Page 2 - Sports News

Donald Trump says Iran team welcome at World Cup but warns of safety risks

His statement came in response to comments from Iranian officials suggesting that the national side 'cannot' participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to escalating conflict in West Asia

Badminton at its toughest, and Lakshya at his bravest: Vimal Kumar

Lakshya Sen's gruelling semifinal win over Canada's Victor Lai in the All England Open Championships on Saturday was a demonstration of badminton at its toughest and the Indian ace at his bravest, said former mentor and national coach Vimal Kumar. Battling painful blisters on his foot and severe cramps, a gritty Sen overcame Lai to storm into the final of the All England Open in Birmingham, moving within one win of ending India's 25-year wait for the prestigious title. It turned out to be one of the finest matches of his career as Lakshya fought for one hour and 37 minutes before sealing a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 win over the 21-year-old Lai, who had claimed a surprise bronze at last year's World Championships in Paris. "Lakshya, you have made us all incredibly proud. For me, the determination and resilience you showed today were truly unmatched. It was a physically draining contest of the highest intensity, yet you fought every point with remarkable courage," Kumar told PTI after Sen's

Braveheart Lakshya downs Lai in epic battle to enter All England Open final

Battling painful blisters on his foot and severe cramps, a gritty Lakshya Sen overcame Canada's Victor Lai to storm into the final of the All England Open here on Saturday, moving within one win of ending India's 25-year wait for the prestigious title. It turned out to be one of the finest matches of his career as Lakshya fought for one hour and 37 minutes before sealing a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 win over the 21-year-old Lai, who had claimed a surprise bronze at last year's World Championships in Paris. It will be Lakshya's second appearance in the All England final after finishing runner up at the 2022 edition. The 24-year old from Almora will now chase history when he takes on world No. 11 Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei in the summit clash on Sunday. Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) are the only Indians to have won the All England title. Apart from them, only Prakash Nath (1947) and Saina Nehwal (2015 runner up) came close with runner up finishes. Lakshya display

Lakshya beats Canada's Victor Lai to enter All England Open final

Ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stormed into the All England Open Badminton Championships men's singles final with a hard-fought win over Victor Lai of Canada in the semifinals here on Saturday. The 12th ranked Sen beat world number 16 Lai 21-16 18-21 21-15 in the match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes. Lai had won a bronze medal in the world championships in Paris last year. This will be Sen's second final appearance in the prestigious tournament, having finished runner-up in 2022. Sen, who continued his dream run in the BWF Super 1000 tournament, will face Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi in the final on Sunday. Chun-Yi beat world number two Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the other semifinal on Saturday. Sen had beaten China's world No. 6 Li Shi Feng in straight games in the quarterfinals on Friday. He had stunned world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China in the first round.

FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets oversubscribed 30 times amid West Asia unrest

With 100 days to go before kick-off, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is already rewriting records - not on the pitch, but at the ticket counter.

F1 & India: Red Bull's Moto Jam, Lindblad and revival of unfinished chapter

Arvid Lindblad's Delhi showrun, Adani's reported interest in Buddh and a sports minister visit sharpen the debate over F1's return, with Kush Maini embedded inside Alpine's F1 structure

Punjab CM announces sports budget hike to tackle drug menace in the state

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday described sports as the "most lethal weapon" against the drug menace and announced that the state government will increase the spots budget in the forthcoming fiscal year. Addressing a gathering at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics, Mann said the state is prompting sports to channelise the energy of the youth in a positive direction. He noted that stadiums are being constructed in every village across Punjab, adding that it is a matter of pride that local sportspersons are winning medals at national and international events. The chief minister highlighted the resumption of bullock cart races, a major attraction of the fair, after 13 years. He attributed the revival to legislative changes made by his government. "The 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025, was unanimously passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on July 11, 2025, paving the way for the resumption of these races," Mann said. He added that following the ...

