Page 6 - Sports

FIFA unveils Miami's sonic ID for 2026 World Cup celebrating diversity

On Monday, March 3, the unique sound of Miami was revealed, with renowned producer Mr. NaisGai selected to craft the city's custom Sonic ID.

Gukesh attains career-best No 3 ranking, Praggnanandhaa back in top 10

India's reigning world champion D Gukesh climbed to a career-high number three ranking, while compatriot R Praggnanandhaa broke back into the top 10 in the latest FIDE classical ratings released on Saturday. The 18-year-old Gukesh, who has been in sublime form ever since he beat China's Ding Liren to clinch the world title in Singapore in December, has gained 10 points and now has a 2787 rating. Gukesh, who lost the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee to Praggnanandhaa on tiebreak, is behind second-placed Hikaru Nakamura (2802) while and Norway's Magnus Carlsen (2833) continues to be the top-ranked chess player in the world. The Indian Grandmaster has overtaken compatriot Arjun Erigiasi and USA's Fabiano Caruana. Erigiasi, who was the highest-ranked Indian for a long time, has moved down to fifth with a rating of 2777. Praggnanandhaa, who is currently competing in the Prague Masters, is back in the top 10 for the first time since July last year thanks to his win at the Tata Steel .

Boris Spassky, Soviet chess champion who lost to Bobby Fischer, dies at 88

Boris Spassky, a Soviet-era world chess champion who lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in a legendary 1972 match that became a proxy for Cold War rivalries, died Thursday in Moscow. He was 88. The death of the one-time chess prodigy was announced by the International Chess Federation, the game's governing body. No cause was given. Spassky was "one of the greatest players of all time," the group said on the social platform X. He left an indelible mark on the game. The televised 1972 match with Fischer, at the height of the Cold War, became an international sensation and was known as the Match of the Century. When Fischer won the international chess crown in Reykjavik, Iceland, the then-29-year-old chess genius from Brooklyn, New York, brought the U.S. its first world chess title. Fischer, known to be testy and difficult, died in 2008. After his victory of Spassky, he later forfeited the title by refusing to defend it. Former world champion Garry Kasparov wrote on X that Spa

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on pressure, inspiration, and fans' support

When asked about his football idols, Slot shared, "It started off with Marco van Basten. Then Dennis Bergkamp became my inspiration when I was a kid, around 7-10 years old.

Asia Cup Archery: India tops medal tally with 8 medals, including 5 gold

India topped the medal standings at the first leg of the Asia Cup World Ranking Archery tournament, securing eight medals, including 5 gold, at the conclusion of competitions here on Saturday. In the recurve men's section, India's Vishnu Choudhary and Rahul finished 1-2. The other four gold were won by Basanti Mahato (women's recurve), Kushal Dalal (men's compound), men's recurve team of Vishnu, Goldi Mishra and Rahul, and the men's compund team of Kushal, Manav Ganeshrao Jadhao and Ganesh Mani Ratnam. The recurve mixed team of Basanti and Vishnu also picked up a silver, while the women's compound team of Avneet Kaur, Madhuravarshini Muruganantham and Chikitha Taniparthi clinched a bronze. Korea finished second in the medal tally with five medals, including two gold.

No successor in sight for Sindhu, India's badminton future in trouble

PV Sindhu has been India's top women's singles player for nearly a decade, but the gap between her and the next generation remains vast

Coach Zelezny's tweaks will take me to 90m mark soon: Neeraj Chopra

Two-time Olympic medal-winning javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra has revealed that his new coach Jan Zelezny has figured out mistakes in his technique and would now make some adjustments to his throwing routine to achieve the 90m mark that the Indian star is pursuing for a while. The 26-year-old, while speaking to India Today, also opened up about his hush-hush wedding to former tennis player Himani Mor last month, saying that their relationship was a casual friendship at first "but slowly we fell in love". Chopra has been trying hard to hit the 90m mark. His personal best stands at 89.94m which was achieved in 2022. His season begins in May with the Diamond League and would mark the competitive start of his partnership with Zelezny, a former Olympic and world champion who also holds the world record (98.48m). "I believe a 90+ throw is happening soon. He (Jan Zelezny) has made some technical adjustments in my game," said Chopra. "He (Zelezny) feels that his tweaks would help me. I'v

