India defeated Iran in the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 to win its eighth title in nine editions. In a stunning performance, India overcame Iran 42-32 at the Dong-Eui Institute of Technology Seokdang Cultural Center in Busan, Republic of Korea, on June 30. India, the defending champions, allowed Iran a few easy bonus points, but caused a second all-out in the 19th minute. The Indian side quickly built on their lead with an impressive all-round display. Pawan Sehrawat led from the front with a super 10. Earlier in the day, India had beaten Hong Kong 64-20 to end the leagu
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first male footballer to play 200 international matches. The 38-year-old created history in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying round match against Iceland at Reykjavik's Laugardalsvollur stadium on June 20. His 89th-minute goal helped the team win 1-0. Ronaldo was also given a Guinness World Record certificate ahead of the match to mark his achievement. Ronaldo made his international debut in 2003. The goal against Iceland was his 123rd goal for Portugal, extending his record as the all-time leading international goalscorer. The Al-Nas
Olympian C A Bhavani Devi on June 19 created history by progressing to the semifinal of the women’s sabre event at the Asian Fencing Championships in Wuxi, China, bringing India its maiden medal at the event. She won a historic bronze medal at the championship. Bhavani stunned reigning world champion Misaki Emura of Japan 15-10 in the quarterfinals to script history. Misaki had won the women’s sabre gold medal at the 2022 World Fencing Championships held in Cairo. Bhavani had never beaten the Japanese fencer in their past three meetings on the piste. In the semifinal, Bhavani was up
India's top shot putter Tajinder Pal Toor broke his own Asian record with a throw of 21.77m on the final day of the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar on June 19, qualifying for the World Championships. Representing Punjab, the 28-year-old sportsperson bettered his own Asian record of 21.49 m set in 2021 at Patiala. His third-round throw of 21.77m at the Kalinga Stadium was the ninth-longest distance in the world this season. Toor qualified for the World Championships with a qualifying mark of 21.40 m. He also made it to the Asian Games that has 19 m as the qualifying mar
Indian men's football team captain Sunil Chhetri on June 21 became the third active male footballer after icons Ronaldo and Messi to score 90 goals in international football. The 38-year-old scored a hat-trick, including two goals from penalties, against Pakistan in the 2023 SAFF Championship match, to make the feat. Ronaldo has scored 123 international goals, while Messi has netted 103 goals. The Indian senior men’s football team started its SAFF Championship title defence by defeating Pakistan 4-0 in Group A match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. It was a big v
The PGA Tour has agreed to merge with Saudi-backed competitor LIV Golf in a deal to move ahead as one golf enterprise. Putting aside their pending litigation, the two sides have signed an agreement to combine their commercial businesses and rights into a new for-profit company. The agreement also covers the DP World Tour or the PGA European Tour. LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), a unit controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and has been involved in antitrust lawsuits with the PGA Tour in 2022. The new deal announced on June 6 would end
India's Sunil Kumar created history by bagging the country's first-ever gold medal in men’s decathlon. The 19-year-old won the gold medal with 7,003 points at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Yecheon, Republic of Korea on June 6. Kumar suffered a setback when a South Korean airline and Air India barred him from carrying his pole vault due to technical issues due to its five-metre length. He then borrowed the pole vault from the contest organisers and won the 10-event competition with a personal best tally of 7,003 points on the penultimate day of the competition. He won 100m
India has won 19 medals at the Under-20 Asian Athletics Championships, including six gold medals, held in Yecheon, Republic of Korea from June 4 to 7. The country finished third in the championships among 45 nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9 praised Indian athletes for their impressive performance at the 20th Asian U20 Athletics Championships. Congratulating the athletes, he tweeted, “Proud of our athletes! They performed exceptionally well...We celebrate the triumph of our athletes and wish them the very best for their future endeavours.” Japan topped the medals table
Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema has joined Saudi Arabia club Al Ittihad. On a three-year contract, the soccer star is set to earn more than €400 million (over ₹3,500 crore). He also has an option of extending the contract for a further season. Earlier, it was expected that Lionel Messi, who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after two seasons, will also move to another Saudi Arabian club, Al Hilal. However, on June 8, the 35-year-old Argentine confirmed he plans to join MLS side Inter Miami, snubbing Barcelona and Al-Hilal. Al Ittihad is the rival club of Benzem
World number three tennis player Novak Djokovic has broken the record for reaching most quarter-finals in the history of French Open. The 36-year-old Serb beat Peruvian tennis player Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 57 minutes to reach his 17th Roland Garros quarter-final on June 4. The 14-time champion Nadal, who held the previous record with 16 French Open quarter-finals, has just undergone psoas surgery. He revealed the usual recovery time for psoas surgery is five months, and Djokovic spoke of how he hoped to see ‘one of the greatest legends of tennis’ return healt