Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games, emphasising India's commitment to placing sport at the core of nation-building through significant investment in infrastructure and grassroots development. He highlighted India's indigenous sports like Mallakhamb, Yogasana, and Kalaripayattu, and discussed the country's ambition to host major international events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
The Indian women's hockey team has departed for the Asian Games in Japan, aiming to win the gold medal and secure a direct qualification spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Soft tennis player Jay Meena, marathon runner Sawan Barwal, and air pistol shooter Kamaljeet share their personal journeys and challenges leading up to their medal wins at the Asian Games. Meena recounts how school rustication led him to soft tennis and his struggle with quarterfinal defeats. Barwal discusses the mental pressure of switching to marathon running, while Kamaljeet reflects on injury setbacks and the pressure of securing India's first shooting gold at the Games.
India's spin-bowling all-rounder Naman Dhir discusses how his experience as a batter enhances his ability to read opponents while bowling. He elaborates on his strategy for dismissing Kamil Pooran in the recent T20I match against West Indies and outlines his role as a batting all-rounder in the Indian team, emphasising his reliance on line, length, and pace variations.
Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC are set to reignite their southern rivalry in an Indian Super League match on Saturday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Bengaluru enters the game after a thrilling win, while Chennaiyin secured a draw. Both teams face key player absences and coaches have outlined their strategies for the crucial derby.
Asian Games bronze medallist Salman Khan received a grand welcome in his ancestral village of Pure Singai Kherouna, Amethi. He credited his achievement to his parents, coach, and community support, urging local youth to embrace sports, discipline, and hard work for success.
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.
Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh felicitated three state hockey players who won gold at the 20th Asian Games 2026 in Japan. The players, including Sanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma, Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu, and Kharibam Bichu Devi, discussed employment opportunities and the state's sports policy with the CM.
India women's hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne discusses the team's preparations for the upcoming Asian Games, focusing on improved defence and sharpening goal-scoring skills. Skipper Salima Tete and senior player Savita Punia also share insights on the team's changed mindset and strategies, highlighting lessons learned from the recent Hockey World Cup.
'... but runs with the rigour and discipline of a large enterprise.'
India overcame early setbacks in shooting and athletics to achieve a strong fourth-place finish at the Asian Games, matching its previous edition's ranking. A late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, alongside historic wins in golf and cricket, contributed significantly to the medal tally, despite a lower overall medal count compared to the 2022 edition.
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.
Mohammed Shami claimed a four-wicket haul and Ravindra Jadeja scored an unbeaten half-century, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were dismissed cheaply for a duck and four runs respectively on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season.
Captain Aryan Juyal's unbeaten 60 helped Uttar Pradesh recover against Goa, while Rajat Patidar's 107* put Madhya Pradesh in control against Puducherry, and Ravikumar Samarth's 133 kept Vidarbha in contention against Jammu & Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy.
'Work hard and have patience, because after long, hard work you achieve your target. Always stay disciplined, work hard and be passionate about your sport.'
The Indian cricket team faces a dilemma regarding shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts in the Asian Games final, a practice they have avoided in recent Asia Cup and ICC events since 'Operation Sindoor' last year.
The Sports Ministry has removed para-shooting coach Jai Prakash Nautiyal from India's Para Asian Games contingent following allegations of kickbacks and protests from athletes. The contingent of 166 athletes and 109 support staff is set to compete in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, starting October 18, with several prominent Paralympians included despite selection controversies.
The Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence in Bhopal has mandated two judo coaches, Ruchi Audichya and Gitanjali Pawar, to attend counselling sessions with a sports psychologist due to concerns regarding their professional conduct, attitude, and impact on athlete discipline and performance.
The Sports Ministry has rescheduled its review meeting with National Sports Federations to October 15 to discuss India's performance at the recently concluded Asian Games. The focus will be on the underwhelming show of experienced athletes in sports like badminton, shooting, and athletics, following a lower medal count compared to the previous edition.
Three young cricketers from Beed, Saurabh Navale, Sachin Dhas, and Rishikesh Sonawane, have been selected for the Maharashtra Ranji Trophy squad, marking a historic first for the district. Their selection highlights their hard work and talent despite limited local facilities, inspiring future generations. Prithvi Shaw will captain the Maharashtra team.
India's Asian Para Games campaign saw a remarkable performance, particularly in athletics, securing five gold medals on Tuesday. Nishad Kumar and Deepthi Jeevanji were standout performers, both setting new Games records and clinching multiple golds. The nation's overall medal tally reached 35 by the end of day two, with significant contributions from shooting, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, archery, and badminton, promising further success.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir acknowledged Roston Chase's disciplined bowling spell as a 'game-changing' factor in the second T20I, but stressed the need for India to improve their ability to defend large totals after West Indies successfully chased down 250.
India's women's recurve archery team, comprising Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Anil Mohod, and Kirti Sharma, secured a historic gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating South Korea 5-3 in the final. This marks India's first-ever gold in this event, a significant achievement against a traditionally dominant opponent.
