
Sports

Ex-hockey star R Ramakrishnan dies
The captain of the 1978 World Cup squad also played in two Olympic Games, two Asian Games, and numerous international tournaments.
Football

Lens held by Strasbourg in blow to Ligue 1 title chances

Wolves secure rare win to dent Villa’s bid for Champions League place
Sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed the Japanese centreback would miss ‘two to three weeks’, ruling him out of Saturday’s trip to Borussia Dortmund.
Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi was playing in a friendly against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle when supporters raced onto the field in the game’s 88th minute.
Real Madrid and Manchester City will face off in a Champions League knockout tie for the fifth season running, while reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will take on Chelsea.
The match carries major Champions League qualification implications as both sides chase France’s final automatic spot.
Badminton

Ling Ching shines, Aaron-Wooi Yik fall at German Open

Malaysian doubles shuttlers fare well, men’s singles flop at German Open
The Thomas Cup compromise ends a standoff, but it also highlights a persistent issue: consistency in decision-making when elite players and authority collide.
The men’s singles shuttler will join the national team after reaching an agreement with the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
Lee Chong Wei says BAM has responded to the men’s singles shuttler, who is expected to make a decision within the coming week.
The 2024 Paris Paralympics gold medallist has also amassed six men’s doubles SU5 world titles between 2005 and 2024.
Motorsports

Marquez sixth-fastest in first Thailand MotoGP free practice

Marquez targets eighth MotoGP title as season opens in Thailand
Four times world champion Max Verstappen has been outspoken about the new cars not being fun to drive and producing a situation that is “like Formula E on steroids” and “anti-racing”.
Phillip Island will host its last MotoGP in October after nearly three decades, as its contract expires this year.
Lewis Hamilton was seventh-fastest on the day and managed 44 laps, while his teammate Charles Leclerc put in 70 and was 0.6 sec faster in third place.
Max Verstappen was unimpressed by this year’s rule changes, which overhauled chassis and engines and emphasised energy management.
Tennis

Medvedev sweeps past Brooksby to reach Dubai semis

Kecmanovic topples Zverev to reach Acapulco ATP quarter-finals
A WTA tournament in Texas has unveiled a ‘rage room’ where players can take out their frustrations in private, away from the cameras.
Felix Auger-Aliassime surged early in the second set and held serve to reach the quarterfinals against Jiri Lehecka.
Craig Tiley, who is also Tennis Australia chief executive, is to remain in his current roles for the coming months to ease the switch to new leadership.
Daniil Medvedev says ranking points should be limited to Grand Slams and Masters to reduce player workload pressure.


















