At Lakm Fashion Week, Pawan Sachdeva took Indian crafts out of their traditional comfort zone. In an exclusive conversation with Rediff, he explains why.
Indian para-athlete Anmol Vasistha has been banned for three years by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after failing a doping test for the anabolic steroid DHCMT at the New Delhi 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in March. His suspension began on April 24, and all his results from the competition have been disqualified.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan secured India's first-ever men's double sculls bronze medal at the Asian Games, a significant achievement amidst an otherwise challenging performance by the Indian rowing team. The medal comes despite pre-competition controversy regarding team selections, with the duo forming their partnership just five days before the event.
The Indian men's volleyball team secured its third consecutive victory at the Asian Games, defeating Qatar 3-2 in a hard-fought match to qualify for the quarterfinals. The team showed remarkable resilience, coming back from two sets down in a marathon encounter.
Indian boxers, including Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Commonwealth Games champions, face challenging draws at the Asian Games.
India's men's doubles pair Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy secured a significant upset win against fifth seeds He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu of China at the Arctic Open Super 500, advancing to the second round. However, Indian men's singles players HS Prannoy, Tharun Mannepalli, and Rounak Chauhan faced early exits. Tanvi Sharma also progressed in women's singles.
The Indian men's quadrant Sepaktakraw team secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya after a hard-fought 0-2 loss to hosts Japan in the semifinals. The team had an impressive run, topping their group, while the Indian women's team faced a defeat against Thailand.
Indian men's and women's sepaktakraw teams experienced preliminary group stage losses at the Asian Games in Nagoya. The women's team fell to Vietnam and the Philippines, while the men's team lost to Lao and is set to play Vietnam next. India, participating in sepaktakraw since 2006, continues to develop in the sport.
Following the Indian men's hockey team's historic Asian Games gold and direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Head Coach Craig Fulton revealed plans to 'build a new team afresh' after the Hockey India League, emphasising the need for meticulous planning for the upcoming Games.
Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan secured a historic bronze medal in the men's double sculls at the Asian Games, marking India's first-ever medal in this event. Despite the achievement, both athletes expressed mixed feelings due to last-minute crew changes that they believe affected their performance. The bronze was a saving grace for the Indian team, which otherwise delivered one of its worst Asian Games rowing performances, equalling previous low tallies. The controversy surrounding team selections and the impact of weather disruptions on the competition schedule were also highlighted.
The Indian men's volleyball team secured its second consecutive victory at the Asian Games, defeating Hong Kong, China 3-0 in a Pool C preliminary round match.
Indian swimmers, including Olympian Srihari Nataraj, faced a challenging day at the Asian Games in Tokyo, with most failing to advance beyond the heats. Nataraj finished 10th in the 50m backstroke final, while other Indian athletes also struggled in various events.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay congratulated para-athlete Sivarajan Solaimalai for winning a silver medal at the fifth Asian Para Games and announced a Rs 50 lakh cash incentive. The government praised Solaimalai's dedication, highlighting his achievement as an inspiration for other aspiring athletes.
India's men's hockey team is the most successful in the Asian Champions Trophy, having won five titles since 2011. The article details each of their victories, including dramatic shootouts, a joint win, and recent comebacks, highlighting their consistent performance in the tournament.
Indian shooters Anjum Moudgil, Ayushi Podder, and Manini Kaushik did not qualify for the women's 50m Rifle 3P final at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo on Tuesday, with Anjum finishing 23rd. India's only medal so far came from Udhayveer Sidhu's gold in the men's 10m air pistol on Sunday.
Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha met the Indian men's cricket team in Nagoya, expressing her pride and wishing them well for their Asian Games campaign.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with the men's team defeating Spain 3-1 and the women's team securing an identical 3-1 victory over Mongolia. World champion D Gukesh led the men's success with a clean win against Alexei Shirov, while Arjun Erigaisi also contributed significantly. In the women's section, B Savitha Shri and Divya Deshmukh were instrumental in their team's win.
Indian cyclists experienced a disappointing day at the Asian Games in Izu, Japan, with both men's and women's riders failing to advance past early rounds in the Sprint and Keirin events. Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam and David Beckham Elkatohchoongo were eliminated in the 1/16 Finals of the men's Sprint, while Sarita Kumari and Keerthi Chikka Rangaswamy did not progress beyond the first round of the women's Keirin.
Despite a pre-event declaration by Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey that the teams would revert to blue uniforms, both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams played their opening Asian Games matches in saffron kits, reigniting a controversy over kit colour.
The Indian contingent made a striking appearance at the Para Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday, wearing ceremonial blazers adorned with motifs inspired by 5,000 years of Indian civilisation, including Indus Valley seals and SaptSindhu. Led by Paralympic medallist Simran Sharma and top shuttler Pramod Bhagat, over 100 athletes proudly represented India, which has a 281-member contingent competing across 11 disciplines. The Games will conclude on October 24.
