Indian sports wrap, January 20: Poonacha-Isaro duo exit Australian Open after first round defeat

TENNIS

The Poonacha-Isaro pair exit the Australian Open after an opening round defeat

Indian Niki Poonacha and his Thai partner Pruchya Isaro exited the men’s doubles at the Australian Open after suffering a narrow straight-sets defeat to Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in the first round in Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Indo-Thai wildcard pair lost 7-6(3), 7-5 to the Spanish pair in one hour and 51 minutes on Court 14.

There wasn’t much difference between the two pairs, but Poonacha and Isaro could only convert one of the three break chances and dropped their serves twice in the match.

The Indian challenger is still alive in doubles as Yuki Bhambri takes on Swedish partner Andre Goransson. They are seeded 10th and will open their campaign against local wildcard entrants James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt, son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

-PTI

Sania launches The Next Set to support Indian women players

Six-time Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza on Tuesday announced the launch of The Next Set, an initiative aimed at mentoring and supporting India’s leading and emerging women athletes, starting with tennis.

Intended as a way to give back to the sport, The Next Set aims to provide structured support to female athletes competing at a high level, helping them meet the demands of professional sport.

The initiative will follow a two-pronged approach, with the primary focus on creating access to a dedicated support system with coaches, physiotherapists and trainers who can travel with players through tournaments to ensure consistent preparation and coordination throughout the season.

In addition, the program organizes targeted tennis camps and coaching clinics led by Mirza at her academy. These camps will cover the technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects of performance.

BNW Developments and Shookra Polyclinics in support of the Mirza-led programme.

– PTI

TO SHOOT

Tilottama and Niraj win 50m 3 positions; Rajkanwar has a 25 meter rapid fire pistol

National champion Tilottama Sen continued her good form in 3 positions in the 50m rifle as she won the National Selection Trials T1 for Group A at the Karni Singh Shooting Range, while Navy’s Niraj Kumar claimed the men’s event on Tuesday.

In the 25 meter rapid fire pistol T1, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu secured the first place.

The 50m 3P final was played in the new ISSF format and saw Tilottama, who recently won 11 medals in the 68th National Shooting Championship, finish on top ahead of Ashi Chouskey by a narrow margin of 0.6.

The Karnataka shooter finished with a score of 360.1, while Ashi finished with a score of 359.5. Manini Kaushik from Rajasthan finished third with a final score of 347.5.

Kumar delivered a consistent performance during the finals and secured the first position with a final score of 360.5, which was 3.6 more than Adriyan Karmakar of West Bengal, who finished with a score of 356.9. National champion Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar finished third with a score of 346.7.

During the 25 meters rapid fire pistol final, which was also played in the new ISSF format with eight shooters qualifying for the final instead of six, Sandhu from Punjab secured the first place.

The 23-year-old shot 29 in the final, two more than Vijayveer Sidhu who finished with 27. Haryana’s Mandeep Singh took the third spot with a score of 20 after surviving a shoot-off against national champion Suraj Sharma, who finished with a score of 18.

– PTI

MOTOR SPORTS

The Indian Racing Festival will make its street racing debut in Goa from February 14 to 15

The Indian Racing Festival will make its debut in Goa with a Street Race Weekend scheduled from February 14 to 15, while Round 4 of the championship will take place at the Manohar International Airport. The event was announced by the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant.

After a thrilling Round 3 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, the championship now heads west as the title battle intensifies. The spotlight shifts to Goa, where a historic street circuit of FIA quality will make its debut over a length of 2,064 km.

-Team Sportstar

MISUSE

Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026: Luke Mudgway rips through Mulshi-Maval on Stage 1

The Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 ended its first leg on the Mulshi-Maval Miles, from the TCS Circle near Hinjewadi.

By the time the peloton thundered towards the finish, it was Luke Mudgway of Li Ning Star, China, who emerged with arms raised and stopped the clock at 02:00:21 after a breathless sprint final.

Mudgway’s victory did not come without resistance. Andreas Matildas of Quick Pro Team, Estonia, finished close behind in second place after 02:00:27, while Yorben Lauryssen (02:00:30) of Tarteletto-Isorex, Belgium completed the podium.

As a precaution and in accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) safety protocols, the race was temporarily suspended. UCI officials and the event’s medical team responded immediately. All affected riders received the necessary medical checks and technical teams took care of the affected bikes.

– Team Sportstar

CRICKET

Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh secure places in the semi-finals

The National Blind Women’s Cricket Tournament has reached its pinnacle after a series of dominant quarter-final victories.

Defending champions Madhya Pradesh secured their spot with a 99-run win over Maharashtra, while Karnataka put in a strong performance to beat West Bengal by 134 runs. Hosts Odisha triumphed over Rajasthan by 61 runs, and Andhra Pradesh rounded out the top four with a clinical 8-wicket chase against Gujarat.

The semi-finals will take place tomorrow at the Hitech Cricket Ground:

Semi-final 1: Madhya Pradesh vs Andhra Pradesh

Semi-final 2: Karnataka vs Odisha

– PTI

FOOTBALL

Ryan Group joins forces with AIFF–FIFA Talent Academy

Ryan Group of Institutions has signed a landmark agreement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to provide comprehensive educational support to trainees at FIFA Talent Academies across India.

As part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, it will oversee the entire educational framework for young footballers at the FIFA Talent Academy in Bhubaneswar from January 2026. The partnership includes teacher recruitment and management, day-to-day academic teaching, consultancy services, examination coordination and personality development programs.

Ryan Group of Institutions is also looking to collaborate with the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATG) to support the education of children at the FIFA Talent Academy in Hyderabad.

– Team Sportstar

Published on January 20, 2026