Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu are among 12 prominent sportspersons vying for a spot on the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes Commission. The elections, scheduled for November 3, will select 10 members for the 2026-2030 term. The article also details the electoral process, eligibility criteria, and mentions the upcoming election for eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs).
A comprehensive schedule outlines the participation of Indian athletes across various disciplines at the Asian Games on September 23, including key events in badminton, boxing, shooting, hockey, and weightlifting, with several athletes vying for qualification and medal rounds.
While India will play host to the men's tournament, Spain and the Netherlands have been named as the co-host of the 2022 Women's World Cup scheduled to be held from July 1 to 22.
India-Pakistan clashes in cricket and hockey drew big audiences at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, helping fuel stronger viewership and a 20% revenue rise.
Indian women's hockey team goalkeeper Bichu Devi Karibam and Pakistan striker Abdul Rehman have been honoured with the Poligras Magic Skill Awards for their outstanding performances at the recent FIH World Cup. The awards, decided by fan votes, recognised Devi's crucial save and Rehman's exceptional 3D skills.
India achieved its most successful day at the Asian Games, securing 10 gold medals, 21 silver, and 29 bronze, bringing the total to 60 and improving its ranking to seventh. Compound archers swept all team golds, including an Olympic quota, while trap shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai also won mixed gold. Boxing and wrestling added bronze medals, and the women's hockey team reached the final, assuring at least a silver.
India experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the Asian Games, highlighted by Mirabai Chanu's historic silver medal in weightlifting, ending a long wait for an Asiad medal. The nation also secured several bronze medals in skeet shooting, men's badminton, and soft tennis. While Chanu shone, the shooting contingent faced challenges, and other sports like wushu, table tennis, squash, women's hockey, and kabaddi saw Indian athletes advance or dominate their events.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has publicly criticised Hockey India for allegedly favouring foreign coaches over Indian talent, despite his successful tenure with the junior men's team. Hockey India has rejected the claims.
India experienced a day of mixed results at the Asian Games, securing a gold medal in shooting through Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, and a silver in men's 10,000m with Gulveer Singh. However, a major setback occurred with the unexpected early exit of top badminton men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The nation also added several bronze medals in pole vault, shot put, table tennis, and assured more in squash, pushing its total medal count to 23.
Delhi, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram, and Bihar recorded victories on the fourth day of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship. Assam and Le Puducherry played to a draw.
India experienced a day of mixed results at the Asian Games, securing a shooting gold medal through Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, and a silver in 10,000m for Gulveer Singh. However, the unexpected early exit of top badminton men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty came as a significant setback, while other sports like Kabaddi, Squash, and Table Tennis saw Indian athletes advance or win medals.
India added significantly to its Asian Games medal tally with strong performances across athletics, squash, and boxing. Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare secured silver medals in long jump and high jump respectively, while Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra earned bronzes. Despite high hopes, Indian squash players missed out on Olympic berths, settling for silvers. Boxing saw three athletes advance to semifinals, assuring more medals, though individual badminton campaigns concluded without a medal.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
India continued to add to its medal tally at the Asian Games, primarily through shooting, but a gold medal remained elusive. Suchika Tariyal secured India's first-ever MMA medal, a bronze, despite a heartbreaking weigh-in technicality. Other sports like badminton, hockey, and table tennis saw strong performances, while swimming faced disappointment.
Legendary Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh expressed strong frustration over India's poor performance at the FIH World Cup, criticising the team's 'underwhelming showing' and demanding accountability. He questioned the 'learning experience' narrative and highlighted issues in both men's and women's team management, urging a focus on winning rather than just playing good hockey.
Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has publicly criticised Hockey India's decision to remove him as junior men's team coach after a successful 17-month tenure, questioning the organisation's preference for foreign coaches.
