Six matches into the revived Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2025–26, the standings already tell a compelling story. In a short, high-pressure league where only the top two teams qualify directly for the final, every point carries disproportionate value. As the table begins to take shape in Ranchi, it is becoming increasingly clear that the…
As the 2026 ATP season gets underway, few Indian players enter the new year with as much quiet momentum as Yuki Bhambri. The Brisbane International ATP 250 doubles draw, traditionally a proving ground ahead of the Australian Open, places Bhambri firmly at the centre of the competitive narrative. Seeded second alongside Sweden’s Andre Göransson, Bhambri…
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has formally unveiled the qualification standards for the Asian Games 2026, providing early clarity to athletes and coaches as preparations begin for the continental showpiece. The standards were announced during a media interaction in New Delhi, marking an important milestone in India’s long-term planning cycle following its historic athletics…
The official registration of Zehal Shibu and Vanlalthazuala Fanai by Tokyo 23 FC marks a significant milestone in the internationalisation of Indian football. For the first time, Indian citizens have been formally integrated into the Japanese football ecosystem, a system widely regarded as Asia’s most technically refined and structurally robust. This development is not an…
Indian sports is undergoing one of the most significant structural shifts in its history. With the introduction of the National Sports Governance Act of 2025 and a gradual transition from discretionary oversight to a statutory regulatory framework, the ecosystem is moving toward professionalism, accountability, and transparency. However, while governance structures are evolving rapidly, the education…
Indian sport has entered a new phase of hard accountability and sharper prioritization with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) finalizing a major overhaul of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and introducing clearer separation between Olympic and continental ambitions through the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG). The January 2026 update is not…
The 2025–26 season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) has marked a clear turning point in the evolution of women’s club football in India. Now in its ninth edition, the league has moved decisively beyond its early identity as a short-format national tournament and into a more structured, competitive ecosystem aligned with continental football calendars….
January 1, 2026 marks the beginning of a defining year for Indian hockey, one that blends elite international ambition with a packed competitive calendar across men’s and women’s programmes. After a year that reinforced India’s standing among the global hockey elite, 2026 presents an opportunity to convert consistency into silverware, with the FIH Hockey World…
The latest ICC Women’s T20I rankings update at the end of 2025 tells a story far deeper than routine number shuffles. It reflects a decisive shift in the balance of power in women’s cricket, driven by India’s historic year across formats and capped by a commanding 5–0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in December. What stands…
The 2025 Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) season will be remembered as a watershed moment for Indian golf, a year in which domestic excellence, financial growth and international pathways aligned like never before. At the centre of this transformation stood Yuvraj Sandhu, whose record-breaking campaign redefined what was possible on the Indian circuit and…
The Mumbai Indians’ decision to appoint former Australian leg-spinner Kristen Beams as spin-bowling coach ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League season is a clear reflection of how far the league and the franchise has evolved. What began as a short-format tournament designed to kickstart professional women’s cricket in India has now entered a phase…
Defending champions East Bengal FC produced a ruthless display to register their biggest-ever victory in the Indian Women’s League, thrashing Sesa Football Academy 9–0 at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday. In a round packed with goals, fine margins and early-season statement performances, the Moshal Girls’ demolition job stood out as a clear marker of intent….
