Despite a population of 1.45 billion, India's football team is ranked a lowly 138th in the world and failed to qualify for next year's Asian Cup, highlighting deep-rooted systemic issues and a failure to implement reforms that keep the World Cup dream distant for fans.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held extensive discussions with China's Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying and other senior officials in Beijing, reviewing bilateral relations, trade, cultural exchanges, and emphasising peace and tranquillity in border areas. His visit aims to advance the vision of both nations as development partners.
India's U-17 women's team secured a historic 4-0 victory against Lebanon, propelling them into the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time. Pritika Barman scored twice, fulfilling her promise to open the scoring, while Alva Devi Senjam added another goal in the crucial win.
Asian Games bronze medallist Ayhika Mukherjee led HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades to a 9-6 victory over Ahmedabad APL Pipers in Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7, marking Sofia Polcanova's first defeat and boosting Kolkata's playoff chances.
Indian discus thrower Seema Kaliramna secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 58.65m, despite fouling her last three attempts. Compatriot Nidhi Rani finished fourth. Jamaica's Samantha Hall won gold, and Canada's Julia Tunks took silver.
Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar overcame a recurring knee injury and initial despair to win a historic bronze medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Just days after withdrawing from his primary high jump event due to injury, Shankar, inspired by fellow athlete Murali Sreeshankar, competed in the gruelling ten-event decathlon, becoming the first Indian to secure a medal in the discipline. His remarkable journey highlights his resilience and determination.
Gulveer Singh has become the first Indian to win a medal in the men's 10,000m event at the Commonwealth Games, securing a silver medal at the 2026 edition and marking a significant achievement for Indian athletics.
The Asian Games could shift to odd-numbered years after the 2026 edition, effectively moving to the year before the Olympics to serve as a key qualifying event across more sports, according to reports.
India's men's and women's table tennis teams both secured gold medals at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. The men's team, led by Manush Shah's heroic performance, overcame Malaysia 3-2 in a thrilling final, while the women's team comfortably defeated Malaysia 3-0.
Top-seeded Indian Anahat Singh has advanced to the women's quarterfinals of the World Squash Junior Individual Championships after defeating Malaysian Doyce Ye San Lee. Meanwhile, her compatriot Aryaveer Dewan was eliminated in the men's round of 16.
Ajith Narayana secured bronze medals in clean & jerk and overall at the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, marking another milestone for Indian weightlifting.
Lovlina Borgohain and Sakshi Chaudhary secured their spots for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after winning their respective selection trials.
The Indian government has defended its E20 ethanol blending programme, stating that extensive testing and field experience show no evidence of abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life, despite a potential 2-6% reduction in fuel economy.
Indian golfers Pukhraj Singh Gill and Khalin Joshi delivered strong performances at the Ever Glory ADT Open in Taipei. Gill finished Tied-19th with consistent rounds, improving his standing on the Merit List for Asian Tour qualification. Joshi secured a Tied-12th finish. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to Typhoon Bavi, with Nathan Han of the USA winning in a playoff.
Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has expressed strong belief in Indian batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stating they still have significant contributions to make and should feature in upcoming ODI World Cups. He emphasised their skill, experience, and fitness as key factors, dismissing age as a barrier. Abbas also touched upon the importance of traditional batting techniques and offered thoughts on Pakistan cricket.
Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu clinched India's first gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the women's 48kg category. She achieved a record total lift of 190kg, including new Commonwealth and Games records in snatch (85kg) and clean and jerk (105kg). This marks her third consecutive gold at the CWG, following her wins in 2018 and 2022, and she also secured a silver in 2014.
India's U-17 girls boxing team had a successful day at the Asian Championships, with eight boxers advancing to the finals. Rakhi, Khushi Chand, Navya, Diya, Himanshi, Jyoti, Vanshika, and Gurseerat Kaur secured their spots in the finals, while Mamta Murlidhar, Manjunath Lamani, Ishika, and Harnoor Kaur settled for bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade, primarily driven by strong buying in IT stocks after Tech Mahindra reported a significant 28.4 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit for the June quarter.
