Manchester United have been met with a backlash from a number of supporter groups after some fans had their online season-ticket accounts restricted.

The club’s official fans’ forum, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), The 1958 and The Red Army are among the groups to hit back at United, who are aiming to crack down on the illegal resale of tickets.

However, the club’s approach has been criticised for being too heavy-handed and led to concerns the constraints on the accounts could lead to the revocation of season tickets for many innocent fans.

A joint statement from the groups said: “Professional touting, automated purchasing and those who exploit supporters for financial gain have no place at Manchester United and deserve robust action.

“However, that action must be fair, proportionate and transparent. Long-standing supporters who have followed Manchester United for decades, often across multiple generations of the same family, should never feel they are being treated as suspects without clear evidence, due process or a meaningful opportunity to respond to the allegations made against them.

“The current approach has created a growing perception among supporters of a ‘ban first and ask questions later’ process. Investigations should establish the facts before sanctions are imposed.

“The club and its supporters share the same objective: ensuring tickets are used fairly by genuine Manchester United supporters while protecting the integrity of the ticketing system.

“That objective will only be achieved through trust, transparency, proportionate enforcement, better-designed systems and meaningful engagement with supporters, not by creating an environment where loyal fans fear losing relationships with the club that have been built over decades.”

MUST claimed at the weekend the club sent out “account suspensions and season ticket cancellation notices to thousands of supporters”, adding they have been “overwhelmed with requests for help”.

The supporter groups statement added: “The fans’ forum has rightly called on the club to pause the issuing of further suspensions and to halt any cancellation of season tickets while meaningful discussions take place.”

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Animesh Kujur isn’t losing sleep over surrendering the tag of India’s fastest man to Gurindervir Singh. Instead, the national record-holder in the 200m wants his performances at the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to do the talking.

After Gurindervir’s historic sub-10.10 run rewrote the men’s 100m national record in Odisha earlier this year, Kujur has inevitably been asked about reclaiming the crown. But the Odisha sprinter has chosen to park that conversation for now.

“Just waiting for Asian Games,” Kujur told PTI when asked about regaining India’s fastest-man tag.

When pressed further, he smiled and added: “Yeah, just wait till the Asian Games. Then we’ll talk again.” 
The calm response is characteristic of the 22-year-old, who has steadily emerged as one of India’s brightest sprinting prospects under British coach Martin Owens.

The athlete-coach partnership began during the Under-23 National Championships after Kujur, impressed by the progress of Reliance Foundation athletes Amlan Borgohain and Jyothi Yarraji, decided to join the programme.

“I had started searching about Reliance and the athletes there. I came to know about Amlan and Jyothi Didi. I saw coach Martin wearing the Reliance T-shirt. My coach asked me whether I wanted to join Reliance after seeing my race, and I said yes. From that day, we have been working together,” Kujur recalled. 

Owens, though, had his own version of the story.

“The true story is that he came and pestered me and begged and begged and begged me to coach him,” he joked. “But obviously he thought I was James. He got the wrong coach.” 
Behind the humour lay genuine belief.

“He ran 21.1 and you could see he was really tight and very raw. If we could just polish that a bit, he was going to run fast. Every day and every week we try to get a little bit better. He’s ambitious, which is very good, and we’re always striving to be the best we can.” 
Owens credited Kujur’s progress to India’s improving high-performance ecosystem.

“We’ve got fantastic facilities in Odisha, excellent support from Reliance, and great physios. People think India is way behind, but in many ways we’re well ahead. The athletes can focus entirely on athletics, and we’re benefiting from that.” 
The British coach also dismissed any notion of rivalry turning sour after Gurindervir’s record-breaking exploits.

“I think what you’ve got to realise is we’re really pleased that Guri’s running that fast. Psychologically, running 10.0 has made such a difference to Indian sprinting. Congratulations to Guri and his coaching team.

“We want a healthy rivalry. That’s what we want. We don’t want a destructive rivalry. We’re as happy as anybody else that he’s running that fast.” 
Turning point 
Owens believes Indian sprinting has reached a turning point.

“Four years ago everybody was saying breaking 10 seconds was impossible. Now it’s about when. Guri (Gurindervir), Mani (Manikanta Hoblidhar) and Pranav (Pramod Gurav) are all pushing the standards up. You can’t be complacent anymore.

