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Following a promise to launch an independent review of Fifa’s governance, president Gianni Infantino has stated he has “never been more determined and committed” to doing “what is right for the game”.

Infantino has come under intense scrutiny, notably from European governing body Uefa, after details of a proposed private investment vehicle to manage the World Cup and other tournaments were disclosed by The Times in July.

Through US court petitions, Uefa is demanding access to files relating to the deal. It could potentially file a criminal complaint in Switzerland should evidence show Infantino undervalued the commercial entity at $20 billion.

Although Fifa has branded the legal actions by Uefa as a “smear campaign”, Infantino responded with promises to reform the governing body’s internal structures.

However, these commitments have done little to reassure critics seeking clarity regarding the investment proposal alongside Fifa’s management of the Folarin Balogun case.

Posting on Instagram, the Swiss executive said: “There must be a culture of dialogue, of listening to each other and respecting one another.

“This is not about generating positive headlines, it is about doing what is right for the game. I have never been more determined and committed in doing that.”

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who serves as a Fifa vice-president and sits on the Fifa Council, has written to Infantino demanding the disclosure of files concerning both the investment plan and the Balogun matter. She plans to confront him directly during the upcoming Fifa Council meeting in Zurich on 15 October.

In addition, Infantino has been faulted for “woefully inadequate” levels of co-operation with an investigation by democratic members of the United States House Judiciary Committee examining his ties to US president Donald Trump.

His social media message urging open communication was published from Jeddah during discussions with senior Saudi figures. The Saudi Arabian federation, alongside Qatar, has positioned itself as a crucial backer for Infantino as he seeks to retain leadership and win a fourth term in next year’s election.

Meanwhile, Uefa has vowed to present a credible challenger prior to the submission deadline for candidacies on 18 November.

The upcoming fortnight starting with an international friendly against world No. 44 Panama on Friday will offer Indian players a chance to gain valuable experience and find a new direction as a footballing nation. The match against Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium is a precursor to contests against more storied opponents in five-time world champions Brazil (October 3) and two-time title winners Uruguay (October 6) at Kolkata.

Panama, a tiny nation with 4.65 million population, have achieved some tall feats on the football field. Apart from qualifying for the 2018 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, they have also finished runners-up in the CONCACAF Nations League 2024-25.

In the 2026 global showpiece, they stretched superior rivals like England, Croatia and Ghana in Group L before making an exit.

In contrast, the India have been struggling to make a strong impression even at the Asian level, and have been plagued with domestic structure turmoil in recent times.

But if the Khalid Jamil coached side can produce a doughty show against undoubtedly superior opponents in the coming two weeks that can induce a fresh wave of confidence and optimism into the Indian ranks.

Playing against a more accomplished side, will help the players to widen their knowledge base.

These matches will also offer the Indian team and the administrators to look into the mirror and gain some understanding about the depth the standard of the game in the country has plummeted over the years.

After all, a cathartical opportunity does not knock on the door often.

Jamil seemed to have understood that point well.

“This is a very important window for us, with three challenging matches against teams that have played at the World Cup.

“Playing Brazil and Uruguay in Kolkata, after facing Panama in Bengaluru, will give the players valuable experience at the international level,” he said after announcing a 26-played squad for the three matches.

Anwarl Ali in the defence, Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad in the midfield and forwards Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh and Rahim Ali can look forward to play a positive game to keep their fancied opponents at bay.

But that is easier said than done as Panama have included 14 players from their 2026 World Cup squad, and overall, 22 out of 24 footballers have experience of playing in foreign leagues like Major Soccer League in the USA, and in Turkey, Mexico and Austria.

Amir Murillo of Besiktas, Andres Andrade of LASK, Tomas Rodriguez of Barcelona SC Guayaquil and Jose Cordoba of Norwich City are some of their frontline players.

The Indians will have to guard against Panama’s ability to sit back before launching vertical counterattacks, making a compact strategical approach mandatory by the hosts.

That larger picture aside, the match against Panama will keep the Indians mentally ready ahead of the matches against Brazil and Uruguay, who have stars like Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Alvaro Rodriguez, Facundo and Ronald Araujo.

Squads

India:

 Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar

 Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam

 Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad

 Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.

Panama:

 Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Marcos De Leon, Eddie Roberts

Defenders: Cesar Blackman, Jorge Gutirrez, Jair Model, Amir Murillo, Omar Valencia, Martin Krug, Andrs Andrade, Jos Cordoba, Jiovany Ramos, Joseph Jones, Eduardo Anderson

Midfielders: Carlos Harvey, Adalberto, Cristian Martinez, Jos Luis Rodriguez, Victor Griffith, Daivis Murillo, Azarias Londono, Rafael Mosquera, Giovany Herbert

Forwards: Jose Fajardo, Josue Vergara, Mijahir Jimnez, Tomas Rodriguez.

Kickoff: 7.30 PM.  

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin

With just a few days left in the regular season, the AL West might make a particularly mediocre kind of history.

After Tuesday night’s games, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros were tied for first place at 78-79. No full-season division champion has ever had a losing record.

In fact, no team has made the postseason with a sub-.500 record, unless you count a trio of participants from years the playoffs were temporarily expanded: In the 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Milwaukee and Houston were both 29-31 and made the postseason.

After Tuesday night’s games, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros were tied for first place at 78-79. No full-season division champion has ever had a losing record.(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

In 1981, the Kansas City Royals went 50-53 overall — but they were the AL West’s top team in the post-strike second half, meaning they got in.

Then in 1994, the Rangers led a woeful AL West at 52-62 when the players’ strike ended the season. Every team in the division was under .500 and no postseason was played.

MLB expanded its postseason to 12 teams in 2022, raising the likelihood that a sub-.500 team would sneak into October at some point. Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the American League could have several clubs with losing marks in this year’s playoffs. The AL Central’s Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox have since reached 81 wins, so that won’t happen. But the AL West title race could still yield a losing team.

In honor of that, here are 10 of the weakest teams to make the postseason, listed in chronological order with their records and run differentials in mind. Note that some of them went on lengthy postseason runs — so don’t count out the Rangers or Astros just yet.

Record: 82-79 (first in NL East)

Run differential: 20

Postseason: Beat Cincinnati 3-2 in NL Championship Series, lost to Oakland 4-3 in World Series

The rallying cry was “Ya gotta believe!” from reliever Tug McGraw. It wasn’t easy when New York was in last place after an Aug. 30 loss, but the Mets went 21-8 the rest of the way to win the division by 1 1/2 games. Tom Seaver (19-10, 2.08 ERA, 18 complete games) was still at the peak of his powers, and New York held the Reds to eight runs in five games in the NLCS — a series best remembered for a brawl involving Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose. The Mets led the World Series 3-2 and had Seaver starting Game 6, but they couldn’t close out the Athletics.

Record: 84-78 (first in AL West)

Run differential: minus-13

Postseason: Lost to Detroit 3-0 in ALCS

The Royals were 11 games under .500 in the middle of July, but they did enough to win the AL West. George Brett hit .284 — his worst average in a 14-year span from 1975-88 — and he was one of just two All-Stars on the team. The other was Dan Quisenberry, who had 44 saves while throwing 129 1/3 innings. He finished second in the Cy Young race behind fellow reliever Willie Hernández of the Tigers. Although Kansas City took the division almost by default in ’84, the Royals improved to 91 wins the following year and won the World Series.

Record: 85-77 (first in AL West)

Run differential: minus-20

Postseason: Beat Detroit 4-1 in ALCS, beat St. Louis 4-3 in World Series

Frank Viola was the star of a pitching staff that otherwise offered little — aside from a trio of big names on the downside of their careers. Bert Blyleven allowed 46 home runs, Joe Niekro posted a 6.26 ERA and Steve Carlton made seven largely woeful starts for this Minnesota team. The Twins could hit, though. Kirby Puckett was third in the MVP race, while Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti and Tom Brunansky each surpassed 30 homers. Home-field advantage wasn’t determined by record back then, so Minnesota had it in the ALCS despite finishing 13 games behind the Tigers, and again in the World Series after being 10 games worse than the Cardinals. The Twins went 6-0 at the Metrodome in the postseason.

Record: 77-67 (second in NL West, wild card)

Run differential: 2

Postseason: Lost 3-1 to Atlanta in NL Division Series

The first wild card in National League history was this Colorado team in a season shortened by the end of the 1994-95 work stoppage. The Rockies’ ERA of 4.97 is the worst of the live ball era by a postseason team in a non-DH league. Colorado made up for that, not surprisingly, by leading the NL in runs. Dante Bichette led the league in home runs and RBIs and finished third in batting average.

Record: 82-80 (first in NL West)

Run differential: minus-42

Postseason: Lost 3-0 to St. Louis in NLDS

Jake Peavy and a Trevor Hoffman-led bullpen helped San Diego reach the playoffs, but this team never looked the part. The Padres scored the fourth-fewest runs in all of baseball, and their starters went 52-60 with a 4.49 ERA. In the postseason, San Diego never had the lead at any point against the 100-win Cardinals. Game 1 was 8-0 after six innings, Game 2 was 6-1 after seven, and Game 3 was 7-0 after 4 1/2.

Record: 83-78 (first in NL Central)

Run differential: 19

Postseason: Beat San Diego 3-1 in NLDS, beat New York Mets 4-3 in NLCS, beat Detroit 4-1 in World Series

The Cardinals won at least 95 games four times under Tony La Russa, but their best postseason success came as a wild card in 2011 and with this team five years earlier. St. Louis nearly blew a seven-game lead in the division in the final two weeks of the regular season, but a roster with Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter and a young reliever named Adam Wainwright always had a chance to get hot. Yadier Molina’s homer — and Wainwright’s strikeout of Carlos Beltrán — gave the Cardinals the pennant in an epic series with the Mets.

Record: 85-77 (second in AL Central, second wild card)

Run differential: 27

Postseason: Lost to New York Yankees in wild card game

After 103 losses in 2016, the Twins were in first place for a little while before eventually capturing the AL’s final postseason spot and losing 8-4 to the Yankees. Byron Buxton played 140 games, the most of his career to date, and Brian Dozier hit 34 home runs. Joe Mauer had moved to first base by this point but was still quite good at the plate, batting .305. Ervin Santana led the rotation in his last good major league season. This team certainly wasn’t great, but it was good enough in an AL that produced only five teams above .500.

Record: 84-78 (third in NL East, second wild card)

Run differential: minus-57

Postseason: Lost to Philadelphia 2-0 in NL Wild Card Series

The Marlins posted the worst run differential to date by a postseason team — this year’s Astros are currently at minus-59 — but Miami went 33-14 in one-run games. The pitching staff with Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett helped Miami into the playoffs. Of the Marlins’ top 12 players in plate appearances, seven of them finished with negative wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference. The offense was basically batting champ Luis Arraez, designated hitter Jorge Soler and not much else. Miami lost 93 games the year before this playoff appearance and 100 the year after.

Record: 84-78 (second in NL West, third wild card)

Run differential: minus-15

Postseason: Beat Milwaukee 2-0 in NLWCS, beat Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 in NLDS, beat Philadelphia 4-3 in NLCS, lost to Texas 4-1 in World Series

Just get in and anything can happen. These Diamondbacks were one of the best examples of that. Arizona started August with nine straight losses to fall below .500, but after doing enough to make the playoffs, they swept two division champions and then won the last two games of the NLCS on the road to capture the second pennant in franchise history. Arizona had a negative run differential in the regular season and was also outscored 30-21 in that series against the Phillies. It didn’t matter.

Record: 83-79 (third in NL Central, third wild card)

Run differential: 35

Postseason: Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 in NLWCS

The Reds had a respectable run differential but little star power aside from Elly De La Cruz and the often-injured Hunter Greene. Cincinnati beat out the Mets on a tiebreaker for the NL’s final postseason spot — seven games behind the No. 2 wild card — and then made a quick exit. The Reds’ best month was 15-11 and their worst was 12-15. Simply avoiding any extended slumps was enough to make the playoffs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Big Ten ramps up league play this week with seven conference games on the slate.

Purdue and Rutgers both started Big Ten play with losses to the LA schools last week. This week, both step out of conference for the final time as the Boilers welcome Notre Dame to Ross-Ade while the Knights host Howard.

We have a big West Coast matchup on Saturday as the blossoming rivalry between USC and Oregon is renewed in the Coliseum. It is one of two conference games to feature a pair of ranked opponents.

Iowa travels to the Big House to face Michigan in the other one. We have both of those covered, along with UCLA visiting Maryland and Washington hosting Minnesota.

Rounding out our coverage of six games, we look at Indiana and Northwestern—both in our previews for the first time this season. The Cats visit Bloomington to kick things off on Friday night.

Rounding out our previews this week is Wisconsin at Penn State.

Northwestern Wildcats at No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers

Friday, September 25
5:00 PM PT, FOX
(Connor Onion, Robert Griffin III and Alexa Landestoy)

Line: Indiana –21
Over/Under: 49.5

Oh, the price that you pay for building expectations. Indiana fans are displeased with the performance of the Hoosiers following a 38-0 shutout of Western Kentucky.

