Sports

Kylian Mbappe (Reuters Photo) Kylian Mbappe‘s attempt to explain a viral internet meme has triggered an escalating controversy in China, putting the Real Madrid forward’s commercial partnerships and LaLiga’s broadcasting relationship with the country under scrutiny. More than a week after the French superstar’s remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked outrage, the fallout … Read more

The Olympics once featured artistic competitions, awarding medals for poetry, music and painting. In 1912, the Games’ founder secretly entered the literature contest under two pseudonyms and won gold/ Image: X At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, competitors could win gold without running, jumping or throwing anything. They could submit a poem, compose a piece of … Read more

Mohammad Shami (AFP Photo) NEW DELHI: Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has retired from Test cricket, closing a 13-year career in the longest format with an emotional message on Instagram on Friday night.The announcement came exactly 13 years after his Test debut. Shami first played for India in the format on 6 November 2013, against West … Read more

KOLKATA: As Tanvi Patri produced one of the most remarkable fightbacks during the badminton girls’ singles final of Youth Olympic Games, her father Rabinarayan Patri was not in the stands witnessing it unfold.Instead, he was rushing through an airport, trying to catch a flight.What followed was an emotional roller-coaster. The 15-year-old Indian clawed her way … Read more

NEW DELHI: 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh, who became FIDE World Junior Champion in the classical time-control last year, has now clinched the Open section title at the FIDE World Junior Blitz Championship, finishing on an impressive 10.5 points from 13 rounds in UAE on Friday.Pranav topped the final standings, finishing a full point ahead … Read more

NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s remarkable rise in Indian cricket has reached another milestone, with the teenage batting sensation appointed captain of Bihar’s senior team at just 15 for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) on Friday announced a 17-member squad for the opening two matches of the domestic T20 tournament, … Read more

PV Sindhu and Harmanpreet Singh NEW DELHI: Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Harmanpreet Singh will helm the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes’ Commission, according to a notification issued by the Electoral Officer on Friday.Sindhu will become the chairperson of the Athletes’ Commission, while Harmanpreet has been declared unopposed for the post of vice-chairperson. Mirabai Chanu … Read more

Bangladesh stumbled to 88/3 in reply and were still trailing by 268 runs at stumps. (Pic credit: BCB) Hasan Mahmud produced a stunning bowling effort to keep Bangladesh in the contest, but West Indies remained firmly in the driver’s seat at the end of Day 2 of the second Test in Sylhet on Friday. The … Read more

Jobe Bellingham (R) and brother Jude Bellingham. (Pic credit: Three Lions) Jobe Bellingham is set to share the England dressing room with his elder brother Jude after earning his maiden senior international call-up for the upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was included in Thomas Tuchel’s squad announced on … Read more

NEW DELHI: English club cricketer Brian Devine, popularly known as “Clicky Ponting”, has received a two-year ban from cricket following a cheating scandal that attracted worldwide attention.The 38-year-old became infamous earlier this year after a video showed him clicking his fingers as the ball passed an opposing batter, seemingly trying to make it sound like … Read more