Sports

The former athletes were giving a rousing welcome by the 60,000 sellout crowd, who then stood for a very belated national anthem

Britain’s men’s 4x400m relay team were presented with their gold medals from the 1997 World Championships at London’s Diamond League meeting on Saturday (July 19, 2025) having been elevated from silver after the belated disqualification of the U.S. team.

The U.S. were stripped of the title won in Athens when Antonio Pettigrew confessed in 2008 to doping between 1997 and 2003. The U.S also lost their 2000 Olympic title.

A laborious process of investigation, appeal and reallocation followed, culminating in Saturday’s presentation by World Athletics President Seb Coe to Roger Black, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson and Mark Hylton (who ran in the heats).

The former athletes were giving a rousing welcome by the 60,000 sellout crowd, who then stood for a very belated national anthem.

“We’re proud to be able to give these athletes their moment in front of a home crowd. It’s a chance to recognise not just their talent, but the values they stood for. This medal means even more because of how long they’ve waited for it,” said Cherry Alexander, UK Athletics’ strategic lead for major events.

Pettigrew was found dead at the age of 42 in 2010 in his locked car in the United States, with an autopsy report saying he died by suicide after an overdose.

Earlier on Saturday, the British government confirmed its support for bids to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, last held in London in 2017 in a regularly sold-out Olympic Stadium.

“Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

“Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions.

The U.K. will also bid for the 2029 World Para Athletics championships, with a plan to hold events outside London.

Scottie Scheffler is one round away from his fourth major championship after opening up a four-stroke lead at the Open Championship on Saturday (July 19, 2025) in Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Scheffler posted a workmanlike 4-under-par 67 at Royal Portrush to get to 14-under 199, with China’s Haotong Li (69) his closest pursuer at 10 under. On a day where the majority of the field shot under par— and six of the top eight players made at least one eagle— Scheffler kept his round bogey-free to remain in the driver’s seat.

Matt Fitzpatrick played in the final pairing with Scheffler and hung with him for much of the front nine before settling for an even-par 71. He’s alone in third at 9 under, and he and Tyrrell Hatton (8 under) hold outside chances at being the first Englishman to win the Open since 1992.

The fans in Northern Ireland would rather see their native son Rory McIlroy charge from six back to capture an emotional major triumph. McIlroy’s eventful day featured a bizarre shot that unearthed another golf ball buried in the rough; he buried a 56-foot eagle putt one hole later on his way to a 66.

Tied with McIlroy and Hatton (68) at 8 under are Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup and Harris English, each of whom shot 68 Saturday. Defending Open champion Xander Schauffele carded two eagles in a round of 66 and sits in eighth at 7 under.

Scheffler saved par at No. 14 after his tee shot was buried in some thick rough. He widened the gap between him and the pack when he made birdie at the par-3 16th from 14 feet away.

Fitzpatrick erased an opening bogey by chipping in for eagle at the par-5 second to tie Scheffler for the lead. Up ahead, Hatton drew within two of the leaders when he holed out for eagle at No. 7 from 139 yards; his ball landed softly on the green, took some sidespin to the left and dropped into the cup.

The tournament seemed wide open as Scheffler opened his round with six straight pars. But he stuck his second shot at No. 7 to 10 1/2 feet and rolled in the eagle putt, followed immediately by a birdie at No. 8 to reach 13 under.

No. 11 was a crucial point, as both Scheffler and Fitzpatrick hit poor drives and second shots. Scheffler landed in a native area high above the green, but chipped on and saved par.

Fitzpatrick, in contrast, barely got his third shot onto the surface and settled for bogey, giving the World No. 1 a three-shot edge over him and Li. He had two more bogeys and a birdie the rest of the way in.

Li, a 29-year-old with four wins on the DP World Tour, has only one top-10 major finish in his career — third place at the 2017 Open. He leads the field this week in greens in regulation (46 of 54), fewest bogeys or worse (three, tied with Scheffler) and par-4 scoring (6 under). He will be the first man from China to play in the final Sunday pairing at a major.

