After being left out of the 33 core probables squad for the upcoming FIH Men’s Pro League over disciplinary issues, it is learnt that senior midfielder Manpreet Singh, forward Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Pathak could face further action from Hockey India (HI). A day after it was reported that the trio were not picked among the probables on disciplinary grounds, a Hockey India official confirmed to mid-day that the sport’s national governing body will be further probing the matter. “Yes, there was some disciplinary issue on the South Africa tour [India played two Tests and a friendly between December 7 and 10 in South Africa] and that’s the reason the three players have been left out of the Indian team,” the HI official told mid-day on Friday. It is learnt that forward Sukhjit Singh had been supplied some drug-laced eatables by Manpreet, Dilpreet and Pathak during the South Africa tour, and after consuming it, he became nauseous and behaved abnormally. “All three, being senior players, must realise that they cannot do such things and that too in a foreign country. For now, the team’s focus is the FIH Pro League, but we [HI] will be investigating this matter further and initiate disciplinary action after thoroughly going through the details of all that happened in South Africa,” added the HI official. Interestingly, with Manpreet on 411 international caps and current HI president Dilip Tirkey holding the record for most international caps (412), there were suggestions that the HI chief was deliberately keeping Manpreet out of the team since he wanted to safeguard his record. However, that’s definitely not the case, clarified the HI official: “Dilip Tirkey has been a reputed India player and captain, and will only be proud if another player breaks his record. There’s no way Dilip will even think of dropping Manpreet for this.” Meanwhile, Manpreet, on Friday, released a statement, saying that he “had been meaning to request for a break” which is why the coach spoke to him and has allowed “this much-needed rest.”
31 January,2026 08:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroFresh from his victory over Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkey, world champion D Gukesh will start the final laps of the Tata Steel Masters with a match against compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram in the 11th round here. With just three rounds to come in the first super tournament of the year, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan is firmly in front with 6.5 points in his bag and has teammate Javokhir Sindarov, Matthias Bluebaum of Germany and local star Jorden van Foreest following him a half point 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
31 January,2026 08:51 AM IST | Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands) | PTIIndia’s Devika Sihag pulled off a big upset at the Thailand Masters Super 300 badminton tournament, stunning home favourite and top seed Supanida Katethong in straight games to reach the women’s singles semi-finals here on Friday. The 20-year-old unseeded Indian, who claimed her maiden BWF International Challenge title at the Malaysia International last year, kept her composure to seal a 21-19, 21-18 victory in the quarter-finals that lasted just 40 minutes. 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 January,2026 08:51 AM IST | Bangkok | PTIThe Dr SC Jain Sprinters' Championship (Gr 2), slated as feature event of the Saturday card at Mahalaxmi, has nine top class sprinters in the fray. The Adhirajsingh-trained Time And Tide, who was blocked for a clear run in his last start on Sep 7 last year at Pune, proved his class beyond doubt when even his cruising speed, after he got an opening, proved far superior to the flat-out effort of his rivals, some of which he will face again on Saturday. The only horse, who chalked out a parallel career as a sprinter of repute, by winning all four of his races since last February (though getting disqualified due to a drug positive in last start) is the Nazzak Chenoy-trained Shambala (P Trevor up), and may try to extend Time And Tide (Suraj Narredu up). Miss American Pie and Jade, who have resumed winning ways can add pep to the finish. My choice is Time And Tide. First race at 2.30 pm.Selections: Forest Flair Trophy (For 5y&o, Class V; 1000m)Ekla Cholo 1, Sussing 2, Arbitrage 3. Enigma Trophy (Class III; 1600m)Zafferano 1, Matisse 2, Tyrannus 3. Dancing Prances Trophy (For 3y, Maidens; 1000m)Spectra 1, Gunfire 2, Ghost Of Victory 3. Oyster Cove Trophy (Class IV; 2400m)Ekatarina 1, Harrison 2, Little John 3. Dr SC Jain Sprinters' Championship - Gr 2 (For 4y&o; 1200m)Time And Tide 1, Shambala 2, Miss American Pie 3. Weizhou Trophy (Class V; 1600m)Azalea 1, Algonquin 2, Magical Moments 3. Captain Courage Trophy (Class IV; 1200m)Mulan 1, Skandha 2, Heavenly Rhythm 3. RecommendationsBest bet: NoneUpsets: Ananya (1-10), Lucky Diamond (3-2), Diego Garcia (4-4) & American Eagle (7-4)Today's poolsSuper jackpot pool: 2,3,4,5,6.7Jackpot pool: 3,4,5,6,7Treble pool: 4,5,6Tanala pool: All races.