38th National Games in Uttrakhand conclude; Services tops medal tally

The closing ceremony of the 38th National Games began here on Friday with home minister Amit Shah as its guest of honour and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya also joining the event to laud the athletes' performances. To start with, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed Shah with a commemorative memento, a shawl and a bouquet of flowers. Besides Shah and Dhami, several other dignitaries are in attendance here, including Mandaviya, next host Meghalaya's CM Kongkal Sangma, Uttarakhand's Sports Minister Rekha Arya, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, boxing legend MC Mary Kom, and Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang, among others. "Uttarakhand has conveyed to the country that it is not just Devbhoomi but also a Khelbhoomi. The state ensured that no athlete faced any difficulty during the Games. It is the beginning of India becoming a sports hub," said Mandaviya in his address to the gathering at the Indira Gandhi International Sports Complex here.

Sachin Yadav, Pooja Singh, Sawan Barwal set records at National Games

Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, 18-year-old high jumper Pooja Singh of Haryana and long distance runner Sawan Barwal of Himachal Pradesh rewrote National Games records and won gold medals on the concluding day of athletics competition here on Wednesday. In the absence of the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena, 25-year-old Yadav sent his spear to a Games-record distance of 84.39m in his fifth attempt to win the gold and establish himself as one of the top javelin throwers in the country. He bettered the earlier Games record of 82.23m set by Rajinder Singh in the 2015 edition. "My goal was to achieve the World Athletics automatic qualification mark (85.50m) but missed it," Yadav said at the post-event interaction. "I'm close to my goal and should be able to achieve 85.50m in the next competition." Yadav's 84.39m now ranks as the fifth career-best throw by an Indian after Chopra (89.94m), Jena (87.54m), Shivpal Singh (86.23m) and Davinder Singh Kang (84.57m). Utt

Manu Bhaker secures 2nd spot in 25m Pistol at National Selection Trials

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker finished second in women's 25m pistol in her return to competitive shooting after Paris Olympics as Rhythm Sangwan emerged winner in the event on day five of the Rifle/Pistol National Selection Trials (Group A) here on Wednesday. Paris Olympics bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale and Arya Rajesh Borse also won the men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) T1 and the women's 10m air rifle T2 events at Dr Karni Singh Shooting range (DKSSR) here. Haryana's Rhythm beat Bhaker -- who won a bronze each in the women's individual and mixed team events in the Paris Olympics -- for the top spot after a couple of shoot-offs from the final group that had four other Olympians in the fray. Swapnil was next, a class apart in the men's 3P T1 final, while Borse registered a memorable triumph in a high-quality high scoring women's air rifle T2 final, falling just one short of the world record score achieved at the same venue. Rhythm wins via shoot-off ================ Manu

Tiger Woods withdraws from signature event following mother's passing

Tiger Woods abruptly withdrew from the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, saying he was still processing the death of his mother. Kultida Woods died unexpectedly last Tuesday at the age of 80. I planned to tee it up this week, but I'm just not ready, Woods posted on social media. I did my best to prepare, knowing it's what my mom would have wanted, but I'm still processing her loss. Woods, the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational, said he hoped to be at Torrey Pines later in the week, adding that he appreciates the continued kindness since my Mom's passing. It was a mild surprise when Woods, who has not played on the PGA Tour since the British Open last summer at Royal Troon, entered the $20 million signature event. The tour created a special exemption category for him in the signature events. He was replaced in the field by Jake Knapp. Woods had flown to Washington a week ago for a meeting with President Donald Trump, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Adam Scott, o

