BOXING

India guaranteed 43 Medals at Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing Championships

India has confirmed 43 medals at the inaugural Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing Championships, organised by the newly recognised Asian Boxing body under World Boxing, with four more pugilists punching their way into the semifinals on Day 7 in Amman. India is now assured of at least 25 medals in the U-15 category and 18 in the U-17, as all semifinalists are guaranteed bronze.

Aman Siwach (63kg) and Devansh (80kg) led the charge in the U-17 boys’ section, both securing Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) wins over opponents from the Philippines and Jordan, respectively, in the last set of quarterfinals bouts.

In the girls’ division, Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) posted a commanding 5-0 win over Jordan’s Aya Alhasanat, while Himanshi (70kg) ended her bout in the very first round with an RSC against Palestine’s Farah Abou Layla, joining their cohorts in the penultimate round.

– Team Sportstar

GOLF

Shubhankar Sharma falters in second round, misses cut in China

India’s Shubhankar Sharma was unable to build on his good start as he shot 3-over 75 in the second round and missed the cut at the Hainan Classic golf tournament.

His 69-75 meant he was even par for two rounds.

As play on the second day was suspended due to darkness, Sharma’s fate was left hanging, but early in the morning when play ended in round two, the Indian was on the wrong side of the cut line.

Sharma had four bogeys and a birdie during the second round with the sole birdie coming on the third and the bogeys on the first, fourth, ninth and the 10th holes.

Sharma has had a difficult start to the year as he failed to make the cut in his first four events before he found rhythm and made the cut in the next four including the Hero Indian Open.

The Volvo China Open last week marked a downturn in fortunes as he failed to make the cut there.

Sean Crocker (67-68) was in lead at nine-under with Elvis Smylie (68-68) next at eight-under. Six players were tied at seven-under and that included Jack Senior, Martin Couvra, Daniel Hillier, Fabrizio Zanotti, Edorardo Molinari and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

Day one leader Haotong Li had a tough second day as he hit three-over par 75 after a first round 66 to fall down to T-27th.

– PTI

Aditi Ashok likely to make cut at Chevron Classic

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok endured a difficult second day at the Chevron Championship at The Woodlands, USA, as she finished with a round of two-over par 74.

Put alongside her first round even par 72, she was two-over for 36 holes and on the cut line.

Though there are nine players yet to finish the second round, Aditi should make the cut on the line.

Recent Epson Tour graduate Yan Liu held onto the top spot at the end of the second round as Haeran Ryu slipped down the order to tied sixth.

Yan Liu played even par for the day as she made three bogeys and a rare albatross on the front nine. On the back nine Liu dropped a bogey on the 17th and picked a birdie on the 18th.

Lindy Duncan moved up 32 places with a round of 5 under par to sit at tied second alongside Sarah Schmelzel, Mao Saigo and Hyo Joo Kim.

Top-ranked Nelly Korda rallied late in the afternoon to make the cut in her title defence, following an opening 77 with a 68. She won last year at The Club at Carlton Woods for the last of her record-tying five straight victories.

Aditi had two birdies and four bogeys. She started her round with bogeys on the first and second holes and then a birdie on the eighth hole. On the back nine she had a bogey on the 11th and 13th holes and a birdie on the 12th hole for a total of 74.

So far in 2025, Aditi has made the cut in two of the three events she has played, and her best finish for the year was a tied 34th at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands.

– PTI