One word: ridiculous. That’s what the pre-Asian Games scenario has been for Indian athletes. As earlier reported by NDTV, the 35-member Indian shooting contingent faced a severe logistical nightmare upon its arrival in Japan. The group arrived on September 16 (early morning) and had to wait for hours before checking in. NDTV has accessed the booking reference list, which clearly shows that the Indian contingent had pre-booked rooms in a particular hotel.

Originally, 40 rooms were booked, as per the list given to the IOA by the organisers. But when the athletes went to the Grand Tiara Hotel, the Indian shooters were told that only seven rooms were available there, while another 33 were in a separate hotel, Toyoko Inn. Though the athletes eventually checked in, the problem did not end there. Five other members of the shooting contingent, including Rahi Sarnobat, arrived later with another batch of shooters.

But when one of the coaches went to the Grand Tiara Hotel to collect the keys to Rahi’s room, he was told that the room was no longer available as it was being used for dope control. This was despite the Indian Olympic Association booking the room and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers’ booking records confirming it.

Meanwhile, Rahi landed in Nagoya on Friday night and went to another Toyoko Inn hotel (there are several hotels by the same name in the city). However, instead of being told that she was at the wrong hotel, she was given the keys. So, the shooter went to the “wrong” hotel and got a room, but her room in the “right” hotel was missing. When will this mess end?

Long list of mess

Earlier, NDTV, through its ground reporting in Nagoya, learned that the Indian shooting contingent was enduring transport delays, accommodation shortages, and training disruptions ahead of the start of the Games.

The team arrived at the airport at 9:00 pm on September 15 and cleared customs by 11:00 pm, moving swiftly to the accreditation validation centre, where credentials were validated within 15 minutes. However, the smooth progression abruptly ended when athletes and coaches were left stranded at the accreditation centre without transport from 11:45 pm until 3:00 am.

Transport to the designated team hotel finally arrived at 3:00 am, reaching the property around 3:30 am. Upon arrival, the delegation was left stunned after learning that only seven rooms had been reserved for the 35 members.

IOA Intervenes

The situation became so severe that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had to intervene. Emergency accommodation was arranged across two properties 400 metres apart, with a total of 18 rooms being allocated. By the time this arrangement was finalised, the initial transport had departed.

The situation prompted athletes to manually drag their suitcases, along with heavy shooting equipment and ceremonial uniforms, along public streets in the early morning hours. Male athletes made multiple trips between the properties to assist female teammates with the heavy luggage. The contingent finally completed check-in procedures between 5:00 am and 5:30 am, more than eight hours after landing in Nagoya.

After resting on September 16, the contingent attempted to resume training on the morning of September 17, when a fresh setback occurred. Scheduled to board a 7:00 am bus to reach the shooting range by 8:20 am, the athletes encountered further delays as only one bus arrived to take them to the training centre.

Multiple team members and coaches were made to wait in line for three and a half hours, eventually boarding a bus at 10:30 am and reaching the venue at 12:30 pm.

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With a win over the Astros on Friday night, the Atlanta Braves have secured a spot in the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason, joining the Brewers and Dodgers on the National League side of the bracket. The Braves, under first-year manager Walt Weiss, are pulling away from the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East as well, and should wrap up the division title in the coming days. The Braves have successfully rebounded from their 86-loss campaign of 2025, and they are headed to the postseason for the eighth time in the last nine years. 

As for the NL East race, Atlanta’s win coupled with Philadelphia’s loss on Friday shrunk the Braves’ magic number to three with eight games remaining.

During the early weeks of the season, the Braves for a long stretch had the best record in baseball, thanks to a 40-20 record through the end of May. They’ve been much more mortal since, but Atlanta (90-64) still boasts a record solidly above .500 in the second half. 

Overall, it’s been a bit of a “pleasant surprise” campaign for the Braves. Coming off that losing season in 2025, would you have expected such a strong 2026 if you’d known ahead of time that they’d get almost nothing from Spencer Strider (and exactly nothing from Spencer Schwellenbach), that superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. would be so short of his usual high standards, and that Austin Riley would continue his recent pattern of premature decline? All of those things happened, and the Braves are still likely to go into the playoffs as a division champ with 90-plus wins. 

The Braves hoisted the trophy not all that long ago back in 2021, and they’ll soon be angling to win the World Series for the fifth time in franchise history. Speaking of which, here’s why the Braves indeed have a shot at going all the way in 2026. 

