After defeating Anish Giri of the Netherlands in the first round, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa is yet to win a game in the Candidates chess tournament here and the road ahead for him looks difficult as Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov has a head start that everyone will be envious off. With four rounds out of ten done, Praggnanandhaa is sitting on two points and it is suffice to say that it's a pretty decent start except when one looks at the results of Sindarov. The Uzbek had stunned the chess audience world over by winning the World Chess Cup in Goa last year and he seems unstoppable having scored 3.5 points out of his four games. For any strong event like this, either the start or the business end is crucial. And with this kind of start, it is clear that Sindarov is the most feared opponent unless someone brings him down. That said, the Uzbek brand of chess is also dependent on his ability to go for complexities where he tries to outplay opposition. And this could be one point on which the other elite players will bank on going further as anything can happen in positions which have three possible results. With Sindarov on 3.5, Caruana stands second on 2.5 while Praggnanandhaa, Matthias Bluebaum of Germany and Giri share the next three spots on 2 points each. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States and Wei Yi of China come in next on 1.5 points while Andrey Esipenko of Russia is in last spot with just one point in his kitty. In the women's tournament being held simultaneously, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine share the lead on 2.5 points. Russians Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina along with Jiner Zhu of China and Indian R Vaishali share the third spot on 2 points each while Divya Deshmukh and Zhongyi Tan are not far behind on 1.5 points. In the open section, Sindarov has clearly been the pick of the players with his never-say-die attitude and his skills in the tactical patterns. His game against Praggnanandhaa probably stands out as his best effort in the event thus far wherein he sacrificed a piece early and got great counter play. For Praggnanandhaa, things need to improve if he has to make a bid to play the next world championship match against D Gukesh. So far, the Indian has shown enough intent but it remains to be seen if he can bring home a few more points before the first half ends in this 8-player 14-round event in which everyone plays against the other twice. Praggnanandhaa will take on bottom-placed Esipenko in the next round after a rest day Thursday. The women's event is quite open as the two leaders started off as underdogs. Anna Muzychuk especially got a chance to be here following the withdrawal of Koneru Humpy while Bibisara was at best a long shot when the event started. 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
03 April,2026 10:48 AM IST | Paphos (Cyprus) | PTIOlympic medal-winning wrestler Sakshi Malik penned a heartfelt note to husband and fellow wrestler Satyawart Kadian on the occasion of their ninth wedding anniversary. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SakshiMalikKadian (@sakshimalik_official) Sharing a series of photographs together, Malik captioned the post: “Nine years… and it still feels like I’m walking through life with my safest place by my side. Every year just makes me more grateful for you. Life isn’t perfect, but with you, it always feels right. Happy anniversary!”
03 April,2026 10:05 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentGolf legend Tiger Woods has been given an ultimatum by girlfriend Vanessa Trump to save their relationship, following his arrest for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after crashing his car in Florida last Friday. A close friend of the couple told British publication The Daily Mail: “She had specific criteria [to continue the relationship]. This has to be a real rehab — doctors, counsellors. There are prescribed drugs for pain and sleeping issues, so this has to be doctor supervised. She has set a hard line: Fix this, and fix it permanently. She’s not like other girlfriends. She required it and it was non-negotiable. And he loves her, so he is willing to do it.” Woods and Trump — a model and the former wife of US President Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr — began dating in late 2024.
