Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha and several Olympic medallists are among 27 former athletes contesting for eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) positions. These elected SOMs will become members of the IOA General Assembly and will be eligible to vote in the December 5 polls for the new Executive Council. The virtual election for SOMs is scheduled for November 9, with scrutiny of nominations on November 3 and the final list of candidates on November 7.
India are poised to seal the ODI series against an injury-hit New Zealand in the third match in Hamilton, despite concerns over veteran Rohit Sharma's form and challenging seamer-friendly conditions. The team's strategy, particularly the batting order, is under scrutiny as they aim for a decisive victory.
'It was very challenging to understand how to get into this character because when you say gangster, you also have to remember that she comes from a very royal family. So it's almost like I'm a gangster, but I'm also thinking in my head that I'm a queen.'
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met with Indian men's and women's hockey teams and officials to review their recent World Cup performance. He urged them to move past the disappointment, identify shortcomings, and focus on the upcoming Asian Games to secure qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. The minister also discussed the future of the Hockey India League.
Vikash Dhorasoo, the first Indian-origin player in a FIFA World Cup, expresses strong belief in India's potential to reach football's biggest stage. Visiting India for a friendly match against Brazil, Dhorasoo highlights the importance of method, clear objectives, and leveraging players of Indian origin to elevate the national team's level. He also offers his coaching expertise to help develop young talent in India.
American tennis player Robin Montgomery reflects on how an injury-forced break helped her discover her identity beyond the sport. Despite early success as a junior and a recent WTA title, she faced challenges, including a serious wrist injury. This period allowed her to explore new hobbies and appreciate her life off the court, fostering a stronger sense of self.
The third edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) has commenced with a quiz contest, leading to a national finale in January 2027 where young leaders will present their ideas for a developed India to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The multi-stage event includes essay challenges, district championships, and state-level dialogues, aiming to foster youth participation in nation-building across various thematic areas.
Kimi Antonelli, now 20, is poised to become Italy's first Formula One champion in 73 years and the youngest ever, a testament to Mercedes' nine-year investment in his career after Ferrari missed the chance to sign him as a young go-karter.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday described BRICS as an important global forum, highlighting the grouping's growing demographic and economic weight and noting that its members account for around half of the world's population and 40 percent of global GDP.
Vaishnavi Adkar, India's top-ranked woman tennis player, has made significant progress, climbing nearly 400 places in world rankings over the past year. Her coaching team, including M Balachandran and Maria Gaidano, is focusing on enhancing her physical strength, endurance, and tactical game to help her consistently compete at higher levels. Adkar aims for a top-250 ranking soon and a long-term goal of reaching the top 100.
Para archer Sheetal Devi concluded her Asian Para Games campaign with two gold medals and a silver, including defending her individual compound title.
The legendary duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been at their menacing best recently in ODIs and it remains to be seen how the New Zealand bowlers can stop them.
Sonia Gandhi's new book reveals her deep internal conflict and reluctance to enter politics after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Despite her children's fierce opposition, she found guidance in the Bhagavad Gita, which helped her overcome her doubts and embrace her duty towards the Congress party amidst its challenging times in the late 1990s.
India's T20 captain Shreyas Iyer stated that young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cannot immediately join the playing XI due to the consistent performance of current openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who were instrumental in India's T20I World Cup win.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games, emphasising India's commitment to placing sport at the core of nation-building through significant investment in infrastructure and grassroots development. He highlighted India's indigenous sports like Mallakhamb, Yogasana, and Kalaripayattu, and discussed the country's ambition to host major international events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich and England striker, has won the Ballon d'Or, marking the first time an Englishman has received the award in 25 years. His victory follows a record-breaking season where he scored 61 goals for Bayern and led England to the World Cup semi-finals. The award recognises his consistent performance, intelligence, and prolific goalscoring ability throughout the season.
New Zealand batter Finn Allen discussed the team's recent T20 International loss to India, highlighting the valuable lessons learned from India's dominant batting performance. He acknowledged the difficulty in stopping players like Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once they got going. Allen emphasised that despite the series defeat, every game is important for building towards the T20 World Cup in a couple of years.
Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge reviewed preparations for the 29th Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026, themed "AI & Beyond." The summit, scheduled for November 17-19, 2026, will feature over 1,800 exhibitors, focusing on AI, DeepTech, biotechnology, electronics, robotics, and startups, aiming to foster innovation and collaboration.
Jio Platforms' initial public offering has shattered global records by receiving over one crore applications, underscoring immense investor confidence in the company's ambitious plans for technology, AI, and cloud services, with the IPO subscribed almost seven times overall.
