Sports Current Affairs 2026 for Government Exams

Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji won the silver medal in the deadlift at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Competing in the Junior Women's 47 kg category, the 21-year-old lifted 140 kg at a bodyweight of 45.70 kg - more than three times her own bodyweight. She finished fifth overall with a total of 280 kg, comprising a 90 kg squat, 50 kg bench press and 140 kg deadlift, a sharp improvement on her 257.5 kg total at the 2025 national championship. The result adds to India's growing medal record in strength sports.

The International Cricket Council approved India as host of the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027, moving it from Sri Lanka, which has yet to complete the governance reforms set out at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2026. Ratified by the ICC Board on 2 September 2026, the six-team tournament runs 14–28 February 2027 at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium, Gujarat. Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka qualified on ICC Women's T20I rankings as of 6 July 2026. A round-robin league sends the top two teams to the final on 28 February.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old East Zone opener, became the youngest half-centurion in Duleep Trophy history on 31 August 2026 in the semi-final against Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. Aged 15 years and 157 days, he broke a 57-year-old record set in January 1969 by Laxman Singh (16 years, 23 days). Sooryavanshi reached fifty in 42 balls and fell for 92 off 81 balls with seven fours and seven sixes, eight short of a century. A day earlier he had become the youngest captain in tournament history after regular skipper Ishan Kishan's finger injury. His 161-run opening stand helped East Zone post 266.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, chasing 161 in 18 overs. Virat Kohli (75* off 42) was Player of the Match as RCB claimed back-to-back titles.

Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 29 wickets, earning the Purple Cap.

The 15-year-old topped the run charts with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 - the highest ever among Orange Cap winners - ahead of Shubman Gill (732) and Sai Sudharsan (722).

Virat Kohli became the first player in IPL history to reach 9,000 career runs (and 800 boundaries) during IPL 2026, extending his record as the tournament's leading run-scorer.

During IPL 2026's April fixtures, Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the first fast bowler in IPL history to reach 200 wickets, a landmark for Indian pace bowling.

India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, becoming the first team to defend the T20 World Cup, the first host nation to win it, and the first to lift three titles. Sanju Samson was Player of the Tournament.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the Women's Premier League 2026 title at Vadodara, beating Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets. Chasing 204, RCB pulled off the highest run-chase in WPL history (Smriti Mandhana 87) for their second title.

India sealed their eighth consecutive T20I series triumph, opening with a 101-run win at Cuttack and clinching the 5th T20I at Ahmedabad by 30 runs.

India won the ODI decider at Visakhapatnam by 9 wickets to take the series 2-1; Virat Kohli was Player of the Series with 302 runs.

The 16th FIH Hockey World Cup, co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from 15-30 August 2026, ended with Germany beating Spain 1-0 at Wavre to retain the men's title and equal the record of four world crowns. In the women's final at Amstelveen, Argentina dethroned nine-time champions the Netherlands, winning 3-1 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw - Las Leonas' first world title since 2010. It was the third edition in which the men's and women's tournaments were fully integrated into a single co-hosted event, with 16 teams in each draw split into four pools.

India lost 1-3 to hosts Netherlands in the second round of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 at Amstelveen on 22 August 2026, a result that left their campaign on the brink. India's defence held firm through a goalless first half before the Dutch pulled away after the interval. The 2026 edition, captained for India by Harmanpreet Singh, is being co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands — the first men's World Cup staged jointly by two nations — with matches split between Wavre and Amstelveen. India, champions in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur, remain the only Asian side to have won the title outside Pakistan.

Hosted at Hyderabad, India beat Italy 1-0 in the semi-final but lost the final 2-0 to England. India, England and Scotland all qualified for the 2026 Women's World Cup.

The Kalinga Lancers won the men's Hockey India League title (their second), while the SG Pipers won the women's HIL crown.