31 January,2026 08:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviNovak Djokovic has ensured it will not be ‘Sincaraz’ but ‘Djokaraz’ in the Australian Open final after being “pushed to the very limit” in stunning Jannik Sinner in a five-set marathon to move to the brink of history. The Serb, 38, rolled back the years to beat two-time reigning champ Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in four hours and nine minutes of nail-biting action. Djokovic kneeled on the court and was lost for words. “It feels surreal, to be honest,” said Djokovic, who had lost the five previous matches to Italian Sinner, 24. He added: “The level of intensity and quality of tennis, was extremely high, and I knew that was the only way to have a chance to win tonight against him. Jokes aside, I told him at the net, thanks for allowing me at least one [win] in the last couple of years. I have tremendous respect for him. He pushes you to the very limit; he did tonight to me.” With age and injuries catching up with Djokovic, Sunday may represent the Serb’s best chance of seizing that elusive 25th major, although his gritty display against Sinner shows he still has plenty left in the tank to beat Carlos Alcaraz. 38Novak Djokovic’s age — making him the oldest man in the Open era to reach a title match at the Rod Laver Arena 2024The last time Novak Djokovic appeared in a Grand Slam final — at Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz 0No. of losses for Novak Djokovic in the Aus Open final across 10 appearances 104No. of wins for Novak Djokovic at the Aus Open — the most by any player 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 January,2026 08:24 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPAn ailing Carlos Alcaraz said “believing” helped him pull through one of the most demanding matches of his career to down Alexander Zverev in five epic sets and reach his first Australian Open final on Friday. The World No. 1 outlasted the German third seed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 over a titanic 5hrs 27 mins in hot conditions. The Spaniard only narrowly avoided crashing out after a huge fright at 4-4 in the third set when he pulled up in pain with what appeared to be cramp. He was allowed to have treatment at the changeover, leaving Zverev furious and angrily remonstrating with officials. Medical timeouts are not permitted solely for muscle cramping. Despite not being at 100 per cent, the 22-year-old clawed back from a break down in the fifth set as the crowd roared him on. “Believing all the time,” Alcaraz, into his eighth major final and fourth in a row, said of how he pulled through. “It was one of the most demanding matches I’ve ever played in my short career,” he added. Zverev said Alcaraz shouldn’t have been allowed a timeout for cramps: “He was cramping. You can’t take medical timeout for cramping.” 5 hr 27minThe match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev is the longest semi-final in Australian Open history, surpassing the previous record of 5hr 14min, set by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in 2009 22 years 258 daysCarlos Alcaraz is now the youngest man in the Open Era to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams, beating American Jim Courier’s mark by exactly 50 days 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 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPFire meets fire when hard-hitting Aryna Sabalenka clashes with big-serving Elena Rybakina in the women’s Australian Open final here on Saturday. The showdown pits two players who are on rampaging form and yet to drop a set in Melbourne in the past fortnight. They know each other very well, having met 14 times previously, and it is a rematch of the 2023 title decider at Rod Laver Arena. The Belarusian Sabalenka prevailed on that occasion, fighting back from a set down to win her first Grand Slam crown. The World No. 1 won it again in 2024, but was denied a hat-trick last year when she was stunned in the final by the American Madison Keys. Fourth consecutive final The meeting with the Kazakh Rybakina will be her fourth Melbourne final in a row, and she is expecting an almighty tussle. “Her shots are heavy, deep, flat balls. It’s not easy to work with, but we have a great history,” said the 27-year-old. “She’s an incredible player,” she added of the Moscow-born Rybakina, whose only major title so far is Wimbledon in 2022. “We had a lot of great battles, a lot of finals we played. I’m looking forward to battling this power,” the top seed added with a smile. Sabalenka goes into the final in scintillating form, having won all of her 11 matches in 2026 without dropping a set. Peers-Gadecki retain crown Meanwhile, wildcards John Peers and Olivia Gadecki became the first team to retain the Australian Open mixed-doubles title since 1988-89 when they outlasted French pair Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard on Friday. The Australians came through 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Rod Laver Arena to deny France a mixed doubles crown. 