There were high hopes for Abhay Singh to secure an Olympic berth with a gold-winning show in squash, but the Indian player had to settle for a silver medal after a straight-games defeat in the men’s singles final. Abhay Singh, ranked 24th in the world, was beaten 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 by defending champion Ng Eain Yow in 44 minutes. After a tightly contested opening game, the Malaysian controlled the tempo and length and repeatedly forced Abhay into difficult retrievals. The result extended India’s wait for an individual Asian Games squash gold medal. Saurav Ghosal had also finished with silver at the 2014 and 2023 editions.

After winning the silver medal, Abhay spoke to NDTV in an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts:

Q: Well, I have with me Abhay Singh, who has just won the silver medal in men’s singles squash at the Asian Games. How would you rate this moment? A sense of achievement or satisfaction?

Abhay Singh: Yeah, disappointing, of course, to lose in a big final, but I mean, it’s taken a lot to get on that podium.

Q: At least some satisfaction?

Abhay Singh: No, not really.

I think it’s hard. Maybe when I look back on it a couple of weeks or months later, I’ll think, “Okay, that was a good week.” But tonight, it doesn’t really feel like a very good time.

Q: But you have a chance to convert this into another medal because you have the team event. How much will this propel you towards a bigger medal, maybe even changing the colour of this one?

Abhay Singh: Yeah, it’s nice to have a second opportunity. Maybe it’s about going back to the drawing board with the boys and sitting down with the coaches to see what’s happening and put things right.

Q: You started very well. It seemed that you were going toe-to-toe with your Malaysian opponent. Where do you think the match slipped away?

Abhay Singh: Yeah, I think it was an accumulation of his better squash.

I think he was certainly moving better than I was today. Maybe it could have been a bit of nerves. Maybe it was because he was putting more work into my legs.

Also, it has a lot to do with the experience he’s had in big matches against bigger and better players. But yeah, it being my first singles event and first singles medal at a major event, I think silver doesn’t sound too bad, although at this point it still hurts.

Q: You won team gold last time around and, if I remember correctly, you played the last match against a Pakistan opponent. Do you take any memories from that into these Games?

Abhay Singh: Yeah, I think you look back fondly, but an athlete who lives in the past is going to struggle.

The minute it’s done, it’s done. We have to think about this Asian Games, and once we’re done with this, we’ll probably think about the next one as well.

Like I said, it’s nice to be a gold medallist once in your life, but while the moment is here, it’s about converting these medals into gold this week.

Q: How difficult is it to keep your mind and body in sync over this four-year cycle?

Abhay Singh: Yeah, it’s very important. But fortunately, we’re backed well and have all the support we need from various channels to hire the best support staff who help with things like this.

My team has been unbelievably hands-on with me through the summer, preparing for such big Games. Getting to the final was the first goal, being the second seed.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t go one step further, but a huge thanks to the team for making this possible.

Q: Is LA on your mind? Had you won this match, you would have qualified.

Abhay Singh: Yeah, of course. It wasn’t on my mind too much.

I think there’s still a way to qualify, and I’m not panicking. It doesn’t really occur to me as something that’s going to happen in 18 months. We can think about it 18 months from now.

I just want to go back to enjoying life a bit after next week. But like I said, the mission isn’t done. There’s still a gold medal to win.

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Ireland’s national football team is facing intense pressure to boycott its UEFA Nations League games against Israel, with the first match taking place this Sunday evening in Hungary. The team has decided to go ahead with the fixture but will wear black armbands in protest. Ireland will also be without its usual goalkeeper, who has chosen to boycott the game. Antonia Kerrigan reports.

The exceptional versatility of Warwoven is highlighted by trainer Bjorn Baker’s consideration of races across a wide spectrum of distances, even though contesting all three is not feasible. However, Warwoven’s commanding victory in the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday was so outstanding that the colt now commands a $30 million valuation, empowering Baker to pursue ambitious goals.

“A lot of form analysts out there, you are allowed your own opinion, that is what makes our game so great,” Baker said.

“But I thought this colt was right in it, I didn’t want to look at the odds, I didn’t want to back him, there was too much riding on it.

“He’s a serious horse and we are looking at the Caulfield Guineas (1600m), even the Cox Plate (2040m) – team get on now, we will get overs.

“His mother was very good at 2000m, he relaxed beautifully today but one step at a time.”

Away from the spotlight, Baker adopted a more reserved stance, not entirely dismissing the possibility of a start in The Everest (1200m).

“I would say The Everest is doubtful but we will see what happens,” Baker said.

“When you have a colt this good, you have to consider all the options.”

Baker shared that he has experienced the highs and lows of racing with Warwoven throughout the year.

“It is an amazing game, racing,” Baker said. “It is the best game in the world and I don’t say that lightly.

“We were in the hurt locker about January 14 when he was scratched from the Magic Millions on the morning of (the race).

“But you don’t panic, you have great people around you, they pick you up and you can be here and win a Group 1 – he’s a stallion now.”

In one of the most dominant performances in the history of the Golden Rose, Warwoven ($6), expertly ridden by Rachel King, surged clear to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths. St Gotthard ($3.70) secured second place, with Under Focus ($12) finishing a half head behind in third.

The favourite, Golden Slipper winner Guest House ($2.45), could only manage sixth after an incident mid-race with the runner-up, finishing behind Tenenbaum (fourth) and Tron Bolt (fifth).

Zac Lloyd, the jockey aboard Guest House, indicated that the encounter with St Gotthard compromised his colt’s chances of victory.

“The first half of the race went alright and we got onto the back of Warwoven which I thought was a good play,” Lloyd said.

“Then just when the pace dropped out of the race around the side, he got a bit keen on the heels of Warwoven, then we had a little bump with St Gotthard and it took a bit of ‘gas’ out of him.”

However, the spotlight remained firmly on Warwoven, who appeared to be in a race of his own in the final 300 metres of the Golden Rose.

“He was (dominant), he’s very good, but we know he’s very good, and it was just very satisfying for him to go out there and do that today,” King said.

“I thought I’d either be leading or the leader’s back. It’s difficult when your husband (Bjorn Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton) gives you part of the instructions, and he says, ‘whatever you do, don’t be three-back the fence’ and I was like, I’m testing him a little bit here’.

“But he’s a very good horse. There was enough tempo on, there was enough pressure. He just put his head down and relaxed and was beautiful in the run.

“We know he’s got an awesome turn of foot, and I was desperate to get him up over this kind of distance and probably even further. He’s proven that he’s the real deal today.”

King’s victory aboard Warwoven completed a stakes race double for the Baker stable, following her earlier win on So You Are in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).

For Baker, it was a triumphant afternoon, securing a stakes race treble that included wins from So You Are and Blue Door in the Group 3 Heritage Stakes, in addition to Warwoven’s prestigious Group 1 Golden Rose triumph.

“This is very special,” Baker said.

“I thought he paraded superbly, he’s so good looking, he’s so fast. I don’t even have to sell him, he sold himself.

“So many of my great friends are in this horse and you saw an amazing performance today.

“Rachel King, she’s got ice in her veins. She summed it up so well.

“All my team back at home, they are amazing to work with and we have fun every day.

“We go through the losses as a team, we take the wins as a team and I can tell you it is a pretty big team today.”

James McDonald, who rode the Chris Waller-trained St Gotthard, described his colt’s powerful finish for second as “outstanding.”

“The interference at the 800m, it was no one’s fault, it was just the horse came out when over-racing and took the wind out of me,” McDonald said.

“He never really recovered after that so for him to box on and run second like that was incredible. If I had the winner’s run I would have given the race a shake.”

Racing NSW stewards issued McDonald a reprimand for his involvement in the bumping incident between St Gotthard and Guest House.

The Kris Lees-trained Under Focus demonstrated resilience in securing third place, reinforcing his status as a colt with considerable potential.

“Under Focus is still very raw but, gee, he travelled well at the top of the lane,” jockey Dylan Gibbons said.

“I was surprised when he got to them that the winner went that quick but he was very gallant in defeat.”

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Asian Games 2026 Day 9: India’s full schedule for September 28 Time (IST) Sport Event/stage Indian participation/opponent Status/news 03:58:00 Surfing Men’s shortboard, Round 3 Heat 2 Sivaraj Babu vs Jayuard Alciso (Philippines) Subsequent rounds subject to qualification 04:45:00 Archery Compound men’s individual, 1/16 elimination Sahil Rajesh Jadhav vs Jamiyangombo Purevdorj (Mongolia) Later rounds subject to qualification 04:45:00 Archery Compound men’s individual, 1/16 elimination Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru vs Sostar Andaru Rinaldi (Indonesia) Later rounds subject to qualification 06:10:00 Shooting Women’s 25m pistol rapid qualification and team final Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Rahi Sarnobat Team medal event; individual final subject to qualification 06:30:00 Sepaktakraw Women’s double, Group B India vs Japan Group match 06:30:00 Shooting Men’s trap qualification Day 2 and team final Ahvar Rizvi, Kynan Chenai, Shapath Bharadwaj Team medal event 06:30:00 Shooting Women’s trap qualification Day 2 and team final Manisha Keer, Aashima Ahlawat, Neeru Team medal event 06:30:00 Squash Women’s team, Pool C India vs China Pool match 06:30:00 Tennis Men’s singles, Round 2 Sumit Nagal vs Hong Seong-chan (South Korea) Knockout match 06:30:00 Volleyball Men’s preliminary round, Pool C India vs Hong Kong, China Pool match 06:46:00 Surfing Men’s shortboard, Round 3 Heat 8 Kishore Kumar Anbarasu vs Ma Wensong (China) Subsequent rounds subject to qualification Not before 7:30 am Tennis Women’s doubles, Round 1 Rutuja Bhosale/Ankita Raina vs Anna Danilina/Yuliya Putintseva (Kazakhstan) Knockout match 08:00:00 Kurash Women’s under-78kg quarter-final Pincky Balhara; opponent yet to be confirmed Subsequent medal rounds subject to progression 08:30:00 Squash Men’s team, Pool A India vs China Pool match Morning session from 8:30 am Boxing Women’s 75kg quarter-final Lovlina Borgohain vs Seong Suyeon (South Korea) Medal-clinching bout; exact start depends on preceding bouts 09:45:00 Archery Compound women’s individual, 1/16 elimination Chikitha Taniparthi; opponent yet to be confirmed Later rounds subject to qualification 09:45:00 Archery Compound women’s individual, 1/16 elimination Jyothi Surekha Vennam vs Adel Zhexenbinova (Kazakhstan) Later rounds subject to qualification 10:00:00 Cricket Men’s quarter-final India vs Afghanistan Knockout match 12 noon Squash Women’s team, Pool C India vs Japan Pool match Evening session from 1:30 pm Boxing Women’s 60kg quarter-final Priya vs Mijgona Samadova (Tajikistan) Medal-clinching bout; exact start depends on preceding bouts Evening session from 1:30 pm Boxing Men’s 90kg quarter-final Kapil Pokhariya vs Kim Gichae (South Korea) Medal-clinching bout; scheduled after Priya’s contest 14:00:00 Squash Men’s team, Pool A India vs South Korea Pool match 14:35:00 Athletics Women’s discus throw final Seema, Sanya Yadav Medal event 15:09:00 Athletics Mixed 4x100m relay, Round 1 Heat 2 India; line-up to be confirmed Final subject to qualification 15:30:00 Hockey Men’s Pool A India vs Bangladesh Pool match 15:53:00 Athletics Women’s 400m hurdles final Vithya Ramraj, Anu Raghavan Medal event 16:03:00 Athletics Men’s 400m hurdles final Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan Medal event 16:17:00 Athletics Men’s 3000m steeplechase final Avinash Mukund Sable Medal event 16:30:00 Athletics Men’s long jump final David Solomon Patturaj, Murali Sreeshankar Medal event 16:38:00 Athletics Men’s 1500m final Yoonus Shah, Gulveer Singh Medal event 16:45:00 Athletics Men’s javelin throw final Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh Medal event 16:50:00 Athletics Women’s 800m, Round 1 Heat 1 Gowthami Jayaraman Final subject to qualification 17:00:00 Athletics Women’s 800m, Round 1 Heat 2 Pooja Final subject to qualification 17:13:00 Athletics Women’s 5000m final Seema, Parul Chaudhary Medal event 18:01:00 Athletics Men’s 4x400m relay, Round 1 Heat 2 India; line-up to be confirmed Final subject to qualification 18:34:00 Athletics Women’s 4x100m relay final India: Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha Shanuvali Sathyanarayana, Sudeshna Hanmant Shivankar, Tamanna Medal event

