

Chandrika, Gunjan, Joyshree Devi and Ambekar Meetei advanced to the final after registering convincing wins in their semi-finals at the World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok on Saturday vch1.

In the women’s 51kg category, Chandrika put in a strong performance to defeat Morocco’s Rihab Hamdoune via Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) in the second round. In the women’s 48kg category, Gunjan defeated North Korea’s Yu Gyong Kim by a unanimous decision of 5-0.

Joyshree Devi (54kg) produced another impressive performance to defeat Mexico’s Sofia Ramirez by Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) in the first round to secure her spot in the final.

In the men’s 50kg category, Ambekar Meetei also advanced to the final after a 5-0 unanimous decision win over Abdugani Yorkinjonov of Uzbekistan.

Meanwhile, Radhamani Longjam (57kg) fought a hard-fought battle but lost 2-3 to Ukraine’s Yevanhelina Petruk in the semi-finals and finished with a bronze medal.

-Team Sportstar

FOOTBALL

Indian U-17 women complete comeback win over Myanmar with two late goals

India’s Under-17 women’s team made a dramatic late comeback on Saturday to beat Myanmar 3-2 in the second of two international friendlies at the Thuwunna Stadium.

Substitutes Anushka Kumari and Joya scored in the dying minutes as the side, coached by Pamela Conti, overturned a first-half deficit to secure the win.

Myanmar led 2-1 at half-time through goals from Hnin Wint War Kyaw (12′) and Min Htone May Zitar (45′), with Alva Devi Senjam (33′) scoring India’s equalizer in the first half. Late goals from substitutes Anushka Kumari (88′) and Joya (90+1′) completed India’s comeback.

The match was part of India’s preparations for the upcoming AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, to be held in Suzhou from May 1 to 17. Myanmar, which has also qualified for the continental tournament, is using the matches as part of its preparations. India had earlier won the first friendly match 2-0 on Thursday.

Myanmar started brightly and put India under pressure early, creating a number of chances within the first ten minutes. Striker Shin Thant Phyu Sin Pyone pressured Indian goalkeeper Munni to make an errant pass that fell to Saung Thazin Oo, but she failed to keep her aim on target and the goal was at her mercy.

Moments later, Myanmar threatened again from a set-piece. Pin Myint Yan’s free kick hit the wall before the loose ball fell kindly to Phyu Sin Pyone, but Munni recovered in time to deny her in a one-on-one situation.

Myanmar’s early dominance paid off in the twelfth minute. Khaing Zin Myint delivered a free-kick from the left flank into the penalty area and Munni rushed out to punch away. Her weak clearance fell to Hnin Wint War Kyaw, who calmly smashed a left-footed shot into the net to put the hosts ahead.

India gradually settled down after the setback and started finding their rhythm. Much of the attacking play came down the left flank, where Alva Devi Senjam and Redima Devi Chingkhamayum worked together effectively to stretch Myanmar’s defense.

The equalizer came in the 33rd minute when Redima spotted Alva running and floating a precise ball over the defense. The striker controlled the ball in the penalty area before firing a powerful left-footed shot past the goalkeeper at the near post. It was the 15-year-old’s first youth international goal for India.

Just before half time, Myanmar regained the lead. In the 45th minute, Saung Thazin Oo delivered a corner from the left and Min Htone May Zitar rose sharply to head home from a tight angle, restoring the hosts’ lead as they went 2-1 before half-time.

The second half turned into a fiercely contested affair, with both sides taking a cautious approach. There were few clear-cut chances as the midfield battle intensified.

India leveled in the 88th minute through substitute Anushka Kumari, who had replaced captain Julan Nongmaithem earlier in the half. Receiving a pass from fellow substitute Bonifilia Shullai, the 15-year-old charged forward and attempted a strike from more than 25 yards, sending the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The late equalizer put India in the spotlight and the visitors completed the turnaround in stoppage time. In the 91st minute, Elizabed Lakra launched a long ball from deep. Myanmar defender Pin Myint Yan misjudged her header, allowing substitute Joya to latch onto the loose ball and slot a left-footed finish past the goalkeeper to seal the win.

Joya’s goal was her first international youth strike for India and came in only her second appearance.

-Team Sportstar

TABLE TENNIS

Senior National TT: Powerhouses PSPB and RSPB start strongly

Traditional powerhouses Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) and Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) started their campaign in the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships with dominant victories and moved closer to the knockout stages in Indore on Saturday.

On the men’s side, PSPB set the early pace in Group A with convincing 3-0 wins over Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. Later, RSPB claimed control of Group B, beating Rajasthan 3-1 before brushing aside Gujarat 3-0.

West Bengal also made an impressive start in Group C with consecutive 3-1 wins over Uttarakhand and Odisha, while Telangana topped Group D after beating Chhattisgarh 3-0 and Madhya Pradesh 3-1.

The biggest match of the day took place in Group E, where Delhi defeated Maharashtra 3-2 in a gripping match.

Mizoram and Assam dominated Group F with clean sweeps, while Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu advanced smoothly in Group G with emphatic 3-0 results. Haryana and Karnataka also opened their campaigns strongly in Group H with convincing wins.

The women’s team event followed a similar pattern, with the stronger teams claiming early control. The PSPB, RBI and Maharashtra all recorded consecutive 3-0 wins to underline their strength, while Tamil Nadu dominated Group C with victories over Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal and Delhi also impressed with comfortable wins in their respective groups.

There were also a few closely fought ties, most notably Karnataka’s narrow 3-2 win over Assam and Uttar Pradesh’s hard-earned 3-2 win against Odisha, which added a touch of drama to the otherwise one-sided first rounds.

Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s teams from Ladakh are yet to start their campaign after arriving a day late due to flight cancellation.

-PTI

GOLF

Saptak and Dhruv share first place after round three

Saptak Talwar and Dhruv Sheoran shared the top spot after the third round of the $300,000 (INR 2.7 crore) Indorama Ventures Open Golf Championship 2026 of the DP World PGTI here on Saturday.

Saptak (68-71-69) and Dhruv (69-69-70) were joint leaders with an identical total of eight under 208. Saptak’s flawless 69 helped him move up three places, while Dhruv’s 70 saw him move up one position on day three.

Manu Gandas scored a 67, the joint lowest score of the day, moving up eleven positions to third at seven under 209.

Aryaman Aditya Mohan also hit the day’s joint low of 67 to end the round tied for fourth on six-under 210, along with Arjun Prasad (69) and Clement Sordet (71) of France.

Saptak, who was in fourth place overnight and two shots off the lead, announced himself as a contender on Saturday with his clear round.

Talwar, who hails from Greater Noida and won the DP World PGTI last year, made his three birdies from 10-20 feet on the fourth, eighth and 12th holes.

-PTI

TENNIS

ITF M25 Tournament: Karan Singh battles past Sidharth Rawat to reach the final

Second seed Karan Singh of India lived up to expectations by booking a place in the final of the Central Excise & CGST – ITF M25 tournament on the synthetic courts of the BTA complex on Saturday.

Karan fought unseeded compatriot Sidharth Rawat in a hard-fought men’s singles semi-final. The match lasted two hours, with Karan prevailing 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a close match. Rawat started strongly, taking advantage of Karan’s slow start and unforced errors to claim the opening set 6-2.

However, Karan improved his consistency in the second set, making it 6-4 and leveling the match. In the deciding set, both players fought fiercely but Karan secured two crucial service breaks, compared to Rawat’s, to win the set 7-5 and seal the victory.

In the men’s singles final, Karan will face third seed Philip Sekulic of Australia, who ended sixth seed Leo Borg’s impressive run with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Meanwhile, the men’s doubles title went to unseeded Indian duo Madhwin Kamath and Atharva Sharma, who defeated compatriots Kabir Hans and Maan Kesharwani 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

-Team Sportstar

Published on March 14, 2026