Three-time Olympian Manika Batra registered a gritty 3-2 win over USA's Lily Zhang to stay in contention for a place in the knockouts of the ITTF Table Tennis World Cup in Macau on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Batra rallied past Zhang 11-7, 11-2, 14-16, 5-11, 11-6 in a 43-minute Group 4 clash, bouncing back from her opening match defeat to Japan's Miwa Harimoto. In another match, world No. 43 Sreeja Akula suffered a 1-3 (11-8, 9-11, 13-15, 8-11) loss to Portugal's Fu Yu in her Group 2 opener. She will next face China's world No. 2 Wang Manyu on Wednesday. In the men's draw, Manav Thakkar faces a must-win situation against Sweden's Olympic silver medallist Truls Moregard in Group 2 after going down 0-3 to Korea's Park Ganghyeon in his opening match. 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
01 April,2026 11:06 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIReigning world champion D Gukesh on Tuesday decided to scale back his tournament schedule following a disappointing performance this season, opting to play only two Grand Chess Tour events in 2026 to prioritise training and preparation for his title defence. Gukesh's inconsistent run has seen him endure an early exit as top seed at the Chess World Cup in November 2025 at home. It was followed by lowly finishes at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in December, a 10th-place result after tie-breaks at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, and a ninth-place result at the recently concluded Prague Chess Festival. "My performance in the last few events has been quite disappointing, not just for me, but for all of you who support me," wrote Gukesh on 'X', something he does not do very often. My performance in the last few events has been quite disappointing, not just for me, but for all of you who support me.In order to find my best form my team and I have decided that I should compete with slightly less intensity over the next few months. Consequently, we feel it… pic.twitter.com/EmtAE3hn6c — Gukesh D (@DGukesh) March 31, 2026 "In order to find my best form my team and I have decided that I should compete with slightly less intensity over the next few months. Consequently, we feel it is in my best interest to skip long events away from home to allow for more dedicated training time," he added, indicating his priority from now on would be preparing to defend the world title he won by beating Ding Liren of China in Singapore in 2024. The decision could prove to be a strategic pause to reset after a string of early exits, though it is certain to draw close attention from the chess fraternity. Gukesh's opponent for the FIDE World Chess Championship later this year is currently being decided at the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, where eight competitors are battling it out, with the winner earning the right to challenge him for the title. Gukesh added that he had requested the organisers of the Grand Chess Tour to allow him to play only two events this season, a request they supported."With this in mind, I approached the Grand Chess Tour organisers and asked to play only two European Rapid & Blitz events. They were very supportive and understanding, and we agreed that I would participate in the Rapid & Blitz tournaments in Warsaw and Zagreb this year. "I'm very grateful for their support. Respectfully, I am not planning to play any other events during the Grand Chess Tour schedule and will certainly be back for the full Grand Chess Tour in the future," he added. With Gukesh opting not to play the full Grand Chess Tour, the organisers have brought in reigning World Cup champion Javokhir Sindarov as his replacement."Reigning World Cup champion Javokhir Sindarov will join the 2026 Grand Chess Tour as a full tour participant, replacing Gukesh Dommaraju, who has withdrawn from the full tour to focus on training but will still compete in select Grand Chess Tour events in Warsaw and Zagreb. "Sindarov will compete in Warsaw, Bucharest and both Saint Louis events, bringing his dynamic play and recent World Cup-winning form to the Tour," wrote Grand Chess Tour on 'X'. Reigning World Cup champion Javokhir Sindarov will join the 2026 Grand Chess Tour as a full tour participant, replacing Gukesh Dommaraju, who has withdrawn from the full tour to focus on training but will still compete in select Grand Chess Tour events in Warsaw and Zagreb.… pic.twitter.com/ZGy7Q6fSPV — Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) March 31, 2026 Gukesh will next play in the Euro 26,000 Masters Chess Menorca in Spain from April 7-12. 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