India beat Argentina 4-2 to claim their first-ever bronze at the Junior World Cup (held in Tamil Nadu), while Germany won a record 8th title.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on 31 August 2026, closing a senior career of 125 goals in 207 appearances that began in August 2005. His last international was the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on 19 July 2026 at East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. Messi retires as Argentina's all-time top scorer and most-capped player, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles and the 2008 Olympic gold among his honours. He said he drafted the farewell on 21 July 2026, and referred to the death of his father and agent Jorge Messi on 8 August 2026. He continues at Inter Miami through 2028.

East Bengal FC won the 135th Durand Cup by beating arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 in the final at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. Bipin Singh opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Edmund Lalrindika struck a first-half hat-trick (11', 22', 44'); Manvir Singh got Mohun Bagan's consolation. The win ended a 22-year title drought since 2004, avenged the 2023 final defeat and took East Bengal level with Mohun Bagan on a record 17 titles each. Lalrindika won the Golden Ball and it was coach Antonio Lopez Habas's first trophy with the club.

On 19 July 2026, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 final played at the MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute, early in the first half of extra time. What happened: Spain dominated possession and territory through regulation time but were repeatedly denied by the Argentine goalkeeper. The decisive swing came in second-half stoppage time when Argentina's Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offence, leaving Argentina to play extra time with 10 men. Torres struck soon after the restart of extra time to settle the match. Significance: This is Spain's 2nd FIFA World Cup title, their first since 2010 (South Africa), where they beat the Netherlands in the final. Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022, finished runners-up and remain on 3 titles (1978, 1986, 2022). England finished third, beating France 6-4 in the third-place play-off. About the tournament: The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the 23rd edition and the first hosted jointly by three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and the first expanded to 48 teams.

Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, beating USA's Fabiano Caruana 15–13 in the inaugural GCT Finals at the Saint Louis Chess Club, Missouri, held from 22 to 27 August 2026. He overturned a six-point deficit on the final day, winning both rapid games for an 11–9 lead before the blitz segment. Wesley So (USA) took third and Germany's Vincent Keymer finished fourth. The 2026 Tour ran from 5 May to 27 August across five regular-season events plus the new Finals. Praggnanandhaa earned USD 200,000 as champion and topped Tour earnings with USD 404,354.

Aswath S, a 17-year-old from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, became India's 98th chess Grandmaster after securing his third and final GM norm at the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament (30 June-8 July 2026). He finished runner-up with 7 points from 9 rounds, defeating USA's FM Kannan Vaidyanathan with the black pieces in the final round. Abhijeet Gupta won the tournament. Aswath is also Tamil Nadu's 38th Grandmaster. The Grandmaster title is awarded by FIDE and requires three GM norms and a 2500 FIDE rating. India now needs just two more Grandmasters to reach the milestone of 100.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan won the Prague Masters with 6 points, becoming the first two-time champion; India's Aravindh Chithambaram tied for second.

Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan won her third Women's World Blitz title, defeating Anna Muzychuk in the final at Doha.

Magnus Carlsen beat Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5-1.5 in the final to win his ninth World Blitz crown at Doha.

Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia won her maiden Women's World Rapid Championship, defeating China's Zhu Jiner in blitz tiebreaks at Doha.

Magnus Carlsen won his sixth World Rapid title at Doha; India's Arjun Erigaisi won bronze in the Open section and Koneru Humpy won bronze in the Women's section.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports approved a 15-member Indian esports contingent for the 20th Asian Games, part of a 492-member Indian multi-sport delegation. The Games run in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026, with the esports competition from 23 September to 2 October. India received clearance in four titles: League of Legends, Pokemon UNITE, eFootball and Puyo Puyo Champions. The League of Legends squad is captained by Akshaj Shenoy and the Pokemon UNITE squad by Adnan Mohammed Badshah, while Paritosh of Rohtak is India's sole Puyo Puyo Champions entrant.

