The Delhi High Court has directed that wrestler Vinesh Phogat be allowed to participate in the Asian Games 2026 selection trials scheduled for May 30 and 31. The Court also ordered that the trials be video-recorded and monitored by independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

A Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the directions while hearing Phogat’s appeal against an interim order of a single judge Bench, which had not granted her interim relief in the pending writ petition challenging the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) selection policy and a show cause notice issued against her.

The Court directed that Phogat shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials, the entire process shall be video-recorded by WFI, and two independent observers nominated by SAI and IOA shall oversee the trials and submit a report before the Single Judge hearing the matter.

While granting interim relief, the Bench made significant observations on maternity rights of female athletes. The Court observed that motherhood cannot be treated as a professional impediment or a circumstance warranting adverse treatment. It further said that a legal or regulatory framework that disadvantages a woman athlete due to pregnancy or post-partum recovery would violate the principles of equality and dignity under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The Bench noted that female athletes face extraordinary physical challenges during pregnancy and the post-partum period, which are often insufficiently acknowledged in sporting frameworks. The Court said motherhood deserves accommodation and institutional sensitivity, and should not become a ground for exclusion or marginalisation.

Phogat had challenged the WFI’s Asian Games Selection Policy dated February 25, 2026 and a subsequent circular dated May 6, 2026, which restricted eligibility for the selection trials to medal winners from specified domestic tournaments conducted in 2025 and 2026.

According to the order, Phogat had informed the International Testing Agency (ITA) in December 2024 that she was taking a sabbatical on account of pregnancy and intended to return to competition later. She gave birth to her first child in July 2025 and resumed training thereafter. The ITA subsequently confirmed that she would be eligible to compete from January 1, 2026 onwards.

The Court observed that because of her maternity-related absence, Phogat could not participate in the championships that formed the basis for eligibility under the WFI policy, resulting in her exclusion from the selection trials. The Bench prima facie found the policy and circular to be arbitrary and discriminatory as they restricted participation only to medal winners from specific events, thereby excluding athletes like Phogat.

The Court also made strong remarks against the observations made by WFI in the show-cause notice issued to Phogat over the Paris Olympics 2024 weigh-in controversy. Referring to remarks describing the incident as a “national embarrassment,” the Bench termed such observations “deplorable” and said they appeared vindictive and premeditated, particularly when the Court of Arbitration for Sport had already observed that there was no wrongdoing on Phogat’s part. (ANI)

At the same time, the Division Bench clarified that it had not expressed any final opinion on the merits of the case and that the pending writ petition before the Single Judge would be decided independently on its own merits.

The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday as the franchise eyes its first NBA Finals berth since 1999.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points to lead New York to a 121-108 win over Cleveland, while Mikal Bridges added 22 as the Knicks never trailed in Game 3.

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The New York Knicks bench reacts during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the Eastern Conference finals at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, 2026. (David Richard/Imagn Images)

New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run. The last team to do it was the Boston Celtics, who also went on a 10-game run on their way to the 2024 title.

All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points in 38 minutes, while teammate James Harden added 21. Cleveland shot 12 of 41 from 3-point range and 12 of 19 from the foul line.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against  New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) during the first quarter in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Cleveland rallied and tied it at 50-all on a jumper by Harden before the Knicks countered with a 10-1 run. They went into halftime with a 60-54 advantage.

THUNDER ERASE 15-POINT DEFICIT TO TAKE SERIES LEAD OVER SPURS AS VICTOR WEMBANYAMA’S 26 POINTS FALL SHORT

Music superstar Taylor Swift was courtside for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night alongside fiancé and Ohio native Travis Kelce.

Swift and Kelce, who recently signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, took their seats in Rocket Arena shortly before the opening tip.

Singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attend Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

With the Cavs trailing 91-82 at the end of the third quarter, Kelce and Swift were shown on the arena’s giant scoreboard. Fans cheered wildly as Kelce showed off his team cap and wine-and-gold shirt.

Game 4 is set for Monday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The series will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday, if necessary.

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Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs will host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday night. Oklahoma City enters the matchup with a 2-1 series lead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oleksandr Usyk scored a controversial stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, to cling on to his undefeated record. If the fight had carried on, would he have been dealt the first loss of his career?

The unified heavyweight world champion was expected by most to breeze through Verhoeven, who, despite being a truly elite kickboxer, had had just one professional boxing bout before this title challenge.

The Dutch challenger took the first round on activity and pressure, but most viewers would feel that Usyk, often a slow starter, was gaining the information he needed to take control. That was not the case, and Verhoeven continued to bank rounds with his unorthodox and effective style. The champion looked flat, and, on unofficial scorecards, needed knockdowns or a knockout to win.

