SPORTS

Kolkata, Oct 2 (IANS) Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti shared a warm moment with his Indian counterpart Khalid Jamil on Friday, embracing him and wishing him good luck ahead of the two teams’ historic clash here on Saturday.Brazil’s press conference was nearing its end when Jamil entered the room. Ancelotti was answering his final questions before the Italian coach got up and met Jamil on the podium.The two exchanged a few words before sharing a warm embrace, with Ancelotti wishing Jamil luck. Brazil then left the stage as India took over for their pre-match media interaction.The moment brought together two coaches from vastly different footballing backgrounds. Ancelotti is one of the most decorated coaches in the sport, having won multiple Champions League and league titles during a care...

Vancouver, Oct 2 (IANS) Sikandar Raza’s rapid half-century, Nicholas Pooran’s 40 off 16 balls and Moeen Ali’s unbeaten 37 off 18 headlined the third day of Canada Super 60 Season 2, as Mississauga Masters, Toronto Sixers and Vancouver Anchors picked up victories at BC Place. Raza reached his 50 off 24 balls as Mississauga posted 125/2 and then held Montreal Royal Tigers to 123/4 for a two-run win. Pooran struck at 250 as Toronto chased down White Rock Warriors’ 128/6 with three balls remaining, while Moeen’s unbeaten knock helped Vancouver chase 85 against Brampton Blitz with eight balls to spare.Vancouver Anchors were the first side to register a win on the men’s schedule, bowling Brampton Blitz out for 84/9 before reaching 90/4 in 8.4 overs. Moeen led the chase with 37 not out from 18 ba...

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Indian boxer Parveen Hooda said her ability to reset mentally after a nearly two-year ban and a difficult comeback helped her overcome a series of setbacks and clinch the Asian Games gold medal in the women’s 65 kg category here on Friday.Parveen, who was banned for 22 months in 2023 for a Whereabouts Clause violation, returned to competition after serving her suspension but endured another painful setback at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she lost in the quarterfinals.She also forfeited her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games after the ban, making her journey back to the top particularly difficult.However, instead of allowing those setbacks to define her career, Parveen chose to start again from scratch. On Friday, she defeated Chinese Taipei’s Nien-...

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Ankush Panghal called Olympian and former Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal his elder brother, highlighting that he wanted to replicate Amit's 2018 Asian Games gold medal with a yellow metal of his own in the 2026 Games.Ankush defeated South Korea's Kim Minseong in the 80kg gold medal bout by 4-0 with a dominant performance in the final to become the first Indian men's boxer to win a gold since Amit clinched one in the 2018 Jakarta Games."Yes, he (Amit) is my elder brother. I used to talk to him. I still talk to him. In 2018, Amit Pangal won the gold; this time I wanted to replicate him. He is like my real brother," Ankush said after the gold medal win.Ankush came into the final after beating reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev in the semifinal by 4-1. An...

Kakamigahara, Oct 2 (IANS) Indian women’s hockey team forward Lalremsiami has achieved 200 senior international appearances for the country, a landmark she reached during India’s gold-medal match against China at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.Hockey India has congratulated the star player for achieving the milestone.The 26-year-old Lalremsiami made her senior international debut in 2017 and has since established herself as a key member of the Indian women’s team, contributing across major international competitions and playing a major role in some of the team’s most significant achievements.Her medal-winning journey includes an Asian Games silver medal in 2018 and bronze in 2022, while she was also part of the Indian team that won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. At the FIH Natio...

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi will not attend the high-stakes Asian Games men's cricket gold medal match between India and Pakistan due to prior commitments.The ACC confirmed Naqvi's absence ahead of the marquee final, to be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, as he extended his best wishes to the teams competing for the medals. Before the gold medal game, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will face each other in the bronze medal game."ACC President, Mr Mohsin Naqvi, will miss Finals Day at #AsianGames2026 due to prior commitments, but sends his very best wishes to all four teams ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal Matches," the ACC said in a statement posted on its social media accounts on Friday.India a...

Nisshin, Oct 2 (IANS) India stand on the brink of defending their Asian Games gold medal, but batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar has brushed off the hype surrounding their high-stakes final against arch-rivals Pakistan, adding that the side views the contest strictly through a professional lens.An India-Pakistan clash naturally commands massive global attention, and it will be the same when the gold medal game happens at the Korogi Sports Park on Saturday. "A lot of eyeballs will be there, but for the players, to be frank with you, it's facing a bowler or bowling to a batter. So that's what it comes down to, and that's what professionals do, so that's what we'll be focused on," Kanitkar told reporters on the eve of the match.The former India batter, famous for hitting the match-winning boun...

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday heaped praise on boxer Parveen Hooda for winning the women's 65kg gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games. Murmu hailed Parveen's "skill, courage and conviction" that brought her the gold medal after defeating Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-chin in a closely fought final by 3-2. "I extend my warmest congratulations to Parveen Hooda on winning the Gold Medal in the Women’s 65kg Boxing event at the Asian Games 2026," President Murmu wrote for Parveen on X."You fought your way to the top with skill, courage and conviction. Daughters like you make India feel so proud when our tricolour flutters high, and our national anthem is played in an international competition. This Gold Medal is going to inspire countless youth, especially the girls," ...

New Chandigarh, Oct 2 (IANS) India’s under-fire bowling unit faces a stern test of redemption when they take on the West Indies in the third and final ODI at the New PCA Stadium on Saturday.Although the hosts hold an unassailable 2-0 lead, thus making Saturday’s game a dead rubber, the narrative surrounding the series has been dominated by excessively batter-friendly pitches in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, where a whopping 811 runs were yielded. It prompted India head coach Gautam Gambhir to publicly call for a more even contest between bat and ball.While top-order batters have flourished, India’s new-ball bowling attack has floundered, as seen from them picking just one wicket across the opening 10 overs of the first two matches while conceding 177 runs in the mandatory power-play pha...

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Ankush Panghal clinched a gold medal in the men's 80kg final after a superb 4-0 win over Minseong Kim of South Korea at the Nishio Gymnasium at the ongoing Asian Games as India's boxing campaign came to a fruitful end. Ankush dominated the bout from the word go and got the ruling of four of the five judges in his favour by 30-26, while one judge tied the two at 28-28. The Korean pugilist was docked a point for warning in the first round.Ankush won the first round 4-1 as he landed his punches fiercely. He was even superior in the second round as he bagged it 5-0 with some 1-2s and pounced with counter punches. Kim also landed some punches, but the Indian looked far better.The Indian produced another display of counter punches in the third round as he blended defence wit...