Sanjay Mishra, Secretary General of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), announced in August 2026 that the 2028 India Open will be staged at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) for Badminton in Guwahati, Assam, instead of the traditional KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi. The shift was needed because the tournament's late-January 2028 window clashes with Republic Day security arrangements in the capital; the event returns to New Delhi in 2029. The India Open is a BWF Super 750 tournament, upgraded from the 2023 season with prize money above USD 950,000. Guwahati has previously hosted the BWF World Junior Championships.

The 30th BWF World Championships concluded on 23 August 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi - India's second time hosting after Hyderabad in 2009, a 17-year gap. Alex Lanier became the first French player to win a world singles title, beating Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11, while South Korea's An Se-young claimed her second women's singles crown, defeating defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14. India's sole medal was the women's doubles bronze taken by Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand - the country's first in that category since 2011. The event was organised by BWF with the Badminton Association of India across five disciplines.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won the women's doubles bronze at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi after losing their semi-final to defending champions Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China. They are only the second Indian women's doubles pair to medal at the Worlds, after Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa's bronze at London 2011 — ending a 15-year wait. They had reached the last four by beating China's Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian 16-21, 21-15, 21-13. The medal preserved India's run of winning at least one Worlds medal in every edition since 2011.

At the BWF World Championships 2026 being held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi (17-23 August 2026), India's men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King. In women's doubles, the unseeded Indian pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also reached the quarterfinals for the first time, upsetting seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan 21-16, 21-12. India's singles campaign ended earlier in the tournament with the exits of Lakshya Sen and P.V. Sindhu. This is India's first time hosting the BWF World Championships since 2009, and comes days after Ayush Shetty's round-of-16 upset win over world No. 1 Shi Yuqi at the same event — part of a breakout run by young Indian shuttlers on home turf this week.

South Korea beat defending champions China 3-1 at Horsens, Denmark, for their third Uber Cup title in women's team badminton.

China defended the Thomas Cup, beating France 3-1 at Horsens, Denmark, retaining the premier men's team badminton title.

At the All England Open (Birmingham), Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei beat India's Lakshya Sen 21-15, 22-20 in the men's singles final; Wang Zhiyi of China won the women's title.

India's Senior National Badminton Championships concluded in late December 2025, crowning the year's national singles and doubles champions.

Ishaun Singh, President of the World Pool Association (WPA), announced that Ahmedabad, Gujarat will host the second Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships from 7–10 October 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. Athletes from 45 countries will compete in five disciplines — 10-Ball, Heyball, Blackball, Snooker and English Billiards — across 10 medal events for men and women. The event runs under the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) and the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), managed by Apex Sports Promotion. The inaugural edition was held in Mauritius in 2025; the award strengthens Ahmedabad's profile ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games it will host.

India's Ayush Shetty, ranked 22nd in the world, pulled off the biggest upset of the BWF World Championships 2026 opening round in New Delhi, beating defending champion and top seed Shi Yuqi of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 on his World Championships debut, despite a 0-3 head-to-head record against him coming in. The win came on the tournament's opening day, which India is hosting for the first time in 17 years; PV Sindhu and the pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals, keeping India's medal hopes alive across both draws.

New Delhi hosts the BWF World Championships 2026 from 17-23 August 2026, bringing the world''s top badminton players together for global titles. BWF (Badminton World Federation) is the sport''s international governing body.

India won both the men''s and women''s team titles at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026, hosted in New Delhi.

India clinched its first-ever overall title at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, topping the tally with a record 35 medals - 13 gold, 8 silver, 14 bronze across U-23 and Senior categories, and lifting the Wilkinson Sword Trophy (given since 1982 to the best-performing nation). India won five of six senior team golds - men's & women's sabre, men's & women's epee and women's foil - taking silver only in men's foil.

Indian para-cyclists won 12 medals at the UCI Parasport Denmark Grand Prix held in Odense, Denmark, following a three-day track cycling competition that began on 7 August 2026. The strong haul marks a milestone for India's growing para-cycling programme.

