BASKETBALL
India’s FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifier match against Lebanon, to be played on Monday, has been postponed along with three other games, due to the rising tensions in the region caused by the ongoing conflict between USA-Israel and Iran.
Games postponed:
Group C
- Iran vs. Syria
- Iraq vs. Jordan
Group D
- Lebanon vs. India
- Qatar vs. Saudi Arabia
“FIBA remains in close contact with the National Federations concerned and is taking necessary measures with respect to the safety and security of teams, officials, and staff involved in those games,” FIBA said in a statement.
“The aforementioned Group C and Group D games will take place at the same locations at the beginning of the third Qualification Window, set for late June. The updated schedule will be communicated at a later stage,” it added.
Following its loss against Qatar on Saturday, India is at the bottom of its group with three losses in three games in the qualification tournament so far.
The Middle East region has been on high alert since Saturday, when the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran. The Iranians retaliated by attacking targets around the region, including in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
-Team Sportstar
TENNIS
Federico Cina clinches Maha Open title
Sixth seed Federico Cina saved five match points to edge past Britain’s Felix Gill to win the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men’s Tennis Championship in Pune on Sunday.
In a thrilling contest lasting two hours and 29 minutes, Cina held his nerve in the decisive tie-break to prevail 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(1).
Federico Cina (fifth from left) beat Felix Gill in the final.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Federico Cina (fifth from left) beat Felix Gill in the final.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Italian looked in control after taking the opening set 6-3 with aggressive baseline play and solid serving. However, Gill fought back strongly in the second set, breaking at a crucial stage to level the match at one set apiece.
The third set witnessed high-quality rallies and intense baseline exchanges, with neither player willing to concede ground.
Cina was down five times on his serve at 5-6 with his back to the wall and facing match points, but he valiantly fought his way back every time to disappoint Gill in front of a capacity crowd backing him.
He held on to force a third-set tie-break, in which the 18-year-old Cina, a native of Palermo, raised his level remarkably, dominating the breaker 7-1 to seal the championship in commanding fashion.
The singles champion was awarded a trophy, USD 17,000 and 75 ATP ranking points, while the runner-up received a trophy, USD 9,600 and 40 ATP ranking points.
-PTI
Zeel wins ITF title in Gurugram, Vaidehee loses in Burnie final
Zeel Desai successfully defended her title at the W15 ITF event in Gurugram on Sunday, defeating Belarusian teenager Polina Kuharenko in the final.
Third-seeded Indian Zeel beat seventh seed Kuharenko 6-2, 7-6(3) in an hour and 51 minutes to clinch her fifth title on the ITF circuit.
However, Vaidehee Chaudhari went down in the final of the W35 tournament in Burnie, Australia.
Fourth seed Vaidehee, eyeing her fifth ITF title, lost 6-2, 6-3 to top-seeded Australian and World No. 275 Lizette Cabrera in 61 minutes in the summit clash.
-Team Sportstar
ATHLETICS
Chandigarh International Marathon: 3,500 runners take part
Ethiopia’s Olbana Negasa Yadate and Meskerem Tesfaye Fikadu emerged winners in the men’s and women’s full marathon categories, respectively, as around 3,500 runners participated in the Chandigarh International Marathon on Sunday.
In the half-marathon (21 km), Harmanjot Singh of India and Ethiopia’s Tsehay Desalegn clinched the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
The 10-km run saw Sahil Kapoor win the men’s race, while Soniya, also from India, finished first in the women’s category.
Organised by the Chandigarh administration, the marathon featured four competitive categories: 42 km (full marathon), 21 km (half marathon), 10 km, and 5 km.
A total of 323 participants competed in the 42 km, 740 in the 21 km, 1,270 in the 10 km, and 1,168 in the 5 km category.
The event also saw 38 international participants from eight countries and 21 specially-abled participants.
Punjab Governor and UT Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, along with his wife Anita Kataria, flagged off the Chandigarh Marathon and also participated in the 5 km category.
Also present on the occasion were Member of Rajya Sabha Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member of the Administrator’s Sports Advisory Council Sanjay Tandon, Home Secretary Mandip Singh Brar, Director General of Police, Chandigarh, Sagar Preet Hooda, Sports Secretary Prerna Puri, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav and other dignitaries.
-PTI
BADMINTON
Shaina secures bronze at Dutch Junior International
India’s rising shuttler Shaina Manimuthu secured a bronze medal at the Dutch Junior International.
Shaina, the U15 girls’ champion at the Badminton Asia Championships, saw her impressive run end in the semifinals, where she went down to China’s Yi Qing Yin 17-21, 8-21 in 35 minutes.
En route to the semifinals, Shaina registered notable victories over the third and 13th seeds, underlining her growing potential and consistency on the global stage.
-PTI
Published on Mar 01, 2026
