New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) The latest ATP Rankings have witnessed significant movement following an action-packed clay swing, with Alexander Blockx emerging as the biggest riser after a breakthrough campaign at the Mutua Madrid Open.The 21-year-old Belgian has climbed 33 places to a career-high World No. 36 after reaching his maiden ATP Tour semifinal. Having entered April without a single tour-level clay win, Blockx transformed his fortunes by first making the third round in Monte-Carlo and then p…

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Delhi Capitals bowling coach Munaf Patel stressed that while every game is played with the intent to win, the side has moved past its ‘relaxed mode’ and is now firmly focused on maintaining the winning momentum if they are to enter the IPL 2026 playoffs.Both DC and Chennai Super Kings, their opponents in Tuesday’s clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, are at eight points. But DC are at seventh spot due to their net run rate being in negative. With both teams in a simil…

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Mumbai’s Kiaan Shah (Rayo Racing) produced his best result yet in International Karting, with a second place finish in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy on Sunday in Pattaya, Thailand.The 15-year-old delivered one of his best qualifying results, clocking 51.218 on the 1.2 km Bira circuit, just 0.118 seconds behind Thailand’s Pannu Stienmonkong who was fastest.Kiaan started fourth in Heat 2, but lost a place at the start. He soon overtook Japanese racer Shun Sekiguchi and Ea…

Madrid, May 4 (IANS) Villarreal has confirmed that coach Marcelino Garcia Toral will leave the club at the end of the current season after two and a half years in charge in his second spell, during which he twice led the club into the Champions League.The news came in a statement published by the club after Saturday’s 5-1 home win over Levante, which secured Villarreal’s place in next season’s Champions League and left the east-coast club third in La Liga with a five-point cushion over Atletico …

Charkhi Dadri, May 4 (IANS) Backing Vinesh Phogat, Dronacharya Awardee and veteran coach Mahavir Singh Phogat raised serious concerns over the state of wrestling infrastructure and administration in India, stressing the need for proper implementation of rules, better training facilities, and an end to internal conflicts among playersHe emphasised that consistent development—not occasional success—along with access to quality coaching and equal opportunities, is crucial for the growth of the …

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Nicholas Pooran blazed to a 16-ball half-century and shared a 94-run partnership with opener Mitchell Marsh (44) as Lucknow Super Giants managed to score 228/5 against Mumbai Indians in Match 47 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.Pooran smashed 63 runs off 21 balls, and Marsh blasted 44 off 25 as LSG survived a middle-order collapse to post a challenging total in what is a must-win match for both sides, who are scraping the bottom of th…

Bengaluru, May 4 (IANS) Bengaluru FC’s clash against Odisha FC was a tale of territorial dominance punctuated by moments of clinical opportunism and agonizing near-misses. Forced to adapt due to injuries to Ashique Kuruniyan and Nikhil Poojary, head coach Pep Muñoz handed starts to Sivasakthi Narayanan and Ricky Meetei, and the reshuffled Blues immediately took control. The opening 20 minutes was a masterclass in possession, with Bengaluru hogging over 80% of the ball, yet the breakthrough re…

Tashkent, May 4 (IANS) India’s young boxers continued their campaign at the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships 2026 with a series of strong performances across U-15 and U-17 categories in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In the U-17 boys’ competition, Yadav Yash (50kg) secured a commanding 5:0 victory over Turkmenistan’s Suleyman Ahmedov, while Karuna Albertson Kom (60kg) impressed with a 4:1 win against Tajikistan’s Ali Nazarov.Gopal Rameshwar Ganeshe (52kg) was involved in a closely fought …

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) India will field a strong 16-member squad led by experienced archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Deepika Kumari at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2. This event begins in Shanghai on Tuesday.The second leg of the four-stage World Cup circuit will feature over 300 archers from 44 countries, all competing for vital qualification spots for the season-ending World Cup Final in Saltillo later this year.India heads into the Shanghai leg trying to improve on a modest start to the…

Chennai, May 4 (IANS) The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election results have delivered a stunning blow to several senior political leaders, cutting across party lines and underscoring the scale of political churn triggered by the rise of new forces in the state.Among the most high-profile defeats was that of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, whose loss in Kolathur marked a historic setback. His defeat symbolised not just a personal loss but also a broader rejection of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam …