Indian sports wrap, January 4: Amit Panghal reaches second round as Boxing Nationals begin after delayed start

BOXING

The national boxing championships beginning in Greater Noida on Sunday did not get off to the start the federation would have expected, delayed by more than four hours and half of the bouts forced to be postponed due to lack of facilities.

The Elite men’s and women’s championships, being held simultaneously for the first time at the same venue, were expected to kick off at 2pm at the Gautam Buddha University with formal inauguration by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya. But with the three boxing rings not set up till late evening, the competition could begin only after six in the evening even as the boxers sat around the massive hall, frustrated, among them Assam’s Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain.

Lovlina’s was one of only three women’s bouts to be played on the opening day of the competition with the remaining bouts pushed to Monday, while all the scheduled opening round bouts in the men’s section were decided to be held, the competition continuing late into the night. Among the main contenders, former World Championships silver medalist and Olympian Amit Panghal beat Usman Mohd. Sultan of Bihar 5-0 in the 55kg.

“Some of the stuff needed to set up the rings were supposed to arrive last night but the university gates were closed and the trucks were not allowed in. By the time we cleared all permissions and got down to getting the playing arena ready, there was delay,” the organisers admitted but could not explain the inordinate delay.

– Team Sportstar

MARTIAL ARTS

Tamil Nadu wins overall championship at karate nationals

The Tamil Nadu State team bagged 95 medals to win the overall championship at the National Karate Federation (NKF) National Karate Championship, held on December 29 and 30, 2025, at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

The tournament witnessed participation from 28 States and two Union Territories, with over 1,200 students competing across various categories, making it one of the largest national-level karate events in the country.

The Tamil Nadu team achieved an exceptional medal haul across all categories:

– Individual Kata: 10 Gold, 10 Silver, 16 Bronze

– Individual Kumite (Fighting): 9 Gold, 16 Silver, 24 Bronze

– Group Kata: 8 Gold, 2 Silver

– Team Sportstar

TABLE TENNIS

WTT Youth Contender 2026: Syndrela Das, Divyanshi Bhowmick start U-19 group stage with convincing wins

Defending champion Syndrela Das, top seed Divyanshi Bhowmick and Japan’s Miku Matsushima began their girls U-19 singles campaign with impressive wins in their respective groups in the WTT Youth Contender 2026 at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara on Sunday.

Syndrela, who clinch the U-17 title on Saturday, defeated Archismita Mahato 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 in group 3 while Divyanshi defeated Shrestha Kontham 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 in Group 1.

In Group 2, Miku began with a 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 win over Gunjan Kumar. The top seeds in boys U-19 were also assured of a spot in the knockout out stage as they registered two wins each in their respective groups.

The U-15 top seeds also advanced to the knockout stage with comfortable wins in their groups.

– Team Sportstar

EQUESTRIAN

Mumbai’s Stasya Pandya wins silver at Junior National Equestrian Championship

Young equestrian talent Stasya Pandya of Mumbai delivered a commendable performance at the Junior National Equestrian Championship (JNEC), clinching a silver medal in the Dressage Team Event (Children 1 category) in Mumbai.

Competing astride Kirrhi Taonga from Surge Stables, Bengaluru, she scored 67.463 and played a key role in her team’s podium finish.

Stasya trains and rides at the Amateur Riders Club here under the mentorship of coach Bobin Tshering.

The silver-winning team delivered a collective performance with Haripriya Singh astride Fritz scoring 71.243 and Amara Singh astride Count Me In D’ Grading scoring 68.581, both representing Sea Horse Equestrian, Gujarat.

Dev Harish Kapoor, riding Serrano from Modi Equestrian, Meerut, added 65.934 to the tally. The team secured the silver medal with a total score of 207.287.

– PTI

MOTORSPORT

HERO Motorsports Team off to strong start at Dakar Rally 2026

Competing with a formidable line-up comprising of Ross Branch, Nacho Cornejo and Tobias Ebster, the team is in great form, ready to deliver a solid campaign. While Ross and Nacho feature in the elite Rally GP class, Tobias arrives at Dakar as a strong contender in the Rally2 category.

Ross Branch set the tone high at Prologue with an impressive 5th place finish, followed by Tobias Ebster in 11th place, and Nacho Cornejo in the 20th position. Runner-up of the 2025 Rally2 World Cup, Tobias is also second in the Rally2 category at the Dakar Prologue stage.

Following administrative and technical scrutineering, 317 vehicles took the start line of Dakar 2026, featuring 564 competitors from 49 nationalities. The motorcycle category includes 115 riders, among them 15 elite Rally GP competitors and 100 Rally2 entrants, highlighting the depth and competitiveness of this year’s field.

– Team Sportstar

National 4W Racing Championship Round 3: Pune teenagers Arjun Chheda, Sai Shiva Sankaran top Formula 2000 and Formula 1600 races

Pune teenagers Arjun Chheda and Sai Shiva Sankaran held off their rivals from Bengaluru to win the MRF Formula 2000 and Formula 1600 races, respectively, to kick-start their campaign in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025, at the Madras International Circuit, Chennai on Sunday.

Seventeen-year-old Arjun Chheda fully captailised on a poor start by pole-sitter Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru and took the honours in the MRF F2000 races. Finishing third behind the pair was another Bengalurean, Tarun MB, who was briefly in P2 position before yielding ground to Ishaan Madesh in the first lap. “It was my signature start, but hopefully, I will do better tomorrow,” said Ishaan, the recently crowned National karting champion, reflecting on his tendency to botch starts from pole position. Arjun was happy to score his fourth win of the season, but said: “I had my moments, but managed to keep it all together.”

