Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew with tournament leader Wesley So in the fifth round of the Sinquefield Cup, maintaining his joint second position with 3 points. This result keeps him on track for a podium finish and a strong chance to qualify for the Grand Chess Tour finale.
Anahat Singh, the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships, discusses her historic victory and dismisses the notion of Egyptian players having a psychological advantage.
Indian men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir, the BCCI, and former cricketer Irfan Pathan led tributes on India's 80th Independence Day, honouring freedom fighters and extending greetings to all Indians.
Indian MMA fighter Sangram Singh secured the STRIKE Asia Championship title by defeating Pakistan's Mohammed Abid Ali with a stunning knockout in just 80 seconds. This victory extends Singh's unbeaten professional record and highlights his successful transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts, further solidifying his status as a top Indian combat sports athlete.
Former India women's hockey team captain Asunta Lakra has challenged the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, citing procedural irregularities and questioning the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction. Lakra denied all allegations as 'false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory' and is seeking full disclosure of documents before providing a detailed reply.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the exploding popularity of T20 leagues, particularly the IPL, poses a significant threat to the future of bilateral international cricket, stating that '70 per cent (people are watching club cricket instead of international cricket)'.
Jharkhand Sports Minister Sudivya Kumar flagged off the 135th Durand Cup 2026 trophy tour in Ranchi. The state capital is set to host seven matches of the prestigious football tournament, including six league matches and one quarter-final, starting July 26. The minister expressed hope that Jharkhand's successful hosting could lead to it hosting final matches in future years.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his squad's hunger and motivation to win the Community Shield against Manchester City, aiming to start the new season with a trophy after a busy recruitment period.
Indian athlete Praveen Chithravel secured a silver medal in the men's triple jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, bringing immense pride to his agricultural daily wage worker father and their village in Tamil Nadu.
Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin concluded their campaign at the Esports World Cup Chess tournament in the quarterfinals, securing top-eight finishes. Erigaisi was eliminated by Hikaru Nakamura in an Armageddon tiebreak, while Sarin lost to defending champion Magnus Carlsen. Their performance marks India's strongest showing in the event, with both players earning USD 75,000 each from the substantial prize pool.
Judoka Ishroop Narang gave her all in the bronze medal play-off but lost to Canadian Coralie Godbout by yuko as India's judo campaign ended at the Commonwealth Games without any medal.
India's hockey coach Craig Fulton and captain Harmanpreet Singh discuss their approach to the FIH Hockey World Cup opener against Wales. They emphasise respecting opponents, maintaining focus, and the importance of a strong start, especially on Independence Day. The team has prepared extensively, focusing on defence and consistent performance across all quarters.
Mizoram and Tamil Nadu registered impressive victories in their respective Division B pool matches at the 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship. Mizoram defeated Delhi 3-1, while Tamil Nadu secured a dominant 4-0 win over Goa, showcasing strong performances from both teams.
Deepadhar, featuring former Asian Games gold medallists, has taken an early lead in the fifth East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, accumulating 65.22 Victory Points after four rounds. The tournament, a Bridge Federation of India Ranking Two event, involves around 300 players from 50 teams across East Zone states competing for a Rs 6 lakh prize purse, with the top 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage.
Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Yuvraj Sandhu had a challenging start at the Danish Golf Championship, with Sharma likely to miss the cut after a 2-over 74. Frenchman Felix Mory set a course record with a 7-under 65 to take the lead.
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs showed improvement in the second round of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, moving to T-24. While Urs progressed, fellow Indian golfers Tvesa Malik and Diksha Dagar faced challenges, with Dagar at risk of missing the cut. Sweden's Kajsa Arwefjall leads the tournament, maintaining a strong performance.
India's fastest hurdler, Tejas Shirse, has revealed he competed in the Commonwealth Games 110m hurdles final with two stress fractures in his left foot, an injury that has ended his 2026 season and shattered his dream of competing at the Asian Games next month.
Former India women's hockey captain Asunta Lakra has formally challenged the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, citing procedural irregularities and questioning the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction. Lakra denies all allegations as "false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory," and highlights issues with the committee's constitution and the incomplete documentation provided. This challenge comes amidst a broader context of sexual harassment allegations in Jharkhand hockey and institutional intimidation claims.
Ridhima Dilawari secured her fourth title on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru, with a final round of 4-under 68. She finished one shot ahead of Mannat Brar, extending her lead in the Hero Order of Merit.
