Sports

Ningbo (China), April 7 (IANS) India’s top mixed doubles pair, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, made a winning start to their campaign on Day 1 of the Badminton Asia Championships at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Ningbo, China.

Facing Thailand’s Phuwanat Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard, the Indian duo claimed the opening game 21-14. The Thai pair responded with a dominant 21-11 win in the second to force a decider. Regaining their early momentum, Dhruv and Tanisha closed out the match 21-15 in the final game.

The Indians now face a challenging Round of 16 clash against Malaysia’s Cheng Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who currently hold a 2-0 head-to-head advantage.

In other mixed doubles results, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh lost to Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien 21-16, 21-15, while Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani bowed out against eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie, 21-13, 21-19.

Top Indian singles players, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, get into action on Wednesday. Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu will open her campaign against Wong Ling Ching of Malaysia in a Round of 32 match in the women's singles main draw. Three other Indian women singles players -- Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and Tanvi Sharma are also in the main draw and are expected to start their campaigns on Wednesday.

In men's singles, Thomas Cup winner H.S Prannoy will start against World No. 62, Nguyen Hai Dang of Vietnam, while youngster Ayush Shetty will meet fifth seed Li Shi Feng of China, the 2023 All-England champion, in a first-round match.

Former World Championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will start his campaign against Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, while Paris Olympic Games semifinalist Lakshya Sen will open against Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong-China in a Round of 32 match.

--IANS

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Dubai, April 7 (IANS) Australia leg-spinner Alana King reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI Bowling Rankings within four days of losing it as she took a remarkable five for 19 to overtake England spinner Sophie Ecclestone and move up in the list.

King’s spell, along with Phoebe Litchfield’s 68 not out (56 balls), helped Australia to a nine-wicket win and a 3-0 series victory over the West Indies.

Litchfield’s unbeaten 87-run, second-wicket partnership with Ellyse Perry (33 not out off 40 deliveries) saw her remain steady in fifth place in the ODI Batting Rankings, but she crossed the 700 rating points mark for the first time. Perry’s contributions moved her two slots to re-enter the top 10 from 12th place last week.

In Wellington, New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr smashed an unbeaten 139-ball 179 to help her side to a record-breaking, series-levelling chase of 350 for eight in the second ODI against South Africa. Her heroics were enough to lift her six slots to joint 14th place in the ODI Batting Rankings alongside Pakistan’s Sidra Amin.

In their successful series decider, the White Ferns’ Maddy Green was the architect of her team’s success, striking an unbeaten 141 from 128 deliveries to beat the Proteas by 66 runs. Her performance advanced her four spaces to a career-best ninth place in the batters’ list, her first appearance in the top 10, the ICC said in a release on Tuesday.

Finally, South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka, the leading wicket-taker of the series, has jumped five places to number 12.

New Zealand, who bounced back from their opening loss to take their ICC Women’s Championship series against South Africa 2-1, have taken the top position in the table with 10 points from six matches.

The Proteas are currently in third place, having won three and lost three of their six matches to date, while Australia have completed an unbeaten tour of the West Indies with a nine-wicket victory in the final ODI in St. Kitts to occupy second place with a 100% record from their three matches.

The West Indies are currently in sixth place with just one win from the six matches they have played so far. With four teams yet to play in the tournament, they might be feeling some pressure with only the top seven-ranked teams plus the hosts qualifying automatically for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2029.

--IANS

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Mumbai, April 7 (IANS) Dashing Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman, serving a two-match ban in Pakistan Super League (PSL), has denied reports that he will be retiring from T20 internationals as he is considering migrating to the United States, a news report said on Tuesday.

There were reports and claims on social media that Fakhar, who turns 36 on Friday, has shifted his family to the USA and will retire from T20Is. He has also been plagued with fitness issues, including hormone issues, which cause frequent injuries.

“Fakhar is not at all retiring, and this he has conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the selection committee, nor is he leaving Pakistan,” sources close to the cricketer told Telecom Asia Sport on Tuesday.