1. They’ve been giant killers this season

Overall, the Braves have played one of the toughest schedules of any playoff-bound team this season. In theory, that’s good prep for October. As well, the Braves have gone an impressive 43-30 against above-.500 teams this season. Across all of MLB, only the Milwaukee Brewers have a better record against winning teams this season than the Braves. For Atlanta, that mark also includes a 5-1 record against the Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the last two World Series. Of course, nothing guarantees a deep playoff run for any team — that’s the highly randomized nature of the MLB postseason — but having generally fared so well against frontline opponents should be in the Braves’ favor. 

2. They’ve got power

There aren’t many clear commonalities among teams that tend to fare well in the playoffs, but offensive power capability is one of them. The 2026 Braves stack up pretty well on this front. Overall, they rank fourth in the NL in home runs and ahead of every possible playoff opponent on the NL side other than the Chicago Cubs. Matt Olson leads the way and ranks among the league leaders in homers, and Acuña Jr., after being limited by hamstring problems this season, has looked more like his peak self in September. 

It’s also a balanced power attack, as the Braves feature four hitters with at least 20 home runs on the season and six with at least 15 homers. By the end of the regular season, they could have nine players with double-digit homer totals. That’s the kind of lineup that can withstand an October cold streak by a core hitter or two, and that’s a potential edge. 

3. They have an ace and some rotation depth

What can you say about Chris Sale? At age 37, he’s throwing harder than ever and faring better than ever. That’s to say, he’s an ace, and he’s one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball. Sale’s performance in Atlanta has strongly fortified his Hall of Fame case, and he has what it takes to be a dominant force in October. 

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Despite some injuries in the rotation, Weiss will have his options for fleshing out the playoff rotation behind Sale. Veteran lefty Tyler Mahle has been nails since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants leading up to the trade deadline. Reynaldo López is just back from the injured list, and Martín Pérez has continued his late-career renaissance this season. Bryce Elder recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, but there’s realistic hope he’ll be able to pitch in October, provided the Braves hang around for a bit. Grant Holmes has been another quality presence. That depth means that those left out of the four-man playoff rotation may be used to improve Weiss’ postseason bullpen options.  

Likely, the Braves are going to miss out on a bye, but as we’ve seen time and again, teams playing in the Wild Card Series can and do last a long time and even wind up winning it all. 

France captain Kylian Mbappé has signed with Swiss sportswear brand On, ending a long association with Nike that stretched back to the start of his career, the company announced on Friday.

“Today, Swiss sportswear brand On announces its entry into football alongside football champion Kylian Mbappé, marking the beginning of the brand’s journey into the world’s biggest sport,” read a company statement.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: France’s Mbappé becomes all-time tournament goalscorer

On also announced that 1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry had been appointed its football director.

“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” said Mbappé.

“I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create, push what’s possible through innovation, and always stay true to the joy of football.

“We have a shared dream, and this is only the beginning.”

On, which is making a major move into the football market with the signing of Mbappé, did not disclose the value of his contract.

Founded in 2010 and previously focused on running and tennis footwear, On counts tennis great Roger Federer among its shareholders.

Federer also left Nike towards the end of his playing career to join the Zurich-based company.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

The Asian Games 2026 will officially get underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, September 19, with the opening ceremony set to mark the formal start of the continental sporting extravaganza.

The ceremony will be held at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya and will bring together athletes and officials from across Asia. For Indian viewers, the ceremony will begin at 2:30 PM IST, corresponding to 6 PM local time in Japan.

India has sent a 503-athlete contingent to the Games, with competitors set to take part across a wide range of sports. The opening ceremony will formally launch an edition featuring thousands of athletes competing for medals across the continent.

What is the theme for Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 will be held under the theme “Harmonic Heart Beat”.

The concept is centred on the heartbeat of athletes and the idea of bringing competitors from across Asia together through sport. The organisers have described the ceremony as an opportunity for athletes and the continent to become one through their shared emotions and experiences in Aichi-Nagoya.

The broader common concept for the opening and closing ceremonies is “Heart Beat Aichi-Nagoya”, while the opening ceremony’s specific concept is “Harmonic Heart Beat”. The organisers have also said that the heart and heartbeat will serve as recurring motifs in the ceremonies.

