Sports

World Champion Gukesh D and Magnus Carlsen are among over 360 players confirmed for the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Doha. The event from December 25 to 30 features multiple world champions, top-rated competitors, and rising stars in the sport. A total of 233 players registered for the Blitz Open and 230 for the Rapid. Magnus Carlsen returns to the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz, aiming to unseat the reigning 2024 World Rapid champion, Volodar Murzin, after previously sharing gold in the Blitz and missing out on the Rapid crown in New York. World Champion Gukesh D has confirmed his attendance, which is anticipated to attract significant public interest. His impressive performance in Zagreb earlier this year positions him as a favorite in the Rapid event. Ma...

Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith made an unusual remark directed at former England spinner Monty Panesar just before the first Ashes Test. Panesar had suggested that England should make Smith feel "guilty" over his involvement in the 'Sandpapergate' scandal of 2018, which led to Smith being removed from his captaincy after a ball-tampering incident against South Africa. This incident is frequently referenced by English fans as a taunt towards Smith. The question regarding Panesar's comments was introduced at a press conference shortly after it began, suggesting it may have been prearranged between Smith and the journalist. Smith referenced Monty Panesar's appearance on the BBC TV show Mastermind, where he provided only one correct answer, to illustrate a humorous point. He engage...

Bangladesh achieved their fourth win over India in football, securing their first victory in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers group. Shekh Morsalin's goal in the 11th minute led to India's 0-1 defeat, which placed them at the bottom of the group, alongside Singapore and Hong Kong, with one game remaining. The Indian football team's failure to avoid finishing bottom of a group including Bangladesh, Singapore, and Hong Kong is unacceptable, especially given their aspirations of becoming a strong competitor in Asia. The criticism of the coach and players is irrelevant in light of this disappointing outcome. Gavin Lee's Singapore will participate in the 2027 Asia's premier football competition, contrasting India's struggle within a failing football ecosystem. The outcomes for India and...

World Boxing is considering the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to review bouts, according to outgoing president Boris van der Vorst. The World Boxing chief recognized that addressing the controversial scoring system will be a key challenge for the organization overseeing the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The main challenge in boxing is maintaining the integrity of the competition, as the best boxer's hand is raised at the end of each bout, according to Van der Vorst during the World Boxing Cup Finals. He stated that they are currently exploring the use of AI to review boxing bouts in order to restore trust among fans and boxers, noting that it is a work in progress. Scoring in boxing, whether under the previous International Boxing Association (IBA) or the curre...

Following outstanding performances in their home series against South Africa and Sri Lanka this week, Pakistan's batter Salman Agha and spinner Abrar Ahmed have risen to their highest positions in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings. After scores of 69 and five not out in the previous series against South Africa, Salman's game-winning 105 not out off 87 balls in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi helped him move up 14 spots to 16th in the batting rankings. In this format, he is now rated second among Pakistani players, behind seventh-ranked Babar Azam. Abrar moved up 17 spots to 20th among bowlers after collecting three wickets for 53 runs and four for 27 against South Africa. At 16th place, he is now just four spots behind Pakistan's best bowler in the format, Shaheen Shah Af...

Abhishek Sharma continued his impressive performance by becoming the fastest player to reach 1000 T20I runs during the fifth match between India and Australia at Gabba. This achievement placed him at the top of the T20I scoring charts. Rohit Sharma achieved the remarkable milestone of scoring 1000 runs in international cricket during his innings for the Men in Blue. He reached this landmark by scoring 11 runs off 7 deliveries, accomplishing this feat in just 29 innings since his debut in July 2024. Virat Kohli is recognized for holding the Indian T20I record as the fastest player to score 1000 runs, achieving this in 27 innings. However, the Punjab batter surpasses global records by reaching the same milestone in 28 innings, leading in terms of balls faced. Abhishek has set a new...

Telugu cricketer N. Shree Charani, a member of the 2025 women's cricket world cup winning team, would receive a monetary incentive of Rs 2.5 crore, a government position, and a house site, according to the Andhra Pradesh government. Shortly after arriving from Delhi, the young cricket player called Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who then announced the prize. Additionally, the Chief Minister said that she would be hired by the state government as a Group 1 officer. Additionally, the 21-year-old will receive a 1,000-square-yard site in Kadapa for the construction of a home. Minister Nara Lokesh and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu joined Shree Charani in celebrating the World Cup victory. She expressed gratitude to them for their help. According to the Chief Minister, she has becom...

Rishabh Pant has returned from the injury he suffered in England in July and has been included in India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. The first Test is scheduled for November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the second Test in Guwahati on November 22. Pant replaces N Jagadeesan, who was part of the squad for the recent series against the West Indies. Additionally, Akash Deep has been added to the squad in place of Prasidh Krishna. Pant has been reinstated as the vice-captain of the team following his return to competitive cricket. He made his comeback as captain of India A during an unofficial Test against South Africa A, held from October 30 to November 2 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The 28-year-old player was be...

The FIDE Chess World Cup 2025's second round begins on Tuesday at the Resort Rio Convention Centre in Goa, featuring 17 Indian players among the competitors. In the opening round, the top fifty-seeded players, including eight from India, were granted byes. Notably, the second round marks the return of the top seed and reigning World Champion D. Gukesh, along with India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi and third seed R. Praggnanandhaa. A total of 24 Indian players participated in a field of 206 competitors, with the top 50 seeds receiving byes in the opening round. Sixteen Indians competed, but after the first round, only 17 remain in contention for the title, following the elimination of seven players. Notably, reigning Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh, the only female wildcard, was among...

Jemimah Rodrigues, a player from St Joseph’s Convent in Bandra West, has consistently demonstrated tenacity and commitment in her cricket career, representing both her school and Mumbai cricket. In a crucial match held in Navi Mumbai, she played a key role in India's victory over Australia, propelling the team into the World Cup final. Her father and first coach, Ivan, who attended the emotionally charged game with his wife, drew a parallel between the match and the biblical tale of David versus Goliath, highlighting the challenge posed by the taller Australian bowlers against his daughter. The father of cricketer Jemimah, expresses his pride in her abilities and compares her victory against Australia to the biblical story of David vs Goliath. He highlights her years of hard work and p...