Opener Amy Jones hit a fluent 46 not out as England made short work of an out-of-sorts India, winning the rain-hit second Women’s ODI by eight wickets at the Lord’s on Saturday (July 19, 2025).

After a fine batting performance in the opening match in which India chased down a target of 259, it was a listless show by the Women in Blue as they huffed and puffed their way to 143 for 8 in 29 overs with Smriti Mandhana’s 42 being the top score.

In reply, England openers Jones and Tammy Beaumont (34 off 35 balls) added 54 for the opening stand before off-spinner Sneh Rana removed the latter who attempted a reverse sweep but was caught plumb in-front.

But Jones and skipper Nat Sciver Brunt (21) had added 48 runs for the second wicket stand when rain stopped play with home team needing 42 runs more to win.

Once play started, it became a cakewalk as England’s revised target was 115 in 24 overs and Kranti Gaud bowled a perfect nip-backer to breach Sciver-Brunt’s defence. Finally it was Sophie Dunkley who hit a boundary off Kranti to finish the game in 21 overs.

Twenty overs were required to constitute a match and the Lord’s ground-staff worked at an alarming speed to get the ground ready so that at least eight balls were bowled and England were ahead in terms of DLS par score.

The three-match series is now levelled 1-1 and the final game will be played at Durham on July 22.

Earlier, Mandhana played a fine hand of 42, but steady England bowlers, led by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, restricted India to 143 for eight after the match was reduced to 29 overs-a-side.

India lost opener Pratika Rawal in the second over, getting castled while trying to steer a fuller length delivery from pacer Em Arlott (2/26) to third man.

Mandhana (42) and Harleen Deol (16) added 40 runs for the second wicket as India appeared to have survived the early jolt.

But the dismissal of Deol, caught off her own bowling by Ecclestone (3/27), opened the floodgates. Mandhana, who was dropped on two by Lauren Bell off her own bowling, stayed firm at one end.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was deceived by a quick, straight one from Ecclestone to lose her timber. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh also returned to the dugout in quick succession.

India lost four wickets for 26 runs at that juncture, and Mandhana’s dismissal completed the rout.

The elegant left-hander pushed an otherwise expensive left-arm spinner Linsey Smith (2/28) to Charlie Dean inside the circle.

India were 98 for six at her fall, but Deepti Sharma (30 not out) and Arundhati Reddy (14), who came in for Amanjot Kaur, added 26 runs for the seventh wicket to take India forward a bit.

However, the dismissal of Reddy ended that promising stand and India’s chances of a decent total.

Archana Thiagarajan is now lolling around at her parents’ home in Perungalathur, diving headlong into a world of delectable inactivity. She deserves the spot of relaxation she has found in a familiar environment.

Squadron Leader Archana (retd) is back from the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Wakayama, Japan. She is the first woman to represent India at this championship, which will remain memorable not just for the afore-mentioned reason. The 33-year-old athlete set four new national records across all pool disciplines, making her a 10-time national record holder in freediving.

Her journey into freediving happened by chance during a sabbatical in Indonesia, after she completed a decade of service with the Indian Air Force as technical officer.

Taking notice of the accolades she had won at the national level representing Tamil Nadu, an instructor introduced her to freediving, the practice of diving underwater on a single breath without the use of a breathing apparatus.

In less than one-and-a-half years, Archana has proved discipline and determination can break barriers in any sport.

“Forty-nine countries and 234 participants were in the fray in this international event, and I was able to break the Indian national record in all the four events that I took part in,” says Archana.

Freediving is open to those aged above 18. Over the last six months, she has been preparing for the competition, training at Puducherry and Philippines as well as at pools in Chennai and Bangalore.

“Freediving is considered an extreme sport and you cannot train alone, so my husband has been a pillar of strength. He takes care of my safety,” says Archana. She notes that her background in NCC and her stint with the Indian Air Force have helped her in the sport.

An avid yoga enthusiast, Archana says the sport emphasises relaxation, breath control and mental discipline over physical strength.