Who will be India’s flag-bearers at Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony?

Bhaker is a double Olympic medallist, having won two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She will make her Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya and is part of India’s 503-athlete contingent.

Pawan, meanwhile, is the lead raider of India’s kabaddi team. He was also India’s top scorer during their gold-winning campaign at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.

Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony: Live telecast and streaming details

When will the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 take place?

The 2026 Asian Games opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 19.

What time will the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 begin?

The opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 will begin at 2:30 PM IST, that is, 6 PM local time.

What is the venue for the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026?

Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya will host the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026.

Where to watch live telecast of the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 in India?

Sony Sports Network will telecast the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 live in India.

Where to watch live streaming of the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 in India?

SonyLIV, through its app and website, will stream the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 live in India.

A typhoon threat is building over Japan just as the Asian Games 2026 programme moves from a limited opening-day schedule to medal events from Sunday, raising the possibility of delays or postponements around September 21.

Japan’s chef de mission for the Games, Kosei Inoue, who is also a senior executive board member of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said on Thursday that organisers were preparing for possible weather-related disruptions due to Typhoon Dujuan.

“Due to the heavy rain and severe weather, some competitions have already experienced delays or postponements, and there is also a possibility that a typhoon could approach on September 21,” Inoue told reporters. “Under these circumstances, we are holding thorough meetings within the JOC to ensure that we are fully prepared and capable of responding appropriately to the situations.”

The Asian Games officially begin in Nagoya on Saturday, September 19, but some competitions, including women’s cricket, soft tennis and teqball, had already got underway before the opening ceremony. 

Why weather is a concern for Asian Games

According to Japenese daily The Asahi Shimbun, Typhoon No 25, named Dujuan, was moving west near Chichijima island and could move towards the Pacific coast of eastern Japan on September 20-21. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm could turn northward and then northeastward, bringing heavy rain from eastern Japan to the northeastern Tohoku region.

The report said rainfall over the 24-hour period through noon on September 21 could reach up to 200 mm in the Kanto region and the Izu islands. Residents along the Pacific coast from the Tokai to Tohoku regions, as well as in the Izu islands, were advised to remain alert for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and rising river levels from September 20 to 21.

Dujuan was moving west-northwest at 40 kmph about 310 km southeast of Chichijima island on Friday. The typhoon had a central pressure of 975 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds of 108 kmph near the centre and gusts of up to 162 kmph, the report said.

The typhoon is expected to move east of the Kanto region by the morning of September 21. By the morning of September 22, it is forecast to move towards the ocean east of Japan and turn into an extratropical cyclone, bringing rain to Tokyo.

India context: Women’s cricket already underway

For India, the weather watch is important because several outdoor competitions are part of the early Asian Games schedule. Women’s cricket, one of India’s key medal events, began before the official opening ceremony, with the tournament being played at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.

India’s women’s cricket team is defending the gold medal it won at the Hangzhou Asian Games. The women’s competition runs from September 17 to 22, with the final scheduled before the men’s tournament begins later in the Games.

Rain interruptions are especially significant in cricket because wet outfields and persistent showers can delay tosses, shorten matches or force no-results. With medal rounds scheduled during the period when Dujuan could influence weather across eastern Japan, organisers and teams will be watching conditions closely over the next few days.

Terence Crawford has teased a return to the ring in order to face one man in particular.

Crawford hung up the gloves in December last year following his sensational win over Canelo Alvarez three months earlier to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion.

A number of fighters have tried to tempt ‘Bud’ out of retirement since then, with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia perhaps the most vocal about his desire to face the former pound-for-pound king.

Garcia retained his WBC welterweight title with a second-round knockout victory over Conor Benn last Saturday, and it didn’t take him long to once again call for a clash against Crawford.

It initially seemed unlikely that Crawford would entertain the offer, but that could be about to change, after the 39-year-old posted on social media to send a warning to Garcia.

“I’ll f**k Ryan Garcia up so bad people going to be calling the law on me talking about child abuse. Like why did you do that to that little boy you knew he was just talking for the entertainment. Here I am.”

Crawford followed up with a post about heading to the gym, though most fans will recognise it as tongue in cheek.

It is the latest spat between the two boxing stars, with ‘King Ry’ recently taking offence at Crawford reportedly being involved with Benn’s training camp ahead of last week’s clash with Garcia in Las Vegas.

