Sports

The 2025 Hyderabad Monsoon Races will get underway from July 21 and will end on October 31, as per the prospectus issued by the Hyderabad Race Club (HRC).

The total advertised prize money for the 26 race days, spanning over three and half months season, is Rs. 13, 80, 80,000.

The blue riband of the season, the RACE2WIN.COM Deccan Derby (Gr. 1), will be staged on October 2, with guaranteed stakes money of Rs. 6 million.

There are 24 ‘A’ licensed trainers and 4 ‘B’ licensed trainers at HRC, with 24 jockeys / apprentice jockeys.

A total of 612 horses (including two-year-olds) are stationed at the Malakpet race course.

Important races: K. Mahipathi Rao Memorial Golconda Juvenile Million (Aug. 10), Nizam’s Gold Cup (Aug. 17), Governor’s Cup (Aug. 24), Coromandel Deccan Fillies’ Championship Stakes (Aug. 31), Y Shanker Rao Memorial Deccan Colts’ Championship Stakes (Sept. 7), President Of India Gold Cup (Sept. 14), RACE2WIN.COM Deccan Derby (Gr. 1) (Oct. 2) and Golconda St. Leger (Oct. 27).

Racing dates:July: 21, 22 & 28. August: 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 & 31. September: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 & 29. October: 2, 8, 13, 19, 20, 27 & 31.

Antim Panghal (53kg) and Harshita (72kg) clinched gold medals in the Budapest Ranking Series wrestling event.

World championships bronze medallist Antim Panghal defeated Natalia Malysheva, who had beaten Natalia twice in the Ulaanbaatar Ranking Series, recorded a 7-4 victory in the final.

Earlier, Antim got past Turkey’s Zeynep Yetgil 10-0 to avenge her Paris Olympics loss before seeing off USA’s Felicity Taylor 10-0 in the semifinals.

Harshita overcame reigning Asian champion and Worlds silver medallist Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan 10-0 to win all her four round robin matches and emerge as the champion.

The 19-year-old, who secured gold in Ulaanbaatar Ranking Series and Asian under-20 championships recently, also beat Frenchwoman Pauline Lecarpentier (who was disqualified for pushing the Indian after being pinned) and Ksenila Burakova ‘by fall’ and got a walkover against Kristina Bratchikova.

Promising teenager Neha Sangwan was pinned by former Worlds and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the USA in the 57kg summit clash to claim the silver. Neelam (50kg) bagged a bronze.

Former Australia captain Greg Chappell believes Shubman Gill has displayed greatness with the bat and shown glimpses of his potential as a young captain, but said his real test begins now with India trailing 1-2 in the five-match Test series against England.

India lost the third Test against England at Lord’s by 22 runs to go 1-2 down in the series.

The two teams will face off in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Manchester starting July 23.

“As India prepare for the final two Tests of their series in England, the spotlight now shines firmly on their 25-year-old captain Shubman Gill. A bright young talent, he has shown greatness with the bat and glimpses of leadership potential, but this moment will define his trajectory as a Test captain.

“It’s not an easy environment in which to grow, but it’s the one he’s in – and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” Chappell wrote in his column in ESPNcricinfo.com.

Chappell wants Gill to set the tone for the side with his actions.

“Gill must define what sort of team he wants India to be. The captain sets the tone – not just with words, but with actions, clarity of purpose, and visible standards.

“That means demanding discipline in the field. India cannot afford to slip back into being a poor fielding side. The best teams are superb in the field. They don’t give easy runs. They don’t drop chances,” he wrote.

Chappell wants Gill to be firm in picking the side he feels can win a match for him.

“The selectors and Gill must pick and stick. He must identify the core group of players he trusts, lay out a clear game plan, and communicate individual roles within it. Every player should know what is expected of them and where they fit in.

“Too often, in teams that struggle, players are left to work it out for themselves. That can’t be left to chance at this level,” the Australian great wrote.

Chappell said a captain should be a good communicator and its high time Gill should adopt that quality.

“Great captains are great communicators. Gill must become one – and quickly. Whether it’s at training, in the middle or in the dressing room during a break – clear, calm communication is essential.

“His bat can’t always do the talking. He must learn to speak in a way that aligns the group, encourages belief, and creates trust,” he said.

“He also needs to enunciate the right approach. Batters must be told to play positively and bat in partnerships. If a batter gets a start, it is critical to go on and get a big score. Collapses come when players who are set decide that they don’t want to keep working that hard.” Chappell said creating pressure through consistent bowling is as important as taking wickets.

“Bowlers must know that it’s not just about taking wickets but about building pressure: bowling good balls, good overs, and good spells. Pressure creates mistakes. It’s not magic, it’s method,” he wrote.

Chappell said it is time for Gill to stamp his authority as a leader and not just as a batter, as India look to bounce back in the series with two matches remaining.

“If Gill wants to become a great Test captain, this is his moment to stamp his authority. Not just with the bat, but with his leadership. Set the standard. Demand it of others. Pick your team. Back them. And make sure every man knows what is expected and hold them to it,” he wrote.

“Because in the end, cricket isn’t about heroes. It’s about partnerships. It’s about teams. And it’s about captains who bring the best out of those around them.

“If Gill can lead with clarity of thought and strength of purpose, he won’t just shape this series, he’ll shape the future of Indian cricket,” Chappell added.

Spain forward Athenea del Castillo came off the bench to open the scoring and Claudia Pina added a superb second as they beat hosts Switzerland 2-0 on Friday (July 18, 2025) to reach the women’s Euro semifinals, where they will face France or Germany.