After dialling up the aggression in the championship rounds, the opportunity came. Usyk landed an uppercut to drop Verhoeven. ‘The King of Kickboxing’ was hurt, but made it to his feet and fought on. During another barrage on the ropes, referee Mark Lyson stepped in to stop the action, noted at 2:59 of the round, but that has been disputed.

Many fans shared the frustrations of Verhoeven’s team, believing the challenger deserved the chance to carry on and come out for the twelfth. Had he done so, it would have been an extremely close affair.

The official scorecards, as obtained by Dan Rafael, show that two judges had the fight 5 rounds to 5 even at the end of the tenth, with the third having Verhoeven 6-4 up. Given the knockdown in the eleventh, Usyk would have turned the tide and been ahead with just three minutes left to fight.

Official #UsykRico scorecard. At time of the stoppage Rico led 96-94 on card and the other two had it 95-95. #boxing pic.twitter.com/tYGjdOBZL3

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 23, 2026

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It is as yet unclear what the 39-year-old heavyweight world champion will do next, though he is not short of options. He has a mandatory challenger in Agit Kabayel waiting for his deserved shot, and now calls to give Verhoeven a rematch. There is also the consideration of retirement, which, despite not being in his pre-fight plans, may be a realistic option now.

Pep Guardiola has left the door open to potentially returning to Manchester City in the future or leading the England national team

Pep Guardiola refused to rule out one day returning to Manchester City or potentially taking the England national team job, as he spoke following confirmation he will leave the Etihad this summer.

Guardiola has called time on his incredible decade at City and will take charge of the Blues for the final time when Aston Villa visit for Sunday’s Premier League finale.

City are set to appoint Enzo Maresca as Guardiola’s successor with the Catalan set to take an extended break from the game. But, at 55, this is not yet a retirement and while he will now conduct some work as an ambassador within the City Football Group, a return to management remains a possibility in the future.

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Guardiola has often spoken about his respect for English football and didn’t close the door on the national job should the opportunity arise down the line.

“I don’t have any absolute plan about my future,” said Guardiola. “I start to rest and go to recover my time that I missed with my kids, they are growing and many things I’ve not done I want to do. So, I don’t think for one second thinking about anything football related for the next time, for the next years. I don’t think about it.

“I need to rest, I need to reflect, I need to see what happened in my 17, 18 years (in management.) And after we see what happens. I don’t have a plan, just to rest and do a lot of things I want to do that I didn’t do in the past, stupid things that I want to do.”

The Blues boss has said plenty of times in the past that he would not return to lead Barcelona, where he was a player and manager with huge success, but he stopped short of making the same guarantee with City.

“Why you ask me that question?” he said with a smile. “For a while, I will not be manager. That is the only thing. Otherwise I would be here, still here. I deserve, honestly, to take a break”

Bold predictions, by design, are supposed to be headline-grabbing, outlandish, and a little weird. And with the Minnesota Vikings’ summer operations mere days away, it’s time to get some of those on record.

Minnesota’s summer will bring clarity, drama, and probably at least one roster move that feels uncomfortable.

The Vikings will feature a new general manager and quarterback in 2026; here’s a look at some predictions for the summer.

Early and Bold Vikings Predictions Are Here

Putting these hot takes on record.

1. Brett Thorson Clears

Did Thorson hold field goals and extra points in college? He did not. Is that a problem? It is.

Still, Thorson might’ve been the best punter in college football last year, depending on the eye of the beholder, and the Vikings can’t just cut a guy like that because they employ an old specialist (Johnny Hekker) who used to be really, really good.

Thorson will prove his punting talent supersedes Hekker at training camp, and special teams boss Matt Daniels will have all summer to figure out the holding situation.

2. Vikings Sign Leonard Floyd

On April 24, the Vikings executed a trade, sending Jonathan Greenard and a 7th-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for two third-round selections (one in 2026 and one in 2027).

The deal rocked Minnesota’s OLB setup. With Greenard, Minnesota’s EDGE room boasted considerable talent. His departure leaves Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner as the primary pass rushers, but it also highlights a notable lack of depth. A single injury could quickly create a precarious situation at the position.

So, the Vikings likely need to acquire an OLB3, with free agency presenting the most apparent solution.

Floyd emerges as a strong candidate, fitting the ‘familiar face’ profile. His existing connections with Minnesota’s coaching staff are a significant advantage, particularly when pursuing free agents late in the spring. Kevin O’Connell could conceivably reach out to Floyd directly, bypassing the usual complexities of late-stage free agency negotiations.

