Vadodara, Jan 5 (IANS) India’s Priyanuj Bhattacharya and Japan’s Miku Matshusima registered contrasting victories to clinch the U-19 boys' and U-19 girls' singles titles in the WTT Youth Contender 2026, presented by Sports Authority of Gujarat, at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara on Monday.
Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) As the countdown to the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 begins, the Gujarat Giants are blending preparation with perspective. On Monday, the Adani Sportsline-owned franchise visited the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai to seek blessings ahead of the new season, which gets underway on January 9 in Navi Mumbai.
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) World Champion Minakshi, two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain kicked off their campaign with easy wins in the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, on Monday.
Noida, Jan 5 (IANS) Sangam Challengers produced a composed and resilient performance to defeat Kanpur Warriors 37–32 in the opening match of Day 12 of the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2, registering their third consecutive win and moving up from seventh position to second place on the league table.
Diu, Jan 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the transformative power of sports in a special message on Monday as the second edition of Khelo India Beach Games got off to a colourful start at the Ghoghla Beach in Diu, which is wearing a festive look with the Games' mascot ‘Pearl’ – the happy and energetic dolphin – welcoming athletes, support staff, volunteers and all stake holders.
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Former Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting has backed out-of-form India skipper Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to kick off on February 7. Yadav has been out of form and has managed just 218 runs across 19 innings with a below-par strike rate of 123.16 in 2025. However, Ponting showed his trust in the Indian skipper and urged him to back his aggressive style of play.
Navi Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) UP Warriorz marked the announcement of Meg Lanning as captain of the franchise with a special celebration in Navi Mumbai on Monday as groups of young fans and cricketers under the age of 12 came together to surprise the newly-appointed leader.
Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS) The Kalinga Lancers began the men's Hockey India League (HIL) 2026 season successfully with a 4-2 win over Ranchi Royals at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Monday. Alexander Hendrickx (7’, 28’) and Gursahibjit Singh (16’, 26’) each scored two goals, helping the Kalinga Lancers bounce back from an early deficit, gain control of the match, and earn the first points of the season.
Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS) Three 17-year-olds, Pune’s Arjun Chheda and Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran, and Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru were in the spotlight with victories in the MRF single-seater categories as the third and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 concluded at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai on Monday.
Navi Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar said his side has the potential to make a strong impact in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) if the squad can gel quickly and perform together as a cohesive unit.
