India's men's volleyball team achieved an unbeaten run to the AVC Men's Volleyball Cup semi-finals, propelling them to World No. 42. Head coach Dragan Mihailovic attributes this success to discipline and a structured system but stresses the need for consistent international exposure, longer national camps, and a robust development pathway to sustain and build upon this momentum, especially amidst administrative uncertainty in Indian volleyball.
Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in their World Cup last-32 encounter, which extended into extra time. An own goal in the 111th minute ultimately decided the match, sending the reigning champions into the last 16 where they will face Egypt.
Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, have shown remarkable resilience in the World Cup knockout stages, overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Egypt and needing extra time against Cape Verde to reach the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
The FIFA World Cup trophy's gold content has more than doubled in value since 2022, now estimated at USD 713,000, driven by a broader rally in gold prices due to geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. This makes it the most valuable sporting trophy by melt value, significantly surpassing other major awards like the Champions League and American sports trophies.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has significantly increased his lead in the Candidates chess tournament after defeating India's R Praggnanandhaa. In the women's section, R Vaishali leads after drawing with Anna Muzychuk.
Nicolas Pepe scored two goals to lead Ivory Coast to a 2-0 victory over Curacao, securing their first-ever qualification for the World Cup knockout phase. Curacao, the smallest nation to qualify, was eliminated. Ivory Coast will now face the second-place team from Group I (France or Norway) in Arlington, Texas.
Spain returned to winning form with a strong 3-0 victory over Austria, as Lamine Yamal's return from injury proved key in lifting Luis de la Fuente's side back to their best.
Kylian Mbappe scored two goals, leading France to a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup Round of 32. This win maintains France's perfect record and sets up a last-16 clash with Paraguay, with Mbappe continuing his impressive World Cup scoring streak.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Javokhir Sindarov in the second round of the Super Chess Classics. Other results from the round include victories for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Vincent Keymer, while Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So drew their respective matches.
Ousmane Dembele delivered a sensational first-half hat-trick for France against Norway in their final Group I match, overshadowing the anticipated clash between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
A strong contingent of Commonwealth Games-bound Indian boxers, led by Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, will participate in the invitational Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in Czechia. The tournament offers a crucial opportunity for the athletes to fine-tune their preparations and gain international exposure against strong opposition.
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.
Rudi Garcia's comments about Senegal's tactical structure, along with other pundit remarks, have reignited scrutiny over racially coded language in World Cup commentary, drawing criticism from scholars and anti-racism advocates who argue such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Black players and African teams.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner returns to Wimbledon with his aura of invincibility dented after a dominant stretch, leaving the world number one to prove he can impose his game on grass and keep the challengers led by Novak Djokovic at bay.
Khalin Joshi's consistent performance propels him to the lead at the Andhra Open golf tournament, while Dhruv Sheoran slips to second place after a challenging round.
Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will replace Koneru Humpy in the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after Humpy withdrew due to safety concerns related to the region's proximity to the West Asia conflict.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted India's growing global sporting stature, evidenced by the increasing number of international events the country is hosting. He announced that India is set to host 36 international events between January 2025 and June 2026, along with 9 events this year and 19 in 2027-2028. Mandaviya also spoke about government support for athletes, transparent selection processes for major events like the Commonwealth Games, and improved domestic athletic performances, citing 26 national records broken in Indian athletics recently.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that star forward Neymar is fully fit for the World Cup but acknowledged the player's frustration over limited game time. Ancelotti praised Neymar's character and confirmed he can play a full 90 minutes, indicating he will be deployed when the team needs him.
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.
The BWF World Championships are returning to India after 17 years, to be held in New Delhi from August 17-23. Tickets, priced from Rs 499 to Rs 5,500, are now on sale through BookMyShow, with various categories and early bird discounts available. Indian stars like Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu, alongside international badminton greats, are set to compete.
Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk and Czech teenager Linda Noskova powered into their first Wimbledon semifinals on Wednesday, with both players producing dominant straight-set victories in sweltering conditions at the All England Club.
Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia, and Aaron Rai made history at the US Open by all finishing inside the top-20, marking a significant achievement for golfers of Indian origin. Wyndham Clark secured his second US Open title.
