Quimcy Dsouza (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza produced a stunning comeback against Japan’s top-seeded Yuina Sakamoto before following it up with another convincing victory to march into the women’s singles semifinals in Teqball at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday.Making her Asian Games debut in a sport appearing at the continental Games for the first time, the Indian showed remarkable composure under pressure at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center. She recovered from losing the opening game against Sakamoto to prevail 2-1 in a hard-fought contest.Dsouza lost the first game 10-12 but responded brilliantly, edging the Japanese player 12-11 in the second before sealing the match 13-11 in the decider.She then carried that momentum into her second group match, defeating Cambodia’s Koemyean DY 2-0. Dsouza won the opening game 12-9 before closing out the contest 12-7 to finish top of her group and earn a direct berth in the semifinals.

One win away from historic medal

The result puts Dsouza just one victory away from securing a historic medal for India in Teqball.She will face Indonesia’s Ima Sumaya in Saturday’s semifinal. A victory would guarantee Dsouza a place on the podium, while a defeat would give her another opportunity in the bronze-medal match against the loser of the other semifinal between Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hin and Lebanon’s Kamar Dandal.For Dsouza, the achievement is particularly significant as Teqball makes its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The sport, which originated in Hungary, combines elements of football with a curved table and is played in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Mixed doubles challenge awaits

Dsouza’s busy day also included the mixed doubles event, where she partnered Mohamed Anas Imran Beg. The Indian pair began their campaign with a win over the Philippines’ Jhoana Abulencia and Prince Agustin.They were scheduled to face Cambodia, Thailand and Kuwait in the remainder of their group-stage campaign.India’s other Teqball representatives, Beg and Declan Marshall Gonsalves, had earlier endured a difficult start in the men’s doubles, losing both their group matches. The duo, however, had already made history by winning India’s first-ever Teqball medal — a men’s doubles bronze at the 2024 World Championships.

When Middle Earth arrived in Australia for his initial campaign, he hit the ground running with immediate success.

His first-up victory came in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) at Flemington, which was followed by a fifth placing in the prestigious Australian Cup.

The subsequent occasion Middle Earth featured in the placings was in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley last October, serving as a lead-up to his third-place finish in the Melbourne Cup.

It is a common observation that European stayers often perform well early in their Australian campaigns before their form gradually improves over a longer duration.

This is the pattern the Ciaron Maher stable is anticipating as they advance towards the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup with Middle Earth, who is taking a significant step on the path to those races in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield this Saturday.

Middle Earth spent his winter period in Queensland’s warmth and secured a win at Doomben in May. He then resumed with a pleasing eighth-place finish in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on August 29.

Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, stated that Middle Earth has progressed nicely throughout his Cups campaign, carrying 55kg in the Caulfield Cup and 56.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, representing a 2kg rise from his weight when finishing third last year.

“He’s great,” Turnbull said.

“I think he’s sharpened up off the break and last preparation. We won a Group 3 at 2000 metres up in Queensland.

“He gets winkers back on and it’s all part of the process to get him up in trip.

“We feel he is sharper and better (than last year) and he’ll be on to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, and he is one of our better chances.”

With Melbourne expecting sunny weather on Friday and a warm day on Saturday, Turnbull mentioned that the ideal racing surface for Middle Earth would be a track in the Good 4 to Soft 5 range, indicating good European ground conditions.

Turnbull added that a positive result would please the stable, as Middle Earth is likely to head to the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3, on his journey towards the Caulfield Cup.

“If you’re running well in an Underwood, it generally carries through to races a bit later on,” Turnbull stated.

Check out the racing betting markets for this exciting race.

India’s Asian Games action on Friday (September 18, 2026) gets serious as a busy day features events in Soft Tennis, Teqball, and Cricket. The day kicks off early with the Men’s Soft Tennis team, comprising Jay Meena, Aniket Patel, Yogesh Chaudhary, Aryan Thakur, and Om Yadav. They will be competing in three preliminary Group C matches, aiming to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. In Teqball, Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza leads the charge in the Women’s Singles group stage, before teaming up with Mohamed Anas Imran Beg for an intense run of four Mixed Doubles qualification matches, with potential quarter-finals and repechage rounds lined up for later in the afternoon.

Highlighting the team events, the Indian Women’s Cricket team takes the field for their high-stakes quarter-final clash against Japan.

Soft tennis

Men’s team preliminary Group C, Match 1: Jay Meena, Aniket Patel, Yogesh Chaudhary, Aryan Thakur, Om Yadav – 5:30 AM

Men’s team preliminary Group C, Match 2: India – 7:30 AM

Men’s team preliminary Group C, Match 3: India – 9:30 AM

Men’s team quarter-finals: India (subject to qualification) – 11:30 AM

Teqball

Women’s singles, Match 2: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza – 6:00 AM

Women’s singles, Match 3: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza – 6:30 AM

Mixed doubles, Match 2: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza/Mohamed Anas Imran Beg – 9:30 AM

Mixed doubles, Match 5: Dsouza/Beg – 11:00 AM

Mixed doubles, Match 7: Dsouza/Beg – 12:30 PM

Mixed doubles, Match 9: Dsouza/Beg – 1:00 PM

Mixed doubles quarter-finals: Dsouza/Beg (subject to qualification) – 3:00 PM

Mixed doubles repechage: Dsouza/Beg (subject to qualification) – 4:00 PM

Cricket

Women’s quarter-finals: India vs Japan – 10:30 AM

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CWG 2026 Weightlifting Gold Medallist, Mirabai Chanu Get Hero’s Welcome in Delhi

Juventus began their European campaign with a 5-0 win over N.E.C. Nijmegen, with Randal Kolo Muani scoring and providing an assist.

Crystal Palace beat Lech Poznan 4-0, while Bournemouth won 2-1 at Real Sociedad. Portuguese second-tier side Torreense caused an upset by winning 2-1 at Lillestrom. Celtic lost 3-1 to Ferencvaros, while Union Saint-Gilloise beat Plzen 3-0.

In the League Cup, a much-changed Manchester City side beat Norwich 5-0, with Rayan Cherki scoring and 17 year-old Floyd Samba netting twice. Under Enzo Maresca, City have won all six matches.

In Algeria, Brahim Hemdani named a 26-man squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi selected 29 players.

In the Davis Cup, France’s tie against Canada in Quebec has been confirmed.

Finally, the next two editions of the individual Table Tennis World Cup will be held in Montpellier in 2027 and Paris in 2028.

Adams described the news that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will host the women’s Champions League final in 2029 as a “game-changer” for the nation.

Cardiff City Stadium hosted the event in 2017 in the same year the men’s final was played at Principality Stadium – known as National Stadium of Wales for Uefa events due to sponsorship rules.

“It’s absolutely incredible, a game-changer for us,” he said.

“You’ve seen the growth in the women’s game. When I first came into the job, we were getting maybe 1,000 people at Rodney Parade for women’s games.

“We got 15,000 at Cardiff City Stadium in this last campaign, so you can see the growth and how quickly the game is moving.”

Adams says young females seeing role models play at the home of Cardiff City and Principality Stadium is “just inspirational for those players”.

Wales’ women’s side qualified for a major tournament for the first time under Rhian Wilkinson as they reached Euro 2025 in Switzerland.

They are now aiming to secure a spot at a World Cup for the first time and continue their 2027 qualification bid with a double header against Albania in October.

Further down the line, the 2035 women’s World Cup will be held in the United Kingdom, with England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all due to host matches for the global showpiece.

With Wales bidding to qualify and be competitive at the tournament in future, FAW chiefs remain determined to strengthen their player pool.

Despite the huge progress made in recent years, Adams feels the governing body still has plenty of work to do.

“Our goal is to create a pathway, which hasn’t been there for women’s football, where girls can actually play in a talent system which prepares them to play in tournament football on a consistent basis,” he said.

“I don’t think we’re there yet, personally. I think what we’ve done in the last three years is fantastic, with the girls’ regional programme.

“But now we’ve got to try and make sure the girls graduate out of that system and play in the top leagues across Europe.

“That’s what gives you the best chance of qualifying consistently for major tournaments.”

They say Week 1 is a liar, so who lied in their season opener? Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL, we watched Drake Maye and Jordan Love lose to backup quarterbacks, and the Los Angeles Rams aren’t the super team some envisioned. Who can turn it around in Week 2?

