Sport

SFR Snehit and Abhimanyu Mitra won the men’s doubles title at the 52nd Institutional Table Tennis Championships in Indore, while Kaushani Nath and Sampada Bhiwandkar claimed women’s doubles gold. Singles matches saw top seeds progress and several upsets in the women’s draw

Young Dynamos Club won the under-11 title, Tony 7 claimed the under-16 trophy, and Rainbow Club secured the under-13 crown in the Sagi Kalyan and Vasan Memorial football tournament held at Loyola Academy Sports Complex, Hyderabad

The Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton will be held from January 13 to 18, 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. With global stars, higher prize money, and bigger seating, the Super 750 event promises an enhanced fan experience

The ICC Match Referee has rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch for the fourth Ashes Test as unsatisfactory, citing imbalance between bat and ball. England defeated Australia in two days, raising concerns over pitch quality ahead of future Boxing Day Tests

The ICC Match Referee has rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch used for the fourth NRMA Insurance Ashes Test as unsatisfactory. England won the match in two days, while Australia continues to lead the series 3-1.

Bhutan spinner Sonam Yeshey made history by taking 8 wickets for 7 runs in a T20I against Myanmar, becoming the first bowler ever to claim eight wickets in a men’s T20 International match

Liverpool beat Wolves 2‑1 to stay in the Premier League’s top five, while Kevin Schade’s hat‑trick powered Brentford past Bournemouth. Fulham edged West Ham 1‑0, and Burnley held Everton goalless in a busy day of action

Pakistan kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput has been banned indefinitely by the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation for representing an Indian team in a private tournament in Bahrain without an NOC. Rajput apologised, claiming he was misled, but the federation upheld disciplinary action

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma’s record 162‑run stand powered India to their highest women’s T20I total of 221/2, before Vaishnavi Sharma’s 2/24 sealed a 30‑run win over Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram. India now lead the five‑match series 4‑0

India’s Arjun Erigaisi and Koneru Humpy won bronze medals at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championships in Doha. Carlsen clinched his sixth men’s title, while Goryachkina won the women’s crown after a tie‑break against Zhu Jiner

P Shanvi will captain Hyderabad in the BCCI Women’s under‑15 one‑day cricket championship starting January 2 in Vizianagaram. The squad includes V Nikeshini as vice‑captain, with Prateeka Katravath and others, while five players have been named as stand‑bys

Left‑arm pacer Chama Milind will captain Hyderabad in the remaining Vijay Hazare Trophy matches in Rajkot. The squad includes experienced names like Tanmay Agarwal and Rahul Buddhi, with Sai Pragnay Reddy and Prateek Reddy as wicketkeepers

Karnataka defeated Hyderabad by five wickets to win the South Zone Physical Disability T‑20 Tournament at NFCL Cricket Ground. Bharat’s 35 and Ashoka Yadav’s four wickets starred in the win

Surya Charishma Tamiri and S Ritvik Sanjeevi clinched the women’s and men’s singles titles at the Senior National Badminton Championships in Vijayawada

K Akshaj and Haneesha Varma won the boys and girls under‑8 titles at the Mt Bayan Global School chess tournament in Hyderabad. The event also saw winners across under‑10 and under‑12 categories, showcasing promising young chess talent

Telangana Olympic Association co‑opted three new members at its Annual General Body Meeting in Hyderabad. K Suresh Kumar, Vijender Singh and Surender Joseph joined as office‑bearers, pledging to boost sports administration and athlete welfare across Telangana

Hyderabad’s Aaron George has been selected for India’s under‑19 World Cup squad to play in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The young batter, known for his consistency, hopes to break into the senior team, drawing inspiration from AB de Villiers

N Pavani Sarayu of Andhra Pradesh won the girls Group I 400m individual medley at the South Zone Aquatics Championship in Hyderabad. Karnataka swimmers dominated across groups, while Andhra, Telangana and Kerala also produced medal‑winning performances

Khammam District defeated Mahabubabad District by one run in the East Zone league of the TCA Telangana Gold Cup at Warangal. Imran Shaik top‑scored with 37 and was named player of the match as Khammam posted 159/9

Punjab University and Chandigarh University advanced to the quarterfinals of the All India Inter‑university Inter‑zonal Table Tennis Championship in Hyderabad. Punjab edged SRM 3‑2, while Chandigarh cruised past Hemchand Yadav Vishwavidyalaya 3‑0. Other universities also posted strong wins

The Round of 32 at the 52nd Institutional Table Tennis Championships in Indore saw major upsets, including Diya Chitale’s exit. PSPB players advanced strongly, while several matches went the distance, highlighting the intensity and unpredictability of the competition

A 45-year-old trekker from Uttar Pradesh died on the Goechala route in Sikkim after falling ill during descent. The incident marks the third death on the route in 2025, raising fresh safety concerns.

An experienced pilot was killed after a tandem paraglider crashed shortly after take-off at Bir Billing in Kangra district. The tourist on board survived. Authorities suspended paragliding for a day and ordered an investigation into the cause.

Martin Odegaard’s first goal of the season and a Georgino Rutter own goal helped Arsenal beat Brighton 2-1 in London. David Raya’s late save preserved the win, taking Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League table