India's boxing contingent delivered a knockout day at the Commonwealth Games, with ten pugilists storming into the finals and keeping the gold rush alive.
India's boxing contingent had a stellar day at the Commonwealth Games, securing five more semifinal berths and bringing the total to nine. This achievement surpasses India's previous medal tally in boxing from Birmingham 2022, guaranteeing at least nine medals for the nation.
Former India hockey captain Viren Rasquinha has publicly questioned Hockey India's decision to switch the national team's jersey colour to orange, arguing that the team's identity and legacy have always been associated with blue.
Defending Commonwealth Games javelin champion Arshad Nadeem is prepared for the qualification round despite a challenging build-up due to adverse weather in Switzerland. His coach, Salman Butt, confirmed his readiness for the event in Glasgow, where he will face a strong field including India's Neeraj Chopra.
Chhattisgarh's weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav has won a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, bringing pride to the state and the country.
Indian equestrian Anush Agarwalla secured second place at the CDI1 Prix St. Georges in Germany with a score of 70.147%. This impressive performance comes as he challenges his exclusion from the Indian dressage team for the 2026 Asian Games in the Delhi High Court, despite being India's highest-ranked dressage rider and a past Asian Games medallist.
UEFA and CONCACAF say they have lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the governing body withdrew its controversial World Cup rights plan.
India's U-17 girls boxers began their campaign at the Asian Boxing U17 Championships 2026 with five victories. In the boys' category, Neela Narendra Kumar also won his bout.
FIFA's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for the World Cup highlights the intricate balance of power in global football, where the governing body's authority is often challenged by the significant commercial strength of UEFA, particularly in Europe.
Indian boxers delivered a flawless performance at the Commonwealth Games, with four more pugilists - Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach - advancing to the semifinals. This brings the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals to nine, ensuring a minimum of nine bronze medals for the country.
India's first Olympic boxing medallist, Vijender Singh, expresses deep concern over the future of male pugilists, citing a lack of competitions and a selection system he claims promotes 'sycophancy'. He argues that women boxers are currently outperforming men and are brighter medal prospects for the 2028 Olympics. Singh is highly critical of the new grading system, advocating for a return to the traditional trials-based selection process.
Top-seeded India enters the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships as strong favourites for the men's team title, featuring seasoned players like G. Sathiyan. While facing tough competition from Australia and England in the men's event, and Singapore in the women's, India's women's team will compete without star player Manika Batra. The tournament, hosted in New Delhi, includes 23 men's and 18 women's teams, offering a record prize money of USD 110,000.
A new exhibition highlighting the significant impact of the South Asian community on cricket in Britain has opened at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's ambitious plan to sell a 20% stake in a commercial entity managing the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors has been abandoned following widespread opposition, including a boycott threat from UEFA.
Chhattisgarh's weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav has won a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, bringing pride to the state and the country. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao congratulated her, highlighting her achievement as an inspiration for young athletes. Yadav's performance in the 53kg category involved a thrilling contest where she set new personal bests.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed lower due to profit-taking after a four-day rally, influenced by weakness in Asian markets, with Trent shares tumbling over 12 per cent.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) reported a 9.1 per cent year-on-year decline in net profit for the April-June quarter of 2026-27, marking its second consecutive quarterly fall. This dip occurred despite a significant 29.3 per cent jump in sales volume, primarily due to escalating commodity prices, increased energy costs, and logistics disruptions stemming from the West Asia conflict.
Veteran Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket, concluding a career that spanned nearly two decades and included an undefeated Test captaincy record.
UEFA's member associations have unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in protest against FIFA's plan to sell stakes to external investors in a subsidiary managing its tournaments.
India's U17 women's team achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time, following a dominant 4-0 victory against Lebanon. The team's progress was confirmed after other group results went their way. They will now face China in the quarter-finals.
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.
Indian boxers have secured 27 medals at the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships in Tashkent, with the U-15 girls securing 14 medals and the U-15 boys confirming 13 medals.