O’Connell and Floyd won the Super Bowl together in Los Angeles five years ago.

3. Garrett Bradbury Arrives via Trade

The New England Patriots traded Bradbury to the Chicago Bears in March for a 5th-Round pick. Six weeks later, the Bears turned around and drafted Iowa center Logan Jones, who will be 25 during the regular season. Second-round centers should start sooner rather than later, and 25-year-old 2nd-Round centers should be ready Week 1.

That puts Bradbury on the bench or on the trade block if Chicago doesn’t get weird with its offensive line plan.

Meanwhile, the Vikings are on track to start Blake Brandel at center, and while he might play just fine, converting a tackle turned guard turned center to a new spot rarely works out for the long haul, unless the guy is young.

Needing a better center solution, Minnesota will ship a 6th-Rounder to Chicago for Bradbury, even if trading with Chicago violates NFC North taboos.

4. The QB1 Camp Battle Is Window Dressing

Last summer, the Vikings hosted no quarterback battle at training camp. Months later, they regretted it and even fired their general manager in January as a result.

In 2026, the club is advertising a quarterback battle, but it will be abundantly clear through a few days of training camp that the QB1 job emphatically belongs to Murray. In fact, by September 1st, folks will look back and consider the possibility of McCarthy ousting Murray from the top spot as a laughable take.

Murray is faster, more accurate, has a stronger arm, and has more experience than McCarthy. The quarterback competition won’t be a sham, but Murray will prevail with the snap of two fingers.

5. Rookie Gavin Gerhardt Emerges

Gerhardt may not start Week 1 — that’s reserved for Brandel — but by the time training camp ends, fans will have a warm and cozy feeling about Gerhardt.

Minnesota very vividly needed a center during the draft; the coaching staff even told reporters before the event that the draft had several intriguing options. Then, the Vikings drafted zero centers until Round 7.

They seem to have big plans for Gerhardt. When the regular season rolls around, Gerhardt will either be tapped on the shoulder to start or be the immediate backup center if Brandel misses a game or two.

A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness noted on Gerhardt after the draft, “This is an interesting pick. Gerhardt is a four-year starter who has played 3,374 snaps for the Bearcats. He’s a decent athlete with experience at the position, and it offers the Vikings another option at center.”

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Ahead of the commencement of the 2026 French Open Tournament, Naomi Osaka co-hosted the first-ever ‘Black Party’ alongside Taylor Townsend. The list of attendees included Coco Gauff, Gaël Monfils, Asia Muhammad, and Chris Eubanks.

The Japanese star has frequently used her platform to voice her opinions on racial justice, diversity, and inclusion in sports. Her ‘Black Party’ is symbolic and meaningful, given it’s a rare sight. She also shared a brief message, reflecting on the time when she felt isolated because there weren’t many Black tennis players.

She further stated that since the Black players are usually underrepresented, they support and understand each other because they share similar experiences.

“Growing up, there weren’t a lot of tennis players I could look up to that looked like me. Being a minority in a sport like tennis is very isolating but the positive is that you keep tabs on everyone that … being blunt, is black. There’s a fellowship, a camaraderie that doesn’t need words to describe. You just feel at peace knowing that there’s another person who has experienced similar things to you and you feel less alone,” the quote read.

“The black party (RG edition) 🖤 Side note: my first time ever co-hosting a dinner/party and let me tell you, no better company to share time with.”

Gauff and Townsend reacted to the glimpses of the party shared by the four-time Grand Slam champion, with the former adding a series of hearts. Townsend wrote:

“Just the beginning🖤✔️🗝️”

Osaka will kick off her French Open run against Laura Siegemund.

Naomi Osaka makes her feelings known about Gael Monfils retirement

Naomi Osaka made her feelings known about Gael Monfils during the ongoing French Open. The Frenchman is expected to compete in his last Roland Garros before retiring at the end of the 2026 season. He has been a home favorite in France and has received a wildcard entry for this year’s edition.

Ahead of the main draw, the tournament arranged a farewell celebration, “Gael & Friends,” which was a star-studded affair with Osaka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Elina Svitolina, and Alexander Zverev participating. When asked to reflect on the Frenchman’s retirement, Naomi Osaka said:

“For me, what the player represents has always been important; on the women’s side, we’ve always had Venus and Serena, so I’m very grateful to them. On the men’s side, I’ve always admired Gael and Tsonga for a long time; they were very important, obviously generating a wave of black French players that are emerging now. They were an inspiration, I know that for sure. Regarding Gael, I love his way of being, he’s a cool guy.” (via puntodebreak.com)

Monfils will take on Hugo Gaston in his first faceoff at the 2026 French Open.