The mid-day Trophy, featuring as the most competitive race on a card specially slated to honour the contribution of print and online publications covering the sport of horse racing, appears extremely puzzling. The Pesi Shroff-trained Renoir, who enjoys bottom weight at the scales, may be very strongly fancied in the bookmakers' ring, but Manvar (late winning dash displayed in last run), Bright Button (the only horse in the field who has won over this trip distance of 2000m, albeit in lower class), Savage Peacock (getting top rider in saddle first time after sharp improvement in timing) and Her Charge (extremely eye-catching run in last start despite coming in wide) are all capable of catching the judge's eye first. However, my personal favourite is Narendra Lagad-trained Allez E'Toile who, if he keeps straight and doesn't drift under pressure in homestretch, can decisively beat all his rivals to bag the mid-day Trophy. First race at 5 pm.Selections: Mid-Day Trophy (Class IV; 2000m)Allez E'Toile 1, Renoir 2, Manwar 3. Racingpulse.in Trophy (For 3y, Maidens; 1400m)Beast Mode 1, Youremyeyesbaby 2, Red Rose 3. Indiarace.com Trophy (For 3y, Maidens; 1200m)Paloma 1, Funny Bunny 2, Organised Chaos 3. Race Mirror Trophy (Class V, Unplaced; 1200m)Aeon Flux 1, Key West 2, Exhalt 3. Hindu Trophy (Class III; 1400m)Vegatha 1, Vincero 2, Matisse 3. Free Press Journal Trophy (Class II; 1200m)Big Bay 1, Scaramouche 2, Son Of A Gun 3. Times of India Trophy (For 5y&o, Class IV; 1000m)Desert Classic 1, House Of Lords 2, Koenigsegg 3. RecommendationsBest bet: Beast Mode (2-1)Upsets: Her Charge (1-7), Nine Speed (3-9) & Jagger (4-1) Today's poolsSuper jackpot pool: 2,3,4,5,6.7Jackpot pool: 3,4,5,6,7Treble pool: 4,5,6Tanala pool: All races.
21 March,2026 09:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviRonnie O'Sullivan keeps breaking records in snooker - now, at age 50, he's made the highest-ever break in the history of the professional game. The seven-time world champion cleared the table for a break of 153 in the first frame of his 5-0 win over Ryan Day at the World Open in China on Friday. The previous biggest break in competition was 148, made by Jamie Burnett in qualifying for the UK Championship in 2004. "It was a pretty cool moment, really happy to do it," O'Sullivan said in a video posted on X. The classic "maximum" break in snooker is 147 - 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colors - but a player can score more if he starts it with a free ball. That happens when a player is snookered on all the reds following a foul by the opponent, and can nominate another ball as a red before potting a color and then starting his break as normal. It means it is technically possible to make a break of 155. O'Sullivan followed a free ball and a black by potting 15 reds, 13 blacks and two pinks to reach the colors, which he cleared up under huge pressure with history on the line. He smiled and laughed as he shook hands with Day, and appeared confused as he looked at the scoreboard. "I was just thinking about trying to win the frame, you know," O'Sullivan said, "and then it got to a certain point and I did realize and I was like, It seems there's too many balls on the table so something's not quite right.'" O'Sullivan already has a long list of records O'Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest-ever snooker player. He is tied for the record of most world championships with Stephen Hendry, has the most major titles (23), the most ranking crowns (41) and the most 147 breaks (17), including the quickest in just 5 minutes, 8 seconds at the world championship in 1997. Already this season, O'Sullivan, who only plays sporadically on the circuit in the latter years of his career, had made two 147s in one match - in the semifinals of the Saudi Arabia Masters. "I still feel a little rusty, though - I obviously haven't played enough matches and tournaments," he said in a tongue-in-cheek comment. "That's what everybody seems to be saying." Australian snooker player Neil Robertson, a former world champion, praised O'Sullivan. "The best ever and the best there ever will be," Robertson posted on X. "Snooker fans I hope you've cherished him over the years in the joy he's brought to millions over 4 decades." 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
21 March,2026 08:58 AM IST | Yushan (China) | PTIIndia's Tanvi Sharma stunned Japan's sixth seed Natsuki Nidaira in straight games to storm into the semifinals of USD 250,000 Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament here on Friday. The 17-year-old, who is a silver medallist at the BWF World Junior Championships, registered a 21-14 21-14 in 43 minutes in the women's singles quarterfinals. Tanvi, who is the youngest Indian to reach a BWF World Tour final at the 2025 US Open Super 300, will take on either former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan or Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh next. In the men's doubles quarterfinals, Leo Carnando and Bagas Maulana of Indonesia ended the campaign of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun with a 21-12, 22-20 win.Later in the day, Isharani Baruah and Malvika Bansod will lock horns in an all-Indian quarterfinal clash. 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
21 March,2026 08:57 AM IST | Orleans (France) | PTIAfter 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
21 March,2026 08:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroThe gymnastics World Cup event scheduled to take place in Doha in April has been cancelled due to the war in the Middle East, the sport's governing body announced on Friday. "World Gymnastics reports that, following an urgent online vote and in light of the current situation in the Middle East, its executive committee has decided to cancel the 2026 edition of the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Doha (QAT), scheduled to take place from April 15 to 18," World Gymnastics said in a statement. "The event will not be rescheduled," it added. Several major sporting events have been postponed or cancelled because of the war, including the Formula One grands prix in Bahrain and Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. Both were scheduled for mid-April and have been cancelled. In football, the Finalissima, which was to pit European champions Spain against Copa America winners Argentina on March 27 in Qatar, has also been cancelled. The Qatar motorcycling Grand Prix, initially scheduled for the weekend of April 12, has been postponed to November 8. 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.