“We’ve got a really good crop of young sprinters coming through and they all believe they can be the first to break 10 or 20 seconds. That’s good. We need that swagger.” 
He is convinced the country’s sprint revolution has only just begun.

“India will get there. Then it’ll be 9.8, then 9.7. That’s where we want to go. If we can find an Indian Bolt, we’ll be there.” 
Kujur said racing overseas has accelerated his development.

“When I race faster athletes, I know exactly where I stand. In India, especially over 200 metres, I’m usually ahead from the start. That’s why competing in Europe is important. I learn what I need to improve technically and then work on it in training.” 
Far from being intimidated by packed stadiums, he is motivated by the big stage.

“People think athletes get scared in front of huge crowds, but I feel excited. Even at the World Championships I wasn’t under pressure. I was excited because I was racing against the best and wanted to show what I could do.” 
The overseas exposure has also helped him grow beyond the track.

“This year I travelled alone, competed by myself in Germany and even set my personal best there. Every trip teaches me something about how to travel, how to compete and how to handle pressure. I’ll try to implement all those learnings at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.” 
Kujur said relay commitments have limited his opportunities in the 200m this season.

“We haven’t had many 200-metre races this year. I only got one in Taiwan, and because of the rain, I only ran the heats. I want more quality races over 200 metres and improve there the same way I’ve improved in the 100.” 
Owens said the World Relays and Asian Relays had affected Kujur’s 200m schedule but added: “The Commonwealth Games will be good and then the Asian Games will be super good.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made padel a mandatory training component at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, requiring players to participate in 40-minute sessions on alternate days to boost agility, reflexes, and fielding-specific movement. The new ruling has been passed by senior selector and director high performance, Aqib Javed, who said the players will have to play padel sports during long-duration training camps at the NCA.

“Many of our players are already playing padel sports regularly but had to travel long distances to the limited courts in their home towns. We have now built a padel court facility at the NCA for the players,” the former pacer said.

According to Aqib, the move is aimed at improving players’ fitness, movement, and fielding through a sport that is easy to play and physically demanding.

He said padel is simple, enjoyable, and useful for fitness.

He said players previously had to travel to play padel, but they can now use the facility at the academy alongside their cricket training.

Padel, which mixes elements of squash and tennis, is played on a small court but requires plenty of endurance and stamina.

Aqib said that he wanted the NCA to be a second home for cricketers so that they can improve their overall game skills and fitness levels.

Under the new plan, cricketers will be required to play padel every second day for around 40 minutes.

He also said the PCB is planning to build basketball courts for the players and hall, which will include snooker and other indoor games.

Aqib said the PCB had already installed an AI bowling machine at the academy which was part of the plan to make the academy more productive for players.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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An article criticising Lionel Messi, published by the British media outlet The Daily Mail, has received immense backlash following Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The journalist behind the piece, Oliver Salt, criticised Messi for “ghosting” in the final after he failed to register a single shot on target. Salt also took aim at Messi for ‘crying like a 10-year-old’ after his potential final appearance for Argentina on the global stage ended without a fairytale finish.

The article titled “Lionel Messi’s full humiliation laid bare: Left crying as his Argentine thugs disgraced themselves… how this World Cup exposed the GOAT’s dark arts shame” slammed Messi and Argentina for resorting to dirty tactics.

However, fans criticized Salt for pushing an agenda against Messi out of a grudge, as Argentina had beaten England in the semi-finals.

They paid them to insult Messi.

Jesus Christ!! pic.twitter.com/yHIZOnZTfh

— BeksFCB (@Joshua__Ubeku) July 21, 2026

Calling a player crying like a child and attacking his family only for personal issues shows how much problems you have lets hope messi sues them pic.twitter.com/1Q72qrhp28

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— Omar abdallah (@omarabdalla0) July 22, 2026

All for what? Because he beat them. And involving his family. So low

— Xtiana (@posh_tiana) July 21, 2026

There is a weird propaganda of hate against Messi.

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Messi’s character as an athlete and as a faithful husband and father is almost as well-known as his status as the greatest football player of all time.

And yet people… https://t.co/s5tG8YlhSg

— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) July 22, 2026

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The article also highlighted the aggressive antics of the Argentine team following the defeat, labelling players such as Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina, as well as an assistant manager, as “thugs.” Salt also suggested that Argentina will always be remembered as “sore losers” for their actions.

