Indian men’s doubles star Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on Wednesday said improving service and receive remains the key focus area for him and partner Chirag Shetty as they look to compete consistently against the world’s top pairs. The World No. 3 pair opened their campaign at the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals with a gritty 12-21, 22-20, 21-14 win over Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China in their opening men’s doubles Group B match. “We are practising service and receiving most of the time. It’s the main part of the game. If you want to beat pairs from Malaysia, Indonesia or China, you have to handle service situations well,” Satwik said after the match. Satwik and Chirag, the only Indian representatives at the season-ending showpiece, saved a match point to eventually outwit the World No. 5 Chinese pair. “No matter what, play aggressive game style, that was the game plan from the starting onwards,” said the 25-year-old from Amalapuram. The Asian Games champions, who reached the finals at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters earlier this year, will face another stern test when they take on Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Thursday. 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
18 December,2025 10:12 AM IST | Hangzhou | PTIAuxilium Convent High School (Wadala) and Cathedral and John Connon School (Fort) emerged champions in the girls and boys U-16 categories respectively of the Dreams Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) basketball tournament at Azad Maidan on Tuesday. In the girls final, Auxilium edged out Vibgyor High School (Goregaon) 26–24. Shravani Mani (10 points) emerged as the Wadala school’s top scorer. She received strong support from Ajitha Nadar (eight), Swara Takke (four), and Shreenidhi Bhagat (four). The triumphant Auxilium Convent High School girls with their winner’s trophy at Azad Maidan on Tuesday For Vibgyor, Ira Madbhavi top-scored with 13 points, while Hridhika Mehta (four), Jain Nisar (four), and Sia Sengupta (three) also got onto the scoresheet.In the boys U-16 final, Cathedral defeated Podar International School (Powai) 59–43. Samar Hingorani (22) was the standout performer, and was ably supported by Veer Kedia (18), Anshuman Hooda (eight), Zahan Mistry (six), and Rian Uniyal (five). For Podar, Neel Banushali (18) led the scoring chart. Ojas Malani (nine), Yugveer Bansal (six), Advaith Karnataki (six), and Aarav Agarwal (four) added to the tally.
18 December,2025 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamWorld No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz announced on Wednesday he is splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together with assistant coach Samuel Lopez taking over. Alcaraz has won six Grand Slams among his 24 tour level titles under the guidance of fellow Spaniard. “It is very difficult to write this post,” Alcaraz said on social media, with photos of the two hugging. “After more than seven years together, ‘Juanki’ and I have decided to end our story together. Thank you for making the dreams of a child become reality. Now change is coming for both of us, new adventures and new projects. I’m at peace knowing we left everything out there, that we gave everything for one another,” Alcaraz added. 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
18 December,2025 09:59 AM IST | Paris | AFPWhile December is holiday season for the Europeans and skiing as a sport, for Aanchal Thakur, India’s first international alpine skiing medallist, who won a bronze medal in the 2018 alpine Ejder 3200 Cup in Turkey, a bronze at the 2021 FIS Alpine Ski Competition held at Kolasin, Montenegro, and four silver medals at the UAE Alpine Slalom Championships held at Dubai in 2022, it’s hard work on Europe’s slopes. For more than a month, Thakur has been training on the slopes of France, Italy and Austria, preparing for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy — also called the Milano Cortina 2026. Thakur is currently practising on the slopes of Tignes here in France, ahead of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) race season that begins later this month. The 29-year-old, who is just about five feet tall, divides her time between slopes in winter, glaciers in summer when in Europe, and dry training in India before she hits the Alpine slopes again. Started at the age of five The young Olympian began skiing on skis made from walnut wood at the age of five in her village Solang in Manali. “My father gifted me a pair of ‘real’ skis when I was seven and my passion for skiing has grown ever since,” says Thakur. Her routine involves four hours of skiing in the morning, lunch and sleep, then weight training, running, and endurance training. For Thakur, the first international event at the age of 13, when she participated in the Asian Children’s Championship in Lebanon, was a hard-hitting one. “I was shocked by the advanced levels there — the coaching, technical expertise, physiotherapy for skiers, etc,” says Thakur. “I realised that I have to push harder to achieve my dreams.” Sheer passion to perform Then came the 2011 New Zealand Games. “The skis were 175-cm long and I was used to 165-cm. It was freezing cold, our eyebrows froze and even if a strand of hair came