Sport

Hyderabad’s Aaron George, who guided the State to victory in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, has been named in India’s under-19 squad for the ACC Asia Cup in Dubai starting December 12. India will face Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others

The Global Chess League, jointly organised by Tech Mahindra and FIDE, opens ticketing for Season 3 in Mumbai. Matches will be held at the Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, featuring world champions and rising stars

Lionel Messi has confirmed Hyderabad as part of his GOAT Tour of India 2025. The World Cup-winning captain will visit Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi between December 13 and 15, with events including celebrity matches, clinics and musical programmes

Telangana swimmer Mittapalli Rithvika won a gold in 50m breaststroke and two bronze medals in relay events at the Khelo India University Games in Rajasthan. The 18-year-old, currently training with the SAI camp in Bengaluru, will next compete in Dubai and Chennai.

The Global Chess League Season 3, co-hosted by Tech Mahindra and FIDE, opens ticketing as Mumbai turns into a citywide chessboard. The Royal Opera House hosts stars like Anand, Gukesh, and Praggnanandhaa from December 13–24, with fans able to book via District.

Hyderabad cricketer Aaron George, who recently led the State to a Vinoo Mankad Trophy title, has been named in the India Under-19 squad for the ACC Asia Cup in Dubai from December 12. India will play in Group A alongside Pakistan and two qualifiers.

The five-match IDFC First Bank Women’s T20 series between India and Sri Lanka will begin in Visakhapatnam on December 21. Vizag will host the first two fixtures, while Thiruvananthapuram will stage the remaining three matches on December 26, 28 and 30.

The Boxing Federation of India has appointed Santiago Nieva as Head Coach of the Indian Women’s National Boxing Team. Returning after his 2017–21 stint, Nieva will guide India’s women boxers through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, strengthening long-term high-performance systems.

Bengal defeated Hyderabad by 22 runs in the Women’s U-23 T20 championship. Telangana State-ranking chess tournament will be held on November 30. Bhavan’s Vivekananda College won the Osmania University basketball trophy, while Royal United FC beat Deccan Dynamos 5-1

The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will conclude in Assam in January 2026. Thirty-five teams will play group stages across nine venues from December 15 to 26, with Dhakuakhana and Dhemaji hosting the final round

Deepti Sharma became the costliest buy at the 2026 WPL mega auction, retained by UP Warriorz for Rs 3.20 crore. Amelia Kerr, Shree Charani, Laura Wolvaardt and Meg Lanning also landed big deals as franchises strengthened their squads

India vice-captain Rishabh Pant apologised for the team’s 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa, saying players will regroup and refocus to come back stronger. The defeat has intensified scrutiny on coach Gautam Gambhir’s strategy of relying on all-rounders

Sunil Gavaskar defended India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the Test series loss to South Africa, saying coaches can only prepare teams but players must deliver. R Ashwin also backed Gambhir, stressing players should take responsibility instead of blaming the coach

Kylian Mbappé scored four goals, including the second-fastest hat trick in Champions League history, as PSG and Arsenal recorded big wins. Teenagers Viktor Dadason and Geovany Quenda impressed, while veteran David Luiz became the second-oldest scorer in the competition

India’s Test selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, may turn to seasoned domestic stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh after the South Africa whitewash. Experts stress the need for specialists over all-rounders to strengthen the batting line-up

KVG 1 achieved a double by winning both the boys under-14 and girls trophies in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy floodlit cricket tournament at Sports Coaching Foundation, Hyderabad. Junaid, Venkat, Kirthi and Sabiha starred in the finals

Tatva School (Gajularamaram) defeated St Michael’s 4-1 to win the under-10 final of the Subramaniam inter-school football tournament in Hyderabad. Monkish scored a hat-trick, Rudra added one, while St Michael’s won the under-12 final against Reqelford

Nalgonda defeated Concorde by four wickets in the HCA B-Division T20 league-cum-knock-out tournament in Hyderabad. Other winners included Ensconse, Khammam, Mahbubnagar and Classic, while Ronith Narayana and Abdul Rafeay starred with unbeaten knocks

Tanvi Sharma, 16, stunned former World No 1 Nozomi Okuhara in a thrilling three-game battle at the Syed Modi International 2025. The World Juniors silver medallist rallied to win 13-21, 21-16, 21-19, advancing to the quarterfinals

Goa CM Pramod Sawant announced plans to introduce chess in every school after hosting the FIDE World Cup 2025. The event saw 206 players from 82 countries, with Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov becoming the youngest champion

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu hailed India winning the bid to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030, calling it a proud moment for every citizen. He lauded PM Modi’s leadership, saying the achievement boosts India’s global standing and commitment to sporting excellence.

Adilabad scored an eight-wicket win against Deccan Blues in the HCA B-Division T-20 League-cum-knock-out tournament

The new agreements, collectively valued at Rs 48 crore, will cover the 2026 and 2027 seasons and further strengthen the commercial ecosystem of the world’s biggest women’s cricket league

Former Syed Modi winner Srikanth produced a fluent performance to defeat compatriot Kavin Thangam 21-13, 21-10, keeping his campaign on track as he eyes another deep run in Lucknow