GOLF
Bhullar moves up to T-27 as Bubba Watson stays ahead in Morocco
Gaganjeet Bhullar dropped his only bogey of the day on the closing ninth hole but still climbed 20 places in the third round of the US$2 million International Series Morocco.
The four-time IGPL winner and 11-time Asian Tour champion carded a four-under 69 to add to earlier rounds of 70 and 74, moving to tied 27th from his overnight tied 47th position.
Starting from the 10th tee, Karandeep Kochhar signed for a two-under 71 but endured a difficult second nine. At four-under overall, he was tied 43rd. Ajeetesh Sandhu, meanwhile, slipped from tied 25th to tied 47th after an eventful round of 74.
At the top of the leaderboard, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson retained a one-shot lead despite a pair of late bogeys. Watson shot a four-under 69 to reach 15-under, one clear of Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (67) and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (68).
Seeking his first victory since the 2018 Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, Watson looked in complete control at five-under through 12 holes before dropping shots on the 14th and 15th at the par-73 Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. He recovered with a birdie on the drivable par-four 17th.
Janewattananond surged into contention with a birdie-eagle finish, while Kho closed with three consecutive pars.
Bhullar made a strong start from the back nine, birdieing the 10th and 15th holes before adding further gains on the third, fifth and eighth. A bogey on the ninth denied him an even bigger jump up the leaderboard.
Kochhar’s round featured five birdies, including three in succession from the seventh to the ninth on his opening nine. However, three bogeys on the inward half offset much of that progress, despite birdies on the seventh and eighth.
Sandhu’s roller-coaster round included six birdies, six pars and six holes of bogey or worse, including a double bogey.
Japan’s Takanori Konishi fired a bogey-free six-under 66 to move into a share of fourth place at 12-under alongside Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert (72).
France’s Julien Sale (68) and Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (70) were tied sixth at 11-under.
Morocco’s Mehdi El Fakori, the only home player to make the cut, carded his second successive three-under 70 to climb to tied 33rd at five-under overall.
-Team Sportstar
Talwar forces way back into top 20 after 54 holes
Indian golfer Saptak Talwar carded a strong 3-under 66 in the third round of the Interwetten Open to be placed at T-17.
The leader on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, Talwar had opened the week with a 5-under 64 and was inside the top 10 before slipping in the second round.
He surged back inside the top 20 in the third round and sits at a total score of 8-under par (64-69-66) with a round to go.
Another good finish could mean a second Top-10 this year following his second place at the DP World PGTI Open in India.
India’s Veer Ahlawat had earlier missed the cut.
Filip Mruzek (63) and Julian Perico (64) share the lead heading into the final round. The two leaders have a score of 14-under par.
Second round leader Lars Van Der Vight had a difficult third round where he carded 4-over 73 to slip down to T-17 with a total of 8-under par (64-62-73).
Talwar picked up strokes early in his third round with birdies on the third and fifth holes before dropping a shot on the seventh.
On the back nine, he had four birdies on the 10th, 12th, 14th and 18th holes but also dropped shots on the 14th and 16th holes for a day that had six birdies and three bogeys.
Mruzek carded a bogey-free 6-under 63 with six birdies to become joint leader at 14-under par (65-65-63).
Julian Perico carded 5-under 64 with six birdies and one bogey. His total of 14-under par (66-63-64) allows him to enter the final round as joint leader.
-Press Trust of India
CRICKET
CAB confirms coaching appointments
Laxmi Ratan Shukla will continue as the Bengal men’s team’s chief coach, while Probal Dutta will perform that role for the women’s team. Surendra Bhave will serve as Shukla’s deputy. Jhulan Goswami will be the mentor of the senior Bengal women’s team.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has also named chief coaches for all age groups. They are Wriddhiman Saha (under-23), Manoj Tiwary (under-19) and Anustup Majumdar (under-16) for men and Rituparna Ray (under-23), Rumeli Dhar (under-19) and Arpita Ghosh (under-15) for women.
-Team Sportstar
Andhra Premier League: Royals, Kings win
Amaravathi Royals defeated Bhimavaram Bulls by eight runs (VJD method) in the Andhra Premier League at the ACA-VDAC Stadium here on Sunday.
Seeram Venkata Rahul’s blitz (44, 20b, 3×4, 4×6) helped Royals set a 169-run target, with the match reduced to 19 overs each after the innings was briefly interrupted by rain. In reply, M. Hemanth Reddy’s half-century (59, 38b, 4×4, 3×6) gave Bulls a strong start along with T. Vigneswara Sai Sravan (40, 26b, 5×4, 1×6), but the rest of the batting order couldn’t keep the chase alive.
On Saturday, Kakinada Kings registered a 34-run win against Tungabhadra Warriors. Kings rode on P. Arjun Tendulkar’s half-century (51, 35b, 8×4) to post 189 for six. Warriors’ chase faced hurdles at regular intervals, with the trio of M. Anjaneyulu, S. Ashish and V. Giri Prasad scalping two wickets each.
The scores: Amaravathi Royals 169 in 18.4 overs (P. Venkata Satyanarayana Raju 3/48) bt Bhimavaram Bulls 163/9 in 19 overs.
Kakinada Kings 189/6 in 20 overs (P. Arjun Tendulkar 51) bt Tungabhadra Warriors 155/7 in 20 overs.
-Team Sportstar
RUGBY
Kolkata Banga Tigers names captains ahead of Rugby Premier League debut
Kolkata Banga Tigers announced South Africa’s Ricardo James Duarttee and Shiniqwa Lamprecht as captains of the men’s and women’s teams respectively ahead of the franchise’s debut in the second season of the Rugby Premier League (RPL).
The franchise has assembled a 26-member global squad featuring players from 11 countries, including Olympians, world champions and some of the most accomplished rugby talents from around the world. The launch marks a significant milestone for the growth of rugby in eastern India.
Members of the men’s and womens teams of Kolkata Bangla Tigers
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Members of the men’s and womens teams of Kolkata Bangla Tigers
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Adding to the significance of the season is the introduction of the Kolkata Banga Tigers Women’s team, making the franchise one of only four teams in India to field a women’s squad in this year’s Rugby Premier League.
India’s Shahnawaz Ahmed has been named vice-captain of the men’s team, while Ghuge Ujjwala Ramdas will serve as Lamprecht’s deputy in the women’s side.
The women’s team will compete from June 16 to 23, while the men’s team will be in action from June 16 to 28, representing Kolkata on one of the biggest stages in Indian rugby.
Speaking at the launch, Rugby India vice president Sanaya Mehta Vyas highlighted the importance of the franchise for the development of the sport in the region.
“The launch of the Kolkata Banga Tigers marks an important step for the growth of the sport in Eastern India. I am equally excited to see Kolkata field a women’s team this season, creating greater opportunities and visibility for female rugby players while inspiring the next generation of athletes. Given Kolkata’s unique place in rugby’s history, it is a fitting home for the franchise,” Vyas said.
The franchise’s debut is expected to strengthen rugby’s presence in eastern India while providing a platform for both men’s and women’s players to showcase their talent at the national level.
-Amitabha Das Sharma
Published on Jun 14, 2026