out of the helmet, it would be covered with ice,” recollects Thakur. What she missed by way of coaching and infrastructure, she made up for it through sheer passion and hard work. “We have our own hills, ice, snow and skis which are all the best teachers,” says Thakur, who pushed herself for two years. “When I qualified for the Youth Winter Olympics in Innsbruck [in 2012] at the age of 15, I was proud to represent my country,” she says. After that there was no looking back. Thakur was selected for the World Championship in 2013, 2017, 2021, 2023 and 2025; she is all set for the Olympic Winter Games next year. FiveNo. of Alpine Ski World Championships Aanchal Thakur has participated in SixNo. of International Ski & Snowboard Fed (FIS) medals (2 bronze, 4 silver) she has won 13Aanchal Thakur’s age when she participated in her first international event — the Asian Children’s Championship in Lebanon
18 December,2025 09:55 AM IST | Tignes (France): | Aruna RathodCathedral and John Connon High School (Fort), and Vibgyor High School (Goregaon) booked their places in the finals of the Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school basketball tournament after winning the boys and girls U-16 semi-finals respectively at Azad Maidan on Monday. In the boys U-16 semi-final, Cathedral defeated Don Bosco High School (Matunga) 42-33. Samar Hingorani (22 points) emerged as the standout performer for the Fort school. He received solid support from Veer Kedia (14), Anshuman Hooda (four), and Zahan Mistry (four). For Don Bosco, Soham Yewale top-scored with eight points. Rajaditya Deshmukh (seven), Archit Gawde (six), Vyom Tamhanekar (six) and Kavish Rajale (six) also got onto the scoresheet. In the girls U-16 semi-final, Vibgyor beat Fatima High School (Vidya Vihar) 27-18. Hridika Mehta (11) led the scoring for the Goregaon outfit, while Gauri Anngeri (six), Jaini Nisar (six), and Kashvi Muchhal added (four) to the Goregaon team’s tally. For Fatima, Grace Pereira (six), Esha Agnihotri (five), and Aarushi Mohite (four) were the top scorers. Other results . Boys U-16 semis: Podar International (Powai) bt Yashodham High School (Goregaon) 37-22.. Girls U-16 semis: Auxilium High School (Wadala) bt PVG Vidya Bhavan (Ghatkopar) 51-9
17 December,2025 12:31 PM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamSnithik Patil of Our Lady of Salvation School (Dadar) put in a stellar performance, clinching three gold medals at the Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school artistic gymnastics competition held at Leap Gymnastics Studio, Worli, on Tuesday. Competing in the U-10 category, Snithik bagged top honours in the vault (9.5 points), floor exercise (9.55 pts), and high bar (9.7 pts) events. The nine-year-old is the top-ranked gymnast in the state, and represented Maharashtra in the state championships held in Thane on December 3, where he secured six golds (floor exercise, pommel horse, vault, ring, parallel bar, and one for all-round performance) and one silver medal (high bar). Meanwhile in the girls U-10 uneven bar event, Sarah Kanayalkar (9.55 pts) of Mount Litera International School (Bandra) clinched gold, while Tara Shete (9.425 pts) of Ascend International (Bandra) stood second, and Nyra Chakka (9.4 pts) of Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School (BKC) finished third. In the girls U-8 high bar event, Amaya Kamod (8.8 pts) of Ascend International (Bandra) won gold, ahead of Ojasvi Achrekar (8.7 pts) of IES Orion (Parel), and Eshani Laddha (8.525 pts) of Vibgyor High School (Goregaon). Meanwhile, Reet Kabdule (8.7 pts) of Swami Vivekanand High School (Chembur) claimed gold in the boys U-8 high bar event. Saksham Shah (8.15 pts) of JBCN International (Parel) bagged silver, while Aarav Mehta (7.55) of Bombay Scottish (Mahim) took bronze. 06No. of gold medals won by Snithik Patil for Maharashtra at the recent State C’ships
17 December,2025 09:16 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamOlympic gold-winning former Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra on Monday criticised the manner in which Argentine football great Lionel Messi’s tour of India has unfolded, saying he feels a “quiet sadness” seeing millions being spent for “moments of proximity photographs and fleeting access” to the legend. “As his recent visit to India unfolded parts of it felt chaotic and left me quietly uneasy. It compelled me to pause and reflect not in judgment but in genuine concern about what we were really trying to achieve,” he wondered aloud in an elaborate post on X. Lionel Messi is one of those rare athletes whose story transcends sport. His journey from a child fighting physical odds to a footballer who redefined excellence has moved millions across the world. As someone who has lived the life of an athlete, I hold profound respect and… — Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) December 15, 2025 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
16 December,2025 10:05 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIA supremely confident up Grad Mumba Masters beat Fyers American Gambits 9-7 to make it two wins on the trot and go top of the table in the Global Chess League here on Monday. Ganges Grandmasters also mounted a stunning comeback to beat Alpine SG Pipers 13-7 with black for their first win of GCL Season 3.
16 December,2025 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentMore than 500 junior players will be seen in action at the Yonex Sunrise Gautam Thakkar Memorial Maharashtra State Junior Badminton Championship from December 17 to 21 at the Bombay Gymkhana. The tournament will feature U-11, U-13 and U-15 singles matches for boys and girls and doubles matches for U-15 boys and girls.
16 December,2025 09:55 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentYashodham High School (Goregaon) edged past Dhirubhai Ambani International School (BKC) 33–31 in a nail-biting contest to book a spot in the semi-finals of the boys U-16 Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school basketball tournament at Azad Maidan on Friday. Eshan Mansuri was the star of the show for Yashodham, netting 20 points with his brilliant footwork, accurate shooting, and exceptional composure under pressure. Most importantly, with less than a minute to go, and the scores level, Eshan scored the winning points through his brilliant drive to the basket. Throughout the match, he received solid support from Archit Nayar (four points), Aditya Kamble (four), and Jayesh Gaud (four) and Teerth Kokave (one). For Dhirubai Ambani International, the bulk of the scoring was done by Vir Bakshi (17). Dev Surya (nine points), Vihaan Sen (two), Nirvaan Khanna (two), and Sidh Bothra (one) also got onto the scoresheet. 20No. of points scored by Yashodham’s Eshan Mansuri
16 December,2025 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamDay six of the Clear Premium Water presents Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7 marked the business end of the tournament at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium, culminating in a high-stakes grand finale, where GS Delhi Aces emerged victorious to clinch their maiden title. In the grand finale, GS Delhi Aces and Yash Mumbai Eagles battled it out for the Tennis Premier League Season 7 title. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where Sofia Costoulas took on Riya Bhatia. Costoulas once again produced a commanding performance, cruising an emphatic 18–7 win to maintain her unbeaten record in singles. The momentum continued in the Mixed Doubles, as Sofia Costoulas partnered Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan against Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha. The Delhi Aces duo controlled the contest from the outset, combining sharp returning with confident net play to secure a 16–9 victory and extend their advantage in the final. The Men’s Singles saw 30-year-old Billy Harris take on Damir Dzumhur. World No. 57 Dzumhur produced a strong performance and claimed a 16–9 win. However, despite the result, GS Delhi Aces continued to maintain a healthy 11-point lead. The Men’s Doubles brought the finale to a close, with Billy Harris and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan taking on Niki Poonacha and Damir Dzumhur. The GS Delhi Aces pair delivered a composed and controlled performance, securing an 8–4 win to seal a dominant 51–36 overall victory. In their debut campaign, GS Delhi Aces emerged victorious in the Tennis Premier League Season 7, clinching their maiden title after a commanding performance in the grand finale. Earlier in the day, two high-intensity semi-finals set the stage for the final. In the first semi-final, GS Delhi Aces locked horns with Rajasthan Rangers. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where 20-year-old Sofia Costoulas delivered a dream start for the Aces with a commanding 19–6 win over Ekaterina Kazionova, the biggest margin of victory recorded in a tie this season. Costoulas then partnered Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in the Mixed Doubles, but the Rangers duo of Kazionova and Dhakshineswar Suresh responded strongly to edge a tight 13–12 win. The Men’s Singles proved decisive as Billy Harris produced a dominant performance against world No. 26 Luciano Darderi, registering a 17–8 win to put GS Delhi Aces firmly in control. Billy Harris then teamed up with Jeevan in the Men’s Doubles, where the Delhi Aces pair secured a 3–1 win over Dhakshineswar Suresh and Darderi to close out the tie. GS Delhi Aces completed a commanding 51–28 overall victory to book their place in the final of Tennis Premier League Season 7. The second semi-final saw SG Pipers Bengaluru take on Yash Mumbai Eagles. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where Shrivalli Bhamidipaty faced Riya Bhatia. Bhatia produced a strong comeback to edge out Bhamidipaty 13–12. In the Mixed Doubles, Bhamidipaty paired with Rohan Bopanna against Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha. The SG Pipers duo held their nerve to secure a 13–12 win, keeping the semi-final finely balanced. The Men’s Singles proved decisive as Ramkumar Ramanathan went up against world No. 57 Damir Dzumhur, who edged out Ramanathan 14–11 with a composed display. In the Men’s Doubles, Ramanathan and Bopanna faced Niki Poonacha and Damir Dzumhur, with the SG Pipers pair winning a tight 13–12 match. Despite the late push, Yash Mumbai Eagles finished ahead on aggregate, sealing a narrow 51–49 overall victory to book their place in the final of Tennis Premier League Season 7. 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.
15 December,2025 10:27 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