Ariha Pangambam from Manipur secured India's first-ever individual gold medal with a top score of 19.100 points in the Senior Women's individual event at the 10th Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships 2026 in Tagaytay City, Philippines (held 5-7 August 2026). Chanyapit Manee of Thailand won silver, while Mahiro Kishibe of Japan took bronze. Ariha's score comprised 8.650 artistry, 7.600 execution and 2.850 difficulty. She had finished 4th in both the 2022 and 2024 editions and previously won gold at the 2025 National Games (Uttarakhand). The championship is organised under the guidance of the Asian Gymnastics Union (AGU).

The 23rd Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2026) were held from 23 July to 2 August 2026. India finished 4th in the medal tally with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze. Glasgow hosted a leaner, cost-controlled edition of the Games. Among Indian highlights, Anahat Singh''s historic run at the World Junior Squash Championships was noted as India''s best-ever result in that event. India traditionally excels in shooting, wrestling, weightlifting, badminton and table tennis at the CWG.

India's 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Taipei Open Super 300, defeating Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-16 in the women's singles final. She became the youngest-ever Taipei Open champion and the first Indian woman since Saina Nehwal (2008) to win the title. Tanvi is coached by Park Tae-sang, the former coach of Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.

18-year-old Anahat Singh became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships women's singles title, defeating Egypt's Ruqayya Salem 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) in the final at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. Top-seeded Anahat ended Egypt's long dominance in the event and surpassed Joshna Chinappa's 2005 runner-up finish as India's best-ever result at the championship. Egypt's Mohamad Zakaria retained the men's singles title.

India defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on August 4, 2026, topping Group A with a perfect record and advancing to the Super 8 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 (co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka). India posted 193/6, powered by Shivam Dube's 66 off 31 balls (six sixes, four fours; fifty off just 25). The Netherlands were held to 176/7, with mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy taking 3/14. Shivam Dube was named Player of the Match.

At the Glasgow 2026 Closing Ceremony on 2 August 2026, the Commonwealth Games flag and host baton were handed to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, which will host the 24th Commonwealth Games — the centenary (100th) edition — in 2030. It will be India second time hosting the Games after New Delhi 2010.

India concluded the 23rd Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland (23 July - 2 August 2026) with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze — finishing 4th, behind Australia, Canada and England. Boxing led with a record 10 medals including 7 golds (most by any nation in boxing at a single CWG). Mirabai Chanu completed a hat-trick of CWG weightlifting titles. It was India best-ever CWG para campaign with 7 medals (3G-2S-2B); Dilip Gavit won the 100m T47 gold in a record 10.71s. Boxer Jaismine Lamboria was India flag-bearer at the Closing Ceremony.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games concluded on 2 August 2026 in Scotland. India won its first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medals: Harsh Singh defeated Australia's Joshua Katz in the men's 60 kg final to become the first Indian male judoka to win Commonwealth gold, while Asmita Dey captured the women's 48 kg title through the Golden Score. Judo returned to the CWG programme after being dropped in 2018 and 2022. Heading into the final day, India had 39 medals (13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze), with golds also coming in shooting and boxing. At the closing ceremony at the Hydro, India formally took over as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, marking its stint with a cultural showcase. Glasgow 2026 was a deliberately scaled-down, compact-venue edition of the Games.

The Union Cabinet approved a revamped Khelo India Scheme together with enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs), with a combined allocation of Rs 36,441 crore, to strengthen sports infrastructure, identify young talent, improve athlete training and support national federations. Khelo India was launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS); its components include the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, Winter Games and Para Games, and the network of Khelo India Centres (KICs). Union Sports Minister: Mansukh Mandaviya. India's stated target is a top-10 finish at the LA 2028 Olympics.

