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On the final day of the 38th National Games swimming competitions, held at the Manskhund Swimming Pool, Golapar, Haldwani, athletes from across the country delivered exceptional performances

On the final day of the 38th National Games swimming competitions, held at the Manskhund Swimming Pool, Golapar, Haldwani, athletes from across the country delivered exceptional performances. Leading the charge, Karnataka showcased its supremacy, claiming several gold medals and proving its strength in the sport. On Tuesday, in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Harshita Jayaram H from Kerala emerged victorious, clinching the gold with a time of 1:14.34. Saanvi Yogesh Deshwal from Maharashtra secured the silver at 1:16.37, while Jyoti Bajirao Patil, also from Maharashtra, earned the bronze with a time of 1:17.36, as per a press release from 38th National Games.

Vidit Shivshankar J B from Karnataka dominated the Men’s 100m Breaststroke, claiming the gold with an impressive time of 1:03.97. The silver went to Dhanush C Suresh from Tamil Nadu, who finished in 1:04.51, while Rana Deepak Kumar Singh from Jharkhand secured the bronze with a time of 1:04.57.

The Women’s 100m Freestyle saw Dhinidhi Desingu P S from Karnataka claim gold with a remarkable time of 57.34 seconds. Titiksha Rawat from Delhi followed with silver at 59.38 seconds, and Aditi Satish from Maharashtra bagged the bronze with 59.49 seconds.

In the highly competitive Men’s 100m Freestyle, Srihari Nataraj from Karnataka stood out, winning the gold with a time of 50.65 seconds. Geetesh Shah from Maharashtra took silver at 51.61 seconds, while Rishabh Anupam Das, also from Maharashtra, earned bronze with 51.71 seconds.

The Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay saw Karnataka’s team claim the gold with an outstanding time of 4:03.91. Tamil Nadu secured silver with a time of 4:10.61, while Maharashtra completed the podium with bronze at 4:11.09.

With an impressive tally of gold medals, Karnataka emerged as the dominant force in swimming on the final day of the National Games. The Manskhund Swimming Pool in Haldwani served as the perfect stage for these thrilling competitions, showcasing the nation’s finest swimmers and offering an exciting spectacle for the audience.

Coming to a football event in Haldwani, the semi-finals of women’s football saw Odisha and Haryana secure remarkable victories, booking their spots in the final.

In the first semi-final, Odisha defeated Delhi 5-1. Rebecca Zamthianmawi scored Delhi’s lone goal, while Odisha’s Pyari Zaxa netted one with Malti Munda scored a brace while Sumitra Hembram and Jabamani Tudu got their names on the scoresheet.

In the second semi-final, Haryana triumphed over West Bengal 4-1. Ranjita Devi scored the only goal for West Bengal, while Haryana lead by captain Mamta (7′ & 28′), Neha (23′), and Sharda (54′) led their team to a convincing victory.

Odisha and Haryana will now face each other in the final, with football enthusiasts eagerly awaiting this exciting showdown.

Adam Peaty announced Wednesday he intends to compete at a fourth Olympics after six new swimming events were added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Adam Peaty announced Wednesday he intends to compete at a fourth Olympics after six new swimming events were added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games in what he called “an amazing decision.” The International Olympic Committee ratified a move that will see the 50m backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke all contested for the first time. Previously, only freestyle was raced over the sport’s shortest distance despite all four strokes being on the schedule at world championships.Britain’s Peaty is a two-time 100m breaststroke gold medalist and the world record holder over 50m.

The 30-year-old had previously stopped short of confirming his plans for Los Angeles, but the chance to win a 50m breaststroke title has convinced him to keep going.

Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, the reigning men’s Olympic 50m freestyle champion, added: “50m specialist training methods now a hot commodity after dunking on it for so many years.”

Overall there will be 55 medals awarded in aquatics — which also includes artistic swimming, water polo, diving and open water — more than any other sport.

American Gretchen Walsh broke her own 100m butterfly world record on Saturday, clocking 55.09sec in the heats at the Tyr Pro Swim Series.

American Gretchen Walsh broke her own 100m butterfly world record on Saturday, clocking 55.09sec in the heats at the Tyr Pro Swim Series meeting in Orlando, Florida. Walsh had set the previous world record of 55.18sec at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis on June 15 last year, although she settled for silver in the event at the Paris Olympics behind teammate Torri Huske. Walsh’s record came a day after the two-time Olympic relay gold medallist joined Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom as the only women to break 25 seconds for the 50m butterfly, clocking 24.93 to win the final.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will be in the mix as part of the Freedom team helmed by none other than FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsly in the World Rapid and Blitz team chess championship

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will be in the mix as part of the Freedom team helmed by none other than FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsly in the World Rapid and Blitz team chess championship that gets underway in London. Anand is the only Indian in the fray in his team. Hot favourite WR Chess team will be spearheaded by Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia on the top board in the absence of world’s top player Magnus Carlsen who had refused to participate in FIDE tournament.

