Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has lauded the state's athletes for their stellar performance at the Commonwealth Games, where India secured 16 medals on a single day, climbing to fourth in the overall standings.
Haryana's athletes, who secured an impressive 32 medals including 14 gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, received a warm welcome from Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam. The minister and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini lauded their performance, highlighting the state's significant contribution to India's overall medal tally and its strong sporting culture.
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.
Haryana is revamping its 2015 Sports Policy to focus on long-term talent development for future Olympians, moving beyond just prize money and jobs. Key initiatives include 'Mission Olympics-2036 Vijayee Bhavah' for young athletes and the 'Khelo Haryana App' for integrated athlete services. The state aims to strengthen athlete welfare, infrastructure, and institutional support.
Hockey Haryana secured the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship title by defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh 2-1 in a hard-fought Division 'A' final. Uttar Pradesh Hockey claimed the third spot by beating Hockey Punjab.
Congress MP Deepender Hooda has urged the central government to consider Haryana as the host or co-host for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, citing the state's significant contribution to India's medal tally in major competitions.
The Haryana Congress has strongly criticised the BJP government's two-year tenure in the state, alleging widespread misgovernance, unfulfilled election promises, a surge in crime, and rampant corruption. Senior Congress leaders, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja, highlighted issues faced by farmers, traders, and youth, demanding accountability and a white paper on the government's performance.
Haryana, Maharashtra, and Chandigarh secured victories in their respective Division 'A' pool matches at the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship in Jhansi on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu and Bengal played to a draw, while Kerala and Arunachal also registered wins in Division 'B'.
Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have advanced to the Division A semifinals of the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship after securing victories in their respective quarterfinal matches on Sunday.
Haryana is set to host a grand felicitation ceremony on August 7 for its athletes who excelled at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will present cash awards totalling Rs 13.47 crore to 10 medal winners and 13 participating athletes, reinforcing the state's commitment to sports development and recognising international achievements.
The Sports Ministry has established a 20-member National Sports Election Panel, including former Chief Election Commissioners, to oversee fair elections in national sports bodies as mandated by the National Sports Governance Act. Concurrently, the deadline for applications to the National Sports Tribunal, which will handle sports disputes, has been extended.
Haryana's Under-11 table tennis players showcased a strong performance at the second National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Panchkula, with Sreeja Aggarwal, Mahi Kumari, and Phalgun Gupta securing spots in the girls' semifinals. The tournament also saw competitive matches in the boys' U-11 category, with players from Maharashtra and West Bengal advancing.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will host the UBS Athletics Kids Cup in Sonipat, Haryana, bringing the grassroots event to his home state. As a co-owner of SD Sports India, he aims to inspire young athletes and build a stronger sporting culture, with over 350 children participating in the City Final.
Indian shooters Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet secured a gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games in Japan, earning congratulations from Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for their dominant performance.
Indian Paralympian Karamjyoti Dalal won a bronze medal in the women's discus F55 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, achieving a personal best throw of 21.60 metres. This marks a significant achievement for the athlete who transitioned to para sports after an accident in 2008.
Haryana defeated Jharkhand 2-1 to win the 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship. Madhya Pradesh secured third place by beating Chhattisgarh 3-1 in the bronze medal match. Haryana made a strong comeback after conceding an early goal, with Bhavya and Khushi scoring to secure their victory.
Arjuna Awardee and Indian kabaddi team member Ritu Negi was controversially dropped from Himachal Pradesh's cash award list for Asian Games gold medallists, reportedly due to her marriage in Haryana.
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh have secured their spots in the Division A semifinals of the Junior Women National Hockey Championship in Pune. Jharkhand won a thrilling shootout against Odisha, while Haryana and Chhattisgarh recorded decisive victories. Madhya Pradesh also advanced after defeating Manipur, setting up exciting semifinal clashes.
The Sports Ministry has suspended the Table Tennis Federation of India's recognition due to governance issues, including delayed elections, and has directed the Indian Olympic Association to form an ad-hoc committee to manage the sport.
Nirbhay Choudhary and Haqikat Grewal set new meet records in hammer throw at the Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition in Jaipur. Other records were also broken in men's 400m hurdles and 10,000m track race on the concluding day of the three-day event.
Former world No. 1 shuttler Saina Nehwal has stated that India's true measure as a 'sporting nation' will be its position in the global medals tally, not just hosting major tournaments. She highlighted the significant progress made by women in sports but emphasised the need for better financial backing, sponsorships, and comprehensive support systems including psychologists and proper coaching from an early age to nurture more champions.
The Sports Ministry has suspended the recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) due to significant governance deficiencies, including delayed elections and failure to ensure athlete welfare. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has been directed to form an ad-hoc committee to manage the sport until a proper governance structure is re-established.
Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, and Hockey Karnataka extended their winning streaks in the Women Junior National Championship. Karnataka delivered a dominant 9-0 victory over Goans Hockey, with Pearlin Ponnamma AG scoring four goals. Other teams like Hockey Bihar, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Madhya Pradesh also secured significant wins across various divisions and pools.
Teenage hammer thrower Anushka Yadav broke the meet record at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Saturday with a throw of 66.53m, surpassing the previous record held by Manju Bala. She dominated the event, with her closest competitor significantly behind.
Haryana showcased its wrestling prowess by sweeping all three overall team titles men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling at the U-23 National Wrestling Championships held in Rohtak. The host state secured top honours with significant points, while Services Sports Control Board and Maharashtra also performed strongly, with individual athletes from various states claiming gold medals across different weight categories.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced fresh elections for November 27, concluding a prolonged legal dispute over its governance. This decision follows an interim administrative arrangement and constitutional amendments in line with new sports governance legislation. Rajeev Sharma has been appointed Election Commissioner, and a task force will address AITA Trust issues.
Khushi Kadian secured a hat-trick of titles at the National Tennis Championship, winning U-14 and U-16 singles after her U-16 doubles victory. Ribhav Saroha claimed two titles, including the boys' U-16, while Puneeth Manohar achieved a double in the boys' U-14 category.
Maharashtra's Rushiprasad Desai set a new men's 100m meet record, while Priya from Haryana broke the women's discus throw record at the Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition 2026 in Jaipur. Dev Kumar Meena also bettered his own pole vault record, and Unnathi Bollanda equalled the women's 100m meet record on the opening day.
India's para track and field athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, securing six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of athletics competitions. Long jumper Nishad Kumar, javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, and visually impaired middle-distance runner Soumya each won gold in their respective events, contributing to India's strong start.
Discus thrower Bharatpreet Singh and pole vaulter Nitika Anup established new meet records at the 6th Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition in Jaipur. Bharatpreet won gold with a throw of 54.70m, while Nitika secured gold by clearing 4.15m. The event also saw other athletes achieve notable results across various disciplines.
Indian para-athlete Rinku Hooda won a gold medal in the men's javelin throw F46 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Despite being deeply affected by his mother's passing in August and battling a shoulder injury, Hooda dedicated his victory to her. He aims to secure a Paralympics medal next, having previously won medals at various international championships.
Vithya Ramraj won three medals at the Asian Games and broke P T Usha's 42-year-old record. Her twin Nithya, an international athlete herself, ruled out of the Games by an injury, looks back at their journey from a rented home to a podium finish.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will present cash awards totalling Rs 20.59 crore to 198 medal-winning athletes and international participants at a state-level function in Panchkula. The awards aim to recognise athletes who have excelled in international and national competitions, with funds directly transferred to beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh secured narrow 3-2 victories in their respective pool matches in Division A of the senior men's national hockey championship on Friday. Uttar Pradesh overcame a two-goal deficit against Hockey Karnataka, while Madhya Pradesh held off Maharashtra. Other matches saw Haryana defeat Manipur Hockey and Hockey Punjab beat Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.
Indian para shooters Manish Narwal and Shrishti Arora won silver and bronze respectively in the 10m air pistol SH1 events at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Narwal's silver also secured a quota place for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, making him the third Indian para shooter to do so. The contingent now has four medals.
Ariv Dutta of West Bengal and Saksya Santosh of Karnataka secured the Under-13 boys' and girls' titles, respectively, at the second National Ranking Table Tennis Championships held in Panchkula on Thursday. Rajvardhan Tiwari and Phalgun Gupta also won the U-11 boys' and girls' titles. The championships featured intense matches across various age categories, highlighting emerging talent in Indian table tennis.
Suchika Tariyal, a 36-year-old Indian athlete, has secured India's first medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by reaching the semifinals of the women's Traditional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) 60kg event. Her journey began at age 12, driven by a desire for self-defence, leading her through successful careers in judo and jiu-jitsu before transitioning to MMA. She aims to convert her assured bronze into a gold medal.
Sadhguru's Isha Gramotsavam, a rural sports festival, is expanding its 18th edition into North India, covering 10 states and one Union Territory. This year's event will engage over 80,000 players from 40,000 villages in men's volleyball and women's throwball, offering a prize pool exceeding Rs 1 crore, with the aim of social transformation through sport.
Indian para track and field athletes secured 14 medals, including five gold, at the Asian Para Games. Nishad Kumar became the third Indian to win two gold medals in a single edition, triumphing in high jump and long jump. Deepthi Jeevanji and Pranav Soorma also clinched gold, setting new Games and Asian records respectively, highlighting India's strong performance.
Haryana's Khushi Kadian, partnering with Tamil Nadu's Sanmitha Harini, secured the girls U-16 doubles title at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship. Kadian, 13, also advanced to the singles finals in both the U-16 and U-14 categories, setting herself up for a potential triple triumph. Chandigarh's Ribhav Saroha also reached the Boys U-16 singles final, aiming for a double.
