Indian sports wrap, October 16:

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon organisers on Friday announced that runners at this year’s edition will not pass through Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk and unveiled a revised route amid ongoing protests against the Election Commission of India.

The protests have led to heavy police barricading around the three marks which were a part of the traditional route in previous editions. This year’s race is scheduled to be held on Sunday.

“The Half Marathon route will feature a minor revision this year between the 10 km and 13 km marks. From Kartavya Path, runners will turn left towards Seva Teerth Circle, followed by a left turn onto Maulana Azad Road.

“They will then make a U-turn and proceed around Seva Teerth Circle towards Rafi Marg, before turning right to rejoin Kartavya Path. This replaces the previous route, under which runners turned right from Kartavya Path towards Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk,” read a statement from the organisers.

In addition, there will be no race start from Sansad Marg this year.

The protestors have been demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyaneshwar Kumar’s resignation, alleging manipulation in electoral rolls.

The elite race, covering 21.09km, will start at 5.18am for men, while the women’s race will begin at 5.20am.

Two-time winner Birhanu Legese headlines men’s field, while 2022 winner Irene Chepet Cheptai is among the star attractions in the women’s race.

There will be 22 men and 20 women from India in the elite race.

The Open 10K race will be flagged off from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Champions with Disability Run and the Senior Citizens’ Run have been rescheduled to flag off at 6:30am, instead of the earlier scheduled time of 7am.

The organisers said that participants have been told about the changes through “social media, WhatsApp and email, as well as through communication at the Expo.”

“There is no change in the Great Delhi Run route and race start timings,” it added.

CHESS

India’s youngest chess team wins gold at inaugural Commonwealth Schools Championship in held Malaysia

Three Indian children have given the country a golden start in a brand-new international chess event. Akshath Chowan Lavudiya of Telangana and Nishwanth Ramkumar Iyer and Ivaan Dubey of Maharashtra won the team gold medal in the Under-7 Standard category at the inaugural Commonwealth Schools Chess Championship held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 4 to 12.

The championship, organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association under the Commonwealth Chess Association and FIDE, brought together young players from schools across Commonwealth nations. Competing in the Standard (classical) format, the longest and most demanding time control in chess, the Indian trio played nine rounds over a week, a test of patience and concentration that challenges even seasoned adult players.

Nishwanth, from Pune Maharashtra, scored (6/9) placed in third and Ivaan, from Mumbai Maharashtra, scored (8/9) placed in second; and Akshath, from Telangana, scored (8.5/9) placed in first. Their combined tally placed India at the top of the team standings, ahead of Srilanka and Malaysia.

The win adds to India’s remarkable momentum in world chess, where a steady stream of young talent has turned the country into a global powerhouse. That three 7-year-olds from two states could come together to win gold at a Commonwealth-level event shows how deep and early that pipeline now runs across the country.

CRICKET

First ever mixed gender cricket tourney in Colombo next month

In a first for cricket, a mixed-gender cricket tournament built on the 80-over format will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here from November 14 to 29.

Test Twenty will feature 160 young cricketers, aged 13 to 21, who will be drafted from around the world into four continental teams. The girls’ and boys’ squads will play for the same team, and their runs will combine into one result.

Each of the four continental teams will have a squad of 40 players, with 20 girls and 20 boys. Each match will be played in a single day, using both the red ball and the white ball.

Each team will bat twice. The first 40 overs will be played in whites, with the red ball, during daylight. The final 40 overs will be played in colour, with the white ball, under the SSC floodlights.

Scores will carry forward from the first half to the second.

“Under the Parity Rule, the girls’ scores will decide the boys’ wins under lights. What he scores under lights decides whether she wins. The next day, the toss may turn it around,” stated a press release for the event’s organisers.

Gaurav Bahirvani, founder of Test Twenty and author of Parity Rule, said that parity will extend beyond the rules of the game to the broadcast itself, giving both the girls and boys equal time.

The advisory board of the tournament comprises greats of the game such as AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, and Sir Clive Lloyd.

The Global Selection Committee will be chaired by renowned Delhi coach Rajkumar Sharma, and the tournament’s operations will be led by Mike Fordham.

 

Jemimah Rodrigues joins Switzerland Tourism as Friendship Ambassador

Star Indian women’s cricket team batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been named Friendship Ambassador by Switzerland Tourism to engage with the new generation of Indian travellers.

