The final week of the calendar year means only one thing for the chess world: the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships. As the global elite converges on Doha for the 2025 edition, the Open section once again takes centre stage, promising a week of high-octane chess, narrow margins, and relentless pressure. While a new…
After coming agonizingly close to glory in the inaugural edition, JSW Soorma Hockey Club enter the 2025–26 Women’s Hero Hockey India League with unfinished business on their minds. Having topped the points table last season before falling short in the final, the Ranchi-based side is determined to convert consistency into silverware as the league returns…
The 2025 competitive season will be remembered as a watershed moment for Indian U16 women’s national basketball programme, a year that combined results, structure, and belief into a rare alignment. Under the stewardship of head coach Anitha Pauldurai, India not only reclaimed continental relevance but did so with authority, finishing the season with an extraordinary…
When India’s junior men’s hockey team returned home with a bronze medal from the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup earlier this year, several young names caught the attention of followers of the sport. Among them was Sunil PB, a composed and hardworking defender whose performances stood out not just for their technical assurance, but…
The Davis Cup returns to Indian soil in February 2026, with Bengaluru set to host a high-profile Qualifiers tie between India and the Netherlands on February 7–8. The All India Tennis Association has named a balanced and experience-driven squad for the contest, as India prepare to take on one of the strongest teams in world…
India Women continued their emphatic dominance over Sri Lanka Women with a seven-wicket victory in the second T20I at Visakhapatnam on December 23, 2025, racing to a 2–0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing a modest target of 129, India reached the mark in just 11.5 overs, finishing at 129/3, with Shafali Verma producing a…
Navy shooter Kiran Ankush Jadhav delivered a performance built on composure and consistency to clinch the men’s 10m air rifle gold at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) at the MP State Shooting Academy. In a high-quality final featuring some of India’s most established rifle shooters, Jadhav held his nerve to finish on top…
Mohammad Farzan Sana’s rise within Japanese professional football is quietly becoming one of the most consequential developments in India’s ongoing search for midfield creativity. At just 21, the Chiba-born attacking midfielder, Faruzansana Mohamado has moved from academy promise to senior productivity, scoring three goals in eight appearances for Thespa Gunma in the J3 League during…
Ganges Grandmasters kept their Global Chess League (GCL) finals hopes alive with a commanding 12–3 victory over Fyers American Gambits on the final day of league action, while table toppers Triveni Continental Kings underlined their title credentials by edging past upGrad Mumba Masters 10–9. The twin results ensured a tense wait for the Grandmasters, whose…
Hou Yifan’s presence has always carried quiet authority, but on the penultimate day of the Global Chess League (GCL) league stage, her influence was decisive. The three-time women’s world champion delivered two wins with the black pieces to power Alpine SG Pipers to back-to-back victories, propelling them into second place and firmly into the finals…
Indian distance running witnessed a defining moment on Sunday as Seema produced a career-defining performance at the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, clocking 1:26:04 to set a new national record in the women’s 25km event. Competing in a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, Seema not only clinched the Indian Elite Women’s title but also…
India’s premier long-distance runner Gulveer Singh delivered one of the standout performances of the domestic athletics season by rewriting the national record in the men’s 25km at the Tata Steel World 25K in Kolkata on Sunday. Competing in a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, Gulveer clocked a superb 1:12:06 to not only win the…
In a significant step towards building structured and sustainable pathways for women runners in India, Aspect Sports has announced a partnership with Pinkathon, the country’s largest women’s running movement. Under the collaboration, Aspect Sports comes on board as the Official Sports Partner, bringing its expertise in coaching, performance development and grassroots sport to Pinkathon’s expansive…
For the third consecutive year, India finished at the top of the global anti-doping charts not for excellence, but for violations. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA data for 2024, India recorded 260 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) from 7,113 samples, a positivity rate of 3.6 per cent, the highest among all major testing nations….