Indian weightlifting ended 2025 in a familiar but complicated place encouraged by results, energised by a new generation, yet aware of the hard truths that continue to shadow the sport. It was a year that offered reassurance that the system is producing lifters of international quality, while also underlining the distance India still needs to…
Indian sport reached a long-overdue inflection point on December 30, 2025, when the Special Task Force on Capacity Building of Sports Administrators, chaired by Abhinav Bindra, submitted its 170-page report to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. More than just another committee document, the report functions as an implementation blueprint for the National Sports…
January 2026 marks a decisive phase for men’s professional tennis in Asia, with the ATP Challenger Tour offering a dense, strategically aligned calendar across the continent. Among events in Thailand, Vietnam, and Bahrain, the Bengaluru Challenger 125, starting January 5, stands out as the centrepiece not just of the Asian swing, but of India’s professional…
The year 2026 is set to mark a decisive turning point in Gujarat’s Global sports and economic trajectory. Long known as one of India’s industrial and commercial powerhouses, the state is now positioning itself as the country’s most ambitious and integrated sports hub. This transformation is not driven by a single marquee event, but by…
As the Women’s Premier League, WPL 2026 prepares for its fourth season in 2026, the tournament finds itself at a critical inflection point. What was once a tightly controlled, star-driven league is now grappling with the realities of global cricket calendars, player well-being, and franchise adaptability. The late withdrawals of Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, and…
The 2025 season marked a watershed moment for Indian archery. No longer a nation dependent on isolated individual brilliance, India emerged as a systemic global force, delivering results across World Championships, World Cups, Asian Championships, university competitions, and para-archery. What unfolded over the year was not a flash of form, but evidence of a maturing…
As the Men’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) prepares to return in 2026, JSW Soorma Hockey Club and SG Pipers enter the season with contrasting philosophies but similar ambitions. Soorma arrive as a settled unit built around proven international match-winners, while the Pipers have opted for a strategic reset, investing in leadership, structure and emerging…
The 2025 season will stand as one of the most consequential years in the history of Indian athletics. It was a year where headline-grabbing milestones coexisted with quieter but equally significant systemic shifts. While the global spotlight naturally gravitated toward the javelin runway and a long-awaited 90-metre throw, the deeper story of the season lay…
The second season after the return of the Hockey India League (HIL) from a seven-year hiatus has done more than revive a marquee domestic competition. It has revealed a clear strategic divergence in how franchises are choosing to play, build, and win. At the heart of this contrast lie two women’s teams led by Indian…
Magnus Carlsen table slam during his round-nine loss to India’s Arjun Erigaisi at the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Championship in Doha was not an isolated outburst. Moments like these rarely define a champion, but they do reveal the strain that elite competition places on even the greatest minds in sport. It was the culmination of…
With the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships set to return to Indian soil in 2026, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has unveiled a strong and carefully balanced senior squad for the continental showpiece in New Delhi. The selections reflect both continuity and transition blending Olympic experience with a new generation of shooters who have forced…
Shrachi Bengal Tigers began their Women’s Hero Hockey India League 2025–26 campaign on a positive note, edging past JSW Soorma Hockey Club 1–0 in a tightly contested encounter at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi on Monday. A powerful drag flick from Agustina Gorzelany in the 11th minute proved decisive,…
Indian badminton’s talent map is changing. Few stories capture this shift better than that of Surya Charishma Tamiri, the 19-year-old from Andhra Pradesh whose triumph at the 87th Senior National Badminton Championships in December 2025 marked both a personal breakthrough and a broader moment for the domestic circuit. Excellence is no longer confined to a…
For an athlete who has already rewritten the script of Indian athletics, the next phase of Neeraj Chopra’s career will be defined not just by distances and medals, but by decisions. The 2026 season presents the Indian javelin ace with one of the most complex calendars of his career, headlined by the inaugural World Athletics…
The 2025 calendar year will go down as one of the most difficult periods in the modern history of the Indian men’s national football team. By December 22, 2025, India had slipped to 142nd in the FIFA World Rankings, their lowest position in nearly a decade, marking a sharp and worrying regression from the relative…
SG Pipers opened their Women’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2025–26 campaign with a composed and tactically sound 2–0 victory over Ranchi Royals at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday. Goals from captain Navneet Kaur (27’) and Teresa Viana (46’) ensured the Pipers began the new season with…
After three subdued outings, Smriti Mandhana chose the perfect moment to rediscover her touch. The Indian vice-captain’s sublime 80 off 48 balls in the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka not only silenced questions about her form but also anchored a record-breaking batting display that carried India to a 30-run victory and an unassailable 4–0 lead…
The Women’s World Rapid Championship 2025 in Doha will be remembered less for who won the title and more for how Koneru Humpy, the defending champion and tournament joint-leader, was denied a chance to fight for gold. Finishing the event unbeaten on 8.5 points from 11 rounds, Humpy ended up with the bronze medal, a…
The revival of the Hockey India League has coincided with a generational shift in Indian women’s hockey. No longer are young players eased in quietly, protected from responsibility and expectation. Instead, the league has placed them directly under the spotlight, asking them to defend leads, convert chances, and dictate games alongside seasoned internationals. The emergence…
Indian women’s singles badminton has often moved in cycles defined by exceptional individuals rather than sustained depth and Tanvi Patri is redefining it From Saina Nehwal to P.V. Sindhu, India relied on once-in-a-generation talents to remain relevant at the global elite level. As that era gradually transitions, the search for the next standard-bearer has intensified….
The race for the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2025 title is finely poised after nine gripping rounds, with Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Niemann emerging as joint leaders on 7.5 points. With just one decisive day left, the Open section has produced a compelling mix of elite consistency, dramatic upsets, and a tightly packed chasing group…
The Senior Badminton Nationals Championships in Vijayawada are set for an exciting finale, with local favourite Surya Charishma Tamiri and the fast-rising Tanvi Patri booking their places in the women’s singles final, while Rithvik Sanjeevi S and Bharat Raghav will battle it out for the men’s singles crown after dramatic semifinal victories on Saturday. Charishma,…
Few Indian cities can claim a relationship with professional hockey as deep and consequential as Ranchi. Since the launch of the Hockey India League (HIL) in 2013, the Jharkhand capital has emerged as one of the sport’s most influential hubs, defined by passionate crowds, elite infrastructure, and an uncanny ability to produce winning franchises. The…
International Master Goutham Krishna H, a 15-year-old student from Thiruvananthapuram, ended Day 1 with 4 points out of 5, tied with a group of established grandmasters and just half a point off the lead. The first day of the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha followed a familiar script at the top of…
For decades, Indian Rugby existed on the fringes of the country’s sporting consciousness, sustained largely by pockets of grassroots enthusiasm rather than systemic support. In 2025, that reality changed decisively. Indian Rugby 7s delivered tangible progress across competitive performance, infrastructure, governance, and commercial viability. What emerged over the past year was not a fleeting surge,…
Harmanpreet Kaur reached a significant milestone in women’s international cricket on December 26, 2025, when she recorded her 77th victory as captain in Women’s T20 Internationals, surpassing Meg Lanning’s long-standing record of 76 wins. The landmark moment came during India’s eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in…
Indian Women continued their commanding run in the T20I series against Sri Lanka with an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the third match, completing the chase of 113 in just 13.2 overs. The result underlined India’s superiority across departments and was anchored by a dominant innings from Shafali Verma, whose unbeaten 79 off 42 balls made…
The impending exit of City Football Group (CFG) from Mumbai City FC is not just another ownership change in Indian football. It is a systemic warning perhaps the strongest yet that the professional football ecosystem in the country has reached a point of structural breakdown. When one of the world’s most sophisticated multi-club ownership models…
The Women’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) returns for its second season with a renewed sense of purpose and promise. After a successful inaugural edition that re-established top-tier domestic league hockey for women in India, the 2025–26 season begins on December 28 in Ranchi, carrying bigger expectations, stronger squads and clearer competitive identities across teams….
The Indian Women’s League (IWL) has completed nearly a decade since its inception, and its journey from a short-term experimental tournament to a structured professional competition mirrors the broader evolution of women’s football in India. Introduced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2016, the IWL was conceived to fill a long-standing void the…
Two commanding wins in India vs Sri Lanka women in Visakhapatnam have only reinforced that belief as the five-match T20I series now moves to Thiruvananthapuram. There is a visible lightness about this Indian women’s team. The smiles are broader, the conversations more relaxed, and the confidence unmistakable. Ever since November 2, when India were crowned…
The chess calendar’s most unforgiving and electrifying event arrives at the end of every year with the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships, and Doha, Qatar, plays host to the 2025 edition. Over a few intense days, classical preparation gives way to instinct, speed, and nerve, as the world’s elite battle across rapid and blitz…
Indian football’s exclusion from Asia’s top two club competitions for the 2027–28 cycle is not a sudden collapse. It is the inevitable outcome of a decade of institutional drift, commercial complacency, and structural mismanagement. As of December 2025, India stands 14th in the AFC West Region and 25th overall, a position that strips Indian clubs…
After a strong third-place finish in the inaugural season of the Women’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL), Shrachi Bengal Tigers enter the 2025–26 campaign with renewed ambition and a squad built to challenge for the title. As the second season of the league gets underway on December 28, the Tigers appear better balanced, more experienced,…
Indian golf icon Jeev Milkha Singh rolled back the years in emphatic fashion as he clinched the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka in Colombo, bringing the inaugural season of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) to a memorable close. The victory marked Jeev’s first professional title in 13 years, ending a drought that stretched back to…
The 2026 international badminton calendar underlines India’s growing stature as one of the sport’s most important destinations. With elite global tournaments returning to Indian soil, the year represents not just competitive opportunity for Indian shuttlers, but also a statement of organisational confidence from the Badminton World Federation (BWF). From Grade 1 showpieces to key World…
Madhya Pradesh has long been a quiet contributor to Indian sport producing shooters, hockey players, paddlers and athletes who often went on to shine under other state banners. With its newly articulated Viksit Madhya Pradesh @2047 vision, the state is now attempting a decisive shift: from being a talent nursery to becoming a full-spectrum sports…
The 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Doha are more than the final elite event of the calendar year. They represent a moment of reckoning for modern chess a collision of generations, formats, and expectations. Hosted at the Qatar University Sports and Events Complex from December 25 to 30, the championships bring…