01 April,2026 10:59 AM IST | Chennai | PTIIndian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa suffered a major setback in his campaign, going down to Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan in the third round of the FIDE Candidates Tournament here on Tuesday. The defeat with the white pieces could prove costly for Praggnanandhaa, who had begun his campaign on a high by defeating Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, leaving the Indian on 1.5 points after the setback and in urgent need of a quick recovery. Apart from Sindarov, American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana the pre-tournament favourite defeated Wei Yi of China in one of the strangest games of the opening three rounds, with Caruana and Sindarov sharing the lead on 2.5 points apiece. They are followed by Praggnanandhaa on 1.5, while Matthias Bluebaum, Andrey Esipenko, Hikaru Nakamura and Giri are tied for fourth on one point each. Wei Yi sits at the bottom on half a point in the eight-player double round-robin event with 11 rounds still to be played. For Praggnanandhaa, it was a heartbreak after a rousing start, as with the white pieces he faced a Queen's Gambit Declined and, on another day, it could well have been a straightforward draw had he not pushed to play decisively. Sindarov, the youngest-ever World Cup winner, has emerged as a fierce competitor against the world elite over the past year, and on Tuesday was no different as the Uzbek seized his chances in the middle game, sacrificing a piece to dismantle white's initiative early on. Praggnanandhaa was pushed onto the back foot as the pressure mounted, and a series of errors in the later stages of the middle game proved costly for the Indian. Caruana secured a win that few expected to end so swiftly, as the game began with an English Opening and initially promised a complex battle, but Wei Yi found himself out of preparation early on, allowing the American to seize control, trap a bishop with resourceful play and wrap up the contest in just 19 moves. In the women's event being held simultaneously, the ice was finally broken by Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan who scored the first victory of the event at the expense of Zhu Jiner of China. R. Vaishali kept herself in contention with a draw against Anna Muzychuk in an uneventful game, while Divya Deshmukh, the women's World Cup winner, staged a spirited comeback from a losing endgame to hold Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia to her third consecutive draw. In the other game of the day, favourite Tan Zhongyi of China also suffered a setback against seasoned Kateryna Lagno of Russia. The Candidates is played to determine the challenger for the next world championship match. In the Open section, the winner will face D Gukesh while in the women's the champion will have a showdown with Ju Wenjun of China. 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
01 April,2026 10:54 AM IST | Paphos (Cyprus) | PTITennis legend Leander Paes has expressed his gratitude towards Home Minister Amit Shah for inducting him into the Bharatiya Janata Party and said he will strive to live up to his faith with dedication and sincerity. In a post on X, Paes said, "Deeply honoured and grateful to Shri Amit Shah Ji @AmitShah for inducting me into the Bharatiya Janata Party @BJP4India and reposing his trust in me. I will strive to live up to his faith with dedication and sincerity. Till today, I wore the Tiranga on my chest. Now I carry it on my shoulders too and will work towards empowering our youth and strengthening sports across the nation. Jai Bharat Jai Hind," Paes met Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday. Deeply honoured and grateful to Shri Amit Shah Ji @AmitShah for inducting me into the Bharatiya Janata Party @BJP4India and reposing his trust in me. I will strive to live up to his faith with dedication and sincerity. Till today I wore the Tiranga on my chest. Now I carry it on… pic.twitter.com/xw0gbPxPBf — Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) March 31, 2026 In another social media post, Paes said he is committed to working with a strong focus on youth development and growth of sport in the country after joining the BJP earlier on Tuesday, just ahead of elections in West Bengal. He also thanked Nitin Nabin, the BJP's national president, for believing in him. I sincerely thank Shri Nitin Nabin Ji @NitinNabin for being instrumental and inspiring, for his encouragement, and for believing in me as I begin this new journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party. I am committed to working with dedication and integrity, with a strong focus on… pic.twitter.com/owhBoByZIj — Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) March 31, 2026 "I sincerely thank Shri Nitin Nabin Ji @NitinNabin for being instrumental and inspiring, for his encouragement, and for believing in me as I begin this new journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party. I am committed to working with dedication and integrity, with a strong focus on youth development and the growth of sport in our country. Jai Bharat Jai Hind," Paes said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Paes formally joined the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of senior party leaders, days after meeting the state BJP chief, Nitin Nabin, in Kolkata, which had fuelled speculation about his political move. Welcoming him into the party, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “There is no need for a separate introduction of the legendary Leander Paes. Across India, there is no need to explain who Leander Paes is. Even so, today, Leander Paes’ entry into the BJP family is historic. Inspired by the work Prime Minister Modi has done for sports and athletes over the past 12 years, Leander Paes has joined our party as a BJP member…” I am honoured that Shri Kiren Rijiju Ji officially inducted me into the BJP at the National Headquarters in New Delhi. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to him for his constant guidance, mentorship and inspiration as I embark on this new chapter with the Bharatiya Janata Party. I… pic.twitter.com/J6W1SSTuBj — Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) March 31, 2026 Paes, one of India’s most celebrated tennis players with multiple Grand Slam titles, had earlier entered politics by joining the All India Trinamool Congress in 2021. He had campaigned for the party during the 2022 Goa Assembly elections but did not contest any polls. His switch comes at a crucial time as political activity intensifies in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. The contest in the state is expected to be primarily between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the BJP, which is aiming to expand its footprint in the state. The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. All 294 constituencies will go to the polls in what is shaping up to be a closely watched political battle. 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
01 April,2026 10:47 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSMumbai racer Kiaan Shah marked his senior international debut with a double podium finish in Round 2 of the IAME Asia Series and IAME Thailand Series. The 15-year-old Rayo Racing driver, began the Asia Series race in 14th and finished P5 — the top five finishers are all classified as winners. Since this Asia Series round also counted towards the Thailand Series, Kiaan was classified third, with two competitors not registered for the Thailand Series
01 April,2026 10:42 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndia's Abhay Singh has been declared outstanding Men's Player of the Year 2025 by the Asian Squash Federation, while rising teenaged sensation Anahat Singh was selected for the top honours in the girls section (juniors). The Indian boys team, which clinched bronze at the 2025 World Junior Team Championships in Egypt, was picked for the men's team award, according to the awardees list released by Asian Squash Federation (ASF). Abhay, currently ranked 25th in the world, is a multiple-time Asian Games medallist and Asian Championships winner, and was also a member of the team that won India's maiden World Cup mixed team title last year. World No. 20 Anahat is also a multiple Asian Games and Asian Championships medallist. In 2025, she won bronze at the World Junior Championships in Cairo and was also a part of India's gold medal-winning World Cup mixed team. The previous time Indian players featured on the ASF annual awards list was in 2022 when Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa bagged the men's and women's players honours respectively. 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
01 April,2026 10:40 AM IST | New Delhi | PTITennis superstar Rafael Nadal jetted off to the Bahamas along with wife Maria Perello and sons Rafael Jr, three, and seven-month-old Miquel to enjoy the island’s pristine beaches. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal) Posting a series of photos from their trip on Instagram, Nadal wrote: “Recently, I spent [a few] very special days with my family in Exumas [an island district in the Bahamas]. A unique place, full of beautiful nature. We are very lucky to enjoy places like this, and it reminds us how important it is to protect them for the future. Always grateful for these moments with my family!” The post received nearly five lakh ‘likes.’
01 April,2026 10:26 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndia's Priya recorded a dominant 5-0 victory but Jadumani Singh went down fighting on the second day of the Asian Boxing Championships, here on Tuesday. In the women's 60kg category, Priya recorded a unanimous 5-0 triumph over Kazakhstan's Rimma Volossenko, showcasing control and composure throughout the bout to progress to the next stage. Priya will take on the second seeded Chengyu Yang from China. Jadumani fought hard but could not avert a 2-3 defeat in a split decision against Japan's Rimma Yamaguchi, who is the No.1 seed in the category. Yamaguchi had earlier won the silver medal at the Astana event and a bronze in the Boxing World Cup finals. Jadumani matched his Japanese opponent punch for punch and pushed the contest till the end in what turned out to be one of the closest bouts on the day. 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
01 April,2026 10:10 AM IST | Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) | PTIThe curtain came down on the 2025-26 Mumbai racing season on Monday at the Mahalaxmi racetrack with a seven-race card. The final day's feature event, the Hyderabad Race Club Trophy, was bagged by trainer PS Chouhan's Ardakan (Vivek G up). Incidentally, the trainer and jockey also ended the final day with a brace each. Trainer Pesi Shroff collected his 19th championship trophy for the Mumbai circuit with 29 winners against his name; jockey P Trevor was adjudged champion jockey with 27 wins. The champion apprentice jockey trophy was bagged by Aditya Waydande, who scored nine wins during the season. Horse owner KN Dhunjibhoy and his Five Star Shipping Company won the highest stakes money (over Rs 2.5 crore) to emerge as champion owner by a huge margin. Ms Ameeta Mehra's Usha & Mehra stud farm won the champion stud farm trophy with 90 points.
