Nepal to host ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier
DUBAI, July 31: Nepal has been named the host nation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, scheduled to take place from January 12 to February 2, 2026. The tournament will feature 10 teams competing for four prized spots at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in England and Wales.Bangladesh and Ireland have already secured automatic entry into the Qualifier after participating in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.Hosts Nepal and Thailand have booked their spots through the Asia regional pathway, while the USA will represent the Americas region.The remaining five places in the Qualifier will be filled once regional competitions in Africa, Europe, and East Asia-Pacific conclude. Two teams each from Africa and Europe, and one from East Asia-Pacific will complete the 10-team lineup.The format of the Qualifier will see the teams divided into two groups of five, followed by a Super Six stage and a Final. The top four teams at the end of the tournament will progress to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales. (IANS)
Malta to host Commonwealth Youth Games in 2027
NEW DELHI, July 31: Malta will host the eighth edition of Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in 2027 with more than 1000 athletes aged 14 to 18 from 74 nations and territories will compete in eight sports, the governing body of the multi-sport event said on Thursday.The exact dates of the CYG was not announced by Commonwealth Sport but said it will be in late 2027.“Commonwealth Sport is delighted to announce that the 8th Commonwealth Youth Games will be hosted by Malta in late 2027. Malta 2027 will welcome approximately 1,150 athletes aged 14-18 from Commonwealth Sport’s 74 nations and territories,” Commonwealth Sport said in a release.Malta is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa.Sailing and water polo will make their debut at the CYG. The other six sports in the roster are athletics and para athletics, netball, squash, swimming and para swimming, triathlon, and weightlifting. (PTI)
Senior National Squash C’ship to be held in New Delhi
NEW DELHI, July 31: The Senior National Squash Championship will be held in New Delhi from August 23 to 28, the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) announced on Thursday.“Our Senior National Championships is happening in Delhi in three weeks’ time at the Dhyanchand Stadium. The exact dates of the event are August 23 till 28,” said SRFI secretary general Cyrus Poncha in a media interaction here on Thursday.“Most of the top players are expected to participate in the event.” The SRFI, in collaboration with tech giant HCL, also launched the HCL India Squash Tour 2025-26 on Thursday.The Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour, now expanded to six cities, will bring in international calibre competition to Indian soil, offering PSA ranking points, enhanced cash prize and a stronger pathway for homegrown players to excel globally.The revamped 2025-26 season includes Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and New Delhi on its circuit, with the last two cities newly added to the lineup.The second edition will host one PSA Challenger 15k event in Chennai, two PSA Challenger 9k events in Jaipur and Mumbai and three PSA Challenger 6k events in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.All the tournaments will award equal prize money to men and women, with champions taking home USD 15,000, 9,000 and 6,000 depending on the event tier.Each leg will follow a 24-player knockout format with the top-eight seeds receiving byes into the second round.The tour is open to PSA-registered players aged 15 and above. (PTI)
Nihal Sarin advances to Esports World Cup playoffs
RIYADH, July 31: Following a brilliant comeback run, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, representing S8UL Esports, has qualified for the playoffs at the ongoing Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 in, Saudi Arabia. He will take on the five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in the quarterfinals. After a tough 0-2 loss to fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on Day 1 of the group stage, Nihal made a strong comeback on Day 2. Showcasing his lightning-fast decision-making, he secured a 2-0 victory over Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri in the lower bracket semi-final. In the lower bracket final, the 21-year-old faced French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Despite being in a difficult position in the first game, he salvaged a draw through excellent positional awareness before sealing the match 1.5-0.5 with a decisive win in the second game and secured a coveted playoff spot from Group B.The EWC 2025 Chess quarterfinals are set to begin on Thursday, where each match will consist of four rapid games played in a 10+0 time control format. The intensity ramps up in the semi-finals, which will feature six games per match, culminating in a high-stakes Grand Final contested in a best-of-six-sets format. (IANS)
Pro Kabaddi League’s 12th edition to be played in 4 cities
NEW DELHI, July 31: The 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League will be held across Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Chennai and New Delhi from August 29.Telugu Titans will face Tamil Thalaivas and Bengaluru Bulls will take on Puneri Paltan on the opening day of the new season at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the organisers said in a release on Thursday.“The PKL’s return to Vizag marks an exciting homecoming for the coastal city after a seven-year hiatus,” they said.“This Andhra Pradesh stronghold last witnessed the thrills of PKL action during the sixth season in 2018, adding another chapter to its rich legacy of hosting the league since seasons 1 and 3.” The second leg of the PKL will be held in Jaipur’s Indoor Hall at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium from September 12, a venue where the tournament had completed its 1,000 matches in the 2023-24 season.The third leg will be held at the SDAT Multipurpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai from September 29 while the fourth and final leg will be at New Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium from October 13.The schedule for playoffs will be announced later. (PTI)