Rodrigues is currently recuperating from a high-grade right hamstring strain that forced her to skip the Asia Cup and the Asian Games.

“Representing India has always been something very special to me, and wherever I travel, I carry a little bit of home with me,” Rodrigues said during a function organised by Switzerland Tourism.

“I’m looking forward to meeting people, trying new things, exploring different places, and sharing those moments with everyone back home,” she added.

Martin Nydegger, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, said the association with a popular figure like Rodrigues will help his country connect with Indian travellers more effectively.

“Today’s Indian traveller is curious, confident and increasingly looking for experiences that feel personal and authentic. Jemimah brings that spirit naturally.

“Her energy, warmth and ability to connect with people make her a wonderful fit for this association, and we are delighted to welcome her as our Friendship Ambassador for India,” said Nydegger.

 

GOLF

DP World India C’ship: Round 2 suspended, three Indians in contention to make cut

India’s Anirban Lahiri and Saptak Talwar were tied 46th, while Om Prakash Chauhan was tied 17th when the second round of the DP World India Championship was suspended at the Delhi Golf Club here on Friday, with all three remaining in contention to make the cut.

The second round could not be completed on Friday, with the cut expected to be decided by Saturday afternoon.

No Indian featured in the top 15 at the time of suspension, with Chauhan the best-placed among the home golfers at tied 17th. Lahiri and Talwar were tied 46th, alongside 11 other golfers.

Angel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten and Adrian Meronk shared the clubhouse lead at the top of a congested leaderboard after day two of the weather-affected tournament.

The tournament was still trying to play catch up after nearly five hours were lost to storms on the first day, but conditions were perfect as some players faced 36 holes on Friday.

Luiten played the most among the leaders as he tackled 34 holes for rounds of 68-68 to get to eight under, while Meronk and Hidalgo both faced 31 holes.

Meronk was five under through four at the end of Thursday but added just one more first-round birdie before following up with a 69, while Hidalgo joined Luiten with rounds of 68-68.

Belgian Thomas Detry birdied three of his first six holes in round two to sit alongside the leaders, a shot clear of English pair Todd Clements and Eddie Pepperell.

More than half the field was yet to finish the second round and 12 players were yet to start their second round.

Eugenio Chacarra was also at seven under through five holes as he seeks a result which could send him to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World on Sunday.

Om Prakash Chouhan, who played the DP World Tour in 2024 after topping the DP World PGTI Tour Order of Merit in 2023, was still the best Indian on the leaderboard. He had played just two holes, both pars, in the second round after a 68 on the first day.

Two-time winner on the DP World Tour Anirban Lahiri (70-73) was assured of tee times over the weekend. He was tied 46th, as was Saptak Talwar, who shot 71 in the first round and was par through seven holes in the second round.

Shiv Kapur (72-72) was T-59 and looked like making the cut while Karandeep Kochhar, after a 72 in the first round, was even par through 16 holes in the second. At T-59, he was also inside the current cut line. The cut will be applied after the second round is complete on Saturday.

All three of the clubhouse leaders are enjoying some late-season momentum as we head towards the DP World Tour Play-Offs, with the trio able to look up the Rankings rather than over their shoulders.

Pole Meronk recently won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and he held the solo lead on day two after birdies on the 14th, 17th, first and eighth but dropped his only shot of the week so far on the ninth.

“It was a lot of solid golf,” he said. “I’m happy with my position. Obviously a little bit disappointed with the bogey on the last, but it’s still a good round and I’m happy with the day of work.”

Dutchman Luiten also got to nine under with a hat-trick of gains from the 13th and further birdies on the 18th and second. He then made a double on the eighth but bounced straight back from 14 feet on the next.

Luiten said later, “It was good for 17 holes, and then my 17th, the 8th hole, I double-bogeyed, which normally you would say it’s a birdie hole. I think the long day and the tiredness just got to me a bit at the end, and luckily I could get a birdie on the 9th.”

Hidalgo’s recent runner-up finish at the FedEx Open de France has secured his place in the play-offs and he made birdies on the first, sixth, seventh, eighth and 14th before bouncing back from a double with a closing gain.

