G Sindhushree lacked the funds to buy proper equipment after her father's death in 2022, forcing her to compete with shorter poles until she borrowed a longer one just two weeks before the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Asia No. 1 trap shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu has been left out of the Indian shotgun contingent for the Asian Games, despite his World Championships bronze medal and top international scores.
European champions Spain will travel to next month's World Cup with plenty of Barcelona swagger but no-one from Real Madrid after manager Luis de la Fuente named a 26-man squad on Monday built around eight players from the Catalan club.
Murali Sreeshankar won the men's long jump at the Indian Athletics Series, marking a successful return after knee surgery. Other winners included Ancy Sojan in the women's long jump, Reagan Ganesh in pole vault, and Tamil Arasu in the 100m sprint.
A contingent of 58 Indian shooters and support staff are travelling to Cairo for the ISSF Combined Junior World Cup, marking the start of the junior circuit for 2024.
Maharashtra's Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Tamil Nadu's Vithya Ramraj secured victories in high jump and 400m hurdles respectively at the Indian Athletics Series in Ranchi. Sarun Payasingh also won the men's long jump event.
National record holder Jeswin Aldrin finished a disappointing 11th with one legal mark of 7.77m.
India finished on top of the ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo with a total of 16 medals, including five gold, six silver, and five bronze. Hemant Burman won silver in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, and Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal won bronze in the trap mixed team event.
Jamaica's sprinting dominance continued in sizzling style on Monday when Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser clocked 10.73 seconds to win the women's world 100 metres, 24 hours after Usain Bolt's 9.58 in the men's event. Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele joined compatriot Haile Gebrselassie as a four-time 10,000 metres world champion on Monday as he surged to victory with a trademark last-lap burst.
Himachal Pradesh's Sawan Barwal broke the 48-year-old national marathon record at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking 2:11:58 and surpassing Shivnath Singh's 1978 record.
Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam announced that the state has appointed 33 sportspersons to coaching positions within the last month. These new coaches are expected to play a crucial role in identifying and nurturing grassroots talent to prepare athletes for future international competitions, including the 2036 Olympics. The state also highlighted its sports policy, which includes job reservations for outstanding sportspersons.
The US Department of State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to launch a public-private partnership aimed at advancing sports diplomacy worldwide. This initiative will leverage UFC's extensive global platform and athletes to engage international audiences, promote cultural exchange, and champion American values such as discipline and perseverance.
The US Department of State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to launch a public-private partnership aimed at advancing sports diplomacy worldwide. This initiative will leverage UFC's extensive global platform and athletes to engage international audiences, promote cultural exchange, and champion American values such as discipline and perseverance.
Gurindervir Singh's record-breaking 10.09-second run in the 100m at the Federation Cup National Championships has ignited hopes for Indian athletes to finally break the coveted sub-10-second barrier. Experts believe that with the right training, equipment, and opportunities, an Indian sprinter could achieve this milestone in the near future.
According to AFP, although Doha hosts a Diamond League meeting, athletics has no real roots in Qatar and the decision to take the World Championships to the Gulf raised eyebrows.
A strong contingent of Commonwealth Games-bound Indian boxers, led by Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, will participate in the invitational Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in Czechia. The tournament offers a crucial opportunity for the athletes to fine-tune their preparations and gain international exposure against strong opposition.
Ankit of Services Sports Control Board and Jayesh Patil of Railways have been banned for three years by NADA after testing positive for meldonium. Both athletes accepted the charges, resulting in a one-year reduction in their period of ineligibility.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and reigning men's doubles champion Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian badminton squad at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Teen sprinter Gout Gout has been confirmed on Australia's team for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
Sawan Barwal broke the national marathon record at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking 2 hours 11 minutes and 58 seconds, surpassing the previous record set in 1978.
Sumit Antil spearheaded India's impressive performance at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, securing gold in the javelin throw. Indian athletes dominated various events, including the 400m and throwing disciplines.
In the absence of Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia, Sundar, who had been disqualified from his event in Rio 2016 due to technical reasons, found redemption and took home the gold medal and the tag of world champion with a personal best throw of 60.36m.
India's wrestling team, featuring a mix of experienced and emerging talent, is set to compete in the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, with high hopes for medal contention.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) disqualified over 500 wrestlers from a U-17 tournament in Gonda due to age fraud, exposed by a new Aadhaar-based verification system. This stringent check revealed significant discrepancies between birth certificates and Aadhaar records, with WFI vowing to continue this crackdown to ensure fair play in age-group competitions.
Serena Williams is set to make a comeback to competitive tennis after a nearly four-year absence, receiving a wildcard entry into the Queen's Club Championships doubles draw.
The National Sports Awards have been delayed due to a re-evaluation process by the Sports Ministry to ensure only deserving athletes are honoured. The ministry aims to establish clearer criteria to avoid controversies and ensure deserving athletes are recognised without unnecessary hurdles.
Neeraj Chopra will once again headline India's campaign in the World Athletics Championships
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
Smriti Mandhana is the only Indian named in TIME's 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 list, joining global icons such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James after another record-breaking year in cricket.
India has submitted bids to host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships as well as the 2026 Asian Relays, in line with the country's efforts to stage continental and global events in the coming years.
Brief profile of five male athletes to watch out for at the August 22-30 world championships in Beijing.
The country also mounted bids on some high-profile continental and global events, including the 2031 World Athletics Championships with Ahmedabad as the proposed venue.
Denis Gnezdilov strode the shot put circle like a colossus, gunning down the men's F40 World record twice to win the gold medal, at the Para World Athletics Championships.
Most celebrations during the World Athletics Championships are over the top. But how does it matter as long as the spectators enjoy them!
Sheetal Devi, the armless archer from India, has been named 'Para Archer of the Year 2025' by World Archery, recognising her outstanding achievements, including a world championship title.
Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav finished eighth in his Diamond League debut in Rome with a throw of 79.18m, significantly below his personal best. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the event with a historic 92.62m throw, the second longest by an Asian.
India concluded a highly successful campaign at the Ulaanbaatar Open Senior Ranking Series wrestling tournament, securing a total of 17 medals across freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's categories. The men's freestyle team alone bagged three gold and four bronze medals, while the Greco-Roman team clinched the overall championship with two golds. The women's contingent also contributed significantly with three gold and four bronze medals, ensuring India's top-three finish in the team standings.
Rohit Yadav clinched the javelin throw gold medal at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships to keep himself in contention for a berth in the World Championships in Tokyo.
Animesh Kujur of Odisha emerged as the star of the Indian Athletics Series, winning both the 100m and 200m races. Tajinderpal Singh Toor won the shot put, and Hima Das returned to the track after a two-year absence.
Some of the globe's best para athletes, including blade runners, prosthetic jumpers and wheelchair-bound competitors, will showcase their awe-inspiring grit and resilience on the sporting field when the biggest ever World Para Athletics Championships begins in New Delhi on Saturday.
