India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, continued her steady start to the 2026 season with a solid straight-sets victory at the ITF W75 Nonthaburi in Thailand, defeating home wildcard Anchisa Chanta 6-3, 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals. Ranked 378 in the WTA rankings, Yamalapalli entered the Round of 16 clash as…
The Women’s Premier League has transformed Indian women’s cricket in ways few could have predicted. What began as a long-awaited platform has, within three seasons, become the most effective talent accelerator in the country. Nowhere is this more evident than within the Mumbai Indians setup. At the WPL 2026 press conference, MI’s leadership repeatedly returned…
The Mumbai Indians do not treat success as an outcome; they treat it as a process. Across leagues and formats, the franchise has built a reputation for sustained excellence, and as the 2026 Women’s Premier League approaches, that philosophy remains firmly intact. Speaking at the pre-season press conference, MI’s leadership made it clear that this…
The 2026 British Junior Open (BJO) in Birmingham was never going to be an ordinary tournament. Marking the centenary edition of one of junior squash’s most prestigious events, it brought together over 750 players from across the globe, showcasing how the sport has evolved from an elite British school competition into a truly global, professionalized…
The announcement of a record AUS $111.5 million prize pool for the 2026 Australian Open underlines how dramatically global tennis economics have evolved. With first-round losers in the singles main draw earning AUS $150,000 and even first-round qualifying exits guaranteed over AUS $40,000, the Australian Open is positioning itself as the most financially supportive Grand…
The introduction of the Total Chess World Championship Tour marks one of the most ambitious structural reforms in elite chess in decades. Approved by FIDE in partnership with Norway Chess, the Tour seeks to move beyond the long-standing separation of classical, rapid, and blitz formats by identifying a single “Total Chess” champion a player who…
The return of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 marks one of the most significant structural resets in Indian sport in recent years. After a six-year absence following its last edition in 2019, the league is back, not as a continuation, but as a reimagined professional product one that aims to align grassroots akhada culture with…
Established stars asserted their pedigree while several challengers ensured the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships remained fiercely competitive, as action continued at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida. World Championship bronze medallist Pooja Rani and India international Jadumani Singh registered commanding wins, but Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and seasoned campaigner Amit Panghal…
The long and damaging deadlock in Indian football has finally come to an end. After months of administrative paralysis, uncertainty over contracts, and growing anxiety among players and clubs, the Indian Super League (ISL) has been officially confirmed to kick off on February 14, following a high-level meeting involving the Union Sports Ministry, the All…
Neeraj Chopra’s decision to step away from JSW Sports and launch his own management firm, Vel Sports, marks one of the most significant shifts in Indian Olympic sport in recent years. Announced in January 2026, the move is not merely a change of representation but a statement about how elite Indian athletes are beginning to…
As the Women’s Premier League, WPL 2026 enters its fourth season in 2026, it does so not as an emerging experiment but as the most influential franchise competition in global women’s cricket. Scheduled from January 9 to February 5, the season reflects a league that has moved decisively into its consolidation phase, marked by a…
Indian archery stands at a critical juncture as the first open National Archery Trials of 2026 get underway at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata. Scheduled from January 5 to 9, these trials are not merely about naming squads for upcoming competitions; they represent a broader recalibration of India’s high-performance…
Amid Egypt’s continuing dominance, India has emerged as one of the most compelling challengers, led by the composed brilliance of Anahat Singh and the growing resilience of Aryaveer Dewan. The 100th edition of the British Junior Open (BJO) in Birmingham has reaffirmed its reputation as the most definitive proving ground in world junior squash. Celebrating…
The return of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) in 2026 after a six-year hiatus was always expected to be headline-driven, but few anticipated just how aggressively franchises would spend at the very top of the market. The auction held in New Delhi on January 3 did more than just fill rosters; it reset benchmarks for…
Few clubs in Indian football embody passion and identity quite like Kerala Blasters FC. From packed stands in Kochi to the relentless presence of the Manjappada across the country, the Blasters have long represented the emotional core of the Indian Super League (ISL). Yet as the 2025–26 season drifts into paralysis, Kerala Blasters have emerged…
Indian Taekwondo has rarely occupied global conversations, often overshadowed by more medal-heavy combat sports. That narrative has now shifted decisively with Rupa Bayor climbing to World Rank 6 and Asia Rank 1 in Recognized Poomsae (Female Under 30), becoming the first Indian ever to break into the global top 10 of any World Taekwondo discipline….
When Angad Vir Singh Bajwa officially received clearance to represent Canada in international competition, it marked the end of a significant chapter in Indian shooting and the beginning of another in a rapidly globalizing Olympic ecosystem. Bajwa’s transition, formalized through a No Objection Certificate issued by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), is not…
When Edgar Méndez quietly exited Indian football in late 2025, it was not just the departure of a foreign player from the Indian Super League (ISL). It was a clear signal of how deeply the sport’s professional structure has fractured. Méndez’s move from Bengaluru FC to Thai League side PT Prachuap FC on a free…
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….
