Indian sports report, October 13: Joshna Chinappa enters the semi-finals of the Japan Open squash

SQUASH

Joshna Chinappa wins Japan open

Indian squash ace Joshna Chinappa claimed her 11th PSA Tour title, beating Egypt’s Haya Ali in four matches in the Japan Open final in Yokohama on Monday.

The former women’s world number 10 defeated the third-seeded Egyptian 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8 in 38 minutes in the top match of the $15,000 Challenger event.

Earlier, Chinappa, currently ranked 117th in the world, defeated fourth seed Rana Ismail of Egypt 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, reigning men’s national champion and world number 29 Abhay Singh edged out French world number 9 and fifth seed Victor Crouin 4-11, 2-11, 1-11 in the round of 16 of the Silicon Valley Open, a $130,500 PSA Gold event in Redwood City (USA) on Sunday.

-PTI

KABADDI

Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League Season 2 Player Auction will be held on November 3

The Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 players auction will be held on November 3 in Noida.

In the second season, the competition will be expanded from eight to ten teams.

The two new franchises joining the league are Aligarh Tigers and Kanpur Warriors, besides returning teams Lucknow Lions, Yamuna Yoddha, Noida Ninja, Kashi Kings, Avadh Ramdoot, Bridge Stars, Sangam Challengers and Ganga Kings of Mirzapur.

Each team is entering the auction with a total budget of ₹12 lakh to build their entire squad, taking the total players’ purse to ₹1.2 crore.

Players are chosen from an extensive pool of 500 athletes shortlisted through the league’s scouting and registration process.

The auction includes four player categories (A, B, C and D), classified based on players’ experience and performance levels, with fixed base prizes of ₹1,00,000 for Category A, ₹60,000 for Category B, ₹40,000 for Category C and ₹25,000 for Category D.

The auction will follow an open bid format and will take place live with franchise owners, team representatives and league officials in attendance.

Each team must complete its roster according to the composition guidelines set out in the official UPKL Auction Manual.

Under the structure, each franchise must select a minimum of three players from Category A, four players each from Category B and C, and three players from Category D, ensuring a balanced selection based on experience and performance levels.

-Team Sportstar

MOTOR SPORTS

10-year-old Atiqa Mir rules the men’s group and scores a memorable victory in the RMC UAE Championship

Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir led a male-dominated grid to become the first-ever female winner in the minimax category of the RMC UAE Karting Championship.

In a young career filled with many firsts, the 10-year-old took the race lead on lap four before breaking away from the pack to ultimately take an impressive victory by more than four seconds at Al Ain Raceway on Sunday.

The varied grid of 15 drivers represented eight different nationalities. With her stellar performance, the F1 Academy-backed driver made it a memorable RMC debut for her team Akcel GP.

Atiqa battled adversity from third on the grid before coming out on top in a thrilling race. She made a decisive move on the inside for the lead and never looked back, setting a blistering pace in rather windy conditions.

The win came after a difficult last weekend when Atiqa injured her hand but still managed a top-10 finish in the UAE IAME series.

«That felt good. It was tough for the first four laps. I was pushed around but I fought hard and held on. I got a run on the straight and went for the overtaking maneuver for the lead,» said the racer from Jammu and Kashmir.

-PTI

Published on October 13, 2025