The star batter played just two matches in the T20I World Cup, scoring 25 and 84 with aggression and no hint of fitness issues. But he had to withdraw from the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour due to fitness issues.

Those issues revived reports that he will quit T20Is in order to concentrate on the 50-over format.

Pakistan will not play a T20I until October when they host Sri Lanka, while their next ODI series will be at home against Australia in May-June this year.

“Fakhar is determined to play the 2028 T20I World Cup and is working on his fitness as well, and before that wishes to represent the country in the Los Angeles Olympics as Pakistan is likely to get a berth alongside India,” sources told www.telecomasia.net.

Fakhar is serving a two-match ban on charges of ball tampering during Lahore Qalandars’ match against Karachi Kings on March 29 in the Pakistan Super League. He denied the charges before the match referee, Roshan Mahanama.

The match referee rejected his clarification, while a three-man PCB committee upheld the ban after a hearing.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Delhi Capitals (DC) bowling coach Munaf Patel has lavished praise on South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, describing him as a smart, self-aware bowler who understands Indian conditions well and is among the easiest overseas players to work with in the dressing room.

Ngidi has filled the void left by Mitchell Starc’s absence so far by relying on his deceptive slower balls, which dip late to fox batters. An instance of this was seen in DC’s six-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians, where Ngidi trapped Suryakumar Yadav lbw for 51, when he just looked to accelerate.

Ngidi’s slower balls have fetched him 11 wickets at a tight economy rate of 6.8 and a strike rate of 14. "If you want to become a good bowler in today's era, then you will have to bring good variations. So he has slower balls and continues to play for South Africa. He has also played in this year’s Men’s T20 World Cup in India.

“So he has ideas of bowling on these wickets. He has been in the IPL for a long time and with other teams. He was there last year as well. So he has an idea of bowling his variations as per conditions and Indian wickets. He is not like other bowlers, who try to bowl 150 kmph and get hit.

“He stays in his own area, and whenever there is a need for variations, he uses his own slower ones or yorkers," said Munaf in the pre-match press conference, ahead of DC taking on Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

Munaf, who played 13 Tests, 70 ODIs, and three T20Is for India, also spoke of the close working relationship he has built with Ngidi at DC. "If we talk about Lungi, he is a good bowler in his area. He is a very good bowler for his own bowling - I can tell you this.

“I talk to him every day, because my job is to talk to the bowler, and to satisfy him or to add more to his armoury if there is anything, like a slower one or a yorker. Lungi is a good person; he is easy to handle. He is not like other foreigners, who are difficult to handle," he said.

Turning to left-arm seamer T Natarajan, who’s done well with slower balls at the back end, Munaf said his work with Natarajan during the IPL window is focused squarely on reinforcing the pacer's strengths.

"I believe that you will have to do more bowling. He was injured only last year. He was playing day cricket and one-day cricket. But the injury he had was prolonged. Because of that, he was not able to play, neither on days nor on one day. That is why he has decided, for now, that he will only play T20.

“But I think that in the next year, he will play days and one-day games, according to how he is bowling. I don't work with him the whole year because he plays domestically from there, and he works with his coaches.

“But in these 2-3 months, I work on bowling only because we have trainers who work on his fitness. I always ask him to bowl as per his own strengths. He has slower ones and yorkers; he is a specialist in death overs. So I do the work on where his speciality is," he said.

On Mukesh Kumar, Munaf said the Indian pacer has shown clear improvement after working specifically on his new-ball discipline. "I have been working with Mukesh for the last few months because he had a problem with the line and length last year. A lot of people questioned it.

“Whenever you play, your new ball will be 100 per cent better, and the test match length will be good. So I work with Mukesh on the same variation, and I work more on using the new ball well because he is mainly a new-ball bowler. A new ball bowler will have to put more overs in the power play or put more overs in between. So I always expect him to play as a main bowler," he said.

Munaf also outlined his clear-eyed view of what separates winning and losing sides in T20 cricket, which is placing enormous value on picking wickets in the powerplay, something which DC have done well so far.