For the best part of an hour, the hosts defended doggedly and attacked on the break, but once Spain found their groove they were able to quickly kill the game off with two expertly-taken goals.

Spain looked to have made the perfect start when Mariona Caldentey was upended by a rash challenge by Nadine Riesen, but having opted to take the spot-kick herself the forward rolled it wide of the post.

Pina had several chances for Spain but stout defending by the hosts saw them go in level at the break, much to the delight of the raucous crowd.

It took a moment of brilliance from Aitana Bonmati to break the deadlock for the world champions in the 66th minute, teeing up Athenea with an instinctive backheel for the substitute to guide the ball past Swiss keeper Livia Peng.

Five minutes later, Pina doubled her side’s advantage as Switzerland captain Lia Waelti was dispossessed just outside her own penalty area, and Pina curled a superb shot into the top corner before wheeling away in celebration.

The drama continued right to the end, with Spain’s Alexia Putellas missing a late penalty and Switzerland’s Noelle Maritz shown a straight red card for a stoppage-time challenge.

As the Spaniards danced in a circle to celebrate advancing to the last four, the Swiss fans sang loudly in appreciation of the team, and the players bounced together in unison as the hosts exited the tournament with their heads held high having made the knockout stages for the first time.

Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi’s dream run at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam ended in the semifinals after a 0-2 defeat to Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian in Las Vegas.

Erigaisi, who became the first Indian to reach the last four stage of the Freestyle Grand Slam with a stellar performance, ran out of steam in the match up against Aronian who is finding his magical touch back in the game.

After beating Magnus Carlsen in the play-off for a top-four spot in the prelims and Hikaru Nakamura in the quarterfinals, Arjun failed to convert his chances in the first game.

Aronian, despite being in a difficult position, held firm and was rewarded when Arjun could not capitalise on his advantage.

In the return game, with Aronian needing only a draw to advance, he played subtly to gain a slight advantage out of the opening. As the game settled into a balanced position, it seemed headed for a draw, but Arjun, needing a win to stay in the match, took unwarranted risks that cost him dearly.

Hans Moke Niemann of the United States was the other player to reach the finals, defeating compatriot Fabiano Caruana. Niemann arrived slightly late for the first game but managed to draw it.

Two more draws followed before the younger American outmanoeuvred Caruana with some finely crafted middlegame play.

R Praggnanandhaa, who had bowed out of the title race, defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany in the playoff for 3rd-8th place. Praggnanandhaa drew the first game as Black and outplayed Keymer in the return game to register a 1.5-0.5 victory.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen also won by the same margin against Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan.

In other matches, Wesley So of the United States defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan 3-1, while in an all-American duel, Hikaru Nakamura crushed Leinier Dominguez Perez 2-0.

Results Semifinals:

Arjun Erigaisi (Ind) lost to Levon Aronian (Usa) 0-2; Fabiano Caruana (Usa) lost to Hans Moke Niemann (Usa) 1.5-2.5 Other results: Lenier Dominguez Perez (Usa) lost to Hikaru Nakamura (Usa) 0-2; Magnus Carlsen (Nor) beat Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb) 1.5-0.5; R Praggnanandhaa beat Vincent Keymer 1.5-0.5; Wesley So (Usa) beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 3-1.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju feels that the National Sports Governance Bill, which is set to be tabled in the monsoon session beginning on Monday (July 21, 2025), will usher in a “new era” for sports in India.

Mr. Rijiju was the Union Sports Minister for two years between 2019 and 2021. He was among the predecessors of incumbent Mansukh Mandviya who played a part in building consensus for the Bill by talking to the country’s sports administrators and other stakeholders.

In an interview to PTI, the 53-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West said he is looking forward to the Bill becoming an act soon.

“It’s a historic bill coming for the sporting community. I must thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modiji for having such a visionary idea about transforming the sports sector,” he said.

The Bill seeks to create a framework for good governance in the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

It mandates the setting up of a regulatory board which would have the power to grant recognition and decide funding to NSFs based on their adherence to provisions related to good governance.

The regulatory board will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with the highest governance, financial, and ethical standards. The NSFs have been brought on board after extensive discussions over several years that intensified after Mandaviya took charge last year.

The Bill also proposes the establishment of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance and cut down litigation, which sometimes leads to embarrassing showdowns between athletes and administrators over issues ranging from selection to elections.

It has been opposed by the IOA, which feels that a regulatory board would undermine its standing as the nodal body for all NSFs.

Current IOA president P T Usha has even gone to the extent of suggesting that India would run the risk of being suspended by the International Olympic Committee for government interference.

However, Mr. Mandaviya has asserted that the IOC has been consulted while drafting the proposed legislation. Having the IOC on board is crucial as India is bidding to become an Olympic host in 2036.

Mr. Rijiju, who batted for autonomy of sports administrators but with greater accountability during his tenure in the sports ministry, said he is confident of its smooth passage in the Parliament.

“There are two (other) things — the Khelo Bharat Niti and the anti-doping amendment Bill. These two bills (anti-doping and sports governance) are to be combined and we will discuss in the Parliament and I am sure the members will take part,” he said.

“Once the new sports bill is passed, it will usher in a new sporting culture in the country. Khelo India has already promoted sports culture in the country,” he added.

The anti-doping act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations.

The Board, which was to comprise a Chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it.

WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. The amended bill has therefore deleted this provision to be WADA-compliant.