A history-making Olympic gold in his pocket and having won the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games titles, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is now targeting a top podium finish in the World Athletics Championships to be held in USA next year.
The World Championships was to be held this year in Eugene, Oregon, in US but was pushed to 2022 after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now be held from July 15-24, 2022.
"I have already won gold in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and now an Olympic gold. So, my next target is winning gold in World Championships," Chopra said during a press conference arranged by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to felicitate him.
Chopra scripted history on Saturday when he clinched India's elusive Olympic medal in athletics to become only the second Indian to win the yellow metal in an individual event with a best throw of 87.58m in the final.
"World Championships is big a competition and sometimes tougher than the Olympics. I am not going to be content with this Olympic gold and sit on this laurel. I would like to do even better and win gold again in Asian Games, CWG and again in Olympics.
"That is the medal which is with Anju madam and I want to win it," said Chopra, with legendary Anju Bobby George, who won a bronze in the 2003 World Championships in Paris in women's long jump, by his side.
The 23-year-old superstar also felt that his inclusion in the national camp by AFI in 2015 despite finishing fifth during the National Games in Kerala was a turning point in his career.
Before joining the national camp in early 2015, he was training at Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Panchkula after being shifted from Shivaji Stadium at Panipat.
"We did good training but the facilities, equipment, diet were not that good (at Panchkula) but once I joined the national camp (at NIS Patiala) everything changed.
"I got better facilities, better diet and equipment only after joining national camp. And the most important thing is the feeling that I am training along with the best javelin throwers of this country. That is a different feeling.
"So, joining the national camp changed my career and I want to thank the AFI for that."
After joining the national camp, Chopra was first with late Australian coach Gary Calvert. After that, he was under former world record holder Uwe Hohn before switching to train under bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bertonietz who accompanied Chopra to Tokyo.
"I respect Hohn sir. I won gold in 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games under him. But his technical approach and style of training was different. I told him that I want to work with Klaus sir.
"His (Klaus's) training plans were good and suited me. He plans training according to the body of the athlete. He has also worked with a lot of athletes in different countries."
Asked if he now realises the magnitude of his feat, Chopra said, "I wasn't believing that I have won gold. I was asking myself whether this is a dream but I realised that the gold medal is with me. So, this is not a dream."
Asked about strict COVID-19 protocols and dope testing in Tokyo, he said, "Regarding dope test, when we are in camps, we have to give samples any time of the day. In my case, they (dope testers) woke me up early in the morning thrice.
"When I reached Tokyo from Sweden (where he was training before Olympics), there was a big time difference, so it was difficult for me to adjust my sleeping time.
"Regarding COVID protocols, there was a bit of difficulty but not much and everybody faced it. It was a not a difficult test, it was not RT-PCR test but we had to give sample by spitting."
Chopra said he will have to make changes in the angle of release of the javelin to be able to cross the 90m mark.
"90m mark is my dream and I will have to work with my coach to achieve that. I wanted to do it this year but Olympic gold is there, the most important thing."
Talking about German superstar Johannes Vetter, who came to Tokyo as the gold medal favourite but failed to make the last eight in the final, Chopra said, "He is my good friend. He couldn't do well in the Olympics but he is still a very good javelin thrower.
"He has six-seven 90m plus throws this year and his best was near the world record of Jan Zelezny. I respect him a lot and I asked my countrymen to respect him."
Before the Tokyo Games, Vetter had said that it will be tough for Chopra to beat him in the Olympics.
Kamalpreet Kaur, who finished sixth in the women's discus throw, rued the lack of international competitions before the Olympics due to the pandemic.
"I did not get international competitions before Olympics. I hope to do better in World Championships next year," said Kaur.
"My coach (Rakhi Tyagi) told me not to be overawed by the reputation of the competitors and I just did that. I was trying for my personal best but could not do that."
Avinash Sable, who set a new national record in men's 3000m steeplechase but failed to qualify for the final, said he was infected by COVID-19 twice before the Olympics.
The men's 4x400m relay quartet of Mohammed Anas Yahiya, Rajiv Arokia, Noah Tom Nirmal and Amoj Jacob, who shattered the Asian record but failed to qualify for the final, were also present.
INDIA batting great Rahul Dravid has stepped down as head coach of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals after just one season with them, the franchise said on Saturday (30).
Dravid, 52, was offered a "broader position" after a structural review of the team set-up but the former Indian captain declined the offer, the franchise said in a statement.
"Head coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026," it said.
Dravid had returned to the team as head coach ahead of this year's T20 tournament, but Rajasthan failed to make the playoffs and ended a dismal ninth in the 10-team table.
"Rahul has been central to the Royals' journey over many years," the inaugural IPL champions said.
"His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise."
Dravid first joined Rajasthan as a player in 2011 and captained them for two seasons in 2012 and 2013.
The announcement comes amid rumours that captain Sanju Samson also wants to leave the franchise. Should Samson also depart, it would leave the Royals in a challenging position just months before the mini-auction.
He served as a team director in 2014 and as mentor a year later. Dravid scored 13,288 runs in 164 Test matches in a glittering career before hanging his boots in 2012.
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Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the first one-day international (ODI) cricket match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on July 2, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
SRI LANKA have picked Wanindu Hasaranga in their Twenty20 squad for the Asia Cup next month though the all-rounder has been ruled out of the tour of Zimbabwe as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Hasaranga sustained the injury during the home series against Bangladesh in July and the injury will keep him out of Sri Lanka's limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe beginning on Friday (29).
A leg-spinner who is also a handy batter down the order, Hasaranga will replace Dushan Hemantha from the squad in Zimbabwe.
Apart from Hasaranga, Sri Lanka will have strong spin options in Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana.
Angelo Mathews, who quit test cricket earlier this year but remains available in shorter formats, did not make the cut for the 16-member Asia Cup squad led by Charith Asalanka.
Another ex-captain, Dasun Shanaka, has been picked as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
The six-time champions will begin their Group B campaign against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 13.
INDIA and England have named their squads for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, with several surprise selections and omissions, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament.
India’s squad announcement brought disappointment for explosive opener Shafali Verma, who was left out after a poor run of form. The 21-year-old, who last played a oneday international in October 2024, has managed just one half-century in six innings for India A.
Women’s team chief selector Neetu David insisted the door remained open for Verma, saying: “She’s in the system, not like she’s not. We’ve got our eyes on her. Hope she plays a lot more and garners experience, it’ll help serve India in the 50-overs format.”
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member Indian squad as they seek their first World Cup title after reaching two previous finals. “We didn’t want to make a lot of changes, we wanted continuity,” said Kaur, who will be leading India in the World Cup for the first time.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
The selectors welcomed back medium-pace bowler Renuka Thakur after a lengthy injury lay-off, adding experience to an attack that will be crucial on home pitches. India’s campaign begins on September 30, and they will warm up with three ODI matches against Australia.
England’s squad features the return of former captain Heather Knight despite her not playing since damaging her hamstring in May. Current coach Charlotte Edwards expressed her delight at Knight’s inclusion, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to select her. She’ll be a huge asset for us.”
However, experienced seamer Kate Cross has been left out as England adapt their strategy for subcontinental conditions. Edwards has included four specialist spinners – Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean, and the returning Sarah Glenn – expecting plenty of turn on Indian and Sri Lankan pitches.
England enter the tournament seeking to end an eightyear drought since their last ODI World Cup triumph on home soil in 2017. They underperformed badly at last year’s T20 World Cup and will be eager to make amends. The announcements come as organisers scramble to relocate matches originally scheduled for Bengaluru in India following safety concerns at the city’s stadium.
The opening match between cohosts India and Sri Lanka will now take place in Guwahati instead of Bengaluru, after the International Cricket Council cited “unforeseen circumstances” for moving games away from Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue change follows a tragic incident in June when 11 cricket fans died during celebrations for IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with supporters as young as 14 crushed to death outside the stadium gates. A judicial commission subsequently deemed the ground “unsafe” to host large crowds.
The tournament faces logistical challenges beyond the Bengaluru venue change. Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise arrangement, while the final will now be held in either Mumbai or Colombo rather than the originally planned Bengaluru.
England squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (CK), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
The 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup runs till November 2, with Mumbai now joining the list of Indian venues alongside Guwahati and other cities, plus Colombo in Sri Lanka.
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Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
GOA will host the Chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27. The FIDE World Cup 2025 carries a prize fund of USD 2 million and offers three qualifying spots for next year’s Candidates tournament.
The 206-player field includes world champion D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and R Praggnanandhaa. However, Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
India has 21 players in the list, among them five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who qualified through the June 2025 FIDE rating list. Anand has not played classical chess for some time, leaving uncertainty over his participation.
The event returns to India after 23 years. It was last held in Hyderabad in 2002, when Anand won the title. Indian chess has since expanded, with players like Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin among the qualified entries.
The World Cup will follow a two-game knockout format over eight rounds. Each round consists of two classical games, with rapid and blitz tie-breaks if required. The top 50 seeds will start from the second round with byes, while players ranked 51 to 206 will face off in the first round on top-half vs bottom-half pairings.
“Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic tournaments on the calendar,” FIDE said on its website on Tuesday.
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said, “India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans. After the success of the FIDE Women's World Cup held in Georgia earlier this year, we are proud to bring the FIDE World Cup to Goa.”
“It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world. The representatives of 90+ countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history,” he added.
AICF president Nitin Narang said, “The World Cup will not only inspire millions across the country but also showcase India's growing stature as a global hub for chess.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
INDIA on Wednesday said Ahmedabad would be an "ideal" venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, as the country seeks to strengthen its case to host the 2036 Olympics.
Ahmedabad, the main city in prime minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, has a 130,000-capacity stadium, the largest cricket arena in the world, named after him.
The cabinet approved India's bid for the 2030 Games on Wednesday. India had already submitted a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee last year for the 2036 Olympics.
India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, its capital.
"Ahmedabad is an ideal host city offering world-class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and a passionate sporting culture," a cabinet statement said.
"Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, has already demonstrated its capability by successfully hosting the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Final," it added.
Nigeria and at least two other nations are reported to be interested in hosting the Games. The event faced challenges after Victoria, Australia, withdrew from hosting the 2026 edition citing costs. Glasgow has since agreed to stage a smaller version.
The host city for 2030 will be decided in November.
India has said that if it secures the bid, the Games will be held as a "full-fledged" event. This would also feature sports like kabaddi and kho kho, which India has been advocating to include in the Olympics.
India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has won only 10 Olympic gold medals in its history.