First Published: Sep 17 2026 | 10:04 AM IST

Boxer Parveen Hooda is heading back to the Asian Games chasing a medal she once won but can no longer call her own, hoping to replace the bronze taken away from her due to a ban with another podium finish.

The Indian pugilist won that bronze in the 57kg category in the Hangzhou Games in 2023, along with an Olympic quota for India, only to lose both after being handed a suspension.

Since then, Parveen’s comeback has involved one adjustment after another — a new weight class, a coupe of injuries, another move up and a quarterfinal exit at the Commonwealth Games.

“Of course, yes,” the 26-year-old told PTI when asked if she has unfinished business at the Asian Games.

The bronze has been gone for nearly two years. The memory of winning it has not. Neither has the feeling of what followed.

Parveen was suspended by WADA for 22 months in May 2024 after three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. The suspension, later backdated by 14 months, cost her the Asian Games medal and the Olympic quota she had secured for India.

Her return has since been less about picking up where she left off and more about finding a new way forward.

When she came back to international boxing in November last year, the 57kg category was no longer hers to reclaim. Jaismine Lamboria had won India’s Paris Olympic quota in the weight class and then gone on to claim the World Championship title.

So Parveen moved to 60kg.

She made the switch look seamless at the World Cup Final, winning gold. But another turn soon followed. An injury forced her to miss the Asian Championships earlier this year, where Priya Ghanghas won the 60kg title and earned a direct Commonwealth Games qualification.

Parveen had to move again.

This time it was 65kg, the only feasible available slot in India’s Commonwealth Games team and the highest weight category she had competed in.

The quarterfinal exit in Glasgow showed just how different the challenge was.

“CWG was my first major competition in this weight category. There was some weight issue and strength was also low because this is a higher weight category than what I used to compete in,” she said.

“I have worked on the mistakes I made then. But now I feel better in this weight,” she said.

The changes have come thick and fast: from a suspension that took away her biggest international achievement, to losing her old weight category, then an injury and another move up.

Through it all, the target has remained largely unchanged.

“My aim is to do better than the level I was before,” Parveen said.

There is little illusion about what awaits her in Japan. The Asian Games will bring a tough field, and Parveen knows she will need to make the 65kg category work for her rather than simply adapt to it.

“Competition will be tough at the Asian Games. My long range is strong, so I’m working on short range and medium range,” she said.

Her training, too, has been adjusted to the challenge.

“Training is going well. The coaches have planned programs according to our game and also keeping in mind the opponents that will be there at the Asian Games,” she said.

For Parveen, another medal in Japan would not undo what happened in Hangzhou. But it could give her a new one to hold on to earned after a comeback that has demanded almost constant adjustment.

And perhaps, in its own way, help settle the unfinished business she carries back to the Asian Games.

Crystal Palace made an impressive start to their debut Europa League campaign by sweeping aside Polish champions Lech Poznan 4-0.

Yeremy Pino, Chris Richards and Jorgen Strand Larsen were on target in the first half before Eddie Nketiah fired a late fourth as Palace defied their disappointing Premier League form on a comfortable night at Selhurst Park.

Lech finished with 10 men after Radoslaw Murawski was sent off for a reckless bodycheck on Jaydee Canvot and moments later Nketiah put the finishing touch to a conclusive win.

Palace’s first appearance in the Europa League came a year after they were kicked out of the competition due to a breach of multi-club ownership rules, with Uefa demoting them to the Conference League.

They duly won that, thereby securing their return to the Europa League, and they continued to show theie taste for continental action against opponents who have made a strong start to their Polish title defence.

Boss Pierre Sage named an unchanged team despite Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat by Ipswich and was rewarded by seeing victory wrapped up with just over half an hour on the clock.

For all three first-half goals Lech had a hand in their own downfall, the most startling of their errors arriving in the 10th minute when Terry Yegbe sent a throw-in straight to the feet of Pino.

Pino darted between a defence that had been caught by surprise by Yegbe’s blunder before the opportunistic Spanish forward produced a precise finish.

Palace next exploited a static visiting defence when Richards leapt to meet Adam Wharton’s corner at the back post and headed the ball through the hands of goalkeeper Mateusz Lis.