She adds, “To hold your breath for four minutes underwater, one would need considerable mind power. I have to stay calm; and overcoming these challenges related to the mind was possible with yoga.”

An exuberant Indian Navy proved its performance in the pool matches was no flash in the pan, by putting it across an experienced Indian Army 2-0 in the semifinals of the 96th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament at the SDAT-Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Saturday and reach its maiden final.

Earlier, in a surprisingly one-sided semifinal, defending champion Indian Railways dished out sparkling hockey to outclass arch-rival Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) 7-1. In the summit clash on Sunday, Railways, going for a hat-trick of titles, will take on Navy.

Possessing players with experience and quality, Army kept a youthful Navy team at bay by employing solid defence. Navy earned four penalty corners but couldn’t make any of them count in a listless and goalless first quarter which was quite evenly matched. The second quarter, too, followed a similar pattern.

Navy scored in the first minute of the third quarter, thanks to a fine deflection by Ashish Topno off a penalty corner shot by Sanjit Toppo. Navy continued to have the upper-hand in the third with a series of raids that were unsuccessful.

Army’s forwards were a let-down as its circle penetrations were poor as compared to Navy. Army earned its first penalty corner as late as in the fourth quarter. However, in the 55th minute, Army did unleash its attacking prowess by getting back-to-back penalty corners, but failed in all of them.

With three minutes to go for the hooter, Navy effectively closed out the contest when Rajat Minz converted one by pushing it home off a free hit by Rajat Sharma.

This was Railways’ best performance after a lukewarm performance in the group matches. IOC was a mere spectator for the majority of the contest despite possessing internationals by the dozen. The hero of the match was Railways’ Pankaj Rawat, who produced a hat-trick.

The results: Semifinals: Indian Railways 7 (Darshan Gawkar 5 & 10, Pankaj Rawat 17, 51 & 54, Shivam Anand 30, Hartaj Aujla 44) bt IOC 1 (Affan Yousuf 6).

Indian Navy 2 (Ashish Topno 31, Rajat Minz 57) bt Indian Army 0.

With most of the big names staying away due to foreign participation or injury, Kiran Pahal was the biggest draw at the Indian Open at Patna’s Pataliputra Sports Complex on Saturday that otherwise saw few noteworthy performances.

Haryana’s Kiran, the fastest Indian quartermiler last season, finished on top in the 400m in 54.93s across the two races. While it was far from her personal best, Kiran, only the second Indian to go under 51 seconds, was participating in her first competition this season and her maiden outing since the Paris Olympics.

Home favourite Shatakshi Rai, meanwhile, clocked 12.04 seconds in the 100m and win Race A, pipping veteran Srabani Nanda by 0.1 seconds to be the overall winner. Srabani clocked 12.05s in Race C. With several of the events featuring three or fewer participants, specially among the women, the competition level was ordinary.

Among the men, none of the promised big names turned up in the javelin throw, including Kishore Kumar Jena, who was expected to return to competition after recovering from an ankle injury. Rising youngsters Dipanshu Sharma and Vikrant Malik too were missing, with Rajasthan’s Vipul Yadav taking top spot with a 66.42m throw.

Haryana’s Raja Babu won the 200m in 21.24s among the 43 runners who turned up across six races.

The results (winners only): Men: 100m: Yernena Balavardhan (Chg, 10.66s), 200m: Raja Babu (Har, 21.24s), 400m: Brajesh Singh (MP, 47.68s), 800m: Nilkantha Ray (Army, 1:51.88), 1500m: Rahul (Del, 3:48.42), 5000m: Mannu Kumar Singh (Mah, 14:49.95), 10,000m: Shivam (UP, 30:26.20), Long jump: Sarun Payasingh (Odi, 7.62m), Triple jump: Puneet Kumar (UP, 15.64m), Shot put: Akash Grehwal (AIPSCB, 18.05m), Discus throw: Rohit Kumar (Raj, 51.56m), Javelin throw: Vipul Yadav (Raj, 66.42m).