31 March,2026 02:29 PM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) icon and actor John Cena announced on Monday that he would make a return to the company to host its showpiece wrestling event, Wrestlemania 42, at Las Vegas. Taking to X, the record-breaking 17-time world champion, who retired from professional wrestling last year after a memorable retirement tour, wrote, "Since retirement, my "road" has looked a little different... but now I can officially say I'm headed to WrestleMania!!!! See you in Las Vegas!" WWE also soon announced Cena's return in a statement, saying, "John Cena is stepping back onto the Grandest Stage of Them All as the host of WrestleMania 42." Since retirement, my “road” has looked a little different… but now I can officially say I’m headed to WrestleMania!!!! See you in Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/nyNypOhRpk — John Cena (@JohnCena) March 30, 2026 "The Greatest of All Time broke the news on social media that he is headed to Las Vegas. The 17-time World Champion retired from in-ring competition last December after his loss to Gunther at Saturday Night's Main Event, but is now making his first return to WWE," added the statement. WrestleMania is where the iconic wrestler has delivered some of his most high-profile matches against legendary names of professional wrestling such as Big Show, Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels, The Miz, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and others. The wrestling legend has been in the main event bout of the event multiple times. In 2004, it was against Big Show at the 20th edition of Wrestlemania where Cena captured his first-ever championship in the WWE, the WWE United States Championship. Last year, Cena had a memorable retirement year, that saw him battle some of his biggest rivals such as CM Punk, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, etc. and current-day stars like Cody Rhodes, Dominik Mysterio etc. During his last year as an active professional wrestler, Cena made it count by winning a record-breaking 17th world title, defeating Cody at WrestleMania 41. He also completed a career grand slam in WWE, defeating Dominik in November to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship. In the process, Cena finally won the prize that had eluded him throughout his career and achieved the Grand Slam by winning both world championships, both mid-card level titles and some tag team gold throughout his storied career since 2002. WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas will feature CM Punk defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes going one-on-one against 14-time world champion Randy Orton. The biggest event in professional wrestling will take place from April 18-19. 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
31 March,2026 10:17 AM IST | New York | ANIFrom tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf to cricketers Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy, the world of sport is replete with tales of professional athletes forming ‘perfect’ pairs. One such couple is Indian hockey star striker Gurjant Singh, 31, and tennis player Karman Kaur Thandi, 27, who tied the knot in 2023. Gurjant, a two-time Olympic medallist, recently announced his retirement from international hockey, and is now looking forward to spending more time with his wife on Tour. “Tennis is an individual sport and it’s important for her to have a good team around. Karman has supported me immensely and now, whenever I can, I will travel with her as she pursues her professional journey,” Gurjan told mid-day. Karman, among India’s leading women’s tennis players, having won several ITF singles and doubles titles besides making a Fed Cup appearance, wrote a heartfelt note for her husband: “My love, your retirement from national hockey isn’t defined by age or title — it’s defined by your mindset. I’m deeply proud of the man this sport and journey has shaped you into.” An emotional Gurjant revealed that he had discussed his retirement decision with Karman before making it public. “As two sportspersons, we understand each other’s highs and lows very well. The support is unmatched. I’ve been battling injury for the last few months and have undergone three surgeries in my career. This time, it was getting hard to return,” said Gurjant, who has 130 senior international caps with 33 goals. One of those goals is a record 13-second strike during the Pro League in Bhubaneswar in 2020, making Gurjant the fastest Indian goal scorer in international hockey. “That fastest goal will remain one of my favourite hockey memories,” concluded Gurjant.
31 March,2026 10:12 AM IST | New Delhi | Harpreet Kaur LambaADVERTISEMENT