India's Pranavi Urs has taken a three-stroke lead in the Asian Games women's golf competition after a superb four-under 66 in the third round. She is now in strong contention for an individual gold medal, with a total of 15-under 195. Her performance also propelled the Indian women's team into second place, four shots behind China.
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced a surprising early exit from the Asian Games badminton competition after losing to Thailand's Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun.
India captain Shubman Gill and opener Shafali Verma have been named ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month, respectively, for October. Gill received the award for the fifth time following his stellar performance in the ODI series against the West Indies, while Verma was recognised for her impressive show in the Asia Cup and Asian Games, marking her second win.
Gautam Gambhir, head coach of the Indian men's cricket team, celebrated his 45th birthday on Wednesday. Former teammates Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, along with BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, extended their wishes. Gambhir is currently with the team in Hyderabad for the fourth T20I against West Indies, where India aims to seal the series.
Indian wushu athletes Suraj Singh Mayanglambam, Aparna Dahiya, and Vikrant Baliyan faced mixed fortunes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes to the Indian contingent participating in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Indian para archers, led by Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh, showcased a dominant performance at the World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad. Four Indian archers each in the men's and women's recurve sections qualified directly for the pre-quarterfinals. Additionally, India secured top seedings in both men's and women's doubles events, with pairs advancing directly to the semifinals, and a strong third seeding in mixed doubles.
Indian Army athletes achieved their best-ever medal haul at the recently concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, securing 20 medals, including six gold, eight silver, and six bronze. This significant contribution accounted for nearly one-fourth of India's total 85 medals. Standout performers included Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda in trap shooting and Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh in distance running, who also set a national record. The Army's increased representation and performance, particularly from women athletes, highlight the robust sporting ecosystem within the Indian Army.
India's P V Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, overcame a strong challenge from Thailand's Supanida Katethong in a three-game thriller at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Wednesday. Sindhu won 21-14, 8-21, 23-21, admitting it was not her best performance but expressing relief at advancing. In other matches, Unnati Hooda exited, while Ayush Shetty defeated Kidambi Srikanth, and Lakshya Sen gave a walkover.
Ravi Baby Sahana and Prachi Pandey created history by becoming India's first para table tennis players to secure medals in the standing category at the Asian Para Games. India clinched a total of four bronze medals in the event, surpassing its previous medal tally. Paralympics medallists Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel also contributed to the country's success.
Four senior Indian hockey players, including Mandeep Singh and Amit Rohidas, have expressed surprise and disappointment over reports that they are set to retire after the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy. The players, who recently won gold at the Asian Games, stated they were not consulted and are keen to continue playing, with eyes on the 2028 Olympics.
Indian cyclists experienced early eliminations in the men's omnium, women's sprint, and women's madison events at the Asian Games. Harshveer Singh Sekhon finished 10th in the men's omnium points race, while Keerthi Rangaswamy Chikka and Celestina failed to advance past the 1/16-final repechages in the women's sprint. The women's Madison team also did not finish their event.
Indian athletes are set for a busy day at the Asian Games on September 30, with competitions across various disciplines including archery, boxing, cycling, golf, judo, sailing, shooting, squash, tennis, and wrestling. Several medal opportunities and crucial semifinal matches await the contingent.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board will decide on the next chairman of the selection committee after Ajit Agarkar's contract ends on October 4. Agarkar has informed the BCCI he does not wish for an extension. Saikia also expressed hope for the Indian men's team to win gold at the Asian Games, following the women's team's success.
Indian surfer Kishore Kumar Anbarasu's campaign at the Asian Games ended in the men's shortboard surfing quarterfinals after a defeat to Toby Espejon of the Philippines. Surfing made its debut at this edition of the Asian Games.
Indian canoe slalom athletes Pradhyumna Singh Rathod and Pallavi Jagtap experienced mixed results at the Asian Games. Rathod secured a sixth-place finish in the men's single kayak final, while Jagtap faced disqualification in the women's canoe single final. Other Indian participants, Hitesh Kewat and Rina Sen, did not advance to their respective finals.
Top Indian athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Neeru Dhanda, and Harmanpreet Singh have been nominated by their respective National Sports Federations to the electoral college for the Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission polls on November 3. The article details the nomination process, eligibility criteria, and the composition of the new Athletes Commission, noting the absence of some federations and the exclusion of outgoing members like Mary Kom.
The Indian men's chess team secured a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory over Uzbekistan-2, placing them in sole second position at the 46th Chess Olympiad. The Indian women's team drew 2-2 with leaders China, maintaining their third-place standing. Both teams are well-positioned for medals as the tournament approaches its final stages.
The Indian men's hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, is determined to end a 51-year World Cup drought, beginning their campaign against Wales with genuine optimism following recent Olympic bronze medals and an Asia Cup title.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the missing Asia Cup trophies for both men's and women's teams will eventually reach the BCCI headquarters, though no timeline was given. He also expressed confidence in the women's team winning gold at the Asian Games.
