Indian sports wrap, October 10: Vaidehee Chaudhari wins third Fenesta Open title; Maan Kesharwani claims maiden men’s crown
TENNIS
Vaidehee Chaudhari wins third Fenesta Open title; Maan Kesharwani claims maiden men’s crown
Top seed Vaidehee Chaudhari and sixth seed Maan Kesharwani clinched the women’s and men’s singles titles, respectively, at the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Saturday.
Chaudhari, who also won the title in 2022 and 2024, defeated 20-year-old Shruti Ahlawat 6-4, 7-5 in a closely contested final that lasted two hours and 15 minutes to secure her third Fenesta Open crown. “I feel so proud. This is my third title so definitely I am very happy right now,” Chaudhari said after the win.
In the men’s singles final, Kesharwani defeated third seed Nitin Sinha 6-0, 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes to claim his maiden Fenesta Open title.
Kesharwani made a dominant start, winning the first six games to take the opening set without dropping a game. The second set was more competitive, but the sixth seed secured a crucial break at 3-2 before holding his serve to close out the match.
Sixteen-year-old Ribhav Saroha, the 10th seed, upset fourth seed Om Ramesh Patel 6-4, 6-3 to win the boys’ U-18 singles title. In the girls’ U-18 singles final, second seed Parthsarthi Mundhe defeated seventh seed Aahan Aahan 6-3, 6-4 to lift the title.
The action now shifts to the Fenesta Open U-16 and U-14 events which kick off next week at DLTA.
Men’s Singles Final Result: Maan Kesharwani [6] def. Nitin Sinha [3] 6-0, 6-4
Women’s Singles Final Result: Vaidehee Chaudhari [1] def. Shruti Ahlawat [2] 6-4, 7-5
Boys U-18 Singles Final Results: Ribhav Saroha [10] def. Om Ramesh Patel [4] 6-4, 6-3
Girls U-18 Singles Final Result: Parthsarthi Mundhe [2] def. Aahan Aahan [7] 6-3, 6-4
-Team Sportstar
CRICKET
Mumbai U-16 win JY Lele Invitational tournament
Mumbai U-16 team won the JY Lele Invitational Tournament on the basis of their first innings lead against Punjab in the final.
Mumbai posted 326 in the first innings, riding on centuries from Shreyas Khilare (106) and Devashish Ghodke (121 not out) and Pradnyankur Bhalerao’s 63.
In reply, Punjab were bowled out for 228 with left-arm spinner Darshan Rathod taking five for 40 and Harsh Kadam claiming two for 21 as Mumbai took a lead of 98 runs.
In the second innings, Mumbai had reached 272 for three with Harsh Kadam (131 not out) and Aarush Kolhe (101) striking centuries when the match was called off.
-PTI
GOLF
Shubhankar Sharma wins Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship by six strokes
Shubhankar Sharma received a timely boost ahead of the DP World India Championship as he sank a three-under 69 to win the Rs 2 crore Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship by six strokes in Greater Noida on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Chandigarh golfer (68-65-72-69), who began the final round with a two-shot advantage, made an eagle on the par-five 12th, three birdies and two bogeys to finish at 14-under 274.
It was Shubhankar’s second victory in as many appearances on the DP World PGTI this season, following his triumph at the Boulders Classic in April, where he ended an eight-year wait for a professional title.
The two-time DP World Tour winner collected Rs 30 lakh for his victory.
Italy’s Michele Ortolani (72-70-65-73) and Bengaluru’s Manoj S (70-71-66-73) shared second place at eight-under 280.
Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (72-67-71-71), a four-time winner on the DP World PGTI this season, finished fourth at seven-under 281.
He earned Rs 9,99,600 and strengthened his hold on second place in the Race to DP World India Championship, taking his season earnings to Rs 77,33,825.
Sharma began the final round with three early birdies but dropped a couple of bogeys in the middle of the round as Ortolani reduced his advantage. His bogey on the 10th tightened the contest before the leader responded emphatically.
The decisive moment arrived on the par-five 12th, where he holed a putt from approximately 70 feet for eagle in gusty conditions.
“The eagle was a pleasant surprise and came at exactly the right moment,” he said.
