Page 3 - Sports

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.

Decathlon India to hit 170 stores by 2027, rolls out circular model

Decathlon plans to grow to 170 stores by 2027 and has launched a circular business model with repair, resale and buyback services across most of its Indian outlets

PKL 2025 likely to start in August: League Commissioner Anupam Goswami

Goswami says increasing the team purse would make headlines, but stresses that long-term sustainability remains the Pro Kabaddi League's top priority

PKL 2025 Auction: New FBM rule, champion players pool; all you need to know

Unlike before, teams can now retain a player for one or two seasons through FBM. League officials said this adjustment is aimed at enhancing squad continuity

Harmeet Desai eyes 2026 Asian Games, begins preparations with UTT

Two-time CWG champion Harmeet Desai is focussed on a podium finish at next year's Asian Games in Japan and will use the sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis, which will feature many accomplished players, to kick-start his preparations for the continent event. Desai, currently ranked 66th in the world, bagged gold medals in men's team event at the 2018 Gold Coast and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He also has a bronze medal in men's doubles at Gold Coast and a bronze at the men's team event in 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. "I don't like to predict so much. I am just taking it step by step, at the moment I am just focussing on UTT," Desai, who will be turning out for two-time champions Goa Challengers in the eight-team UTT, told PTI. "Definitely more important tournaments are coming. Next is Slovenia WTT tournament, Asian Games is also lined up next year so my focus is on to that as of now. "The UTT is a great platform to start my preparations for the Asian Games as many world .

India unveils Esports jersey for BRICS 2025 in tribute to armed forces

A key feature of the jersey is a vivid Sindoor red stripe running down its center-an homage to the symbolic Sindoor traditionally worn by married Indian women.

French Open 2025 May 29 matches: Djokovic, Sinner in action today

Novak Djokovic continues his pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and faces a tough challenge from local favourite Corentin Moutet

French Open 2025 Round-up: Alcaraz, Swiatek through to R3, Rudd bows out

In a significant upset, seventh seed Casper Ruud was eliminated by Portugal's Nuno Borges, who triumphed 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0

2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships: IWLF confirms Ahmedabad as host

This will mark Ahmedabad's second high-profile international weightlifting event, with the city also hosting the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships later in August

Barcelona's wonderboy Yamal signs new contract with the club till 2031

Yamal's impact this season was nothing short of phenomenal. He netted 18 goals across all competitions and topped the La Liga assist charts with 13

Suarez, Messi partner up off field to launch new Division 4 team in Uruguay

Suarez, Uruguay's all-time leading scorer, emphasised the significance of LSM in a video shared on social media

French Open 2025 May 28 matches: Alcaraz, Sabalenka in action today

For Indian fans, it will be a big day as Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri begin their journey in the doubles draw

IOS Sports unveils new logo to celebrate 20 years in sports management

IOS has played a pivotal role in transforming the commercial landscape for Olympic sports athletes in India.