Sport

The final dates now align with the ISSF’s published 2026 calendar to avoid clashes with major international competitions

The two teenage all-rounders were selected for the BCCI women’s under-19 one-day cricket championship to be held in Lucknow from December 13

The BFI will host the 9th Men’s and Women’s Senior National Boxing Championships together for the first time at Gautam Buddha University from December 31 to January 6. The event marks the start of India’s next high-performance cycle ahead of LA 2028.

Tennis Premier League Season 7 opened in Ahmedabad with Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna playing a special exhibition match. Sania, returning after nearly 30 years, teamed with Dan Evans to beat Bopanna and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, thrilling fans at Gujarat University Tennis Stadium

The IPL 2026 auction will feature 350 players, including 240 Indians, competing for 77 slots across 10 teams. Quinton de Kock is a late addition, while Steve Smith returns to the list. KKR holds the biggest purse at Rs 64.3 crore

Hardik Pandya marked his return with a blazing 59 not out and a key wicket as India defeated South Africa by 101 runs in the opening T20I at Cuttack. Jasprit Bumrah completed 100 wickets as India took a 1-0 lead

Hyderabad shooting mentor Niranjan Reddy, who trained Olympian Gagan Narang and Deaflympics star Dhanush Srikanth, has earned the prestigious ISSF License A certificate in Doha, making him one of only 10 worldwide to achieve this milestone

Manish and Madhu bagged a double at the GBR Cultural Association Ground in Kompally, winning both the 40 years and above and 50 years and above doubles titles. The tournament also saw victories for Bose Kiran and Chandrasekhar in the 30 years category

The fourth annual D Chandra Sekhar Memorial Open tennis tournament will be held at Advantage Tennis Academy, Hyderabad, from December 20 to 21. Organised by DRC Sports Foundation, the event honours veteran coach Dasiga Chandra Sekhar and features competitions for men, women, and veterans

Telangana’s GM Prraneeth Vuppala won the Rome City Aperta International Chess Tournament, scoring eight points from nine rounds. The 17-year-old will soon compete in international tournaments across the Netherlands, Spain and other European countries, continuing his rise in world chess

Chama Milind, Hyderabad’s left-arm pacer and captain, has led his team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League phase with five wins from seven matches, continuing his consistent domestic form despite being overlooked for higher-level recognition

India will face Sri Lanka Women in a five-match T20I series starting December 21, with World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading the side. The first two matches are in Visakhapatnam, followed by three in Thiruvananthapuram

Telangana’s Jameel Khan won gold in the traditional weapon category at the International Martial Arts Championship in Toronto, Canada. Competing in the senior black belt division for the 50 years and above age group, he outshone athletes from 30 countries

Hyderabad will host the 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup hockey qualifiers at Gachibowli, along with the Asian Rowing Championship and Hyderabad International Chess Festival. The city will also see major sports infrastructure projects including a FIFA-AIFF Football Academy and Dream Valley Golf Resorts

Keystone Basketball Academy men and St Francis College women emerged champions in the Annual League Basketball Championship at YMCA Secunderabad. Keystone beat Titans 75–66, while St Francis edged Nizam Basketball Academy 57–55 in closely fought finals

Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari said the State is committed to building a strong pipeline of athletes for the 2036 Olympics through major investments, global partnerships, new sports bodies, mini stadia, para-sports facilities and athlete-centric welfare schemes announced at the Telangana Rising Global Summit.

India defeated Wales 3-1 in a classification match at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup in Santiago. Goals from Hina Bano, Sunelita Toppo and Ishika sealed the win, keeping India in contention for a top-10 finish

Shubman Gill has been cleared to play the South Africa T20 series after recovering from a neck injury and completing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The T20 vice-captain said he feels “much better” ahead of his comeback

Team India clinched gold in the FEI Children’s Classic Silver Tour, with riders Stasya Pandya, Sresht Mantena, Harshvardhan Singh Gulia, and Prithiv Krishna excelling. Stasya, riding Cougar, also ranked 12th globally, highlighting ARC’s role in nurturing equestrian talent

India were fined 10 per cent of their match fee for a slow over rate in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. Despite losing that match, India bounced back to win the series 2-1 with Jaiswal’s maiden century

India begin their T20 World Cup preparations with Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya returning for the five-match series against South Africa in Cuttack. With Suryakumar Yadav’s form under scrutiny and the Samson-Jitesh debate ongoing, India aim to refine combinations before February’s showpiece

Hyderabad scored 256 on the opening day of the Cooch Behar Trophy under-19 league match against Punjab at NFC Ground, Hyderabad. T S Rama Krishna (81) and Wafi Kachchhi (70) starred, while Punjab’s Anmoljeet claimed 7 wickets. Punjab reached 58/0

Maharashtra gained a crucial first-innings lead against Hyderabad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy under-16 Elite Group match at Mulapadu. D Eknath scored 119 and Prajwal More hit 170 as Maharashtra reached 366/7 in reply to Hyderabad’s 301

Telugu kickboxers Harsha Ratnakar and Naisha Bajaj reached the quarterfinals of the Senior World Kickboxing Championship in Dubai before winning State gold in Sangareddy. Naisha will compete in the Khelo India Asmita Zonal league, while both athletes seek greater support