Women: 100m: Shatakshi Rai (Bih, 12.04s), 200m: Shivkanya Mukati (MP, 24.30s), 400m: Kiran Pahal (54.93s), 800m: Nidhi Thakur (HP, 2:18.94), 1500m: Laxmipriya Kisan (Odi, 4:37.90), 5000m: Reeba Anna George (Ker, 17:48.97), 10,000m: Nandani Gupta (UP, 35:55.83), Long jump: Manisha Merel (Odi, 5.79m), Triple jump: Sonam (UP, 12.64m), Shot put: Vidhi (UP, 15.34m), Discus throw: Amera Shah (MP, 47.77m).

It was a rainy welcome for the Indian team in Manchester on Saturday. As the players reached the city and remained confined to their hotel rooms, a small group of Indian fans gathered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketers.

With the series on the line, the tickets for the fourth Test at Old Trafford are sold out, even though there is a forecast of rain — light to moderate — throughout.

While India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate indicated that a decision on the playing XI will be taken after assessing the surface and the conditions, over the last few years, the Old Trafford pitch has been quite effective for wrist-spinners, as the ball has turned the most here among England’s Test grounds.

With former England captain Michael Atherton suggesting that India should bring in three spinners — Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar — in the XI and go with just two pacers, it needs to be seen whether the team management subscribes to the idea.

“The pitches haven’t had the pace that they used to have. There are a couple of pitches in the end where there’s zing, but in the middle, the televised pitches are just flat, flat, flat. Wrist spin goes well at Old Trafford in some circumstances,” Atherton told Sky Sports Cricket.

The Indian team will have a closed-door training on Sunday afternoon, after quite a gap. A lot would also depend on how the weather holds up for the next few days. But if the windy and rainy conditions continue, chances are high that India will field an unchanged bowling line-up.

With clarity awaited over the gravity of Arshdeep Singh’s injury, there’s plenty for the Indian think-tank to ponder.

  These are early days for Shubman Gill, the captain. Leading India for the first time in Tests, his aggression on the pitch and the ability to calmly handle crunch situations have earned him praise from the cricket pundits.

But his real test is now as India heads to Manchester, trailing 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

It’s going to be an Herculean task no doubt, given the fact that India has never won a Test at the Old Trafford, but for the young captain, providing clarity of roles to the players will be the key as the team looks to take control of the key moments throughout the game.

That will define Gill’s character as a captain.

Australian legend Greg Chappell wrote in his recent column for ESPN Cricinfo, “Gill must start setting those expectations – clearly, proactively, and consistently,” and that certainly will be crucial in the remainder of the series.

There’s plenty to deal with anyway – whether to play Jasprit Bumrah at Old Trafford or keep him for The Oval; whether to replace Karun Nair with B. Sai Sudharsan at No.3; whether to continue with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar or bring Kuldeep Yadav in. While making the right calls will be crucial, it will be equally important for Gill to lead with his actions and decide how he wants to shape this team.

Barring the previous game in Lords, Shubman has made his impact in the series so far with the bat, amassing 607 runs in six innings. However, former England captain Andrew Strauss believes that in the early days of captaincy, one can usually strike a balance and that’s been the case with Gill so far.

“He is a quality player, but I think that back in my times, when I started the captaincy with England, that extra responsibility really helps your batting in the early stages. Maybe, towards the back end it becomes more difficult,” Strauss told The Hindu, adding: “But right at the moment, he’s in that sweet spot and I suppose he’s just gotta ride the wave and enjoy it…”

In a series, where stakes are high, it is never easy to handle situations, and that’s where Gill needs to instill that belief in the team that it can bounce back no matter how tricky the situation gets.

Former England captain David Gower is impressed with the way the 25-year-old has led, coming out of the shadows of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. “Building a team relies on so many things. At the start of the series, people talked about two great players – Rohit and Virat – not being around. But Shubman played beautifully in two Test matches,” Gower told this daily.

“To lead you don’t have to be 34, you can be 24, but talented, and with a good head, good mind, good technique. If you have that, you can fill that gap…”

Leading for the first time, there have been teething troubles, but with the series on the line, his real test begins.