Past generations discovered that nowhere in the Sunshine State was more treacherous to outsiders than The Swamp, and Saturday offered a reminder of why.

The dangers lurking around every corner of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium went dormant for most of the last 15 years, but not extinct. Fourth-ranked Ole Miss discovered that the hard way, denied even a full week to enjoy its karmic defeat of Lane Kiffin and LSU until Saturday’s 52-28 rout.

Likewise, Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ time as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner ended in a violent death roll like so much prey of Florida’s alligators — or of the University of Florida’s Gators.

“That quarterback [Chambliss] is an unbelievable player, so for our guys to keep him off-balance at times — that’s the most uncomfortable I’ve seen him look,” first-year Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said in his postgame press conference. “And he kicked my butt as a head coach twice last year,”

In Ole Miss blowouts of Sumrall’s Tulane teams in 2025, Chambliss passed for a total of three touchdowns and rushed for two. On Saturday, the Rebels quarterback threw for a score and ran for a pair, and Chambliss totaled almost 350 yards of offense.

But when Sumrall described the electrifying dual-threat quarterback as looking “uncomfortable,” the Gators made Ole Miss labor for everything. And then there’s the inherently intimidating atmosphere of The Swamp that longtime college football fans may recall.

Saturday conjured memories of a time when entering The Swamp was effectively futile. During Steve Spurrier’s legendary tenure in Gainesville, the Gators went 68-5 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

A joke from the peak of the Spurrier years described Florida fans as entering The Swamp in a cultlike trance, all in unison chanting, “It’s great to be a Gator.”

Rarely since Urban Meyer’s departure from Gainesville following the 2010 season have things been great for the Gators. Depending on how one views the means by which a team wins, even the Meyer years produced stains that sullied Florida’s greatness, but that’s a different topic.

In terms of the pure on-field product, the Gators losing 32 more games at home since 2011 than they did from 1990 through 2001 is as telling of a metric as any about the program’s struggles.

Great isn’t an adjective any full-time Swamp dwellers are likely to invoke about the 2026 Gators any time soon; certainly not in the way it became synonymous with Spurrier’s Florida teams. Sumrall himself tempered expectations of Saturday’s win, citing needs for improvement for the SEC grind still to come.
However, any deficiencies that may have shown in allowing 426 yards, for example, Florida more than compensated for in other areas.

“The guys we have on offense [are] super gritty. They understand when the other team scores, we have to go down and respond,” Gators quarterback Aaron Philo said. “We take a lot of pride in that.”

No one responded more emphatically than running back Jadan Baugh.

Saturday marked the fourth time in as many appearances this season Baugh has gone for 136 yards rushing or more, this time tallying 142.

Baugh has also rushed for multiple touchdowns in each outing, with his three vs. the Rebels giving him 11 for the season. He’s almost halfway to the program record of rushing scores that Tim Tebow set in his Heisman-winning campaign of 2007.