20 March,2026 08:49 PM IST | Doha | AFPAhead of his Miami Open title bid, the incumbent tennis superstar, Carlos Alcaraz, said that the players are showcasing a more aggressive brand to defend him. The Spaniard sees it as a compliment to him. Earlier in the year, Alcaraz secured his sixth Grand Slam title by clinching his first-ever Australian Open title. He will be looking to bounce back from his loss in the Indian Wells semi-finals. He will begin his Miami Open campaign by playing a clash against Joao Fonseca. The 19-year-old Fonseca will be aiming to bring his fearless, attacking style against the world number one in their first head-to-head meeting, which will undoubtedly be a fire versus fire clash given the high intensity, aggressive and flashy playing styles of both players. "I think I am just trying to take it as a compliment when players try to play their best, more aggressively if they want to beat me," said the Spaniard as quoted by the ATP official website in the pre-tournament interview in Miami. "I think it is a great thing to know, and obviously, I am just really happy that they are taking us [as] players to try to beat, and we are trying to make them improve as a player as well. So for me, that is great," added Spain's athlete. He then stated that at times, an aggressive brand of tennis from the opponent is not that easy to handle. "But sometimes when I step on the court and see the opponent playing that level, it is not that funny," said the 22-year-old tennis star. Alcaraz said that his focus is on being "one step forward" and "trying to see what their opponent's next move is going to be before they make it". "It is like chess in a way. I am trying to be there a little bit earlier or trying to think what is going to happen next. Then I can think about my move. I am trying that or just trying to be more aggressive than them or trying not to let them be in a good spot all the time," he concluded his point. Alcaraz clinched his first ATP Masters title at Miami way back in 2022 and has a solid win-loss record of 13-4 at the event. During last year's edition, he faced a first-round exit after a shock loss to David Goffin. The title clash of the Miami Open is scheduled to be played on March 30th. (With ANI Inputs)
20 March,2026 06:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs part of their preparations for the upcoming Asian Games Qualifiers 2026, the Kazakhstan Senior Men's Hockey Team is currently in India for a high-performance training camp at the Sports Authority of India Northern Regional Centre, Sonipat, Haryana, from March 10 to 21, 2026. According to a release, the camp, which is hosted at one of India's top hockey training facilities, offers top-notch synthetic turf, cutting-edge conditioning facilities, and a fiercely competitive atmosphere, giving Kazakhstan the perfect setting to hone preparations before a significant continental assignment.Speaking on practising in India, Kazakhstan coach Olga Urmanova said, "We are very pleased to be here at the Sports Authority of India Northern Regional Centre, Sonipat, which has been extremely hospitable to our team. Overall, India offers a very high standard of hockey, and that is exactly why we chose to come here--to learn, adapt, and grow." "We are sincerely grateful to Hockey India for their support and for facilitating such quality training opportunities. I also want to thank our assistant coach Lenur Vishnyakov for all the documentation work and coordinating with Hockey India, thus making the process smooth," she concluded.Kazakhstan's hopes of qualifying for the Men's Asian Games 2026 are expected to be helped by this training period in India. Hockey India has a history of hosting international teams for training camps By regularly hosting international teams for training camps, Hockey India has strengthened international sporting ties and solidified its place as a major player in the global hockey ecosystem.Meanwhile, speaking on the development, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey stated, "We are delighted to welcome the Kazakhstan Senior Men's Hockey Team to India. India has always been at the forefront of promoting hockey, and providing world-class facilities to visiting teams is part of our commitment to the sport's development."Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh said that it is encouraging to see teams like Kazakhstan choosing India as their preferred destination for high-performance training."The exposure to quality infrastructure and competitive conditions here will certainly benefit Kazakhstan's preparations for the Asian Games Qualifiers." Shri Bhola Nath Singh added.(With ANI Input)
20 March,2026 02:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFresh from winning her maiden Indian Wells title recently, tennis World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has turned up the style quotient ahead of the Miami Open. The Belarusian Instagrammed a series of pictures in which she’s seen sporting an animal-print fur jacket over a silver dress. “The only right outfit for my first night back in Miami,” she captioned the post which received nearly two lakh ‘likes.’ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aryna Sabalenka (@arynasabalenka) Her fans were quick to compliment her look, with one writing: “Tiger queen,” while another wrote: “Certified showstopper.” Interestingly, Sabalenka’s fiancé, Georgios Frangulis chimed in too, saying: “Full movie villain vibes.”
