Indian Sports Highlights, January 6: Gokulam Kerala takes a massive 8-0 win against Sports Odisha FC at IWL

WTT Star Contender Goa: Harmeet and Manika headline Indian challenge

Harmeet Desai and Manika Batra will headline India's challenge in strong singles as Goa gears up for the WTT Star Contender 2024 scheduled at the Peddem Indoor Stadium from January 23 to 28.

Hugo Calderano, the former Youth Olympics bronze medallist from Brazil, will be among the 17 Top-20 stars to feature in the singles main draw of India’s biggest international table tennis tournament, co-hosted by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis under the guidance of Table Tennis Federation of India.

Ace Indian paddler Manika Batra, who is currently ranked 35 in the world, reigning national champion Harmeet Desai (WR 75), and Sreeja Akula (WR 89) have ensured the country’s presence in the singles main draw with a direct entry.

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'Hope to get in top 10 of Olympic qualification'- Shuttler Lakshya Sen

Despite his Olympic qualification in uncertain waters, Lakshya Sen is working on his attacking game and variations during the off-season.

Currently ranked 17th in the Olympic Games qualification, Lakshya needs to be in the top 16 by the end of April to make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics. "

To secure the spot I still have to work a little harder in terms of getting good results, and once that is done, the qualification won't be an issue. For me, right now the main concern is to go deep into the tournament in the next few months until April and then ranking will follow. I would like to improve my ranking and come in the top 10 by the end of qualification," Lakshya Sen told PTI during an interview.

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Sunil Chhetri is one of the best in this tournament: Asian Cup CEO

Jassim Abdulaziz Al Jassim, the CEO of the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, says India captain Sunil Chhetri is "one of the best" players in Asia, and fans are buying tickets to watch India matches because of the star striker.

“Sunil Chhetri is one of the best players in this tournament and we have seen that a lot of spectators are buying tickets to attend India matches for that reason," Jassim told to the Times of India.

The Asian Cup in Qatar will witness many top footballers from across the continent, including established players like South Korean star Heung-min Son, and Premier League regular Kaoru Mitoma of Japan, who will be representing their respective countries in the tournament.

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Don't expect enormous achievement in Asian Cup: Igor Stimac

Ahead of India's AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar starting next week, Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian men's team, said nobody should expect an 'enormous achievement' from the Blue Tigers.

“Realistically, we can hold on to something in Asian Cup. But to expect enormous achievement is not reality," Stimac told Rev Sportz.

For the Croatian coach of the Indian team, the main objective is to gain experience from the continental showpiece and utilise the gains for India's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Afghanistan. India will play an away game against the sturdy Afghans on March 21.

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IWL: Gokulam Kerala takes a massive 8-0 win against Sports Odisha FC

Gokulam Kerala is back on track in the league with a massive 8-0 win over Sports Odisha FC at their home stadium.

Their newcomer Uganda's star player Ikwaput impacts the game with a brace alongside a brace from Anju Tamang and Soumya Guguloth.

Kalinga Super Cup 2024: Groups, Fixtures, Full Schedule

The stage is set for the much-awaited kick-off to the 2024 Super Cup, renamed as 'Kalinga Super Cup.' Taking place in Odisha as a centralised venue tournament, the main event begins on January 9.

A crucial qualifier match will be played on January 8 between Rajasthan United and Inter Kashi.

The group stage matches will be held from January 9 to 22. Semifinals are scheduled on January 24 and 25, with the grand finale slated for January 28.

Dive into the full schedule 

Odisha FC signs partnership deal with MySheDays for women's team

Odisha FC has roped in MySheDays, a pioneering initiative committed to women's health and hygiene, as an official partner for the franchise's women's team, which is currently on top of the Indian Women's League standings with nine points from three matches.

"This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to supporting women's wellness, particularly within the health and hygiene sector," stated Odisha FC in a release.

"MySheDays’s dedication to providing essential sanitary products aligns perfectly with our mission to empower and uplift our female athletes and their communities," the club added.

The brand distributed its wellness products to our women's team.

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IWL: Defending champion Gokulam Kerala taking on Sports Odisha FC

Three-time Defending champion Gokulam Kerala taking on bottom placed Sports Odisha FC at EMS Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode.

Here is the line-up of both the teams for their first match of the season in the new year:

Formula E alleges breach of contract by govt, cancels Hyderabad E-Prix

Formula E has announced the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix alleging a contract breach by the new Telangana government on Saturday.

Formula E has alleged a breach of contract by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD) that falls under the control of the Telangana government.

In a statement, Formula E said, " The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the Government of Telangana, not to fulfill the Host City Agreement signed on 30 October 2023."

The inaugural electric race in the country was held in February last year with Telangana's then IT Minister KT Rama Rao playing a huge role in bringing the race to Hyderabad.

However, KTR's BRS party lost the state election to Congress in December and the new government has not shown the same willingness to host the race.

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ISL: Statistical round-up of the season 2023-24 so far

12 rounds of enthralling action have passed since the 10th edition of ISL kicked off on September 21, 2023. With a total of 68 matches and 160-plus goals since, the table is beginning to take shape.

With almost half of the season getting close to completion, this international break for the AFC Asian Cup combined with the winter transfer window proves to be the final chance for all to better their chances at finishing higher up than others.

With the leaders having their own tussle for the league title and the battle for the play-off spots tighter than ever with just four points separating 6th place and 11th; all 12 sides are on the lookout to improve their performances. Here's a deeper look at some of the better (and some of the worse) performing sides in the first part of the thriller that ISL is bound to be.

OVERVIEW