This weekend, the new-look Cincinnati Bengals defense will get its shot at C.J. Stroud, the Broncos will look to get back on track with another AFC contender in the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts face off on “Sunday Night Football.” Which teams should you pick in Week 2, and which should you fade? CBS Sports writers Jordan Dajani and Jared Dubin are here to break down the biggest games of the weekend. For clarity, lines for these selections were taken on Sept. 15 over at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (-4.5)

Dajani (Steelers +4.5): I’m probably the only person in the world who remembers last year’s edition of Steelers at Patriots. It was an incredibly forgettable game, where the Steelers beat the Patriots by a touchdown, 21-14. Yes, Aaron Rodgers beat Drake Maye and the eventual AFC champions in Foxborough. The Patriots have had extra time to mull over their embarrassing loss to Drew Lock in the season opener, but with the point-spread being 4.5 points in a game where I’m expecting like 30 total points, I’m going to lean towards the underdog. Especially with A.J. Brown sidelined by a high ankle sprain. Believe it or not, the Steelers have won THREE STRAIGHT GAMES as an underdog of at least four points! I’ll take Pittsburgh to keep it close. … Prediction: Patriots 16, Steelers 13

Dubin (Patriots -4.5): New England did not look good at all last week. The Seahawks‘ defense totally shut down everything that Drake Maye and the rest of the offense wanted to do, and it got ugly in the fourth quarter in particular. The Steelers, meanwhile, shut down everything the Falcons offense wanted to do on Sunday. But Maye is not Cooper Rush, and the Patriots are not the Falcons. This should be a relatively low-scoring game, but I still trust New England’s offense a lot more than Pittsburgh’s, and that should be enough to take home the win. … Prediction: Patriots 21, Steelers 13

New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)

Dajani (Saints +7.5): The Baltimore Ravens were one of the big winners from Week 1. They eviscerated the Colts, 41-23, while racking up 500 yards of total offense. Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns, while Zay Flowers registered a career-high 150 yards receiving and a touchdown … in the first half. However, I would say that the Saints were one of the biggest “winner losers” from Week 1. I actually like that term. “Winner losers.” 

I was wildly impressed by Tyler Shough, who threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns to go with three turnovers vs. the Lions. It looked like he was flailing at the beginning of the second half with two straight turnovers, but the second-year signal-caller hung in there, relied on his playmakers like Chris Olave, and helped New Orleans overcome a 21-0 deficit on the road to get to overtime. It was remarkable. Dude is tough mentally and physically. 

I’m going to take the Saints to cover the big number because Baltimore could be without two of its top wideouts in Flowers (hamstring) and Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist). Plus, Shough is 8-2 ATS in his career as the starting quarterback. That’s tied for the best mark since 1970. A gambler’s dream QB! … Prediction: Ravens 28, Saints 24

Dubin (Saints +7.5): Baltimore looked like the best offense this side of Chicago in its demolition of the Colts in Week 1. Before Zay Flowers went out after aggravating his hamstring injury, Declan Doyle’s group looked essentially unstoppable with Lamar Jackson targeting Flowers and Derrick Henry rushing through gaping holes in the line. The defense also limited the Colts to just 4.7 yards per play. It was a terrific debut. The only reason I’m taking the Saints here is the question about Flowers’ availability, and the potential for New Orleans to secure a back-door cover in comeback mode, like it did against Detroit last week. … Prediction: Ravens 27, Saints 20

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-2.5)

Dajani (Texans -2.5): One of the games of the week. I found such joy in watching the Bengals’ defense force three fumbles on the Bucs’ first four possessions. The fans in the stands must have been crying tears of joy. Still, this was a competitive matchup that came down to the wire. As for the Texans, no one expected that defense to allow 36 points and for Josh Allen to register the first 300-yard passing game vs. Houston since 2024. If that’s a sign of things to come, then the Bengals are winning this game. But I think DeMeco Ryans is going to have this defense ready to roll and rebound in their second straight home game. … Prediction: Texans 27, Bengals 23

Dubin (Texans -2.5): Houston lost a heartbreaker at home to Buffalo last week and now faces another explosive offense in a Cincinnati group that scored a lot but didn’t necessarily even look its best in Week 1. Ja’Marr Chase, at least, should be a lot better after posting just two catches for 12 yards last week, even with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter across from him. But the Texans’ offense also looked a bit better than expected last week, and were it not for some ill-timed fumbles, the Bucs would have hung a bunch more than their 27 points on Cincinnati. I think both teams can find some success offensively here, and in that case, I like the Texans to secure the win at home. … Prediction: Texans 26, Bengals 24

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-3)

• Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS (Stream on Paramount+)

Dajani (Jaguars +3): I’m sorry, but how am I supposed to feel confident laying points with the team that looked like the worst in the NFL last week? Yes, even worse than the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans. The Broncos were a nightmare of epic proportions in Kansas City on Monday night. Davis Webb couldn’t get Bo Nix into a rhythm at all, Jaylen Waddle caught one pass for 2 yards and this vaunted defense registered a missed tackle rate of 29.8%. Absurd. 

I know Week 1 is a liar and I expect the Broncos to be better than what we saw on Monday night, but this Jaguars team is for real. Denver knows that, as Trevor Lawrence came to Mile High and dropped 34 points on the Broncos in Week 16 last year to end Denver’s 11-game win streak. … Prediction: Jaguars 24, Broncos 23

Dubin (Push): Jacksonville looked just about as impressive as possible in its beatdown of the Browns in Week 1, while Denver looked like a two-way disaster in its blowout loss to the Chiefs. Predicting such a stark reversal feels wrong, but I felt really good about the Broncos coming into the season and don’t want to back off that just yet. I think Denver finds much more offensive success than it did against Kansas City here, while Jacksonville slows down just a bit after its blistering start. … Prediction: Broncos 24, Jaguars 21

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)

• Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

Dajani (Chiefs -6.5): The Colts are one of four teams with a winning record in the regular season vs. Patrick Mahomes, and their last meeting went to overtime. However, the new-look Chiefs are all about running the rock with Kenneth Walker, who exploded for 173 rushing yards and a touchdown on Monday night. That could be a problem, since the Colts allowed 202 rushing yards and 506 yards of total offense vs. the Ravens. Derrick Henry galloped for 144 yards and three touchdowns, while Lamar Jackson found paydirt as well. It was the worst yardage margin (-255) in any game for the Colts since 2017. There are plenty of trends that back up the Colts’ case here, such as them being 3-0 ATS in their last three games vs. the Chiefs, but I’ll take Kansas City to win by a touchdown at home. … Prediction: Chiefs 24, Colts 17

Dubin (Colts +6.5): Indianapolis got run all over by the Ravens last weekend, and we could see a repeat of that this week with the Kenneth Walker-led run game for Kansas City, which looked both efficient and explosive against the Broncos last week. But if the Chiefs can’t pass the ball more efficiently than they did against Denver, it’s hard to see them consistently blowing teams out. So I like the Colts to keep things relatively close in this one, even while the Chiefs grind out a win on the ground. … Prediction: Chiefs 21, Colts 17

New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams (-7)

• Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

Dajani (Rams -7): I feel like the New York Giants are going to be a hot pick this week after their fun upset of the Dallas Cowboys, which makes me want to go the other way. The Rams have had a long break to lick their wounds from the atrocity in Australia, and Aaron Donald is expected to make his return to the field! I’m not expecting him to rack up sacks on Jaxson Dart, but it’s going to be fun to see him back out there.

I have the Rams bouncing back and covering with a late field goal. This isn’t going to be a best bet from me, because I think a cover is going to come late. … Prediction: Rams 30, Giants 21

Dubin (Rams -7): Two of the biggest surprises of Week 1 were the Rams laying a total egg against the 49ers in Australia and the Giants coming out and clobbering the Cowboys for four quarters. I’m not necessarily expecting either of those things to continue through the rest of the season. It’s easy to overreact to what we saw in debut games and take the Giants here because they were so impressive against Dallas and the Rams were so inept against San Francisco, but I’m going to lean on the preseason priors for a little while longer and take L.A. to win in pretty convincing fashion. … Prediction: Rams 27, Giants 17

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (-4.5) (TNF)

• Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime

Dajani (Bills -4.5): This could be the game of the year. Not only are these two of the best teams in the NFL, both being tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the league’s best record since 2023 at 37-15, but it’s also the first regular-season game in the new Highmark Stadium! It’s going to be a night talked about in Buffalo forever. That’s why it’s around $400 to get in the door, per Ticketmaster. 