“I had just bogeyed the 10th, and the lead had been reduced considerably. Holding a putt from that distance gave me a huge lift and brought the momentum back in my favour.”
Shubhankar relied on his short game to protect his advantage over the closing stretch. One of his most important saves came on the 16th after the wind pushed his tee shot behind a tree.
The challenging flag positions and gusting wind ensured that Shubhankar had to work hard despite the eventual six-shot margin.
Shubhankar will now lead the Indian contingent at the US$4 million DP World India Championship, the DP World PGTI’s flagship event co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.
Gurugram’s Harman Sachdeva (74-70-67-71) and the 2025 DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion Yuvraj Sandhu (71-69-69-73) of Chandigarh shared fifth place at six-under 282.
Race to the DP World India Championship leader Saptak Talwar (75-72-72-70) recorded his only under-par round of the week to climb from tied 25th to tied 16th at one-over 289.
Viraj Madappa was ranked 24th in the Race to DP World India Championship at the end of this event with season earnings of Rs 24,90,042.
Viraj was the last player to make the grade for the DP World India Championship from the current DP World PGTI Order of Merit.
-PTI
Anish, Vikas win in BMW Golf Cup
Mumbai’s Anish Bhujle clinched the Category A title for golfers with handicaps of up to 12, while Muradabad’s Vikas Mahajan emerged victorious in Category B for handicaps of 13-28 at the 16th BMW Golf Cup 2026 national final, held at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram.
The two winners will represent India at the BMW Golf Cup World Final in South Africa in March next year, where they will compete against leading amateur golfers from participating nations.
The national final featured 40 of the country’s leading amateur golfers, who earned their places through regional tournaments held across 13 cities — Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Vadodara, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata and Gurugram.
The tournament attracted 2,300 participants this season, with the finalists vying for national honours and the opportunity to represent India on the global stage.
The BMW Golf Cup is a global amateur golf series featuring around 1,000 qualifying tournaments and 100,000 players across 40 countries.
GOLF
Amandeep Johl to lead new Delhi Golf Club committee
Former national golf champion and coach Amandeep Johl has been elected captain of the Delhi Golf Club, leading a new committee comprising accomplished sportspersons and experienced administrators.
Johl, a former professional golfer who has been associated with the sport for five decades, is joined by professional golfer Gaurav Ghei, international shooting champion and Arjuna Awardee Mansher Singh, former junior national golf champion Karan Atwal and former national golf coach Vikram Sethi.
“This committee brings together accomplished sportspersons who have competed, coached and represented India at the highest levels,” Johl said in a statement.
“Our endeavour is to combine this wealth of sporting experience with sound governance and professional administration to ensure that the Delhi Golf Club continues to be a source of pride for its members, maintains a championship course worthy of its rich legacy and, above all, serves as a nursery for nurturing the next generation of golfing champions who will bring glory to India.”
The newly elected committee also includes government nominees and other experienced members, bringing together sporting expertise and institutional experience in administration and governance.
TABLE TENNIS
Himon and Tanishka fight hard to claim U-15 titles
Himon Kumar Mondal of West Bengal and Karnataka’s Tanishka Kalbhairav registered hard-fought wins to emerge champions in the U-15 boys’ and girls’ sections respectively at the second National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Panchkula on Saturday.
Himon staged an impressive comeback to overcome fellow West Bengal paddler Rishaan Chattopadhyay 3-2 in the boys’ final.
Tanishka defeated Aarya Redkar of PSPBA 3-1 to claim the girls’ crown.
CUE SPORTS
India finish on top with 13 medals at Commonwealth Cue Sports C’ships
India finished on top with 13 medals, comprising three gold, five silver, and as many bronze, at the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
India’s campaign was headlined by Aditya Snehal Mehta, who won gold in men’s snooker, defeating fellow Indian Dhvaj Haria 3-0 in the final.
Anupama Ramachandran also clinched gold in women’s English Billiards, overcoming compatriot Umadevi Revanna 1-0 to claim the title. Rayaan Razmi added another gold for India in men’s English Billiards, defeating compatriot Siddharth Sailesh Parikh in the final.
In the men’s snooker section, Haria finished with the silver medal, while Laxman Singh Rawat claimed bronze alongside Sri Lanka’s Mohamed Thaha Irshath.