20 March,2026 09:11 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentYoung Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma stormed into the quarter-finals by defeating compatriot Anmol Kharb 21-14, 21-17 at the Orleans Masters here on Thursday. Tanvi, 17, had won a silver medal in the girls singles event at last year’s World Junior Championships held in Guwahati. 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
20 March,2026 09:10 AM IST | Orleans (France) | AgenciesLegendary cueist Pankaj Advani (PSPB) saw his reign come to an end as he suffered a defeat at the hands of Kreishh Gurbaxani in the CCI Snooker Classic here on Thursday. Gurbaxani pulled off a brilliant 4-2 (74-34, 38-68, 16-78, 76-14, 119-0, and 78-21) win in the summit clash of the Rs 13.5 lakh tournament. Gurbaxani, who competes on the World Snooker Tour, started with a run of 41 to win the opening frame. The balls did not roll favourably for Advani, who seemed to be out of sorts. But, he still managed to win the next two with decent breaks of 52 and 45 to grab the lead. Thereafter, Gurbaxani who was cool and composed and with clever tactical play won the subsequent three frames on the trot to script a deserving victory. The icing on the cake was a superb break of 102 in the fifth frame before snatching the sixth to close out the win. India No. 2 Aditya Mehta (PSPB) was in complete control as he charged past I.H. Manudev 4-1 (52-43, 101-8, 69-6, 46-82, 60-63) to progress to the quarterfinals. 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
20 March,2026 09:08 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIIndia will host the World Indoor Athletics Championships for the first time in 2028 in Bhubaneswar as the international body on Thursday awarded the hosting rights of the prestigious event to the country at its council meeting in Torun, Poland. The decision was taken at the World Athletics Council meeting a day before the start of World Indoor Athletics Championships (March 20-22) in the Polish city. "India has been awarded the World Indoor Athletics Championships for the year 2028," World Athletics vice president Adille Sumariwalla told PTI from Poland. AFI had revealed its bid for the 2028 World Indoor Championships earlier this year. A two-member team from World Athletics had visited the state-of-the-art indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium Complex in Bhubaneswar in January. Along with Sumariwalla, also a World Athletics Council member and a former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president, officials of the Odisha government had travelled to the Polish city. AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said the development was an indication of the growing stature of Indian athletics in the international stage. "The World Athletics 2028 Indoor Athletics Championships allotted to India mark the growing stature of Indian athletics. Indian track and field has been in sharp focus since ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won back-to-back Olympic and World medals," he said. New Zealand had also earlier expressed interest to host the 2028 World Indoor Championships, a biennial showpiece for indoor events. "Since India was in the fray, we were not allowed inside when the decision to choose the host city was taken. Later World Athletics announced that India has been awarded the Championships," technical committee chairman and former AFI secretary Ravinder Chaudhry said from Poland. World Indoor Championships typically has 26 events -- 13 each for men and women -- to be competed across three days. The 4x400m mixed relay will be held for the first time in this edition in Poland. The 13 events are 60m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 60m hurdles, 4x400m relay, high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, shot put, heptathlon (pentathlon for women). India has also made a bid to host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships at the state-of-the-art indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar which was inaugurated in 2024. A two-member delegation of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) had made an inspection visit last month. The Indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is also hosting the inaugural edition of the National Indoor Athletics Championships from March 24 to 25. The indoor athletics centre has a 200m synthetic track, an 80m plus 20m running track, and designated areas for long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and shot put, each meticulously designed to meet specific athletic requirements. The facility features 60 twin-sharing rooms for those undergoing full-time coaching. India has made bids for a slew of big-ticket global athletics events in line with the country's desire to host the 2036 Olympics. The country is bidding for the 2028 World U20 Athletics Championships as well as the 2031 World (Senior) Athletics Championships -- both in Ahmedabad. The Gujarat capital is hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games. 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
20 March,2026 09:07 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1773996827288_d.png "Hockey Team (Pic: ANI)")
