World champion D Gukesh is set to face Nihal Sarin in a highly anticipated first-round match at the Chennai Grand Masters 2026 chess tournament. The event features eight Grandmasters, including four Indians, competing for a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and crucial FIDE Circuit points in a double-round robin format.
King Philippe of the Belgians visited the national football team to offer his support and encouragement ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match against Spain. He shared a meal, received a signed jersey, and praised their performance, expressing confidence in their victory. Both teams have had strong runs to the quarter-finals, with Belgium overcoming several challenges and Spain maintaining an unbeaten record.
Saurabh Netravalkar emphasizes the importance of a strong defensive strategy for the USA against India in the T20 World Cup, highlighting the team's experience and the significance of playing at Wankhede Stadium.
It was a starry-starry evening in Miami and Kansas, as superstar Mohanlal, David Beckham and Mick Jagger watched the FIFA World Cup quarter-final matches from the stands on Saturday.
Spain face Belgium on Friday in a World Cup quarterfinal that pits one of the tournament's smoothest operators against a side emboldened by a thunderous 4-1 win over the United States that followed one of football's most bizarre political interventions.
FIFA is facing renewed scrutiny over its inconsistent handling of two World Cup red-card cases involving England's Jarell Quansah and the USA's Folarin Balogun. While Quansah received a two-match ban, Balogun's one-match suspension was controversially suspended, leading to accusations of external interference and a lack of transparency from the governing body.
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth approximately Rs 112.90 crore, including a residential property in Texas, USA, in a money-laundering case. The case involves a Noida-based air-conditioner components manufacturer, LEEL Electricals Limited, and its promoters, accused of defrauding a consortium of banks led by SBI of Rs 376 crore through manipulated financial statements and siphoning off funds.
Atlanta Police are implementing enhanced security measures for the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England, a match deemed high-risk due to the historical animosity between the two nations.
Indian team management will heave a sigh of relief with Tilak Varma ticking all the boxes on his return to competitive cricket after a lower abdominal surgery as the 'A' team, comprising mostly of IPL stars, comfortably defeated the United States of America by 38 runs in a high-scoring warm-up game in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
Former US President Donald Trump personally intervened with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to overturn a red-card ban for US striker Folarin Balogun, a decision UEFA called 'unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable' and which has sparked widespread criticism over the integrity of the game.
Hansika Lamba won a silver medal in the women's 55kg category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos & Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Her performance, along with two bronze medals from Vishal Kaliraman and Rajat Ruhal, increased India's total medal count to five, following earlier wins by Aman Sehrawat and Deepak.
Indian badminton players, including Kidambi Srikanth, faced a challenging start at the Canada Open Super 300 event, with most shuttlers failing to advance past the opening round. Only Tanya Hemnath and Aakarshi Kashyap secured spots in the women's singles second round.
The United States' World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA made the unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic red-card ban, clearing the striker to face Belgium in Monday's last-16 clash after US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
India's Neeraj Chopra will face reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in a highly anticipated men's javelin clash at the Commonwealth Games, as India aims to surpass its previous medal tally in athletics.
Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, fresh from setting a new national record of 2.31m, is set to make his debut at the prestigious Diamond League in Monaco. He will compete against top international athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim, and is currently ranked joint second globally based on his season's best.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the suspension of USA Cricket's membership with immediate effect, saying the decision has been taken after a "thorough review of affairs and extensive engagement with key stakeholders over the past year".
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta maintained his sole lead in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin chess tournament after drawing with IM Akshay Borgaonkar in the seventh round. Other Indian players, IM Kushagra Mohan and IM Ashwath S, also performed well, securing third and second places respectively.
Germany's national football team has been eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 32, marking their third consecutive early exit from the tournament. The German Football Association (DFB) has announced that changes will be made, with DFB President Bernd Neuendorf stating they will examine the reasons for the team's underperformance. The future of coach Julian Nagelsmann, who wishes to stay, is now uncertain.
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok secured a commendable third-place finish at the Hulencourt Women's Open, carding a final round of two-under 70. Fellow Indian Diksha Dagar also performed well, finishing tied seventh. Spain's Carolina Lopez Chacarra won the title, while Australia's Kelsey Bennett was runner-up.
