Ranchi, June 19 (IANS) The Ranchi Titans became the first team to officially seal a spot in the semifinals of the Jharkhand T20 Cricket League 2026 after pulling off a clinical six-wicket victory over the Jamshedpur Steelers. Joining them in the final four are the Koylanchal Super Kings, who also guaranteed their qualification based on the current points table standings.Earlier in the day, the Dhanbad Diamonds kept their campaign alive by securing their maiden victory of the season with a comman…

Atlanta, June 18 (IANS) South Africa fought back from a goal deficit to hold Czechia to a 1-1 draw in a Group A clash at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday, scoring their first point of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Teboho Mokoena’s 83rd-minute penalty cancelled out Michal Sadilek’s early opener as South Africa and Czechia shared the points at the Atlanta Stadium, the result leaving both sides on one point from two matches.Czechia coach Miroslav Koubek had called for a “fast start” from his side afte…

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) The Table Tennis Federation of India has picked a 10-member men’s and women’s team led by Olympians Sreeja Akula and G Sathiyan for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, which has resulted in another Olympian, Manika Batra, raising questions over her exclusion from the squad for the event to be played at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan in a few months.Table tennis at the Asian Games 2026 is scheduled to take place from September 20 to 28. Medal events will be held across the team, singl…

London, June 18 (IANS) Tommy Paul of the United States continued his march in the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London, bringing out some of his best tennis to get the better of Botic van de Zandschulp, progressing to the quarterfinals on Thursday.The 29-year-old Paul came up with a gritty second-round display to defeat Van de Zandschulp 7-6(5), 6-3 and extend his winning streak at the grass-court ATP 500 event to seven matches. Paul, who lifted the title at Queen’s Club in 2024 be…

Bengaluru, June 18 (IANS) Hubli Tigers announced Aneeshwar Gautam as captain for the fifth edition of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 to be played in Bengaluru on Thursday. The franchise also unveiled its team jersey and launched the official Hubli Tigers anthem ahead of the upcoming season.Hubli Tigers, champions of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 in 2023, enter the new season looking to add another title to their trophy cabinet. The franchise assembled a strong squad at the Season 5 Player Auction, …

Mexico City, June 18 (IANS) Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo admitted his side fell short of their best level despite securing a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in their opening Group K match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.Goals from Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz, and Jaminton Campaz helped Colombia begin their campaign on a winning note at the Mexico City Stadium on Wednesday. The result moved the South American side to the top of Group K ahead of their second match against DR Congo next week.De…

Mexico City, June 18 (IANS) Mexico and South Korea may not command the same global attention as some of the FIFA World Cup’s marquee fixtures this week, but their Group A encounter has all the ingredients to emerge as one of the most intriguing matches of the tournament.With football fans focused on heavyweight nations such as Argentina, Portugal, England, and Brazil, the clash between Mexico and South Korea could quietly prove to be one of the defining contests of the group stage.Both teams beg…

Varanasi, June 18 (IANS) Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata carded a final-round of three-over 73 to secure a four-shot victory at the inaugural INR 25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen – Varanasi played at the BLW Greens Golf Course in Varanasi on Thursday.Chowrasia (67-64-73) finished the week at six-under 204 to claim his third consecutive title on the DP World PGTI NexGen. The victory follows his triumphs at the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club in March and last week’s Vija…

London, June 18 (IANS) England Test captain Ben Stokes will make his return to competitive cricket for Durham after being named in their 15-member squad for the County Championship match against Northamptonshire beginning at Chester-le-Street near Durham on Friday.Stokes, along with fast bowler Gus Atkinson, were left out of England’s ongoing second Test against New Zealand at The Oval due to investigations pending into a nightclub incident in London. Both Stokes and Atkinson, however, have be…

Abidjan, June 18 (IANS) Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada and will miss his country’s FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed on Thursday.The 23-year-old Nice striker, who featured in Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup victory over Ecuador, was unable to secure the administrative authorisations required to enter Canada and will remain in the United States.The development comes amid reports i…