India's top badminton players experienced a mixed day at the Japan Open. While PV Sindhu secured a comfortable win in her women's singles opener, the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were forced to retire due to Rankireddy's recurring shoulder injury, impacting their preparations for the upcoming World Championships.
India had a stellar Day 7 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Murali Sreeshankar securing his second consecutive long jump silver medal and Indian boxers assuring the country of 10 medals by reaching the semi-finals in various categories. Para athletes also made history with a one-two finish in the men's 100m T47 event.
India's top 400m runners, including Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi and Jay Kumar, view the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as a more challenging competition than the Asian Games. They believe the higher standard of competition, especially from Australia and England, will serve as an ideal proving ground to improve their performance and achieve personal bests ahead of the continental showpiece.
India's top 400m runners, including Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi and Jay Kumar, view the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as a more challenging competition than the Asian Games. They believe the higher standard of competition, especially from Australia and England, will serve as an ideal proving ground to improve their performance and achieve personal bests ahead of the continental showpiece.
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.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has backed Abhishek Sharma to finish as the top run-scorer in the ongoing IPL 2026 season ahead of his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Heinrich Klaasen.
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.
'Our biggest opportunity lies with the younger age-group teams.' 'If you look at the senior national team, our chances are about 50-50.' 'The gap becomes smaller as you move down the age groups.' 'At the Under-20 level, it's closer to 60-40.' 'By the Under-17 level, it's around 80-20. That's where I feel we have our best chance.'
Priyanka Goswami led the Indian women's marathon team to a fifth-place finish at the World Athletics Race Walking Championships. In the men's event, India did not figure in the team rankings due to fielding only two competitors.
Andy Flower has ruled himself out of contention for the vacant England Test head coach position, saying he is happy in franchise cricket and intends to remain in his current roles.
Dharmendra Pradhan's political career faced an unexpected jolt as he resigned as Education Minister following nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, marking a significant departure from the government's initial dismissive response to the agitation.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal in a crucial Premier League match, while Liverpool secured a late win against Everton. Nottingham Forest also claimed a significant victory against Burnley.
Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by the Shah Rukh Khan family and Mehta Group, emerged as the most valuable franchise.
Kimi Antonelli will either be Formula One's youngest world champion, well before the end of the season on current form, or the first driver to win five races in a row in a single campaign and not take the title.
Despite a subdued atmosphere in Glasgow ahead of the Commonwealth Games, with limited public buzz, preparations are underway, and athletes are arriving. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, fresh off a Diamond League win, is a strong contender for gold, offering a significant medal hope for his nation.
The Indian women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, secured a silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid.
Intense lobbying is underway in Kerala as V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala vie for the chief minister's post, with their camps citing popularity, MLA support, and experience as key factors for the Congress high command's decision.
A 12-member Indian squad, led by Ram Baboo and Manju Rani, will compete in the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasilia, Brazil.
India's premier long-distance runner, Gulveer Singh, is confident of improving his bronze medal performance from the 2022 Asian Games in the upcoming edition. Holding national records in multiple events, Singh is preparing for both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, focusing on strategic training under his US-based coach and utilising advanced sportswear technology.
Bournemouth defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates, throwing the Premier League title race wide open and boosting Manchester City's chances.
England captain Harry Kane addressed comparisons with Norwegian striker Erling Haaland ahead of their World Cup quarter-final match, downplaying direct comparisons while praising Haaland's physical prowess and finishing. Kane emphasised his priority is team success in the World Cup over individual accolades like the Golden Boot, despite being in contention. He also spoke about equalling Wayne Rooney's cap record and received high praise from coach Thomas Tuchel.
In Peru, there is a wave of new baby Haalands. In Argentina, Lionel has raced up the rankings, and in Mexico a girl was reportedly named after three soccer players. Parents in Latin America are already christening a new generation of babies after the stars of the World Cup.
England bagged third place at the World Cup after beating France 6-4 on Saturday, while Les Bleus' captain Kylian Mbappe became the tournament's all-time top scorer with 22 goals on coach Didier Deschamps' last game after 14 years in charge.
Indian rally duo Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif secured a comfortable victory in the ARC3 class and an impressive fourth overall finish at the 2026 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, moving up to second in the ARC3 championship standings.
Manchester City and Arsenal face off in a crucial Premier League clash, with the title race hanging in the balance as City look to seize momentum.
Indian rally driver Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif are set to compete in the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, the third round of the FIA African Rally Championship. The duo, known for their previous podium finishes in WRC3 and ARC3 categories, will drive a Ford Fiesta and aim for another strong performance on the demanding mountain stages.
National record holder Jyothi Yarraji made a remarkable return to competition after a year-long injury lay-off, breaching the Asian Games qualifying standard in the 100m hurdles at the National Inter-State Championships. She achieved the feat with a time of 13.14 seconds, well within the AFI's requirement.
The Indian Under-18 women's hockey team was defeated by China in a penalty shootout during the semi-finals of the Under-18 Asian Championships, ending their bid for a gold medal. After a 2-2 draw in regulation time, India lost 1-3 in the shootout and will now compete for the bronze medal.
Legendary German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn offers his expert analysis on the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, highlighting tactical discipline, mental strength, and fine margins as key determinants. He previews the Spain vs France clash, discusses the evolving role of goalkeepers, and gives France a slight edge as the strongest contender.
Former wicketkeeper-batter Syed Kirmani revealed that he was in contention for India captaincy along with Dilip Vengsarkar ahead of the 1983 World Cup before the selection panel zeroed in on legendary Kapil Dev.
India concluded its campaign at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships with a total of 16 medals, including two gold medals won by javelin thrower Anand Singh and the women's 4x400m relay team. Anand Singh achieved a personal best throw of 80.57m, while other Indian athletes secured multiple silver and bronze medals across various events.
Lewis Hamilton secured his first Grand Prix victory with Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix, ending Kimi Antonelli's winning streak. At 41, Hamilton became Formula One's oldest winner since Jack Brabham in 1970, marking his 106th career win.
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday said the mere absence of a train ticket on the body of a deceased passenger cannot be a ground to deny compensation to the victim's family in a railway-accident case.
Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli stayed ice-cool to win a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix and extend his run of victories this season to five on Sunday.
From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Cape Verde's fairytale run, VAR controversies and unforgettable fan moments, relive the memories that made the 2026 FIFA World Cup the biggest and most dramatic tournament in history.
Indian golfers Diksha Dagar, Aditi Ashok, Avani Prashanth, and Pranavi Urs have all successfully made the cut at the Hulencourt Women's Open in Belgium. Diksha Dagar is in a strong position, tied for third, while Aditi Ashok is also within the top 10.
Lionel Messi's Argentina take on Jude Bellingham's England in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, reviving one of football's greatest rivalries with a place in the final on the line.
Kidambi Srikanth edged out Japan's Yudai Okimoto in a three-game thriller to progress to the men's singles final of the US Open Super 300 badminton championships in Fuller, United States.
George Russell seized pole position for a race that could snap teammate Kimi Antonelli's winning streak while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton split the Mercedes pair in Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
India concluded the third day of the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships with a total of 11 medals, adding three more on Saturday. Distance runner Shivaji Parashuram secured his second silver medal in the men's 10,000m, while Priya won bronze in discus throw and Shravani Sangle claimed bronze in the 400m hurdles.
