Indian sports wrap, October 4: India U-17 men share spoils with Myanmar in first friendly

FOOTBALL

India U-17 men share spoils with Myanmar in first friendly

A spirited fightback saw a goal down India U-17 men’s team restore parity and draw 1-1 with Myanmar in the first friendly match at the StarCity Sports Club in Thanlyin, Myanmar, on Sunday.

The host opened the scoreline through Aung Myat Thar in the 42nd minute, before the Blue Colts drew level from Dallalmuon Gangte’s penalty in the 73rd minute.

After the initial enthusiasm and exuberance displayed by both sets of very eager boys, it was Myanmar who took the lead much against the run of play. Allowed a deep run from the top of the box, Aung Myat Thar’s first attempt was blocked by defender Abhishek Kumar Mondal.

But the ball rolled onto his path and the Myanmar striker produced a firm, low right-footer which squeezed between the outstretched legs of goalkeeper Maroof Shafi.

In fact, till then Shafi had ruled the 18-yard box effectively and never allowed the Myanmar strikers any liberties. Except for a couple of shots skimming the crossbar, the side did little to trouble the goalkeeper.

But just a minute after trailing, Mehrajuddin Wadoo’s side almost restored parity when the tall striker Hrishikesh Charan Manavathi outjumped everyone and headed into the centre a lob from Maldino Singh Yumnam from the right but goalkeeper Wai Yan Htet did well to turn it over the bar as Myanmar kept their lead at the break.

After resumption, the Blue Colts showed a lot of urgency and launched a series of attacks in search of the equaliser. But the deep-lying Myanmar defence stood firm. Skipper Gangte did a fine job in midfield.

He controlled the pace of the game, switched attacks to either flanks and initiated a few good moves as well. With Lawmsangzuala and Kamgouhao Doungel providing super support, the Indians came close to scoring often.

As the clock ticked away, the raiders intensified. Gangte had a couple of tries blocked. In the 72nd minute, he barged into the box on the left but was brought down by Htoo Lwin Han. Gangte took the award and placed firmly to substitute goalkeeper Shin Thant Htoo’s right to restore parity.

Despite dominating the game thereafter, the Indians were denied the winner by the stubborn home team defence.

The second friendly fixture between the two sides is scheduled to be played at the same venue on Wednesday.

-PTI

CRICKET

Satrajit Lahiri appointed head coach of Tripura team

Former Ranji Trophy cricketer Satrajit Lahiri has been appointed head coach of the Tripura Ranji Trophy team for the 2026-27 domestic season.

Lahiri was a member of the Deodhar Trophy-winning team in the 1996-97 season and has extensive experience in coaching and player development. He is a Level C-qualified coach of the BCCI and a Level 3-qualified coach of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

He has also served as a faculty member for the BCCI’s coaches education course and has been involved in conducting national camps for various age groups under the board. Lahiri has further worked as the coach in charge of the Indian University team.

Lahiri’s appointment comes as Tripura prepare for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, with the former cricketer set to oversee the team’s preparations and campaign in the premier domestic first-class competition.

-PTI

BASKETBALL

Sub-junior basketball nationals: Rajasthan, TN crowned champions

Tamil Nadu girls successfully retained their title while a dominant Rajasthan broke through to be crowned the new boys’ champion at the 51st Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship held at the Maris Stella College Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada.

The girls’ final between TN and Maharashtra was a nail-biting, see-saw affair through the first two quarters. Then, a clinical tactical execution and superior conditioning in the final two periods allowed TN to seal a hard-fought 65-55 win. On the other hand, the boys’ final was a one-sided affair, with Rajasthan dethroning defending champion Uttar Pradesh with a convincing 77-56 triumph.

The scores:

Boys: Rajasthan 77 (Robin Dhanka 19, Daksh Choudhary 18) bt Uttar Pradesh 56 (Sahil Kumar 22, Vansh Tomar 10)

Girls: Tamil Nadu 65 (M. Dhanya 19, V. Anishika 13) bt Maharashtra 55 (Maitri Sha 13).

-Team Sportstar

OTHER SPORTS

Abhinav Bindra urges India to build stronger high-performance system after Asian Games

Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra on Sunday congratulated Indian athletes for their Asian Games campaign but called for greater urgency in strengthening the country’s high-performance ecosystem with the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away.

India finished at the fourth place on the medal table with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.

“Congratulations to every Indian athlete and to Team India on the Asian Games. A Games campaign is never just the few days we see on television. It is years of early mornings, injuries, doubts, missed occasions and countless hours of work.

“So first and foremost, enormous respect to our athletes and also to their families who live this journey with them and make sacrifices that are rarely seen. To the coaches, support staff, federations, SAI, the Government and everyone working behind the scenes, THANK YOU !,” Bindra wrote on ‘X’.

“There have been some terrific breakthrough performances at these Games. Young athletes have announced themselves, others have stepped up to a new level and there have been moments that give us a lot to be excited about.”

India’s medal tally was 21 medals and seven golds fewer than the 106-medal haul, achieved in the last edition at Hangzhou, China.

China topped the table for the 12th consecutive edition, finishing with 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze for a total of 341 medals, its best haul at an overseas Asian Games. Host Japan ended second with 269 medals (83 gold, 95 silver and 91 bronze), followed by South Korea with 39 gold, 43 silver and 68 bronze.

“There have also been disappointments. That is sport and every Games will have them. What matters now is how honestly we learn from them. High performance cannot only be about reacting when an athlete is close to a medal. We have to keep building systems that understand the athlete over several years,” he said.

“Systems that spot gaps early, use science and data intelligently, get coaching and competition planning right, manage training load and recovery, reduce preventable injuries and build athletes who are physically and mentally resilient when the pressure is greatest. Most importantly, the right expertise has to reach the athlete at the right stage of their career, not when it is already too late.”

Looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics, Bindra said the next phase of preparation needs to begin with urgency.

“LA is less than two years away. In Olympic sport that is not a long time. The athletes who will stand on the podium there are already deep into their preparation today. So this is the moment to celebrate what went well, be honest about what did not and get back to work with urgency and purpose.

“Congratulations again to our athletes and to everyone who stood behind them. Be proud of what has been achieved. Learn from these Games and keep moving forward. Wishing Team India everything good on the road to LA.”

-PTI

Published on Oct 04, 2026