Tamil Nadu’s Abhay and Velavan wins gold in Squash; Women’s Basketball team clinches gold, men settle for silver

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s Velavan Senthilkumar and Abhay Singh dominated the court to win the gold medal in the men’s team event, defeating Maharashtra on Sunday.

Asian Championships gold medallist Velavan was too strong for Suraj Chand, with the 26-year-old winning three games with ease: 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, to give Tamil Nadu the first match.

Former India Number 1 Rahul Baitha was no match for Asian Games medallist Abhay Singh, who didn’t let his opponent settle, winning all three games comfortably: 11-4, 11-3, 11-7, and securing the gold for Tamil Nadu.

Maharashtra upsets TN in women's squash final

Maharashtra’s women’s squash team pulled off an upset in the women’s team event final, winning gold by defeating Tamil Nadu in a closely contested match. 19-year-old Anika Dubey played a pivotal role in helping Maharashtra secure the victory.

Rathika Seelan started strong in the first match against Akansha Gupta, winning two consecutive games 11-5, 11-8. However, Akansha managed to pull one back in a closely contested third game, which finished 15-17. Rathika regained her momentum in the fourth game, winning 11-7, putting Tamil Nadu ahead.

Khelo India gold medallist Pooja Arthi faced tough resistance from 22-year-old Anjali. Pooja won the first game but Anjali fought back, winning the next three games consecutively to level the scores at 1-1.

The final match came down to the experienced Shameena Riaz and Anika Dubey. Anika shocked everyone by winning the first game 11-9. Although Shameena leveled the scores in the second game, Anika, despite an injury scare, won the next two games 11-7, 11-5, securing the gold for Maharashtra.

TN Basketball women bag gold, men finish with silver

The Tamil Nadu women’s basketball team gave the state more reasons to celebrate with an exceptional performance, defeating Kerala 79-46 to win the gold medal in the final held at Bhagirathi Hall in Dehradun on Sunday.

Tamil Nadu was dominant in all four quarters of the match, with scores of 20-14, 38-26, 59-31, and 79-46. Sathya K stood out for the team, scoring 17 baskets, while captain Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu contributed 12 baskets. Overall, a strong team effort helped the side, led by D James, topple Kerala and secure the gold.

The Tamil Nadu men’s team, featuring big names such as Muin Bek Hafeez, Pranav Prince, and Vishnu Prasad, fell silent as they went down 64-80 in the final against Punjab, winning the silver medal in the men’s basketball event. Nawaz Panaich and Amjyot Singh were the top scorers for Punjab in the final.