CRICKET

Smriti Mandhana named UNICEF India celebrity advocate

Newly appointed India women’s cricket captain Smriti Mandhana has been named a celebrity advocate by UNICEF India, with the organisation seeking to leverage her influence to promote equal opportunities, health and well-being for adolescent girls.

The announcement was made on Sunday to mark the International Day of the Girl, which draws attention to girls’ rights, safety, leadership and potential, while highlighting the barriers that continue to restrict their choices.

In her new role, Mandhana will support UNICEF India’s efforts to empower adolescent girls, improve their health and well-being, and help them access opportunities to learn, play and lead.

“I am deeply honoured to join UNICEF India as a Celebrity Advocate. Growing up playing cricket taught me that every dream begins with an opportunity.

“With hard work, determination, and encouragement, that opportunity can turn into something extraordinary. Every child and young person deserves the chance to dream big and reach their full potential,” Mandhana said.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who is associated with UNICEF as its Regional Ambassador for South Asia and a long-time partner, welcomed the move.

“Welcome to the @UNICEFIndia family, @mandhana_smriti! You inspire millions on the field, and I know you will be a brilliant voice for children’s rights off it,” Tendulkar tweeted.

An Arjuna Award recipient, Mandhana was appointed captain of the Indian women’s cricket team earlier this week after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role.

-Team Sportstar

GOLF

Gaganjeet Bhullar Lifts Krishna Invitational 2026 title in Hyderabad

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka graced the Golf Pro-Am at the AM Green IGPL Krishna Invitational 2026 Hyderabad, presented by Punjab Raptors GC. He presented the champion’s trophy and a winner’s cheque of twenty-two lakh fifty thousand rupees to Gaganjeet Bhullar of Vimtra Chennai Lions GC.

Present on the dais were Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Shri Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka; Mr. Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Minister for Roads and Buildings; Mr. Gautam Reddy, CEO of AM Green; Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of AM Green IGPL; Mr. Bhaskar Reddy, President of the Hyderabad Golf Association and Tennis Icon Leander Paes The prize winners joined on dais including champion Gaganjeet Bhullar and joint runners-up Karandeep Kochhar and C. Muniyappa.

Bhullar, an Arjuna Awardee and record 11-time Asian Tour winner, entered the week as a four-time AM Green IGPL champion. After sharing the lead with Karandeep Kochhar of Punjab Raptors GC following the second round, Gaganjeet Bhullar went on to clinch the title at Hyderabad Golf Club with a total of 14-under-par 196. The victory marks his fifth AM Green IGPL title.

Karandeep Kochhar and C. Muniyappa finished tied for second, each receiving a cheque of twelve lakh seventy-five thousand rupees.

With the Hyderabad leg now concluded, IGPL Season 2 will next move to Vizag from November 3-5.

-Team Sportstar

SHOOTING

India Hosts First-Ever International Shooting Sport Federation ‘A’ Coaches Course in Surajkund

In a major milestone for Indian shooting, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) ‘A’ Coaches Course commenced today at Taj Surajkund. This marks the first time that the International Shooting Sport Federation’s premier coaching certification programme is being held in India.

A total of 30 candidates are participating in the landmark course. The cohort comprises 29 coaches from India and one from the United States of America. The programme focuses on elite technical standards, sport psychology, biomechanics and modern high-performance training methods.

The course will continue through the week with extensive classroom lectures and practical technical evaluations.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The opening ceremony was attended by National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) Secretary General Pawankumar Singh and ISSF Academy Director Vesa Nissinen. The instructional faculty features Rifle Head Instructor Manoj Kumar, assisted by Prajakta Hosur, and Pistol Head Instructor Agi Kassoumi, assisted by Vidya Jadhav.

Welcoming the historic milestone, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President of the NRAI, said: “Hosting the ISSF ‘A’ Coaches Course in India is a defining moment for our sport. Elite performance demands continuous technical refinement and modern knowledge. The NRAI remains committed to institutionalising coach education. Bringing global expertise to our doorstep ensures a structured pathway for sustainable international success.”

The course will continue through the week with extensive classroom lectures and practical technical evaluations.

