A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Frisday.
Wales will move higher than their richer rivals and neighbours England when the new FIFA rankings are announced after Euro 2016, the first sign for what, many predict, will be a bright future after they made history at the tournament. Playing in their first finals since 1958, the Welsh reached the last four of a major tournament for the first time and are expected to move up close to the top 10 countries in the world rankings.
Former England soccer captain David Beckham will release his latest autobiography in October in a deal with a UK publishing unit of French media company Lagardere.
Northern Ireland reached their first major tournament in 30 years and their neighbours south of the border beat world champions Germany to take a big step towards joining them at Euro 2016 in a memorable night for Irish football on Thursday.
Returning to the Olympics after a hiatus of 36 years, Indian women's hockey team showed tremendous fighting spirit and came from two goals down to eke out a 2-2 draw against higher-ranked Japan in their opening Pool B match at the Rio Games in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The Indians, ranked 13th in the world, were trailing by two goals at half time after World No. 10 Japan scored through Emi Nishikori (15th minute) and Mie Nakashima (28th). But the Indians made a valiant fightback as Rani Rampal (31st) and Lilima Minz (40th) scored a goal each in the third and fourth quarters to secure points for their side.
'The level we played in Champions Trophy will not be enough for the Olympics if we are vying for a medal'
'You'd also be wrong if you tried to lump me in the same category as Bernard Tomic'
With strong hosts expected to challenge, a highly-fancied South Africa face their demons.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting will retire from all cricket after playing in the Champions League T20 in October, he said on Thursday.
England's cataclysmic Ashes loss with two Tests to spare has sparked the usual calls for heads to roll in all departments, but confusion reigns as to whether Andy Flower will man the guillotine or put himself beneath the blade.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Former Wimbledon champion Anne Jones was among British sports personalities included in the United Kingdom's New Year's honours list on Monday.
Did the human drama provoked by the Japanese invasion of Burma and the Indian exodus from Rangoon inspire director Vishal Bhardwaj's forthcoming epic?
Archery was one discipline which generated a lot of hype in the run-up to the Olympics and the let-down was one of the big blows to India's hit-and-miss overall campaign of one silver and one bronze medal show in Rio 2016.
Soundly thrashed by Australia in their last match, India will look to sort out their defensive woes when they take on Malaysia in their quarter-final match of the Hockey World League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium, on Wednesday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
IMAGES from the Euro 2020 qualifiers
In what could prove to be one of the biggest ironies of history, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, infamous for the genocide of Jews, may have unwittingly married a Jewish woman, new British research has found.
Ecstatic Wales coach Chris Coleman praised his "soldiers" after a shock 3-1 win over Belgium at Euro 2016 took the country to their first major tournament semi-final, and said they could match anyone if they were not afraid to fail.
The Scot lost 6-4, 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in his first singles match since January before saying he had turned down a wild card into the men's draw at the year's final Grand Slam.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
Australia captain Michael Clarke said the way his side bounced back at the World Cup after their defeat by New Zealand should encourage them following a crushing loss in the first Ashes Test.
Rediff.com lists those sportsmen who have been accused of 'sleeping with the enemy'
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday.
Check out the gold medallists on Day 15 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday:
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has been rewarded for his integral role in turning around the fortunes of the team with a one-year contract extension until June, 2017, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
A pall of gloom shrouded the Pakistan hockey community after the national team failed to qualify for the Olympics.
India's defence caved in under pressure as a rampaging Australia crushed them 6-2 in the last league fixture of the FIH World League semi-finals in Antwerp.
Wales reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland thanks to an own goal by Gareth McAuley in a poor encounter at the Parc des Princes on Saturday. Centre back McAuley turned a Gareth Bale cross into his own net 15 minutes from time in the all British last-16 clash.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
It will have made uneasy viewing for coach Jorge Sampaoli and emphasised more than ever how reliant his side are on their talisman Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem.
Andy Murray stayed on course for a second Wimbledon title while setting setting up a semi-final showdown with Roger Federer.
The Indian Davis Cup team is set for a battle of gigantic proportions as it takes on five-time champions Spain, who have packed the side with world class performers headlined by the legendary Rafael Nadal in their desperation to reclaim a spot in the elite World Group.
As tennis raise hopes of an Indian medal at the Rip Olympics, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com put things in perspective.
Brazil held 10 presumed Islamist militants in isolation cells at a maximum security jail on Friday as police combed their computers and mobile phones for information about possible threats to next month's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'Our biggest problem has been keeping this country together.' 'Nation building is never easy. It is a very difficult task.' 'Even 70 years is not too long a time.'
Sports psychologist Steve Peters has been called on to give England renewed hope at the soccer World Cup having worked wonders for Britain's cyclists at the Olympics and helped Liverpool's Premier League title challenge.
South Korea's Asian Games cricket experiment ended in defeat to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, but after their collection of baseball players and weekend enthusiasts took eight wickets off the Twenty20 world champions, coach Julian Fountain believes the sport could truly flourish here.
'Sunny Gavaskar is very mischievous, Harsha Bhogle is like a schoolboy," sports broadcaster Alan Wilkins tells Rediff.com/Norma Godinho in an exclusive interview.