“Pretty good. Especially in this course. It’s pretty tight. I played 31 holes with this weather and this tight course. Pretty happy with the way I’m playing these two rounds, looking forward to see the weekend”, Hidalgo said.

 

Technical conclave on course maintenance and irrigation to be held at Noida Gold Course

The Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India (GCS&MAI) will bring together leading turf, irrigation, agronomy and machinery experts from India, the UK, the USA and Japan at Noida Golf Course on October 24 for a technical programme on water-efficient irrigation, seasonal turf management and the mechanisation of course maintenance in Indian conditions.

The programme comes as turf management becomes a specialised, technology-led profession in India and one of the most promising growth markets for the global turf industry. When Ahmedabad was confirmed last November as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, it marked another step towards the Olympics in 2036. Behind every stadium, academy and golf course on that journey is the natural grass the games are played on.

India’s climate is also turning the country into a proving ground for smarter turf care. Courses and grounds here have to stay at their best through summer heat that touched 47.2 degrees Celsius in Vidarbha this May, a cold northern winter and the transition weeks in between. The national water picture is improving: India’s overall stage of groundwater extraction has eased from 63.33 per cent in 2017 to 60.63 per cent, the government told Parliament in July. With 730 of 6,762 assessment units still classed as over-exploited, though, water efficiency remains a priority for every turf manager.

This is speeding up the shift to precision irrigation, soil-moisture monitoring, heat-tolerant grass varieties and multi-function machines that do more with smaller crews. These are the same technologies that are driving the sensor and turf protection markets worldwide.

 

E-SPORTS

India’s leading GTA V players set to compete in IGRI Season 2

Following the success of its inaugural season, Soulcity, Asia’s leading GTA V Roleplay server, has announced Season 2 of the Indian GTA V Rumble Invitational (IGRI). Scheduled from October 17 to November 4, the tournament will feature 48 teams competing for a prize pool of INR 4,00,000.

A first-of-its-kind, community-driven tournament by Soulcity, IGRI brings the battle royale format to GTA V, creating a competitive platform for creators, streamers and players from the game’s roleplay community.

The tournament will feature 32 registered teams and 16 invited teams competing across four stages: open qualifiers, group stages, semi-finals and finals. The open qualifiers will take place from October 17 to 19, with 32 registered teams divided into four groups of eight. Sixteen teams will advance to the group stage, scheduled from October 23 to 25, where they will join 16 invited teams to form a 32-team field. The semi-finals will run from October 28 to 30, with 24 teams competing across three groups of eight in 18 matches to determine the finalists.

The tournament will conclude with the finals from November 2 to 4, featuring 16 teams competing in a single lobby across 18 matches over three days. Points will accumulate throughout the final stage, with teams earning placement points for finishing in the top 10 of each match and one point for every elimination.

The invited teams will feature leading 8Bit Creatives talent and prominent names from India’s GTA V community, including Parv Singh (Regaltos), Mrinmoy Lakhar (Mercy), Mukul Anchal (Mafia) and Monika Jeph (Sherlock), among others.

Lokesh Jain, Co-founder of 8Bit Creatives, said, “The GTA V creator community in India has grown significantly, with the success of IGRI Season 1 demonstrating the appetite for a unique format that brings creators together. As streamers continue to build their audiences and establish their identities around the game, the second season presents an opportunity to bring more creators into the spotlight. Together with KICK, we aim to make IGRI Season 2 a landmark event and create more opportunities for creators to engage with audiences through community-driven formats.”

All matches will be streamed exclusively on KICK. Each player will stream their own gameplay live, allowing audiences to follow the action from individual player perspectives and watch their favourite creators compete.

MOTORSPORT

Ary Bansal to Represent India at the FIA FR World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix

Indian racing driver Ary Bansal will represent India at the 2026 FIA Formula Regional (FR) World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix, joining Italian outfit Trident for one of the most demanding events on the international single-seater racing calendar.

At just 16 years old, Bansal will be the youngest driver on the grid, taking on an international field of competitors at Macau’s challenging Guia Circuit. Renowned for its narrow sections, unforgiving barriers and high-speed corners, the street circuit demands exceptional precision, racecraft and composure, making it one of the most distinctive challenges in motorsport.