Pankaj Advani wins 36th National Gold at Indian Snooker Championship

India's most accomplished player Pankaj Advani secured his 36th overall national title and 10th men's snooker crown at the Yashwant Club, in a commanding display of skill and determination. The ONGC employee overcame an early setback to defeat Brijesh Damani in a final where Damani managed to take the opening frame, the only one he would claim throughout the match. The tournament serves as the only selection event for the Asian and World Championships. Advani's performance was marked by consistency and precision. After falling behind by a frame, he maintained his composure and controlled the table, leaving little room for error. In the final frame, Advani delivered an impressive 84 break, sealing the frame, match and championship. "Since this is the only event that determines the representatives of the country for international tournaments, the stakes were high," Advani said. The high pressure tournament proved to be a full-circle moment for Advani. In the group stage, he had ..

What are the new rules in Badminton's proposed 3x15 scoring system?

The 3x15 system the global Badminton body is ready to implement is expected to create more exciting and close matches.

Delhi HC overturns taekwondo DOC's removal by IOA over result fixing

The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside the removal of Taekwondo's Director of Competition (DOC) saying that allegations of corruption against him were not "accompanied by any cogent material". On Monday, DOC T Praveen Kumar was removed by the National Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) along with some officials, who were also accused of seeking bribes to fix results in 10 of the 16 weight categories long before the competition actually started. He was replaced by S Dinesh Kumar as DOC. The High Court ruled that "no rational is disclosed for replacing the DOC who is not one of the technical officials, and has no role to play in adjudging fixtures". "Neither of these complaints are accompanied any cogent material, and contain bare allegations. It is notable that the complaint dated 31.01.2025 refers to certain allegations for the period spanning as far back as 2012," said the order passed by Justice Sachin Datta. Kumar's removal on January 31 came after "strong ...

Rs 3 lakh for gold? Medals up for sale in National Games in Uttarakhand

The competition director of taekwondo at the 38th National Games has been removed for alleged fixing of results during the event

Union Budget: Sports and youth affairs allocation raised by Rs 351 cr

The government's flagship Khelo India programme to scout and nurture athletes at the grassroots level was the biggest beneficiary as the allocation for sports and youth affairs was hiked substantially by Rs 351.98 crore in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Saturday. The ambitious scheme has been allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26. This is Rs 200 crore more than the grant of Rs 800 crore in 2024-25. Overall, the Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports was designated Rs 3,794.30 crore. The increase is substantial considering there is no major sporting event like the Olympics, Commonwealth or Asian Games lined up in the next one year. The assigned amount for assistance to National Sports Federations has also been hiked marginally from Rs 340 crore to Rs 400 crore. India is currently pushing through with an ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games for which a letter of intent has been submitted to the International Olympic

Hockey India League 2024-25 final live match time and streaming details

The live streaming of the Hockey India League 2024-25 final will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Swimming sensation Desinghu continues to rule the pool at National Games

Karnataka's 14-year-old swimming sensation Dhinidhi Desinghu clinched her fourth gold, while weightlifters continued to impress with Manipur's Bindyarani Devi smashing a national record on a day when the tiny northeastern state jumped to the top of medal tally at the National Games on Friday. A sporting powerhouse despite its small size, Manipur moved up two rungs after winning eight medals, including a gold each from weightlifting and wushu, for a total of 19 (9 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze). Services, though, were close on the heels of Manipur with just one less total medal and same number of gold, jumping two places to second from Thursday's fourth. They added nine medals on Friday, including five gold, for a total of 18 (9 gold, 6 silver, 3 bronze). Karnataka, at the top till Thursday, lost two places to fall to third with a total of 17 medals (9 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze). The competition is extremely tough as the top-three each have nine gold and just one medal in total count ...

Zepto introduces instant returns, exchange feature for select products

Zepto has introduced an instant return and exchange option on its app for categories like electronics, apparel, toys, sports, and kitchenware

UEFA Europa League: Manchester United, Tottenham qualification scenarios

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have already ensured their places in the knockout play-offs with crucial victories.