American tennis players, including qualifier Ashlyn Krueger, competed at Wimbledon on American Independence Day. While Krueger secured a victory, other Americans like Emma Navarro and Zachary Svajda faced defeats. The article also highlighted the anticipated doubles appearance of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.
A 24-member Indian Junior women's hockey team has travelled to the United Kingdom for an exposure tour, playing matches against junior teams from England, Scotland, the United States, and Belgium, as well as the Scotland senior women's team, to prepare for upcoming international tournaments like the Junior Asia Cup.
Alexander Zverev, the men's second seed, has reached the last 16 at Wimbledon for the fourth time, showing growing confidence on grass. After winning his maiden Grand Slam at the French Open, he defeated Marcos Giron in straight sets and will face Jiri Lehecka next.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta secured the championship at the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament. International Master Aswath S finished as runner-up, achieving his final Grandmaster norm to become India's 98th Grandmaster. Kushagra Mohan took third place, while Advik Agarwal earned his second International Master norm.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked US President Donald Trump's claim of the US being the 'guardian' of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran has always been and will remain the sole guardian, while also suggesting that any entity providing security should be compensated, though Trump's proposed '20 per cent' levy is 'too much'.
Top-seed Indian Abhijeet Gupta secured a crucial victory in the eighth round of the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament, maintaining his lead. Fellow Indian International Masters Aswath S and Kushagra Mohan also won, positioning themselves strongly for the title in the final round, with Aswath eyeing a Grandmaster title and Kushagra a Grandmaster norm.
Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare achieved a historic third-place finish in his Diamond League debut in Monaco, clearing 2.26m. This remarkable performance places him among an exclusive group of four Indians to have secured a top-three spot in the prestigious athletics event, alongside Neeraj Chopra, Murali Sreeshankar, and Vikas Gowda. He also outperformed several world champions in the process.
Top seed Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta secured a decisive victory against Aleksej Alexandrov in the sixth round of the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament, maintaining his sole lead. Indian International Masters Aswath S and Kushagra Mohan are in second and third positions, respectively, with three rounds remaining.
World Cup music isn't random; FIFA's 'Stadium Entertainment Team' curates over 750 songs, mixing global classics with country-specific favourites, with each team having signature, warm-up, and goal-scoring tracks.
Indian-origin golfers Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Sahith Theegala made their mark on the opening day of the Genesis Scottish Open. Yellamaraju carded a two-under 68, placing him tied 27th, while Theegala finished even-par 70, tied 72nd. Rory McIlroy shares the lead with a five-under 65.
Indian-origin golfers Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Sahith Theegala made their mark on the opening day of the Genesis Scottish Open. Yellamaraju carded a two-under 68, placing him tied 27th, while Theegala finished even-par 70, tied 72nd. Rory McIlroy shares the lead with a five-under 65.
FIFA has strongly defended Brazilian referee Raphael Claus after US President Donald Trump questioned his integrity following a controversial red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the qualification criteria for cricket's return to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028. The Indian men's team needs to be Asia's highest-ranked in T20Is by end of 2026, while women's teams will qualify based on continental performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
India's women's hockey team defeated Uruguay 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at the FIH Women's Nations Cup in New Zealand, securing the top position in Pool A and advancing to the semifinals. Deepika scored two goals, including the winner, while Deepika Soreng added another.
US President Donald Trump announced the 'reinstatement' of an 'Iranian Blockade' in the Strait of Hormuz, stating the US would charge a 20 per cent levy on transiting cargo for providing security, while Iran warned against any US interference, reaffirming its authority over the critical waterway.
The Indian Women's Hockey team delivered a commanding 6-0 victory over Chile in the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup semi-final, securing their place in the final. Navneet Kaur and Deepika scored two goals each, contributing to India's fourth consecutive win in the tournament.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men's singles title, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to lift his fifth Grand Slam trophy and first major title of the 2026 season, becoming only the 10th player in history to retain the Wimbledon men's singles crown.
Top seed Abhijeet Gupta has maintained his lead in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin chess tournament after securing his fourth win. International Master Aswath S caused a significant upset by defeating Belarus Grandmaster Fedorov Alexei, moving into second place. All five games in the fifth round produced decisive results.
Watching the World Cup and hearing the music in the stadium may have left you wondering - how is that chosen? Is it just coincidence that "Wonderwall" plays after England matches? Are "Freed from Desire" or "Livin' on a Prayer" always played? And why?