Paredes and Molina were involved in a post-match brawl after Argentina conceded in extra time and lost the match 1-0. Paredes was labelled a villain for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck, as well as punching midfielder Gavi in the face before pushing him to the ground. 

The aggression wasn’t confined to the pitch, as Lionel Scaloni’s assistant, Roberto Ayala, also got involved and landed a punch on Dani Olmo. Salt pointed out that while Messi was not involved in the post-match ruckus, the Argentina captain “didn’t cover himself in glory” following a failed attempt to get Marc Cucurella sent off.

Broadcast visuals showed Cucurella touching his face briefly while talking to Messi, who urged the referee to send Cucurella down the tunnel for covering his mouth – an act that previously saw Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie receive his marching orders under the new rule.

Salt, however, didn’t stop there. He also criticized Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, for her low-key appearance during the final, accusing her of “being in hiding as Messi struggled and wept on a devastating day.”

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Tyson Fury is back in the ring this weekend, competing in a warm-up fight for his long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua.

In Thailand, where Fury has trained over the last year, the “Gypsy King” will box former world-title challenger Mariusz Wach, one night before “AJ” takes on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.

Should Fury and his fellow Briton pass these tests, they will finally square off later this year, with a November meeting at Wembley Stadium on the cards – provided the fight takes place in the early hours of the morning, apparently.

Some might argue that Fury, 37, has already had a warm-up bout for his planned bout with Joshua; in April, Fury ended his fifth retirement from boxing and outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in Tottenham.

But the former world heavyweight champion wants to go again, facing Wach in a fight whose proceeds will go to charity, according to Fury. Here’s all you need to know:

When is the fight?

Fury vs Wach will take place on Friday 24 July at Max Muaythai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand. The main card is believed to begin at 11am BST (3am PT / 5am CT / 6am ET), with main-event ring walks then likely at 1pm BST (5am PT / 7am CT / 8am ET).

How can I watch it?

Fury has said: “This great fight will not be streamed live! It will only be broadcast on my hit Netflix TV show ‘At Home With The Furys’ season three.” There is currently no release date for that season. The Independent will provide live updates from the event, however.

Odds

Fury – 1/50

Wach – 25/1

Draw – 14/1

Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers. The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

Undercard

Subject to change:

Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach (heavyweight)

Daniel Baer vs Simon Ibekwe (heavyweight)

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For perhaps the first time, India arrives at a Commonwealth Games with genuine medal contenders spread across multiple disciplines in both track and field. From former Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra to long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and from distance runners Gulveer Singh to Parul Chaudhary, the country’s hopes are no longer concentrated on a single athlete or event. 

Instead, they are built around a squad that has produced national records, continental titles and world-class performances across throws, jumps, distance running and combined events.

That transformation was evident at Birmingham 2022, where India returned with eight athletics medals despite the absence of the biggest Indian name of the current era, Neeraj Chopra, due to injury.

Four years later, the squad is deeper, more experienced and more accomplished. With multiple athletes capable of challenging for the podium, Glasgow could become the Commonwealth Games where athletics emerges as India’s biggest medal-producing sport.

Full list of Indian athletes at the 2026 Commonwealth Games:

Why Glasgow has put athletics at the heart of India’s medal hopes

Their omission leaves athletics with an unprecedented opportunity to become India’s biggest medal-winning sport. Historically, India’s Commonwealth success has been driven by wrestling, weightlifting and boxing, while athletics has largely played a supporting role. Since the 2010 Delhi Games, wrestling has won 56 medals, weightlifting 41, boxing 28 and athletics 26.

Unlike boxing and weightlifting, where medal opportunities are restricted by weight categories and athlete quotas, athletics offers multiple chances across throws, jumps, distance running and combined events.

More importantly, India’s medal hopes are now spread across several world-class athletes rather than centred on a single star. That growing depth, coupled with the changing Commonwealth Games programme, gives athletics its best opportunity yet to emerge as the country’s leading medal contributor in Glasgow.

Sports dropped from Birmingham 2022 to Glasgow 2026:

From boom to bust

Looking back, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi represented the high point of Indian athletics at the Commonwealth Games, while the next two editions served as a reality check.