The likes of Arjun Erigaisi on the top board will be assisted by P Harikrishna on the second board.

World junior champion V Pranav is a welcome addition to the team alongside Luke Leon Mendonca who is probably the next big player making a mark in Indian chess after the quartet of world champion D Gukesh, Arjun, R Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram.

The event will also see Nihal Sarin in action representing the fifth seed Ashdod elite chess club. Nihal and Anand will play as the top seed on top board like Arjun Erigaise but the event will miss the presence of Carlsen and Gukesh who have both skipped the event.

The WR chess team is the favourite for the crown with Nepomniachtchi, Firouzja Alireza, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexandra Kostenuik, and Wesley So in the side.

As a rule, every round has to have a female player as well as a player rated less than 2200 on FIDE rating list that was last published on June 1. The traction caused by these dynamics makes the event more interesting than any other team tournament.

There is a decent prize money for the rapid and blitz event as the winner of each competition gets USD 110000 and USD 75000 respectively. The event had gained huge success in the previous edition thanks to participation of especially Carlsen.

Magnus Carlsen’s furious reaction after losing to D Gukesh at Norway Chess 2025 went viral on social media.

Indian chess grandmaster D Gukesh contested a hard-fought Norway Chess 2025 tournament against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, ultimately losing the title to him narrowly. Carlsen had beaten Gukesh in Round 1 of the tournament. However, Gukesh avenged it by defeating Carlsen in Round 6. What followed was an angry reaction from Carlsen, who banged his table after losing. Gukesh has now named the win over Magnus as his most memorable moment from the tournament.

When asked what his favourite moment of the tournament was, Gukesh, Carlsen and the crowd burst into laughter.

“Beating Magnus,” was Gukesh’s prompt response.

Carlsen had the same sentiment. The video of him banging the table after the defeat to Gukesh went viral on the internet.

“I think it’s the same. I mean, there were a lot of great moments in the tournament, but that one definitely stands out,” Carlsen said.

World number one Magnus Carlsen, after clinching his seventh Norway Chess title on Saturday, noted that Indian chess stars D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi are “very good” but “still need a little bit of time to prepare.”

Carlsen’s final-round game against Arjun ended in a draw. The title was then decided by the result of the match between Gukesh and American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana. Caruana’s win over Gukesh helped Carlsen secure the top spot.

Carlsen finished the tournament with 16 points. Caruana came second with 15.5 points, and Gukesh secured third place with 14.5 points. Arjun Erigaisi, who had a strong campaign, ended in fifth place with 13 points.

Speaking to ANI after the tournament, Carlsen said, “I feel great. It is a relief to win the tournament. In the end, it was such a rollercoaster, but it is good.”

Carlsen also appreciated the talent of both Gukesh and Arjun but said they still need some time to grow. Referring to his match against Gukesh, which he lost, Carlsen called it a game that will “stick out” and stay in memory. After that loss, Carlsen’s visible frustration, which included banging the table and knocking over chess pieces, went viral on social media.

Nikhat Zareen opened her campaign with a clinical 4:1 win over Uttar Pradesh’s Rashi Sharma in the 48-51kg category on the opening day of the the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament.

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen opened her campaign with a clinical 4:1 win over Uttar Pradesh’s Rashi Sharma in the 48-51kg category on the opening day of the the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament in Hyderabad on Saturday. Haryana’s Anjali scored an upset win over World Championships bronze medallist Manisha Moun in the 57-60 kg category at the Hyderabad’s Saroornagar Indoor Stadium. Other notable Day 1 results included a win for 2023 world champion Nitu (Haryana) in 45-48kg over Rajani Singh (UP) 5:0 while Telangana’s Yashi Sharma defeated K Monisha (Tamil Nadu) 5:0 in the 60-65kg category.

Another standout performer from the TOPS setup, Laxmi, posted a dominant 5:0 win in the 51-54kg bout against Ragini (UP).

The gold and silver medallists in each of the 10 weight categories will be selected for the elite national camp to be held in Patiala.

Former youth world champion Ankushita Boro showcased her class on Day 2 of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament, advancing to the semi-finals in the 65kg category

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 medalist Lovlina Borgohain eased past Punjab’s Krisha Verma in the 75 kg weight category with a unanimous victory, setting up a clash against Uttar Pradesh boxer Sneha in the penultimate round of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament in Telangana on Sunday. Former youth world champion Ankushita Boro showcased her class on Day 2 of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament, advancing to the semifinals in the 65kg category with a clinical 5:0 win over Rajasthan pugilist Parthvi on Sunday.

