Teenaged high jump star Pooja Singh shattered the national senior record en route winning the gold medal to lead a strong Indian show on the second day of the Asian U20 Athletics Championships here on Friday.
Indian athletes won two bronze medals and four advanced to the finals at the 10th World Wushu Championship.
Athletes and officials adjusted to the unfamiliar setting at the inaugural National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar, with shot putters modifying their techniques and runners adapting to a curvy track.
Top Indian athletes, including Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel, are set to compete in the inaugural National Indoor Championships, using the event as preparation for the Asian Games later this year.
Indian athlete Basant Kumar Meghwal clinched a silver medal in the men's high jump event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. Achieving a personal best of 2.21m, Meghwal contributed to India's growing medal tally, which also includes a silver from Ashish Yadav in javelin throw.
Indian long jumper M Sreeshankar has qualified for the Commonwealth Games final in Glasgow, achieving the 8.01m qualifying standard in his first attempt. This marks a significant comeback for Sreeshankar, who is recovering from a career-threatening knee injury and aims to improve on his 2022 silver medal.
The 4th National Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championship was inaugurated at the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar, with over 2,000 players from 27 states and Union territories participating.
Ashish Yadav clinched a silver medal in the men's javelin throw, marking India's first medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. Pooja Singh also advanced to the women's high jump final, while other Indian athletes competed in various events, including the men's 400m and long jump, showcasing promising talent.
Murali Sreeshankar has become the first Indian double medallist in Commonwealth Games long jump, securing a silver medal with a leap of 8.09 metres. This achievement marks an emotional comeback for the 27-year-old, who recovered from a career-threatening knee injury that forced him to miss his anticipated Olympic debut.
India is set to host the Asian Senior Fencing Championships for the first time from June 19-24 in New Delhi, featuring athletes from 34 countries, including Olympic medallists. The event is a direct qualifier for the Asian Games and offers ranking points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with Indian Olympian Bhavani Devi leading the home challenge.
Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut has opened online registrations for its 2026-27 academic session, offering new undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma programmes in sports, including direct admission for elite athletes and a 10% reservation for outstanding sportspersons.
The 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, featuring participants from approximately 30 nations, commenced in Gandhinagar, highlighting India's growing role in international sports.
Karnataka's G Sindhushree, an unheralded pole vaulter, achieved a new national record of 4.25m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. This performance not only secured her a gold medal but also a spot in the Asian Games. Overcoming personal hardships, Sindhushree dedicated her achievement to her late father. The event also saw other athletes like Animesh Kujur, Harshita Bhadra, Manpreet Kaur, Gowthami Jayaraman, Mohammed Afsal, and N Thowfeeq qualify for the Asian Games in various disciplines.
Indian para-athletes showcased their dominance at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, securing numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals across various events, highlighting the nation's strength in para-sports.
Teenage shooter Anvii Rathord won a bronze medal in the women's 10m air rifle at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany. However, India's campaign was marred by a team disqualification due to a breach of equipment stiffness standards by Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar. Despite this setback, India continues to lead the medal tally. The championship also saw another Indian shooter, Vanshika Chaudhary, miss a potential gold due to a costly error.
Indian athletes showcased their dominance at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, securing numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals across various events, highlighting the nation's strength in para-athletics.
Competing at last year's World Championships with a back injury was not a good decision, conceded seasoned Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra before assuring that he "feels fit" as he gears up for a delayed start to his season at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Indian ultra runners achieved remarkable success at the IAU 24H Asia and Oceania Championship in Japan, securing gold in the men's team event and a bronze in the women's team event. Amar Singh Devanda won gold in the men's individual event, setting a new national record.
Athletics Federation of India's selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has dismissed concerns over Neeraj Chopra's recent silver medal, stating that the "country's greatest athlete" should not be scrutinised for an occasional silver after consistently delivering gold for a decade.
