Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy has withdrawn from the upcoming FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament due to security concerns amid rising tensions in West Asia. Humpy shared her decision in a social media statement on Sunday, emphasizing that personal safety is more important than competitive commitments. “After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances. This is a painful but necessary decision, and I stand by it,” she wrote on X. After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current… — Koneru Humpy (@humpy_koneru) March 22, 2026 The tournament will take place in Cyprus, which has recently faced increased security issues. Earlier this month, a British air base on the island was hit in a drone attack. This incident raised concerns about the impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has been fueled by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, spreading into the region. According to FIDE regulations, if there is a vacancy in the Women’s Candidates field, the next eligible player from the FIDE Women’s Events 2024–25 cycle will fill it. Based on this rule, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk will replace Humpy in the tournament. The Women’s Candidates, starting March 28 in Paphos, will determine the challenger for the world championship title currently held by China’s Ju Wenjun. Meanwhile, the men’s title is held by India’s D Gukesh. Earlier, American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has expressed serious concerns about the playing conditions in Cyprus before the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which starts in just a week. Currently ranked World No. 2, Nakamura has reportedly been in Cyprus for nearly two months as part of his pre-tournament preparations. However, he has highlighted ongoing and lengthy power outages on the island as a troubling issue leading up to one of chess’s most prestigious events. It's not a good sign when power goes out completely in parts of Cyprus and doesn't come back for an extended period of time.... — Hikaru Nakamura (@GMHikaru) March 21, 2026 “It’s not a good sign when power goes out completely in parts of Cyprus and doesn’t come back for an extended period of time,” Nakamura posted on his social media account on X. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 March,2026 08:58 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSPole vault superstar Armand Duplantis has secretly married fiancé Desire Inglander at Stockholm City Hall with reports suggesting that the Swedish-American is planning a proper reception in France in June. According to British tabloid The Sun, the news of Duplantis’s marriage was inadvertently revealed by a Bislett Games (annual track and field meet in Oslo, Norway) organiser, who said that the 26-year-old would not be able to take part in this year’s tournament since he will be busy with his wedding celebration in Cannes, France. Following the leak, the two-time Olympic gold medallist told Swedish newspaper Sport Bladet: “I wish he did not say anything, but that’s how it is. We’re going to have the real ceremony and wedding during the summer. I feel half-married. But I don’t have the ring on. Not until the real ceremony in June.” Duplantis, who has broken the pole vault world record on 15 occasions, got engaged to Inglander in October 2024. Inglander is a Swedish model, influencer, and content creator with over 8 lakh Instagram followers.
23 March,2026 08:53 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFormer World No. 1 shuttler Saina Nehwal delighted her two million fans with her latest Instagram post, donning a black salwar kameez with gold embroidery.One Instagram user commented: “Looking gorgeous,” while another said, “I love what you’re wearing.” A third simply replied with multiple fire emojis. The 36-year-old, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, recently stated that she had retired from the sport, despite never making an official announcement since her last professional game in 2023. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SAINA NEHWAL (@nehwalsaina)
23 March,2026 08:51 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentWorld Champion Marc Marquez pounced on a late error by Fabio Di Giannantonio and then held off a desperate last-lap counter-attack to win the delayed sprint race as MotoGP continued its chaotic return to Brazil on Saturday. Friday's practices for the first MotoGP in Brazil in 22 years were delayed by mud deposited on the track by the week-long downpour and then disrupted by more rain. On Saturday, after Di Giannantonio topped the morning's qualifying session in dry conditions, a hole opened up in the main straight, another consequence of the recent torrential rain in central Brazil. Following rapid road repairs, the flag dropped 80 minutes late for the sprint. Di Giannantonio, on a Ducati satellite VR46, bolted from pole with only Marquez on his factory Ducati able to give chase. With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio, who has never won a sprint race, wobbled and Marquez shot past. The Italian was on the Spaniard's rear wheel throughout the last lap but Marquez filled every potential hole. "Super important victory because in Thailand I was suffering," said Marquez. "I'm still not riding as I want, but just keep pushing." He said that he expected to have to battle the "super-fast" Di Giannantonio again on Sunday. Di Giannantonio rued his mistake but was happy with his podium place. "The conditions were different from this morning," he said. "On two corners