It was all sewn up in the 35th minute through an unstoppable Strand Larsen penalty awarded after Pino had been brought down by Murawski.

The hapless Yegbe then unwittingly deflected the ball into his own net from 25 yards amid confusion in the Lech defence, but Strand Larsen was offside and the Ghana centre-back looked skywards in gratitude at being spared responsibility for a second Palace goal.

Lech had their moments in the first half but striker Mikael Ishak wasted two fine chances while Yegbe found the side-netting.

Richards timed to perfection a tackle on Allahyar Sayyadmanesh as the Iranian winger raced towards goal, but Palace continued to dominate early in the second half with Strand Larsen and the busy Quinten Timber threatening.

Layne Riggs held on to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead after the UNOH 250 on Sept. 17 at Bristol, the first race of the Chase.

Riggs won both stages, but had to pit under green for a loose wheel in the final 100 laps to lose two laps and track position. The top seed in the Truck Series Chase finished in 32nd.

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Kaden Honeycutt sliced the deficit to three points after an 8th-place run.

The top five at Bristol all consisted of non-Chase drivers.

Here’s the updated NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points standings:

TRUCK RESULTS: Who won NASCAR Truck Series Bristol race? Winner is Jake Garcia, plus full results

NASCAR points standings, Craftsman Truck Series points update after Bristol race

After 1 of 7 Chase races

1. Layne Riggs (2,125 points)

2. Kaden Honeycutt (2,122) -3

3. Chandler Smith (2,095) -30

6. Grant Enfinger (2,072) -53

7. Daniel Hemric (2,069) -56

8. Christian Eckes (2,067) -58

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR points standings: Truck Series points update after Bristol race

Accommodation for Asian Games athletes in Japan is “functional” and efforts are being made to deal with numerous complaints from disgruntled teams, a chief organiser told AFP. More than 17,000 competitors and officials are expected at the continent’s biggest sporting spectacular, which opens on Saturday in Nagoya. In a bid to cut costs, organisers are housing athletes and officials in temporary accommodation ranging from a cruise liner and wooden containers to hotel rooms. The plan has run into immediate problems, with South Korean officials branding the container huts the “worst ever” and saying the beds are too short.

An official from another team told AFP that he entered the facility, took one look at the arrangement and booked a hotel room instead.

Several countries have also complained about a shortage of accommodation.

Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, organising committee president Hideaki Omura said efforts are being made to ensure athletes are comfortable.

“If there are different opinions then we will respond to them appropriately,” said Omura, who also serves as governor of Aichi prefecture.

“At this point, while we are responding to individual opinions, we have been improving everything as issues arise and we will continue to respond that way.”

Byeon Jun-hyeong, a player with South Korea’s men’s basketball team, posted a video on social media showing a leaking sink and soaked floor in his hut accommodation.

He posted the caption, “Please help us”.

Hundreds of athletes were briefly evacuated from their accommodation last week as record rainfall lashed Nagoya.

About 2,000 people are supposed to stay in the huts.

Cruise control

Omura said plans for the huts, which were built this year, had been given a favourable assessment by a committee of former athletes, including Olympians.

“We explained everything to them and had them take a look around, and they said it looked functional and good,” he said.

About 4,000 athletes and officials will also stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which arrived in Nagoya on Tuesday.

Cruise ships have been used previously as accommodation at international sports events but never on this scale.

The Asian Games are taking place at a time when typhoons are common in Japan, and Nagoya has experienced heavy rainfall in recent weeks.

Omura said the priority was to keep athletes and officials on board safe.

“We believe we can provide accommodation that guarantees athletes’ safety and allows them to deliver their best performance,” he said.

Slow sales

Athletes from 45 countries and territories will compete in more than 40 sports across over two weeks.

Omura said ticket sales were going “fairly well”, especially for the marquee events.

But he admitted that lesser-known sports had yet to capture the Japanese public’s imagination.

That includes cricket, which is practically unknown in Japan.

“India have a superstar cricket squad coming and Indian residents in Japan are saying, ‘I can’t believe we get to watch matches like this’, but ticket sales haven’t been very strong,” said Omura.

“A lot of people in Japan have never seen cricket, so I really hope they take this chance and go and watch.”

Events at the Games including basketball and football have been under way since last week.

Omura said he was in attendance as the first action began when Qatar took on Iran in men’s basketball.

After watching a physical contest, Omura said he hoped the Games would help Asia “reaffirm its bonds of friendship through sport”.

“Iran and Qatar are in a situation where missiles are flying back and forth but they can still play basketball together,” he said.

“Without the Asian Games you couldn’t have a game like that.”

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

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However, the biggest draw of the day will be the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India women’s cricket team, who will take on hosts Japan in the quarter-final. The defending gold medallists will look to secure a place in the semi-finals.

If India advance, they will face Bangladesh in the last four after the South Asian side secured their place in the semi-finals following their quarter-final against China being abandoned due to rain on Thursday. Bangladesh progressed as the higher-ranked team in the T20I rankings.

Now, let’s take a look at the full schedule of matches and events for September 18 at Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.

Asian Games 2026, September 18 events: Live streaming and telecast details

When will India’s women’s cricket team be in action at Asian Games 2026?

India’s women’s cricket team will be in action against Japan in the quarter-final on September 18. The match is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM IST at the Korogi Athletic Park.

Where to watch live telecast of Asian Games 2026 September 18 matches in India?

The live telecast of the Asian Games 2026 September 18 matches will be available on Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 5 in English, Sony Sports 3 in Hindi, and Sony Sports 4 in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

Where to watch live streaming of Asian Games 2026 September 18 matches in India?

The live streaming of Asian Games 2026 September 18 matches will be available on SonyLIV through its app and website in India.

Ryan Garcia is seeking a quick turnaround following a relatively non-strenuous clash with Conor Benn, and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz has responded to a recent call-out from the Californian. 

Garcia needed just two rounds to dispatch of Benn at the weekend as he made a first defence of his WBC welterweight title, dropping the Brit with a devastating right-hand and then stopping him on unsteady legs.

Since then, it has become clear that a unification clash with WBA titleholder Teofimo Lopez is on Garcia’s radar, but ‘King Ry’ has also called for a scrap against Mexico’s former WBA super-lightweight champion Cruz, who currently holds the WBC Interim title at 140lbs.

“I kind of want to get in the ring either December or January. That’s kind of where I’m looking at. There’s a lot of people out there. You’ve got Pitbull Cruz, I wouldn’t mind rumbling with him… I won’t call it a tune up but I don’t want to get caught off guard.

“I don’t want to wait until May to fight. Why do I have to wait until May? I have no bruises, I have no hits to the head, why can’t I fight? So I’ll give the fans a little treat.”

In response, ‘Pitbull’, who defends his interim title against Puerto Rico’s Nestor Bravo on Saturday, refused to rule out a move up to welterweight to take on Garcia but maintained that Bravo has his full focus at present, in an interview with Fight Hub TV.

“Right now, I am focussed on my fight on September 19 and coming out victorious from this fight we have coming up.

“Then, we will think about what is next for Pitbull Cruz. Whether it is good, whether it is bad, we take everything with a positive mindset, whatever comes next and if there is a possible fight with Ryan, as well.” 

Cruz-Bravo takes place at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego this Saturday.

The Colorado Buffaloes face a pivotal test as top wide receiver Danny Scudero is sidelined with an injury ahead of their clash with Northwestern.

Can Coach Prime’s squad maintain momentum without their most dynamic weapon?

I break down the significant impact of Scudero’s absence, updates on Cam Perry and Malachi Brown’s injuries, and highlight which receivers could step into the spotlight.

Discover why the defensive back trio of Boo Carter, Cree Thomas, and Jason Stokes may be the key to shutting down Northwestern’s passing game.

Key topics include Colorado’s depth at wide receiver, defensive concerns in the secondary, and the pressing need to eliminate costly penalties.

As questions mount about the Buffs’ discipline and ability to control the run game, all eyes are on whether Colorado can stay unbeaten and prove their resilience on the road.