The World Tennis League (WTL) has built its reputation on star power, fast-paced sets and unforgiving margins. Yet, on a night dominated by marquee names and global champions at Bengaluru’s S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium, it was two Indian singles performances that truly shifted the narrative. Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh delivered composed, fearless wins over…
India’s premier men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, delivered a landmark performance at the BWF World Tour Finals 2025, becoming the first Indian men’s doubles duo to qualify for the semifinals of the prestigious season-ending tournament. The world No. 3 pair sealed their place in the last four with a stirring 17–21, 21–18,…
Nineteen-year-old Kajol Hubert D’Souza became the first Indian footballer to score a hat-trick for a Saudi Arabian club, achieving the feat for Al-Amal SC in a Saudi Women’s First Division League fixture against Al-Angaa. Indian women’s football has long searched for a breakthrough moment that goes beyond symbolic progress and reflects genuine integration into the…
Pipers defeated Continental Kings 12-8, Alaskan Knights got the better of Fyers American Gambits 9-7, upGrad Mumba Masters beat Ganges Grandmasters 11-6 at GCL Fabiano Caruana produced a moment of elite composure under extreme pressure to halt Alireza Firouzja’s unbeaten run on the icon board, anchoring Alpine SG Pipers to a statement 12-8 win over…
Meghalaya’s sporting ambitions are set to take a transformative leap with the construction of the Mawkhanu Football Stadium Complex at New Shillong Township. Conceived as a 40,000-seater, FIFA-compliant, purpose-built football arena, the project represents one of the most significant sports infrastructure investments in Indian football history and the largest of its kind in the North…
International wrestling is set to enter a decisive new phase from January 1, 2026, as United World Wrestling (UWW) rolls out a comprehensive set of rule amendments aimed at reshaping how bouts are contested, officiated, and ultimately decided. While rule changes are nothing new in the sport’s long history, this latest package stands out for…
The BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou represents both a reward and a reckoning for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. As India’s only representatives at the season-ending championship, the world No. 3 men’s doubles pair arrive on the back of a turbulent yet resilient season, only to be placed in what is widely acknowledged…
The World Tennis League (WTL) is set for a defining moment as it stages its fourth season in India for the first time, with Bengaluru hosting the mixed-team exhibition tournament from December 17 to 20, 2025. The move from the UAE to India marks a strategic shift for the league, signalling its intent to tap…
The question has been asked repeatedly since Lionel Messi’s visit to India: how can ₹150 crore be mobilised to bring a global icon for a few days, while Indian football continues to struggle for funding, structure and belief? It sounds like an obvious indictment of priorities. But it is also an incomplete question. The harder,…
Google’s decision to introduce a dedicated YouTube TV Sports Plan (YTSP) in early 2026 marks one of the most consequential shifts in the modern pay-TV ecosystem. Framed as part of a broader initiative called “YouTube TV Plans,” the move signals the end of the one-size-fits-all bundle and the arrival of a more surgical, data-driven approach…
The India men’s hockey team’s 2025 season was deliberately structured around three bilateral tours Ireland, Australia and South Africa designed less for headline results and more for high-quality evaluation. Under chief coach Craig Fulton, these series were positioned as competitive checkpoints between demanding legs of the FIH Pro League and as decisive selection windows ahead…
Lionel Messi’s visit to India was never just about football. It was about symbolism, aspiration, commercial appeal, and the familiar Indian tendency to gravitate towards icons rather than systems. The spectacle drew massive attention, packed venues, sponsors, politicians, and headlines but once the noise fades, the more important question remains: what, if anything, will actually…
The third season of the Global Chess League, GCL Season 3 burst into life at the iconic Royal Opera House with emphatic statements from two title contenders. upGrad Mumba Masters thrilled the home crowd with a commanding 17–4 victory over Ganges Grandmasters, while defending champions Triveni Continental Kings opened their campaign with a hard-fought 9–7…
India will have a strong presence in the finals of the Odisha Masters as Isharani Baruah, women’s singles top seed Unnati Hooda, and men’s singles second seed Kiran George secured their places in the title clashes with determined performances in the semifinals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Cuttack on Friday. The semifinal stage produced…
Indian squash entered a new chapter on home soil as Team India reached the final of the Squash World Cup for the first time, producing a series of commanding performances that underlined the country’s growing stature in the sport. Competing in Chennai, the Indian mixed team swept aside a depleted but traditionally dominant Egyptian side…
In one of the most transformative commercial announcements in the history of women’s sport, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has struck a landmark partnership with Mercedes-Benz an agreement valued at up to $500 million over 10 years, beginning January 1, 2026. The deal, unveiled in Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, not only marks the most…
At just 16 years old, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi has positioned herself as India’s most exciting young tennis talent, combining rapid junior progress with professional breakthroughs that mark her as a rare long-term contender. Her entry into the ITF Junior Top 50 in December 2025, achieved after a quarterfinal run at the J300 Bradenton event in…
The Odisha Masters 2025 delivered one of its most dramatic days yet on Friday as rising Indian shuttlers produced a series of spirited performances to storm into the semifinals. With several seeded players falling across categories, the tournament witnessed a wave of upsets, headlined by the continued rise of youngsters Unnati Hooda, Tasnim Mir, Isharani…
