Sport

The fourth annual D Chandra Sekhar Memorial Open tennis tournament will be held at Advantage Tennis Academy, Hyderabad, from December 20 to 21. Organised by DRC Sports Foundation, the event honours veteran coach Dasiga Chandra Sekhar and features competitions for men, women, and veterans

Telangana’s GM Prraneeth Vuppala won the Rome City Aperta International Chess Tournament, scoring eight points from nine rounds. The 17-year-old will soon compete in international tournaments across the Netherlands, Spain and other European countries, continuing his rise in world chess

Chama Milind, Hyderabad’s left-arm pacer and captain, has led his team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League phase with five wins from seven matches, continuing his consistent domestic form despite being overlooked for higher-level recognition

India will face Sri Lanka Women in a five-match T20I series starting December 21, with World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading the side. The first two matches are in Visakhapatnam, followed by three in Thiruvananthapuram

Telangana’s Jameel Khan won gold in the traditional weapon category at the International Martial Arts Championship in Toronto, Canada. Competing in the senior black belt division for the 50 years and above age group, he outshone athletes from 30 countries

Hyderabad will host the 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup hockey qualifiers at Gachibowli, along with the Asian Rowing Championship and Hyderabad International Chess Festival. The city will also see major sports infrastructure projects including a FIFA-AIFF Football Academy and Dream Valley Golf Resorts

Keystone Basketball Academy men and St Francis College women emerged champions in the Annual League Basketball Championship at YMCA Secunderabad. Keystone beat Titans 75–66, while St Francis edged Nizam Basketball Academy 57–55 in closely fought finals

Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari said the State is committed to building a strong pipeline of athletes for the 2036 Olympics through major investments, global partnerships, new sports bodies, mini stadia, para-sports facilities and athlete-centric welfare schemes announced at the Telangana Rising Global Summit.

India defeated Wales 3-1 in a classification match at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup in Santiago. Goals from Hina Bano, Sunelita Toppo and Ishika sealed the win, keeping India in contention for a top-10 finish

Shubman Gill has been cleared to play the South Africa T20 series after recovering from a neck injury and completing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The T20 vice-captain said he feels “much better” ahead of his comeback

Team India clinched gold in the FEI Children’s Classic Silver Tour, with riders Stasya Pandya, Sresht Mantena, Harshvardhan Singh Gulia, and Prithiv Krishna excelling. Stasya, riding Cougar, also ranked 12th globally, highlighting ARC’s role in nurturing equestrian talent

India were fined 10 per cent of their match fee for a slow over rate in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. Despite losing that match, India bounced back to win the series 2-1 with Jaiswal’s maiden century

India begin their T20 World Cup preparations with Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya returning for the five-match series against South Africa in Cuttack. With Suryakumar Yadav’s form under scrutiny and the Samson-Jitesh debate ongoing, India aim to refine combinations before February’s showpiece

Hyderabad scored 256 on the opening day of the Cooch Behar Trophy under-19 league match against Punjab at NFC Ground, Hyderabad. T S Rama Krishna (81) and Wafi Kachchhi (70) starred, while Punjab’s Anmoljeet claimed 7 wickets. Punjab reached 58/0

Maharashtra gained a crucial first-innings lead against Hyderabad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy under-16 Elite Group match at Mulapadu. D Eknath scored 119 and Prajwal More hit 170 as Maharashtra reached 366/7 in reply to Hyderabad’s 301

Telugu kickboxers Harsha Ratnakar and Naisha Bajaj reached the quarterfinals of the Senior World Kickboxing Championship in Dubai before winning State gold in Sangareddy. Naisha will compete in the Khelo India Asmita Zonal league, while both athletes seek greater support

Hyderabad entered the knock-out phase of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 despite losing to Chandigarh by four wickets in Kolkata. P Aman Rao and Pragnay Reddy top-scored for Hyderabad, while Arjun Azad guided Chandigarh to victory with 63 runs

Khammam archers E Avanthika and K Lohitha Sri have been selected to represent the State in the upcoming Nationals. Both impressed with strong performances at the Senior State-level archery championship held at Delhi Public School, Kolluru, Hyderabad

A 10-member Indian para-cycling team trained by Aditya Mehta Foundation won two silver and nine bronze medals at the Thailand Para Cycling Cup in Korat. Young cyclists Vishva and Lisha led the medal tally with multiple podium finishes

The GVK-AISTA Senior National Tennis Championship qualifiers began at LB Stadium, Hyderabad, with players across 35, 45 and 55 years categories. C H Nagaraju led the 45-plus group, while several veterans including Ramgopal, Appala Raju and Samson Yohan registered wins

Mumbai Smashers completed a stunning turnaround to defeat Hyderabad Royals 5-1 in the Indian Pickleball League final in Delhi. The Times Group–backed, IPA-sanctioned league saw Mumbai rise from sixth place to champions, capping their run in front of dignitaries and fans.

Tech Mahindra Foundation has launched a nationwide Chess League for children with speech and hearing impairment under its ARISE+ disability programme. Over 130 children have registered, with city winners set to witness the Global Chess League Finals in Mumbai this month.

The ACA’s professional and fan-friendly conduct during the India–South Africa ODI in Visakhapatnam drew widespread appreciation. From seamless entry and courteous staff to transparent ticketing and well-maintained facilities, the match showcased why Vizag continues to be a preferred venue for major international fixtures.

Mittapalli Rithvika continued her strong run, winning a silver in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the 28th Speedo Invitational Short Course Championship in Dubai. Telangana Swimming Association officials lauded her impressive international showing.