Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Nitu Ghanghas and Saweety Boora won gold medals at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi on March 25-26. Nikhat beat Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam in the final of the 48-50kg light flyweight category, 5-0. Lovlina, meanwhile, beat Australia's Caitlin Anne Parker. With the victory, Lovlina took home her first-ever Worlds gold medal. In 2018 and 2019, the 25-year-old had bagged bronze medals in the welterweight category. With the latest win, Nikhat became only the second Indian after legendary MC Mary Kom to win multiple gold
The prize money for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will increase by 300% to $150 million, informed FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda on March 16. While the Women's World Cup prize money is now three times the 2019 figure and 10 times more than in 2015, it is still considerably lower than the $440 million total prize money of the FIFA Men's World Cup in Qatar last year. Infantino made the prize money announcement in his closing remarks at the FIFA Congress, describing it to be a “historic journey for women's football and for equality” that �
India has qualified for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), and will clash with Australia for the biggest global honour in the format. The country’s entry to the final was confirmed after New Zealand beat Sri Lanka in a dramatic win by two wickets in Christchurch. The WTC title contest will take place at The Oval in London from June 7. The WTC final race had gone into March 13, with the results of both Test matches - in Ahmedabad and in Christchurch - equally relevant. If Sri Lanka had beaten New Zealand, it would have stayed in the race - if India didn't win in Ahmedabad. Ho
AC Milan has progressed to the UEFA Champions League quarter finals for the first time since 2011-2012 with a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their round of 16 match against Tottenham Hotspur in London. AC Milan has won the Champions League seven times so far. In the Champions League, the Italian giants had won the first leg at the San Siro stadium, due an early strike from Brahim Diaz, and both sides were coming off a domestic defeat last week. The two teams strung together a run of plays after kick-off as Junior Messias saw his attempt go wide of the post and Harry Kane's deflected strike
India’s 16-year-old golfer Avani Prashanth created history by winning the Queen Sirikit Cup 2023 at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in the Philippines on February 24. This is a first for an Indian golfer to win the prestigious regional amateur championship that has been held since 1979. Prashanth’s result also helped the Indian team finish second behind South Korea, in the best-ever showing by Indian female golfers at the competition. Avani Prashanth is currently ranked 97th in the world amateur golf rankings. She returned a four-day aggregate of 16-under 272 (68-66-70-6
Saudi Arabia entered a female team for the first time at an International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament. The team made it to the Asia/Oceania pre-qualifying event for the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors in Sri Lanka on February 22. Saudi Arabia and Brunei made their Billie Jean King Cup Juniors debuts in the tournament, for players 16 years and under, that determined the qualifying teams for the main junior event to be decided later this year. Areej Farah, captain of the four-player Saudi team, described her team’s entry to the event as an amazing experience that is so empowering. S
India has clinched its first-ever bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2023. The country bagged the medal after losing to China 2-3 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in UAE on February 18. In the previous editions of the championship, India failed to get past the group stages (2019) and was eliminated by Thailand in the quarter-finals of the inaugural edition (2017). In the semi-final on Saturday, India lost their men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles matches. India won all their matches in the group stage. They then beat last edition’s bronze medalli
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi became the fourth Indian to stun Norwegian chess wizard Magnus Carlsen, in a Pro Chess League online match on February 21. Playing for team Indian Yogis, Gujrathi made the most of a mistake committed by world number one Carlsen, who missed a checkmate late. Carlsen was playing for Canada Chessbrahs in the online tournament for teams from all over the world. The Pro Chess League features 16 teams playing rapid games and has a $150,000 prize fund. With the victory over Carlsen, the 28-year-old Gujrathi has joined the likes of fellow Indian Grandmasters R Praggna
Sania Mirza has retired from international tennis after accomplishing the success not seen by many and setting a high bar for the next generation. The Indian tennis player bid farewell to her 20-year professional tennis career on February 21. She lost her first-round women’s doubles match at the Dubai Tennis Championships alongside US' Madison Keys. Sania and Madison lost the match 4-6, 0-6 against the Russian pair of Viktoria Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova. In January, Sania played a Grand Slam tournament, with Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna as partner; the pair was placed secon
A consortium led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), announced on February 17 that it had submitted an offer to take over English Premier League club Manchester United Football Club. “Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club,” the press release issued by the consortium said. The statement did not give any details on the amount proposed in the bid for the club but the price could reach a record 6 billion euros, according to reports. It added that the bid “will be