Something has to give here. The Bills have won five straight vs. the Detroit Lions and are 10-2 in their past 12 primetime home games. But the Lions are 14-3 in primetime over the last five seasons, which is the best mark in the NFL! Jared Goff has averaged 351.7 passing yards per game against the Bills — but has an 0-3 record. Last time Goff played Buffalo, he became the only quarterback in NFL history to lose a game with 400 passing yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, according to CBS Sports Research. Insane. I’m expecting an absolute shootout on Thursday night, and 4.5 points is more than I was anticipating. However, the Lions’ injury report has me leaning toward Buffalo. Goff is down his starting right tackle in Blake Miller, and starting left guard in Christian Mahogany. I saw Buffalo’s defensive front get an impressive push in Houston, and ultimately win that game by stripping C.J. Stroud of the football. Bills win in a thrilling home opener. … Prediction: Bills 36, Lions 30

Dubin (Lions +4.5): This should be a ridiculously high-scoring game. (The Over-Under, as of this writing, is 54.5, which is the highest of the week by 4 full points.) Both the Bills and Lions have explosive offenses paired with defenses that could best be described as charitable, which we saw last week. There are matchup advantages all over the field for both teams. I could see all of Josh Allen, James Cook, DJ Moore, Dalton Kincaid, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams going off in a potential fireworks show. I lean toward the Bills for the win in the debut of their new stadium, but I like the Lions to keep it close enough that the Bills don’t cover the spread. … Prediction: Bills 35, Lions 31

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has named a 24-man squad for Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Nigeria will face Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Bissau to meet Guinea-Bissau on September 29.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi headline the squad, alongside established players including Stanley Nwabali, Semi Ajayi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze and Tolu Arokodare.

Arthur Okonkwo returns to the squad after his impressive performances during the Unity Cup, where he kept clean sheets against Zimbabwe and Jamaica. He joins Nwabali and Maduka Okoye among the goalkeepers.

Olaoluwa Aina and Benjamin Fredricks have also returned, while Chibuike Nwaiwu keeps his place after making an impression during the Unity Cup.

Chelle has handed first senior call-ups to Portugal-based defender Isaac James and forwards George Ilhenikhena and Moses Usor.

The squad combines experienced Super Eagles players with new faces as Chelle looks to build depth ahead of the AFCON qualifying campaign.

### 24 Players Invited

Goalkeepers: Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic), Maduka Okoye (Udinese), Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United).

Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos), Isaac James (Alverca), Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford), Emmanuel Fernandez (Rangers), Semi Ajayi (Hull City), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham), Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest).

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt), Frank Onyeka (Coventry City).

Forwards: Moses Simon (Paris FC), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray), Akor Adams (Venezia), Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid), Tolu Arokodare (Ajax), George Ilhenikhena (Al Ittihad), Moses Usor (LASK).

Team India batter Rinku Singh said he is working on his bowling to become a mainstay in the T20I playing XI after the series against Afghanistan. The 28-year-old has been in and out of the Indian T20I lineup over the past year, with all-rounders being preferred over specialists in the middle order.

Rinku was part of the victorious Indian 2026 T20 World Cup squad but is left out of the squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026. The southpaw also missed the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0.

Addressing being in and out of India’s lineup, Rinku told Sportstar:

“Right now, I am working on my bowling because that is what the game demands. At the moment, I keep getting in and out of the team, and that happens because of combinations. Some selectors and coaches feel that in T20 cricket, you need to have two skills – you should be able to contribute with both bowling and batting.”

He added:

“So I am working on my bowling. It is not as if I haven’t bowled before. I have bowled and taken wickets at the international level as well. But I want to work more on my bowling so that the selectors can see that improvement. Being in and out of the team can be difficult. It puts some pressure on you and can disturb you mentally. But it is very important to remain positive.”

Rinku has bowled his off-spinners sparingly in T20Is, picking up three wickets in 16 deliveries.

“Competition has certainly increased because leagues like the IPL are producing talent” – Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh believes the IPL has enhanced the competition for spots in the Indian T20I setup. While stressing the importance of boasting multiple skills, the 28-year-old dismissed the need to modify your game to stay ahead of other contenders for a spot in the side.

“Competition has certainly increased because leagues like the IPL are producing talent every year. You see players like Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) and Priyansh (Arya). There is a lot of talent coming through now. As I said, you need to have two skills in the game,” said Rinku (via the aforementioned source).

He concluded:

“But it is not as if we have to change our own game because someone else has come along. So be happy when a big talent comes through. Think positively about them and about yourself. It will be good for everyone.”

Since debuting in 2023, Rinku has played 48 T20Is for India and boasts an excellent record with an average of almost 37 and a strike rate of 156.34. He has also played two ODIs for India.