Sport

East Bengal FC created history with a 12-0 rout of Guam’s Rovers FC in the AFC Women’s Champions League preliminary stage. The victory was the biggest-ever by an Indian club in an Asian competition, taking East Bengal closer to the group stage.

Akshara International School’s Ch. Naga Chaitra impressed at the Open State-level CBSE Cluster VII Athletics Meet, winning gold in the 800m and silver in the 400m. The Karimnagar athlete’s performance earned her qualification for the CBSE Nationals.

The Hyderabad District Athletic Association will conduct athletics-cum-selection trials at Gymkhana Ground on August 22 for boys and girls in Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 categories. The trials will feature track and field events across age groups.

Indian women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand credited the home crowd for inspiring their win over Japan’s seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi at the BWF World Championships. The duo is now one victory away from securing a medal

PV Sindhu’s BWF World Championships campaign ended after a thrilling three-game defeat to China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the pre-quarterfinals. The Indian star missed a chance to claim a record sixth medal and will now turn her attention to the Asian Games

Ayush Shetty’s BWF World Championships campaign ended after a pre-quarterfinal loss to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. The Indian shuttler admitted he was not sharp enough and said he would learn from the defeat before shifting focus to the upcoming Asian Games

Six-wicket hauls from A Sai Chandra, Akshay Sistla and P Sai Varshith, along with centuries by Ishan Virani and Abdul Samad, were the highlights as the HCA C-Division one-day league and B-Division quarterfinal matches produced several big performances.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called for an accelerated nationwide talent identification roadmap to build India’s athlete pool for the 2036 Olympics. He also stressed stronger SAI scouting, public-private partnerships, CSR participation and a structured coaching accreditation system.

Iran’s women’s kabaddi team gained valuable match practice against India and local sides during a six-day SAI camp in Sonepat ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. Coaches highlighted the exposure’s benefits for player development, tactics, fitness and international experience.

Maharashtra’s Prateek Tulsani clinched the Under-15 boys’ title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, while Karnataka’s Tanishka Kalbhairav won the girls’ crown after a five-game battle against West Bengal’s Saturya Banerjee in Kanpur on Thursday.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold said the Colombo pitch will determine whether India replace Kuldeep Yadav with off-spinner Saransh Jain in the second Test. He also highlighted Sri Lanka’s batting struggles and possible bowling changes after their Galle defeat

Devdutt Padikkal praised Manav Suthar’s exceptional control after the young spinner claimed 10 wickets in India’s 165-run win over Sri Lanka in the Galle Test. Padikkal also credited India’s patience, discipline and first-innings batting effort for the victory

Telangana swimmer D. Varshith won bronze in the men’s 200m individual medley at the 52nd Junior National Aquatics Championships in Bhubaneswar. He clocked 2:10.97, adding to his medals from the 2024 Junior Nationals and 2025 Khelo India Youth Games.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund has praised the rapid transformation of New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Sports Complex ahead of the World Championships. The venue faced criticism during the India Open earlier this year, but participating players have now provided overwhelmingly positive feedback

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has extended his Red Bull contract through 2030, ending speculation over a potential move to a rival team. The 28-year-old has yet to win this season but remains committed to Red Bull’s future

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has called the IPL generation’s ability to seamlessly transition from T20 cricket to Tests a “mystery”. Comparing the shift to pop singers attempting classical ragas, he praised modern players’ adaptability, technique and concentration

India all-rounder Riyan Parag has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo inspired his passion for Manchester United. Parag also backed Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to excel this season and believes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland could adapt well to cricket if given the chance

The ICC appeals panel has rescinded the demerit point imposed on Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium after overturning its ‘Unsatisfactory’ pitch rating for the Pakistan-Australia ODI. The panel found no excessive unevenness or spin, leaving the venue with zero demerit points

The Premier League returns for 2026/27 with Arsenal defending their title, three promoted clubs returning to the top flight and nine English teams competing in Europe. Coventry, Hull and Ipswich bring fresh storylines as clubs battle for honours and survival

Ravindra Jadeja reflected on his decade-long India career after the team’s 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle. The veteran all-rounder recalled India’s 2017 triumph at the venue and said sustaining a career at the highest level requires hard work

Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi believes D Gukesh’s World Championship title defence against Javokhir Sindarov will test his mental strength more than his chess ability. Vidit said Gukesh must overcome his recent inconsistent run and rediscover the form he showed in 2024

Telangana’s Nayana Sri Talluri has become the first Indian girl to qualify for the Junior World Cup in short track ice speed skating, with events scheduled in Italy (2026) and Kazakhstan (2027).

The Telangana State Under-17 chess championship will be held at Vikas Concept School in Bachupalli on August 22 and 23. The top two players in the boys and girls sections will represent Telangana at the forthcoming Nationals

Gachibowli Hockey Stadium has received FIH Category-1 Field Certification after meeting international standards for playing surface, safety, lighting and infrastructure. The certification makes it India’s first and only Category-1 water-based synthetic turf hockey field