In Olympic taekwondo, the difference between a dream fulfilled and a Games missed is often a single point, a marginal ranking shift, or a faltering step in a continental final. The qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games finalized by World Taekwondo in December 2025 reflects that unforgiving reality. It charts a two-year…
Indian golf has entered one of the most transformative and turbulent phases in its professional history. What began as a quiet ecosystem anchored by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has, within months, turned into a competitive battleground following the launch of two rival franchise leagues: PGTI’s own ‘72 The League’ and the newly…
The 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championships, held in Ahmedabad from December 12–14, arrive at a pivotal moment for Indian wrestling. Not only do they mark the first major domestic competition after the Paris 2024 Olympics, but they also signal the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) full return to administrative control following its reinstatement in March…
Indian football finds itself at a critical crossroads as all Indian Super League (ISL) clubs except East Bengal have formally responded to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), asserting that any discussion on jointly hosting the league is futile unless the federation first removes key constitutional barriers. Their firm stance, communicated in a letter sent…
Hosts India closed their Pool B campaign in emphatic fashion, completing a commanding 4–0 win over Brazil in their final league match of the SDAT Squash World Cup on Thursday. Having already secured their passage to the quarterfinals, the Indians delivered another clinical team performance, underlining the depth and balance across their squad. They will…
In a match that delivered everything the WTT Finals promises high speed, dramatic momentum swings and nerves of steel the home duo of Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem edged India’s Manush Shah and Diya Chitale 3-2 in Group 1 mixed doubles on Thursday evening. The Hong Kong pair prevailed 11-7, 11-3, 4-11, 12-10,…
Day three of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7, powered by Clear Premium Water, produced a series of dramatic swings and tightly contested match-ups as Yash Mumbai Eagles and Gujarat Panthers emerged victorious in the opening half of play at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium. With each point carrying strategic weight under the TPL…
The third edition of the CII Sports Business Awards, held in 2025, arrived at a defining moment for Indian sport. With the National Sports Policy 2025 in place and India actively positioning itself as a serious contender to host the 2036 Olympic Games, the focus is steadily shifting from intent to execution. Against this backdrop,…
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is set to usher in a new chapter in domestic boxing with the 9th Men’s and 9th Women’s National Boxing Championships, scheduled to be held simultaneously for the first time, from December 31, 2025, to January 6, 2026, at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida. The official draw ceremony on…
Indian football stands at a critical crossroad. With the Indian Super League (ISL) facing uncertainty following the expiry of its Master Rights Agreement (MRA) and the ongoing delay in starting the league, clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) are now exploring a fundamental restructuring of how India’s top-flight competition is governed. At the…
India’s place on the ATP Challenger Tour calendar will remain intact next season, but the complexion of the circuit is set to look noticeably different. For the third year in a row, the country will host four Challenger events, yet the revised ATP calendar for 2026 reflects a recalibration of ambitions, resources and developmental priorities…
The USD 110,000 Odisha Masters Super 100 has started exactly the way Indian badminton would have hoped by placing numbers, depth and opportunity firmly on the nation’s side. After the opening round at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Indian shuttlers account for a striking share of the men’s singles Round of 32, reinforcing…
The seventh season of the Tennis Premier League, TPL Season 7 got underway with an action-packed opening day at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium, as SG Pipers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Rangers registered impressive wins to kick-start their campaigns. Making its debut in Ahmedabad, the league opened to a strong response from fans who witnessed top Indian…
Bengaluru’s young left-hander Veer Ganapathy produced a composed and attacking display to seize the outright lead after the second round of the IGPL UAE presented by Shiv Kapur, the Indian Golf Premier League’s first overseas event. Ganapathy followed up his solid opening round with a superb 6-under 66 at the Els Club, taking his 36-hole…
India delivered a statement performance at the SDAT Squash World Cup, registering a commanding 4–0 victory over Switzerland in a Group B encounter that underlined the team’s depth, balance, and growing authority on the world stage. With convincing wins across all four matches, the Indian squad showcased a seamless blend of youth and experience, leaving…
For Manush Shah and Diya Chitale, the WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025 is not just another tournament on the calendar. It is the sharpest test of their season, a reward earned through consistency across monthand a direct entry into table tennis’ toughest arena. When the mixed doubles draw placed the Indian pair in Group 1,…
The Indian hockey team were held to a 2–2 draw by South Africa in the second Test, a match that told a familiar story of territorial control, chances created, but a failure to fully capitalise on dominance. While India walked away undefeated, the draw will feel like a missed opportunity given the balance of play…
The Global Chess League (GCL) is set to script a historic chapter as it makes its much-anticipated debut in India from December 13 to 24 at Mumbai’s iconic Royal Opera House. Among the teams drawing early attention is Alpine SG Pipers, who enter Season 3 with a formidable squad blending elite international pedigree and rising…