Competing on home soil, India produced one of its finest performances in track and field, winning 12 medals, including historic golds by Krishna Poonia in the women’s discus throw and the women’s 4x400m relay team. Athletics accounted for nearly 12 per cent of India’s record 101-medal haul, underlining its status as one of the country’s leading medal-winning sports.

2022 brought back hope

In another turning point at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Indian athletics delivered its best-ever overseas performance at the Commonwealth Games, even without the then Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who withdrew due to injury.

India won eight medals in athletics, including Eldhose Paul’s historic gold in the men’s triple jump, Murali Sreeshankar’s silver in the long jump, Avinash Sable’s silver in the 3,000m steeplechase, and medals in race walking and the women’s long jump.

The numbers underlined the revival. Athletics contributed more than 13 per cent of India’s total medals in Birmingham — the highest share since the Delhi Games — and nearly tripled its medal tally from each of the previous two editions.

India’s athletics performance at the last four Commonwealth Games:

Regular success has changed the narrative

The transformation began with Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold in Tokyo, but it did not end there. India followed it up with its best-ever performance at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where athletics contributed 29 medals, the most by any Indian sport and nearly a quarter of the country’s record 107-medal haul.

The performance demonstrated that India’s success was no longer confined to the throwing events. Medals came in hurdles, relays, steeplechase, long jump, triple jump and race walking, highlighting the growing breadth of talent across disciplines.

That momentum has been reinforced at the continental level. India finished third at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships with 27 medals before improving the quality of its performances at the 2025 edition, where it claimed 24 medals, including eight golds.

While the overall tally dipped slightly, the increase in gold medals reflected India’s growing ability to convert finalists into champions — an important indicator ahead of a multi-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games. 

India’s performances at major athletics events (last 6 yeras):

India’s top medal prospects in athletics in Glasgow

Neeraj Chopra (Men’s Javelin Throw)

Despite an injury-hit season, Neeraj Chopra remains one of India’s strongest medal prospects for Glasgow 2026. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, Paris 2024 silver medallist, 2023 world champion and Diamond League winner is India’s only 90m thrower, holding the national record of 90.23m set in Doha in 2025.

He also won India’s first Commonwealth Games men’s javelin gold at Gold Coast 2018 with a throw of 86.47m. After missing the 2025 World Championships with a back injury, Chopra returned in June 2026, finishing fourth in Doha with 85.69m.

However, his journey to a medal will be anything but straightforward. His biggest challengers at the upcoming event will include Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has taken the javelin world by storm with his personal-best throw of 92.62m.

The 23-year-old also defeated Chopra at the Doha Diamond League 2026 with an 88.68m effort and currently sits second in the World Athletics rankings. This means that a podium finish for Neeraj would not be far-fetched, although his challenge for gold will require a strong performance.

Moreover, Pathirage will not be the only obstacle Neeraj must overcome for a podium finish, as he will also be up against the likes of Grenada’s Anderson Peters (PB 93.07m) and Kenya’s Julius Yego (PB 92.72m), who will also be among the strongest contenders for a podium finish.

Gulveer Singh (Men’s 5,000m and 10,000m)

Gulveer Singh has emerged as India’s biggest distance-running medal hope for Glasgow 2026 after rewriting national records. In 2025, he became the first Indian to break 13 minutes in the 5,000m (12:59.77) and set the 10,000m national record (27:00.22), rising to World No. 11 in the 10,000m.

He also became the first Indian to run a sub-four-minute mile (3:55.63) in 2026 and completed a historic 5,000m-10,000m double at the 2025 Asian Championships.

However, his path to the podium will not be unchallenged. His main opponents will include Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the world half-marathon record holder (55:20) and Commonwealth Games 10,000m record holder (27:09.19), and Australia’s Ky Robinson, who has consistently run sub-13-minute 5,000m races. Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir and Cornelius Kemboi also strengthen the challenge, but Gulveer’s tactical racing could make him a genuine medal contender in Glasgow.

Parul Chaudhary (Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase and 5,000m)

If Gulveer Singh has transformed India’s men’s distance running, Parul Chaudhary has done the same on the women’s side. She has emerged as India’s leading women’s distance runner and one of the country’s strongest medal prospects for Glasgow 2026.