The 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, featuring athletes from 30 countries, will be held in Gandhinagar from May 11 to 17. The event serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Rashtriya Raksha University will host the 4th National Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championship from May 29 to June 2 at its Lavad campus here, officials said on Friday. The championship is jointly organized by the Armwrestling Federation of Gujarat and People's Armwrestling Federation India.
Madhya Pradesh pole vaulter Dev Meena has broken the national record for the fifth time in two years, clearing 5.46m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships. He credited his coach, Ghanshyam Yadav, for consistently pushing him to aim for national records. Meena also successfully breached the Asian Games qualifying mark and has been named in the Indian squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, reflected on the 18th anniversary of his historic win at the Beijing Olympics, stating, 'Life since has taught me that the spaces between the peaks matter just as much.'
Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar secured his second consecutive Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow with a leap of 8.09 metres. This achievement marks an emotional comeback for the athlete, who battled a career-threatening knee injury in 2024, forcing him to miss the Paris Olympics. Despite his disappointment at not winning gold, Sreeshankar views this medal as a crucial stepping stone for the upcoming Asian Games.
Pakistan's Olympic gold-medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem will skip the upcoming Diamond League meet in Lausanne to concentrate on his preparation for the Asian Games and another international event. He will undergo a training camp in South Africa under coach Terseus Liebenberg, aiming to improve his performance after recent struggles.
Teenaged high jump star Pooja Singh broke the national senior record en route to winning the gold medal at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships. The 19-year-old cleared 1.93m, bettering Sahana Kumari's 14-year-old record. India secured seven medals, including four gold, on the second day of the competition.
India's race walk coach Ronald Weigel has urged national selectors to consider the extremely humid conditions during the National Inter-State Championships when picking the team for the upcoming Asian Games. He highlighted how tough weather significantly slows down endurance athletes and suggested holding future selection events in more favourable conditions like Bengaluru.
India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended 24 athletes across various sports, including cricketer Bhupen Lalwani, weightlifter Ajith Narayana, wrestler Sahil Jaglan, and national record holder runner KM Deeksha, for failing dope tests. The suspensions highlight ongoing challenges with doping in Indian sports.
Rewari's Kamaljeet, a 22-year-old pistol shooter, is set to represent India at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after an injury ended his athletics dream and he transitioned to shooting in 2019, overcoming financial struggles with strong family and institutional support.
India's top track and field athletes will compete in Ranchi for a chance to represent the country at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The event marks the first time the Athletics Federation of India will conduct SRY Gene Tests at the national level to ensure fair competition in the women's category. The meet will also serve as trials for the inaugural Asian U23 Championships.
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has won the All-India Police Judo cluster tournament, which featured around 1,600 athletes from 36 police organisations. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) secured the runner-up position, with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) coming in third.
Indian weightlifters are set to compete in the Asian Championships, aiming to leverage home advantage and gain momentum for the upcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Indian Navy congratulated Gurindervir Singh after he became the first Indian to run 100m in under 10.10 seconds.
In a bizarre incident, Tamil Nadu's R Harshitha was made to re-run the women's 400m hurdles alone on Saturday due to a goof-up by race officials, and she eventually failed to qualify for the finals at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Having won silver in Birmingham in 2022, 27-year-old Murali Sreeshankar added another medal to his collection at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after producing a best leap of 8.09 metres, capping an emotional comeback from the career-threatening knee injury that had nearly derailed his career.
India's athletics contingent secured a gold medal in the women's 4x100m relay at the Asian Relays Championships in Shaoxing, China, clocking a season-best time.
Sharmila Dhankar, a polio-afflicted survivor of domestic abuse, clinched a gold medal in the women's F57 seated shot put at the Commonwealth Games, marking a triumph of resilience and athletic prowess.
Parul Chaudhary became only the second Indian female athlete to qualify for the final of a track event at the World Athletics Championships.
Tejaswin Shankar won the men's heptathlon event to clinch India's lone gold as the country ended the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships campaign with five medals. India finished overall sixth in the medals tally.
Rohit Yadav lit up Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium with a career-best throw of 87.05m in the men's javelin throw on the concluding day of the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships.