India’s women’s snooker contingent also enjoyed a strong showing, with Keerthana Pandian winning silver after losing 0-3 to Great Britain’s Rebecca Kenna in the final. Ishika Shah and Shruthi Lakshminarayanan secured bronze medals to add to India’s tally.
In women’s English Billiards, Umadevi took silver following her final against Ramachandran, while Great Britain’s Mhairi Roberta Mackay and Australia’s Julie Watson claimed bronze medals.
India also secured a silver and bronze in men’s heyball, with Paras Gupta finishing runner-up after a closely contested 5-6 defeat to South Africa’s Jason Theron. Uzair Khan claimed bronze alongside Malaysia’s Mohd Hassan.
In men’s 10-Ball Pool, Great Britain’s Mark Foster claimed the title with a 6-3 victory over compatriot Sheridan Burmester. India’s Divya Sharma secured bronze alongside Great Britain’s Paddy McLoughlin.
In women’s 10-Ball Pool, Australia’s Meng-Hsia Hung won gold after edging South Africa’s Elzette Joen 5-4 in the final, while Singapore’s Neo Yue Xuan and Canada’s Nathalle Chabot claimed bronze medals.
Great Britain also won titles in women’s Snooker and men’s Blackball, with Kenna defeating Pandian 3-0 and Lee Shepherd overcoming South Africa’s Shaun Martheze 7-3.
Rwanda’s Frederic Ngaboyisonga and Namibia’s Curtis Izaaks secured bronze in men’s Blackball.
In women’s Blackball, Uganda’s Naiga Rukia defeated South Africa’s Prudence Nkosi 5-3 to win gold, while Australia’s Kolbe Poole and Great Britain’s Emma Cunningham claimed bronze.
In women’s Heyball, Great Britain’s Kelly Fisher claimed the title after defeating Uganda’s Rashidah Mutesi in the final. South Africa’s Marina Jacobs and Great Britain’s Mary Talbot secured the bronze medals.
The Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships brought together 144 players from more than 40 nations for four days of competition across English Billiards, Snooker, Heyball, 10-Ball Pool and Blackball.
-Team Sportstar
Divyanshu edges Sharad Kumar 3-2 to win East Zone title in Delhi State Snooker Championship
Divyanshu produced a fine display to edge past Sharad Kumar 3-2 and emerge East Zone champion at the Raja Randhir Singh Memorial 49th Delhi State Senior Snooker (15 Red) Championship.
Playing at the Ballistic Billiards Club at Anand Vihar, Divyanshu took a 2-0 lead with a 65-15 win in the opening frame, followed by an 89(60)-09 victory in the second.
Sharad staged a stellar fightback, capitalising on errors to sweep the next two frames and level the contest at 2-2. He narrowed the gap with a 67-56 victory in the third frame and kept the momentum rolling to draw level with a 68-21 win in the fourth frame.
With the match hanging in balance in the deciding fifth frame, Divyanshu regained his composure under pressure, closing it out 58-32 to seal a memorable 3-2 win.
Delhi State Billiards and Snooker Association secretary Ravi K. Tandon said the tournament carries a total prize pool of Rs 3 lakh.
-PTI
OTHER SPORTS
Mandaviya to inaugurate BRICS Games
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will declare open the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Demonstration Games 2026 in Ahmedabad on Monday, an event in which participating countries will showcase their traditional and indigenous sports and cultural practices.
“The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat, will organise the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, on 12 October 2026, under India’s BRICS Chairmanship,’ said a PIB release.
Besides Mandaviya, the function will be attended by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, among others.
India will showcase traditional sports such as Mallakhamb, Yogasana and Kalaripayattu.
“The Games will bring together delegations from BRICS Member and partner countries to showcase traditional and indigenous sporting practices and promote cultural exchange, heritage preservation and people-to-people cooperation through sport,” the release said.
“Designed as a non-competitive platform, the Games will focus on the demonstration, documentation, and exchange of traditional sporting practices, with emphasis placed on cultural significance, practitioner interaction and knowledge-sharing.”
The participating countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa and the UAE, along with hosts India.
-PTI
Published on Oct 10, 2026
