In other sports news, Armand Duplantis added another centimetre to his pole vault world record, clearing 6.31 metres in Sweden to break his own mark. In rugby, the French XV are preparing to face England in the traditional ‘Crunch’ match, marking its 120th anniversary this year. It’s a must-win game for France, who are looking to bounce back after last week’s defeat in Scotland.

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Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Martin Bakole are all being targeted by a world-ranked heavyweight contender, with Bakole representing a particularly “personal” option.

The 34-year-old has not fought since his controversial draw with Efe Ajagba in May, when many believed he should have been handed a points defeat.

Prior to that, Bakole had suffered a second-round stoppage loss to Joseph Parker, who he faced on just two days’ notice, which followed his stunning fifth-round finish over Jared Anderson.

It was back in 2022, though, that the Congolese giant claimed arguably a more surprising upset victory by edging a majority decision against Tony Yoka.

Back then, this was considered little more than a development fight for Yoka, who had crafted an unbeaten record after claiming gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

After losing to Bakole, though, the Frenchman later suffered split decision defeats to Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy, before reigniting his career with four wins on the bounce.

Now gearing up to face former world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie at the Adidas Arena, Paris, on April 25, the 33-year-old hopes to eventually exact his revenge on Bakole.

Speaking with Playbook Boxing, Yoka – who is of Congolese descent – named Bakole, Joshua and Fury as three potential opponents after his clash with Okolie.

“I need to beat Bakole – that’s personal. That’s the first fight I lost, we’re both from the same country [The Democratic Republic of the Congo] and we need to make that happen over there, in Kinshasa.

“So I need to beat Bakole first, then I would love to fight Anthony. That would be a great fight, just because it would be so big – especially in my country [France]. It would be two Olympic gold medallists fighting in a stadium.

“And why not Tyson Fury? Tyson Fury’s one of the greatest [heavyweight] boxers ever. He’s so strange, but also he’s just too good.”

It is yet to become clear who Joshua will face in his comeback fight, which has been slated for July by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.

Fury, meanwhile, will face Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11 after ending his year-long retirement in January.

The Indian women’s hockey team delivered a commanding 4–1 victory over Wales in their Pool B clash at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2026 in Hyderabad, confirming their place in the upcoming FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup.

Star forward Navneet Kaur stole the spotlight with a brilliant hat-trick, while Sakshi Rana opened the scoring at the G. M. C. Balayogi Hockey Stadium on Wednesday evening. With the emphatic win, India not only finished strongly in the pool stage but also secured qualification for the global event set to be held next year in Belgium and the Netherlands.

India Start Strong Against Wales

India began the match with intensity, overwhelming Wales with aggressive pressing and quick attacking moves.

The breakthrough came in the 7th minute when Salima Tete surged down the right flank and set up Sakshi Rana, who unleashed a powerful reverse hit from the edge of the circle to give the hosts a 1–0 lead.

Wales attempted to respond midway through the second quarter but Indian goalkeeper Bichu Devi produced a crucial save to deny their first penalty corner opportunity.

Just before halftime, Navneet Kaur doubled India’s advantage. The forward converted a penalty corner with a precise low drag-flick in the 29th minute, sending India into the break with a comfortable 2–0 lead.

Navneet Kaur Leads the Charge

Navneet continued her outstanding performance in the second half. She added her second goal with another penalty corner conversion, extending India’s lead to 3–0 and firmly putting the hosts in control of the contest.

The Indian attack maintained relentless pressure, with players like Sunelita Toppo combining effectively with Sakshi Rana to stretch the Welsh defence.

Wales Show Brief Resistance

Wales managed to pull one goal back in the 39th minute through Betsan Thomas, who capitalized on a counterattack and slotted the ball home from a tight angle.

The visitors briefly threatened to close the gap further but India quickly regained control of possession and territory.

In the final quarter, Wales had a chance to reduce the deficit after earning a penalty stroke, but the attempt was missed.

India Secure Top Spot in Pool B

The win ensured that India finished top of Pool B in the Hyderabad qualifiers. Importantly, it also helped the hosts avoid a potential semifinal clash with England, giving them a more favorable route as the knockout stages approach.

Head coach Joerd Marijne had earlier stressed the need for improved finishing following India’s 2–2 draw against Scotland, and the team responded with a clinical attacking display against Wales.

India will now face Italy in the semifinals as they aim to secure a place in the final of the qualifiers.

How India qualified for the Women’s Hockey World Cup before semis?

Qualification for the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup is being determined through two separate qualifying tournaments, each featuring eight teams, making 16 teams in total competing for seven World Cup spots.

The first qualifying event in Santiago, Chile, has already concluded, with Chile, Australia, and Ireland confirming their World Cup places.

The Hyderabad qualifiers provide three automatic spots for the teams that finish in the top positions.

The seventh and final spot is reserved for the highest-ranked team (in the FIH World Rankings) that finishes fourth in either tournament.

In the Santiago event, Japan, currently ranked No. 15 in the world, finished fourth. India, however, are ranked No. 9 in the world.

Because of this ranking gap, India would have to suffer a massive points drop from losing their remaining matches to fall below Japan in the rankings, a scenario that is mathematically impossible. As a result, India secured their World Cup qualification even before the semifinals of the Hyderabad event.

A boost ahead of the global stage

India’s dominant performance, highlighted by Navneet Kaur’s hat-trick, not only secured a convincing win but also confirmed their participation in the next Women’s Hockey World Cup.

With momentum on their side and a semifinal clash against Italy ahead, the Indian team will now aim to carry this form forward as they prepare for the biggest stage in international women’s hockey.

Cradle Breaches are a new gameplay feature added in Warzone Black Ops Royale as a part of the latest update. These are basically hotspot areas on the Avalon map where players can find high-tier loot and take part in some activities during a match. The zones are dangerous as they spawn zombies, powerful bosses, and real opponents. If you manage to complete the activities, you can earn various rewards, including Exotic Weapons and Armors.

Read on to know more about Cradle Breaches in Warzone Black Ops Royale.

Cradle Breaches in Warzone Black Ops Royale: Explained

Cradle Breaches are the new hotspot locations in Warzone Black Ops Royale that offer high-risk, high-reward gameplay. These zones are extremely dangerous as they are filled with hordes of zombies, along with real opponents to face off against. During a match, a jet will fly over the area and drop a Cradle Gas Bomb into the ground.

Read more: How to get Blundergat & Sundergat Wonder Weapon in Black Ops 7 Zombies Paradox Junction

This drops a tube structure that releases red smoke, which soon covers the surrounding areas. Any players inside the zone will then start hallucinating and encounter zombies. The real challenge during this time is that the zombies can easily distract you, and you’ll struggle to fight actual opponents.

Check out: All Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Week 6 Challenges and rewards

The red smoke stays for a certain period of time, and when it clears out, all enemies and reward opportunities disappear. Cradle Breaches also offer players two activities, which are fighting the Mangler and opening the Mystery Box.

The Mangler is a powerful Cradle Boss that offers high-tier loot once you defeat it. To get the Mystery Boxes, you need to defeat the hordes of zombies. Once they are defeated, a wooden box will drop, which contains Exotic Weapons as a reward.

Check out the links below for more such guides: