India’s weightlifting pipeline has unearthed another exciting talent. Twenty-one-year-old Valluri Ajaya Babu showcased his immense potential by clinching the silver medal in the men’s 79kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after an edge-of-the-seat battle with Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad.

The youngster from Andhra Pradesh not only finished on the podium but also rewrote the Commonwealth Games record books multiple times before falling just one kilogram short of gold. His performance further underlined India’s growing dominance in weightlifting, earning the country its sixth medal in the sport at the Games.

A silver decided by just one kilogram

Ajaya Babu opened strongly in the snatch competition, comfortably clearing 145kg in his first attempt. After failing to lift 149kg in his second try, he bounced back in style to clear the weight in his final attempt, setting a new Commonwealth Games record and taking the lead into the clean and jerk phase.

He finished the snatch section ahead of England’s Chris Murray (148kg) and Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad (147kg), putting himself in prime position for gold.

The clean and jerk turned into a thrilling contest between the Indian and the Malaysian.

Hidayat first lifted 181kg to establish a new Games record. Moments later, Ajaya Babu matched and then bettered the feat by successfully lifting 181kg on his final attempt, taking his overall tally to 330kg.

However, Hidayat produced the lift of the competition with 184kg in his final attempt, finishing with a Games record total of 331kg (147kg snatch + 184kg clean and jerk) to snatch the gold medal by the narrowest of margins.

Rapid rise through the ranks

Ajaya Babu’s Commonwealth Games success is the latest milestone in a rapid rise over the past two years.

He announced himself on the international stage by winning double gold medals in both the junior and senior men’s 81kg categories at the 2024 Commonwealth Championships in Suva, Fiji.

A year later, he dominated the men’s 79kg category at the 2025 Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad, lifting a personal-best total of 335kg (152kg snatch and 183kg clean and jerk). The performance broke championship records and secured his direct qualification for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Learning from the world’s best

Before arriving in Glasgow, Ajaya Babu tested himself against the world’s elite at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships in Forde, Norway, where he finished 16th in a highly competitive field of 39 lifters.

Although he missed out on the Commonwealth Games gold by a single kilogram, the 21-year-old demonstrated that he has the talent, temperament and consistency to challenge the world’s best. With age firmly on his side, Ajaya Babu’s silver medal could well be the beginning of a long and successful international career.

Seven months after moving to Germany, Bernadette Amani is clearly where she wants to be, having won both the Bundesliga and the German Cup in her first half-season since joining Bayern Munich.

“It’s a dream come true for me to be here, and I’m living my dream to the full,” the 28-year-old midfielder told DW in an exclusive interview shortly before the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations kicked off in Morocco this month.

“Munich is a very, very big club. Beyond just making me happy, it’s a real achievement, a dream come true to be here, to play for such a prestigious club.”

Amani added that playing for Bayern’s women has been a major step up from what she had come to know playing for CD Tenerife Femenino of Liga F, Spain’s topflight.

“I was already professional when I was in Spain, but let’s just say it wasn’t quite the same level of professionalism,” she explained.

“In Spain or the Ivory Coast, the coaching staff might have consisted of no more than five or six people. But here there are eight or 10 people. And that enables them (the players) to perform at that high level for a long time.”

This structure, and the experience of the players around her, she said, make it virtually impossible for a new player not to improve on their own game.

“I’ve learned a great deal about aspects I wasn’t already aware of; how to position myself, how to position my body, how to interact with the ball and how to think. Really understanding the game is something I’m gradually learning alongside (the players) and the coaching staff.”

Moving to the capital to further education

Getting to the Bundesliga champions was anything but a straight, plotted path for Amani, who, when she began kicking a ball with the boys in her local village as a youngster, had no idea that football could be a career option.

Her parents were anything but encouraging of her passion. They just wanted their daughter to get a good education. To this end, she wound up moving from the village of Dougbafla, where she grew up, to the capital, Abidjan — a move that turned out to be pivotal to her career as a footballer.

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“I discovered the women’s football league. I went to a match and, as luck would have it, it was the top team against the second-placed team,” she recalled.

“I saw the intensity, I saw the technique, and then I heard that so-and-so isn’t here today because she’s playing in Serbia, another isn’t here today because she’s playing in Turkey. And that was a real eye-opener for me; it made me realize that I could make a living from what I love.”

One of the clubs she watched on that day in 2019, Onze Soeurs de Gagnoa, offered her a trial – and she made it. Within a year, she was in Spain’s third tier, and five years later, she found herself in Liga F with Eibar. Always looking to take that next step, she quickly moved on to Tenerife, her launching pad for Bayern, which she describes as “the top.” Still, there’s no question of complacency.

“Someone on the outside will say to you: ‘You’ve put in the effort, you’ve made it to Bayern, a club that wins titles, that’s professional and renowned all over the world,” she said.

“But someone who’s involved in football will tell you that’s where the hard part begins. Staying there is even better. And it’s hard not to let your guard down.”

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Top three the goal at WAFCON

For the next couple of weeks though, her focus will be on her role as captain of Ivory Coast at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. WAFCON 2026, for which Ivory Coast were one of four late additions after the tournament was expanded from 12 to 16 teams at the last minute, marks the country’s return to the continental competition after an absence of 12 years.

“The target that has been set for us is, of course, to do no worse than we did at the last Africa Cup of Nations we took part in — that is, to finish third,” she said.

Amani noted that while Ivory Coast now have more players in top leagues in Europe than in 2014, almost half the squad will stand to make their first appearance at a WAFCON. Still, she appeared quietly optimistic.

“We’re going to focus on our own game, and we know that we’ve got qualities that could give (our opponents) a run for their money,” she said.

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The Lady Elephants did more than that in Casablanca on Monday, cruising past Burkina Faso 4-1 in their opening match, putting them top of Group B. Their second match, on Friday against South Africa, ranked second on the continent, could provide Amani’s side with a sterner test – despite South Africa having been upset 2-1 by lowly Tanzania in their opener.

Ali Farhat contributed to this article.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

Oleksandr Usyk could pursue an unexpected prize ahead of competing in ‘his last dance.’

The Ukrainian relinquished his WBC, IBF and WBA titles in June, whilst also revealing that, after having become a three-time, two-division undisputed king, he is now just one ‘last dance’ away from retirement.

This announcement came roughly a month after his subpar performance against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, who gave a tremendous effort but was eventually stopped in round 11 of their heavyweight clash.

But while many suspected that a Verhoeven rematch was on the cards, it would appear that Usyk is more likely to face Deontay Wilder, a fellow veteran and former WBC champion.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ comes off a split decision victory over Derek Chisora, who he floored twice during their chaotic battle in April.

Perhaps more interesting than the opponent, though, is the fact that Team Usyk has engaged in serious talks with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.

Speaking with Parimatch Casino, Usyk’s advisor Sergey Lapin confirmed that the 39-year-old could even fight for the promotional outfit’s inaugural heavyweight belt.

“Usyk vs Wilder is definitely one of the loudest and most realistic options right now, and we have had conversations with Zuffa. But there is no agreement yet, and the final structure and numbers still need to make sense.

“From Zuffa’s side, Oleksandr would obviously bring immediate legitimacy to their heavyweight title and the whole boxing project. From our side, it has to be much bigger than simply helping establish a new belt. It needs to be the right opponent, the right platform and the right financial package for Oleksandr’s final chapter.”

Lapin added that first refusal to stage Usyk’s swansong will be given to Turki Alalshikh, who happens to be closely aligned with Zuffa.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has successfully undergone back surgery, the club has confirmed, though the exact duration of his absence remains unclear.

The Spain international is now set to “begin a short period of rehabilitation” following the procedure.

The 30-year-old, who was crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, has been contending with a persistent back issue for some time, leading to what City described as a “minor” operation.

This latest health concern marks another setback for the player, who has faced a series of fitness challenges since sustaining a serious knee injury nearly two years ago.

In an official statement, Manchester City confirmed: “Manchester City can confirm Rodri has undergone successful minor back surgery. The midfielder had been feeling discomfort for some time but has now undergone a procedure to address the issue and will now begin a short period of rehabilitation.”

The update comes amid ongoing speculation regarding Rodri’s future at the club.

The former Atletico Madrid star, who has just one year remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, has been linked with a potential move to Real Madrid, with rumours intensifying after he was named player of the tournament at the recent World Cup.

New manager Enzo Maresca addressed the situation last week, stating he was “not worried” about the midfielder’s future.

“He needs to recover and then he will be back here with us,” the Italian commented ahead of Rodri’s operation.

There is no doubt over the future of defender Josko Gvardiol, though, following the announcement on Tuesday that he has signed a new five-year deal with City.

Gvardiol joined City from RB Leipzig in 2023 and went on to win the club’s player-of the-year award for 2024-25.

He had attracted interest from Real Madrid but said: “As soon as City wanted to renew my contract, I knew it was what I wanted.”

He joins Abdukodir Khusanov in signing a new a contract this summer, with City looking to rebuild their defence following the departures of John Stones and Nathan Ake.

Gvardiol is now expected to challenge Khusanov and Marc Guehi for a starting spot at City next season.

Defending champions Nigeria will begin their campaign at the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a Group C match against tournament debutants Malawi on Monday in Rabat, Morocco.

The match will be played at the Al Madina Stadium, where the Super Falcons will look to make a strong start in their bid to win a record-extending 11th WAFCON title.

Nigeria head into the competition as the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having won the title 10 times. Malawi, meanwhile, are making their first appearance at the finals and will be hoping to cause one of the biggest upsets of the competition.

Despite being underdogs, Malawi coach Lovemore Fazili believes his team can compete with the African champions. He said his players are ready for the challenge and should not be underestimated.

Malawi will rely on sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, who are expected to lead the team’s attack. Captain Tabitha Chawinga said playing at WAFCON has always been a dream and urged her teammates to face Nigeria without fear.

Nigeria coach Justine Madugu has also warned against taking the Scorchers lightly. He said the Super Falcons are focused on defending their title but have great respect for their opponents.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade also stressed the importance of winning the opening match, saying the team’s main target is to collect all three points.

Nigeria have an impressive record against teams making their WAFCON debut. Since the competition began in 1998, the Super Falcons have never lost to a debutant nation.

The Group C clash promises an exciting contest as Nigeria aim to begin their title defence with victory, while Malawi hope to make history in their first-ever WAFCON match.

The ‘Protect College Sports Act’ reportedly suffered a setback on timing as Congress tries to reshape college athletics.

What if things stay as they currently are?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin and ‘The Portal’ host Brian Smith discuss transfer portal players that have to shine this year.

Miami’s Damon Wilson is a guy with MASSIVE shoes to fill this year.

Tulane promoted Will Hall from within to Head Coach following Jon Sumrall’s departure after a Playoff appearance.

The Green Wave should not be seen as a G6 threat this year.

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Newly-crowned junior squash world champion Anahat Singh has revealed that she placed her academic goals at the prestigious Harvard University on hold this year to give herself the best chance of winning a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Anahat’s original plan was to follow in her elder sister Amira’s footsteps and pursue higher education at the Harvard.

But bolstered by the title triumph in her fifth and final attempt, the 18-year-old now wants to put all her energies into preparing for the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in a couple of years’ time.

Anahat has been living out of the suitcase for as far as she can remember, juggling top level squash and school. Having graduated from school only a couple of months ago, Anahat has now chosen to focus on the sport to take her game to the next level.

“I was supposed to go to college this year, but I decided to take a gap year because of the Asian Games coming up. And now I understand that this year is really important for me regarding squash and, the build up to the LA 2028 (Games),” Anahat told PTI in an interview referring to her plans for squash’s Olympic debut.

“So, yeah, I mean, just focusing on this year, outside of school, because I’ve been doing that for the last 12 years (smiles). I’m just focusing on squash for a year and just making sure that I’m at my peak going in to LA 28,” she said.

World title confidence-booster ahead of Asiad 
Having got the monkey off her back with a world junior title in her fifth and final appearance, Anahat’s next big assignment is the Asian Games in Japan in September-October.

If Anahat is to win gold, she will have to find ways to upstage higher-ranked players like world number five Sivasangari Subramaniam from Malaysia and sixth-ranked Satomi Watanbe from Japan.

Considering the challenge ahead, the triumph in Canada that included wins over three Egyptians, will give Anahat more confidence against the world’s best players. A gold in Japan would secure her automatic qualification to the Olympics.

“It (the win at world juniors) definitely adds a lot to my confidence to get into this event. I mean, if I didn’t win, it wouldn’t really make much of a difference, but it definitely puts me on a high now,” said the youngster, who is supported by JSW Sports.

“I’ve played almost every single player that will be there in the Asian Games, and I know what to expect. So, just going back home and focusing on that. If I have a shot at getting a chance to be a part of the Olympics in almost two months, I think that will be a dream come true,” said Anahat. 
Check CWG 2026 DAY 5 (July 28) LIVE UPDATES, MEDAL NEWS AND INDIA FULL SCHEDULE here

Praise from idol PV Sindhu and PM Modi 
Anahat began her journey in racket sports with badminton before settling on squash.

No wonder she continues to idolise the great PV Sindhu, who was among the many who took to social media to congratulate on her path-breaking win in Ontario. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too was among them.

“Firstly seeing the Prime Minister’s post was, I mean, there’s no words to it really. It’s amazing getting to see that and of course PV Sindhu as well. I’ve been following her since I’ve been almost four or five years old and she’s been an inspiration to me ever since I got into the world of sports,” she said.

Egypt has dominated squash for decades but Anahat doesn’t feel any added pressure while playing the players from that country on the professional circuit. She faced three Egyptians — in the quarters, semis and final — and came out on top.

“The Egyptian infrastructure is basically what makes them the best. Like I went for the World Juniors last year, which happened in Egypt, and they were playing until 10, 11 pm, which was crazy,” she recalled.

