Sports Shorts: Grappler Sakshi to headline India's challenge at 2018 CWG

A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik (62kg) was on Saturday named in the Indian women's wrestling team for next year's Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia after a selection trail held in Lucknow.

Other women grapplers who booked their berths for the 2018 Commonwealth Games are Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Babita Kumari (54kg), Pooja Dhanda (57kg), Divya Karan (68 kg) and Kiran (76kg).

The selection trial was held in six weight categories at the Sports Authority of India Training Center in Lucknow.

The six freestyle wrestlers will also represent the country in the 2018 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

ISL: Marcelinho's hat-trick helps Pune blank Northeast 5-0 in ISL 

Brazilian striker Marcelinho produced a superb hat-trick as FC Pune City scripted a 5-0 drubbing of NorthEast United in an Indian Super League (ISL) match at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, in Pune on Saturday.

Brazilian striker Marcelinho scored a fabulous hat-trick after Ashique Kuruniyan had opened the account in the eighth minute and Adil Khan hammered the final nail late in the game as PuneCity took a giant leap in standings.

Pune have now moved to the second spot with 15 points from eight matches and are just a point behind league leaders Chennaiyin FC.

NorthEast United suffered their fourth successive defeat in the Hero ISL and are just above Delhi Dynamos at the bottom of the league table.

The Highlanders have four points from seven matches and have not picked up a point since defeating Delhi Dynamos for their only win on December 2.

I-League: Last-gasp goal helps Neroca hold East Bengal 1-1

Neroca FC scored a last-gasp goal through Nedo Turkovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina to hold heavyweights East Bengal 1-1 and jump to the third spot in the I-League table in Imphal on Saturday.

Katsumi Yusa gave the visitors the lead in the 12th minute and the Kolkata side were on the verge of sealing a victory before Turkovic struck the equaliser in the 89th minute to the wild cheers of the home supporters at the Khuman Lampak Stadium.

Despite the draw, East Bengal are on top of the league table with 14 points from seven matches while I-League newbies Neroca are on third with 11 points from six games.