The India U17 men's football team secured a dominant 4-0 victory over hosts Myanmar in their second friendly match on Wednesday, concluding their tour on a high note. Captain Dallalmoun Gangte, an own goal, Kamgouhao Doungel, and Hrishikesh Charan Manavathi contributed to the scoreline, marking head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo's first win. Both teams are preparing for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
Indian track cycling teams have qualified for the first round heats in both men's and women's team sprint events, as well as the women's team pursuit competition at the Asian Games.
Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the first recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association. These awards recognise their exceptional performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Mohod secured two archery golds and Kalkal won gold in wrestling.
Dhiraj Bommadevara, India's top recurve archer, expresses no regrets despite missing an individual medal at his second Asian Games. He highlights his Games-record qualification score and team silver medals, viewing the experience as crucial for his preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Bommadevara emphasizes learning from past failures, the importance of a positive team environment, and the need to focus on improvement rather than dwelling on mistakes.
Kumkum Mohod, a 17-year-old archer from Amravati, has achieved significant success at the Asian Games, securing a gold and a silver medal. Her father and coach highlight her journey from a bamboo bow to international competitions, overcoming financial challenges, and her ultimate dream of representing India at the Olympics. Her performance, particularly against South Korea, has brought pride to her family, hometown, and the nation.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has reappointed her nephew Akash Anand as the party's national convenor, reversing an earlier decision to remove him. This move comes after Anand's expression of desire to return and considering party members' views, with Mayawati emphasizing the decision was made in the interest of the party and the movement.
Indian archers returned from the Asian Games with a historic haul of 5 gold medals, 2 Olympic quotas, and other medals, celebrating their success and triumphs over global powerhouse South Korea. Coaches and athletes expressed elation, crediting rigorous training, teamwork, and a supportive ecosystem for their unprecedented performance.
India all-rounder Naman Dhir made an impressive T20I debut, contributing significantly with his off-spin bowling to help India secure a win against West Indies. Despite his bowling success, Dhir, whose primary strength is batting, is eager for an opportunity to showcase his skills with the bat. He credited the IPL for preparing him for international cricket and expressed his joy at fulfilling his dream of representing India.
Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar to discuss energy cooperation as S Jaishankar says India-US trade talks are nearing a landing point, with a few issues unresolved.
The Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship, featuring top Indian and international golfers, is set to begin in Greater Noida. This Rs 2 crore event is crucial as it's the last opportunity for players to secure a spot in the season-ending Race to DP World India Championship.
Ramlila Maidan, recently designated as one of Delhi's new protest sites, is proving to be a costly and difficult option for demonstrators. With no free dates for the next two and a half months and booking fees exceeding Rs 1 lakh, it contrasts sharply with the previously free Jantar Mantar. The ground, rich in political history, also poses logistical challenges due to its busy commercial location and impact on traffic.
Ankush Panghal secured a gold medal in boxing at the Asian Games, contributing to India's best-ever gold medal performance in boxing at the event, alongside Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda. This achievement follows a strong showing at the recent Commonwealth Games.
India remains one of the Hyundai Motor group's most important and strategic markets globally. The initiative positions India as a strategic core market for the group's growth, emerging market expansion, and next-generation automotive innovation.
The Indian women's hockey team defeated defending champions China 1-0 in the Asian Games final, securing a gold medal and an automatic qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Coach Sjoerd Marijne credited the team's disciplined defence, tireless running, and collective effort for the historic victory.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an end-to-end sovereign AI stack for Indian enterprises and public institutions. He emphasised that new technologies, including AI, will enhance ease of work and create more jobs, drawing parallels with the IT industry's growth. The initiative, backed by the India AI Mission, aims for self-reliance and includes the Gnani Evon v3.3 language model and Gnani Plexus AI platform, offering cost-effective Indic language capabilities.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an end-to-end sovereign AI stack for Indian enterprises and public institutions. He emphasised that new technologies, including AI, will enhance ease of work and create more jobs, drawing parallels with the IT industry's growth. The initiative, backed by the India AI Mission, aims for self-reliance and includes the Gnani Evon v3.3 language model and Gnani Plexus AI platform, offering cost-effective Indic language capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lauded Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as a 'hero of the entire world' for his bravery in foiling an alleged co-pilot's attempt to crash a flydubai flight, and has extended an invitation to Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day.
Modi's greater weakness is his inability since July when he directed the exit of Dharmendra Pradhan, to come up with a political counter strategy. Security measures and executive orders as seen in recent days will only likely further weaken him and make him as lame duck a premier as many prior to him, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh included, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
India is determined to host the 2036 Olympics as part of a broader strategy to become a global sporting superpower, despite challenges like limited multi-sport event experience and a poor doping record, according to Indian Olympic Association CEO Raghuram Iyer.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has voiced concerns over significant delays in inducting new combat jets, including the Tejas aircraft, which are impacting the Indian Air Force's depleting fighter squadron strength. He stressed the need for annual induction of 36-40 jets to address the gaps and discussed ongoing procurement plans like the MRFA deal and future strategies for combat aircraft and theatre commands.
Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence at the World Economic Forum, advocates for integrating AI literacy into India's education curriculum and incentivising AI companies to prioritise child safety. She stresses the need for localised solutions that account for India's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as varying levels of connectivity and digital literacy, to ensure AI systems are safe and beneficial for children.
Economic think tank GTRI has urged the Indian government to withdraw the proposed UPI charges, set to begin on October 15, arguing that the digital payment system should remain free for merchants and consumers. GTRI warns that these charges could lead to higher prices, reduced earnings for small businesses, and weakened household demand, while also benefiting international card networks by eroding UPI's price advantage. The think tank also called for an independent audit of UPI's running costs.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran affirmed India's robust economic position amidst global uncertainty, emphasising that energy security, advanced manufacturing jobs, and investment in human capital are 'critical' for sustaining the nation's long-term growth.
Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna discusses the factors behind his impressive performance, including team clarity, effective communication, and the healthy competition for World Cup spots. He highlights his rapport with fellow bowlers and the positive impact of pushing each other to improve.
Indian men's hockey head coach Craig Fulton revealed that the hard-fought semi-final victory over arch-rivals Pakistan significantly boosted the team's confidence, leading to their dominant 5-1 win against Malaysia in the Asian Games final and securing a berth for the 2028 Olympics.
IBM India and South Asia MD Sandip Patel states that technology, especially AI, should not be "artificially paused." He advocates for vigilance and proactive governance to foster innovation while addressing potential risks. Patel also highlights IBM's India-specific initiatives like Bharat Core and a sovereign AI stack, and discusses the impact of AI on jobs and global supply chains.
Australia A defeated India A by 69 runs in the second one-day match in Puducherry, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Aggressive half-centuries from Josh Philippe and Sam Konstas, along with crucial wickets from pacer Spencer Johnson, led Australia A to victory, while India A's top order struggled.
India's national football team suffered a 6-1 defeat against two-time former world champions Uruguay in an international friendly in Kolkata.
Indian equity markets, led by the Nifty 50, saw gains following a pullback in Brent crude prices towards $101-102 a barrel and weaker-than-anticipated US jobs data, which eased concerns about a Fed rate hike. However, analysts caution that markets are likely to remain volatile in the near term.
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain secured her first Asian Games gold medal in the women's 75kg category on her 29th birthday, defeating China's Bao Ziyi 5-0. Her father expressed immense joy, highlighting her tireless efforts to upgrade her previous silver medal. Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh praised Lovlina's resolve and mental strength, calling her a role model and her victory the best birthday gift.
No shade or genre was a roadblock for Nana Patekar. In fact, some of his movies only age well because we associate them with his terrific presence.
Indian women's kabaddi captain Pushpa Rana led her team to a record-extending fourth Asian Games gold medal, defeating a strong Iranian side 37-34. Rana highlighted the team's reliance on their raiders and the pressure of maintaining India's dominance in the sport.
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar and her father, Narender Dagar, expressed immense pride and joy after India secured a silver medal in the women's team golf event at the 2026 Asian Games, highlighting years of dedication and hard work.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy acknowledged the financial challenges leading to player pay cuts, stating it's "not what you want to hear before a series." He also highlighted the team's need for greater bowling discipline, especially after failing to defend a 405-run target against India, and reflected on missed opportunities to score higher in the second ODI.
Young Indian golfer Kashika Misra has taken the lead in the AM Green IGPL after firing a 6-under round, bringing her closer to becoming only the second Indian woman to win a mixed professional golf event. She holds a one-shot lead over Arjun Prasad, with other notable players like Kapil Kumar and Kanav Chauhan also in contention. Misra expressed satisfaction with her performance and aims to maintain her form.
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.
India's Para Asian Games contingent received a formal send-off in New Delhi, with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launching the new Team India jersey. Prominent para-athletes, including flag bearer Pramod Bhagat, attended the ceremony. Mandaviya encouraged the athletes to win medals, assuring them of government support. Head coach Satyanarayana expressed confidence in medal prospects despite a reduced quota, while athletes like Suvarna Raj and Pramod Bhagat voiced their determination to secure medals.
Russia has expressed gratitude for India's readiness to contribute to resolving the Ukraine conflict, while Ukraine's Foreign Minister praised India's ceasefire proposal as the "broadest" among those received. President Putin also acknowledged Prime Minister Modi's "very good ideas" for a mutual settlement, highlighting India's intensified diplomatic efforts focusing on Black Sea safety, grain exports, and energy supplies.
India's Asian Games medal-winning boxers, including gold medallists Ankush Panghal, Parveen Hooda, and Lovlina Borgohain, received a grand welcome at the New Delhi airport. The team's performance, securing three golds and three bronzes, was lauded by BFI president Ajay Singh and coach Santiago Nieva, highlighting their strong preparation for the upcoming Olympics.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is in stable condition in Saudi Arabia after being seriously injured while preventing his co-pilot from crashing a Flydubai flight. He was stabbed during the incident, but managed to alert others, leading to the co-pilot's incapacitation and a safe landing. Both Indian and Israeli leaders have praised his heroic actions.