Sportstar

India’s Asian Games-bound track and field athletes are set to assemble at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for a final preparatory camp beginning on August 16. The stint will include the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet on August 22, offering the athletes a competitive test less than a month before competition in Aichi-Nagoya. Jayantho Sengupta reports. Read more: shorturl.at/41OU8 | 📷 PTI

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝟱𝟭-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽? The upcoming tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium might have gone under the radar for many in India. The national team is an outside bet for the title and would need to play out of its skin to challenge for a podium finish. Read Aashin Prasad's preview ➡️ shorturl.at/c7gvD Watch ➡️ https://youtu.be/krlVVBwBDv0

N. Mukesh Kumar, one of the world’s finest right-wingers hockey has ever seen, believes that the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team can put up a memorable performance in the men's FIH World Cup 2026. He belives that that Harmanpreet holds the key to the team’s fortunes for the tournament starting on August 16. ✍️ V. V. Subrahmanyam | 📷K. Murali Kumar Read more: shorturl.at/k81ef

A Jeff Bezos-backed consortium has reached a deal for a minority stake in Premier League club Liverpool. Fenway Sports Group, which bought the English giant in 2010, will maintain the majority share and operational control of the club. Read more: shorturl.at/3neKC | 📷 AP

In a serious breach of anti-corruption regulations, a player in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League has come under the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit scanner. He was found to be in possession of a mobile phone in the restricted Players and Match Officials Area during his team’s match. S. Dipak Ragav reports ➡️ shorturl.at/YmlEH 📷 B. Jothi Ramalingam

𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗙'𝗦 𝗨𝗣 🏄 From 10 participating countries, the World Surf League Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 and Pro Junior now see only two countries fighting for the title. Japan has dominated every category, except for the women’s event, where Thailand swooped into the title fight. Meanwhile, India saw itself out of the competition at the end of the third day in Mahabalipuram. Read Pavithra A's report ➡️ shorturl.at/f5rGs 📷 R. Ravindran

𝐀 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐚𝐢𝐛 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐫! The former Pakistan fast bowler has said he could have reached 400 Test wickets had he played under the dynamic leadership of Imran Khan. Read more: shorturl.at/mnUbI | 📷 The Hindu Archives

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲? Veteran Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar certainly thinks so. “𝘐’𝘮 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮; 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 24 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴." Read Siddanth Nair's full chat with Bhullar ➡️ http://shorturl.at/EpgzX 📹&✂️ Siva Sankar A

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 — 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚 𝐯𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚, 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 For both nations, this two-Test series is crucial in the ICC WTC rankings. Placed fifth, India is hoping to register multiple triumphs and secure a berth in the WTC final. In the rival corner, stationed at the sixth position, Sri Lanka wants to retain its home fortress. Read K. C. Vijaya Kumar's match preview ➡️ shorturl.at/WVLfk 📷 PTI

𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀! Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the Asia Cup and Asian Games after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred. Find out more: https://shorturl.at/kLpM2 | 📷 Getty Images

Vasanth Bharadwaj has been involved in Indian table tennis for well over five decades, as a former player and an expert consultant for devising the Table Tennis Federation of India’s selection criteria. Now, as the TTFI finds itself suspended again, Bharadwaj minces no words in voicing his frustration in a chat with Amol Karhadkar. Read full interview: shorturl.at/h2QiZ | 📷 R. Ravindran

For Indian chess enthusiasts, all eyes will be on Nihal and Erigaisi, who remain on course to strike India’s first-ever podium finish at the Esports World Cup ♟️🇮🇳 When chess at the Esports World Cup 2026 resumed on Thursday, Arjun and Nihal, both playing in the last bracket qualifiers, held their nerves to secure their spots in the quarterfinals. Perhaps luck works both ways. ✍️: Neeladri Bhattacharjee Read more here: shorturl.at/ikGx7 📸: Special Arrangement

P.V. Sindhu was was 14 when India last hosted the coveted event, in Hyderabad, and has had the best view of how the sport has evolved, in terms of infrastructure and intent. The biggest change from then to now has been the access players now have to an elaborate support staff that handles different aspects of an athlete’s performance, development, and longevity 🏸💪 ✍️: Anirudh Velamuri Read more here: shorturl.at/pJHjk 📸: Sushil Kumar Verma and AFP

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) president Meghna Ahlawat has requested the Sports Ministry to keep its suspension as the National Sports Federation on hold and reconsider the decision, while raising concerns over the implications of an interim administrative arrangement proposed through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) 🏓 ✍️: Amol Karhadkar Read more here: shorturl.at/4HD4I 📸: Getty Images

At 20, Watanabe is young enough for the junior circuit, but experienced enough for the label to feel incomplete 🌊 He won the Asian under-18 title in 2023, finished fourth at the 2024 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and became the WSL Asia junior champion in 2025. The Japanese junior champion’s return to India brings him back to a demanding break and a familiar rival, while the country prepares for surfing’s historic Asian Games debut 🏄 ✍️: Jayantho Sengupta Read more here: shorturl.at/jdveP 📸: Special Arrangement

On a Galle surface which is expected to aid spin, Morne Morkel hasn't denied the possibility of having three left-arm spinners ranging from the conventional Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar to the unconventional Kuldeep Yadav, plying his chinaman wares. ✍️K. C. Vijaya Kumar ▶️ https://shorturl.at/ZqiEJ 📸Shiv Kumar Pushpakar