8–6Top seed Aryna Sabalenka’s win-loss record against Elena Rybakina 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 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPUS sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested on Thursday in Florida, where she was reportedly clocked driving over 100 mph. Jail records showed Richardson was booked on a charge of dangerous excessive speeding. The arrest was made by officers of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, who alleged she was “dangerously tailgating and travelling across lanes of travel to pass other motorists.” It was later confirmed that she was clocked at 104 mph (167kmph). Florida’s “super speeder law” aimed at combating a rise in traffic fatalities and serious crashes took effect last July. It criminalises driving 50 miles per hour over a permitted speed limit or driving over 100 mph. A first conviction can be punished by up to 30 days in jail and a USD 500 fine. Richardson’s bond was set at $500. A former 100m world champion, who won 100m silver and relay gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Richardson is no stranger to controversy. The 25-year-old Texan was arrested in July at Seattle-Tacoma Airport after shoving her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Cristian Coleman. She offered Coleman an apology via social media, and no charges ensued. Richardson was controversially barred from the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana following her victory at the US trials, and faced a one-month suspension. 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 January,2026 08:22 AM IST | Los Angeles | AgenciesMaharashtra clinched the Narsingh Yadav Dangal League, organised by the former India wrestler, and held at the Vilasrao Deshmukh Ground in Kandivli recently. The four teams in the fray were Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab with each side comprsing seven wrestlers (five men and two women). In the final Maharashtra beat Haryana 5-2. Prithviraj Patil, Raviraj Chavan, Adarsh Patil, Amruta Pujari, and Sonali Mandlik of Maharashtra delivered victories, while Haryana’s Ankush Sagar Dahiya and Kusum Dahiya won their bouts.
31 January,2026 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentHockey India's decision to drop three players, including veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh, from the list of probables for the upcoming FIH Pro League season stemmed from "serious disciplinary" issues during the team's tour of South Africa in December. Sources said that in the wake of alleged indiscipline during the three-Test tour, Manpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak were left out of the 33-member probables' list for the national preparatory camp, scheduled from February 1 to 7, ahead of the upcoming FIH Pro League season. India endured a tough Test series between December 2 and 16, losing two matches while the third ended in a draw. "A serious case of indiscipline came to light during the South Africa tour when a player was absent from a team meeting. It was later discovered that Manpreet, Dilpreet, and Pathak had allegedly given him chewing gum containing a banned substance, which caused him to lose consciousness," a source told PTI Bhasha. After allegedly consuming gummies infused with a banned substance, the player felt nauseous and missed a team meeting. The incident was subsequently brought to the attention of the coaching staff, following which it was revealed that the gummies were allegedly supplied by Manpreet, Dilpreet and Pathak. "The player had to be tended to throughout the night and was also unable to attend the team meeting the following morning," the source added. The source added that the players who allegedly supplied the gummies later apologised, but the management took strong objection to the incident and omitted them from the probables' list. "The players later apologised for giving their teammate a banned substance, but the decision to exclude them from the upcoming camp was announced during the team meeting." It is learnt that no written report of the incident was submitted to Hockey India by India's foreign coach, Craig Fulton. The exclusion of senior players, particularly Manpreet Singh -- a former India captain and part of the squads that won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 -- came as a surprise to many. There was also speculation that Manpreet's omission was aimed at preventing him from equalling Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey's record of 412 international appearances, with the midfielder just one match away from matching the mark. India, who had finished eighth among nine teams in the last Pro League season, will open their campaign against Belgium on February 11 followed by a game against Argentina a day later. The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will then take on Belgium in the return fixture on February 14, followed by the match against Argentina a day later. The team will then fly to Hobart where they will take on Spain (February 21 and 24) and Australia (February 22 and 25). The European leg of the tournament will be held in June. 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.
30 January,2026 02:42 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | PTIV Srinivasan, husband of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President and Rajya Sabha MP P T Usha, died in the early hours of Friday, according to family sources.He was 67. Srinivasan collapsed at his residence early this morning. Although he was rushed immediately to a nearby hospital, he could not be revived, the sources said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to a bereaved Usha and expressed his condolences on the passing away of her husband, officials said. A former central government employee, Srinivasan was a constant presence by Usha's side throughout her illustrious sporting and political career. He was widely regarded as her pillar of support and the driving force behind her many professional milestones. The couple have a son, Ujjwal. 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.
30 January,2026 10:11 AM IST | Kozhikode (Kerala) | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1769746166518_d.png "V Srinivasan, former central govt employee and P T Usha’s husband, passes away. Pic/X @PTUshaOfficial")