Paraguay achieved a stunning upset by eliminating four-time World champions Germany from the World Cup in a penalty shootout. After a 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 match, Paraguay secured a 4-3 victory in the shootout, with Jose Canale scoring the decisive kick.
Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a crucial Group H match, with Alex Baena scoring the decisive goal. This victory secured Spain's top spot in the group and a place in the World Cup knockout stage, while Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, was eliminated from the tournament. Cape Verde also advanced from the group.
Norway's success at the World Cup has triggered euphoria at home, but the team's trademark "Viking row" celebration is beginning to test the patience of their Scandinavian neighbours, drawing shrugs from Sweden and envy from Denmark.
France can secure a more comfortable route through the World Cup when they face Norway in their final Group I match on Friday, though finishing top could leave them facing one of the toughest roads to the trophy.
Senegal kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive in dominant fashion on Friday with a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq, who were eliminated from the tournament.
Lionel Messi has become the most prolific scorer in World Cup history, netting two goals in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria. This achievement, which saw him surpass Brazilian great Marta's record of 17 goals, also secured Argentina's place in the knockout stage with a game to spare. Despite missing a penalty, Messi expressed satisfaction with the team's performance and the crucial win.
Japan's national football team, the Samurai Blue, faces Brazil in a crucial World Cup last-32 match. This encounter holds deep significance due to Brazil's profound influence on Japanese professional football, particularly through the J-League and the presence of numerous Brazilian players and coaches over the decades. Despite past successes against Brazil, including a recent friendly win, this World Cup clash represents a major test for Japan's ambitions.
Jasmine Paolini defeated Alexandra Eala in a three-set thriller at Wimbledon, ending Eala's impressive run to reach the quarterfinals. The match, witnessed by Roger Federer, saw Paolini's experience prevail after Eala had previously upset World No. 3 Iga Swiatek.
Four-time champions Germany suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup group stage match, marking a historic upset. This loss highlighted Germany's persistent defensive issues, as they have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine World Cup games. Despite an early lead, Germany succumbed to Ecuador's determined comeback, which secured Ecuador's progression to the round of 32.
India's new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer reflected on the team's disastrous series losses to Ireland and England, admitting they failed to adapt to English conditions. Despite the setbacks, Iyer views the experience as a crucial learning opportunity for himself as a leader and for the team, especially concerning future overseas tours and World Cup preparations. He highlighted the need for better adaptation, improved fielding, and strategic team combinations.
Thousands of Norwegian fans celebrated their team's first World Cup knockout-round win against Ivory Coast with a massive "Viking row" through Oslo. The jubilant celebrations, however, led to minor damage to city streets and metro trains, prompting transit authorities to take carriages out of service for repairs.
South Korea's World Cup group-stage exit has sparked a nationwide football crisis, with coach Hong Myung-bo resigning, President Lee Jae Myung ordering an investigation, and growing calls for sweeping reforms within the Korea Football Association.
Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's quest for a BWF title continues after she was defeated by top seed Akane Yamaguchi in the semifinals of the Australian Badminton Open. The Indian shuttler lost in straight games, marking her second semifinal exit this season and ending India's campaign in the tournament.
Morocco confirmed their progress to the World Cup last 32 but twice had to come from behind to get the better of plucky Haiti with a 4-2 win in an action-packed game on Wednesday and fell short of topping Brazil in the Group C standings.
Mostafa "Zico" Mohamed, initially planning a summer vacation, received an unexpected call-up to the Egyptian national team for the World Cup. He has since become a standout performer, scoring and assisting in Egypt's historic 3-1 victory over New Zealand, their first-ever World Cup win, and is now crucial to their knockout stage aspirations.
Belgium secured top spot in Group G and a place in the World Cup round of 32 after a dominant 5-1 victory over New Zealand.
Senegal's goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has been ruled out of Friday's World Cup match against Iraq due to a knee injury sustained during a recent loss to Norway. Medical examinations are ongoing to assess the full extent of the ligament issue. Both Senegal and Iraq are entering the Group I game with two losses each.
