Neymar Junior returned to international football after a 981-day absence, playing 20 minutes as a substitute in Brazil's 3-0 World Cup victory over Scotland.
Newly-crowned junior squash World champion Anahat Singh has decided to defer her admission to Harvard University to fully dedicate herself to preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aiming for a medal in squash's Olympic debut.
Vanshika Chaudhary and Chirag Sharma secured gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo, boosting India's gold medal count to five. India leads the medal table with a total of 14 medals.
Indian badminton stars Tanvi Sharma and Kidambi Srikanth, along with other compatriots, secured comfortable victories in their opening matches at the US Open badminton tournament. The wins mark a strong start for the Indian contingent in both singles and mixed doubles categories.
Karnataka's Mohith HS, an accidental goalkeeper, is set to represent India at the FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The 24-year-old, who impressed in the FIH Pro League, will join Suraj Karkera as one of the team's custodians. Mohith's journey began by chance in school, evolving into a promising career that saw him play in the Junior World Cup and now the senior national team, driven by a dream to win for India.
Eleven-year-old Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir demonstrated exceptional talent by securing pole position in the Champions of the Future Academy Program Round 3 in Viterbo, Italy, out-qualifying two Mercedes F1 junior drivers.
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.
Indian rifle shooters Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon have won a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou. This medal brings India's total tally to four, including one gold, one silver, and two bronze. Both athletes expressed confidence and motivation from this achievement, with Himanshu marking his maiden senior World Cup podium.
India's junior shooters continued their impressive performance at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo, securing four more medals, including three silver and one bronze, bringing their medal tally to third place.
India's junior shooting team is set to compete at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo, with a strong contingent of 71 athletes participating in various events.
All India junior ranking medallists Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg will spearhead the Indian contingent at the Badminton Asia Junior (U-19) championships in Yatsushiro, Japan, from June 26 to July 5. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is confident of a strong performance and multiple medals from the squad, which includes direct selections and players chosen through trials.
Anas Khan and Ayesha Gupta have established significant leads in their respective categories at the NCR Cup Junior Golf Tournament. Khan leads the Boys' Category A by eight strokes, while Gupta holds a six-stroke advantage in the Girls' Category A. Other categories also saw strong performances, with Chaitanya Pandey, Mohd Rehan, Aaradhya Rawat, and Unnati Singh leading their divisions.
India's Prachi Gaikwad won gold in the women's 50m rifle 3-positions at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo. Naraen Pranav added a bronze in the men's 10m air rifle, boosting India's medal tally.
Indian badminton sensation Tanvi Sharma, 17, secured her first BWF World Tour title by defeating Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen at the Taipei Open Super 300. Coached by Park Tae-sang, she became the first Indian woman to win the singles title there since Saina Nehwal in 2008, showcasing her rising talent and potential.
Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu advanced to the second round of the China Open after a tough match against compatriot Unnati Hooda. In a significant upset, Ayush Shetty defeated world No. 11 Alwi Farhan in the men's singles. However, India's men's and mixed doubles pairs were eliminated from the BWF Super 1000 tournament.
Indian shooter Sainyam clinched a silver medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou, marking India's first medal at the competition.
India's junior women's hockey team is set to embark on a tour of the United Kingdom from July 5 to 14, playing seven matches against various international U-21 teams and Scotland's senior side. This tour, led by new coach Tim White, is crucial for the team's preparation for future competitions and aims to provide valuable international exposure.
Shiva Narwal secured gold in the men's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup, with Chirag Sharma winning bronze.
Ashish Yadav clinched a silver medal in the men's javelin throw, marking India's first medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. Pooja Singh also advanced to the women's high jump final, while other Indian athletes competed in various events, including the men's 400m and long jump, showcasing promising talent.
Arnav Paparkar has scripted history at Wimbledon as the 18-year-old became the first Indian player to reach the boys' singles quarter-finals in 36 years.