World champion Gaultier and Ghosal as support staff 
Anahat’s support staff included world champion Gregory Gaultier from France and India great Saurav Ghosal. Both of them have dealt with success and failure in equal measure and now help Anahat with tactics and handling pressure in top level sport.

“…having Greg and Saurav by my side, I don’t think I could have really asked for anything more. They’ve been in the top stages, they felt that sort of pressure, they know what it’s like to climb up to the top,” she said.

“It’s not just helpful in the game aspect, but also mentally and the strategy side of it, just being able to understand what I need to do in those big moments,” Anahat added.

The Washington Commanders have fired tight ends coach Ben Steele following a DWI arrest last month.

The Commanders confirmed the news, stating they would be “parting ways” with Steele before his first season with the franchise ever begins.

“The team will have no further comment at this time,” the Commanders added to its statement on X.

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Arizona Cardinals tight ends coach Ben Steele watches from the sideline during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 7, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (IMAGN IMAGES)

Steele was arrested on charges of DWI last month, as The Athletic reported,he was placed on administrative leave after the Commanders were informed of the incident.

Steele is also facing charges for refusing a blood/breath test, obstructing or resisting an officer without force and changing course without signaling, per Virginia court records.

ERIC BIENIEMY SON JAILED FOR SHOOTING HIS MOTHER WHILE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS COACH IS AWAY AT TRAINING CAMP

The report also said Steele’s replacement is expected to be named on Tuesday, as the Commanders are set to begin training camp the following day.

Wes Welker, the former New England Patriots and Denver Broncos receiver, was the Commanders’ interim tight ends coach while Steele was on leave during the team’s minicamp this offseason.

Steele is a veteran tight ends coach, having served in the role with the Arizona Cardinals for the past three seasons before joining Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington before the start of this year.

Steele played the position before coaching it, seeing time with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans from 2004-06, though he was a part of camps with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings before that.

Arizona Cardinals tight ends coach Ben Steele watches from the sideline during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 7, 2025. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Steele’s coaching career started not long after his playing days ended, seeing time in college football before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff in 2014 as an offensive quality control coach. He was eventually promoted to tight ends coach in 2017.

He has also seen service with the Atlanta Falcons (2019-2020), Vikings (2021), and Broncos (2022).

It’s worth noting that his time with the Cardinals saw Colorado State product Trey McBride explode into one of the best tight ends in the game.

McBride racked up two Pro Bowls these past two seasons, collecting at least 1,100 yards in each, including a 1,239-yard season in 2025 with 11 touchdowns, which smashed his career high. McBride was a first-team All-Pro this past season.

The Commanders feature a new tight end in their building, signing Chig Okonkwo this offseason to bolster the group. John Bates and Ben Sinnott were featured at the position last season, which was a down year for Washington after reaching the NFC Championship Game the year before.

Arizona Cardinals tight ends coach Ben Steele oversees practice during the NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans on Nov. 19, 2023, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Icon Sportswire)

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Much of the team’s 5-12 record had to do with the injury to quarterback Jayden Daniels, who played just seven games. The Commanders are hoping to replicate the 12-5 season Daniels and company had in 2024, where he won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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The Women’s League Cup will be renamed the Players Cup and operate in a league system with regionalised matches for the 2026-27 season.

Last November, clubs in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and WSL 2 voted in favour of proposals to revamp the competition to help combat scheduling issues and to protect player welfare.

They agreed the new format would exclude sides who have qualified for the Women’s Champions League, meaning League Cup holders Chelsea, WSL champions Manchester City and runners-up Arsenal will miss this year’s edition.

The remaining 23 teams from the top two divisions have been split into Northern and Southern sections – but will be in one table.

They will compete from September to December on nights when Champions League fixtures are taking place.

Each team will play three home and three away games against sides in their region, with three points for a win.

Any match that is level after normal time will be decided by a penalty shootout, with the victor gaining two points and the loser awarded one.

The top eight will qualify for the quarter-finals in January, when higher-placed finishers will be granted home advantage.

After a one-legged semi-final hosted by the higher seed, the final will be scheduled at a neutral venue on the weekend of 13 and 14 March.

“We wanted meaningful playing minutes for young and fringe players and to address disparity on playing opportunities across the leagues, without compromising our player welfare principles,” WSL’s chief revenue officer Zarah Al-Kudcy said.

Last season, teams played three or four matches across five groups, with the winners of each being joined at the quarter-final stage by sides in European competition.

Fixtures will be announced on Thursday, 6 August.

Northern section: Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Burnley, Durham, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Sunderland.

Southern section: Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol City, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, London City Lionesses, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Ham United, Wolves.