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The trend of esports has taken the global market by storm as the action has switched from on-field to off-field sports. With the emergence of high-quality mobile phones and advanced processors in recent years gaming has become more than a hobby as the esports market has now become a major player in the commerce industry. Reflecting on the same was Head of Marketing, Ampverse DMI Sumedha Mahajan as she exclusively spoke to WION on how the industry has grown over the years on the global stage.
Currently the esports market is one of the biggest in the world and the revenue worldwide is projected to reach US$4.8bn in 2025. With the scale it has been growing, India is one of the biggest players and contributors with a population of 1.4 billion people.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Question: So how do you see the esports market's growth in the last decade or so?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The Esports industry has experienced exponential growth globally, with increasing prize pools, viewership, and mainstream recognition. In India, this growth has been fueled by mobile gaming, affordable data access, and a young, digital-first audience. The last few years saw the rise of dedicated Esports tournaments, professional teams, and significant investments from global organizations.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">How are brands leveraging the esports boom in India with rapid growth in recent times?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Brands are capitalising on Esports through sponsorships, in-game advertising, influencer collaborations, and product integrations. FMCG, fintech, and tech brands are leading this charge, using esports as a gateway to connect with Gen Z audiences. The rise of gaming-related content on platforms like YouTube has also allowed non-endemic brands to enter the space through partnerships with esports creators.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jasprit-bumrah-injury-update-latest-news-blow-for-mumbai-indians-as-pacer-ruled-out-of-first-few-ipl-2025-games-8852847" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What is the role of strategic marketing in shaping gaming IPs?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Strategic marketing plays a crucial role in building and sustaining gaming IPs by driving fan engagement through storytelling, community-building, and experiential activations. Esports IPs like College Rivals thrive on a mix of digital content, influencer marketing, and brand partnerships that keep audiences invested beyond just tournament days.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">How is your organisation helping to create a unique approach for an esports talent pipeline?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Esports in India isn&rsquo;t just growing at the top level&mdash;it&rsquo;s evolving from the grassroots up. At Ampverse DMI India, we&rsquo;re building a structured esports talent pipeline by hosting college-level tournaments &ndash; Platforms like College Rivals give young players a stage to showcase their skills.

Sports: The emergence of high-quality mobile phones and advanced processors in recent years has seen gaming become more than a hobby leading to the esports revolution.

The trend of esports has taken the global market by storm as the action has switched from on-field to off-field sports. With the emergence of high-quality mobile phones and advanced processors in recent years gaming has become more than a hobby as the esports market has now become a major player in the commerce industry. Reflecting on the same was Head of Marketing, Ampverse DMI Sumedha Mahajan as she exclusively spoke to WION on how the industry has grown over the years on the global stage. Currently the esports market is one of the biggest in the world and the revenue worldwide is projected to reach US$4.8bn in 2025. With the scale it has been growing, India is one of the biggest players and contributors with a population of 1.4 billion people. Question: So how do you see the esports market's growth in the last decade or so? The Esports industry has experienced exponential growth globally, with increasing prize pools, viewership, and mainstream recognition. In India, this growth has been fueled by mobile gaming, affordable data access, and a young, digital-first audience. The last few years saw the rise of dedicated Esports tournaments, professional teams, and significant investments from global organizations. How are brands leveraging the esports boom in India with rapid growth in recent times? Brands are capitalising on Esports through sponsorships, in-game advertising, influencer collaborations, and product integrations. FMCG, fintech, and tech brands are leading this charge, using esports as a gateway to connect with Gen Z audiences. The rise of gaming-related content on platforms like YouTube has also allowed non-endemic brands to enter the space through partnerships with esports creators. ALSO READ | Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games What is the role of strategic marketing in shaping gaming IPs? Strategic marketing plays a crucial role in building and sustaining gaming IPs by driving fan engagement through storytelling, community-building, and experiential activations. Esports IPs like College Rivals thrive on a mix of digital content, influencer marketing, and brand partnerships that keep audiences invested beyond just tournament days. How is your organisation helping to create a unique approach for an esports talent pipeline? Esports in India isn’t just growing at the top level—it’s evolving from the grassroots up. At Ampverse DMI India, we’re building a structured esports talent pipeline by hosting college-level tournaments – Platforms like College Rivals give young players a stage to showcase their skills.

Exclusive: Esports industry has experienced exponential growth globally

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the League Cup final against Newcastle with an ankle injury that leaves the defender facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
Alexander-Arnold was injured in the second half of Liverpool's Champions League last 16 penalty shoot-out defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old's absence is a huge blow to Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who is without a recognised right-back for Sunday's showdown with Newcastle at Wembley.
Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, the usual candidates to replace Alexander-Arnold, are both still recovering from injuries.
"Trent is not available. He will not be there at the final," Slot told reporters on Friday.
"He is still to be assessed for how long it will take but we do expect him back before the end of the season."
Alexander-Arnold was left out of the England squad named by Thomas Tuchel on Friday ahead of their World Cup qualifiers later in March.
Slot is confident Jarell Quansah can prove an able deputy for Alexander-Arnold at Wembley after being impressed by his reaction to being dropped earlier this season.
Quansah lost his place as Liverpool's starting centre-back at half-time of the season opener at Ipswich because Slot said he "lost too many duels".
The 22-year-old could have been affected by that snub but he bounced back so strongly that he has earned a place in Tuchel's England squad.
"If being substituted at half-time is a setback then almost every player has more than a few setbacks during his career," Slot said.
"In the end that probably went to a situation where he got criticised more than was normal for a player who was taken off at half-time.
"Mentality-wise it might have been a big moment for him because now he has experienced that people were not only positive about him like last season.
"He also knows now he can fight his way back if people are all of a sudden not positive any more."
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jasprit-bumrah-injury-update-latest-news-blow-for-mumbai-indians-as-pacer-ruled-out-of-first-few-ipl-2025-games-8852847" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games</a>
<h2>Perfect game</h2>
League Cup holders Liverpool are aiming to win the first trophy of Slot's reign when they face Newcastle this weekend.
The Reds are also on course for a record-equalling 20th English title after opening up a 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
It will be Slot's first visit to Wembley, making an already special occasion even more significant for the former Feyenoord boss.
"No, I haven't been there before. It's not only for English people an iconic stadium, it is also for Dutch people," Slot said.
"I think my first memory I have of that stadium is when Ronald Koeman scored for Barcelona, their winner in the Champions League final. I am really happy that after Sunday Wembley is also on my list of stadiums that I have managed at."
After their painful Champions League loss to PSG, Slot hopes the chance of winning silverware at Wembley will be the perfect motivation for his wounded team.
"It's a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain we are really looking forward to playing this final now," he said.
"It's maybe the perfect game but I think our nine games in the league are going to be finals as well so if we had to play for the league on Sunday I think we would have been up for it also.&nbsp;
"But yeah, it's always nice to play for a trophy, it's always nice to win something."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Alexander-Arnold was injured in the second half of Liverpool's Champions League last 16 penalty shoot-out defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the League Cup final against Newcastle with an ankle injury that leaves the defender facing an extended spell on the sidelines. Alexander-Arnold was injured in the second half of Liverpool's Champions League last 16 penalty shoot-out defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday. The 26-year-old's absence is a huge blow to Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who is without a recognised right-back for Sunday's showdown with Newcastle at Wembley. Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, the usual candidates to replace Alexander-Arnold, are both still recovering from injuries. "Trent is not available. He will not be there at the final," Slot told reporters on Friday. "He is still to be assessed for how long it will take but we do expect him back before the end of the season." Alexander-Arnold was left out of the England squad named by Thomas Tuchel on Friday ahead of their World Cup qualifiers later in March. Slot is confident Jarell Quansah can prove an able deputy for Alexander-Arnold at Wembley after being impressed by his reaction to being dropped earlier this season. Quansah lost his place as Liverpool's starting centre-back at half-time of the season opener at Ipswich because Slot said he "lost too many duels". The 22-year-old could have been affected by that snub but he bounced back so strongly that he has earned a place in Tuchel's England squad. "If being substituted at half-time is a setback then almost every player has more than a few setbacks during his career," Slot said. "In the end that probably went to a situation where he got criticised more than was normal for a player who was taken off at half-time. "Mentality-wise it might have been a big moment for him because now he has experienced that people were not only positive about him like last season. "He also knows now he can fight his way back if people are all of a sudden not positive any more." ALSO READ | Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games Perfect game League Cup holders Liverpool are aiming to win the first trophy of Slot's reign when they face Newcastle this weekend. The Reds are also on course for a record-equalling 20th English title after opening up a 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League. It will be Slot's first visit to Wembley, making an already special occasion even more significant for the former Feyenoord boss. "No, I haven't been there before. It's not only for English people an iconic stadium, it is also for Dutch people," Slot said. "I think my first memory I have of that stadium is when Ronald Koeman scored for Barcelona, their winner in the Champions League final. I am really happy that after Sunday Wembley is also on my list of stadiums that I have managed at." After their painful Champions League loss to PSG, Slot hopes the chance of winning silverware at Wembley will be the perfect motivation for his wounded team. "It's a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain we are really looking forward to playing this final now," he said. "It's maybe the perfect game but I think our nine games in the league are going to be finals as well so if we had to play for the league on Sunday I think we would have been up for it also. "But yeah, it's always nice to play for a trophy, it's always nice to win something." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

League Cup Final: Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold to miss out in major injury blow

New England manager Thomas Tuchel announced his maiden squad on Friday (Mar 14) as star striker Marcus Rashford returns to the squad. Rashford, who missed out on the England squad for Euro 2024 in Germany returns after his move away to Aston Villa in the Premier League. He was out of favour at Manchester United under new boss Ruben Amorim while the squad also features Dominic Solanke who has not played much club football in recent months.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Rashford returns for England<o:p></o:p></h2>
Having faced hard time at Manchester United, Rashford made a loan switch to Aston Villa where he put in impressive showings. His performances at Villa have paid dividends which saw him return to the England squad. He helped Villa reach their first Champions League quarterfinal since the 1981-82 season when they clinched the European title. His impact alongside fellow loan signing Marco Asensio has given Villa an outside chance to win the Champions League.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The squad also features the likes of Jordan Henderson and Dominic Solanke who have been having a hard time at club level. Solanke has been struggling with injuries while Henderson&rsquo;s form for Ajax has been inconsistent.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Will Tuchel lead England to World Cup glory?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Tuchel&rsquo;s appointment was a huge boost for England as he comes with a reputation of cup-winning mentality. He won multiple titles with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea which saw him become a prime candidate to take over the England job. He is expected to help England win the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jasprit-bumrah-injury-update-latest-news-blow-for-mumbai-indians-as-pacer-ruled-out-of-first-few-ipl-2025-games-8852847" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">England Squad for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers<o:p></o:p></h2>
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley).<o:p></o:p>
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City).<o:p></o:p>
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).<o:p></o:p>
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur).<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Football: Marcus Rashford, who missed out on the England squad for Euro 2024 in Germany returns after his move away to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

New England manager Thomas Tuchel announced his maiden squad on Friday (Mar 14) as star striker Marcus Rashford returns to the squad. Rashford, who missed out on the England squad for Euro 2024 in Germany returns after his move away to Aston Villa in the Premier League. He was out of favour at Manchester United under new boss Ruben Amorim while the squad also features Dominic Solanke who has not played much club football in recent months. Rashford returns for England Having faced hard time at Manchester United, Rashford made a loan switch to Aston Villa where he put in impressive showings. His performances at Villa have paid dividends which saw him return to the England squad. He helped Villa reach their first Champions League quarterfinal since the 1981-82 season when they clinched the European title. His impact alongside fellow loan signing Marco Asensio has given Villa an outside chance to win the Champions League. The squad also features the likes of Jordan Henderson and Dominic Solanke who have been having a hard time at club level. Solanke has been struggling with injuries while Henderson’s form for Ajax has been inconsistent. Will Tuchel lead England to World Cup glory? Tuchel’s appointment was a huge boost for England as he comes with a reputation of cup-winning mentality. He won multiple titles with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea which saw him become a prime candidate to take over the England job. He is expected to help England win the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada. ALSO READ | Jasprit Bumrah injury update: Blow for Mumbai Indians as pacer ruled out of first few IPL 2025 games England Squad for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley). Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City). Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa). Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur).