India's large contingent of 501 athletes is set to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, aiming to showcase the nation's growing sporting depth and its ambition to become a global top-10 sporting power by 2036. Despite initial accommodation challenges, the focus is on building on the momentum from the record 2022 Hangzhou Games, with strong medal hopes in shooting, athletics, cricket, badminton, and hockey.
P. R. Sreejesh has voiced his frustration after his contract as head coach of the India U-21 hockey team was not renewed, alleging Hockey India prefers foreign coaches despite his successful tenure.
If India's medal tally ultimately falls significantly short of Hangzhou, the conversation should not stop with the athletes or coaches. It should extend to a much more uncomfortable institutional question: After years of increased investment, programmes, infrastructure and policy attention, where exactly is the system failing to convert that investment into medals, champions and depth across sports? asks Jaydeep Ray.
Germany beat Spain 1-0 on Saturday to win their third Olympic men's hockey gold while Australia settled for bronze.
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh states that the Indian hockey team has overcome its past late-game vulnerabilities against Pakistan, attributing this to significant improvements in fitness, game awareness, and decision-making. He notes that matches against Pakistan are no longer as challenging as they once were, though he stresses the need for defensive discipline against stronger European teams in the upcoming World Cup.
At 41, Roelof van der Merwe aims to conclude his international cricket career at the upcoming ODI World Cup, ideally in Centurion, South Africa, representing the Netherlands. He discusses his dedication to national duty over franchise cricket, his fitness goals for future World Cups, and his continued impact as a left-arm spinner and fielder. He also highlights the potential of the European T20 Premier League to unearth new talent.
Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has publicly criticised Hockey India for allegedly favouring foreign coaches over Indian coaches, despite his successful tenure with the junior men's team. Hockey India has rejected Sreejesh's claims.
The Indian men's hockey team, currently in the Dutch leg of the FIH Pro League, aims to conclude their campaign on a high note against hosts Netherlands. This tournament serves as crucial preparation for the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games, with coach Craig Fulton focusing on testing resources and addressing issues like conceding late goals. The team also looks forward to significant matches against England and arch-rivals Pakistan in London.
Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has criticised Hockey India's decision to replace him as U-21 coach with a foreign appointment, despite his successful tenure.
Japan staged a spectacular regulation time comeback to draw 6-6 before edging out Malaysia 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out and claim the men's hockey gold at the Asian Games on Saturday. Trailing 4-1 in the second period and then 5-2 in the fourth, Japan pumped in three goals through Kentaro Fukuda, Kenta Tanaka and Koji Yamasaki in a seven-minute blitz to level the pulsating contest.
In Thursday's semi-finals, world number one Australia clash with fourth-ranked Spain, while third-placed Netherlands take on number two Germany.
Karnataka continues to lead the Khelo India Tribal Games with impressive performances in race walking and middle-distance running, while Chhattisgarh secures a spot in the football final.
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will compete for the title in the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship Division 'A' after winning their respective semi-final matches.
India women's hockey players urge the Sports Ministry and corporates to save the Women's HIL, saying the league is vital for developing future talent.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said P R Sreejesh had been offered the role of coach for the development team but he had refused to take up the role.
Former India hockey star Pritam Siwach will watch son Yashdeep make his World Cup debut in the Netherlands, 28 years after her own World Cup appearance.
The Indian men's hockey team lost to Australia in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in their FIH Pro League match. Despite an improved performance, India couldn't secure the win, with Australia emerging victorious 5-4 in the shootout.
Jugraj Singh scored four goals as the Indian men's hockey team thrashed Canada 14-3 in a high-scoring encounter to top the pool standings and advance to the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had things their way as India ruled the tennis courts at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
India's Under-18 boys and girls hockey teams, mentored by Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal, are set to compete in the Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan, after intensive training and exposure matches.
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.
World champions Australia outplayed Pakistan 7-0 to ease into the semi-finals of the Olympic Games men's hockey competition, while The Netherlands also stormed into the last four stage with an all-win record after spiking South Korea 4-2.
The Belgians finished first in pool A and hence will be teamed against India.