The 2026 ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) World Cup Rifle/Pistol was held at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China, from 20-29 July 2026. India finished third with four medals (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze). China topped with 18 medals (7G, 6S, 5B), followed by the USA. India's medals: Esha Singh won gold in the Women's 25m Pistol (her 2nd ISSF World Cup gold of 2026); Sainyam Vij won silver in the Women's 10m Air Pistol; Manu Bhaker won bronze in the Women's 25m Pistol; and Sonam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon won bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team.

At the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland (23 July-2 August 2026), weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women's 48 kg category, completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals (after Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022). She lifted a total of 190 kg (85 kg snatch + 105 kg clean & jerk), breaking the Games records in the snatch, clean & jerk and total. It was her fourth CWG medal overall (silver at Glasgow 2014) and India's first gold of the 2026 Games. As of Day 7 (30 July), India's tally stood at 15 medals - 3 gold, 9 silver, 3 bronze. Other highlights included Lovepreet Singh (weightlifting silver) and Seema Kaliramna (discus throw bronze). (Medal tallies change hourly - verify against the official CGF/IOA table before publishing.)

India continued its strong campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland (held 23 July - 2 August 2026). On Day 6 (29 July), Dilip Mahadu Gavit clinched gold in the men's 100m T47 with a Games-record 10.71 seconds, while Mohammed Basil M took silver to complete a historic Indian 1-2 finish in para-athletics. Murali Sreeshankar won silver in the men's long jump with a best of 8.09m (Jamaica's Tajay Gayle took gold with 8.15m), and Gulveer Singh earned a historic silver in the men's 10,000m. India's boxers also swept their quarter-finals, with six pugilists advancing to the semi-finals. Earlier in the Games, Mirabai Chanu delivered a weightlifting gold. Glasgow 2026 is a scaled-down edition featuring around 11 sports and 74 participating nations.

India continued its medal campaign at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. As of Day 5 (28 July 2026), India had won 12 medals — 2 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze. On 28 July, Gulveer Singh won silver in athletics and Harjinder Kaur won silver in the women's 69 kg weightlifting, while boxers Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas and Jadumani Singh entered the semi-finals to assure India of more medals. Glasgow is hosting a scaled-down edition of the Games with a reduced sports programme, featuring athletes from Commonwealth nations and territories.

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain confirmed India's first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, even before the opening ceremony (23 July 2026). In the women's 75 kg category, only five boxers entered, so she reached the semifinal without a bout; under CWG boxing rules, both losing semifinalists take bronze, guaranteeing her a podium finish. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist from Assam begins her campaign on 31 July, and this will be her maiden CWG podium.

India's PV Sindhu won her maiden Japan Open women's singles title, defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final of the BWF Super 750 event (Daihatsu Japan Open 2026, 43rd edition) in Tokyo, 14-19 July 2026. In the men's singles, France's Christo Popov beat Japan's Koki Watanabe.

Spain secured its second FIFA World Cup title, defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey (USA), with substitute Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. The 23rd edition (11 June-19 July 2026) was co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada in an expanded 48-team format. Rodri (Spain) won the Golden Ball; Kylian Mbappé (France) took the Golden Boot with 10 goals; Lionel Messi (aged 39) won the Silver Ball; Unai Simón set a record with 7 clean sheets.

On 18 July 2026, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, President of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and Chief Minister of Assam, unveiled the official mascot 'Peacko' and launched the championship anthem for the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi. Mascot: 'Peacko' is inspired by the Indian Peafowl, India's national bird. Anthem: The official anthem features India's 16-member World Championships contingent, including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. Tournament: This is the 30th edition of the BWF World Championships, scheduled for 17-23 August 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, featuring 400+ shuttlers from over 50 countries.