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Thomas Tuchel names Marcus Rashford in maiden England squad

Bayern Munich on Thursday announced Joshua Kimmich had signed a four-year extension to his contract that had been set to expire at the end of the season.
Germany international Kimmich said he made his decision because Bayern is "the best environment to achieve my sporting goals.
"There's currently no better package of teammates, coaching staff and club environment for me to achieve maximum success. I feel at home here and I'm not finished yet."
After Tuesday's 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen sent Bayern through to the Champions League quarter-finals, Kimmich told reporters he was set to prolong his stay at the club.
After speculation he could leave Bayern in previous seasons, Kimmich has rediscovered his best form in midfield under Vincent Kompany, having played every minute in the Bundesliga until picking up a minor injury in February.
Kimmich, already the national team captain, is viewed as the successor to current Bayern skipper Manuel Neuer.
Sporting director Christoph Freund called the 30-year-old Kimmich "a driving force that will tirelessly drive Bayern forward in the future".
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/aussie-t20i-skipper-mitchell-marsh-declared-fit-for-ipl-2025-after-missing-out-champions-trophy-with-injury-8849892" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury</a>
Kimmich's new contract is the latest in several extended deals in 2025 as Bayern seek to shore up their future, with Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies all recently extending their contracts.
Kimmich signed for Bayern from Stuttgart in 2015 after a two-year spell at RB Leipzig and has made 429 appearances for Bayern, scoring 43 goals and providing 115 assists.
At Bayern, Kimmich has won eight Bundesliga titles and lifted the Champions League in 2020.
Kimmich has also played 97 times for Germany.&nbsp;
Eight points clear of defending champions Leverkusen, Bayern are on track to win back the Bundesliga title.&nbsp;
They will face Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals, with this season's final to be held in Munich in May.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Germany international Joshua Kimmich said he made his decision because Bayern is "the best environment to achieve my sporting goals."

Bayern Munich on Thursday announced Joshua Kimmich had signed a four-year extension to his contract that had been set to expire at the end of the season. Germany international Kimmich said he made his decision because Bayern is "the best environment to achieve my sporting goals. "There's currently no better package of teammates, coaching staff and club environment for me to achieve maximum success. I feel at home here and I'm not finished yet." After Tuesday's 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen sent Bayern through to the Champions League quarter-finals, Kimmich told reporters he was set to prolong his stay at the club. After speculation he could leave Bayern in previous seasons, Kimmich has rediscovered his best form in midfield under Vincent Kompany, having played every minute in the Bundesliga until picking up a minor injury in February. Kimmich, already the national team captain, is viewed as the successor to current Bayern skipper Manuel Neuer. Sporting director Christoph Freund called the 30-year-old Kimmich "a driving force that will tirelessly drive Bayern forward in the future". ALSO READ | Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury Kimmich's new contract is the latest in several extended deals in 2025 as Bayern seek to shore up their future, with Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies all recently extending their contracts. Kimmich signed for Bayern from Stuttgart in 2015 after a two-year spell at RB Leipzig and has made 429 appearances for Bayern, scoring 43 goals and providing 115 assists. At Bayern, Kimmich has won eight Bundesliga titles and lifted the Champions League in 2020. Kimmich has also played 97 times for Germany. Eight points clear of defending champions Leverkusen, Bayern are on track to win back the Bundesliga title. They will face Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals, with this season's final to be held in Munich in May. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Joshua Kimmich extends Bayern Munich contract until 2029

India capped off a spectacular campaign at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/world-para-athletics-grand-prix-2025">World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025</a>, finishing at the top of the medal standings with an outstanding total of 134 medals&mdash;45 gold, 40 silver, and 49 bronze. The host nation demonstrated its depth, strength, and determination in para athletics, solidifying its position as a global powerhouse in the sport.
The final day of the Grand Prix delivered thrilling moments across multiple events. In the women&rsquo;s 200m T35&ndash;T38, Australia&rsquo;s Rhiannon Clarke secured gold, while Margarita Goncharova from the Neutral Para Athletes contingent took silver. India&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/preeti-pal">Preeti Pal</a>, who had previously earned silver, added another medal to her tally with a bronze finish.
In the women&rsquo;s Long Jump T38, T44, T61, legendary Australian athlete <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vanessa-low">Vanessa Low</a> clinched gold with an impressive 4.96-meter leap. Zhanana Fekolina took silver, while India&rsquo;s Bhavani Munniyandi claimed bronze with a jump of 3.51 meters. The men&rsquo;s shot put F40&ndash;F41 saw Denis Gnezdilov (Neutral Para Athletes) take gold, Aiaal Sivtsev win silver, and India&rsquo;s Ravi Rangoli secure bronze.
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The men&rsquo;s 200m T35 event witnessed Dmitrii Safronov (Neutral Para Athletes) win gold with a time of 24.20 seconds, followed by India&rsquo;s Vinay (silver, 29.58 seconds) and Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav (bronze, 31.55 seconds). In the men&rsquo;s 200m T37, the Neutral Para Athletes dominated the podium with a clean sweep.
<h2>India's dominance</h2>
A historic moment for India came in the men&rsquo;s shot put F11&ndash;F20, where the hosts secured a podium sweep. Sagar claimed gold with a throw of 11.47 meters, Janka Singh won silver (9.91 meters), and Balaji Rajendran took bronze (9.89 meters). The women&rsquo;s long jump T20&ndash;T37 saw Irina Sapanzha win gold with a leap of 5.35 meters, followed by Valentina (silver, 5.16 meters) and India&rsquo;s Bhuvi Agarwal (bronze, 4.16 meters).
In the men&rsquo;s shot put F33&ndash;F34 event, Sarvarbek (Uzbekistan) won gold, India&rsquo;s Devershee took silver, and Husan (Uzbekistan) claimed bronze. India also excelled in sprint events, with Mit Bharatbhai Patel securing silver in the men&rsquo;s 200m T44 (26.68 seconds) and Ankur earning silver in his classification (31.23 seconds). The men&rsquo;s 200m T61&ndash;T64 saw Japan&rsquo;s Yuma Tamaki take gold (24.16 seconds), while India&rsquo;s Pranav Prashant and Naresh won silver and bronze, respectively.
India continued its dominance in field events with another clean sweep in the women&rsquo;s discus throw F56&ndash;F57, as Fatima, Suman Bala, and Asha Jalandar secured gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. In the men&rsquo;s shot put F35&ndash;F37, Kudratillokhon (Uzbekistan) won gold (14.89 meters), Alan Kokoity took silver (14.68 meters), and Albert (Neutral Para Athletes) claimed bronze.
The event concluded on a high note for India with another podium sweep in the men&rsquo;s 5000m T11&ndash;T12, as Sharath clinched gold, Saurabh took silver, and Ankur secured bronze.

Sports: The host nation demonstrated its depth, strength, and determination in para athletics, solidifying its position as a global powerhouse in the sport.

India capped off a spectacular campaign at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025, finishing at the top of the medal standings with an outstanding total of 134 medals—45 gold, 40 silver, and 49 bronze. The host nation demonstrated its depth, strength, and determination in para athletics, solidifying its position as a global powerhouse in the sport. The final day of the Grand Prix delivered thrilling moments across multiple events. In the women’s 200m T35–T38, Australia’s Rhiannon Clarke secured gold, while Margarita Goncharova from the Neutral Para Athletes contingent took silver. India’s Preeti Pal, who had previously earned silver, added another medal to her tally with a bronze finish. In the women’s Long Jump T38, T44, T61, legendary Australian athlete Vanessa Low clinched gold with an impressive 4.96-meter leap. Zhanana Fekolina took silver, while India’s Bhavani Munniyandi claimed bronze with a jump of 3.51 meters. The men’s shot put F40–F41 saw Denis Gnezdilov (Neutral Para Athletes) take gold, Aiaal Sivtsev win silver, and India’s Ravi Rangoli secure bronze. Also Read: Champions League: UEFA to mull penalty rule rethink after Julian Alvarez controversy The men’s 200m T35 event witnessed Dmitrii Safronov (Neutral Para Athletes) win gold with a time of 24.20 seconds, followed by India’s Vinay (silver, 29.58 seconds) and Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav (bronze, 31.55 seconds). In the men’s 200m T37, the Neutral Para Athletes dominated the podium with a clean sweep. India's dominance A historic moment for India came in the men’s shot put F11–F20, where the hosts secured a podium sweep. Sagar claimed gold with a throw of 11.47 meters, Janka Singh won silver (9.91 meters), and Balaji Rajendran took bronze (9.89 meters). The women’s long jump T20–T37 saw Irina Sapanzha win gold with a leap of 5.35 meters, followed by Valentina (silver, 5.16 meters) and India’s Bhuvi Agarwal (bronze, 4.16 meters). In the men’s shot put F33–F34 event, Sarvarbek (Uzbekistan) won gold, India’s Devershee took silver, and Husan (Uzbekistan) claimed bronze. India also excelled in sprint events, with Mit Bharatbhai Patel securing silver in the men’s 200m T44 (26.68 seconds) and Ankur earning silver in his classification (31.23 seconds). The men’s 200m T61–T64 saw Japan’s Yuma Tamaki take gold (24.16 seconds), while India’s Pranav Prashant and Naresh won silver and bronze, respectively. India continued its dominance in field events with another clean sweep in the women’s discus throw F56–F57, as Fatima, Suman Bala, and Asha Jalandar secured gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. In the men’s shot put F35–F37, Kudratillokhon (Uzbekistan) won gold (14.89 meters), Alan Kokoity took silver (14.68 meters), and Albert (Neutral Para Athletes) claimed bronze. The event concluded on a high note for India with another podium sweep in the men’s 5000m T11–T12, as Sharath clinched gold, Saurabh took silver, and Ankur secured bronze.

World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025: India tops medal tally with 134 medals

UEFA on Thursday said it would consider a potential rule change after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez's penalty was controversially disallowed in their Champions League shootout loss to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid won Wednesday's shootout 4-2 after a 2-2 draw on aggregate to qualify for the quarter-finals, with Atletico coach Diego Simeone casting suspicion on the decision to rule out Alvarez's spot-kick.
The Argentina international was deemed by VAR to have kicked the ball twice, touching it with his standing foot as he slipped before striking to score.
"Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it," UEFA said in a statement.
"Under the current rule, the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed."&nbsp;
However, European football's governing body said it would hold talks with the sport's lawmakers regarding the rule on double touches.
"UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional," it added.
Simeone said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/aussie-t20i-skipper-mitchell-marsh-declared-fit-for-ipl-2025-after-missing-out-champions-trophy-with-injury-8849892" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury</a>
"I've never seen a penalty where they've called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it."
The coach asked members of the media during his press conference to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice.
"Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand," shouted Simeone.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: The Argentina international was deemed by VAR to have kicked the ball twice, touching it with his standing foot as he slipped before striking to score.

UEFA on Thursday said it would consider a potential rule change after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez's penalty was controversially disallowed in their Champions League shootout loss to Real Madrid. Real Madrid won Wednesday's shootout 4-2 after a 2-2 draw on aggregate to qualify for the quarter-finals, with Atletico coach Diego Simeone casting suspicion on the decision to rule out Alvarez's spot-kick. The Argentina international was deemed by VAR to have kicked the ball twice, touching it with his standing foot as he slipped before striking to score. "Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it," UEFA said in a statement. "Under the current rule, the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed." However, European football's governing body said it would hold talks with the sport's lawmakers regarding the rule on double touches. "UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional," it added. Simeone said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right. ALSO READ | Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury "I've never seen a penalty where they've called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it." The coach asked members of the media during his press conference to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice. "Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand," shouted Simeone. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions League: UEFA to mull penalty rule rethink after Julian Alvarez controversy

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start negotiations to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title against Joseph Parker.
The move that could end British fighter Daniel Dubois' hopes of a re-match with the Ukrainian.
The WBO announced Thursday that Usyk, who also holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) belts, has 30 days to "reach terms" for a mandatory title defence against New Zealand's Parker or the governing body will call for purse bids.
Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-set-up-champions-league-quarters-with-liga-giants-real-madrid-after-winning-on-aggregate-8848704"> Arsenal set up Champions League quarters with Liga giants Real Madrid</a>
Parker defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh last month with a second-round stoppage of Martin Bakole, a late replacement after Dubois withdrew because of illness.
Rather than reschedule his bout against Parker, International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Dubois had hoped for a return clash with Usyk, who defeated the Briton by ninth-round knockout in August 2023.
Dubois re-established himself in the heavyweight ranks with stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic before most recently knocking out compatriot Anthony Joshua, himself a former world champion, at Wembley in September to take his professional record to 22 wins, with two losses and 21 knockouts.
The 27-year-old Dubois was understood to be in talks to face Usyk in a fight that would see all four major world heavyweight titles up for grabs but the WBO's announcement has complicated the picture in a sport where the lack of a single global governing body means there are often multiple world champions in the same weight class.
Usyk defeated Britain's Tyson Fury in May 2024 to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years. But he vacated his IBF belt before the rematch, with Dubois elevated to full champion.
Former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Usyk, 38, extended his perfect professional record to 23 wins in as many bouts, with 14 stoppages, after defeating Fury in a re-match in December that meant he retained the unified WBC, WBA and WBO championships.
While Usyk was speaking immediately after being declared the winner by unanimous decision, Dubois entered the ring and interrupted the London 2012 gold medallist's interview to demand a bout.
But it appears Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is on a six-fight winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, has overtaken Dubois as the next contender to face Usyk.
In February, Usyk said he planned to have two more fights before retiring.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start negotiations to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title against Joseph Parker.

