'Not for the first time during this festival I was struck by the atmosphere of friendly inclusion the organisers had managed in a city where you can smell menace in the air, thanks to Adityanath's revenge-driven politics, his denigration of Muslims and ruthless use of State power against critics,' notes Anjali Puri.
India would have responded differently to "Pakistan-sponsored" Mumbai terror attacks had there been a different "mix of people" at the helm, according to former foreign secretary and national security advisor Shivshankar Menon.
Former world number one Garbine Muguruza was beaten 7-5, 6-4 by Aryna Sabalenka in the China Open second round on Tuesday while an ailing Jelena Ostapenko lost 6-0, 6-0 to Wang Qiang.
Lesser-known Indian players continued to impress, while the fancied struggled to score, even as overseas Grandmasters took charge in the third round of the World Junior Chess Championships, being played at Hotel Hyatt, in Pune, on Wednesday. S L Narayanan was one of the early finishers, holding second seed and super GM Robin Van Kampen (2641) to a draw, while 10-year-old Nihal Sarin's impressive display again won him many admirers after he held Balazs CSonka (2409) to a draw to remain unbeaten after three encounters against opponents rated higher than 2400.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Irked by Wasim Akram questioning PCB's decision to form an inquiry committee on team's disastrous show in Asia Cup, influential board official Shakil Sheikh has threatened to open old files related to legendary fast bowler's alleged involvement in match-fixing. "I don't think Wasim is 'King of Swing'. I think he is 'King of Betting'. He should think before criticizing anyone because his past is known to all and old files in the board can be opened," Sheikh, who is the head of PCB's inquiry committee told Geo Super channel on Monday night. As far as old files are concerned, Sheikh was referring to report submitted by Justice Malik Qayyum on match fixing inquiry at the start of the millennium. Sheikh, who also heads the Islamabad regional cricket association made references to his name (Wasim) being linked to betting in cricket and in the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry. Sheikh was upset with the remarks made by Akram recently at a press conference in which he questioned the purpose of the board appointing an inquiry committee on the eve of the World T20 to probe into the national team's poor performance in the Asia Cup.
'It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge'
Formula One has lost another of its principals.
Russia has named a track and field team for the Rio Olympics which includes gold medallists Yelena Isinbayeva and Ivan Ukhov among 68 athletes who are hoping an IAAF ban on them competing will be lifted by sport's highest court later this month.
Former Tata group strategist and member of the now disbanded Group Executive Council, Nirmalya Kumar has said he was fired from his position for "working intensely and extensively" with ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry.
- Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's last lap coming together at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on Sunday put the sport on front and back pages, reviving a narrative of battling team mates going back to the days of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Following the World Cup, companies queue up to sign Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur.
Sprint king Usain Bolt aims to crown his legacy with an unprecedented Olympic threepeat at the Rio Games, and to top that off by running the first ever sub-19 seconds 200 meters.
Although he thrives on the pressure of the big race, Usain Bolt says he is looking forward to watching the next one from the sidelines.
"This move will strengthen the unity of the country, which is the requirement of the hour," says Charu Wali Khanna.
Rediff.com takes a look at players who tested positive for use of banned substances over the years.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
'Boxing is a sport and sometimes one punch can make a difference.'
A scarcity of gold medals in the first few days of the Olympics is leading China to reflect on its past obsession with finishing first, amid agreement that being champion is no longer everything.
Well, these engineering students race them too.
Barred from competing at the Rio Games, Russia's double Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva announced her retirement on Friday and said whoever won the women's pole vault in her absence would not have achieved a proper gold medal. At a combative news conference, Isinbayeva also said God would be the judge of whether athletics' governing body was right to exclude almost the entire Russian track and field team, including herself, over what it said was incontrovertible evidence of state-sponsored doping.
Overnight leader Shubhankar Sharma struggled with his putts on the decisive final day to fall short of scripting history but the rapidly-rising Indian managed a creditable tied ninth finish at the US$ 10 million World Golf Championships.
Russian former world number one Maria Sharapova was suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation on Wednesday following her positive test for banned drug meldonium at this year's Australian Open.
Missy Franklin was the 17-year-old darling of American swimming in 2012, returning home from the London Olympics with four gold medals and being hailed as the sport's brightest young star.
Rediff.com brings you the buzz around celebrity sportspersons and their glamorous lives!
India's sole luge athlete, Shiva Keshavan has qualified for the Winter Olympics to be held in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi from February 7 to 23.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
Six-times Olympic champion Usain Bolt said he felt shocked and let down by the scandal-hit IAAF, but the Jamaican sprinter was against resetting athletics world records as the sport attempts to move on from the doping crisis.
The unique pageant aims to show the world that beauty can have various meanings.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
2018 was largely forgettable for Sushil Kumar -- India's only double Olympic-medallist -- and Sakshi Malik -- the country's first and only woman wrestler to win a medal at the biggest stage.
'People want to blacken my face for showing "leaders in a bad light".' 'People want to show loyalty to the party.' 'There's no end to it.' 'How many people should I show the film to?' 'Where do we draw the line?'
Sun Yang became the first Chinese swimmer to win the Olympic men's 200 metres freestyle gold medal on Monday.
Writing on parties and gossip as "Miss Malini", former dancer and radio jockey Malini Agarwal soon became an authority on matters of style.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Sneha Sharma is shattering speed and societal barriers.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Several events were postponed or rescheduled, including Nordic combined, biathlon and Alpine skiing, and more than 60 tents were damaged by winds with a speed of seven metres per second as organisers warned of flying debris.
'If it is a World Cup then yes, doing away with home and away format, is okay'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances