SPORTS

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Lovlina Borgohain opened up about thoughts of quitting boxing after the Paris Olympics, where she failed to win a medal after clinching a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.Lovlina on Friday created history when she became the second Indian woman boxer to win a gold at the Asiad after the legendary Mary Kom as she changed the colour of her 2023 Hangzhou Games from silver to gold this time around.Lovlina opened up about the tough time after the Paris Games, where she contemplated quitting the sport but returned as she enjoys boxing. "The time after the Paris Olympics was very hard for me. It hurts when we give our 100% for the results, but it does not come as we think. After that, it feels like everything is over," she told IANS after her Asiad gold.'But after that, I realise...

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Veteran Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Friday announced his retirement from first-class cricket, acknowledging that his long-cherished dream of earning a Test cap was no longer within reach, while adding that he remains committed to competing in white-ball formats.Chahal, who has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is, never got the opportunity to don the Test whites despite a 17-year career in domestic and county circuits. His last international appearance came during a T20I against the West Indies in August 2023.“The first cricket ball I ever held was a red ball. I was 10 years old, and I had no idea then how deeply I would fall in love with this game. For me, red-ball cricket was never just another format. It was where I learned the meaning of patience...

Kasugai, Oct 2 (IANS) Pranavi Urs continued her strong run in the women's individual stroke play to sit on top of the board after Day 3 of the golf event at the Kasugai Country Club East Course here on Friday.Pranavi shot a four-under 66 on Day 3 to sit at -15 after the first three days of the women's individual stroke play. She hit five birdies and a bogey to jump from second after Day 2 to the top spot after Day 3. She has a strong chance of winning a medal going into the final day of the event.However, Indian men golfers endured another tough day as they remained out of medal positions after the three days, with Veer Ahlawat sitting at 10th spot with six-under 204 across the three days. In the men's team event, India dropped from fifth spot to sixth place.While the men's team needs to p...

Kakamigahara, Oct 2 (IANS) One win away from history, the Indian men’s hockey team will return to action on Saturday with the biggest prize of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in sight. After a thrilling semi-final win against arch-rivals Pakistan, the defending champions now face Malaysia in the gold-medal match, knowing that victory would not only bring another Asian Games title but also secure qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. India have never won successive Asian Games gold medals, making Saturday’s final a chance to write a new chapter in the team’s history. Standing in their way are Malaysia eyeing their maiden Asian Games gold. Like India, they too have remained unbeaten throughout the competition and topped Pool B with five consecutive victories.The two teams arrive at ...

Gamagori, Oct 2 (IANS) India sailor Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women’s dinghy, ending her 12-year wait for a podium finish after seventh, fifth and fourth place finishes at the previous three editions of the Asian Games.Nethra finished with 14 points after the two-race final series at the Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor. Thailand’s Sophia Montgomery won gold with five points, while Singapore’s Jania Ang took silver with 13.It is India’s third sailing medal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, following the men’s skiff silver won by Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble and the women’s skiff bronze claimed by Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma.Nethra entered the finals with seven recalculated points from the qualification series held earlier in the week.In Final 1, Nethra finished in sixth place (adding six poi...

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) India captain Shubman Gill said he feels “extremely lucky” to have the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli around him as India build towards the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, calling the veteran duo invaluable to the team. “I feel extremely lucky. Virat bhai is probably the best ODI batter, and Rohit bhai is the best ODI opener in the world. And then to be able to have these two players in the team and their experience, and the moments that they have shared together, it's great, and we really enjoy having them in the team. And their experience is very valuable for us,” Gill said in an interaction with JioStar ahead of the third ODI against the West Indies.Gill, who took over as India's Test and ODI captain, said he does not restrict himself to seeking adv...

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) India captain Shubman Gill has described the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup as “unfinished business”, saying players do not get too many opportunities to represent their country at the marquee tournament, and he is grateful to have another chance to do so. The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will kick off on October 2, with the final scheduled for November 21. Two-time champions India will open their 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7.The marquee clash offers Shubman Gill and his team an immediate rematch of the 2023 World Cup final, where Australia beat India in Ahmedabad, as their opening assignment of the 14-team mega event to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.“Yes, absolutely, it...

Okazaki, Oct 2 (IANS) Indian men's recurve archery team settled for a silver medal in the final after going down to nine-time champions South Korea at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square at the ongoing Asian Games here on Friday. The Indian trio of Neeraj Chauhan, Yashdeep Bhoge, and Dhiraj Bommadevara lost to the Korean powerhouse, featuring Kim Je Deok, Kim Woojin, and Lee Wooseok, in the title clash, 1-5 to settle for a silver as a historic gold slipped out of their hands.This is India’s second consecutive Asian Games silver in the men’s recurve team event, with the team also losing to South Korea in the final at Hangzhou 2023. Olympian Bommadevara was part of that silver-medal-winning team as well.The Indian archers found it hard to beat the Korean juggernaut and managed to ...

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh hailed Lovlina Borgohain’s historic Asian Games gold while also lauding her for becoming first Indian women boxer to feature in two consecutive Asian Games finals, an achievement not even the great Mary Kom had achieved.Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina won the women’s 75kg gold after beating China’s Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the final, becoming only the second Indian woman boxer to win Asian Games gold after Mary Kom.It is also birthday girl Lovlina’s second Asian Games medal, following her silver at Hangzhou 2023.A silver at the Commonwealth Games 2026, Lovlina was dominant in the final against the Chinese boxer as she won the contest with four judges scoring 29-28 in her favour and one giving her a 30-27 card. She won...

Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh hailed Lovlina Borgohain’s historic Asian Games gold while also lauding her for becoming first Indian women boxer to feature in two consecutive Asian Games finals, an achievement not even the great Mary Kom had achieved.Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina won the women’s 75kg gold after beating China’s Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the final, becoming only the second Indian woman boxer to win Asian Games gold after Mary Kom.It is also birthday girl Lovlina’s second Asian Games medal, following her silver at Hangzhou 2023.A silver at the Commonwealth Games 2026, Lovlina was dominant in the final against the Chinese boxer as she won the contest with four judges scoring 29-28 in her favour and one giving her a 30-27 card. She won...