🏆 Champions get the podium. Who gets the credit for everything behind them?

Nominate the quiet enablers of Indian sport for the Sportstar Aces Awards 2027.

📖 Best Educational Institution
🏫 Best State
🏦 Best Corporate
🏢 Best PSU
🤝 Sport for Social Good

🗓 Deadline: Dec 15, 2026
💻 File your nomination here http://bit.ly/NominateForAces

Riyan Malhan was three when he was given a child’s racquet to keep him occupied while his father played badminton.

13 years later, he stands on the podium of the Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar, where he not only gold, but also UAE's first-ever gold medal at the Youth Olympics 🥇🇦🇪

Jonathan Selvaraj writes about Riyan Malhan's journey 👉 shorturl.at/MniHB

📸: AFP

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗶 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝟱𝟬𝗸𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝟱-𝟬 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗜.𝗝. 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 🥊

Meetei who hails from Manipur became the first Indian boxer to reach a Youth Olympics final since Shiva Thapa in 2010, ending a 16-year wait.

He is assured of at least a silver medal having made the summit clash 👏

🔗: shorturl.at/IKBsc

📸: Ambekar Lairenlakpam/Instagram

𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 🚨

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗯 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗣𝗟 🙌

In a chat with Shayan Acharya, PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia explains the thinking behind the blockbuster trade that sent Arshdeep Singh to Mumbai Indians.

🔗: shorturl.at/uACEW

📸: AP, Emmanual Yogini

The Indian men’s football team is currently stationed in Auckland, waiting to kick off the first of its two friendlies against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, thousands of kilometres away in Dhaka, a second-string side wore the national colours and is closer to adding another milestone to the nation’s SAFF Championship history 🏆

Led by India Under-23 coach Naushad Moosa, the Blue Tigers edged Maldives 1-0 to book their spot in the semifinal and keep the dream of winning a record-extending 10th title alive 🇮🇳🇲🇻

Read Joan Mathew Jacob's analysis here 👉 shorturl.at/rn48B

📸: SAFF

🚨 STORY OF THE WEEK | Hardik Pandya leaves Mumbai Indians for Punjab Kings

✍️ Amol Karhadkar's big trade break ▶️ bit.ly/4zg2jm2
✍️ Ayan Acharya on the sequel that never lived up to the original▶️ bit.ly/4As9gld
✍️ Shayan Acharya caught up with PBKS boss Ness Wadia on his star acquisition ▶️bit.ly/4BVlc0g
✍️ Siddanth Nair explores who got the better deal in this exchange ▶️bit.ly/4f5ub5b

#HardikPandya

Despite the political uncertainties surrounding India-Bangladesh relations, seven players from the neighbouring country, including Mustafizur Rahman, have registered for #IPL2027 mini-auction, to be held in Goa on December 16.

Shayan Acharya has the details http://bit.ly/4jbuKNb

24-year-old Vivaan Kapoor scored 29 out of 30 in the final, but lost out in the shoot-off against Kuwait’s Abdulrahman Alfaihan. The top-three finish has helped him seal a quota place in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. 👏

More details ▶️bit.ly/4sUtAcl

YOUTH OLYMPICS GOLD FOR INDIA'S AMBEKAR MEETEI LAIRENLAKPAM

The Manipur boxer betters Shiva Thapa’s (60kg) silver medal at the 2010 Games to become India's best showing at the Youth Olympics.

Here's the full story https://bit.ly/4z9Zx1H

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has reportedly cleared his fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence ahead of India’s two-match Test series in New Zealand.

What we know 👉 https://bit.ly/4jcnrF1

Crossing USD 100 million for the first time, the ATP’s central partnership revenue grew by 49 per cent in 2026, the men’s tour said on Thursday, as it kept building its commercial portfolio through a series of new sponsorship deals.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4iQNqka

FC Andorra goalkeeper Owono’s return uncertain after De Miguel tragedy, says manager


“What we have to do is support him in every way and be close to him. We will ​give him space so that he feels completely free to ⁠make any decision, whether he wants to return, when, or if he does ‌not want to return.”


🔗 https://bit.ly/4evL1dg

The power battles within the Indian Olympic Association are only getting more interesting, the latest being P.T. Usha as a voter for the ice Hockey Association of India.

The decision means Usha, who has already written to the International Olympic Committee claiming alleged violations during the SOM elections, has clearly decided not to go without a fight. It also means she will be considered a member of IHAI and therefore, eligible to contest IOA elections, scheduled for December 5.

Uthra Ganesan reports 👉 https://bit.ly/3X0vts0

#IOAElections

🌟🥊 Welcome to the golden club, Gunjan!

🥇First Indian woman to win boxing gold at Youth Olympics
🥇 Second boxing gold at Youth Olympics after Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei

Gunjan defeated Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah 5-0 in the women’s 48kg final in Dakar.

🔗https://bit.ly/4iDmhCm

#IndianBoxing #YouthOlympics

Former Italy defender and World Cup winner Marco Materazzi said the death of Tenerife striker Jesus ​de Miguel last week had left ‌him thankful he was not seriously injured ​when Zinedine Zidane headbutted him ⁠in the 2006 final.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4zK1RxJ