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India’s two team and four individual gold medals are a reaffirmation of its status as the world’s top chess powerhouse.

In this issue

12-10-202415 STORIES

Unfamiliar territory: India’s run-up to the biennial event has been unusually cold.

Women's Cricket

Women’s T20 World Cup Preview: Squads analysis, form guide and lowdown on conditions

The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup has seen contrasting build-ups for the participating teams, with India gearing up to bid for its maiden ICC trophy.

The flip side: When athletes face stress — whether physical or mental — their bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, releasing cortisol and adrenaline to boost energy, speed up heart rate, and sharpen focus. While this helps in the moment, it comes at a cost.

Food For Thought

The hidden toll of stress on athletes and how to counter it

From national expectations to personal hurdles, athletes face intense stress that depletes vital nutrients, leading to emotional burnout and chronic f

Santos earned his UFC contract by knocking out Kaan Ofli in the second round of the TUF featherweight final.

Enter ‘The Legend’: Santos enters UFC featherweight, a division stacked with quality fighters

Mairon Santos is one of the newest entries into the world of UFC, earning his contract by knocking out Kaan Ofli in the TUF featherweight final.

Tough talk: “I’m not very optimistic about the continuity of the ISL. This is my feeling — changing 14-15 players is not a problem for the players or the coach, but it is a problem within the system” — Manolo Marquez.

Indian Football

Coaches, youth system and wage structure: What can ISL learn from its Asian counterparts?

India is now ranked 126th, its lowest in seven years. Despite having a league structure with 13 teams and no relegation, Indian football has failed to

All of Arsenal’s hard work would have paid off if not for Manchester City’s dogged attitude of fighting until the last second.

City-Arsenal rivalry delivers; Barcelona continues stellar start in La Liga

While Erling Haaland scoring his 100th goal for Manchester City, AC Milan shocked city rival Inter in the Milan derby.

Youthful flair: At just 22, the Ghanaian forward, Kwame Peprah, joined Kerala Blasters in August 2023.

Indian Football

ISL 2024-25: Kwame Peprah renews hope, Benali leads NorthEast United charge

With Mikael Stahre stepping in as the new coach of Kerala Blasters, Peprah seems to be handling the pressure well as the new season begins.

The winning combination: The Indian para contingent during a felicitation ceremony organised by IndianOil to honour them for their historic performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Paris Paralympics 2024

Deep-dive analysis: How Indian para sports came of age in Paris

The Indian Paralympic contingent returned from Paris with an impressive 29-medal haul, its best-ever performance in a single edition. For those who ha

Last-minute change: The 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup was moved from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates following civil unrest in the original host country.

Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: UAE answers international cricket’s SOS call, again

Despite being an ICC associate member, the UAE has become a prime cricket destination and an alternative venue for major events in times of crisis, as

Alcaraz, the French Open and Wimbledon champion, has already played 52 matches in 38 weeks in 2024, and his season will end with the Davis Cup finals in Spain in November.

Off-side: The not-so-secret cost of chasing profits in sports

Administrators’ greed helps inflate the already fattened sponsorship pool, but like an overstuffed suitcase, the taxing schedule of athletes is on the

Troubleshooters-in-chief: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja put their hands up every time India is in a spot of bother.

Sunil Gavaskar: India fortunate to have Ashwin, Jadeja in the team

With Rishabh Pant also back to form with his chirping behind the stumps, the entertainment factor has gone up manifold.

Switching tactics: Head coach Amol Muzumdar saw Richa’s potential beyond her finishing role, promoting her to number 3 in ODIs to play more impactful and long innings.

Women's Cricket

Richa Ghosh interview: A finisher’s unfinished business at the T20 World Cup

As she nears her 21st birthday, Richa Ghosh has become one of India’s key players for the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, showcasing her remarkable

Monumental show: From a total of 7,752 games played by 1,870 players across 11 rounds over 13 days, India’s triumph is no small feat.

How India won Chess Olympiad gold medals in Budapest

This triumph is remarkable given the youth of the Indian team — six of the 10 players are under 23, with the four gold medallists averaging under 20.

Rocking rearguard: Ashwin and Jadeja’s lower-order batting resilience has helped India maintain its dominant home record in Test cricket.

India’s lower-order statistical deep-dive: Worthy fail-safe but overdependence can be costly

India’s transitioning top-order can’t rely solely on Jadeja, Ashwin, and Axar’s stability. Rohit Sharma’s team must enforce more accountability at the

Crowning moment: India A players celebrate after winning Duleep Trophy 2024. India A beat India C by 132 runs.

Duleep Trophy review: Dress rehearsal for Test hopefuls as India targets flexibility in roles, continuity in selections

The traditional zonal format of Duleep Trophy once offered bragging rights but this year’s shift to a mixed pool system kept the focus on individual p

Indian men’s hockey team retained its Asian Champions Trophy crown with a 1-0 win over China in the final in Moqi. This was India’s fifth Asian Champions Trophy title.

Hockey Asian Champions Trophy review: India’s journey to fifth title dotted with experiments and cautious optimism

Head coach Craig Fulton could have considered resting more members from the Paris squad and introducing fresh faces, even if it meant risking a few lo

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