Page 2 - Sports

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

Cabinet approves Khelo Bharat Niti to boost India's global sports rank

Calling it a "strategic roadmap" for India's elevation into the top five of world sports, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Khelo Bharat Niti to create "world-class systems" of coaching and athlete support along with a robust administrative set-up to make the country a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics. Previously called the National Sports Policy and introduced for the first time in 1984, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 will supersede the 2001 policy. It is a "guiding document" to formulate plans and schemes for betterment of the country's sporting ecosystem. "We have used the experience of the last 10 years and the new policy will work towards improvement of sports. Major objective is to make India a top-five sporting nation by 2047. That's the overall objective," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters while unveiling the policy and other cabinet decisions. "The PM has given a different kind of emphasis to sports, especially in rural areas," he ...

Neeraj Chopra beats Germany's Weber to win Paris Diamond League title

Indian javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra won his first Diamond League title in two years as he upstaged Julian Weber of Germany after back-to-back second place finishes here on Friday. The 27-year-old Chopra won the title with his first round throw of 88.16m in a star-studded field having five competitors in the 90m club. His second throw measured 85.10m and he then fouled his next three attempts before recording 82.89m in his sixth and final effort. Weber was second with his opening throw of 87.88m, while Luiz Mauricio Da Silva of Brazil was third with his third round attempt of 86.62m. Chopra had breached the 90m mark in the Doha leg of the Diamond League on May 16 with a throw of 90.23m for a second place finish. Weber had won the title in Doha with his last round throw of 91.06m. The 31-year-old Weber had also beaten Chopra at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet on May 23 in Poland where both performed below their best under chilly and overcast conditions. Weber had produced 86.12

Paris Diamond League 2025: Neeraj Chopra event live time and streaming

The live streaming of the 2025 Paris Diamond League will be available on Wanda Diamond League's Facebook and YouTube pages from 1:12 AM IST (June 21)

UK govt to inject $1.2 bn for hosting sports events, upgrading facilities

British sport is getting a cash injection of more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from the government to help with the staging of big events such as the men's European Championship soccer tournament and Grand Departs in the Tour de France. The money will also be used to help deliver a bid by soccer federations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to host the Women's World Cup in 2035, the government said Thursday in announcing the funding commitment. While more than 400 million pounds ($540 million) will go toward investment in new and upgraded grassroots facilities around Britain, the rest of the money will be spent on what the government described as major sporting events. They include the men's Euros in 2028, staged alongside Ireland, as well as the Grand Departs of the Tour de France in men's and women's cycling in 2027 and the European Athletics Championships in 2026. Together, this strategic investment in sport will help to deliver on the government's missi

Hosting 2036 Olympics will be win-win for India in every aspect: MoS sports

India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is not merely an attempt to make a statement internationally but also a well thought out plan to create world-class infrastructure, bolster the economy and tackle pressing social issues affecting the country's youth, says Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse. In an exclusive interview to PTI, the 38-year-old three-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Raver constituency, dismissed criticism from some quarters that the country needs to focus more on becoming a sporting powerhouse before aiming for something as expensive as hosting the Olympics. "Preparing to host events like the 2036 Olympics or the 2030 Commonwealth Games is about creating world-class infrastructure, economic investment, and legacy systems that directly benefit athlete development," she asserted in the interaction at her office here. "Sports is also a way to deal with so many issues such as depression and even drug addiction. And keeping all this in mind, when you bring an

A good racket: How India is courting Pickleball, 'game of the people'

From gated societies to corporate campuses, the sport is sweeping the country

Spain vs France Nations League semi-final HIGHLIGHTS: Yamal shines as Spain book final date with POR

France's Deschamp will be aiming for a strong performance in Stuttgart, site of a rematch of the 2021 Nations League final, where France emerged victorious.

Germany vs Portugal Nations League semi-final HIGHLIGHTS: Ronaldo sends Portugal to the final

The two teams last met competitively during the UEFA EURO 2020 group stage, where Germany emerged victorious with a 4-2 win, also at the Munich Football Arena.