In the 51kg division, home favourite and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen delighted the Hyderabad crowd with a dominant 5:0 victory over Kalpana.

Organised by the Telangana Boxing Federation under the aegis of the Boxing Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Telangana, the tournament brings together top-tier names and emerging prospects from across the country. With 15 participating units–including 12 from the recent Elite Nationals, host Telangana, the SAI NCOE Combined team, and the TOPS Talent & Development squad–the competition is part of BFI’s ongoing initiative to refine the national pool and scout future stars, as per a BFI press release.

Other notable quarterfinal results saw Preeti (54kg), Jyoti (51kg), and Devika Ghorpade (51kg) book their semifinal berths with clean, unanimous wins. Tamil Nadu’s V. Lakshaya (51kg) impressed with a 5:0 win over Laxmi Devi and will face Nikhat in the semi-finals, while Tanu (54kg), Shashi (65kg), and Yashi Sharma (65kg) also moved ahead after solid outings. Ankushita’s TOPS teammate Gitimoni Gogoi advanced in 70kg via RSC, and Babirojsana Chanu (57kg) registered a stoppage win in the second round.

The tournament, serving as a gateway to the elite national camp in Patiala, continues at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, with semifinals scheduled for Monday.

As the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 player auction approaches on May 31-June 1 in Mumbai, Aslam Inamdar stands as a symbol of determination.

The 25-year-old suffered a meniscus tear in his knee that required surgical intervention. “I made a decision that I had to recover quickly. It has been six months now, and I have recovered properly. I am ready for Season 12,” he declares confidently.

Aslam’s absence was keenly felt by Puneri Paltan in Season 11. The team that had conquered PKL in Season 10 with him as captain could only manage an 8th place finish. “I was able to play seven matches, and until then, my team was at the top of the table in Season 11,” Aslam recalls. “When I was ruled out, my team’s confidence level went down, I feel, and that affected our performance.”

In the PKL, he has scored 545 points from 70 matches and picked up 38 points in seven matches in Season 11 before his unfortunate injury.

As the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 auction approaches on May 31 and June 1, U Mumba’s captain Sunil Kumar is preparing for what he believes will be one of the most competitive bidding wars in recent memory. The veteran defender, who led his team back to playoff glory in Season 11 after a seven-year drought, is optimistic about building an even stronger squad for the upcoming campaign. “I am hopeful about the auction,” says Kumar, reflecting on the team’s preparation strategy. “The team management has made a plan, and we will go beyond that. We hope that we will get a good team.”

U Mumba’s resurgence in Season 11 was nothing short of spectacular. The franchise secured their first playoff berth since 2019, winning 12 games – their most since Season 7. The U Mumba side’s journey to the latter stages was built on a foundation of experienced leadership and emerging talent, a formula Kumar believes will be crucial in the upcoming auction.

The PKL 12 auction pool promises to be exceptionally deep and exciting, with several marquee names entering the fray. Kumar acknowledged the challenge ahead: “There are so many quality players who have come to the auctions. There are a lot of good players in the auction this time. It’s going to be very tough, and all teams will go after everyone.”

Mohammadreza Shadloui created history at the outset after the Season 11’s Most Valuable Player was snapped up for INR 2.23 Crores in the very first bid of the evening by Gujarat Giants

Devank Dalal, who was the Best Raider in PKL 11, joined Shadloui in the 2 Crore category after he was eventually signed by Bengal Warriorz for INR 2.205 Crores, making him the fifth-most expensive player ever in PKL. 

After Category A saw 5 players bought for more than INR 1 Crore, Category B followed in the same vein. Ankit Jaglan was bought back by Patna Pirates for INR 1.573 Crore with the raise of an FBM card for one season, while Season 8 winner Naveen Kumar was the second-most expensive player in this Category, paid by Haryana Steelers for a price of INR 1.20 Crores. 

“Day 1 of the PKL Season 12 Player Auction was a landmark moment, with a record-breaking 10 players crossing the Rs 1 crore mark across Categories A and B – reflecting the continued growth in player value and the league’s evolution over the past decade. The introduction of the two-season Final Bid Match (FBM) rule also had an impact, with two teams choosing to retain players for a longer duration – highlighting our commitment to building continuity within squads. We now look forward to Day 2, as the franchisees build their squads for the upcoming season,” said Mr. Anupam Goswami, Business Head, Mashal Sports & League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League.