Cricket's official retention for the 2026 Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) confirms the sport's rising prominence in the region. On April 28, the 41st AINAGOC Board of Directors met at Nagoya City Hall to make the announcement. The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Japan's Aichi and Nagoya prefectures from September 19 to October 4, including 41 sports and attracting approximately 15,000 participants and officials from 45 National Olympic Committees. Cricket, along with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was given formal approval to participate in the games. MMA will debut in the Com
Despite battling with a stomach flu outbreak, the Singapore women's hockey team made history by winning their first Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup title on April 27 in Jakarta. In a dramatic final at the Bung Karno Sports Complex, they defeated Chinese Taipei 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation, winning a spot in the 2025 Women's Hockey Asia Cup. Five players got infected with the stomach bug following their group-stage loss to the same opponents. Two players required hospitalisation, including co-captain Valerie Sim, who later described the incident as a true test of
Mao Saigo of Japan won her maiden Major championship by winning a thrilling and unprecedented five-woman playoff at the Chevron Championship on April 27 in The Woodlands, Texas. Saigo hammered in a pivotal five-foot birdie putt at The Club at Carlton Woods, fulfilling a long-held desire. Starting the day tied for the lead with South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran, Saigo shot a two-over-par 74 and needed a birdie at the par-five 18th to make the playoff. Yin Ruoning of China, Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, and American Lindy Duncan all finished at seven-under-par 281. It fea
The 2025 TCS London Marathon has officially smashed the global record for most marathon finishers. Guinness World Records, which celebrates its 70th year in 2025, acknowledged the accomplishment, with 56,640 runners successfully finishing the race. This milestone breaks the previous record of 55,646 finishers set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2024. In addition to the overall record, an amazing 41 Guinness World Records titles were broken throughout the marathon, with 87 official attempts. Angus Leckonby set the fastest marathon time for a male (II1) at 3:36:38, while Zoe Co
Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia made history by breaking the women's marathon world record at the London Marathon in 2:15:50. The 28-year-old athlete dominated the race in the absence of 2024 winner Peres Jepchirchir, who set the previous record of 2:16:16. Assefa remained strong in a leading pack of four early on, but he surged ahead strongly in the final stretch to clinch a stunning victory. Assefa expressed her joy at not only winning the title but also setting a new world record. She attributed her accomplishment to the hard work and commitment she put into her preparation after barely missin
London is preparing to bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with UK Sport, the Mayor of London, and Athletic Ventures confirming the decision on Sunday. The announcement came ahead of the 45th London Marathon, adding interest to an already historic event. A formal expression of interest will be sent to World Athletics in September. However, the bid is predicated on receiving £45 million (about USD 59.91 million) in government funds. A feasibility assessment indicates that the event's economic and social advantages will exceed £400 million. UK Athletics, Mayor Sadiq Khan, and A
Vithya Ramraj dominated the women's 400m hurdles at the Federation Cup in Kochi on Wednesday, winning gold and breaking the meet record. The race included a large number of participants, but Vithya knew she was ahead the moment she passed the first hurdle. From that point forward, it was a solo challenge. Running without actual competition might make pushing boundaries difficult. Vithya accepted this, stating that she had no one to chase and needed to find inspiration within herself. Her technique was simple: smash every hurdle with force and retain the word "speed" in her head throughout
A UAE-supported project is leading the global movement for inclusive education. The Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education has set an ambitious plan to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to quality education and school sports. This agenda, unveiled at the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin, was created by a research collaboration that included experts from renowned universities such as Harvard, Yale, and NYU Abu Dhabi. The project is supported by a $25 million contribution from President Sheikh Mohamed, a legacy of the 2019 Special Olympics Wor
Pole vaulter Dev Meena continued his extraordinary rise by breaking the national record once more at the 28th National Federation Athletics Championships, which took place on Tuesday at the Maharaja's Stadium. Only two months after breaking the record at the National Games in Dehradun, the 20-year-old from Madhya Pradesh raised the bar to 5.35 meters. Despite his record-breaking performance, Dev fell short of the Athletics Federation of India's 5.51-meter qualification standard for the upcoming Asian Championships. Reflecting on the day, he admitted that the rain had an impact on his performa
The torches for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were unveiled during separate premiere events in Milan, Italy and Osaka, Japan. Four notable Italian athletes played a key role in presenting the torch designs, which capture the essence of Italian elegance and contemporary innovation. The design, called "Essential," respects simplicity by gracefully integrating form and function. Olympic cross-country skiing champion Stefania Belmondo, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Turin in 2006, praised the torch's clear lines and intuitive build. She appreciated its simplicity