there was less grip. In the same corner I did two mistakes and I ruined my race." "We have to be super happy," he added. "Second place, super close to Marc. Let's give it another go tomorrow." The joy seemed to be greater with each step down the podium. Jorge Martin, who followed his 2024 world title with a catastrophic campaign marked by injuries following serious crashes and disputes with his Aprilia team, was euphoric as he tried to lead the Brazilian crowd in cheers. "I'm really happy," the Spaniard said. "Been a tough journey." Martin competed in only seven races last season and did not finish higher than fourth. "Two months ago my girlfriend was feeding me," he added making a spoon-feeding gesture, "and now I'm here." Spain's Pedro Acosta stayed atop the standings after finishing ninth. He is two points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi who was fourth in the sprint. Martin rose to third in the standings at eight points and Marquez to sixth, 12 adrift. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 March,2026 08:48 AM IST | Goiania (Brazil) | AFPPramod Bhagat won two golds at the Spanish Para Badminton International-II on Sunday. In the SL3 final, Bhagat beat Nitesh Kumar 21-17, 10-21, 21-18. In the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final, he partnered with Manisha Ramdass to beat Brazil’s Rogerio de Oliveira and Edwarda Dias. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 March,2026 08:47 AM IST | Vitoria (Spain) | AgenciesRising squash star Anahat Singh capped off a strong performance at the Indian Open by defeating Egypt’s Hana Moataz in the summit clash to defend her title in Mumbai on Sunday. The 18-year-old Indian dominated the first two games before succumbing in the third. However, she hit back with vengeance in the fourth game to seal a 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 win. This was Anahat’s 16th PSA tour title. She has previously won two golds in the Asian Championships and two bronze medals in the Asian Games. She was also part of India’s victorious World Cup squad last year. Meanwhile, the men’s title was won by Abhay Singh, who beat compatriot Veer Chotrani 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 in the final. 16No. of senior tour titles won by Anahat Singh This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 March,2026 08:44 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesAfter India and Pakistan played out a series of mouth-watering cricket matches in the recent past, it’s time for the arch-rivals to clash on the hockey field. The neighbours have been drawn into the same pool (D) alongside England and Wales for the quadrennial competition to be played in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30. This will mark the first time India and Pakistan face each other at a Hockey World Cup since the 2010 edition in New Delhi, where India won 4-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 edition. In 2018 at Bhubaneswar, the two teams were placed in separate groups and Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stage. Pakistan then failed to qualify for the 2023 edition in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. 1971 World Cup: India players celebrate teammate Rajwinder Singh’s (left) opening goal against Pakistan in the semi-finals at Amstelveen, Netherlands. India went on to lose the match 1-2 Legendary rivalry India and Pakistan’s hockey rivalry is legendary, but none more intense than in 1971 and 1973. In 1971, Pakistan launched the inaugural World Cup edition, only for it to be moved to Barcelona, Spain (October 15-24) due to growing Indo-Pak political tension. In 1973, players from both sides were on edge as this was their first World Cup meeting after the 1971 war. Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar was part of the 1971, 1973 and 1975 World Cup teams and insists you could cut the tension between both camps with a knife. 1973 World Cup: India’s BP Govinda (left, partly hidden) beats Pakistan goalkeeper Pervez Munir (right) to score the winning goal in the semi-finals at Barcelona, Spain “The political situation between both countries was terrible then and due to some statements made by their leaders against India, the inaugural World Cup was moved from Pakistan to Spain. It was only obvious that the political heat would spread among players too,” Ashok Kumar tells mid-day over the phone from Udaipur, where he’s currently training a bunch of kids as part of a Rajasthan government hockey initiative. “In 1971, we lost to Pakistan [1-2] in the semis. To be honest, there was an uneasy calm in the air between the players from either side. Given the ongoing tensions back home, it was like seeing your enemy in front of you. We wanted to beat them at all costs, and when we lost, [team manager] Balbir [Singh Sr] cried bitterly. He kept saying that he didn’t know how he would face people back home after losing to Pakistan. We returned home from Spain in late October and soon the Indo-Pak war broke out [December 3-16]. This made us feel even more horrible because we had lost to the enemy on the hockey pitch,” says Ashok Kumar, 76. 