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start negotiations to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title against Joseph Parker. The move that could end British fighter Daniel Dubois' hopes of a re-match with the Ukrainian. The WBO announced Thursday that Usyk, who also holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) belts, has 30 days to "reach terms" for a mandatory title defence against New Zealand's Parker or the governing body will call for purse bids. Also Read: Arsenal set up Champions League quarters with Liga giants Real Madrid Parker defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh last month with a second-round stoppage of Martin Bakole, a late replacement after Dubois withdrew because of illness. Rather than reschedule his bout against Parker, International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Dubois had hoped for a return clash with Usyk, who defeated the Briton by ninth-round knockout in August 2023. Dubois re-established himself in the heavyweight ranks with stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic before most recently knocking out compatriot Anthony Joshua, himself a former world champion, at Wembley in September to take his professional record to 22 wins, with two losses and 21 knockouts. The 27-year-old Dubois was understood to be in talks to face Usyk in a fight that would see all four major world heavyweight titles up for grabs but the WBO's announcement has complicated the picture in a sport where the lack of a single global governing body means there are often multiple world champions in the same weight class. Usyk defeated Britain's Tyson Fury in May 2024 to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years. But he vacated his IBF belt before the rematch, with Dubois elevated to full champion. Former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Usyk, 38, extended his perfect professional record to 23 wins in as many bouts, with 14 stoppages, after defeating Fury in a re-match in December that meant he retained the unified WBC, WBA and WBO championships. While Usyk was speaking immediately after being declared the winner by unanimous decision, Dubois entered the ring and interrupted the London 2012 gold medallist's interview to demand a bout. But it appears Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is on a six-fight winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, has overtaken Dubois as the next contender to face Usyk. In February, Usyk said he planned to have two more fights before retiring. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Oleksandr Usyk asked to defend heavyweight title against Joseph Parker

The Indian Paddle Festival (IPF) was a feast for fans as some of the top paddlers in the world gathered for the second edition of the event in Mangaluru. During the premium event WION exclusively caught up with Spanish paddler Antonito Morillo as he opened up on his experience paddling in India. One of the best paddlers of the current generation, Morillo won the overall Championships at the IPF and headlined the event.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Morillo opens up on experience<o:p></o:p></h2>
&ldquo;It has been a wonderful experience to be part of the India Paddle Festival and to come back here again was a delight for me. I see the competition has been growing for the last few years and sharing the podium with the young Indians brings me joy. I have travelled around the world and have seen some great atmosphere, but with India, it is always a special thing,&rdquo; Morillo said while speaking to WION&rsquo;s Aditya Pimpale. <o:p></o:p>
After three days of electrifying races, Morillo emerged as the overall men&rsquo;s champion, amassing 18,000 points, ahead of Denmark&rsquo;s Christian Andersen (16,500 points) and Hungary&rsquo;s Daniel Hasulyo (14,500 points). India&rsquo;s Sekar Patchai delivered a stellar performance, finishing fourth in the overall rankings with 10,750 points, marking a significant milestone for Indian SUP athletes.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/aussie-t20i-skipper-mitchell-marsh-declared-fit-for-ipl-2025-after-missing-out-champions-trophy-with-injury-8849892" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury</a>
&ldquo;India can be a force to reckon with as they continue to grow in the aquatic sports. I have been around for a while and the Indians have certainly been at the heart of it. Sekar Patchai sharing the stage was a good thing for him personally and I reckon he has a long way to go in the coming days,&rdquo; added Morillo. <o:p></o:p>
The Association of PaddleSurf Professionals (APP) World Tour marked its debut in India last year with the country&rsquo;s only International Stand-Up Paddling Championship. The India Paddle Festival represents a significant milestone in the growing landscape of non-motorised water sports, which is rapidly gaining traction across the country.<o:p></o:p>

Sports: During the premium event WION's Aditya Pimpale exclusively caught up with Spanish paddler Antonito Morillo as he opened up on his experience paddling in India.

The Indian Paddle Festival (IPF) was a feast for fans as some of the top paddlers in the world gathered for the second edition of the event in Mangaluru. During the premium event WION exclusively caught up with Spanish paddler Antonito Morillo as he opened up on his experience paddling in India. One of the best paddlers of the current generation, Morillo won the overall Championships at the IPF and headlined the event. Morillo opens up on experience “It has been a wonderful experience to be part of the India Paddle Festival and to come back here again was a delight for me. I see the competition has been growing for the last few years and sharing the podium with the young Indians brings me joy. I have travelled around the world and have seen some great atmosphere, but with India, it is always a special thing,” Morillo said while speaking to WION’s Aditya Pimpale. After three days of electrifying races, Morillo emerged as the overall men’s champion, amassing 18,000 points, ahead of Denmark’s Christian Andersen (16,500 points) and Hungary’s Daniel Hasulyo (14,500 points). India’s Sekar Patchai delivered a stellar performance, finishing fourth in the overall rankings with 10,750 points, marking a significant milestone for Indian SUP athletes. ALSO READ | Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury “India can be a force to reckon with as they continue to grow in the aquatic sports. I have been around for a while and the Indians have certainly been at the heart of it. Sekar Patchai sharing the stage was a good thing for him personally and I reckon he has a long way to go in the coming days,” added Morillo. The Association of PaddleSurf Professionals (APP) World Tour marked its debut in India last year with the country’s only International Stand-Up Paddling Championship. The India Paddle Festival represents a significant milestone in the growing landscape of non-motorised water sports, which is rapidly gaining traction across the country.

Exclusive: Antonito Morillo heaps praise on emerging Indian paddlers, says 'I see competition has been growing'

The Champions League R16 had a controversial moment on Wednesday (Mar 12) after Real Madrid knocked out traditional rivals Atletico 4-2 on penalties to reach the quarterfinal. The match was marred by a series of big moments, but one particular moment that stood out was Julian Alvarez&rsquo;s disallowed goal in the penalty shootout. The striker was deemed to have touched the ball twice, which resulted in the controversial moment before Atletico crashed out. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Here's why Julian Alvarez's penalty was disallowed<o:p></o:p></h2>
According to the International Football Association Board&rsquo;s (IFAB) 2024/25 Laws of the Game, in describing the procedure of a penalty shoot-out it is stated: "(A penalty) kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any offence; the kicker may not play the ball a second time."<o:p></o:p>
The above rule clearly states that a player taking a penalty should not touch the ball twice when the penalty is taken. Referee Szymon Marciniak took the help of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to check the incident while it was also confirmed that the panel used semi-automated offside technology to get a pr&eacute;cised decision. <o:p></o:p>
It was hard to judge the deflection of the ball with the naked eye when Alvarez took the penalty as his left foot was close to the ball. The incident sparked anger among Atletico boss Diego Simeone, was he wasn't happy with the referee&rsquo;s decision to take time and get the help of the VAR.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/aussie-t20i-skipper-mitchell-marsh-declared-fit-for-ipl-2025-after-missing-out-champions-trophy-with-injury-8849892" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Real heartbreak continues for Atletico<o:p></o:p></h2>
This is not the first time Atletico have been on the wrong end of the result against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Atletico lost to Real in the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016 and were knocked out in the quarterfinal in the 2015 season over two legs. Wednesday&rsquo;s defeat means Atletico&rsquo;s dream of winning the Champions League was halted for another season.

Sports, Football: The Champions League R16 had a controversial moment after Real Madrid knocked out traditional rivals Atletico 4-2 on penalties to reach the quarterfinal.

The Champions League R16 had a controversial moment on Wednesday (Mar 12) after Real Madrid knocked out traditional rivals Atletico 4-2 on penalties to reach the quarterfinal. The match was marred by a series of big moments, but one particular moment that stood out was Julian Alvarez’s disallowed goal in the penalty shootout. The striker was deemed to have touched the ball twice, which resulted in the controversial moment before Atletico crashed out. Here's why Julian Alvarez's penalty was disallowed According to the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) 2024/25 Laws of the Game, in describing the procedure of a penalty shoot-out it is stated: "(A penalty) kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any offence; the kicker may not play the ball a second time." The above rule clearly states that a player taking a penalty should not touch the ball twice when the penalty is taken. Referee Szymon Marciniak took the help of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to check the incident while it was also confirmed that the panel used semi-automated offside technology to get a précised decision. It was hard to judge the deflection of the ball with the naked eye when Alvarez took the penalty as his left foot was close to the ball. The incident sparked anger among Atletico boss Diego Simeone, was he wasn't happy with the referee’s decision to take time and get the help of the VAR. ALSO READ | Aussie T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh declared fit for IPL 2025 after missing out Champions Trophy with injury Real heartbreak continues for Atletico This is not the first time Atletico have been on the wrong end of the result against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Atletico lost to Real in the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016 and were knocked out in the quarterfinal in the 2015 season over two legs. Wednesday’s defeat means Atletico’s dream of winning the Champions League was halted for another season.

Champions League: Here's why Julian Alvarez's penalty was disallowed in Real Madrid defeat

Barack and Michelle Obama are in talks to produce a new biopic about golf superstar Tiger Woods, a source familiar with the negotiations told AFP Wednesday. The movie is in development at Amazon MGM, according to Hollywood trade outlet Deadline, which first reported on the project.<o:p></o:p>
The studio had purchased the rights to "The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played," Kevin Cook's book on how Woods became the first golfer to be reigning champion at all four majors simultaneously, in 2000-01.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-madrid-beat-rivals-atletico-on-penalties-to-reach-champions-league-quarters-8848664" rel="dofollow">Real Madrid beat rivals Atletico on penalties to reach Champions League quarters</a>
Reinaldo Marcus Green, the filmmaker behind "King Richard" -- which told the story of the childhoods of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams and their coach father Richard -- is attached to direct, Deadline said.<o:p></o:p>
That film earned Will Smith the best actor Oscar -- an accolade infamously overshadowed when he struck comedian Chris Rock on stage during the 2022 Academy Awards gala, just minutes before winning the golden statuette.<o:p></o:p>
The former US president and first lady run Higher Ground Productions, which has produced the Oscar-winning documentary "American Factory" and Netflix hit thriller "Leave the World Behind," as well as TV shows and podcasts.<o:p></o:p>
Woods is one of golf's all-time superstars.<o:p></o:p>
He became the first Black player to win a major title when he captured the 1997 Masters in record fashion.<o:p></o:p>
The film is set to focus on perhaps his greatest achievement, popularly known as the "Tiger Slam," when Woods won the 2000 US and British Opens and PGA Championship, and then added the 2001 Masters to capture four major trophies in a row.<o:p></o:p>
The movie is not expected to tackle Woods' subsequent self-inflicted downfall that began with a car crash near his home In November 2009, which led to the exposure of a slew of extramarital affairs and the collapse of his marriage. <o:p></o:p>
The most recent of Woods' 15 major wins -- second only to Jack Nicklaus with 18 -- came at the 2019 Masters.<o:p></o:p>
He announced Tuesday that he has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, in the latest injury blow to his roller-coaster career.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Golf: The film is set to focus on perhaps Wood's greatest achievement, popularly known as the "Tiger Slam," when he won the 2000 US and British Opens and PGA Championship.

Barack and Michelle Obama are in talks to produce a new biopic about golf superstar Tiger Woods, a source familiar with the negotiations told AFP Wednesday. The movie is in development at Amazon MGM, according to Hollywood trade outlet Deadline, which first reported on the project. The studio had purchased the rights to "The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played," Kevin Cook's book on how Woods became the first golfer to be reigning champion at all four majors simultaneously, in 2000-01. Also read | Real Madrid beat rivals Atletico on penalties to reach Champions League quarters Reinaldo Marcus Green, the filmmaker behind "King Richard" -- which told the story of the childhoods of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams and their coach father Richard -- is attached to direct, Deadline said. That film earned Will Smith the best actor Oscar -- an accolade infamously overshadowed when he struck comedian Chris Rock on stage during the 2022 Academy Awards gala, just minutes before winning the golden statuette. The former US president and first lady run Higher Ground Productions, which has produced the Oscar-winning documentary "American Factory" and Netflix hit thriller "Leave the World Behind," as well as TV shows and podcasts. Woods is one of golf's all-time superstars. He became the first Black player to win a major title when he captured the 1997 Masters in record fashion. The film is set to focus on perhaps his greatest achievement, popularly known as the "Tiger Slam," when Woods won the 2000 US and British Opens and PGA Championship, and then added the 2001 Masters to capture four major trophies in a row. The movie is not expected to tackle Woods' subsequent self-inflicted downfall that began with a car crash near his home In November 2009, which led to the exposure of a slew of extramarital affairs and the collapse of his marriage. The most recent of Woods' 15 major wins -- second only to Jack Nicklaus with 18 -- came at the 2019 Masters. He announced Tuesday that he has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, in the latest injury blow to his roller-coaster career. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Barack and Michelle Obama in talks to produce Tiger Woods film – Report

Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid.<o:p></o:p>
The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal, who made seven changes from Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.<o:p></o:p>
Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a fine finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.<o:p></o:p>
PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week's humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a well-taken goal from Couhaib Driouech.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, will play 15-time winners Real Madrid in the last eight after Carlo Ancelotti's side squeaked past Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.<o:p></o:p>
The two sides have met just twice previously, with Arsenal winning 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in the 2005/06 season.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the club should enjoy the achievement of reaching back-to-back quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, when Arsene Wenger was manager of the club.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atletico-madrid-coach-diego-simeone-on-alvarezs-controversial-penalty-call-against-real-madrid-in-champions-league-ball-didnt-move-8848680" rel="dofollow">Champions League: Atletico coach on Alvarez&rsquo;s controversial penalty call - 'Ball didn&rsquo;t move'</a>
"That tells you the difficulty of it," said the Spaniard. "We have to value that and recognise that it is very difficult to do it. <o:p></o:p>
"We've done it consistently and now we want to make the next step, which is going to be really difficult, but we are very capable of that."<o:p></o:p>
Arteta's men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City team-mate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.<o:p></o:p>
Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.<o:p></o:p>
But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute<o:p></o:p>
Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.<o:p></o:p>
Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi.<o:p></o:p>
But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the stranded Arsenal goalkeeper.<o:p></o:p>
The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner.<o:p></o:p>
The Gunners are realistically out of the Premier League title race with leaders Liverpool 15 points clear at the top.<o:p></o:p>
But they remain on course to win their first-ever Champions League trophy, and their first European silverware since they lifted the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Arsenal and Real Madrid have met just twice previously, with the Premier League side winning 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in the 2005/06 season.

Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid. The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality. Arsenal, who made seven changes from Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko. Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a fine finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front. PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week's humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a well-taken goal from Couhaib Driouech. Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, will play 15-time winners Real Madrid in the last eight after Carlo Ancelotti's side squeaked past Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw on aggregate. The two sides have met just twice previously, with Arsenal winning 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in the 2005/06 season. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the club should enjoy the achievement of reaching back-to-back quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, when Arsene Wenger was manager of the club. Also read | Champions League: Atletico coach on Alvarez’s controversial penalty call - 'Ball didn’t move' "That tells you the difficulty of it," said the Spaniard. "We have to value that and recognise that it is very difficult to do it. "We've done it consistently and now we want to make the next step, which is going to be really difficult, but we are very capable of that." Arteta's men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV on Wednesday. Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City team-mate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez. Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later. But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home. Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi. But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the stranded Arsenal goalkeeper. The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner. The Gunners are realistically out of the Premier League title race with leaders Liverpool 15 points clear at the top. But they remain on course to win their first-ever Champions League trophy, and their first European silverware since they lifted the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Arsenal set up Champions League quarters with Liga giants Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone cast suspicion on the decision to rule out Julian Alvarez's penalty in his team's Champions League defeat by Real Madrid on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Los Blancos won 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw in the last 16 tie, with Alvarez slipping as he scored in the shoot-out. VAR ruled it out for a supposed double touch on the ball.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-madrid-beat-rivals-atletico-on-penalties-to-reach-champions-league-quarters-8848664" rel="dofollow">Real Madrid beat rivals Atletico on penalties to reach Champions League quarters</a>
"The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot, he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move," Simeone told reporters. "But beyond that, which now just serves to argue about whether it should have counted or not, I am proud of my players, I am happy, truly.<o:p></o:p>
"Why? Because we competed in an exemplary way. And yes, we could not beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, sure, we could not, but they had a really bad time (against us) again."<o:p></o:p>
The Atletico coach said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right.<o:p></o:p>
"I've never seen a penalty where they've called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it."<o:p></o:p>
The coach asked members of the media to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice.<o:p></o:p>
"Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand," shouted Simeone.<o:p></o:p>
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he felt the former Manchester City striker did touch the ball twice as he slipped.<o:p></o:p>
"In the end it's a lottery, I felt a little that he had touched it twice, that's what I told the referee, it is clearly not easy to see, but it's a bit of bad luck for them there," Courtois told Movistar.<o:p></o:p>
The Belgian goalkeeper criticised Atletico for complaining about the decision, but also appeared to take a swipe at his own club, who have been relentlessly attacking Spanish refereeing in recent weeks and claiming it is "rigged".<o:p></o:p>
"I think UEFA saw it clearly -- I'm sick of this victimhood, always crying about stuff like this, the refs don't want to help particular teams, not in Spain, not in Europe," Courtois told reporters. "They saw it clearly and that's why they made that decision... they saw it clearly with VAR, they have a lot of images and cameras."<o:p></o:p>
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also believed it was the correct decision.<o:p></o:p>
"They detected it, when we realised there was this doubt, they had already detected it on VAR," said Ancelotti. "I saw it, I think he touches it with his left foot, a second touch."<o:p></o:p>
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Sports, Football: The coach asked members of the media to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone cast suspicion on the decision to rule out Julian Alvarez's penalty in his team's Champions League defeat by Real Madrid on Wednesday. Los Blancos won 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw in the last 16 tie, with Alvarez slipping as he scored in the shoot-out. VAR ruled it out for a supposed double touch on the ball. Also read | Real Madrid beat rivals Atletico on penalties to reach Champions League quarters "The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot, he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move," Simeone told reporters. "But beyond that, which now just serves to argue about whether it should have counted or not, I am proud of my players, I am happy, truly. "Why? Because we competed in an exemplary way. And yes, we could not beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, sure, we could not, but they had a really bad time (against us) again." The Atletico coach said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right. "I've never seen a penalty where they've called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it." The coach asked members of the media to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice. "Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand," shouted Simeone. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he felt the former Manchester City striker did touch the ball twice as he slipped. "In the end it's a lottery, I felt a little that he had touched it twice, that's what I told the referee, it is clearly not easy to see, but it's a bit of bad luck for them there," Courtois told Movistar. The Belgian goalkeeper criticised Atletico for complaining about the decision, but also appeared to take a swipe at his own club, who have been relentlessly attacking Spanish refereeing in recent weeks and claiming it is "rigged". "I think UEFA saw it clearly -- I'm sick of this victimhood, always crying about stuff like this, the refs don't want to help particular teams, not in Spain, not in Europe," Courtois told reporters. "They saw it clearly and that's why they made that decision... they saw it clearly with VAR, they have a lot of images and cameras." Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also believed it was the correct decision. "They detected it, when we realised there was this doubt, they had already detected it on VAR," said Ancelotti. "I saw it, I think he touches it with his left foot, a second touch." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions League: Atletico coach on Alvarez’s controversial penalty call - 'Ball didn’t move'

Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Diego Simeone's side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher's first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.<o:p></o:p>
Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-arne-slot-reflects-on-liverpools-exit-says-it-was-the-best-game-of-football-8845121" rel="dofollow">Champions League: Arne Slot reflects on Liverpool's exit, says 'it was the best game of football'</a>
In the shoot-out Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was controversially ruled out for seeming to touch the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.<o:p></o:p>
"The ball didn't move," complained Simeone. "I want to believe they saw he touched it (twice)."<o:p></o:p>
Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid's Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions, who will face Arsenal in the last eight.<o:p></o:p>
"I had to pick the coldest players possible (for penalties)," said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I think it's a lottery still, a toss-up, today it came in for us -- Atletico go out with their heads held high because they played at a good level."<o:p></o:p>
Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.<o:p></o:p>
Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico's new home in the Champions League.<o:p></o:p>
After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative, but came up fractionally short.<o:p></o:p>
"I think we played a great match, but unfortunately we lacked a bit of luck," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar. "The truth is that one feels pain, it hurts a lot."<o:p></o:p>
Atletico came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.<o:p></o:p>
Rodrigo De Paul's low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.<o:p></o:p>
"We came out as if it was already won and in the first move they scored a goal against us, and that messed us up a lot," Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde told Movistar.<o:p></o:p>
Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.<o:p></o:p>
Courtois saved on three occasions from Alvarez, who had scored a brilliant goal in the first leg.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: In the shoot-out Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was controversially ruled out for seeming to touch the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.

Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday. Diego Simeone's side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher's first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw. Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid. Also read | Champions League: Arne Slot reflects on Liverpool's exit, says 'it was the best game of football' In the shoot-out Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was controversially ruled out for seeming to touch the ball twice because of a slip as he shot. "The ball didn't move," complained Simeone. "I want to believe they saw he touched it (twice)." Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid's Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions, who will face Arsenal in the last eight. "I had to pick the coldest players possible (for penalties)," said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I think it's a lottery still, a toss-up, today it came in for us -- Atletico go out with their heads held high because they played at a good level." Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals. Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico's new home in the Champions League. After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative, but came up fractionally short. "I think we played a great match, but unfortunately we lacked a bit of luck," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar. "The truth is that one feels pain, it hurts a lot." Atletico came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate. Rodrigo De Paul's low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range. "We came out as if it was already won and in the first move they scored a goal against us, and that messed us up a lot," Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde told Movistar. Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter. Courtois saved on three occasions from Alvarez, who had scored a brilliant goal in the first leg. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Real Madrid beat rivals Atletico on penalties to reach Champions League quarters

Olympian wrestler and Congress MLA from Haryana, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vinesh-phogat">Vinesh Phogat</a>, has strongly opposed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' decision to lift the suspension of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wrestling-federation-of-india">Wrestling Federation of India</a> (WFI) and restore its affiliation. She criticised the move, which reinstates the current office-bearers, calling for greater media scrutiny.
The sports ministry had initially suspended the Sanjay Singh-led WFI just three days after its elections over the announcement to hold U15 and U20 nationals. The ministry then tasked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with forming a temporary panel to oversee operations. However, following a Delhi high court order, the ministry lifted the suspension on Monday (March 10).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wfi-restores-status-announces-selection-trials-for-asian-championship-8847118">WFI announces selection trials for Asian Championship after NFS status restoration</a>
Expressing her discontent, Vinesh Phogat urged the media to highlight the issue of federations being controlled by individuals with questionable backgrounds.&nbsp;"I want the media to raise this issue more strongly. This is completely wrong. In a country where sports are already in a poor state, federations are being handed over to goons and criminals," said Vinesh, a decorated wrestler with medals from the World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Games to IANS.
<h2 data-start="708" data-end="867">'We will stand by what is right'</h2>
Vinesh, who was disqualified from the 50kg weight category final at the Paris Olympics last year for being overweight in the second weigh-in, has been in a longstanding conflict with the WFI. Alongside fellow Olympians Bajrang Punia and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sakshi-malik">Sakshi Malik</a>, she accused former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. The current WFI president, Sanjay Singh, is known to be a close associate of Brij Bhushan.
Reaffirming her commitment to the cause, Vinesh said, "These people openly declare their dominance in front of the entire nation. But we will not back down from this fight, no matter which field I step into. Our struggle has always been for truth and honesty, and we will continue on this path with God&rsquo;s blessings. Others may do as they please, but we will stand by what is right."
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, defended the ministry&rsquo;s decision, clarifying that the suspension was lifted in compliance with the high court's directive. He emphasised that the move allows WFI to organise domestic tournaments and select teams for international competitions.
"As per the High Court order, the ministry decided to lift the sanctions so that our wrestlers can participate in the Asian and World Championships. This also ensures justice while securing the future of our wrestlers," Mandaviya told reporters on Tuesday.

