Smriti Mandhana, India's outstanding hitter, has moved up one spot to second in the latest ICC Women's ODI batting rankings, drawing closer to the top. Her outstanding performance in the just-finished Tri-Nation event in Sri Lanka contributed significantly to her rise. Mandhana last topped the ODI batting rankings in 2019. In this series, she scored 264 runs in five innings, making her the tournament's second-highest run scorer. Her greatest performance came in the final, when she hit 116 off 101 balls against hosts Sri Lanka. She now trails current No. 1 Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa by
India is set to make history at the Diamond League's Doha leg on May 16, fielding the largest squad ever at the premier global event. Four Indian athletes will compete for the nation, led by Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra, who returns to a familiar arena with confidence and resolve. Chopra, who won in Doha in 2023 with a remarkable throw of 88.67m and finished second in 2024 with 88.36m, is still a strong medal candidate. Kishore Jena, a fellow javelin thrower, will be joining him again. Jena, who finished ninth in last year's edition with a throw of 76.31m, will attempt to impro
Smriti Mandhana put on an outstanding display in the Women's ODI Tri-Series final at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. Her 116 off 101 balls helped India post a dominant total of 342/7 against Sri Lanka. With this knock, she not only achieved a huge victory for her team but also etched her name into history. Her century was her 11th in Women's ODIs, passing England's Tammy Beaumont. Only Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13) are now ahead of her on the all-time list. Mandhana also set a new milestone for the most sixes by an Indian woman in ODIs, with 54, beating Harmanpreet Kaur'
Mohammed Afsal broke the national record in the men's 800m at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai. The 29-year-old ran 1 minute and 45.61 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 1:45.65 set by Jinson Johnson in 2018. Despite this extraordinary accomplishment, Afsal finished second in the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level competition at the Dubai Police Stadium, trailing Kenya's Nicholas Kiplagat, who won in 1:45.38. Although Afsal missed the automatic qualification threshold of 1:44.50 for the 2025 World Championships, his time represents significant improvement since his silv
Johann Zarco won the French Grand Prix on Sunday, ending a 71-year wait and making him the first French racer to win at home since Pierre Monneret in 1954. The 34-year-old Honda LCR racer performed a superb race in treacherous conditions, reaching the line about 20 seconds ahead of Marc Marquez, while 19-year-old Fermin Aldeguer finished third, his first MotoGP podium. The victory came under dramatic circumstances, with early rain disrupting the race. Zarco started in the middle of the pack, slid to 17th after a brief off-track excursion, but remained composed as the field battled for cont
The Thai Cabinet has officially authorised the cooperation framework for the "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025" campaign, which represents a significant push to establish Thailand as a global leader in tourism and sport. The decision, taken on May 6, 2025, requires alignment between the public and private sectors with the goal of increasing competitiveness and tourist readiness. This government-backed program identifies eleven strategic pillars for improving Thailand's tourism experience. Incentives for airlines include decreased fees and expanded slot allocations, parti
Thailand is set to host the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in 2025, which will take place from August 22 to September 7. The tournament will take place in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Nakhon Ratchasima, and will include 32 of the world's finest women's national volleyball teams. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports verified the country's readiness. Minister Sorawong Thienthong emphasised the event's importance in raising Thailand's worldwide profile and solidifying its position in international sport. It is projected to attract more than 1.3 billion viewers and generate more
The United Arab Emirates will host the 6th Asian Yogasana Championship in July 2025, making it the first time this continental event will be hosted in the GCC region. The UAE Ministry of Sports will organise the championship in partnership with the UAE Sports for All Federation and the UAE Yoga Committee, overseen by the Asian Yogasana Sport Federation (AYSF), which Padmashri Nouf Al Marwaai chairs. Following a recent visit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. Al Marwaai, the tournament is viewed as a step towards strengthening Yoga cooperation among Asia, Africa, and the Ar
Emirates Cricket Board Vice-Chairman Khalid Al Zarooni has conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to the UAE women's national cricket team for reaching a historic milestone by receiving One Day International (ODI) status from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the first time. This recognition will take effect on May 12, 2025, and will include five Associate Member nations for the 2025-2029 cycle. Thailand and Scotland retained their ODI status by qualifying for the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, while Papua New Guinea and the Netherlands kept their status through T20I rankin
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won her third Madrid Open title on Saturday, defeating American star Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (3). This victory brings her level with Petra Kvitova for the most Madrid Open victories, and it is the Belarusian player's 20th career triumph. Sabalenka's dominance on the tour this year has continued to astonish. She has now made four consecutive finals and leads the WTA Tour with 31 match victories in 2024. Her new victory strengthens her position at the top of the international standings. Gauff, ranked World No. 3, had the opportunity to surpass Iga Świątek and mov