India's Minerva Academy FC has been crowned the World Youth Cup 2026 Champions, defeating Brazil's RS Sports 2-1 in the Under-12 final in Gothenburg, Sweden, marking their third youth world title and becoming the first Indian academy to achieve this feat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to New Zealand culminated in the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, with a focus on doubling trade and enhancing cooperation in sports and the Indo-Pacific region. Modi and his counterpart Christopher Luxon attended a sports showcase, acknowledging a century of sporting ties and discussing future collaborations, including India's preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2030. The visit also saw 18 concrete outcomes and 10 agreements signed, alongside discussions with business leaders.
Egyptian squash players Seif Refaay and Sohayla Hazem secured the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour. Refaay, the third seed, overcame top seed Mohamed Gohar, while third seed Hazem defeated second seed Menna Walid in their respective finals.
India's Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured a crucial victory against Dutchman Jorden Van Foreest in the fourth round of the Sinquefield Cup.
The Delhi High Court has issued an interim order protecting cricketer Yuvraj Singh's personality rights, restraining third parties from unauthorised use of his name, image, voice, and likeness for commercial gain or creating AI-generated and deepfake content. The court emphasised the need to protect public figures from reputational damage caused by fabricated online content.
Six Arab football federations, including 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco and Qatar, have publicly declared their "full support" and "confidence" in FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This backing comes as Infantino faces significant backlash and withdrawals of support from European and Oceania federations over his failed $20 billion private investment plan for the World Cup, highlighting a growing schism within global football governance.
Nyck de Vries discusses Mahindra Racing's impressive turnaround in the Formula E season, as they head into the London finale aiming for a historic top-three team championship finish. Despite a challenging start, de Vries' victories and the team's collective effort have positioned them for their best result since 2016-17, with de Vries also reflecting on his F1 experience.
Ravindra Jadeja is a captain's delight and has delivered with the bat when needed most, destroyed batting line-ups, taken breathtaking catches and pulled off brilliant run-outs. His feats are an inspiration.
India celebrated a remarkable day at the Commonwealth Games, securing its first-ever judo gold medals through Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, achieving a javelin throw double podium with Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh, and seeing 10 boxers advance to their respective finals.
Mahindra Racing CEO Frederic Bertrand has stated that while Indian reserve driver Kush Maini has the potential to become a Formula E driver, the team will not compromise its competitive ambitions for nationality.
Indian para-athlete Dilip Mahadu Gavit, fresh off winning the Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal in the men's T47 100m with a Games record, dedicated his triumph to his coach Vaijanath Kale on Guru Purnima, crediting him for spotting his talent and transforming his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to training with Al-Nassr just days after marrying his long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez in a private ceremony in Cascais, Portugal.
Ben Shelton successfully defended his Canadian Open title, defeating fellow American Brandon Nakashima in an all-American final.
Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 to win her first title of the season at the Canadian Open. The victory provides a significant confidence boost for Swiatek ahead of the US Open.
The controversy within Hockey India over the change in the Indian teams' jersey colour has intensified, with President Dilip Tirkey demanding documents from Director General Commander RK Srivastava. The issue, coupled with unaddressed harassment complaints, has led to the Secretary General seeking an emergency Executive Board meeting, highlighting significant internal strife ahead of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.
Shiho Kuwaki of Japan defeated Germany's Esther Henseleit in a two-hole playoff to win the 2026 AIG Women's Open, marking the second consecutive Japanese victory in the tournament. Indian golfers Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok, however, failed to make the cut.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya led the nation in congratulating Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu for winning her third Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow. Chanu delivered a commanding performance in the women's 48kg category, shattering Commonwealth and Games records. PM Modi also lauded Rishikanta Singh for his silver medal, marking a historic achievement for Manipur.
The Kayastha Pathshala Trust has revoked permission for Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Prayagraj, citing an Allahabad High Court order restricting the use of KP College ground and waterlogging. Despite the cancellation, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai insists Gandhi will still interact with students on August 8 and has sought an alternative venue, alleging political obstruction.
Sharmila Dhankar, overcoming polio and an abusive marriage, made history by winning India's first para-athletics gold medal in 20 years at the Commonwealth Games in the women's shot put F57 event. Her compatriot Shilpa Shyla also secured a bronze after a protest. Dhankar's inspiring journey from Haryana to international success, supported by her family and second husband, highlights her remarkable resilience and dedication to para-athletics.
India will officially receive the Commonwealth Games flag at the closing ceremony on August 2, marking its role as the host for the 2030 centenary edition in Ahmedabad. The ceremony will feature a cultural presentation by Shankar Mahadevan and Rashmika Mandanna, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend.
Italian swimmer Sara Curtis, 19, has broken her own 50m women's backstroke world record for the second consecutive day, winning gold in 26.56 seconds at the European Championships in Paris.