"I see T20 cricket in one way - if you take wickets in six overs, no team will get to 200. When the partnership is good and that six-over phase in power-play is used well, then you can cross 200; otherwise, you can't. Now I can say that all the teams that are stopping under 200, it is just that the power play is very important.

“If two to three wickets are taken out and you are able to keep them to 40-42 runs, then it is very difficult to go to 200 unless you are bowling very badly in the last six overs. So I don't think that if any team uses power play well, they would let them cross 200," he said.

In his role as bowling coach, Munaf, a member of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team, said his job is more about guiding bowlers rather than dictating terms. "My work is to make them understand and get them to bowl according to their plans. Basically, most of the work is done by the bowlers. For example, how to read the batsman or bowl Test match lengths.

“But when to bowl, how much to bowl, they have to understand according to the situation. You cannot bowl continuously in the same way, even if you are getting hit - it is not possible to do that. In between, if you are getting swing on the new ball, you can bowl longer. If you are not getting a new ball, then you have to come to your variations," he said.

Spelling out his broader coaching philosophy, Munaf noted that international bowlers require far less handholding than their domestic counterparts. "Talking to the players is 100 per cent important. You have to guide them and chat about the wicket conditions. Just like Lungi Ngidi, who comes from South Africa, but yes, he has played the World Cup before.

“It is about discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition batters, although weaknesses are fewer now as batters play more shots in the T20 format. My job is to prepare the bowlers going into the match. Some bowlers bowl before match day, while some rest, and it depends on them. It is then up to the trainers whether they need to do strength and conditioning.

"You do not have to spend too much time with international bowlers, but with domestic players, you tell them how to handle pressure and how to bowl in the first six and the last six overs. Whereas internationals already know how to manage these situations. It is great that Axar is an all-rounder. Both Kuldeep and Axar are there to guide the likes of Vipraj Nigam when playing in the middle overs, and that helps," he concluded.

--IANS

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Guwahati, April 7 (IANS) The start of Rajasthan Royals' clash with Mumbai Indians has been delayed because of rain, which lashed the city for around three hours since early afternoon, forcing the ground staff to deploy the heavy covers at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Barsapara in Guwahati on Tuesday.

Though the drizzle had picked up slightly in intensity past 7.30 pm, the scheduled start time of the match, the ground staff has removed covers from the side wickets and are working hard to make the field of play ready for the match. The covers have not been removed fully, though the super sopper was out in the field, taking off the extra rainwater from the field before it is made ready for the match.

The match officials will soon be taking a call on when to conduct the toss, and no overs will be lost if the match starts before 8.30 pm.

This is the Rajasthan Royals' second 'home' match at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. They have won both their matches so far and are hoping to remain unbeaten by winning their third match.

The Mumbai Indians have won their opening match against the Kolkata Knight Riders but lost the next one to the Delhi Capitals. The five-time champions will be hoping to get back on the winning track.

The clash between Rajasthan Royals, the winner of the inaugural edition, and Mumbai Indians is being eagerly awaited because it pits India's best pace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, against the young turk, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old from Bihar who has already proved his potential with brilliant stroke play, scoring a century.

Sooryavanshi has already caught the eye because of his sensational stroke play and big hitting as he has hammered 30 sixes so far in the Indian Premier League, 20 of them coming for pace bowlers.

Fans are eagerly waiting to see how the 15-year-old from Samastipur tackles pace spearhead, Bumrah. But rain has put that match-up on hold as of now.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Delhi Capitals (DC) bowling coach Munaf Patel said there is still no clarity on when Australia left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc will join the franchise for IPL 2026, even as the Axar Patel-led side have won both of their matches without him.

Ahead of IPL 2026 season, DC had said they were awaiting a word on the NoC for Starc, who would miss the initial few matches due to his workload being managed by Cricket Australia (CA), keeping the international schedule in mind. But days later, it emerged that Starc is currently recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries.