03 April,2026 10:03 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndia's Aditya Pratap Yadav delivered a commanding win on day 4 of the Asian Boxing Championships here. Competing in the men's 65kg category, Aditya, the National Champion who recently clinched gold at the ninth Elite Men's National Boxing Championship in January 2026, secured a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Mousa Alhawsaw of Saudi Arabia, showcasing control and precision throughout the bout. With this win, Aditya advances to the next round, where he will face Uzbekistan's Abdulloh Madaminov in what promises to be a competitive contest. The event features top talent from across the continent, with Indian boxers building strong momentum in the tournament. 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
03 April,2026 09:59 AM IST | Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) | PTIUS Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has slammed the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for its stringent anti-cheating measures at the ongoing Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, calling them "complete nonsense". The world number two expressed his frustration when asked about the anti-cheating measures at the elite tournament to determine D Gukesh's challenger for the world championship later this year. He said the scanners and machines around the playing area have made the players feel like Mossad (Israeli intelligence) agents operating inside Iran. "My general view about the whole topic of delay, cheating over the board, all that stuff is that I frankly think it's nonsense. I do think it really is, considering the amount of machines they have to scan the players in the room," Nakamura said on his YouTube channel in conversation with Norwegian GM Jon Ludvig Hammer and Luxembourg's WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni. Nakamura, one of the eight players competing in the Open section of the Candidates, added that FIDE should "get real", saying it was impossible to cheat with an elite field and so many arbiters in the playing hall. "I think it's all complete nonsense. That not to say I have a problem with that per se but I just think that the fears that some players have expressed. I'm just going to be honest...they scan us before the games they scan us after the game," he said. "They have the metal detectors, they have the separate scanners, I mean... I feel like what are we all? Mossad agents inside Iran or something. Come on, we are chess players, let's be real, seriously, let's be real," said Nakamura, who drew his fourth-round match with Wei Yi to be on just 1.5 points. Asked if he had given his feedback to FIDE, he said he didn't "see a reason" to do so. "(But) my general view is that it's all overblown. At a smaller open tournament where you don't have all these scanners and equipment, I can understand the concerns. "But at an event like this, where everybody is in a room, there are arbiters watching everyone, and cameras on everyone... I mean, without inside help, nothing can happen. I just think it's all nonsense." With India's two-time world rapid champion Koneru Humpy pulling out of the women's section of the Candidates due to Cyprus' proximity to the Gulf conflict, Nakamura said the concerns were "overblown." "Fabi (Fabiano Caruana) has expressed concerns before the event being held in Cyprus, Humpy obviously withdrew. And I didn't say anything about the topic at at all, so of course I haven't said anything to FIDE. My general view towards all this is that I think it's all overblown." 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
03 April,2026 09:55 AM IST | New Delhi | PTINehru World School (Delhi) and Sacred Heart Sr Secondary School (Ludhiana) clinched the boys and girls titles respectively at the ACG Jr NBA 3v3 national tournament in the capital recently. In the boys final at the KD Jadhav Indoor Arena here recently, Nehru World School beat Maharana Pratap (Prayagraj) 21-18, with Ansh Tomar (11 points) top-scoring for the victors. Darshil added four points while Jatin Sharma scored six. For the Prayagraj team, Mohammed Sameer scored 14 points while Kuldeep Singh scored two and Akhand Yadav and Augustya Yadav added one point each. In the girls final, Sacred Heart beat Providence Girls Higher Secondary School (Kochi) 13-10. Smaya Sodhi contributed seven points while Jiya Sodhi scored five and Jasleep Kaur added one for the winning side. For the Kochi team, Akshara K scored five points while Lakshmi T (two), Alena Alphonsa Angel (two) and Theertha Praveen (one) were the other contributors. Nearly 8,000 children from over 900 schools across India participated in the country’s largest school-based basketball program for U-14 players.
02 April,2026 05:29 PM IST | New Delhi | A CorrespondentNavi Mumbai-based Peeyush Aggarwal is all set to represent India at the 138th All England Masters at Hatfield, United Kingdom, from April 10 to 12. Aggarwal delivered a stellar performance at the Yonex-Sunrise 48th Indian Masters National Badminton Championship recently, finishing runner-up in the men’s singles 40+ category, where he stunned India No. 1 Nigel D’sa 21-18, 21-19 in the quarter-finals and followed it up with a 21-15, 21-19 win over India No. 2 Mayank Behl in the semis. The Kharghar resident eventually went down 11-21, 11-21 to Harshad Bhagwat in the summit clash.