Bansal’s participation marks another significant milestone in his progression through the international single-seater ranks. Having established himself as one of India’s promising young racing talents, he arrives in Macau following successful campaigns across multiple Formula 4 championships.

In 2025, Bansal won the GB4 Championship with Elite Motorsport, securing the title with 402 points, four victories and 11 podium finishes. He also won the Challenge Cup in the British F4 Championship with Fortec Motorsport. At the 2025 Macau Grand Prix, competing in the FIA Formula 4 World Cup, he finished fifth overall, gaining valuable experience at one of the sport’s most iconic venues.

Continuing that momentum into 2026, Bansal finished third overall in the Formula Winter Series and currently sits third in the Italian F4 Championship. His Italian F4 campaign has included two victories and six podium finishes, further underlining his competitiveness in one of the world’s most competitive junior single-seater categories.

Returning to Macau for a second consecutive year, Bansal will step up to Formula Regional machinery with Trident. The event presents an opportunity to build on his previous performance while taking on a new challenge at a circuit where experience, consistency and precision can prove decisive.

Speaking ahead of the event, Bansal said: “I’m excited to be joining Trident for the FIA FR World Cup in Macau. It’s a fantastic feeling to compete at one of motorsport’s most iconic venues. The Guia Circuit is one of my favourite tracks to race at, with an atmosphere and a level of challenge unlike anywhere else. Representing India at such a historic event makes this Grand Prix even more special, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to maximise our performance over the weekend.”

With his previous Macau experience, a strong record in junior single-seater competition and the opportunity to compete with Trident, Bansal will be aiming to make another step forward on the international stage. As the youngest driver on the 2026 grid, he will carry India’s hopes into one of the most challenging events of his racing career.

The FIA FR World Cup forms part of the Macau Grand Prix, an event with a rich history of showcasing emerging talent and established names in international motorsport. Its demanding street circuit and fiercely competitive field have made it a renowned proving ground for drivers aspiring to progress through the single-seater ranks.

ATHLETICS

U23 Athletics Competition 2026: Rushiprasad breaks men’s 100m record

Maharashtra’s promising sprinter Rushiprasad Desai broke the men’s 100m meet record on the opening day of the Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition 2026, clocking 10.35 seconds to better the previous mark of 10.38 seconds set by Animesh Kujur in 2024, here on Friday.

Unnathi Bollanda won the women’s 100m gold in 11.62 seconds, equalling the meet record held by Sakshi Champala.

In pole vault, Dev Kumar Meena cleared 5.30m to win gold and better his own meet record of 5.20m. Kuldeep Kumar, who also cleared 5.30m, claimed silver, with both athletes surpassing the previous mark.

Priya won the women’s discus throw gold with an effort of 53.07m, breaking the previous meet record of 50.73m set by Nitika Kumari. Nitika finished second with 51.92m, while Anisha took bronze with 51.11m.

Results:

Men: 100m: Rushiprasad Desai (Maharashtra) 10.35 seconds (meet record), Savin Thingalaya (Reliance) 10.46 seconds, Dondapathi M (Odisha) 10.46 seconds.

Pole vault: Dev Meena (Madhya Pradesh) 5.30m (meet record), Kuldeep Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 5.30m, Ramratan (Rajasthan) 5m.

Women: 100m: Unnathi Bollanda (Reliance) 11.62 seconds, Kiruthika (Tamil Nadu) 11.74 seconds, V Sudheeksha (Karnataka) 11.82 seconds.

5,000m: Sonam Parmar (IOCL) 17:03.41 seconds, Sunita Devi (IOCL) 17:03.43 seconds, Vartika Patel (Uttar Pradesh) 17:06.78 seconds.

Discus throw: Priya (Haryana) 53.07m (meet record), Nitika Kumari (Rajasthan) 51.92m, Anisha (Delhi) 51.11m.

Shot put: Munesh (BSF) 14.27m, Jhalak Chahal (Uttar Pradesh) 14.14m, Khusboo (Haryana) 13.97m.

Long jump: Sheeba D (Kerala) 6.29m, Munmun Chetia (Assam) 6.13m, Prathiksha Yamuna (Tamil Nadu) 6.08m.

High jump: Mahek Nasrin (Odisha) 1.69m, Arpita Sarkar (West Bengal) 1.69m, Anchal Sharma (Punjab) 1.60m.