Despite the latest war of words, for now it still seems unlikely that Crawford will end his retirement and make a return to the ring, even despite boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh backing the fight.

Garcia is instead believed to be targeting a unification showdown with WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez in 2027.

Koneru Humpy and Gukesh (Photo by Rafal Oleksiewicz and Michal Walusza from FIDE)

NEW DELHI: On Friday, the Indian women’s team, defending champions and unbeaten so far in the tournament, was paired against Greece in Round 3 of the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. On paper, this looked routine. India, the top seeds, were expected to win the tie, and they eventually did. But the top-board clash between Koneru Humpy and Greece’s Stavroula Tsolakidou carried a subplot that had been building for a fortnight, and it turned an otherwise straightforward fixture into the day’s most closely watched game.Tsolakidou was part of Ganges Grandmasters, the eventual champions of the just-concluded Global Chess League (GCL) Season 4. It was against Humpy, playing for APL Pipers, that Tsolakidou suffered her first loss of that tournament, playing white.To turn the tables in the reverse fixture, she needed something special, and got it when coach Adhiban Baskaran handed her a folder titled “Prep for the Greek Goddess!” Working off that file, she beat Humpy with the black pieces. The moniker “Greek Goddess” became famous.The two met again in the GCL final, where Tsolakidou held Humpy to a draw in the first game and then beat her again with black in the second.A positive score over the Indian, coupled with the results on the other boards, was enough to hand Ganges Grandmasters the title, with Tsolakidou also named the Player of the Tournament.So when the pairing brought them together again on Friday, it was more than a Grandmaster-versus-International Master matchup. This time, as the format shifted from rapid to classical, the Indian veteran Grandmaster prevailed.39-year-old Humpy, with white, built her position with patience. The game began as a Nimzo-Indian structure, with Humpy choosing an ambitious setup featuring 10.b4 and 11.b5, gaining queenside space.Black’s pieces became somewhat passive, while White gradually built pressure with 14.f4, 15.Qf3 and 16.Rad1.The critical phase arrived with 21.e5, opening lines and increasing the activity of White’s pieces.After 22.bxc6 bxc6, Humpy’s knight penetrated with 23.Ne4 and 24.Nxd6, winning material and creating tactical threats.The sequence 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Qxh4 left White with a significant advantage, although Black’s active queen and passed-pawn kept the doors slightly open for a comeback.Humpy maintained the initiative, coordinating her rooks and bishop. 40.e6 was particularly strong, leading to 41.Bxe6+ and 42.Rd7+.After winning the f5-bishop with 43.Bxf5, White’s material and attacking advantage became decisive. Tsolakidou resigned after 46.Rf1, capping off a perfect day for the Indian Grandmaster, who had taken a rest against Finland in Round 2.

Gukesh back to winning ways

In the open section, world champion D Gukesh made his way back to winning ways after Thursday’s rating dip below 2700, a drop that had made headlines less for its size than for whom it happened to.Playing black against Italy’s Sabino Brunello on Friday, Gukesh met a Queen’s Indian-style setup.After 4…Ba6 and 5…c5, Black immediately challenged White’s queenside structure and achieved active piece play. The game became highly tactical once Gukesh expanded with 15…g5 and centralized strongly with 17…Ne4 and 19…Nd4.Brunello tried to simplify with 21.Nxd4 and 22.Rxc8, but Black’s pieces remained more active. The key sequence began with 23…Nc3, forcing exchanges that improved Black’s bishop activity. After 25…Re5, Gukesh increased the pressure, and 26…Bxe2 won an important pawn while keeping White’s king exposed.28…Bxh3 removed a key defender, while 29…Bd4+ and 30…Re2+ drove the king into a dangerous position. 31…Qxh3 left Black with overwhelming attacking threats and a large material advantage.Although Brunello gave checks with 32.Qxg5+ and 33.Qd8+, they were only temporary. Gukesh’s queen and bishop combined to set up mating threats, and Brunello resigned after 33 moves, handing Gukesh a much-needed win and, with it, a step back towards the 2700 mark he had slipped under just a day earlier.