Tokyo Paralympic champion shuttler Pramod Bhagat has urged authorities to take action against former head coach Gaurav Khanna. The controversy stems from Khanna's public prediction of India's medal tally before the finals at the recently concluded Asian Para Games, which Bhagat deemed unprofessional and unethical, causing undue pressure on athletes.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu finished as runner-up at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament, losing to world No. 1 An Se Young. Despite the loss, Sindhu expressed satisfaction with her performance but acknowledged significant room for improvement, particularly in maintaining leads and adapting to court conditions.
Twenty-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is poised to become Formula One's youngest world champion, needing just two points in Mexico City to clinch the title, a feat he views as "just the beginning" of a career he hopes will include racing with his father.
India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting Sunday, is a vital preparatory stage for the ICC World Cup 2027. The series will focus on giving game time to young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and assessing the form of key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who is nearing a significant ODI milestone. The development of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is also a priority. The West Indies team, grappling with recent losses and financial issues, will aim to overcome these challenges and deliver a competitive performance.
Suspended Boxing Federation of India (BFI) secretary general Pramod Kumar has requested World Boxing, IOA, and the Sports Ministry to send observers for a Special General Meeting (SGM) on October 28. BFI president Ajay Singh has declared the SGM "illegal and unconstitutional," warning of disciplinary action against attendees. The meeting aims to pass a no-confidence motion against Singh, amidst a deepening power struggle where both officials have suspended each other.
Mohammed Shami remains determined to reclaim his India place after another snub, prioritising a full domestic season, consistent performances and skill development ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri, 15, is set to compete at the Dakar Youth Olympics, balancing rising expectations after her Asian Under-17 title and maiden senior international win. She aims to stay focused on her game, drawing on her diverse international experience and recent successes, including becoming the first Indian to win both Asian U-15 and U-17 titles.
India is reportedly exploring an ODI series in South Africa before the 2027 World Cup, a move initiated by the team management to gain crucial exposure to conditions and fine-tune preparations for the tournament.
'In 2013-2014, Modi was asking for regime change. In fact, the words he used were, they should be pulled out and thrown away; ughadke phekna hai. That is part of democracy.'
Vance was sceptical about the war against Iran and was the only figure in Trump's circle who refused to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu's bid for re-election as prime minister, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Former Pakistan captain Shan Masood is racing against time to recover from a calf muscle injury ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. His place in the playing XI is uncertain, especially with selectors and coach Mike Hesson looking to introduce younger players into the Test squad for the next World Test Championship cycle. Masood, who had an unsuccessful run as Test captain, fears his injury might be used as a reason to sideline him.
Virtual Eye will now provide the full suite of DRS technology to assist umpires and enhance the viewing experience during India's tour of New Zealand involving five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
In Akka's confused worldview, women are just as violent as men when consumed by power and pride. Glorifying their cruelty as code and dog-eat-dog politics as empowerment to promote the idea of how flawless the world would be if women ran it, is flawed in itself, observes Sukanya Verma.
The US midterm elections saw the Democratic Party gain control of Congress and key gubernatorial posts, leading international affairs experts to view the outcome as a referendum on President Donald Trump's policies. Analysts suggest the results signal a desire for change in his behaviour and could prompt a more pragmatic approach in his remaining term, with potential implications for global politics and India-US relations.
Stephen Fleming, the new head coach of England's Test team, has expressed his desire for future national teams to be led by English coaches, committing to developing home-grown talent during his tenure.
SAP has announced new programmes to train two million people in India with AI-ready skills by 2030, as part of its global initiative to upskill 12 million individuals worldwide. The company will collaborate with academic institutions, industry partners, and government bodies to expand access to AI, cloud, data, and enterprise technologies, leveraging India's significant role in the global tech workforce.
A new study indicates that accounting for daily weather variability provides a more accurate estimation of glacier melt, suggesting that glaciers worldwide are losing ice at a faster rate than previously calculated. Researchers found that simulations incorporating daily weather patterns project greater ice loss by the end of the century and a higher contribution to global sea-level rise.
A recent scientific study by Dr. Dinesh Amalnerkar and Dr. Ravindra Chaudhari in Pune has demonstrated that a silk-based nanocomposite material, particularly one containing silver nanoparticles, can effectively kill Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae and pupae. This research, published in 'Nature Scientific Reports', offers a promising new approach for dengue control, especially as Pune faces a surge in cases. While showing high mortality rates in lab tests and minimal environmental impact, further field research is needed before large-scale deployment.
New Zealand pacer Blair Tickner backs his team to bounce back against India in the second ODI, insisting the hosts have the quality to level the three-match series.
Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has offered insights into Shubman Gill's captaincy style, comparing him to Hardik Pandya and noting Gill's reserved yet keen approach to leadership. Nehra also discussed the uncertain future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the 2027 ODI World Cup, stating it's too early to predict. He also touched upon his own coaching ambitions and reflected on past World Cup losses.
The era of 'randomly' scheduling bilateral series is over, but the ODI format can continue to survive and thrive with its place 'inextricably' linked to the World Cup, said ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in an interview to PTI.
