Elena Rybakina reached her first National Bank Open final after defeating Coco Gauff in three sets. Gauff won the opening set 7-5 after securing a late break. Rybakina responded strongly, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-2. She completed the comeback in two hours, securing her seventh WTA 1000 final appearance.The victory marked Rybakina’s fourth three-set win of the tournament against Daria Kasatkina, Liudmila Samsonova, and Naomi Osaka. Her latest victory also took her 2026 hard-court wins to 26, moving her past Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina for the season’s highest total.&n
Kenya has officially bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, potentially becoming Africa’s first host of the flagship event. Nairobi is competing against London, Rome, and Munich, waiting for hosts to be announced after September’s championship in Budapest. Kenya’s Local Bid Committee, chaired by legendary distance-runner, Ibrahim Hussein presented its proposal to the World Athletics Bid Evaluation Panel. The final bid documents were submitted on August 6, following an evaluation visit in May. Kasarani Stadium forms the centrepiece of Kenya’s proposal, with Nyayo Sta
At just 18 years old, Aseel Osama Abdel Hamid has made history for Egypt by winning the country’s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. She claimed the women’s javelin title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with a winning throw of 59.82 metres. Croatia’s Vita Barbić finished second with 56.60m to take silver, while Chinese Taipei’s Tai Yu-chen secured bronze with 54.27m. The victory caps a breakthrough year for Osama, who has already established herself as one of Africa’s promising young javelin throwers. Earlier in 2026, she threw 60.97m to win t
The CAF 2026-27 calendar has been confirmed, providing member associations, commercial partners and fans with greater clarity on major competitions, dates and host nations across African football. The biggest event on the calendar is AFCON 2027, which Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host. The tournament will run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, with qualifiers beginning in September 2026. The CAF Super Cup will take place on November 8, 2026, in Tshwane, South Africa. Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns will face USM Alger, the Confederation Cup holders. CAF has also con
Indian badminton star Ashmita Chaliha created history on August 9, 2026, by becoming the first Indian shuttler to win the Korea Masters title. The 26-year-old defeated China's Han Qianxi in a thrilling women's singles final at the BWF Super 300 tournament. Chaliha lost the opening game 14-21 after Han fought back from an early 9-5 deficit. However, the Indian shuttler responded strongly, taking the second and third games 21-14, 21-14 to complete a 53-minute comeback victory. Her path to the title included a major quarter-final upset over Japan's top seed Hina Akechi. She then defeated f
India defeated Sri Lanka Cricket XI by six wickets on the third and final day of their warm-up fixture at the NCC Ground. Mohammed Siraj produced a stunning finish, smashing a hat-trick of sixes in the final over to seal the chase. Chasing 207 after Sri Lanka XI declared their second innings at 200/6, India needed 23 runs from the final two overs. Siraj, unbeaten on 32 off just 15 balls, hit Sonal Dinusha for a six in the 44th over before launching three consecutive sixes off Keshara Nuwantha in the final over. India completed the chase with three balls to spare. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-sc
Manipur’s Ariha Pangambam made history by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships. The 22-year-old scored 19.10 points at the 2026 Senior Women’s Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tagaytay City, Philippines. Ariha’s gold marks a major milestone for Indian gymnastics and adds to Manipur’s growing sporting legacy. After narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place finish, she returned to the international stage with a standout performance. The victory builds on her previous success. In 2025, Ariha won gold
India's 19-year-old Mohammed Ashfaq broke his own Under-20 national record in the men's 400m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. He clocked 45.81 seconds to finish second in Heat 5 and advance to the semifinals. Ashfaq's new mark improved his previous U20 national record of 46.05 seconds, set earlier this season in April. Ashfaq finished behind USA's Jayden DeLeon, who won the heat in 45.63 seconds. The Indian athlete's time placed him fourth overall in the opening round. Amanat Kamboj finished sixth in the women's discus final with a 53.24m, her personal best. Chin
Lionel Messi scored a brace as Inter Miami defeated Atletico San Luis 4-2 in their opening group-stage match of the Leagues Cup 2026, becoming the competition's all-time leading goalscorer. The Messi Leagues Cup record takes his tally to 14 goals, the highest in the tournament's history. The Inter Miami vs Atletico San Luis clash began with David Rodriguez giving the visitors an early lead in the fourth minute. Messi responded just seven minutes later with the equaliser before Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia put Inter Miami ahead in the 26th minute. Messi struck again just before hal
Sixteen-year-old Syndrela Das emerges as one of the biggest breakthrough stars of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 after defeating India's top paddler Manika Batra in straight games. The Manika Batra upset came while representing Dempo Goa Challengers, helping the two-time champions edge Ahmedabad APL Pipers 8-7 at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. The Syndrela Das UTT Season 7 performance showcased the teenager's composure against one of India's most experienced players. She blanked World No. 52 Manika Batra across all three games and was named the Match IQ Player