In the MRF F1600 race, Sai, also 17 from Pune, started from pole position and held off two Bengalureans, Arjun S Nair and Nigel Abraham Thomas to consolidate his position at the top of the points standings. “I made a lot of mistakes in the first part of the race but got into my rhythm in the last three laps. Hopefully, I will not repeat the mistakes tomorrow,” said Sai.

Meanwhile, Surat’s Biren Pithawalla (N1 Racing) also profited from a retirement by championship leader and pole-sitter Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) whose car packed up due to electrical problems in the formation lap itself, and scored an easy win in the premier Indian Touring Cars (ITC) class that was run concurrently with the ITC 1625, Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock class, making up a grid of 19 cars.

Pithawalla, the defending champion, missed the qualifying session earlier in the day after the driveshaft gave away on the out-lap. “My team did a fantastic job in getting the car (Volkswagen Polo) ready for the race in quick time,” said Pithawalla who jumped into the lead starting from P5 in the very first lap and cruised to victory, ahead of Lonavla’s Dhruv Chavan (Buzzing Hornet) and Malaysian Perajun Krishnan (Performance Racing).

Further down the grid, Nikhanth Ramabalu topped in the ITC 1625 class with his Performance Racing team-mate 80-year-old Vidyaprakash Damodaran finishing in P2 in an all-Coimbatore finish.

Bengaluru’s Rithwik Thomas (Race Concepts) fought off Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) from Nellore to win in the IJTC category while veteran from Thrissur Diljith TS (DTS Racing) eased past Sri Lanka’s Kesara Godage (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

Meanwhile, Chikkamgaluru’s Tarushi Vikram who came up with a stunning performance to top the MRF Saloons race despite a pitlane start, was later docked a 10-second penalty which pushed her to P2 while Akshay Muralidharan (Coimbatore) moved up a spot and was declared winner. Her infringement was going off track limits while overtaking Muralidharan. Bengaluru’s Siddharth Kountinya came in a distant third.

The day ended on a dramatic note with Vinith Kumar winning the Formula LGB 1300 race despite a semi-spin exiting the final corner in the last lap while Joel Joseph came in a close second and Lokith Lingesh Ravin completed the podium.

– Team Sportstar

Sanjay Takale Wins H3 Class at Dakar Rally 2026 Prologue

Indian motorsport achieved a historic moment at the Dakar Rally 2026 as Sanjay Takale delivered a standout performance in the Prologue Stage, finishing 1st in the high average speed Group H3 and 35th overall in the Cars category.

The Prologue, which determines the starting order and does not count toward overall standings, saw Sanjay Takale dominate the Dakar Classic Group H3, making him the first ever Indian to stand on the Dakar podium in the Cars category on Day 1.

Driving Car No. 722, Sanjay guided his Toyota HDJ 100 across the 22 km Special Stage and 74 km Liaison (total 96 km), finishing ahead of experienced international competitors.

José Sole and Sergio Cerezo (Spain) secured second place in the H3 class in a Mitsubishi Montero, followed by Raúl Ortiz (Spain) in third, driving a Toyota RAV4.

Dakar Rally 2026 marks Sanjay Takale’s second attempt at the world’s toughest rally, reflecting his growing experience and competitive edge.

Following his Prologue win, Sanjay Takale will open the road for Stage 1 from Yanbu to Yanbu, featuring a 305 km Special Stage with demanding navigation and dune sections.

Widely regarded as the ultimate test of endurance, the Dakar Rally continues to push limits and Sanjay Takale has firmly announced his arrival on the global rally stage.

Race Highlights – Prologue Stage (Day 1):

• 1st – H3 Class: Sanjay Takale (India), Toyota HDJ 100

• 2nd – H3 Class: José Sole / Sergio Cerezo (Spain), Mitsubishi Montero

• 3rd – H3 Class: Raúl Ortiz (Spain), Toyota RAV4

• Overall Position: 35th (Cars Category)

• Total Distance: 96 km (22 km Special | 74 km Liaison)

– Team Sportstar

SAILING

11th India International Regatta in Chennai all set to get underway

The 11th India International Regatta (IIR) officially got underway with the Measurement and Registration Day, a crucial first step in the conduct of any international sailing championship.

Sailors arrived by clubs throughout the day to complete formal registration and undergo mandatory equipment measurement and checks. Measurement and registration play a vital role in ensuring that all boats and equipment comply strictly with official class rules, thereby maintaining fairness and creating a level playing field for all competitors.

International sailors also took advantage of the day to get their first feel of the Chennai waters, heading out briefly to test conditions in the designated sailing area. Many spoke animatedly about the noticeable swell and strong currents, with a couple of sailors humorously remarking that “the sea is saltier here than at home!”

With equipment checks completed and conditions assessed, sailors returned ashore better informed and fully prepared for the official practice race scheduled for tomorrow.

The official inauguration and ceremonial flag-off of the SDAT ASAF International Youth Sailing Championship Cup 2026 and the 11th India International Regatta is scheduled for 4:00pm IST at the Timber Pond, Port of Chennai, marking the formal commencement of racing for the championship.

– Team Sportstar

Published on Jan 04, 2026