Tag: IndianSports

Sports

Lotto Brings Back Sania Mirza as Brand Ambassador and Chief Advisor for Women’s Sports

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Italian sportswear brand Lotto has announced the return of tennis icon Sania Mirza as its brand ambassador, while also appointing her Chief Advisor for Women’s Sports, marking a meaningful reunion that dates back to the early years of her professional career.

The announcement comes as Agilitas Sports prepares to relaunch Lotto in India by early 2025 with a comprehensive, multi-category portfolio spanning footwear, apparel, accessories, and sports equipment. Mirza’s new role goes far beyond brand endorsement, positioning her as a strategic voice in shaping Lotto’s future in the Indian market.

As Chief Advisor for Women’s Sports, Sania Mirza will work closely with Lotto’s leadership and design teams to guide the development of women’s athleisure and performance wear, offering insights drawn from her experience as an elite athlete and mentor. Her involvement will extend to product innovation, community engagement initiatives, and initiatives aimed at expanding participation and visibility for women in sports.

Commenting on the partnership, Abhishek Ganguly, CEO of Agilitas Group, said, “Sania represents what Lotto stands for—authenticity, confidence, and a way of engaging with sport that goes beyond results. She has always stood at the intersection of sport, culture, and community in India, shaping how a generation sees self-belief and individuality. This partnership reflects that shared philosophy.”

Agilitas Sports, founded by former Puma executives, recently acquired a 40-year licence for Lotto from global brand management firm WHP Global. The agreement grants Agilitas exclusive rights to design, manufacture, market, and distribute Lotto products in India and Australia, with plans to expand operations into South Africa. Lotto is the first brand to be launched under Agilitas’ consumer sports portfolio.

Under the licensing model, Agilitas will pay WHP Global a royalty based on sales for every unit sold. The company has already established a dedicated manufacturing facility in Noida, signalling its ambition to operate as a full-stack sports platform, covering manufacturing, branding, and retail.

With Sania Mirza stepping into a strategic leadership role and manufacturing infrastructure already in place, Lotto’s India relaunch reflects Agilitas’ intent to scale rapidly in a highly competitive sportswear market—while placing a strong, deliberate focus on women’s sports and lifestyle-led performance wear.

Sports

Raahul V S Becomes India’s 91st Chess Grandmaster After Winning ASEAN Individual Championship

Tanisha Cardozo

India’s chess fraternity is celebrating a new milestone as Raahul V S becomes the nation’s 91st Grandmaster, following his outstanding victory at the ASEAN Individual Championship. Raahul clinched the title with a round to spare, showcasing remarkable skill, strategy, and composure throughout the tournament. His achievement marks another shining chapter in Bharat’s rapidly growing chess legacy.

Raahul’s journey to the Grandmaster title has been one of consistent dedication, discipline, and passion for the game. Over the years, he has demonstrated exceptional promise in national and international tournaments, steadily building his reputation as one of India’s brightest young chess talents. His victory at the ASEAN Championship not only earned him the coveted GM title but also reaffirmed India’s position as one of the world’s strongest chess nations.

Becoming a Grandmaster is a defining milestone for any chess player, representing mastery over one of the most intellectually demanding sports. Raahul’s success adds to India’s remarkable tally of chess achievements, following a golden era that has seen the rise of young prodigies continuing the legacy started by legends such as Viswanathan Anand.

The achievement is being celebrated across the Indian chess community, with fans and peers hailing Raahul’s performance as an inspiration to aspiring players across the country. His success story reflects the power of perseverance, mentorship, and India’s growing investment in nurturing chess at the grassroots level.

As the 91st Grandmaster of Bharat, Raahul V S embodies the nation’s rising dominance in the world of chess — a game that continues to capture the imagination of millions. With his latest triumph, he joins an elite league of minds who have carried India’s intellectual tradition onto the global stage.

Heartiest congratulations to Grandmaster Raahul V S — may this be just the beginning of a long and victorious journey ahead, inspiring generations of young players to make Bharat proud.

Sports

India Seal Historic Double Gold in Kabaddi at Asian Youth Games 2025 After Thrilling Final Against Iran

Tanisha Cardozo

The win completed a historic double for Indian kabaddi, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams clinching gold at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain. For a sport deeply rooted in Indian soil, this triumph reaffirmed the nation’s unmatched dominance on the mat and its unbreakable connection with kabaddi’s spirit.

From the opening whistle, both teams showcased defensive steel and tactical aggression. Led by captain Ishant, the Indian boys started brightly, forcing early do-or-die situations against Iran and converting them through smart raiding rotations. But midway through the second half, the match turned heated when Iran refused to restart play, accusing Ishant of using oily substances on his legs to evade tackles — an allegation that delayed play and drew loud reactions from a partisan crowd. After a long referee discussion, the claims were dismissed, and India resumed play with renewed fire.

Their defenders — notably the right corner and cover combination — produced back-to-back tackles to shift momentum, though Iran fought back with a string of super tackles and bonus points, narrowing the scoreline to just two points in the closing minutes.

