Indian sports wrap, June 4: Nitesh beats Amanaly to clinch 97kg gold in Mongolia

WRESTLING

Nitesh Siwach won India’s second Greco-Roman gold at the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series in Mongolia, beating Kazakhstan’s Nurassyl Amanaly 13-9 in the men’s 97kg final on Thursday.

The Indian wrestler, who will represent the country at the Asian Games, came through a demanding field to finish on top in one of the heavier Greco-Roman categories.

Nitesh began his campaign with a 3-1 win over Venezuela’s Juan Diaz in the quarterfinal. He then defeated local wrestler Gankhuyag Ganbaatar of Mongolia 4-1 in the semifinal to set up the title bout against Amanaly.

The final was a more open contest, with both wrestlers finding scoring opportunities. Nitesh, however, held his nerve in the closing stages to complete a 13-9 win and add another important international medal to his season.

– Team Sportstar

RACKELTON

Chaufla, Nandal shine at All India Racketlon Open

Vikramaditya Chaufla and Sidharth Nandal were the standout performers at the All India Racketlon Open at the Cricket Club of India, winning four and two medals, respectively.

Racketlon is a combination sport in which competitors play four racket sports: table tennis, badminton, tennis and squash. This year, the organisers replaced squash with pickleball, calling the format Racketlon Rite.

Chaufla, who has captained India at the World Racketlon Championships, won gold in the men’s singles 40 and above category and finished runner-up to Nandal in the men’s singles B category.

Chaufla’s second gold came in the men’s doubles 40 and above category, where he partnered Varun Motasha.

Nandal won the singles gold in the B category and also claimed the men’s doubles title in the same category with Nikhil Mansukhani.

Chaufla, a former badminton player who represented India at the World University Games, will next be seen at the World Championships in Rotterdam in August.

Krishna Kotak, founder of the Racketlon India Sports Association, won gold in the 65-plus category. RISA is headed by president K.K. Cheema.

– PTI

MORE SPORTS

Haryana appoints 23 sports person as coaches

Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam on Thursday said the state had provided coaching jobs to 33 sportspersons in the last one month.

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony where appointment letters were handed over to athletes selected for Group A, B and C coaching posts in the Sports Department, Gautam said the new coaches would play a key role in preparing the next generation of athletes.

The minister handed over appointment letters to three senior and 20 junior coaches. The Sports Department had appointed 10 coaches last month, taking the total number of athletes given coaching jobs within a month to 33.

Gautam said Haryana’s athletes were already working towards the 2036 Olympics and added that coaches would be important in identifying and nurturing talent at the grassroots level.

Highlighting the state’s sports policy, he said Haryana provides reservations for outstanding sportspersons, including a 10 per cent sports quota in Group D government jobs and a three per cent quota in Group C posts.

He urged the newly appointed coaches to use modern training methods, scout talent from villages and small towns, and help prepare athletes for the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

– PTI

CRICKET

Bengal T20 League eyes bigger totals after SG ball switch

The switch from Kookaburra to SG balls is expected to produce high scoring matches in the third edition of the Bengal T20 League, which is all set to begin here on Friday.

“We’ve had low scoring matches in the previous year as matches were played on used pitches. The SG Test balls will produce big scores despite the slow pitches,” said Shrachi Rarh Tigers’ captain Shahbaz Ahmed on Thursday.

“The selectors and (four IPL teams’) scouts will be there and they will look for quality.”

Mukesh Kumar, the skipper of former joint champion Sobisco Smashers Malda, said, “Bowlers will get less swing with SG balls. We played with those one season and got a good response.”

The entry of a new franchise, Novus Purulia Royals, widens the opportunity for up and coming players from the state to make their mark.

The Sudip Gharami-led Purulia Royals will take on defending champion Adamas Howrah Warriors in the inaugural match at the Eden Gardens here at 7 p.m. on Friday.

The women’s opening match will be played between Dhara Gujjar-captained Purulia Royals and Mita Paul-led Kolkata Royal Tigers at the Jadavpur University ground at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

– Y.B. Sarangi

Published on Jun 04, 2026