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Sure, it is the first time Indiana has posted back-to-back shutouts since 1993 and just the third time since the 1950s.

Well, need not worry, Hoosiers fans; Indiana will not make it three shutouts in a row. Northwestern will score some points.

The new-look Cats offense under Chip Kelly looks to have some bite, averaging 37.7 points in the first two outings and dominating Colorado 41-7 a week ago.

The question is, how much will they be able to score against an elite defense like Indiana?

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Aidan Chiles has looked great to start the season, making good decisions and limiting the turnovers (no interceptions in 46 pass attempts).

Now, has Chip Kelly completely fixed him, or will we see the Chiles of old who forces passes or tucks the ball too soon once the pressure heats up? Indiana will try to bring the heat.

The same question applies on the other side of the ball with Josh Hoover.

The TCU transfer has looked sharp for Indiana this season, and his own turnover issues from the past seem to be fixed, but against a ball-hawking defense like Northwestern, will issues creep back into the fold?

Northwestern picked off a pair of passes vs. Colorado. The opportunistic Wildcats are currently fifth nationally with a turnover margin of +2.0 per game.

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I think, in the end, Chiles plays much better, and Northwestern looks like a team that will be problematic for a lot of teams this season, but not for 60 minutes in this one.

The Indiana defense is too good, and the offense will wear out the Wildcats in the end.  The first half might be tight, but the Hoosiers win comfortably in the end.

Winner: Indiana
ATS: Indiana
O/U: Under

UCLA Bruins at Maryland Terrapins

Saturday, September 26
10:30 AM PT, BTN
(Mark Followill, Rhett Lewis and Caroline Hendershot)

Line: UCLA –1.5
Over/Under: 56.5

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The Bruins will look to open the season 4-0 for the first time since 2022. UCLA just beat a Purdue team that has now lost 19 straight Big Ten games, the longest conference losing streak in the country.

This week they will face a Maryland team looking for their first Big Ten win in a calendar year. The Terps dropped their last eight games of 2025 to finish 1-8 in conference play.

The Bruins look like a team ready to make some noise in 2026, with a big rebound season.

Maryland, sadly for Terps fans, looks like a team that might hope next season brings the same sort of turnaround for them under what will likely be a new head coach.

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The Bruins have gotten excellent play from Nico Iamaleava this season. The QB is coming off a career-high 276 passing yards and three TDs in the win over Purdue.

Wayne Knight is the weapon that was missing from the Bruin offense last season. The back leads the nation in two categories, with eight rushing TDs and 8.85 yards per carry.

Maryland’s defense will have a hard time slowing down UCLA’s offense.

Defensively, the Bruins have allowed some yardage and points this season, but their seven forced turnovers are tied for the sixth-most in the nation this season.

This one will be a shootout.

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Malik Washington has looked sharp under center for the Terrapins and has yet to turn it over. The Terps will end their Big Ten losing streak, but not this week.

Winner: UCLA
ATS: UCLA
O/U: Over

No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 18 Michigan Wolverines

Saturday, September 26
12:30 PM PT, CBS
(Brad Nessler, Charles Davis and Jenny Dell)

Line: Michigan –5.5
Over/Under: 38.5

There was a HS football game in Indiana last week that went to overtime, and the final score was 5-2. This game seems like it has the potential to be similar.

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I jest a bit, but the point remains: This one will not see a lot of points scored!

Both defenses are in the Top 10, and neither offense is going to be confused with the “Greatest Show on Turf” from the Rams in the early 2000’s.

The key for Michigan is Bryce Underwood. The Wolverines need their QB to make good decisions and create plays with both his arms and his legs.

The Hawkeyes will need to find a way to bottle him up and keep the passer (who is also the leading rusher for Michigan this season) under wraps.

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The Wolverines have rebounded from their “win” over Western Michigan with victories over Oklahoma and UTEP.

The win over the Sooners resulted from their defense forcing some turnovers, including a key interception at the end. The Michigan defense was not able to do much of anything in that contest.

The Hawkeyes’ defense might be better than OU’s, and nobody enjoys an old-fashioned rock fight more than Kirk Farentz and the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has posted a pair of shutouts and held two of their first three opponents to under 200 yards of offense.

While the Hawkeyes are never going to look like an offensive juggernaut, the unit has gone over 500 yards twice this year. The last time Iowa posted a pair of such games in a regular season was 2006.

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I think the Hawkeyes will run the ball and, quite simply, I trust them more in this one.  They leave Ann Arbor with the win.

Winner: Iowa
ATS:  Iowa
O/U: Under

Wisconsin Badgers at No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions

Saturday, September 26
2:00 PM PT, Peacock
(Dave Flemming, Matt Cassel and Ashley ShahAhmadi)

Line: Penn State –10
Over/Under: 44.5

The Badgers visit Happy Valley this week as Penn State celebrates Homecoming Weekend. This one is interesting as we will start to see what these teams actually look like.

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The Nittany Lions have looked like world beaters but have done so against inferior competition. Even in the 27-9 win at Temple, Penn State did not look like a team that is ready to challenge for any titles.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, has looked very solid in their two wins, both against teams they should look good against.

The Badgers fell quite handily to Notre Dame, but they kept it tight for a half. And the Irish just might be a team that is ready to challenge for titles.

I still think the Badgers will be in good shape this season with Colton Joseph at QB. He has been effective as a passer and has been able to use his legs to extend plays.

As much as I like Joseph, I like the supporting cast around Penn State’s Rocco Becht a lot better.

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The Badgers will be improved this season, but look for a Happy Homecoming for Penn State

Winner: Penn State
ATS:  Penn State
O/U:  Under

No. 20 Oregon Ducks at No. 12 USC Trojans

Saturday, September 26
4:30 PM PT, NBC
(Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen)

Line: Oregon –3
Over/Under: 61.5

The marquee matchup in the conference this week sees Oregon travel to USC. The Ducks will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak in the series.

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The Trojans have not beaten Oregon since 2016, and in their last seven meetings dating back to 2012, Oregon owns a 6-1 mark, having gone 8-2 in their last 10 vs. SC.

The form this season has leaned towards the Trojans, but last week’s performances leave a few questions, and obviously the oddsmakers took note.

Oregon looked shaky, to say the least, in the first two weeks of the season but seemed to have gotten things right last week, albeit against Portland State.

Dante Moore looked polished playing only the first half, completing nearly 83% of his passes with four TDs and 280 yards.

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Despite all that went right in the prolific shutout win over PSU, the Ducks still allowed two sacks, not terrible, but still indicative of what has plagued Oregon this season, especially in the loss to OSU.

Portland State probably should not be getting to the Oregon QBs, especially in the game that was played last week.

Oregon now ranks 102nd in the nation with 2.33 sacks allowed per game. That could be problematic for the Ducks against a Trojan defense that has gotten to the QB a fair amount this season.

USC looked about as good as any team in the nation heading into last week, but a shaky performance at Rutgers raises some eyebrows there. USC never trailed in the game, but they allowed the Scarlet Knights to stick around.

And this was against a Rutgers offense that did not look good against UMass and Boston College. The SC defense stepped up when they needed to, but questions have certainly arisen.

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Jayden Maiava still looks like he is the best QB in the nation, and the SC defense will cause just enough issues for Dante Moore that I like USC to end their series losing streak in this one.

Winner: USC
ATS:  USC
O/U: Over

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Washington Huskies

Saturday, September 26
8:00 PM PT, FOX
(Jack Kizer and Mark Helfrich)

Line: Washington –9.5
Over/Under: 46.5

The Huskies have the schedule set up so they can potentially make a lot of noise this season.

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In order to do so, they need to make sure there are no slip-ups, and the Gophers could be the type of team that could cause a problem.

With USC on the horizon, Washington must not lose sight of the Minnesota team in front of them this week.

Both the Gophers and Huskies have been hit by the injury bug, particularly at the running back position.

Demond Williams has helped pick up the slack for UW, making plays with his legs. He will be a difference-maker in this one.

The Huskies have also been far more efficient in the turnover department with a +6-turnover differential on the season. Minnesota has only given the ball away twice but has not done a good job of creating miscues.

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Drake Lindsey is a capable QB and makes good decisions, but I think Washington could force him into a couple of mistakes on Saturday.

It won’t be a comfortable win, but I think Washington gets it done. I could see a late Gopher score ruining the cover in a low-scoring game.

Winner: Washington
ATS: Minnesota
O/U: Under

writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).

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Avery Anna has announced herself as a promising talent with a debut win at Geelong.

The Ladbrokes Popular SRM Maiden Plate (1125) on Wednesday was a captivating contest decided between three first-time starters.

The filly, prepared by the partnership of Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin, was the outsider of the three, with her odds drifting from $3.80 at acceptance time to $5 at the start.

