Page 2 - Sports

India aims to be among top 5 sporting nations by 2047: Mansukh Mandaviya

Mandaviya invoked various reforms, including the Target Podium Olympic Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India and initiatives like the Fit India movement, to cite the progress the nation has made

Arjun-Elavenil bag 10m air rifle mixed gold; Shambhav win junior event

Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan led the charge as India excelled in both senior and junior level to claim gold medals in the 10m air rifle mixed team events at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship here on Saturday. The senior Indian pair outclassed China's Dingke Lu and Xinlu Peng 17-11 to finish on top of the podium. The pair of Shambhavi Shravan and Naraen Pranav grabbed the gold medal in 10m air rifle mixed team junior event. They beat China 16-12 after a dominant show in the latter part of the series. After these two gold medals, India's medal tally reads an impressive 22. Elavenil (316.3) and Babuta (317.7) shot 634.0 in qualification to top the 27-team field in the Olympic event, while India's second pair of Mehuli Ghosh (317.7) and Rudrankksh Patil (314.9) also shot well for a tally of 632.6, giving them second position on the leaderboard. However, given the rules of the tournament, Mehuli and Rudrankksh had to miss out on a shot at a medal as Ela and Arjun setup a gold

National flag quiz: MYAS to take 25 winners to Siachen with Mandaviya

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has launched an online quiz on the national flag and 25 top-scoring participants in the age bracket of 21 to 29 will get an opportunity to visit Siachen with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The quiz, according to the ministry, will "foster patriotism and enhance awareness about the Indian National Flag." "This online quiz, hosted on the MYBharat portal (mybharat.gov.in), invites all citizen to participate and test their knowledge about the Tricolour," the ministry stated. It will consist of multiple-choice questions and all contestants will be awarded an e-certificate. "As a grand incentive, 25 top-scoring participants will be selected for a remarkable opportunity to visit Siachen in the company of the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya," the ministry said. "The selection of winners for the Siachen visit will be limited to youth between the ages of 21 and 29. The final selection of the 25 winners wi

World Games 2025: India contingent, full schedule; all you need to know

India will start their campaign in the World Games 2025 with compound archery on Thursday, August 7

Running for top spot, Japan's ASICS eyes Nike and Adidas' turf in India

It has carved out a product and pricing strategy for every city based on its market potential

Chhattisgarh govt plans to establish cricket academy in Nava Raipur

According to an official statement, direct land allotment to non-profit organisations is generally not permitted; however, the government has decided to relax the norms in this case

Mansukh Mandaviya to move National Sports Governance Bill in Lok Sabha

The proceedings in the Lok Sabha will begin with the Question Hour, followed by the List of Papers to be tabled by Union Ministers

Decathlon India eyes $1 bn sales in 5 years with double-digit growth

French sports goods retailer Decathlon plans to reach nearly a billion-dollar sales in the Indian sports market over the next five years, helped by the expansion of its retail channels and product portfolio and growing sports culture in the country, its India Chief Executive Officer Sankar Chatterjee has said. Decthlon, which currently operates 132 stores in 55 cities across India, plans to expand its retail footprint to over 90 cities by 2030 and plans to register a revenue of around Rs 8,000 crore by then. "We are looking towards a double-digit growth in terms of our revenue year by year. After having a double-digit growth for the next five years, we believe that we will be able to get a significant market share in the sports market in India," Chatterjee said. In FY24, Decathlon Sports India Pvt Ltd reported its revenue from operations at Rs 4,008.26 crore and returned to profitability. When asked whether Decathlon Sports India aspires to be billion billion-dollar company in the

India's men and women team qualifies for 2026 World TT Championships

The Indian men's and women's table tennis teams have booked their places for the prestigious World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) in London after a stellar show at the 2025 South Asia Regional Championships held in Kathmandu. Only 16 coveted Asian quota spots were available per gender. Four regional champions from Central Asia, South Asia, South-East Asia, and West Asia secured direct qualification for the WTTC -- one of the most prestigious events in the international calendar. Both the Indian teams emerged undefeated in the five-nation round-robin format, reaffirming their supremacy in the South Asian region. The men's team comprising Akash Pal, Ronit Bhanja, Anirban Ghosh, P B Abhinand and Divyansh Srivastava defeated Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Maldives with identical 3-0 wins. The women's team, led by Krittwika Sinha, Selenadeepthi Selvakumar, Taneesha Kotecha, Sayali Wani, and Syndrela Das produced an equally commanding show to register comprehensive 3-0 victories o

India's doping crisis is threatening its dream of hosting 2036 Olympics

Country's athletes have had one of the worst records in testing positive for banned substances

UP leads in sports push, over 500 athletes get jobs: CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the state has emerged as a national leader in offering government jobs to medal-winning athletes. He was addressing the concluding ceremony of the two-day state-level wrestling championship organised at the Gorakhnath Temple on the occasion of Nag Panchami. Adityanath said that over the past eight years, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed significant development in sports infrastructure at the grassroots level, including the construction of playgrounds in villages, mini-stadiums at the block level, and full-fledged stadiums in districts. "Simultaneously, the state has introduced attractive cash rewards and employment opportunities for athletes excelling at the national and international levels," he said. Highlighting the state's achievements, Adityanath said: "Over 500 medal-winning athletes who have brought laurels to India and Uttar Pradesh in events such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championship