Fittingly, Baugh struck a Heisman pose of his own in Week 4.

And while the spotlight is deserved on Baugh, Florida’s rushing attack overall looks like the most perilous of all the threats in The Swamp. Duke Clark rolling off 126 to complement Baugh put the Gators over 300 on Saturday, a number that doesn’t happen without outstanding blocking.

Florida’s feisty up front is the most striking difference when viewing the 2026 team compared to the disappointing UF squads of years past. The Gators play with a physicality befitting the menacing reputation their home stadium once had — and which it can regain with more performances like Saturday’s.

With this season marking the 10-year anniversary of UF naming The Swamp’s field for Spurrier, the Sumrall-coached Gators offered a fitting homage to The Old Ball Coach’s era.

World number two Alexander Zverev sealed Team Europe’s record-extending sixth Laver Cup title with a straight-sets victory over American Learner Tien, giving them a 13-5 win against `Team World at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday. Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah, entered the third and final day needing two victories to reclaim the trophy.

Sunday’s matches were worth three points each, with the first team to reach 13 points claiming the Laver Cup. Match wins were worth one point on Friday and two points on Saturday. French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli of Italy teamed up ⁠with Czech Jakub Mensik to open the final day’s action, moving ​Team ⁠Europe to within one win of the title after a 7-5 6-3 victory over Team World’s Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur that extended their lead to 10-5.

French Open and US Open champion `Zverev then took centre stage against Tien, with the German prevailing 7-6(3) 6-3 to seal the title for Europe.

The victory marked the fourth ‌time Zverev had helped to clinch the Laver Cup for Team Europe. He also secured the winning points in Chicago in 2018, Geneva in 2019, and in Boston in 2021 when he won the doubles alongside Russian Andrey ‌Rublev.

Zverev’s victory sparked jubilant celebrations, with the European players leaping in celebration and singing on court. “I’m happy that I did it today,” Zverev said. “But massive credit to the entire Team World. They pushed us all the way.

“I think we had a great team, great team chemistry and a great team effort. We’re definitely happy that we won!” Seven-times Grand Slam champion ⁠Carlos Alcaraz, who returned at Flushing Meadows after a lengthy layoff due to a wrist injury and has looked sharp since, had been scheduled to face Australian De Minaur in a later singles match.

Rising 20-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar was due to play Fritz, but neither match was needed after Zverev wrapped up the contest. “We had three chances to close it out in the singles,” Zverev added. “Especially with Carlos playing after me, I think that gives me a lot of confidence and gives me a little bit of freedom to play.

“But still, it was an incredibly tough match. Credit to Learner as well. “I think Carlos is also very happy that I closed it out. ​And me too, by the way! I’m very happy that I won.”

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, a co-founder and co-owner `of the Laver Cup, were among the spectators at a packed O2 Arena. Team World is made up ⁠of players from continents outside Europe. The annual tournament, which began in 2017, is intended to be tennis’ equivalent of golf’s Ryder Cup.

Team Europe lifted the trophy in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024 before adding this year’s crown, while Team World won the title in 2022, 2023 and 2025. The 2027 edition, which will mark the tournament’s 10th staging, will be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

The very top of the US LBM coaches poll looks a lot like last week’s edition. One doesn’t have to go too far down, however, to see the shuffling caused by the chaotic week just completed.

Texas retains the No. 1 spot after escaping Tennessee on the road. The Longhorns were picked first by 45 of the 73 voters submitting this week. The voters were kind to the Volunteers, who drop just three positions to No. 17. Georgia holds the No. 2 spot with 17 No. 1 votes after rolling past struggling Oklahoma. Notre Dame also holds steady at No. 3, with three firsts this week.