In contrast, the second-placed Voltrix was the $2.30 favourite after early support saw her odds firm from $2.15 on-course. A significant market move was also noted for Big Lap, who officially opened at $4 but tightened to $3.10 after being backed from $17 the previous day.

It was Avery Anna, under the skilled riding of Craig Williams, who showed the most grit in the concluding stages to win by a half-head from Voltrix, with Big Lap a similar margin behind in third.

Larkin indicated the stable had expected a forward showing from Avery Anna but conceded the filly would benefit from the race experience.

“She’s a filly that I think has a lot of ability, but she is still not all there quite yet,” Larkin told racing.com.

“She was over-racing at times in the mid-stages. She’s got a good turn of foot but was floating around late.

“I thought she was going to get headed at the 100 (metres) and run a nice third, but she stuck on and wanted to be there.

“It’s good signs for a horse going forward and we did say to the owners this morning that she was still six months away from being at her best as she’s got quite a bit of maturity still to come.”

Williams aligned with Larkin’s post-race analysis, stating Avery Anna possesses a strong engine but needs further racing experience to refine her race-day tactics, despite the narrow, hard-fought victory.

“The stable was very confident with her today and she still has all her future in front of her when she develops a bit more and she will learn a lot from this race experience,” Williams said.

“Most importantly, she has a good motor.”

If you’re looking to get involved with the next exciting race, consider checking out Australian betting sites for the latest racing markets.

Pune will host the UCI Road World Championships 2032, bringing cycling’s global showcase to India for the first time.

The historic bid was a joint effort by the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India with the support of the Government of India, built around a shared vision to establish Pune as a global cycling destination.

The decision was announced at the UCI Congress in Montreal, Canada, following Pune’s final candidature presentation to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

A senior delegation from the Government of Maharashtra was present in Montreal to champion Pune’s candidature. Maninder Pal Singh, secretary general, Cycling Federation of India; and Onkar Singh former secretary general, Asian Cycling Confederation were also present.

The candidature process culminated in a two-way race between Pune and Groningen/Drenthe, Netherlands, after Colombia and Mexico were eliminated.

Pune’s bid gained momentum following a three-member UCI inspection team’s September 46 visit, which assessed key venues and proposed race infrastructure, including Balewadi Stadium and the Pune University circuit.

Both finalists presented their bids in Montreal during the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, ahead of the final announcement at the UCI Congress. Check Asian Games 2026 latest news here Check Asian Games 2026 medal tally here

The event will bring the world’s leading road cyclists to India.

The UCI Road World Championships are among the most prestigious events in the international cycling calendar, bringing together the world’s leading riders to compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys.

“The report on the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour presented to the UCI Management Committee by the delegation led by Pune District Collector Mr Jitendra Dudi is extremely encouraging. Cycling continues to develop in new territories where it has the potential to become a leading sport,” UCI president David Lappartient said in a statement.

“India is a country where our sport has a bright future, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of key stakeholders.” In the last five editions, the UCI Road World Championships have travelled from Wollongong, Australia (2022), Glasgow and Scotland (2023), Zurich, Switzerland (2024), Kigali, Rwanda (2025) and Montreal, Canada (2026).

The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie, France, while the UCI Road World Championships will be hosted by Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2028; Denmark in 2029; Brussels, Belgium, in 2030; and Trentino, Italy, in 2031, before arriving in Pune in 2032.

CFI secretary general Maninder Pal Singh added: “For Indian cycling, this is an opportunity to move from participation to performance and from hosting international races to becoming a part of cycling’s global conversation.

“The years leading to 2032 will be about creating stronger pathways for our athletes, coaches and technical officials, bringing international expertise into India and giving our riders greater exposure to the highest standards of the sport. The Cycling Federation of India is committed to using this opportunity to build an ecosystem that can compete with the best in the world.

Sep 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Premier League and Championship are taking an unprecedented THREE-WEEK international break – meaning football in the English top flights won’t return until 10th October.

The season has barely started and all the momentum and noise generated by the Premier League grinds to a halt.

But in adversity there’s always opportunity – and you have the perfect chance to try out lower league football before the dark nights draw in.

The smell of fresh-baked steak pies. The sound of a crunching tackle yards in front of you. The crisp taste of a pint on the terrace.

They are just some of the reasons why lower league football is booming and the masses are binning VAR checks and replacing them with a good old fashioned moan at the linesman.

So for those of you who are a bit non-plussed about international football, fear not. Our new interactive allows you to find lower league matches taking place near you.

Simply enter your postcode and a list of nearby games this weekend right down to the eighth tier will be provided…