Sports: The sports ministry had initially suspended the Sanjay Singh-led WFI just three days after its elections over the announcement to hold U15 and U20 nationals

Olympian wrestler and Congress MLA from Haryana, Vinesh Phogat, has strongly opposed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' decision to lift the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and restore its affiliation. She criticised the move, which reinstates the current office-bearers, calling for greater media scrutiny. The sports ministry had initially suspended the Sanjay Singh-led WFI just three days after its elections over the announcement to hold U15 and U20 nationals. The ministry then tasked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with forming a temporary panel to oversee operations. However, following a Delhi high court order, the ministry lifted the suspension on Monday (March 10). Also Read: WFI announces selection trials for Asian Championship after NFS status restoration Expressing her discontent, Vinesh Phogat urged the media to highlight the issue of federations being controlled by individuals with questionable backgrounds. "I want the media to raise this issue more strongly. This is completely wrong. In a country where sports are already in a poor state, federations are being handed over to goons and criminals," said Vinesh, a decorated wrestler with medals from the World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Games to IANS. 'We will stand by what is right' Vinesh, who was disqualified from the 50kg weight category final at the Paris Olympics last year for being overweight in the second weigh-in, has been in a longstanding conflict with the WFI. Alongside fellow Olympians Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, she accused former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. The current WFI president, Sanjay Singh, is known to be a close associate of Brij Bhushan. Reaffirming her commitment to the cause, Vinesh said, "These people openly declare their dominance in front of the entire nation. But we will not back down from this fight, no matter which field I step into. Our struggle has always been for truth and honesty, and we will continue on this path with God’s blessings. Others may do as they please, but we will stand by what is right." Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, defended the ministry’s decision, clarifying that the suspension was lifted in compliance with the high court's directive. He emphasised that the move allows WFI to organise domestic tournaments and select teams for international competitions. "As per the High Court order, the ministry decided to lift the sanctions so that our wrestlers can participate in the Asian and World Championships. This also ensures justice while securing the future of our wrestlers," Mandaviya told reporters on Tuesday.

Vinesh Phogat opposes WFI reinstatement, vows to continue fight for justice

India showcased an exceptional performance on the second day of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/world-para-athletics-grand-prix-2025" rel="dofollow">World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025</a> in New Delhi, with Rinku Hooda emerging as the standout athlete in the men&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/javelin">javelin</a> events. Competing in the F46 category, Rinku secured the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 60.26 metres, adding to his recent triumphs at the 22nd National Para Athletics Championships in Goa and his silver at the fourth <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/asian-para-games">Asian Para Games</a>. 
His dominant performance outshone Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Gamini Ketawala, who recorded a throw of 56.88 metres, while Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Elyorbek Elmatov clinched bronze with a 43.01-metre effort.
India&rsquo;s supremacy continued in the men&rsquo;s javelin F12, F37, F42, and F43 combined category, where Indian athletes swept the podium. Pushpendra Singh claimed gold with a throw of 57.57 metres, followed by Mohit, who secured silver with 45.45 metres, and Jaswant, who took bronze with a mark of 45.94 metres.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/veteran-bangladesh-all-rounder-mahmudullah-announces-retirement-from-international-cricket-8848066">Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket</a>
The nation&rsquo;s dominance extended to other field events, with Ritender winning gold in the men&rsquo;s javelin F40/F41 category with a throw of 30.33 metres. Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Alexey Lukutin and Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Yuldosbek Hajiev finished second and third, respectively. In the men&rsquo;s discus throw F56/F57 event, Atul Kaushik of India triumphed with a 43.92-metre throw, while compatriot Ram Kumar Yadav secured silver with 30.59 metres. The Philippines&rsquo; Maekel Lita rounded out the podium with a 22.79-metre effort.
India&rsquo;s women athletes also shone brightly. In the shot put event, Svetlana Mironova took gold with a throw of 13.97 metres, while India&rsquo;s Khushboo Gill and Ananya Bansal secured silver and bronze with throws of 9.52 metres and 7.73 metres, respectively. Meanwhile, in the women&rsquo;s javelin F34 category, India&rsquo;s Baghyashri Madhavrao Jadhav claimed gold with a throw of 12.73 meteres, narrowly edging out Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Dilsuz Ziyodulloeva, who took silver with 11.30 metres. Mubina secured the bronze medal.
<h2>Edwin Masuage races to gold</h2>
On the track, Botswana&rsquo;s Edwin Masuage sprinted to gold in the men&rsquo;s 400 metres T13/T20 event with a time of 50.60 seconds. He was followed closely by Denis Shabalin, a Neutral Para Athlete, who clocked 50.40 seconds for silver, while Botswana&rsquo;s Bose Mokgwathi took bronze with a time of 50.81 seconds. In the men&rsquo;s 400 metres T35/T36 category, Mikhail Kuskus secured gold with a time of 56.10 seconds, followed by India&rsquo;s Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav, who claimed silver in 64.09 seconds, while Kirill Glazyrin earned bronze.
The men&rsquo;s long jump T20/T36/T37 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Matvei Lakushev clinch gold with a leap of 7.17 metres, while Chermen Kobesov secured silver with a 5.86-metre jump, and Oman&rsquo;s Taha Al Harrasi took bronze with 5.13 metres. In the men&rsquo;s long jump T42/T44 event, Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Anil Prasanna captured gold with a 5.36-metre effort, while India&rsquo;s Mit Bharatbhai Patel and Ramsinghbhai Govindbhai claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Brazil&rsquo;s Bartolomeu Da Silva triumphed in the men&rsquo;s 400 metres T37 event with a time of 52 seconds, followed by Neutral Para Athletes Anton and Andrei. India continued its winning streak in the men&rsquo;s 400 metres T47 event, where Dilip Mahadu Gavit stormed to gold with a time of 48.78 seconds.&nbsp;
Jasbeer, representing the Indian Army, followed closely with a silver-winning time of 49.64 seconds, while Bhavikkumar Dineshbhai secured bronze in 50.32 seconds. The men&rsquo;s long jump T47 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Nikita Kotukov claim gold with a leap of 6.79 metres, Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Buddika Fernando secure silver with 6.61 metres, and India&rsquo;s Ajay Singh take bronze with 6.18 metres.

Sports: Competing in F46 category, Rinku secured gold medal with a throw of 60.26 metres, adding to his recent triumphs at the 22nd National Para Athletics Championships in Goa

India showcased an exceptional performance on the second day of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 in New Delhi, with Rinku Hooda emerging as the standout athlete in the men’s javelin events. Competing in the F46 category, Rinku secured the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 60.26 metres, adding to his recent triumphs at the 22nd National Para Athletics Championships in Goa and his silver at the fourth Asian Para Games. His dominant performance outshone Sri Lanka’s Gamini Ketawala, who recorded a throw of 56.88 metres, while Uzbekistan’s Elyorbek Elmatov clinched bronze with a 43.01-metre effort. India’s supremacy continued in the men’s javelin F12, F37, F42, and F43 combined category, where Indian athletes swept the podium. Pushpendra Singh claimed gold with a throw of 57.57 metres, followed by Mohit, who secured silver with 45.45 metres, and Jaswant, who took bronze with a mark of 45.94 metres. Also Read: Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket The nation’s dominance extended to other field events, with Ritender winning gold in the men’s javelin F40/F41 category with a throw of 30.33 metres. Kazakhstan’s Alexey Lukutin and Uzbekistan’s Yuldosbek Hajiev finished second and third, respectively. In the men’s discus throw F56/F57 event, Atul Kaushik of India triumphed with a 43.92-metre throw, while compatriot Ram Kumar Yadav secured silver with 30.59 metres. The Philippines’ Maekel Lita rounded out the podium with a 22.79-metre effort. India’s women athletes also shone brightly. In the shot put event, Svetlana Mironova took gold with a throw of 13.97 metres, while India’s Khushboo Gill and Ananya Bansal secured silver and bronze with throws of 9.52 metres and 7.73 metres, respectively. Meanwhile, in the women’s javelin F34 category, India’s Baghyashri Madhavrao Jadhav claimed gold with a throw of 12.73 meteres, narrowly edging out Uzbekistan’s Dilsuz Ziyodulloeva, who took silver with 11.30 metres. Mubina secured the bronze medal. Edwin Masuage races to gold On the track, Botswana’s Edwin Masuage sprinted to gold in the men’s 400 metres T13/T20 event with a time of 50.60 seconds. He was followed closely by Denis Shabalin, a Neutral Para Athlete, who clocked 50.40 seconds for silver, while Botswana’s Bose Mokgwathi took bronze with a time of 50.81 seconds. In the men’s 400 metres T35/T36 category, Mikhail Kuskus secured gold with a time of 56.10 seconds, followed by India’s Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav, who claimed silver in 64.09 seconds, while Kirill Glazyrin earned bronze. The men’s long jump T20/T36/T37 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Matvei Lakushev clinch gold with a leap of 7.17 metres, while Chermen Kobesov secured silver with a 5.86-metre jump, and Oman’s Taha Al Harrasi took bronze with 5.13 metres. In the men’s long jump T42/T44 event, Sri Lanka’s Anil Prasanna captured gold with a 5.36-metre effort, while India’s Mit Bharatbhai Patel and Ramsinghbhai Govindbhai claimed silver and bronze, respectively. Brazil’s Bartolomeu Da Silva triumphed in the men’s 400 metres T37 event with a time of 52 seconds, followed by Neutral Para Athletes Anton and Andrei. India continued its winning streak in the men’s 400 metres T47 event, where Dilip Mahadu Gavit stormed to gold with a time of 48.78 seconds. Jasbeer, representing the Indian Army, followed closely with a silver-winning time of 49.64 seconds, while Bhavikkumar Dineshbhai secured bronze in 50.32 seconds. The men’s long jump T47 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Nikita Kotukov claim gold with a leap of 6.79 metres, Sri Lanka’s Buddika Fernando secure silver with 6.61 metres, and India’s Ajay Singh take bronze with 6.18 metres.

World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025: Rinku Hooda shines as India dominates in men’s javelin

Two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/all-england-open-badminton-championships">All-England Badminton Championship 2025</a>, falling to South Korea&rsquo;s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 12). Despite a strong start, the World No. 16 succumbed to a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 defeat, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.
Sindhu started well, dominating the first game and surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim staged a remarkable comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu finally closed it at 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu looked set to build on her momentum.
What followed, however, was a dramatic shift in control. Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalising on Sindhu&rsquo;s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to counter Kim&rsquo;s precise cross-court placements and sharp net play.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-stands-for-the-indian-cricket-board-legendary-wi-bowler-andy-roberts-tears-apart-apex-body-8847730">'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body</a>
Kim carried her second-game momentum into the decider, racing to a 7-2 lead. Though Sindhu fought back to close the gap, Kim&rsquo;s superior movement and angled returns kept her in control. The Korean secured victory in just over an hour, marking Sindhu&rsquo;s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021.
This defeat continues Sindhu&rsquo;s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters. She had withdrawn from the Asia Mixed Team Championships due to a hamstring injury and was making her return at this event under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama.
<h2>Mixed day for Indian shuttlers</h2>
India had a mixed day at the tournament. Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a>, a former finalist, battled past Taiwan&rsquo;s Su Li Yang to reach the second round.
Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde displayed immense grit to secure a thrilling 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory over Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. The World No. 40 pair dominated the first game, but their opponents forced a decider. In a tense third game, Kapoor and Ruthvika held their nerves to close out the match and set up a second-round clash against fifth-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei.
However, H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the first round, losing to France&rsquo;s Toma Junior Popov in straight games. The mixed doubles team of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also suffered a first-round defeat to China&rsquo;s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui (6-21, 15-21).
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: This defeat continues Sindhu’s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the All-England Badminton Championship 2025, falling to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 12). Despite a strong start, the World No. 16 succumbed to a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 defeat, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament. Sindhu started well, dominating the first game and surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim staged a remarkable comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu finally closed it at 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu looked set to build on her momentum. What followed, however, was a dramatic shift in control. Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalising on Sindhu’s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to counter Kim’s precise cross-court placements and sharp net play. Also Read: 'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body Kim carried her second-game momentum into the decider, racing to a 7-2 lead. Though Sindhu fought back to close the gap, Kim’s superior movement and angled returns kept her in control. The Korean secured victory in just over an hour, marking Sindhu’s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021. This defeat continues Sindhu’s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters. She had withdrawn from the Asia Mixed Team Championships due to a hamstring injury and was making her return at this event under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama. Mixed day for Indian shuttlers India had a mixed day at the tournament. Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. Lakshya Sen, a former finalist, battled past Taiwan’s Su Li Yang to reach the second round. Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde displayed immense grit to secure a thrilling 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. The World No. 40 pair dominated the first game, but their opponents forced a decider. In a tense third game, Kapoor and Ruthvika held their nerves to close out the match and set up a second-round clash against fifth-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei. However, H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the first round, losing to France’s Toma Junior Popov in straight games. The mixed doubles team of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also suffered a first-round defeat to China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui (6-21, 15-21). (With inputs from agencies)

All England Open Badminton Championships: PV Sindhu suffers first-round exit, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde advance

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Wednesday (March 12) rejected former sports minister Anurag Thakur's nomination for inclusion in the electoral college for its March 28 elections, citing ineligibility to represent Himachal Pradesh.
The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association had proposed Thakur and vice-president Rajesh Bhandari&rsquo;s names for the electoral college. However, after scrutiny, the BFI finalised a 60-member list and excluded Thakur for non-compliance with its March 7, 2025, notice and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
"The State Unit had sent Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur&rsquo;s name, but he was found ineligible due to a violation of the BFI&rsquo;s notice dated 07.03.2025 and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011," the BFI said in its explanation.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-stands-for-the-indian-cricket-board-legendary-wi-bowler-andy-roberts-tears-apart-apex-body-8847730">'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body</a>
The March 7 notice had mandated that only bonafide and duly elected members from a state association&rsquo;s election AGM&mdash;officially recognised by the BFI&mdash;would be eligible to represent their respective states or union territories. "Since Mr. Thakur is not an elected member of the Himachal Pradesh state body, his nomination was rejected," a BFI source said. "It is the BFI&rsquo;s responsibility to scrutinise all nominations and forward the list of eligible candidates to the Returning Officer, who will now upload the final list."
Similarly, the BFI rejected the nominations of Larry Kharpran (Meghalaya) and Asish Kumar Saha (Tripura) for the same reason. It also noted that the names submitted by the Delhi state body&mdash;Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt&mdash;were still subject to clearance from the Returning Officer.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had earlier appointed a five-member ad-hoc panel to oversee boxing operations in India after the BFI failed to conduct its elections on time. However, on March 4, the Delhi High Court stayed the IOA&rsquo;s order, ruling in favor of the BFI, which had challenged the move as "arbitrary and illegal."
The BFI was originally required to hold elections by February 2, 2025.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association had submitted the names of Thakur and vice-president Rajesh Bhandari, but the BFI, after scrutiny, issued a finalised 60-member electoral college excluding Thakur

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Wednesday (March 12) rejected former sports minister Anurag Thakur's nomination for inclusion in the electoral college for its March 28 elections, citing ineligibility to represent Himachal Pradesh. The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association had proposed Thakur and vice-president Rajesh Bhandari’s names for the electoral college. However, after scrutiny, the BFI finalised a 60-member list and excluded Thakur for non-compliance with its March 7, 2025, notice and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011. "The State Unit had sent Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur’s name, but he was found ineligible due to a violation of the BFI’s notice dated 07.03.2025 and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011," the BFI said in its explanation. Also Read: 'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body The March 7 notice had mandated that only bonafide and duly elected members from a state association’s election AGM—officially recognised by the BFI—would be eligible to represent their respective states or union territories. "Since Mr. Thakur is not an elected member of the Himachal Pradesh state body, his nomination was rejected," a BFI source said. "It is the BFI’s responsibility to scrutinise all nominations and forward the list of eligible candidates to the Returning Officer, who will now upload the final list." Similarly, the BFI rejected the nominations of Larry Kharpran (Meghalaya) and Asish Kumar Saha (Tripura) for the same reason. It also noted that the names submitted by the Delhi state body—Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt—were still subject to clearance from the Returning Officer. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had earlier appointed a five-member ad-hoc panel to oversee boxing operations in India after the BFI failed to conduct its elections on time. However, on March 4, the Delhi High Court stayed the IOA’s order, ruling in favor of the BFI, which had challenged the move as "arbitrary and illegal." The BFI was originally required to hold elections by February 2, 2025. (With inputs from agencies)

BFI rejects Anurag Thakur’s nomination from electoral college for elections

With its recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) reinstated, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wrestling-federation-of-india">Wrestling Federation of India</a> (WFI) swiftly moved to organise selection trials for the upcoming Asian Championship. The trials are set for March 15 at Delhi&rsquo;s Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and will be the first major event under the new WFI administration. The federation was suspended just three days after electing new office bearers on December 21, 2023.
The trials will determine the country's top wrestlers for the championship, scheduled in Amman, Jordan, from March 25-30. According to a WFI circular, weigh-ins for all categories&mdash;men&rsquo;s freestyle, women&rsquo;s wrestling, and Greco-Roman&mdash;will take place on the trial day, with participants receiving a 2 kg weight relaxation.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/exclusive-the-hurdler-who-never-gave-up-how-jyothi-yarraji-conquered-challenges-to-shine-internationally-8846751">Exclusive | The hurdler who never gave up: How Jyothi Yarraji conquered challenges to shine internationally</a>
During its suspension, WFI was unable to select national teams as wrestlers who had protested against former WFI chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/brij-bhushan-singh" rel="dofollow">Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh</a> took legal action, challenging the federation&rsquo;s authority.
<h2>Suspension lifted</h2>
On Tuesday (March 11), the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports lifted WFI&rsquo;s suspension, ending months of uncertainty and permitting the resumption of its activities, including selection trials.
WFI was initially suspended on December 24, 2023, due to governance issues and procedural lapses following the election of Sanjay Singh as its new president on December 21. The suspension followed Singh&rsquo;s announcement of the Under-15 and Under-20 National Championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda&mdash;known as the stronghold of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced sexual harassment allegations.
The suspension stemmed from a series of protests by top wrestlers like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vinesh-phogat">Vinesh Phogat</a>, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia in 2023, accusing Brij Bhushan Singh of sexual misconduct. The protests delayed WFI elections, prompting United World Wrestling (UWW) to impose a ban in August 2023 for failing to conduct elections within the given timeframe. Consequently, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) established an ad hoc committee to manage WFI&rsquo;s operations.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: The trials are set for Saturday (March 15) at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and will be the first major event under the new WFI administration

With its recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) reinstated, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) swiftly moved to organise selection trials for the upcoming Asian Championship. The trials are set for March 15 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and will be the first major event under the new WFI administration. The federation was suspended just three days after electing new office bearers on December 21, 2023. The trials will determine the country's top wrestlers for the championship, scheduled in Amman, Jordan, from March 25-30. According to a WFI circular, weigh-ins for all categories—men’s freestyle, women’s wrestling, and Greco-Roman—will take place on the trial day, with participants receiving a 2 kg weight relaxation. Also Read: Exclusive | The hurdler who never gave up: How Jyothi Yarraji conquered challenges to shine internationally During its suspension, WFI was unable to select national teams as wrestlers who had protested against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh took legal action, challenging the federation’s authority. Suspension lifted On Tuesday (March 11), the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports lifted WFI’s suspension, ending months of uncertainty and permitting the resumption of its activities, including selection trials. WFI was initially suspended on December 24, 2023, due to governance issues and procedural lapses following the election of Sanjay Singh as its new president on December 21. The suspension followed Singh’s announcement of the Under-15 and Under-20 National Championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda—known as the stronghold of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced sexual harassment allegations. The suspension stemmed from a series of protests by top wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia in 2023, accusing Brij Bhushan Singh of sexual misconduct. The protests delayed WFI elections, prompting United World Wrestling (UWW) to impose a ban in August 2023 for failing to conduct elections within the given timeframe. Consequently, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) established an ad hoc committee to manage WFI’s operations. (With inputs from agencies)

WFI announces selection trials for Asian Championship after NFS status restoration

Wrestling industry has seen some of the greatest black wrestlers over the last few decades with notable names of Dwayne Johnson and Mark Henry to grace the square ring. However, it is Booker T who has been named as the greatest Black wrestler in the history, ahead of the above-mentioned duo. The list was released by BET, where Booker has beaten competition from The Rock, Kofi Kingston, and others.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BET has a list of &ldquo;The 15 Greatest Black Wrestlers Ever.&rdquo; Booker T is listed as number 1. 15) Jazz 14) Shelton Benjamin 13) Naomi 12) Jacqueline 11) Big E 10) D&rsquo;Von Dudley 9) Bianca Belair 8) Bobby Lashley 7) Ron Simmons / Farooq 6) Junkyard Dog 5) Sasha Banks / Mercedes Mone&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/hhT3c2EZzE">pic.twitter.com/hhT3c2EZzE</a>
&mdash; Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1899671420524699843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Booker T named greatest Black wrestler</h2>
One of the greatest of his generation, Booker came into the limelight in the 1990s and 2000s when he gained fame in WCW and later in WWE. Credited for his unique style of wrestling, Booker won the World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW title in his long career, making his name on the international circuit. Now 60, Booker was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on two occasions despite having a spell away from the company when he was working with TNA wrestling.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-utd-new-stadium-plans-where-will-the-red-devils-play-as-club-sets-sight-on-new-trafford-know-more-8844966" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Man Utd new stadium plans: Where will the Red Devils play as club sets sight on 'New Trafford'? Know More</a>
The former World Heavyweight champion was also an expert in tag team wrestling and won several honours, including the World Tag Team titles. His last WWE reign as world champion came in late 2006 before Batista took away the title in 2007. Booker also won the United States title in 2005 while also being crowned the winner of the prestigious &lsquo;King of the Ring&rsquo; after which he was renamed &lsquo;King Booker&rsquo; for a brief spell.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Booker beats competition from The Rock</h2>
The former world champion beat off competition from The Rock, who is still considered by many as the greatest Black wrestler. Like Booker, Dwayne also headlined the WWE in the late 1990s and early 2000s before switching careers to the movie industry. Kofi Kingston finished third on the BET list of all-time greatest Black wrestlers, with Henry bagging the fourth spot. Sasha Banks finished fifth and was the highest-ranked female Black wrestler.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Sports: Booker T has been named as the greatest Black wrestler in the history, ahead of Dwayne Johnson and Mark Henry, as per a list released by BET.

Wrestling industry has seen some of the greatest black wrestlers over the last few decades with notable names of Dwayne Johnson and Mark Henry to grace the square ring. However, it is Booker T who has been named as the greatest Black wrestler in the history, ahead of the above-mentioned duo. The list was released by BET, where Booker has beaten competition from The Rock, Kofi Kingston, and others. BET has a list of “The 15 Greatest Black Wrestlers Ever.” Booker T is listed as number 1. 15) Jazz 14) Shelton Benjamin 13) Naomi 12) Jacqueline 11) Big E 10) D’Von Dudley 9) Bianca Belair 8) Bobby Lashley 7) Ron Simmons / Farooq 6) Junkyard Dog 5) Sasha Banks / Mercedes Mone… pic.twitter.com/hhT3c2EZzE — Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) March 12, 2025 Booker T named greatest Black wrestler One of the greatest of his generation, Booker came into the limelight in the 1990s and 2000s when he gained fame in WCW and later in WWE. Credited for his unique style of wrestling, Booker won the World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW title in his long career, making his name on the international circuit. Now 60, Booker was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on two occasions despite having a spell away from the company when he was working with TNA wrestling. ALSO READ | Man Utd new stadium plans: Where will the Red Devils play as club sets sight on 'New Trafford'? Know More The former World Heavyweight champion was also an expert in tag team wrestling and won several honours, including the World Tag Team titles. His last WWE reign as world champion came in late 2006 before Batista took away the title in 2007. Booker also won the United States title in 2005 while also being crowned the winner of the prestigious ‘King of the Ring’ after which he was renamed ‘King Booker’ for a brief spell. Booker beats competition from The Rock The former world champion beat off competition from The Rock, who is still considered by many as the greatest Black wrestler. Like Booker, Dwayne also headlined the WWE in the late 1990s and early 2000s before switching careers to the movie industry. Kofi Kingston finished third on the BET list of all-time greatest Black wrestlers, with Henry bagging the fourth spot. Sasha Banks finished fifth and was the highest-ranked female Black wrestler.

Who is the greatest Black wrestler of all time according to BET?

Manchester United are all set to construct a new stadium after the club confirmed plans on Tuesday (Mar 11) in a social media announcement. Home of Man Utd for more than a century, Old Trafford will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art arena which will be constructed adjacent to the existing one. The new construction will be carried under supervision of legendary English architect Norman Foster, renowned for his British modernist architecture.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Who is Norman Foster?</h2>
Born on 1 June 1935, Foster attended the University of Manchester (1956&ndash;61) in England and Yale University (1961&ndash;62) in New Haven, Connecticut. He would then step into the architect business and started his firm Foster Associates (later Foster + Partners) in 1967. Before that, he would work in partnership with Richard and Su Rogers and his wife, Wendy Foster, in a firm called Team 4.
Foster&rsquo;s first buildings to receive international acclaim were the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (1978) in Norwich, England, a vast airy glass-and-metal-paneled shed, and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) headquarters (1986) in Hong Kong.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-utd-new-stadium-plans-where-will-the-red-devils-play-as-club-sets-sight-on-new-trafford-know-more-8844966" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Man Utd new stadium plans: Where will the Red Devils play as club sets sight on 'New Trafford'? Know More</a>
Foster, a veteran of the Royal Air Force (1953&ndash;55) and an avid pilot, also applied his preference for open plans and natural lighting to airports, such as Stansted (1991) outside London and Chek Lap Kok (1998).
Some of Foster&rsquo;s impressive football designs include the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he laid the concept for the Lusail Stadium, the event&rsquo;s centerpiece for the final.
Foster is also a recipient of numerous awards for his work&mdash;including the Pritzker Prize (1999), the Japan Art Association&rsquo;s Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture (2002) and the Aga Khan Award (2007).
So with new designs unveiled, the excitement has already started to build amongst the Manchester United fans. The new stadium will also become UK&rsquo;s biggest single sporting arena boosting a capacity of more than 100,000 fans and state-of-the-art facilities.

