Indian Sports Calendar in 2024: Events to watch in third week of January

There are four home events scheduled in India this week.

The Indian sports calendar is brimming with a plethora of events in the forthcoming week. The badminton season has arrived on Indian shores, and the local players are poised to leverage the home-ground advantage.

Concurrently, the Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi enters its final stage, with the top three teams set to book their spots in Paris Olympics. In addition, the Shotgun shooters will be vying for the quota in the Asian Shooting Championships, while the men’s Indian football team will continue their journey in the Asia Cup.

Here we take a look at the events to follow in the upcoming week (January 15-21) in the Indian sports calendar:

Major events to watch in third week of January in Indian Sports Calendar

Athletics

The Asian Marathon Championships will be held in Hong Kong on January 21. Indian athletes will aim to achieve the Olympic Qualification mark. Men’s – 2:08:10. Women’s – 2:26:50.

• January 21: Asian Marathon Championships

Badminton

Post the Malaysia Open segment, the badminton season is set to transition to India for the India Open 2024 Super 750 tournament. With the lure of Olympic points, all the shuttlers are expected to put forth their best efforts and aim for a deep run in the tournament. Indian spectators will be keenly following the performances of HS Prannoy, the duo of Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and the pair of Ashwini-Tanisha.

• January 15-21: BWF India Open

Cricket

In a historic move, Afghanistan is set to embark on its second tour of India in the history of international cricket. This week-long tour will feature a three-match T20I series. The third T20 is slated for the 17th of January. The Indian cricket team have already clinched the series with victory in the first two T20 Internationals, courtesy of a stellar performance by Shivam Dube.

• January 11-17: Afghanistan tour of India (men’s) (Ongoing)

Football

The Men’s AFC Asian Cup 2023, Asia’s foremost football tournament, is making a comeback following the 2019 edition. The Indian football team finds itself in Group B, sharing the stage with Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. Concurrently, the domestic season, marked by the Kalinga Super Cup, continues to unfold in tandem with the Asia Cup

• January 10-12 February: Men’s AFC Asian Cup 2023 (Ongoing)

• January 8-28: Super Cup

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Golf

Indian Golfers will be in action in Australia from January 15.

• January 15-19: Australian Amateur Championships

Hockey

The 2024 season for the Indian women’s hockey team kicked off with a significant tournament that holds the key to their Paris Olympic Qualification. Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, is currently taking place in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This tournament serves as the final opportunity for hockey teams to secure their spot in the Paris Olympics.

• January 13-19: Women’s FIH Hockey Olympics Qualifiers 2024, Ranchi (Ongoing)

Handball

The Asian Continental Championships marks the beginning of the major tournament journey for handball players. In this tournament, India finds itself in Group C, sharing the group with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Japan. The championships will culminate with the top five teams earning a spot in the 2025 World Handball Championships.

• January 11-25: Asian Handball Championships (Ongoing)

Shooting

The Asian Olympic Qualifiers for Shotgun is set to commence this week. Following their impressive performance in the Asian Games, Indian shotgun shooters will be vying for the coveted Paris quota. Meanwhile, the rifle and pistol shooters have already secured their Olympics quota places in the second week of January.

• January 5-18: Asian Olympic Qualifiers Rifle/Pistol (Ongoing)

• January 12-22: Asian Olympic Qualifiers Shotgun (Ongoing)

Squash

Squash enthusiasts are in for a treat as the action shifts to home ground. The upcoming event marks the third challenger tour of the year, encompassing both senior and junior categories. The tournament is set to unfold in Mumbai, India, with all eyes on the promising talents of Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh

• January 13-17: JSW Willingdon Little Masters & Senior Tournament 2024

Table Tennis

Two Table Tennis tournaments involving Indian interest will be on this week which will be followed by WTT Star Contender Goa next week.

• January 14-20: WTT Contender Doha
• January 15-18: WTT Feeder USA

Tennis

The Australian Open, the season’s first major grand slam, started on the 14th of January. In the men’s doubles category, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden have secured the second seed, while Yuki Bhambri has confirmed his participation in the main draw by teaming up with Robin Haase. Sumit Nagal has made history by qualifying for the main draw of the Australian Open, becoming the first singles player to do so since the 2021 Australian Open.

• January 14-28: Australian Open (Ongoing)

World Deaf Youth Games

The inaugural edition of World Youth Games will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Indian athletes will give their best while representing the country.

• January 14-20: World Deaf Youth Games

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