Sports

17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

India men beat Thailand 3-1; Women’s side records clean sweep against Dominican Republic in 2026 Olympiad

World champion D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin, and Vidit Gujrathi secured convincing wins as India’s men’s team opened the 46th World Chess Olympiad with a 3‑1 victory over Thailand World champion D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi registered convincing victories, but Arjun Erigaisi's late collapse cost India a clean sweep as the men's team began its campaign at the 46th World Chess Olympiad with a 3-1 win over Thailand here on Wednesday.Nihal was the first Indian to win, defeating Thanadon Kulpruethanon, before Gukesh produced a brilliant attacking display to beat Faris Rashid Alriyami. Vidit then completed a comfortable victory over…

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17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Accommodation mix-up leaves Indian athletes stranded in Nagoya ahead of 2026 Asian Games

The 2026 Asian Games have hit turbulence even before the opening ceremony, with Indian athletes stranded for hours upon arrival in Nagoya due to accommodation issues. The 2026 Asian Games have hit a major hurdle even before the opening ceremony could be staged and the Games officially declared open. The Indian athletes had an unusual arrival in Nagoya after being stranded for hours without proper accommodations.The Indian contingent for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan will have 503 athletes (269 men and 234 women). The competitors will be supported by 246 support staff members and 19 officials.Sahdev Yadav will serve…

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17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Keralam news channel MD, linked to Messi match controversy, arrested in illegal liquor case

Anto Augustine, managing editor and director of a Malayalam free‑to‑air news channel linked to the aborted Lionel Messi Kerala event, has been arrested on charges of illegal liquor possession. Anto Augustine, the managing editor and director of Reporter TV, a Malayalam-language free-to-air news channel linked to an alleged cheating case related to the unsuccessful attempt to bring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi to Keralam, has been arrested on charges of illegal possession of liquor.Lionel Messi and Argentina's visit to Kerala turned out to be a major political and criminal investigation after the planned event fell through. The earlier-in-command LDF government…

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17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Pakistan appeals to AHF for relocating ACT hockey matches at neutral venue; India outright denies

Pakistan approached the Asian Hockey Federation seeking to shift the Asian Champions Trophy to a neutral venue, citing the need for uninterrupted participation. But the appeal was firmly rejected by India, who is hosting this year’s edition. Pakistan approached the Asian Hockey Federation to shift the Asian Champions Trophy matches to a neutral venue. With India hosting the ACT hockey event this year, they want to ensure full participation in the continental tournament by playing uninterrupted at an impartial venue.India, however, has strictly denied their appeal.The men's hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 will be hosted in Punjab, with Mohali and…

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17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

FIDE pledges compensation to teams following accommodation disruptions at Chess Olympiad 2026

Several squads, including Team India, were left stranded upon arrival in Samarkand for the Chess Olympiad and were forced to rent rooms at their own expense after waiting for hours. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) assured on Wednesday that it would compensate the teams affected by the accommodation crisis that left them stranded and forced them to rent rooms at their own expense upon their arrival for the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.Team India and several other squads had to wait for hours when they arrived at Samarkand on Tuesday. Some players chose to share rooms or pay for accommodations…

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17

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Hardik and Pant’s India ODI comeback delayed as Naman Dhir and Aquib Nabi earn maiden call-ups

Rookie all‑rounder Naman Dhir and J&K seamer Auqib Nabi have earned maiden call‑ups to India’s ODI squad for the upcoming West Indies series, while veterans Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant were left out. Rookie Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir and Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi earned their maiden call-ups to India's ODI squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies, while veterans Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant were ignored for separate reasons.PTI had reported that KL Rahul will be the vice-captain in absence of Shreyas Iyer.India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies starting September…

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16

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

PV Sindhu praises creative monkey deterrent ahead of BWF World Championships

PV Sindhu has praised a “uniquely Indian” strategy to keep monkeys away from the BWF World Championships venue in New Delhi, calling it both amusing and effective As BWF World Championships 2026 returns to New Delhi after nearly two decades, preparations at the venue have taken an unusual and distinctly local turn.To prevent disruptions from monkeys, organisers have turned to an unconventional but effective method, one that has even impressed India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu.Calling it a “uniquely Indian” solution, Sindhu has backed the move, which involves hiring trained professionals to mimic langur calls to keep monkeys away from the…

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16

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

IG Arena revamped after India Open backlash ahead of BWF World Championships

After criticism during the India Open, SAI and BAI have overhauled the IG Arena in New Delhi with major upgrades ahead of the BWF World Championships When the India Open was held in New Delhi earlier this year, the focus shifted away from badminton for all the wrong reasons.Complaints about hygiene, poor lighting, air quality and even stray animals raised serious concerns about the readiness of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium to host top-tier international events.Now, with the BWF World Championships set to return to the capital from August 17 to 23, the Sports Authority of India and the Badminton…

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16

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Who is Amit Bhatia, the British-Indian set to buy a stake in Liverpool football club with Jeff Bezos?

British-Indian millionaire Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, is leading a group of investors looking to acquire 30 per cent of stake Liverpool Football Club. Other prominent names part of Bhatia’s group is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin If all goes as planned, Liverpool, one of the most famous football clubs in the world, will have new co-owners in the form of a consortium led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.Bhatia is being joined in acquiring a 30 per cent stake in the English Premier League club by none…

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16

Sep

By The Press Editor

Sports

Magnus Carlsen Exclusive | World No. 1 reflects on his beginnings in chess, parenthood’s impact & the infamous table-banging moment

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen was involved in a never-before-heard conversation with Firstpost's Rupha Ramani in the sidelines of the Global Chess League in Bengaluru. What happens when one of the world's finest chess grandmasters gets candid? It gives a whole new perspective. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen recently opened up about things which go beyond the chessboard, speaking about the influence of parenthood and his struggles in the game.Speaking to Firstpost's Rupha Ramani on the sidelines of the Global Chess League in Bengaluru, Carlsen delivered an unfiltered response to multiple subjects, including India's ascent as a chess powerhouse, the…

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