India's Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, won her maiden Japan Open women's singles title at the 2026 Japan Open (officially the Daihatsu Japan Open 2026), defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final. The tournament was the 43rd edition of the BWF Super 750 event, held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan, from 14 to 19 July 2026. Other winners: Men's Singles — Christo Popov (France) beat Japan's Koki Watanabe 21-11, 21-19. Men's Doubles — Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (Indonesia) beat Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae (South Korea). Women's Doubles — Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong (South Korea) beat Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian (China). Mixed Doubles — Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping (China) beat Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet (Hong Kong).

Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026, the 23rd edition of the quadrennial men's football championship, defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final played at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey (USA) on 19 July 2026. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute. This is Spain's second World Cup crown, their first since 2010 (South Africa). The 2026 edition ran from 11 June to 19 July 2026 and was the first co-hosted by three nations — the United States (11 host cities), Mexico (3) and Canada (2), 16 host cities in all. It was also the first World Cup with an expanded 48-team format (up from 32), organised as 12 groups of four, a 104-match schedule, and a new Round of 32 comprising the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams. Individual awards: Spain's Rodri won the Golden Ball (best player); France's Kylian Mbappe took the Golden Boot with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the Golden Boot twice; Spain's Unai Simon won the Golden Glove, setting a World Cup record of 7 clean sheets in 8 matches; and Spain's Pau Cubarsi was named Best Young Player. Argentina's Lionel Messi, aged 39, became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup final and the first player to start three World Cup finals, finishing with 8 goals and 4 assists and taking the Silver Ball; Mbappe took the Bronze Ball.

In July 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved major format changes to the ICC Men's ODI World Cup and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup during its annual Board meetings held in Edinburgh, Scotland. New ODI World Cup format (from 2027): A four-stage format comprising — 1. A Preliminary Round featuring the 12th- to 14th-ranked teams, 2. Two groups of six teams, 3. A Super 7 stage replacing the Super Six, and 4. The knockout stage. The top three teams from each group plus the best fourth-placed team advance. Total matches increase from 48 to 57. The tournament remains a 14-team event. New T20 World Cup format: The 20-team event will begin with five groups of four teams, followed by a Super 10 stage replacing the Super 8, with the top two from each group advancing and Eliminators determining the remaining semi-finalists. The second stage thus expands from 8 to 10 teams. Purpose: To enhance competitiveness and reduce dead-rubber matches.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) granted conditional recognition to the Judo Federation of India (JFI), allowing it to resume governance, organise championships, select athletes and ensure India's participation in domestic and international events. Recognition followed JFI's agreement to comply with MYAS directives and the National Sports Development Code, 2011. JFI had been under a court-appointed administrator since 2022; after a Delhi High Court ruling in February 2026, it held its AGM and aligned with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. Interim committee: Mukesh Kumar (President), Banee Brata Das (Secretary General), Shailesh Shrikant Tilak (Treasurer).

In July 2026, the Indian Women Cricket Team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated England by 270 runs in the first-ever Women Test at Lord's, London, defending a target of 457 — India second-largest win by runs in Women Tests. Yastika Bhatia (113) became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's and entered the honours board; Smriti Mandhana scored fifties in both innings. Debutant Kranti Gaud took 5/37 (7/91 in the match) to become the first woman with a five-wicket haul in a Women Test at Lord's.

The ICC inducted former India women's captain Anjum Chopra and former England captain Kevin Pietersen into the ICC Hall of Fame during its Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, taking total inductees to 125. Anjum Chopra became the 3rd Indian woman (after Diana Edulji and Neetu David) and 13th Indian overall. She was the first Indian woman to play 100 ODIs and reach 1,000 ODI runs, and received the Padma Shri in 2014.

Jannik Sinner of Italy won the Wimbledon 2026 men's singles title, defeating Germany's Alexander Zverev in the final. In the women's singles, Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic claimed her maiden Grand Slam title, beating compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the first all-Czech Wimbledon women's final of the professional era. The 21-year-old Noskova is the third Czech woman in four years to win the Wimbledon crown. Wimbledon, played at the All England Club, London, is the oldest tennis tournament and the only Grand Slam contested on grass. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam still played on grass courts.