02 April,2026 10:18 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndian trap shooters failed to reach the finals in both the men's and women's events after two days of qualification rounds at the inaugural ISSF Shotgun World Cup here on Wednesday. Kynan Chenai and Aashima Ahlawat fought hard but missed reaching the finals of the men's and women's trap competitions respectively by an identical one-point margin. Kynan shot 119 (24, 24, 24, 24, 23) while Aashima tallied 111 (22, 22, 21, 22, 24), as they bowed out in 13th and 14th spots respectively. Bhowneesh Mendiratta (23, 24, 25, 20, 23) shot rounds of 20 and 23 in the men's trap to give up his overnight (23, 24, 25) advantage of sixth spot, eventually finishing 39th in the pecking order. Olympian Prithviraj Tondaiman was further down in 57th with a score of 111 (24, 21, 20, 23, 23) after five rounds. Reigning Olympic champion Nathan Hales of Great Britain topped the 83-man qualification field, firing a 123 over two days and five rounds. 2012 London Olympic champion Jessica Rossi of Italy topped the women's trap qualifiers with a 121. The host nation's Driss Haffari took the eighth and final qualification spot in the men's trap with a score of 120 whereas Turkish shooter Rumeysa Pelin Kaya took that final berth in the women's trap, shooting 112. Only eight shooters qualify for the final round in both the men's and women's trap. On Tuesday, Bhowneesh and Kynan had enjoyed an eventful opening day, shooting with precision and consistency to put themselves in contention. Both Bhowneesh and Kynan had hit 72 targets to be in joint sixth place alongside seven others after three rounds of 25 shots each, totalling 75 clay targets. In women's trap, Kirti Gupta was the second best Indian among women after Aashima, securing 32nd position with a score of 107 (20, 22, 23, 21, 21). Olympian Rajeshwari Kumari shot 106 (24, 21, 20, 21, 20) to garner 37th spot in the 59-strong field. The Indian contingent shooting for ranking points only (RPO) saw Md. Asad Sultan shoot 108 (22, 22, 22, 20, 22) and Sharan Susheel Gyanchand 104 (21, 20, 21, 21, 21) in the men's trap, while Shreshtha Sisodia (19, 21, 23, 20, 21) and Preeti Rajak (20, 20, 22, 18, 23) shot 104 and 103 respectively, in the women's event. The final day on Thursday has the trap mixed team on schedule with India still in search for a medal in this World Cup leg. 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
02 April,2026 10:15 AM IST | Tangier (Morocco) | PTIIndian boxers continued their impressive run on day three of the Asian Boxing Championships, with World Cup medallist Sachin Siwach and Vishvanath Suresh advancing to the quarterfinals here on Wednesday. Sachin notched a hard-fought 4-1 split decision win over Mongolia's Buyandalai Bayarkhuu in the 60kg round of 16 bout, maintaining composure in a closely-contested fight to progress to the last eight. He will next face Chinese Taipei's Cheng-Wei Lee. Vishvanath moved into the quarterfinals with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision over Bekzat Ergeshov of Kyrgyzstan. He delivered a dominant display, showcasing sharp technique and excellent ring control throughout the bout. He will next take on reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan. 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
02 April,2026 10:09 AM IST | Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) | PTITiger Woods said he is stepping away to seek treatment, four days after his vehicle crashed in Florida and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He will miss the Masters for the second straight year. "This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery," Woods said in social media posts. Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff's report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over on its side. The online court docket for Martin County showed Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his April 23 arraignment hearing. It's the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando, he took a leave of absence to work on being a better person. That lasted four months and he returned at the Masters. Woods showed signs of impairment Woods' eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had opioid pills - identified as hydrocodone - on him when interviewed at the scene of the crash, according to the arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Woods' movements were slow and lethargic, he was sweating as he talked to deputies in the back seat of an air-conditioned car and he told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report. Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio moments before he hit the trailer, the report said. Woods has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion. "I'm committed to take the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally," Woods said in his statement. He is taking a break from the PGA Tour board, that means a break from more than just golf. He serves a key role on the PGA Tour board by leading its Future Competition Committee reshaping the schedule. A tour spokesman said Woods did not take part in Tuesday's meeting, and the work would continue in his absence. "Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry," said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who started last summer. "My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support." Woods' defense attorney, Douglas Duncan, didn't respond to an email and phone call after the plea was entered Tuesday. Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) when the accident occurred. The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report. The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle through the passenger window. Neither Woods nor the truck driver were injured. The failed sobriety test During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking. Woods, who was hiccupping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, the report said. "Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle," the deputy wrote after the tests. Woods, 50, is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognisable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken. But his injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in the 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. At this latest crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later. Woods, who has been involved in four crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer's request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a mis-demeanor, even for a first offence. 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
02 April,2026 10:05 AM IST | Orlando | AP | PTIThree-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 | PTIADVERTISEMENT