The 31-year-old holds the national record in the 3,000m steeplechase (9:12.46), set at the 2025 Asian Championships, and improved her 5,000m national record to 15:04.26 in France earlier this year.

She also clocked 9:12.84 at the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League, the second-fastest time by an Indian woman, and is ranked World No. 20 in the steeplechase. Parul won gold in the 5,000m and silver in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2023 Asian Games. In Glasgow, she will face Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai (PB 8:48.03), world champion Faith Cherotich (sub-nine minutes) and England’s Elizabeth Bird.

However, Parul’s national record is now faster than the 9:15.68 she ran at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making her a genuine medal contender in the steeplechase.

Murali Sreeshankar (Men’s Long Jump)

Another major medal hope for India heading into Glasgow is long jumper Murali Sreeshankar. The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist has returned strongly from a knee injury, recording 8.38m at the National Inter-State Championships — his second-best career jump after his personal best of 8.41m in 2023.

He has crossed 8.00m in every competition this season, and his 8.38m is the best by any Commonwealth athlete in 2026 and among the world’s top 10 performances this year. Sreeshankar won Commonwealth silver (8.08m) in Birmingham 2022, followed by Asian Games silver and a top-eight finish at the 2023 World Championships.

His main challengers for a medal will include Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock (PB 8.54m), Australia’s Liam Adcock (8.34m this season) and Jamaica’s Carey McLeod (PB 8.40m).

However, Sreeshankar’s season’s best already surpasses the Commonwealth Games record of 8.35m, making him a genuine gold contender.

Praveen Chithravel (Men’s Triple Jump)

Praveen Chithravel enters Glasgow 2026 as one of India’s leading field-event medal hopes after three years of remarkable consistency. The 25-year-old holds the national record of 17.37m, set in 2023 and equalled at the 2025 Federation Cup.

This season, he opened with 17.08m — the ninth-best jump in the world in 2026 — before winning the National Inter-State Championships with 16.92m. Praveen narrowly missed a medal at Birmingham 2022, finishing fourth, but has since won Asian Games bronze and silver medals at the 2025 Asian Championships and FISU World University Games.

Notably, Praveen’s 17.37m exceeds the Birmingham 2022 gold-winning mark of 16.92m and is just 6 cm short of the Commonwealth Games record of 17.43m, making him a genuine podium contender.

However, Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert (PB 17.80m) and Jordan Scott (PB 17.69m) will be the two rivals standing between Praveen and a podium finish in Glasgow, with superior personal bests that could make his medal bid more challenging.

Tejaswin Shankar (Men’s Decathlon)

Tejaswin Shankar has transformed himself from one of Asia’s top high jumpers into India’s leading decathlete, making him a strong medal prospect for Glasgow 2026. The 27-year-old became the first Indian to cross the 8,000-point barrier, setting a national record of 8,057 points in Ranchi after earlier scoring 7,947 in the US.

He also comfortably surpassed the AFI’s Commonwealth qualification mark of 7,787 points. Tejaswin’s biggest weapon remains the high jump, where he owns a personal best of 2.29m and earlier this year defeated Olympic silver medallist Shelby McEwen with a meeting record of 2.26m.

His main rivals include Grenada’s Lindon Victor (PB of more than 8,700 points), Australia’s Cedric Dubler (PB 8,393) and England’s Daniel Golubovic. With rapid improvements across events, another 100-150-point gain could put Tejaswin firmly in medal contention and potentially make him India’s first Commonwealth decathlon medallist.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Men’s Shot Put)

Tajinderpal Singh Toor heads to Glasgow 2026 as India’s most experienced shot putter and a strong medal contender despite recent injury setbacks. The 31-year-old holds the Asian and national record of 21.77m, set in 2023, and remains the only Indian to breach the 21.50m mark.

A two-time Asian Games champion and two-time Asian champion, Toor has shown signs of returning to form this season with throws of 21.03m in Delhi, 19.97m in Sangrur and 20.07m at the National Federation Cup.

New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (PB 22.90m), Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell (PB 22m) and England’s Scott Lincoln, the Birmingham 2022 champion who has consistently thrown beyond 21m this season, will pose a daunting challenge for India’s seasoned campaigner in the race for the podium.

However, if Toor can regain the form that produced his 21.77m record, he has the ability to return to the Commonwealth Games podium in 2026.