Russia's Mirra Andreeva claimed her maiden Grand Slam, beating Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2. At 19 years and 1 month, she became the youngest woman to win Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1992.

Germany's Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final (6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1), after three previous major runner-up finishes.

Jannik Sinner won both Indian Wells (4-15 March) and the Miami Open (17-29 March), becoming the first man to complete the 'Sunshine Double' without dropping a set; Aryna Sabalenka won both women's titles.

The 2026 Australian Open ran 18 January-1 February at Melbourne Park. Defending men's champion Jannik Sinner lost in the semi-finals; Venus Williams, at 45, became the oldest player in the women's singles draw.

Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Australian Open (7th major and career Grand Slam), while Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka for the women's singles title.

Union Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that Telangana will host the 8th Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in November 2026, with over 8,000 athletes and officials expected. Telangana becomes the second southern state in three years to host, after Tamil Nadu (2024) and Bihar (2025). In the 2025 Bihar edition, Maharashtra topped the medal table, followed by Haryana and Rajasthan; hosts Bihar finished 15th and Telangana 13th. Khelo India was launched in 2018 to nurture grassroots sporting talent.

The 23rd FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, kicked off on 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, where hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0. It is the first 48-team World Cup.

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals to win their third NBA championship and their first since 1973.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the NHL Stanley Cup Final to win their second Stanley Cup and first since 2006, clinching Game 6 with a shutout.

Hosts India beat top seeds Hong Kong China 3-0 in the SDAT Squash World Cup final in Chennai, winning their first-ever title and becoming the first Asian nation to do so; the squad included Anahat Singh and Joshna Chinappa.

The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry released draft amendments proposing up to 5 years' imprisonment and Rs 2 lakh fine for trafficking prohibited substances, with up to 10 years for offences involving minors.

Held in Madrid, Spain, Carlos Alcaraz won Sportsman of the Year and Aryna Sabalenka won Sportswoman of the Year. Paris Saint-Germain won World Team of the Year and Nadia Comaneci received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The first edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games concluded in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, with Karnataka topping the medal tally (23 gold). Around 3,800 athletes from 30 states/UTs competed; the mascot was 'Morveer'.

India won hosting rights for the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships, with Bhubaneswar selected as host city - making India the fourth Asian nation to host the event.

Norway topped the tally with 41 medals (18 gold), followed by the USA (33) and host Italy (30). Norway's 41 total and 18 golds are new all-time records for a single Winter Games.

The XXV Olympic Winter Games were held across Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - the first Games with the opening ceremony spread across multiple locations.

Arif Khan finished 39th in the men's slalom - India's best-ever result in the event - and became the first Indian to compete in two consecutive Winter Olympics. India remains without a Winter Olympic medal.

India was represented by alpine skier Arif Khan (men's slalom) and cross-country skier Stanzin Lundup (10 km). Arif Khan was India's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.

Norway's cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won six gold medals, becoming the first Winter Olympian to win six golds at a single Games.

The opening ceremony (6 February) was staged mainly at San Siro, Milan, before nearly 61,000 spectators; the closing ceremony (22 February), themed 'Beauty in Action', was held at the historic Verona Arena.

At Torun, Switzerland's Simon Ehammer scored 6,670 points to break Ashton Eaton's 14-year-old indoor heptathlon world record by 25 points and win gold.

The 21st edition ran 20-22 March at Torun, Poland, where Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis won a fourth successive indoor pole-vault title with a championship record 6.25m. India was awarded the 2028 edition.

The first phase of the 6th Khelo India Winter Games was held in Leh, Ladakh, featuring ice hockey and ice skating (with figure skating added for the first time); around 900 athletes competed.

The Indian Army retained the men's ice hockey gold, beating Chandigarh 3-2 in the final; Ladakh's Skarma Tsultim was a standout with four medals.