"I ask people around everyday, about the timing of his arrival and by when he is coming and what the details are because he is important for us, as a main bowler. Actually I also have the same question everyday. Till now there is no update on when he will come because the update will come from the Australian board, his physio, or trainer,” said Munaf in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

DC have won both of their matches so far in this season in Starc's absence and are aiming to complete a hat-trick of wins when they take on a winless Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

Munaf, a member of India’s 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup winning team, left no doubt about Starc's stature in the IPL, adding that he’s in a league of his own alongside India's ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

"We have won two matches now, so I don't think we are missing Starc. But in the upcoming matches, if he doesn't do well, then it depends on that. That is why people are not remembering him now because he is one of the best bowlers in the world. So everyone thinks that if we are winning, and there is no Starc, then it is fine.

"But your big bowler is obviously a big bowler. I don't think there is a bigger bowler than Starc in the entire IPL. There is only Bumrah, who you can compare with because you can see how much experience he has, how hard he can bowl. He can swing with a new ball at 140-plus - so that will be a different thing. That we are winning, and you are not remembering him, is a different thing," he added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill will be available for the team's upcoming IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals (DC), to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, confirmed his opening partner B Sai Sudharsan.

Gill missed GT’s clash against Rajasthan Royals, which they lost by six runs in Ahmedabad, due to a muscle spasm. “Shubman has no problem. He is completely fine, he will be fine. Of course, yes (he will open),” said Sudharsan in the pre-match press conference.

Gill's availability comes as a major boost for IPL 2022 winners GT, who are yet to open their account in the ongoing tournament after consecutive defeats. Sudharsan, however, expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back, especially in their middle order batters.

“I think it is a mixture of both - as opening batters and top three batters, if someone plays longer, it is always a great thing for the team. I think we believe in our middle order, they will (come good). This is the team which you know in which we played last year and we qualified.

“So it is just two games and I believe and the whole team believes that we will definitely have a great middle order and win games. IPL is such a tournament where in two-three days when you keep on playing matches, momentum is one of the important things in the tournament.

“Yes, we look back on these 2 games and we have learnt a lot for sure and I think we will look forward to doing that, so that we get our first win and get the momentum back,” he said.

Left-handed opener Sudharsan has made 86 runs in two games so far and was the leading run-getter in IPL 2025. He further stated that he is always working hard to evolve his batting as per the fast-growing demands of T20 cricket.

“I think I do not look at it as a different tournament. Wherever I play, whatever matches I play, the preparation is very similar and the effort or the hard work behind it is very similar. I am just grateful and lucky enough to execute it here.”

“Definitely as the sport is evolving and the T20 batting is getting greater and greater every season or even every 5-6 months if you can see, it is very important for me to learn from it and be versatile enough to have that in my kitty and equip myself with that. So definitely there are improvements to be made and of course, I am looking at it.”

Sudharsan also shed light on his mental preparation routine, which he said plays a decisive role in his performances. “In most of the part is mental preparation, I think once the pre-season camp is over, I think it is all about fine tuning and having your thoughts clear and having your mind sorted and organised is the biggest thing. I put a lot of time on that - I do yoga, meditation, and visualisation to keep myself mentally fit.”

Elaborating on GT’s batting approach at the top of the order, Sudharsan stressed on reading conditions and building a platform rather than going all guns blazing from the word go. “It is important to understand what is required on this wicket to do and then what is required for our team to have a very good start so that our middle order or the lower order have a very good platform to launch in the last four-five overs.

“So, as much as possible we try and do play the percentages whatever possibly we can do so that most of the time we come in a situation we win, so that is our mindset when we enter the game. It is not bang bang - we are not going all out.

“We are assessing the conditions when we see what is required on this wicket and which will be the best score for our bowling team to defend or let's say if we are chasing what will be the best six overs we can have if we have to have a very good last five overs of platform,” he concluded.

--IANS

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Monte Carlo, April 7 (IANS) World No.2 Tennis player Jannik Sinner met eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt after a dominant start to his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters, brushing aside Ugo Humbert in straight sets to move into the third round on Tuesday.