Winning ways: Delhi must study global best sports management practices

Though encouraging, this news-making spending from one of India's richest among the states and Union Territories may also be viewed as an attempt at constructive competitive federalism

Pakistan hockey faces cash crunch, uncertain about Pro League participation

The Pakistan hockey team's participation in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League lies in jeopardy because of financial crunch, derailing the three-time Olympic champions' much-anticipated comeback at the international stage. The Pakistan men's hockey team, which has won the World Cup four times, has been invited to compete in the FIH Pro League 2025-26 after New Zealand, who had earned direct qualification by winning the 2024-25 Nations Cup, decided not to participate in the upcoming season. The International Hockey Federation (FIH), the game's governing body, formally extended the invitation to Pakistan on Wednesday and had given them a deadline till August 12 to inform their confirmation. Pakistan, which has failed to qualify for the last three Olympics and also World Cup, has been given an opportunity by the FIH to compete against top tier teams Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, India, Netherlands and Spain in the competition that will be held from December, 2025 till June,

IOA panel to urge ministry for criminal law on doping substance peddlers

The seven-member committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), set up to tackle doping in the country, will recommend the sports ministry to pass a law that will make peddling of performance-enhancing drugs and selling banned substances in open market a criminal activity. IOA executive council member Rohit Rajpal, who is heading the panel, said organised drug rackets have been playing a part in the dope menace and the committee will make guidelines and recommendations to deal with the matter in a very aggressive manner. "The IOA is very serious about the doping menace. We (the panel) want to recommend the sports ministry to make a law so that peddling of performance-enhancing drugs and selling these banned substances in open market become a criminal activity. Let's see," Rajpal, a former India tennis player, told PTI on Thursday. The panel was formed after India's poor doping record was flagged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during a national delegation's visit to

Decoded: Khelo Bharat Niti & its vision to reshape Indian sports ecosystem

Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 Aims to Transform India's Sports Landscape by Promoting Grassroots Development, Inclusivity, and Infrastructure, with a Long-Term Goal of Hosting the 2036 Olympics

Pakistan hockey body unwilling to send team to India for Asia Cup

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has informed the sport's global governing body FIH that it will be "difficult" for them to send a team to India for the Asia Cup next month because of "security concerns". Tariq Bugti, who heads the PHF, said they had written to the FIH and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), expressing their reservations over sending the team to India. "We have informed them that in the existing scenario, our team will face security risks playing in India," he said. "We have informed them our players are also not keen to travel to India for the Asia Cup which is also a direct qualifying tournament," he added. The PHF chief said the ball is now in the court of the FIH and AHF to decide about the event and Pakistan's matches. "We have asked them to let us know what guarantee is there that our players will be safe in India and will be able to focus on the tournament," he said. The Pakistan government is yet to come out with an official statement on the issue but rece

Tech in sports empowers athletes and fans with emerging innovations

AI, data analytics, and sport medicine help athletes to monitor and improve their performance. Advanced technologies encourage spectator engagement at events

WUG: Nataraj betters his 'Best Indian Time' to enter 200m freestyle semis

Swimmer Srihari Nataraj bettered his 'Best Indian Time' in the 200m freestyle to advance to the semifinals, the women paddlers overcame Netherlands to secure a round-of-16 berth, while the shuttlers lost to Hong Kong in mixed team event on day two of the World University Games in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany on Friday. Two-time Olympian Nataraj, 24, timed 1:48.22 seconds to top his heats and eclipse his previous mark of 1:48.66 set last month at the Singapore National Swimming Championships.The Bengaluru swimmer qualified fifth overall for the semifinals scheduled later on Friday. The women table tennis players lost the opening rubber before overcoming the Netherlands 3-1 in Group 5. Sayali Wani lost the opener to Men Shuohan 11-13, 7-11, 11-3, 3-11 before Taneesha Kotecha beat Emine Ernst 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-3. Pritha Vartikar then overcame Karlijn van Lierop 7-11, 11-2, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6 before Taneesha wrapped it up in style by beating Shuohan 12-10, 13-11, 11-7. On Thursda

IOC and Int'l federations consulted for National Sports Bill: Mandaviya

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said that the National Sports Governance Bill, which will be tabled in the Parliament during next week's monsoon session, has been drafted with inputs from not just the stakeholders here but also international bodies like the IOC and FIFA. Addressing the one-day 'Khelo Bharat Conclave', featuring representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), National Sports Federations (NSFs), the corporate world and athletes, the minister reiterated his commitment to have the bill passed for which he has even held discussions with former sports minister and Congress leader Ajay Maken. The monsoon session of the Parliament will start on July 21. "I did a series of consultations with NSFs, athletes, coaches, also got 600 inputs from the public when the draft was put online for suggestions. I also had a three-hour meeting with sports lawyers to understand their perspective," Mandaviya stated in his address. "The IOC (International Olympic ...

UPenn to ban transgender athletes from women's sports after govt settlement

The University of Pennsylvania reverses stance on transgender athlete participation in sports following Donald Trump's executive order, and subsequent federal investigation