IRS Officer wins 3 gold medals at World Masters Powerlifting C’ship
New Delhi, Oct 19: Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Ekta Vishnoi, who is presently serving as Joint Secretary in the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology, has won three gold medals in the World Masters Classic and Equipped Powerlifting Championships held in Nevada, USA. She won the top honours in the M2 (50-59 years), 57kg category after lifting a combined 362.5kg in a field that featured competitors from Canada and Japan. Vishnoi lifted 130kg in squat, 72.5kg in bench press and 160kg in dead-lift and finished ahead of competitors from Canada, who recorded a total of 330kg, and Japan, whose total was 325kg. Vishnoi’s golds came in squat, dead-lift and in the final overall weight. Vishnoi previously led the Fit India Mission and served as Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). (PTI)
Chwalinska beat Kartal in Wuhan Open to clinch maiden career title
WUHAN (CHINA), Oct 19: French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska of Poland clinched the first title of her career in her breakthrough year, beating unseeded British player Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the Wuhan Open on Sunday. In a grueling contest lasting 2 hours, 43 minutes, the 16th-seeded Chwalinska gained the momentum when she broke for a 4-3 lead in the second set. Kartal had more winners (32-23) but made more unforced errors (36-27), in a match featuring no aces on Dongfeng Voyah centre court. Both players were appearing in their first career WTA 1000 final and Chwalinska’s victory will move her up to 11th in the rankings, the WTA said. Chwalinska beat six-time major winner and Polish compatriot Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and, along with 1,000 ranking points, earns $665,000 in prize money. During her run to the French Open final as a qualifier, Chwalinska did not have enough money to extend her hotel stay in Paris and needed some financial help. (PTI)
Trophy tour begins in Mohali ahead of Asian Champions Trophy Punjab
New Delhi, Oct 19: The build-up to the Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 gathered momentum with the launch of a nine-day trophy tour in Mohali on Sunday, bringing the upcoming men’s hockey tournament closer to fans across the state ahead of the continental competition from October 27 to November 5. The tour was flagged off at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) on October 18 and will travel through several cities and towns before reaching Jalandhar on October 26. The initiative aims to build excitement for the ninth edition of the tournament while celebrating Punjab’s longstanding contribution to Indian hockey. (IANS)