Sinner, who was making his debut in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, in a second-round match against Frenchman Humbert, was supported throughout the match from the stands on Court Rainier III by the sprint legend Bolt.

After winning the match, Sinner went straight to meet Bolt. In a video released by the ATP tour on X, Sinner expressed his gratitude towards the Jamaican athlete and said, "It is really nice to meet you. You are quite strong. It's nice seeing you around tennis courts." While Bolt replied with a smile and said, "It's a pleasure, thank you so much, you have a long way to go."

The legendary sprinter Bolt, who won eight Olympic gold medals across the Beijing 2008 Olympics, London 2012 Olympics, and Rio 2016 Olympics in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4x100 metre relay, has been in Monaco for the past few days.

He arrived earlier today to watch the opening Centre Court match between Matteo Berrettini and Roberto Bautista Agut, but the contest ended quickly after the Spaniard was forced to withdraw.

Earlier during his visit, Bolt was also present at a high-profile Ligue 1 clash between AS Monaco and Olympique de Marseille.

Meanwhile, Sinner carried his excellent form from hardcourts onto clay, securing a commanding 6-3, 6-0 win in Monaco. The Italian is not only aiming for his first ATP Masters 1000 title on clay this week but also competing to reclaim the top spot in the rankings from defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Humbert, who had impressed in the opening round, started confidently and even won an early rally to show his intention. However, Sinner quickly found his stride, dominating play with his characteristic baseline power and precision to take charge of the first set.

Once ahead, the 24-year-old elevated his game further, dominating the second set convincingly. He allowed his opponent only six points in the entire set, emphasising his authority as he advanced with ease. The victory also extended his remarkable streak at the Masters 1000 level, where he has now won 36 consecutive sets dating back to last season.

--IANS

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Pathum Thani (Thailand), April 7 (IANS) The Indian U20 women’s team will take on Chinese Taipei in a must-win fixture in their final Group C league match of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Pathum Thani, Thailand, on Wednesday.

After suffering defeats in their opening two matches against Japan and Australia, both India and Chinese Taipei find themselves in an identical situation, chasing a result that could keep their hopes in the tournament alive.

India's goal difference of -11 makes things a bit more complicated than Chinese Taipei's -7. The Young Tigresses’ hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time since 2004 rest on securing a place among the two best third-placed teams across all groups.

Their task will be simplified if either the Group A match between Vietnam and Bangladesh on Tuesday or the Group B match between Uzbekistan and Jordan on Wednesday ends in a draw. In that case, the winner of the India vs Chinese Taipei match will qualify for the quarterfinals, regardless of goal difference. But if there is a winner in both those games, India would need to beat Chinese Taipei by a handsome margin to avoid being the worst-ranked third-placed side in the three groups. At the moment, the goal differences of the other teams are - Bangladesh (-3), Vietnam (-6), Uzbekistan (-8), and Jordan (-9).

Head coach Joakim Alexandersson was clear about what is required from his side.

“We need to be a lot stronger and more determined in both 18-yard boxes, in how we defend our own box, and in how we score goals against them. We need to be more direct in attack, tougher, and more clinical. But we must also remember that we are facing a very good team," he said.

Across their first two matches, the Young Tigresses have shown glimpses of their ability, but have also been punished for lapses at key moments.

“We need to be strong in duels, communicate a lot, and be even more aggressive than in the first two games. When we win the ball, we need to be sharper and quicker in transition, and look to go for goal-scoring opportunities," the Swede added.

“The only thing that matters to us is that we have to go for the win, because that is our only chance to qualify for the quarter-finals. That is the only mindset," Alexandersson affirmed.

Forward Sulanjana Raul, who scored twice in the qualifiers last year, did not shy away from the reality of the situation.

“We are in a difficult situation. The last match is a deciding match because we still have chances. We lost the first two matches in a very poor way, conceding five and six goals. So in this last match, we must win. We must perform very well and try to score as many goals as we can," the 18-year-old was quoted as saying by the official website of AIFF.