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The changes begin at No. 4, as Miami nudges ahead of Indiana. Though the Hurricanes didn’t receive any No.-1 nods while the Hoosiers got eight, Miami claimed more points overall as IU struggled a bit to put away Northwestern. Ohio State is back up to No. 6, followed by Alabama.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 4

Florida makes the week’s most significant jump. The Gators vault all the way up to No. 8 after their convincing win against Mississippi. It’s the first top-10 appearance for the Gators since September of 2021, while the Rebels fall six places to No. 12. No. 9 Brigham Young and No. 10 Texas Tech continue to round out the top 10, as LSU stay put at No. 11.

Iowa moves up four spots to No. 14 thanks to its last-second thriller at Michigan. The Wolverines remain in the poll at No. 24. Oregon moves up just one spot to No. 15 by winning at Southern California, knocking the Trojans down six spots to No. 18.

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Four new teams join the top 25, headed by No. 16 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs staved off No. 25 Missouri to earn their first ranking since October of 2022. No. 20 Houston is also back in the rankings, and Duke and UCLA make their season debuts at No. 21 and 23 respectively. Texas A&M and Oklahoma drop out along with Louisville and Washington.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football rankings shuffled with Florida surging in US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25

Manchester United were linked with a move for Roma star Manu Kone during the summer transfer window

Roma have reportedly increased their asking price for midfielder Manu Kone amid reported interest from Manchester United. The Reds were credited with an interest in signing the France international during the summer transfer window as they looked to strengthen their midfield options.

United went into the transfer market for three new midfielders in the summer, with Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba all making the move to Old Trafford on permanent deals.

Kone’s future was the subject of intense speculation during the summer transfer window, particularly after the 25-year-old impressed during the World Cup with France.

Chelsea were also credited with an interest in signing Kone in the closing stages of the window, particularly after Enzo Fernandez completed a £125million switch to Manchester City.

A fresh update has emerged on Roma’s stance on Kone’s future just a few weeks after the summer transfer window closed.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma have increased the price tag that they have placed on Kone’s signature, having previously rejected a bid from Chelsea around €60million (£51.6m).

It has now been claimed that the Serie A club would now demand at least €100million (£86million) to consider parting company with Kone in any future transfer window.

It remains to be seen if United, or any other club, will look to try and sign Kone from Roma in January or next summer’s transfer window.

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Chelsea seemingly expressed the strongest interest in trying to sign the midfielder, with Monaco star Lamine Camara also a target on deadline day.

Having signed three midfielders in the summer, United were also looking to bring in a new left-back to compete with Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu before the transfer window closed.

Tyrell Malacia left United as a free agent at the end of last season, and United went on to not sign a replacement, leaving Shaw and Dorgu as the only left-back options in the senior squad until January, at least.

United still have two weeks to wait before returning to Premier League action after the international break, with Tottenham Hotspur their opponents on October 10 at Old Trafford.

On the other side of London, Carlos Alcaraz led Team Europe’s comeback on Laver Cup day two with a three-set singles win over Taylor Fritz. Europe now has a 7-5 lead heading into the final day of action on Sunday.

In volleyball, France were beaten by defending champions Poland in the European Championship final on Saturday evening in Milan. Les Bleus were ultimately defeated in four sets.

Demi Vollering has rounded off a near-perfect road cycling campaign by claiming her first World Championships title in Montreal on Saturday. The 29-year-old has also won both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia this season, among a string of other major races.

Scotland and Northern Ireland secured qualification for the Netball World Cup after a three-day event in East Kilbride.

The top two sides from the four-team tournament won their spots in the finals, which take place in Sydney, Australia, with Wales and Republic of Ireland failing to qualify.

Northern Ireland’s emphatic 73-50 win in the early match on Sunday meant they would qualify should Scotland win or draw, while Wales’ only path to qualification was through a victory over Scotland.

Heading into the final match of the tournament between the Scots and Welsh, the event hosts had their spot in the finals secured unless Wales won with an overwhelming points haul and Scotland ran out 55-48 victors.

The World Cup runs from 25 August-5 September 2027.