BADMINTON
All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament returns to Chennai
The All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2026 will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from July 16 to 23.
This marks the return of a senior national ranking tournament to Tamil Nadu after a gap of more than five years. Chennai last hosted the same in 2021, the first national badminton tournament to be held following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament has attracted an overwhelming response from players across India, receiving 1,452 entries, including more than 700 entries in the men’s singles category alone.
There will be local representation as well, including Sankar Muthusamy, former World Junior No. 1 and World Junior Championships silver medallist; S. R. Diksha, the reigning Under-17 Asian Champion; and Sathish Kumar, former World Top-50 player in both men’s singles and mixed doubles.
The tournament will, however, be without two leading Tamil Nadu shuttlers. Reigning men’s singles national champion Rithvik Sanjeevi will not be participating, while Hariharan Amsakarunan is currently representing India at the Japan Open.
The championship will feature India’s leading senior shuttlers competing across all five disciplines—men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles—for valuable national ranking points.
-Team Sportstar
HOCKEY
India juniors end UK Tour with three wins ahead of Asia Cup
The Indian junior women’s hockey team finished its exposure-cum-competition tour of the UK with three wins and four losses as it stepped up preparations for the Women’s Junior Asia Cup, to be held in Moqi, China, from September 4 to 13.
India opened with back-to-back defeats to Scotland, losing 2-3 and 1-3, before bouncing back emphatically with a 6-0 thrashing of USA Under-21. Sukhveer Kaur scored twice, while Kajal, Shashi Khasa, Purnima Yadav and Puja Sahoo also found the net.
The team then defeated England U-21 2-0 through goals from Binima Dhan and Roshni Aind. India’s next match against USA U-21 ended 1-1 after Puja Sahoo’s Penalty-Corner strike was cancelled out by Reese Anetsberger’s penalty stroke, with the Americans winning the ensuing shootout 3-2.
India responded with another 2-0 victory over England U-21, courtesy of Krishna Sharma and Purnima Yadav, before ending the seven-match tour with a narrow 1-2 loss to Belgium U-21.
Captain Shileima Chanu Khaidem said the tour provided valuable exposure against varied international opposition and helped the team identify areas to improve ahead of the Junior Asia Cup.
Team Sportstar
Sreesanth’s former coach to lead SCL60 Talent Programme
Robin Menon.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Robin Menon.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Sportons Media India Pvt. Ltd. has launched SCL60, a hybrid cricket league that brings aspiring players and former stars into the same competitive ecosystem, combining mentorship with match experience. The league’s talent development programme, The Gurukul, will be led by Robin Menon, who has mentored India internationals including S. Sreesanth, JP Yadav and Tinu Yohannan. After attracting over five lakh registrations through nationwide trials, 180 players have been shortlisted for a residential mentorship programme before progressing to the inaugural SCL60 player auction.
Team Sportstar
Suraj Chand selected for India’s 2026 Asian Games squash team
Suraj Chand will represent India at the Asian Games this year.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Suraj Chand will represent India at the Asian Games this year.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
India’s fifth-ranked squash player, Suraj Chand, has been selected to represent the country in the mixed doubles event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after qualifying through the national selection trials in Chennai. Ranked World No. 126, the Somaiya Vidyavihar University student recently reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Mixed Doubles Squash Championship with Rahul Bhatia.
Earlier this year, Suraj won the HCL PSA Indian Tour in Chennai without dropping a game, claiming his fourth PSA Challenger Tour title. He was also part of India’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2024 FISU World University Squash Championship.
Team Sportstar
Published on Jul 15, 2026