Tension reached a peak when Iran called for a referral over whether an Indian raider had crossed the baulk line before contact. After a lengthy review, the decision went India’s way. Iran’s bench erupted in protest, leading to another brief halt in play. Yet, through all the chaos, the young Indian side showed remarkable composure. Ishant, at the heart of the controversy, delivered when it mattered — scoring vital raid points and organizing the defence in the dying seconds. As the final whistle blew, the Indian team erupted in joy, waving the tricolour and embracing their coaches as chants of “India! India!” filled the arena.

The final scoreline — India 35–32 Iran — captured the drama of a contest that demanded skill, nerve, and unity.

India’s journey to gold had been nothing short of dominant. In the group stages, the boys crushed Bangladesh (83–19), Sri Lanka (89–16), Pakistan (81–26), and Thailand (86–30). Even in their earlier encounter with Iran, a 46–29 victory had foreshadowed their superiority. But the final tested their mental strength and discipline, qualities that define true champions.

Earlier, the Indian girls’ team had dismantled Iran 75–21 in a one-sided final — the largest margin in Youth Games kabaddi history. Raider Neha Patel shone with 28 points, while Riya Singh led a rock-solid defence. Across five matches, the girls’ squad scored 312 points and conceded just 89, underlining total dominance.

Together, these triumphs mark a new era for India’s youth kabaddi. The performances displayed not only talent but also maturity beyond years — a reflection of the sport’s strong grassroots structure and the guidance of initiatives like Khelo India.

For the young players, this victory was more than just a medal — it was a statement of pride, resilience, and legacy. The sight of the tricolour waving over the mat in Bahrain symbolized India’s enduring supremacy in a sport it gave to the world.

Final Score: 🇮🇳 India 35–32 Iran 🇮🇷
Result: India win Gold in Boys’ Kabaddi at Asian Youth Games 2025
Double Gold for India! 🥇🇮🇳
— Boys defeat Iran 35–32 in a thriller
— Girls defeat Iran 75–21 in the final

India’s young kabaddi stars didn’t just win medals — they wrote a new chapter in India’s sporting story, one defined by passion, precision, and pride.

Sports

Sujeet Kalkal Wins Gold for India at U23 Wrestling World Championships

Tanisha Cardozo

India’s Sujeet Kalkal captured gold at the U23 World Wrestling Championships, dominating the men’s freestyle 65kg final with a commanding 10-0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Umidjon Jalolov.

The title bout lasted just four minutes and 54 seconds before the referee declared Sujeet the winner by superiority — an emphatic finish that showcased his technical mastery and confidence on the mat.

Kalkal’s road to gold was equally impressive. He began his campaign with back-to-back wins by technical superiority, defeating Moldova’s Fiodor Ceavdari (12-2) and Poland’s Dominik Jakub (11-0). In the quarterfinal, Sujeet was briefly tested by Bashir Magomedov but rallied to win 4-2. In the semifinal, he displayed resilience and precision to edge past Japan’s Yuto Nishiuchi 3-2, sealing victory with a stunning two-point throw in the final moments.

This marks Sujeet’s most significant international triumph so far. The young wrestler has already earned two U23 Asian titles (2022 and 2025) and a U20 Asian Championship gold (2022). At the previous U23 Worlds, he had settled for bronze — making this year’s gold a story of growth, redemption, and perseverance.

India’s 65kg weight class has long been a showcase of wrestling excellence, having produced global stars like Bajrang Punia, who won Olympic and multiple World Championship medals in the same category. Sujeet’s latest achievement reinforces India’s continued strength and legacy in the sport.

As Sujeet stood victorious, the Indian flag was raised once more at the global stage — a proud reminder of India’s wrestling tradition, discipline, and determination to excel.

Sports

Sumit Nagal Helps India Beat Switzerland for Davis Cup 2025 Qualifiers Spot

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Written by Intern Queeny George M.H , Team Allycaral

India scripted a memorable chapter in its tennis history on Saturday by defeating ninth-seeded Switzerland 3-1 in their Davis Cup 2025 World Group I tie at the Swiss Tennis Arena in Biel. This landmark victory has booked the Indian team a spot in the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for early next year. More significantly, it marks India’s first win against a European nation on their home soil in over three decades—since 1993 when the team famously beat France 3-2 in the quarter-finals with legends Leander Paes and Ramesh Krishnan.

Heading into the second day of the tie with a 2-0 lead, thanks to opening-day singles victories by Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal, India needed just one more win to close out the contest. However, the doubles pair of N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli couldn’t seal the deal, falling to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker in a tightly contested three-setter. Despite taking the first set via a tiebreak, the Indian duo was broken late in the second and third sets, resulting in a 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7-5 loss that lasted two hours and 21 minutes.

With the tie still open, Switzerland brought in 18-year-old Henry Bernet to face India’s top singles player, Sumit Nagal. Unfazed by the pressure, Nagal delivered a clinical performance, breaking Bernet three times in the opening set and once in the second to secure a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win. His victory ensured that India would advance to the 2026 Qualifiers, a significant milestone considering the team had not progressed beyond World Group I since the Davis Cup format was revamped in 2019.

India, a three-time Davis Cup runner-up in 1966, 1974, and 1987, continues to chase the elusive title. With this victory, the team not only progresses to the next stage but also boosts confidence in its younger players and sets the stage for a strong campaign next year.