Sports, Football: Home of Man Utd for more than a century, Old Trafford will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art arena which will be constructed adjacent to the existing one.

Manchester United are all set to construct a new stadium after the club confirmed plans on Tuesday (Mar 11) in a social media announcement. Home of Man Utd for more than a century, Old Trafford will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art arena which will be constructed adjacent to the existing one. The new construction will be carried under supervision of legendary English architect Norman Foster, renowned for his British modernist architecture. Who is Norman Foster? Born on 1 June 1935, Foster attended the University of Manchester (1956–61) in England and Yale University (1961–62) in New Haven, Connecticut. He would then step into the architect business and started his firm Foster Associates (later Foster + Partners) in 1967. Before that, he would work in partnership with Richard and Su Rogers and his wife, Wendy Foster, in a firm called Team 4. Foster’s first buildings to receive international acclaim were the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (1978) in Norwich, England, a vast airy glass-and-metal-paneled shed, and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) headquarters (1986) in Hong Kong. ALSO READ | Man Utd new stadium plans: Where will the Red Devils play as club sets sight on 'New Trafford'? Know More Foster, a veteran of the Royal Air Force (1953–55) and an avid pilot, also applied his preference for open plans and natural lighting to airports, such as Stansted (1991) outside London and Chek Lap Kok (1998). Some of Foster’s impressive football designs include the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he laid the concept for the Lusail Stadium, the event’s centerpiece for the final. Foster is also a recipient of numerous awards for his work—including the Pritzker Prize (1999), the Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture (2002) and the Aga Khan Award (2007). So with new designs unveiled, the excitement has already started to build amongst the Manchester United fans. The new stadium will also become UK’s biggest single sporting arena boosting a capacity of more than 100,000 fans and state-of-the-art facilities.

Meet Norman Foster, architect of Manchester United's new state-of-the-art stadium

Liverpool&rsquo;s dream of winning a treble came to an abrupt end on Tuesday (Mar 11) after they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties at Anfield in the Champions League. Having already been dumped out of the FA Cup by Plymouth Argyle, Tuesday&rsquo;s elimination is Arne Slot&rsquo;s second in a cup competition in a month&rsquo;s time. Reflecting on the loss, Slot hailed PSG and stated it was the best football match he was involved in despite the 4-5 defeat in the shootout.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Slot reflects on Liverpool&rsquo;s exit</h2>
"It was the best game of football I was ever involved in," Slot told reporters after the match. "I don't have the history that Liverpool has as a manager but it was two teams at an incredible level. It was an incredible intensity in the first 25 minutes.
"I also remember the first 25 against Manchester City at home and the first 25 against Real Madrid but this was unbelievable, what we showed in the first 25. But I looked at the scoreboard and we were 1-0 down,&rdquo; added Slot.
Liverpool have so far enjoyed a fantastic season and need not more than 16 points to win their 20th league title and go level with Manchester United. They are also playing in League Cup final on Sunday, an opportunity for Arne Slot to win his first silverware. However, he won&rsquo;t be adding the Champions League crown to his accolade in the 2024-25 season.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/kush-maini-becomes-third-indian-to-join-formula-1-lands-alpine-role-as-test-and-reserve-driver-8843222" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver</a>
The Reds had a good start to R16 leg against PSG having won the opening leg 1-0 after stunning saves from Alison Becker. However, the tables were turned in Tuesday&rsquo;s second leg with Ousmane Dembele&rsquo;s goal getting them level of aggregate in the 12th minute of the contest. PSG would hold firm and take the match to extra time and then penalties before Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones missed their spot kicks.

Sports, Football: Liverpool’s dream of winning a treble came to an abrupt end after they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties at Anfield in the Champions League.

Liverpool’s dream of winning a treble came to an abrupt end on Tuesday (Mar 11) after they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties at Anfield in the Champions League. Having already been dumped out of the FA Cup by Plymouth Argyle, Tuesday’s elimination is Arne Slot’s second in a cup competition in a month’s time. Reflecting on the loss, Slot hailed PSG and stated it was the best football match he was involved in despite the 4-5 defeat in the shootout. Slot reflects on Liverpool’s exit "It was the best game of football I was ever involved in," Slot told reporters after the match. "I don't have the history that Liverpool has as a manager but it was two teams at an incredible level. It was an incredible intensity in the first 25 minutes. "I also remember the first 25 against Manchester City at home and the first 25 against Real Madrid but this was unbelievable, what we showed in the first 25. But I looked at the scoreboard and we were 1-0 down,” added Slot. Liverpool have so far enjoyed a fantastic season and need not more than 16 points to win their 20th league title and go level with Manchester United. They are also playing in League Cup final on Sunday, an opportunity for Arne Slot to win his first silverware. However, he won’t be adding the Champions League crown to his accolade in the 2024-25 season. ALSO READ | Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver The Reds had a good start to R16 leg against PSG having won the opening leg 1-0 after stunning saves from Alison Becker. However, the tables were turned in Tuesday’s second leg with Ousmane Dembele’s goal getting them level of aggregate in the 12th minute of the contest. PSG would hold firm and take the match to extra time and then penalties before Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones missed their spot kicks.

Champions League: Arne Slot reflects on Liverpool's exit, says 'it was the best game of football'

Manchester United on Tuesday (Mar 11) confirmed plans for a new stadium, as the club is set for a state-of-the-art arena in the coming years. While the focus is on the new arena, United&rsquo;s current home - Old Trafford - has a rich history and is still the biggest Premier League stadium. However, a plan to construct a new stadium could force United to move away from Old Trafford. So what are the possible destinations of record English champions?<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Manchester United&rsquo;s possible stadium options<o:p></o:p></h2>
As the plans clearly state, the new stadium will be constructed adjacent to the existing site of the Old Trafford Stadium, meaning the club can continue playing at the current arena. However, any change in plan or design will likely see United temporarily move away from Old Trafford considering fan safety as a primary reason. This was the same case when Tottenham Hotspur had to move away from their old White Hart Lane Stadium when their current stadium was under construction between 2017 and 2019. <o:p></o:p>
If this is the case, United have a few interesting choices including moving to the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City. The Etihad Stadium is geographically nearest to Old Trafford and avoids possible logistical issues arising when the new stadium is under construction. <o:p></o:p>
Liverpool&rsquo;s Anfield and Everton&rsquo;s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium are also possible options as they too help avoid logistical issues, situated just 37 km away from Manchester. However, considering Man Utd&rsquo;s rivalry with Liverpool, Anfield should be out of consideration.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/kush-maini-becomes-third-indian-to-join-formula-1-lands-alpine-role-as-test-and-reserve-driver-8843222" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver</a> 
With a huge fan base and more than 60,000 season ticket holders, any other arena in the North of England won&rsquo;t be considered by the hierarchy of Manchester United if they move away from Old Trafford. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Is Wembley an option?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Wembley remains one of the best options for Manchester United in case a move away from Old Trafford is forced. The stadium is the largest in the UK and could accommodate all the fans and season ticket holders as it boosts a capacity of 90,000 fans. However, the stadium&rsquo;s location will provide logistical issues as Wembley is located in North London, 326 km away from the current site, although any possible temporary move could not be ruled out.

Sports, Football: Manchester United on Tuesday (Mar 11) confirmed plans for a new stadium, as the club is set for a state-of-the-art arena in the coming years.

Manchester United on Tuesday (Mar 11) confirmed plans for a new stadium, as the club is set for a state-of-the-art arena in the coming years. While the focus is on the new arena, United’s current home - Old Trafford - has a rich history and is still the biggest Premier League stadium. However, a plan to construct a new stadium could force United to move away from Old Trafford. So what are the possible destinations of record English champions? Manchester United’s possible stadium options As the plans clearly state, the new stadium will be constructed adjacent to the existing site of the Old Trafford Stadium, meaning the club can continue playing at the current arena. However, any change in plan or design will likely see United temporarily move away from Old Trafford considering fan safety as a primary reason. This was the same case when Tottenham Hotspur had to move away from their old White Hart Lane Stadium when their current stadium was under construction between 2017 and 2019. If this is the case, United have a few interesting choices including moving to the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City. The Etihad Stadium is geographically nearest to Old Trafford and avoids possible logistical issues arising when the new stadium is under construction. Liverpool’s Anfield and Everton’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium are also possible options as they too help avoid logistical issues, situated just 37 km away from Manchester. However, considering Man Utd’s rivalry with Liverpool, Anfield should be out of consideration. ALSO READ | Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver With a huge fan base and more than 60,000 season ticket holders, any other arena in the North of England won’t be considered by the hierarchy of Manchester United if they move away from Old Trafford. Is Wembley an option? Wembley remains one of the best options for Manchester United in case a move away from Old Trafford is forced. The stadium is the largest in the UK and could accommodate all the fans and season ticket holders as it boosts a capacity of 90,000 fans. However, the stadium’s location will provide logistical issues as Wembley is located in North London, 326 km away from the current site, although any possible temporary move could not be ruled out.

Man Utd new stadium plans: Where will the Red Devils play as club sets sight on 'New Trafford'? Know More

Tiger Woods revealed Tuesday he had undergone surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, derailing the veteran golf superstar's comeback plans in the latest injury setback to rock the twilight of his glittering career.
"As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured," Woods said in a post on X.
"This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon."
Woods added a comment from Stucken, who said the surgery "went smoothly and we expect a full recovery".
Woods concluded: "I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support."
Woods gave no timetable for his possible return from his latest debilitating injury.&nbsp;
However the recovery time from an Achilles rupture can often last several months, which would almost certainly rule Woods out from playing in any of this season's majors if his latest injury follows the same timeframe.&nbsp;
The 15-time major champion hasn't teed it up in a tournament since the Open Championship last July.
After another back surgery in September he did play alongside 15-year-old son Charlie in the PNC Championship family event in Florida in December.
<h2>Fire still burns</h2>
He has also played in the TGL indoor simulator league he launched with Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy this year.
But the 49-year-old, still hampered by serious leg injuries he suffered in a 2021 car crash, hasn't played a regular PGA Tour event since the Genesis Invitational in 2024 -- when he withdrew early because of illness.
Woods had committed to play in this year's Genesis Invitational but withdrew because he was "just not ready" days after the death of his mother, Kultida.
Woods's latest injury setback comes less than a month before the first major of the year, the Masters at Augusta National. He finished 60th at the Masters last year and missed the cut in the year's other three majors.
Despite the litany of injury problems that have dogged him in recent years, Woods has repeatedly spoken of his desire to continue playing golf at the highest level, albeit with a scaled back tournament schedule.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/kush-maini-becomes-third-indian-to-join-formula-1-lands-alpine-role-as-test-and-reserve-driver-8843222" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver</a>
"I'll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event," he said ahead of last year's British Open at Royal Troon.
Speaking in December following his back surgery in September, Woods maintained that the "fire still burns to compete."
"The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be," he admitted. "That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
However, he acknowledged that he was uncertain about how much he would be able to play in 2025.
"Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know," he said.&nbsp;
"I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports: Tiger Woods revealed Tuesday he had undergone surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, derailing the veteran golf superstar's comeback plans.