Smriti Mandhana honoured as BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025

Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a pivotal role in India's historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 at a glittering function here on Monday. Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh won the Emerging Player of the Year award, for her historic FIDE Women's World Cup triumph at just 20. Preethi Pal was named the Para-Sportswoman of the Year, for winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field, while Anjali Bhagwat was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her pioneering career as India's first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final and her trailblazing success on the world stage. Mandhana, who is currently touring Australia with the Indian team for multi-format bilateral assignments, said in a video message: "Thank you BBC for giving me the awardfor Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I cou

PT Usha's husband V Srinivasan dies at 67, PM Modi condoles demise

V Srinivasan, husband of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President and Rajya Sabha MP P T Usha, died in the early hours of Friday, according to family sources. He was 67. Srinivasan collapsed at his residence early this morning. Although he was rushed immediately to a nearby hospital, he could not be revived, the sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to a bereaved Usha and expressed his condolences on the passing away of her husband, officials said. A former central government employee, Srinivasan was a constant presence by Usha's side throughout her illustrious sporting and political career. He was widely regarded as her pillar of support and the driving force behind her many professional milestones. The couple have a son, Ujjwal.

Neeraj off to Potchefstroom as Ministry MOC greenlights pre-season camp

Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra has begun his pre-season training in his preferred South African base of Potchefstroom after the Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) approved a 32-day camp for him under new coach Jai Chaudhary. Chopra parted ways with Czech legend Jan Zelezny as his coach last week, deciding to partner with Chaudhary, who was his formative coach and trains javelin throwers in Panipat, which is the superstar's home town. The 28-year-old will stay in Potchefstroom, a major training base for javelin throwers from across the world, till February 5 and the total sanctioned assistance for him stands at Rs 11.80 lakh, a source in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) told PTI. Mission Olympic Cell, which decides on the financial and logistical assistance to elite athletes in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), met here on Wednesday. Chopra's support team at the training camp also includes his long-time physiotherapist Isha

Neeraj Chopra parts ways with Jan Zelezny ahead of Asian Games 2026

Chopra acknowledged that working alongside Zelezny, widely regarded as the greatest javelin thrower of all time, proved to be a deeply enriching experience

Are we ready to host 2036 Olympics? Sports secretary cracks whip on NSFs

Cracking the whip on federations, he cautioned officials against treating international competitions as family outings and stressed that administrators must be available for athletes at all times.

Jemimah Rodrigues joins Tvarra as investor partner to empower women riders

Tvarra was established by Alpana Parida to solve a long-standing problem in India's two-wheeler safety space.

ISL to start Feb 14 with all clubs participating, says Sports Minister

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday announced that the Indian Super League (ISL), which was on pause due to the lack of a commercial partner, will start on February 14, ending a crisis that paralysed Indian football for close to six months. The ISL, which used to start in September, will feature all 14 clubs, including Mohun Bagan and East bengal, which were opposed to the financial model suggested by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The second division I-League, which was also on pause for the same reason, will be held "around the same time" with all 11 clubs in participation. "There was lot of speculation regarding ISL but today government, the football federation and all 14 clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal included, had a meeting and we have decided that the ISL will start on February 14. All clubs will participate," Mandaviya announced in a brief statement flanked by CEOs of ISL clubs. Also joining him at the long-awaited resolution table was under-fire All

NADA crackdown: Full list of Indian athletes who failed latest dope test

All the athletes named in the list have been handed a provisional suspension from active competition, except Dhanalakshmi, who has been served with a ban

IPL unlikely to see any major impact due to Bangladesh broadcast ban

Experts say there will be no revenue loss due to the ban, and it will not have any impact on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) revenue from the IPL

Panghal, Sagar open campaigns with wins at National Boxing Championships

The tournament is being held with the men's and women's National Championships running simultaneously at the same venue for the first time. But the start was delayed by over four hours and 30 minutes

Here's why start of National Boxing Championships delayed in Greater Noida

Start of Senior National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida was delayed by over four hours and 30 minutes due to absence of properly constructed rings at the venue

T20 World Cup to CWG: Full list of Indian sporting events in 2026

Here's a glimpse into the action-packed calendar that will keep sports enthusiasts on the edge of their seats from January to December.

Sports@2025: Of crowns, cracks and goodbyes that shaped the sporting year

Landmark wins, uneasy moments and defining exits shaped the sporting year