The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
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.
Former Italy manager Roberto Mancini is set to return for a second spell as the national team coach, replacing Gennaro Gattuso, who departed after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.
Australia secured an innings and 51-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test, but the performance highlighted persistent issues with their top-order batting, particularly for Marnus Labuschagne, raising questions ahead of their South Africa tour.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra stated he is not 'obsessed' with consistently breaching the 90-metre mark in javelin, emphasising that winning major titles and maintaining consistency in challenging conditions are more important than chasing a specific distance.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed confidence in his team's readiness for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15. Gambhir also welcomed new squad members Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi, emphasising the team's preparation for their first ICC World Test Championship assignment since a previous home defeat.
Indian women wrestlers Hansika Lamba and Neha won bronze medals, while Meenakshi Goyat advanced to the final at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships.
Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his prolific scoring record in six FIFA World Cups, has yet to score in a knockout stage match. As Portugal faces Croatia, the superstar aims to break this drought while also holding records for most World Cup appearances and being Portugal's all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has called for the state to become a hub for Indian futsal, producing players capable of leading the national team to the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Speaking at a felicitation for Tlangnuam Futsal Club, he emphasised nurturing talent for international success and highlighted government investment in sports infrastructure.
Gulveer Singh has made history by becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men's 10,000m event, securing a silver on a rain-soaked track in Glasgow.
Anemone Kulczak, the chief arbiter at Norway Chess, believes reigning world champion D Gukesh remains the clear favourite to defend his crown later this year.
Raja Muthupandi completed a remarkable comeback from a career-threatening elbow injury to win Commonwealth Games 2026 silver, dedicating the medal to his parents and coach while vowing to return stronger.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik has emphasised the need for consistency and a clearly defined role for Kuldeep Yadav in the Test side, especially as Ravindra Jadeja approaches the end of his career. Kartik believes Kuldeep, despite being a match-winner, has not received the sustained backing needed to flourish in Test cricket under previous regimes.
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.
A High Performance national coach for rifle shooters, Manoj Kumar, is under inquiry by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for allegedly conducting private coaching at a government facility and discriminating against non-attendees. Complaints from shooters and guardians detail pressure to name him as their official coach and unequal distribution of ammunition. The National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) secretary general has refuted the charges.
World champion Noah Lyles experienced leg cramps during the 200 metres final at the US national championships, causing him to pull up, but he later downplayed the incident, attributing it to a cramp and high workload.
India's para shot putter Soman Rana won the gold gold medal in the men's F57 event para shot put event at the Commonwealth Games.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has issued a stern warning to the Indian team ahead of their crucial Test series against Sri Lanka.
Australia secured a thumping innings and 51-run victory over Bangladesh in Mackay, levelling the two-match series 1-1. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were instrumental, with Starc taking 10-51 in the match.
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.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tulika Maan has been provisionally suspended by NADA for three whereabouts failures, leading to her withdrawal from the ongoing Glasgow edition. She faces a potential two-year ban, making her the second Indian judoka pulled from the Games due to anti-doping violations.
Indian women boxers dominated the Asian Boxing Championships, securing four gold medals and topping the medal tally. Minakshi Hooda, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, and Arundhati Choudhary all won their respective finals. The team's success also secured Commonwealth and Asian Games spots for several boxers.
Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics in emphatic fashion by scoring in Portugal's crucial FIFA World Cup Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday, becoming the first player in history to score at six different editions of a FIFA World Cup.
Esha Singh won gold in the women's 25m pistol final at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, setting a new world record score of 43. This is India's first medal at the Munich World Cup.
Yuvraj Sandhu finished T-31 at the Estrella Damn Catalunya Championship after a final round of 3-under 69. Yurav Premlall of South Africa won the tournament with a record-breaking 14-stroke lead.
Tommy Fleetwood, the world number 3, is set to defend his title at the DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club in October. He won the inaugural edition last season and is looking forward to competing in the $4,000,000 event.
It happened in 2017, two years after Scaloni ended his playing career. De la Fuente, then in charge of Spain's youth teams, was among the figures who helped guide a recently retired player taking his first steps towards management.
Bangladesh secured a landmark nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin, marking their first-ever Test win in Australia and one of Test cricket's greatest upsets, despite a defiant century from Cameron Green.
India's sub-junior men's and women's hockey5s teams commenced their FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 campaign with impressive victories in Muscat, with the women's team beating Kazakhstan 8-3 and the men's team defeating Bangladesh 7-3. The tournament also serves as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.
Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes India's recent Test struggles stem from the departure of senior players, emphasising the need for a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers in the longer format.
Jude Bellingham scored twice as England fought back to defeat Norway 2-1 in the third World Cup quarter-final at Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir's standing in red-ball cricket faces a crucial test as the team embarks on a two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Hansika Lamba won a silver medal in the women's 55kg category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos & Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Her performance, along with two bronze medals from Vishal Kaliraman and Rajat Ruhal, increased India's total medal count to five, following earlier wins by Aman Sehrawat and Deepak.
FIFA's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for the World Cup highlights the intricate balance of power in global football, where the governing body's authority is often challenged by the significant commercial strength of UEFA, particularly in Europe.
Indian shooters are set to compete in the Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Granada, Spain, facing a strong international field in both 10m air rifle and air pistol events. The competition serves as a crucial assessment opportunity ahead of the Asian Games and the World Championships, where Olympic quotas will be awarded.
Asian Championship: Aishwary Tomar leads India's clean sweep in 50m rifle 3-positions
Vikramaditya Chaufla and Sidharth Nandal emerged as top performers at the All India Racketlon Open in Mumbai, securing multiple medals. Chaufla won two golds and a silver, while Nandal bagged two golds, showcasing their prowess in the multi-racket sport.
Vidarsa K Vinod, a 27-year-old rifle shooter from Kozhikode, has secured a spot in the Indian squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her path from an NCC introduction to elite competition was marked by financial struggles, training with borrowed equipment, and overcoming setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic. With crucial support from her family, husband, and the National Centre of Excellence, she now aims to become the World No. 1 in her sport.
Kidambi Srikanth ended his impressive run with a runner-up finish at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament after going down fighting in three games to Chinese Taipei's Su Li-yang.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticised the VAR decision that disallowed Jonathan Tah's goal, leading to Germany's early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. He also took a dig at Arsenal regarding their set-piece goals, suggesting many would be ruled out if Tah's goal was illegal.