Basant Kumar Meghwal and Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indians to win a medal each in high jump and long jump at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
India continued its impressive performance at the ISSF Junior World Cup, with Prachi Gaikwad winning gold in the women's 50m rifle 3-positions, and Vanshika Chaudhary and Sejal Kamble securing gold and silver respectively in the women's 10m air pistol final. Naraen Pranav also added a bronze in the men's 10m air rifle.
Indian shooter Esha Singh won the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, outperforming Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker, who secured the bronze.
India's Veer Chotrani was defeated by Egypt's Mostafa Asal in the second round of the World Squash Championships, ending India's participation in the tournament.
Seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy and rising star Unnati Hooda will lead the Indian contingent at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament. Both players are looking for consistent performances, with Prannoy facing Japan's Minoru Koga and Unnati taking on a qualifier. Several other Indian players, including Tharun Mannepalli, M Manjunath, S Dayanand, Kiran George, Devika Sihag, Tasnim Mir, and others in doubles, are also set to compete.
World chess champion D Gukesh is ranked 19th behind the legendary Viswanathan Anand at 13th.
The Indian men's squash team secured a bronze medal at the World Squash Junior Team Championships in Ontario after losing 0-2 to the USA in the semifinals. This marks the first time the Indian men's team has achieved consecutive bronze medal finishes in the competition.
Rewari's Kamaljeet, a 22-year-old pistol shooter, is set to represent India at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after an injury ended his athletics dream and he transitioned to shooting in 2019, overcoming financial struggles with strong family and institutional support.
Legendary Indian goalkeeper Brahmananda Sankhwalkar reflects on the emotional FIFA World Cup exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Junior. He discusses their unfulfilled World Cup dreams, their rivalry with Lionel Messi, and the circumstances of their respective team's eliminations, highlighting their enduring legacy despite the absence of a World Cup trophy.
Subedar Hokato Sema lost his leg in a mine blast on the Line of Control. Today he is a champion para shot-putter and among the most decorated para soldier-athletes.
Indian junior women's hockey team head coach Tim White has lauded the growing talent pool in the country's age-group national pathway during his scouting visit to the ongoing India-Australia U-18 exposure series in Bhopal. White emphasised the importance of building a strong connection between the youth tiers and the senior national team, aiming to develop players ready for world-class performance.
Frederic Soyez, a decorated Frenchman, has been appointed as the chief coach of the Indian national junior men's hockey team, replacing PR Sreejesh. Soyez brings extensive experience, including coaching at multiple Olympic Games and World Cups.
Indian squash players Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar are set to defend their title at the 3rd Asian Doubles Squash Championships in Sarawak, Malaysia. Other Indian pairs, including Joshna Chinappa with Rathika Seelan and Joshna with Senthilkumar in mixed doubles, are also strong contenders.
P R Sreejesh's tenure as India's junior men's hockey coach ended after 17 months, sparking controversy over the reasons for his departure and the appointment of a foreign coach.
The Indian sub-junior boys' hockey team secured dominant victories against arch-rivals Pakistan (7-3) and hosts Oman (10-1) at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship. Meanwhile, the Indian sub-junior girls' team fought hard but lost 3-6 to China in their Elite Pool match. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.
Indian hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh stated that the new orange-coloured jersey for the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup is a 'team strategy' and a 'tactic' to avoid clashes with the blue Astroturf, a decision that has sparked controversy.
Indian badminton prodigy Tanvi Sharma has secured her spot in the women's singles final of the Taipei Open Super 300 after a dominant straight-game victory. The 17-year-old will now compete for the title, continuing her impressive rise in the international badminton circuit.
'India should hold several high-level chess tournaments that would attract the world's top players so that the country will have a say in the game.'
Abhay Singh and Nipam set new meet records at the National Junior U-20 Athletics Championships, with several athletes achieving Asian Junior qualification marks.
Brazil secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice and Vinicius Junior adding another goal. The win keeps Brazil in contention for the top spot in Group C, though their decision to ease off in the second half could impact goal difference in a tight race with Morocco.