India’s winning streaks stay intact

The rest of India’s open team also had a strong day against Italy. Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi both drew their games, but Nihal Sarin added another win to his growing tally, beating Francesco Sonis, as India closed out the match 3-1.For India’s women, Friday’s 3.5-0.5 win over Greece, with only Divya Deshmukh drawing her game against Anastasia Avramidou, kept an already imposing unbeaten run alive, with Humpy, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri all winning their individual games. Vaishali Rameshbabu took a rest day.Both Indian teams will be back in action on Saturday, with the open side facing Spain and the women’s team taking on Mongolia.

Zinedine Zidane unveiled his first national squad Friday after being appointed lead coach of Les Bleus in July.

The French football icon named star forward Kylian Mbappé captain while opting to leave out former squad members midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and striker Marcus Thuram. Zidane also named five new players, among them goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, defenders Andy Diouf and Jérémy Jacquet, as well as midfielder Lucas Da Cunha and striker Esteban Le Paul.

The 54-year-old Zidane, whose brilliance helped France to ​win their ‌first World Cup on home soil in 1998, returns ⁠to the national team tasked with turning recent near-misses into trophies.

Zidane enjoyed a glittering managerial career at ‌former club Real Madrid, leading the Spanish side to three successive ⁠Champions League titles. Similar success will be expected with France, who boast some of football’s most gifted players, as they build up ​to the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 World Cup.

France won the 2018 World Cup, finished runners-up to Argentina in 2022 and reached the semi-finals of this year’s showpiece tournament.

Zidane was appointed as France coach until the 2030 World Cup in July, succeeding Didier ​Deschamps and becoming the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team ​to lead Les Bleus.

He will take charge for ​the first time in the Nations League group stage against Turkey in Izmit on September 25. France then ​travel to Belgium before hosting Italy and Belgium in October.

The full list of 23 players includes:

Goalkeepers

• Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
• Guillaume Restes (Toulouse)
• Robin Risser (Lens).

Defenders

• Andy Diouf (Inter Milan)
• Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool)
• Pierre Kalulu (Juventus)
• Ibrahima Konaté (Real Madrid)
• Jules Koundé (Barcelona)
• Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea)
• Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth)
• Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).

Midfielders

• Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
• Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
• Lucas Da Cunha (Como)
• Manu Koné (AS Roma)
• Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan)
• Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG).

Forwards

• Bradley Barcola (Liverpool)
• Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
• Désiré Doué (PSG)
• Estéban Lepaul (Rennes)
• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
• Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)

Watch moreNew era for France as Zidane takes charge of national team

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Maria Sharapova was recently moved to happy tears as Paula Badosa sent her a heartwarming message. After the duo met each other for the first time ever at the SP Open, they posed for a photo together and the Spaniard penned a sweet note for her lifelong idol.

Sharapova and Badosa are two of the biggest names of the WTA. While the Russian was one of the foremost stars of the Tour for two decades between 2001 and 2020, Badosa established herself as a top player in recent years. Over the course of her career, the Spaniard has been vocal about drawing inspiration from Sharapova, and the duo recently met each other in Brazil.

Taking to Instagram to share a snap of their meeting, Paula Badosa wrote,

“Some people inspire you from afar, and then you get lucky enough to meet them. Today was one of those moments. You’re simply amazing @mariasharapova. Little Paula made a dream come true today.”

Reacting to the sweet note, Maria Sharapova reacted with three ‘teary-eyed’ emojis.

In Brazil, Badosa is currently competing at the SP Open, a WTA 250 event. The second seed has enjoyed smooth sailing at the tournament so far, ousting the likes of Justina Mikulskyte, Jazmin Ortenzi and Mary Stoiana to reach the semifinal.

When Paula Badosa opened up about Maria Sharapova being her role model

Over the years, Paula Badosa has been vocal about looking up to Maria Sharapova as an idol during her childhood, admiring the Russian for her on-court exploits and her off-court personality that went beyond tennis.

In a 2020 interview with Tweener Head Tennis, Badosa hailed Sharapova as her role model, explaining,

“I have to be honest with you, she’s like a role model to me, so I try to copy her. She’s a fighter, so I really like that and as a Spanish player I really like that. Since (I was) young, that’s what they put in your mind – to fight every point – so I think that’s very important. Her game is very aggressive. We don’t play similar (games) but I try to be aggressive in my way as well.”

On the tennis end of things, Paula Badosa will next return to action for her semifinal encounter at the SP Open, where she will take on Nadia Podoroska. Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova was last seen on a tennis court at the US Open, where she presented women’s singles champion Elena Rybakina with her winner’s trophy.