Kapil Dev, president of the Professional Golf Tour of India, praised Pranavi Urs for her historic individual gold and the women's team for their silver medal at the Asian Games, highlighting the growing strength of women's golf in India.
Former world number one Justin Rose believes more golfers are considering leaving LIV Golf to play on the DP World Tour, aiming for eligibility in next year's Ryder Cup. He also shared his evolving career goals, prioritising creating lasting memories over solely winning Major championships, and expressed his excitement about returning to India for the DP World India Championship after 22 years. Rose highlighted India's growing importance in global golf.
The second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) is set to begin in Hyderabad on Thursday, featuring Olympic medallists and recent Asian Games stars. The six-team franchise competition will host leading recurve and compound archers from India and abroad, running from October 8 to 18 with a unique faster shooting format.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated archers Chikitha Taniparthi, Vennam Jyothi Surekha, and Prithika Pradeep for winning a gold medal in the women's compound archery team event at the Asian Games 2026. He also extended wishes to all Indian athletes and highlighted the inspiring nature of their achievements, which also included a mixed team gold and an Olympic quota for the 2028 Olympics.
President Droupadi Murmu extended her congratulations to Indian athletes, including Mirabai Chanu, for their impressive medal-winning performances on Day 4 of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She highlighted significant achievements such as Chanu's silver in weightlifting, ending a 28-year drought, and historic bronze medals in shooting and soft tennis.
The Indian women's national football team, featuring several debutants, suffered a 0-4 defeat to a higher-ranked Russian side in the first of two international friendlies in Kolkata. Despite a strong defensive performance in the first half, Russia broke the deadlock before halftime and extended their lead in the second half, with substitute Kira Petukhova scoring twice. The match provided valuable experience for India's emerging players.
Workday, a global HR tech major, has unveiled its new AI platform, Sana, designed to automate human resources and finance functions. Chairman and CEO Aneel Bhusri stated that AI is likely to replace low-cost, outsourced jobs due to increased productivity, rather than leading to jobs moving out of first-world countries. The platform uses AI agents for tasks like payroll and compliance, and Workday has acquired C1.ai to manage access rights for these agents. Bhusri emphasised that AI should augment humans, redefining roles rather than replacing them entirely.
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker failed to qualify for the 25m air-pistol final at the Asian Games, finishing 11th.
Teenager Seeram Rahul's unbeaten century and Revanth Reddy's 97 helped Andhra secure a crucial 57-run first-innings lead over last season's runner-up Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy Group B match.
American coach Dave Cousins, who led India's compound archers to a historic Olympic quota at the Asian Games, faced a significant delay in receiving his salary for over three months. The Archery Association of India and Sports Authority of India have acknowledged the issue, attributing it to a technical problem, and assured that the payment will be cleared within days, resolving the coach's threat to quit.
Kumkum Mohod, 17, made history by becoming the first Indian to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, also securing an Olympic quota for LA 2028. Her victory over South Korea's Oh Yejin in a tense shoot-off has boosted India's confidence to challenge the long-standing Korean dominance in recurve archery. Mohod attributes her success to mental preparation, visualisation, and family sacrifices, and is now focused on securing her individual spot for the 2028 Olympics.
Indian cyclists experienced early eliminations in the men's omnium, women's sprint, and women's madison events at the Asian Games. Harshveer Singh Sekhon finished 10th in the men's omnium points race, while Keerthi Rangaswamy Chikka and Celestina failed to advance past the 1/16-final repechages in the women's sprint. The women's Madison team also did not finish their event.
India's top compound archer, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, discusses her recent performance at the Asian Games, including a women's team gold and an early individual exit. She expresses her determination to compete in the 2028 Olympics, where the compound mixed team event will debut, and shares her strategies for maintaining focus.
Bengal secured a dominant nine-wicket victory over Delhi in their Ranji Trophy Group C opener after bowling out the visitors for 277 in their second innings. Delhi captain Ayush Badoni top-scored with 85, but Bengal chased down the target of 89 comfortably. In another Group C match, Gujarat defeated Odisha by 10 wickets, powered by Siddharth Desai's five-wicket haul, while Jharkhand and Kerala played out a draw.
Indian archers returned from the Asian Games with a historic haul of 5 gold medals, 2 Olympic quotas, and other medals, celebrating their success and triumphs over global powerhouse South Korea. Coaches and athletes expressed elation, crediting rigorous training, teamwork, and a supportive ecosystem for their unprecedented performance.
Indian Army athletes achieved their best-ever medal haul at the recently concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, securing 20 medals, including six gold, eight silver, and six bronze. This significant contribution accounted for nearly one-fourth of India's total 85 medals. Standout performers included Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda in trap shooting and Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh in distance running, who also set a national record. The Army's increased representation and performance, particularly from women athletes, highlight the robust sporting ecosystem within the Indian Army.
Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the 18-member Indian men's hockey team for the AHF Junior Asia Cup in China from August 30 to September 13. The squad, training in Bengaluru under coach Frederic Soyez, recently completed an exposure tour of Belgium and is playing friendly matches against Malaysia U-21 as part of their preparations.
