Sport

The 69th National Under-17 Boys' Kabaddi Championship began on Wednesday at Edulla Bayyaram village in Kothagudem district. Organised by the School Games Federation and sponsored by Kandi Charitable Trust and Mouri Tech, the event was inaugurated by Ministers Vakiti Srihari and Seethakka, along with local MLAs and officials.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s mispronunciation of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal at a press conference announcing the resumption of the Indian Super League has sparked a political storm in West Bengal. His slip, phonetically resembling “baigan” (eggplant), went viral online and drew sharp criticism from the TMC.

Khammam registered a commanding 75-run win over Hyderabad in the Kaka Venkataswamy Memorial Inter-District T20 Championship at Siddipet, while Mahbubnagar edged past Warangal by four wickets in another match.

Santosh Hariharan clinched the open category title at the City Square Open and Children’s Chess Tournament held in Hyderabad, while young players impressed across multiple age-group categories in a competitive event showcasing emerging talent.

SBI Hyderabad Circle booked a semi-final berth in the All India SBI Inter-Circle Football Tournament with a commanding 4-0 victory over SBI Patna Circle in Bhubaneswar, registering its third consecutive win in the competition.

The ICC has announced the full schedule for the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026, to be held in Nepal from January 18 to February 1, with 10 teams competing for four World Cup spots.

Arjun Tendulkar, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, will marry entrepreneur Saaniya Chandhok on March 5 in Mumbai. The intimate wedding celebrations will begin on March 3 and be attended by close family and friends.

BIG Academy, a hybrid learning-focused EdTech platform, was launched in Hyderabad with cricketer Yuvraj Singh announced as its brand ambassador. The academy aims to offer student-centric education combining technology, mentorship and mental well-being.

Sony Sports Network has been announced as the official broadcast partner for the Pro Wrestling League’s 2026 season. Returning after a seven-year hiatus, the league will feature six franchise teams and live coverage across television and digital platforms.

Women-focused helmet brand Tvarra announced Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues as an investor partner. She will help shape the brand’s vision, advocate responsible riding, and promote women’s safety. Tvarra plans offline retail expansion in 2026, beyond its current 600-city online presence

With four Associate nations competing in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, the ICC has highlighted four emerging players from Japan, Scotland, Tanzania and the USA who could make a strong impact at the tournament.

Indian shuttlers face challenging opening-round matches at the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi. Lakshya Sen meets Ayush Shetty in an all-Indian clash, while P V Sindhu opens against Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen.

Australian Open organisers announced a record AUD 111.5 million prize pool, a 16 per cent rise from last year. Singles winners will earn AUD 2.79 million, with increases across all rounds. The Grand Slam begins January 12 at Melbourne Park

The 69th SGF Under-17 Boys National Kabaddi Championship will be held in Kothagudem from January 7 to 11. As many as 33 teams from states, union territories and national institutions will compete, with meticulous arrangements made for players and officials

Lakshya Sen opened his season with a hard-fought win over Singapore’s Jason Teh at the Malaysia Open Super 750, advancing to the second round. Malvika Bansod lost her opener, while Ayush Shetty and M R Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan were set to play later

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that the Indian Super League will restart on February 14 with all 14 clubs participating. The I-League will also resume around the same time. AIFF will provide Rs 14 crore to conduct the ISL

Travis Head (163) and Steven Smith (129 not out) powered Australia to 518/7 at stumps on Day 3 of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. England trail by 134 runs after Joe Root’s 160 lifted them to 384 in the first innings

SBI Hyderabad Circle defeated SBI Maharashtra Circle 1-0 in the All India SBI Inter-circle Football Tournament at Bhubaneswar. Former international Mohd Qizar scored the winner in the 15th minute, while Roch Xavier was named player of the match

Pooja Rani and Jadumani Singh registered dominant wins at the Elite National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida. Lovlina Borgohain and Amit Panghal faced tough challenges, advancing through split decisions against Saweety and Priyanshu respectively in closely fought bouts

Nizamabad defeated Warangal by 29 runs in the Kaka Venkataswamy Memorial Inter-district T20 League at Godavarikhani, with Sai Pratheek scoring 65. Ranga Reddy beat Mahabubnagar by three wickets, chasing 209 with contributions from Sathvik and Vaishnav

Hyderabad and Hyderabad-A emerged champions in the boys and girls categories of the Slum Soccer Telangana State Championship at Madhapur. Hyderabad beat Ranga Reddy 6-1 in the boys’ final, while Hyderabad-A defeated Hyderabad-B 3-1 in the girls’ final

M Ritesh and K Aadyareddy won the boys and girls under-15 titles at the Pragathi Chess Academy All India Sub-Junior Chess Championship in Hyderabad. Winners were also declared in under-12, under-10 and under-8 categories for both boys and girls

Telangana shooters bagged four gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the National Shooting Championship. Gusti Noria, Darius Chenai, Yuvek Battula, Venkat Lakshmi Lakku and Mohd Abdul Khalique led the medal tally, with juniors also making a mark

Nalgonda District defeated Sportive CC by 36 runs to win the HCA B-Division T20 knock-out tournament. Adi Manikiran starred with 86 runs. In other league matches, Sec’bad Club, Amberpet, Nizam CC and Southern Stars recorded victories