1975 World Cup: India captain Ajit Pal Singh receives the World Cup trophy from Malaysian Premier Tun Abdul Razak in Kuala Lumpur. Pics courtesy: Sportsweek 1973 was even more tense Two years later, the tensions only increased. “We clashed again in the World Cup semi-final in the Netherlands. There were some harsh tackles during the match and both Indian and Pakistani players were hurling abuses at each other because the 1971 war was still fresh in our minds. We beat Pakistan 1-0 in one of the most intense matches ever and then celebrated the win with equal intensity,” adds Ashok Kumar. Of course, the 1975 edition in Malaysia was historic. India beat Pakistan 2-1 in the final thanks to Ashok Kumar’s match-winner and clinched its first and only World Cup till date. Asian All Stars in 1974 “In 1974, the Indian team travelled to Pakistan without visas to participate in the Asian All Stars competition, where we played matches in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, so tensions had eased and things were very friendly at the 1975 World Cup. But our fans still had high expectations and I became an overnight hero, not just because my goal helped India win the World Cup, but because I had scored the winner against Pakistan,” says Ashok Kumar. Hockey, or for that matter any sport, does not need unnecessary aggression, and Ashok Kumar is glad that things have sobered down. “Currently, India are a far superior team than Pakistan, so I don’t see Harmanpreet Singh & Co having any problems in beating them at this World Cup. It’s a lot easier to play when you’re not carrying the burden of a war.” Ashok Kumar signs off. OneNo. of hockey World Cups India has won 16No. of years since India last played Pak in a World Cup 1-2Score by which India lost to Pak in 1971 World Cup semis 1-0Score by which India beat Pak in 1973 World Cup 2-1Score by which India beat Pak in 1975 World Cup final 2026 FIH World Cup pools Pool A Netherlands, Argentina, NZ, Japan Pool B Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia Pool C Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa Pool D England, India, Pakistan, Wales
22 March,2026 09:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroUnable to rein in her errors, India’s teen shuttler Tanvi Sharma went down in straight games against former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the women’s singles semi-finals of the Orleans Masters Super 300 tournament here on Saturday. The 17-year-old Indian, a World Junior Championships silver medallist, struggled with her length and control throughout the match, losing 9-21, 16-21 in 35 minutes to the 31-year-old Okuhara, a 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and 2017 world champion. Tanvi came into the match with a win under her belt against Okuhara at the Syed Modi International last year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2026 09:06 AM IST | Orleans | PTIThe Seth Ramnath Daga Trophy, feature event of Sunday's small, six-race card, has five runners. But there is every chance that it will turn out to be a straight duel between the PS Chouhan-trained Ultimo and Imtiaz Sait-trained Market King. The result of the race will depend on the fitness level of both on Sunday, but looking at the recent track trials, Ultimo may enjoy an edge despite being slightly disadvantaged at the scales vis a vis their last encounter. First race at 5 pm. Selections: Dopahar Trophy (Class III; 1000m)Azure 1, Villanelle 2, Enforcer 3. Homi Mehta Trophy (Class II; 2000m)Golden Dancer 1, Endurance 2. MH Ahmedbhoy Trophy (Class IV; 1600m)Juracan 1, Tajiri 2, Giant Gold 3. Seth Ramnath Daga Trophy (Class I; H'cap, 1400m)Ultimo 1, Market King 2, Mojito 3. Truefitt & Hill Royal Heritage Cup (Class V; 1400m)Ministry Of Time 1, Ashwa Ankara 2, Speak The Breed 3. Racing Journalists Trophy (Class IV; 1200m)Heaven's Rhythm 1, Medusa 2, Mulan 3. RecommendationsBest bet: NoneUpsets: Gold Bar (3-8) & Majestic Warrior (6-8) Today's poolsSuper jackpot pool: 1,2,3,4,5,6Jackpot pool: 2,3,4,5,6Treble pool: 3,4,5Tanala pool: All races.
22 March,2026 08:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviManvar, trained by PS Chouhan, posted a decisive victory in the mid-day Trophy on Saturday at the Mahalaxmi racetrack. Jockey P Trevor, astride Manvar, quickly sensed the pace, set by the Pesi Shroff-trained Renoir (C Umesh up), was too hot, and decided to stay in the rear. Rounding the final turn, Trevor manoeuvred his way skillfully between horses and rather suddenly emerged alongside Savage Peacock (A Sandesh up) who was getting ready to challenge Renoir. With a decisive surge in the final 100m, Trevor passed Renoir, and easily kept Savage Peacock at bay as he crossed the wire. The trainer-jockey pair of PS Chouhan and P Trevor, who began the day with the mid-day Trophy, also went on to win two more races — Vegatha (Hindu Trophy) and Desert Classic (Times Of India trophy) to finish the day with a treble. Veteran trainer MK Jadhav and jockey NS Parmar scored a double with Beast Mode (Racing pulse.in Trophy) & Key West (Race Mirror Trophy).
22 March,2026 08:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviFormer India No. 1 Saurav Ghosal has set a bold benchmark for teenage sensation Anahat Singh, saying a place in the world’s top-10 should be the ‘bare minimum,’ while also calling for a structural overhaul of men’s and women’s squash to expand India’s talent base through mass participation. Backing Anahat as a rare talent, Ghosal said the youngster possesses a near-complete game along with the right ecosystem to succeed at the highest level. “Anahat is definitely an exception. She is brilliant in what she does. Her ceiling in terms of potential is very, very high. She’s done well now. She has a great mentality. Physically, she’s good. The only thing is we’re trying to make her a bit stronger, which will help her. But in terms of getting balls back and stuff like that, she’s really good,” Ghosal told IANS. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2026 08:41 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