The emphasis on attacking efficiency, something India have worked on throughout their preparation, now becomes critical. She is also aware that the challenge will be equally fierce from the other side. The need for a strong start is another key factor.

“Right now, there is only one thing on my mind — to do very well in the last match. We have to take our chances, whatever opportunities we get. We know that they will also come fully prepared because they also want to win and qualify. It won’t be an easy match against Chinese Taipei. Whoever comes onto the pitch will want to win, so it will be a tough game.

“We definitely have to win. We need to score early as well. From an individual point of view, if I get a chance, I have to convert it as quickly as possible," Sulanjana added.

At the other end of the pitch, defensive discipline will be just as crucial. Defender Cindy Colney reflected on the lessons from the opening games and the responsibility of ensuring improvement. The 19-year-old started in the national team as a midfielder during her U17 days, but under Alexandersson, she has been converted into a solid centre-back. At 164 centimetres, she is the second-tallest outfield player in the squad, only behind her centre-back partner Thoibisana Chanu Toijam, who is 169.

“I was playing as a midfielder earlier, but then the coach asked me to play in defence,” Cindy said. "I’ve adjusted well here, and every time I get the opportunity, I try my best not to let the coach’s trust break.”

The defensive unit has come under pressure in the first two matches, and Cindy acknowledged the need for accountability.

“We have played two matches, and conceding so many goals is not something that should happen. We conceded due to some poor situations, and sometimes there were individual mistakes as well.

“Whatever mistakes we have made, we will learn from them and rectify. And about the things we have done well, we need to continue doing those.”

With everything on the line, the approach is all-in.

“For both teams, it is like a final. We will play as a team and give everything on the pitch. Chinese Taipei is a team that can defend well, and whenever they get a chance to counter-attack, they do it very effectively. So we need to stay focused every second," Cindy added.

Chinese Taipei head coach Hsieh Chih-chun acknowledged the challenge ahead and the balance between the two sides. “India are a very attacking side, and their fighting spirit and defensive mentality are excellent, but I feel that both our teams are very evenly matched in terms of ability," he said.

--IANS

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Ulaanbaatar, April 7 (IANS) India continued their impressive campaign at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026, with a total of eight boxers, six women and two men, storming into the finals. Minakshi and Jaismine led the charge in the women’s semifinals on Tuesday, while Vishvanath Suresh and Sachin added to the tally with strong performances in the men’s category.

In the women’s 48kg semifinal, Minakshi registered a confident 4:1 victory over Thailand’s Thipsatcha Yodwaree to seal her spot in the gold medal bout. Joining her in the final, Jaismine edged past Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova in a closely contested 3:2 decision in the women’s 57kg category.

In the men’s division, Vishvanath Suresh (50kg) delivered a dominant performance, outclassing Jordan’s Huthaifa Eshish with a unanimous 5:0 win to advance to the final. Sachin (60kg) also impressed with a solid 4:1 victory over Thailand’s Sakda Ruamtham in his semifinal clash.

In other results, Akash lost 1:4 to Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Abdurakhimov. Lokesh went down 0:5 against Jasurbek Yuldoshev of Uzbekistan. Narender suffered a 1:4 defeat to China’s Bayikewuzi Danabieke, with the bout being stopped in the first round due to a cut. Harsh Choudhary also lost 1:4 to Tajikistan’s Parviz Karimov.

India will now look to convert these strong performances into gold as several boxers gear up for the finals. In the women’s 48kg final, Minakshi will face Mongolia’s Nomundari Enkh-Amgalan. Jaismine is set to take on Thailand’s Punrawee Ruenros in the 57kg title clash.

In other key finals featuring Indian boxers, Preeti (54kg) will go up against Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, while Priya (60kg) faces North Korea’s Un Gyong Won. Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) is set to meet Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish in her gold medal bout.

With eight finalists across categories, India heads into the final day with strong momentum at the continental showpiece.

--IANS

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