-Team Sportstar

MOTORSPORT

MRF Indian National Racing Challenge 4W – Round 3 – Day 2: Krishay Gutte, Ishaan Madesh share MRF F2000 honours

On a day of twists and turns, Mumbai’s Krishay Gutte and Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru won a race apiece in the premier MRF Formula 2000 class as the third round of the MRF Indian National Racing Challenge 4W – 2026 concluded at the Madras International Circuit, in Chennai on Sunday.

Likewise, in the MRF Formula 1600 class, Shivansh Bejoy (Delhi) and Gyan S (Chennai) shared the honours with one win each. For Shivansh, it was his maiden win in this class.

MRF F2000 points leader, Saishiva Sankaran from Pune, went winless in this weekend’s three races. He even received a five-second penalty which dumped him from P1 to P3 in the day’s first race following a collision with Ishaan Madesh.

For Krishay Gutte, it was a memorable outing as he held his own against Ishaan in Race-2 today for his first win this season in this class. Ishaan, though, recovered to score a fine win in the next race, his second of the weekend. Saishiva, who had won five races in a row, continues to lead the table, well clear of the pack.

MRF F1600 Race-2 winner Shivansh Bejoy (centre) flanked by Evan Sharwan (left, 2nd) and Gyan S (3rd) (Oct 11)
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Meanwhile, Viswas Vijayaraj, the 27-year-old businessman from Nellore, displayed a lot of grit and maturity to complete his third consecutive triple crown in the Formula LGB 1300 (Open) class for a total of nine race wins in a row this season for DTS Racing. “It feels great to win nine races in a row and remain unbeaten after three rounds. Now that we have a three-month break before the next round in January, I will work on my fitness,” Viswas said.

In the Junior category, Noida’s 16-year-old Augustine Boby of DTS Racing marked his debut with a double. However, Sri Lankan Kaveen Rajapaksa (Momentum Motorsports) with three podium finishes this weekend, safeguarded his position at the top of the leaderboard.

Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) expectedly completed a double in the Super Stock class as did Aakash Vivek from Chennai in the MRF Saloons category. Alisha Abdulla, also from Chennai, and returning to racing after a five-year break, won Race-2 to deny Aakash a clean sweep.

The MRF Indian Racing Challenge 4W will take a three-month break and will resume in January 2027.

The results (Provisional, all 10 laps unless mentioned):

MRF Formula 2000 (Race-2): 1. Krishay Gutte (Mumbai) (16 mins, 05.519 secs); 2. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (16:08.403); 3. Saishiva Sankaran (Pune) (16:10.092). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:48.891); 2. Saishiva Sankaran (Pune) (12,52.037); 3. Krishay Gutte (Mumbai) (12:58.348).

MRF Formula 1600 (Race-2): 1. Shivansh Bejoy (New Delhi) (17:29.757); 2. Evan Shrawan (Mumbai) (17:50.229); 3. Gyan S (Chennai) (17:50.374). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Gyan S (Chennai) (14:09.009);2. Bhuvan Bonu (Visakhapatnam) (14:13.738); 3. Shivansh Bejoy (New Delhi) (14:14.674).

Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, Open): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (18:53.100); 2. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (18:53.550); 3. Liron Jaden Samuels (Tirunelveli, DTS Racing) (19:20.125). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (16:07.296); 2. Vinithkumar (Tirupur, DTS Racing) (16:07.838); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (16:08.063).

Junior (Race-2): 1. Augustine Boby (Greater Noida, DTS Racing) (19:07.657); 2. Kaveen Rajapaksa (Colombo, Momentum Motorsports) (19:09.751); 3. Neythan McPherson (Pune, Delta Speeds) (19:21.053). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Augustine Boby (Greater Noida, DTS Racing) (16:10.519); 2. Shatveer Shetty (Bengaluru, Meco Racing) (16:11.894); 3. Kaveen Rajapaksa (Colombo, Momentum Motorsports) (16:18.355).

Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur) (20:53.561); 2. Lal Kattikulam Bharathan (Thrissur) (20:54.722); 3. Deepa S John (Thiruvananthapuram) (20:57.362).

MRF Saloons (Race-2): 1. Alisha Abdulla (Chennai) (21:36.180); 2. Aakash Vivek (Chennai) (21:36.592); 3. Hemachandran R (Puducherry) (21:40.599). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Aakash Vivek (Chennai) (17:07.238); 2. Qian Jun Kek (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) (17:21.821); 3. Alisha Abdulla (Chennai) (17:22.071).

Published on Oct 11, 2026