Tiger Woods revealed Tuesday he had undergone surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, derailing the veteran golf superstar's comeback plans in the latest injury setback to rock the twilight of his glittering career. "As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured," Woods said in a post on X. "This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon." Woods added a comment from Stucken, who said the surgery "went smoothly and we expect a full recovery". Woods concluded: "I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support." Woods gave no timetable for his possible return from his latest debilitating injury. However the recovery time from an Achilles rupture can often last several months, which would almost certainly rule Woods out from playing in any of this season's majors if his latest injury follows the same timeframe. The 15-time major champion hasn't teed it up in a tournament since the Open Championship last July. After another back surgery in September he did play alongside 15-year-old son Charlie in the PNC Championship family event in Florida in December. Fire still burns He has also played in the TGL indoor simulator league he launched with Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy this year. But the 49-year-old, still hampered by serious leg injuries he suffered in a 2021 car crash, hasn't played a regular PGA Tour event since the Genesis Invitational in 2024 -- when he withdrew early because of illness. Woods had committed to play in this year's Genesis Invitational but withdrew because he was "just not ready" days after the death of his mother, Kultida. Woods's latest injury setback comes less than a month before the first major of the year, the Masters at Augusta National. He finished 60th at the Masters last year and missed the cut in the year's other three majors. Despite the litany of injury problems that have dogged him in recent years, Woods has repeatedly spoken of his desire to continue playing golf at the highest level, albeit with a scaled back tournament schedule. ALSO READ | Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver "I'll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event," he said ahead of last year's British Open at Royal Troon. Speaking in December following his back surgery in September, Woods maintained that the "fire still burns to compete." "The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be," he admitted. "That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey." However, he acknowledged that he was uncertain about how much he would be able to play in 2025. "Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know," he said. "I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tiger Woods undergoes surgery for ruptured Achilles tendon, derails comeback plans

Paris Saint-Germain produced a historic turnaround to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals at Liverpool's expense as they triumphed 4-1 on penalties after a 1-0 second leg win at Anfield.
Never in Liverpool's history had they lost a European tie after winning the first leg away from home but Ousmane Dembele's early strike brought the French champions level at 1-1 on aggregate.
PSG were then perfect with their four spot-kicks, while Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.
<h2>Liverpool miss early chances</h2>
Brilliant play by Alexis Mac Allister should have created the opener on four minutes when the Argentine's cross picked out Mohamed Salah, whose goalbound effort was deflected over by Nuno Mendes.
PSG took 10 minutes to ride out the storm from the home side before finding their feet.
The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes when Ibrahima Konate could only turn Bradley Barcola's cross beyond Alisson to leave Dembele with a simple finish.
The French international has now scored 23 goals in his last 17 games and could have had more before the end of the night.
PSG who had the better openings to extend their advantage before half-time.
Twice Alisson had to be at his sharpest to race off his line and save one-on-ones against Barcola and Dembele.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/kush-maini-becomes-third-indian-to-join-formula-1-lands-alpine-role-as-test-and-reserve-driver-8843222" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver</a>
<h2>Quansah hits inside of post</h2>
PSG beat Liverpool to the signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January and the Georgian proved a constant menace to the Reds' defence.
Kvaratskhelia's shot from Dembele's cross was arrowing towards the top corner until a deflection from Ryan Gravenberch took it just over the crossbar.
Improved second-half performances have been a common theme of Slot's first season at Liverpool and the hosts came roaring out of the traps after the break.
Dominik Szoboszlai had a goal ruled out for offside against Luis Diaz earlier in the move.
Szoboszlai then had a goalbound effort blocked by Willian Pacho before Donnarumma made a vital stop from Diaz from the resulting corner.
Liverpool's momentum could have been halted by the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to a knee injury after the right-back landed awkwardly.
But his replacement, Jarell Quansah, was inches away from winning the tie when his header came back off the inside of the post.
PSG barely threatened during the second half of the 90 minutes but Liverpool were left hanging on for penalties in extra time.
Lucas Beraldo's header and Desire Doue's shot flew just wide before more Alisson heroics kept PSG at bay with a stunning stop to turn Dembele's curling effort round the post.
However, Alisson could not save them in the shootout as it was the other goalkeeper who was the hero.
Donnarumma produced great saves to deny Nunez and Jones, either side of four confident strikes from Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele and Doue to send PSG into the last eight.
<h2>Bayern knock out Leverkusen</h2>
Harry Kane scored a goal and set up another as Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, going through to the Champions League quarter-finals 5-0 on aggregate.
Bayern were comfortable against last season's unbeaten German champions, having already done the damage with a dominant 3-0 win at home in the first leg.
With the match scoreless at half-time, Leverkusen rolled the dice in search of the goals they needed but it was Bayern who struck, with Kane waltzing through to tap in a Joshua Kimmich cross early in the second period.
With Leverkusen again pushing forward, the visitors added a second in the 71st minute, Alphonso Davies slamming a clever Kane chip low and hard to double Bayern's lead.
Kane, so often criticised for going missing in big games and scoring against the minnows, was again commanding, as he had been when scoring a brace in Munich.
The England captain showed finesse and physicality as he kept Bayern on track for a dream home final and a chance to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 Champions League final loss to Chelsea.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Paris Saint-Germain produced a historic turnaround to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals at Liverpool's expense as they triumphed 4-1 on penalties.

Paris Saint-Germain produced a historic turnaround to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals at Liverpool's expense as they triumphed 4-1 on penalties after a 1-0 second leg win at Anfield. Never in Liverpool's history had they lost a European tie after winning the first leg away from home but Ousmane Dembele's early strike brought the French champions level at 1-1 on aggregate. PSG were then perfect with their four spot-kicks, while Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones. Liverpool miss early chances Brilliant play by Alexis Mac Allister should have created the opener on four minutes when the Argentine's cross picked out Mohamed Salah, whose goalbound effort was deflected over by Nuno Mendes. PSG took 10 minutes to ride out the storm from the home side before finding their feet. The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes when Ibrahima Konate could only turn Bradley Barcola's cross beyond Alisson to leave Dembele with a simple finish. The French international has now scored 23 goals in his last 17 games and could have had more before the end of the night. PSG who had the better openings to extend their advantage before half-time. Twice Alisson had to be at his sharpest to race off his line and save one-on-ones against Barcola and Dembele. ALSO READ | Kush Maini becomes third Indian to join Formula 1, lands Alpine role as test and reserve driver Quansah hits inside of post PSG beat Liverpool to the signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January and the Georgian proved a constant menace to the Reds' defence. Kvaratskhelia's shot from Dembele's cross was arrowing towards the top corner until a deflection from Ryan Gravenberch took it just over the crossbar. Improved second-half performances have been a common theme of Slot's first season at Liverpool and the hosts came roaring out of the traps after the break. Dominik Szoboszlai had a goal ruled out for offside against Luis Diaz earlier in the move. Szoboszlai then had a goalbound effort blocked by Willian Pacho before Donnarumma made a vital stop from Diaz from the resulting corner. Liverpool's momentum could have been halted by the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to a knee injury after the right-back landed awkwardly. But his replacement, Jarell Quansah, was inches away from winning the tie when his header came back off the inside of the post. PSG barely threatened during the second half of the 90 minutes but Liverpool were left hanging on for penalties in extra time. Lucas Beraldo's header and Desire Doue's shot flew just wide before more Alisson heroics kept PSG at bay with a stunning stop to turn Dembele's curling effort round the post. However, Alisson could not save them in the shootout as it was the other goalkeeper who was the hero. Donnarumma produced great saves to deny Nunez and Jones, either side of four confident strikes from Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele and Doue to send PSG into the last eight. Bayern knock out Leverkusen Harry Kane scored a goal and set up another as Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, going through to the Champions League quarter-finals 5-0 on aggregate. Bayern were comfortable against last season's unbeaten German champions, having already done the damage with a dominant 3-0 win at home in the first leg. With the match scoreless at half-time, Leverkusen rolled the dice in search of the goals they needed but it was Bayern who struck, with Kane waltzing through to tap in a Joshua Kimmich cross early in the second period. With Leverkusen again pushing forward, the visitors added a second in the 71st minute, Alphonso Davies slamming a clever Kane chip low and hard to double Bayern's lead. Kane, so often criticised for going missing in big games and scoring against the minnows, was again commanding, as he had been when scoring a brace in Munich. The England captain showed finesse and physicality as he kept Bayern on track for a dream home final and a chance to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 Champions League final loss to Chelsea. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions League: PSG stun Liverpool on penalties to reach quarter-final; Bayern beat Leverkusen

The absence of star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/para-athletes">para-athletes</a> like javelin thrower <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sumit-antil" rel="dofollow">Sumit Antil</a> and discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya cast a shadow over India's campaign at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025, which began on a subdued note on Tuesday (March 11).
With the Para Athletics World Championships scheduled for September, several top Indian athletes skipped the Grand Prix to focus on their training, said Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president and two-time Paralympic gold medalist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/devendra-jhajharia" rel="dofollow">Devendra Jhajharia</a>. Additionally, many Indian and foreign para-athletes who had initially confirmed their participation pulled out, resulting in events with minimal competition&mdash;some featuring just a single athlete.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/all-england-open-badminton-championships-lakshya-advances-prannoy-ousted-8844146">All England Open Badminton Championships: Lakshya advances, Prannoy ousted</a>
The men&rsquo;s high jump T42 final, for athletes with single above-the-knee amputations or comparable disabilities, had only one competitor, Ramsingbhai Gobindbhai Padhiyar, after three others&mdash;Lokesh Mantra, Shailesh Kumar, and Varun Singh Bhati&mdash;pulled out.
In the men&rsquo;s javelin throw (F33, F34) category&mdash;designed for athletes with moderate movement and coordination impairments&mdash;only two competitors participated. Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Oybek Egamnazarov secured gold with an 18.05 m throw, while India&rsquo;s Devershee Sachan finished second with 11.34 m.
The men&rsquo;s 100m (T11, T12) sprint, for athletes with near-total visual impairment, saw Brazil&rsquo;s Joeferson Marinho de Oliveira clinching gold with 11.17 seconds. India&rsquo;s Vishnu (12.39 sec) and Pragadeeshwara Raja Moorthy (12.94 sec) secured second and third in a three-man field, while another Indian athlete, Ramanjee, did not start.
<h2>PCI president remains optimistic</h2>
Despite the lack of elite competition, PCI president Jhajharia remained optimistic, calling it a 'big tournament' and emphasising its significance ahead of the World Championships. "Every athlete dreams of playing for their country, and this event is a step in that direction," he said.
Jhajharia defended the absence of top-tier para-athletes, explaining that their training schedules prioritise peak performance at major global events. "Athletes plan long-term. Fitness is critical, and even a slight drop can significantly impact performance," he said, suggesting future Grand Prix events in India will likely see stronger participation.
However, with some of the biggest names missing and several events lacking depth, the tournament struggled to live up to expectations, raising concerns about its competitiveness and appeal.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: With the Para Athletics World Championships scheduled for September, several top Indian athletes skipped the Grand Prix to focus on their training

The absence of star para-athletes like javelin thrower Sumit Antil and discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya cast a shadow over India's campaign at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025, which began on a subdued note on Tuesday (March 11). With the Para Athletics World Championships scheduled for September, several top Indian athletes skipped the Grand Prix to focus on their training, said Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Devendra Jhajharia. Additionally, many Indian and foreign para-athletes who had initially confirmed their participation pulled out, resulting in events with minimal competition—some featuring just a single athlete. Also Read: All England Open Badminton Championships: Lakshya advances, Prannoy ousted The men’s high jump T42 final, for athletes with single above-the-knee amputations or comparable disabilities, had only one competitor, Ramsingbhai Gobindbhai Padhiyar, after three others—Lokesh Mantra, Shailesh Kumar, and Varun Singh Bhati—pulled out. In the men’s javelin throw (F33, F34) category—designed for athletes with moderate movement and coordination impairments—only two competitors participated. Uzbekistan’s Oybek Egamnazarov secured gold with an 18.05 m throw, while India’s Devershee Sachan finished second with 11.34 m. The men’s 100m (T11, T12) sprint, for athletes with near-total visual impairment, saw Brazil’s Joeferson Marinho de Oliveira clinching gold with 11.17 seconds. India’s Vishnu (12.39 sec) and Pragadeeshwara Raja Moorthy (12.94 sec) secured second and third in a three-man field, while another Indian athlete, Ramanjee, did not start. PCI president remains optimistic Despite the lack of elite competition, PCI president Jhajharia remained optimistic, calling it a 'big tournament' and emphasising its significance ahead of the World Championships. "Every athlete dreams of playing for their country, and this event is a step in that direction," he said. Jhajharia defended the absence of top-tier para-athletes, explaining that their training schedules prioritise peak performance at major global events. "Athletes plan long-term. Fitness is critical, and even a slight drop can significantly impact performance," he said, suggesting future Grand Prix events in India will likely see stronger participation. However, with some of the biggest names missing and several events lacking depth, the tournament struggled to live up to expectations, raising concerns about its competitiveness and appeal. (With inputs from agencies)

Low turnout, athlete withdrawals cast shadow over India's World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025

India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a> staged a remarkable comeback to secure a second-round spot at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/all-england-open">All England Championships</a> on Tuesday (March 11), while compatriot HS Prannoy suffered an early exit in the men's singles competition.
World No. 15 Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s world No. 37, SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 victory in the opening round of the prestigious Super 1000 event. The 23-year-old from Almora will now take on Indonesia&rsquo;s third seed, Jonatan Christie, whom he had defeated during his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/vanessa-low-leaping-beyond-limits-one-record-at-a-time-8843989">Vanessa Low: Leaping beyond limits, one record at a time</a>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hs-prannoy">HS Prannoy</a>, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games, fell short against France&rsquo;s Toma Junior Popov. Despite a 53-minute battle, the world No. 29 Indian lost 19-21, 16-21 to the 17th-ranked Frenchman. Prannoy had his chances in the first game, leading 6-1 and later 15-12, but Popov turned the contest around with a strong finish. In the second game, Prannoy fought back from 9-13 to level at 13-13, but Popov&rsquo;s aggressive play saw him close out the match convincingly.
<h2 data-start="595" data-end="1100">Satish-Aadya lose</h2>
In the mixed doubles category, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath faced a tough challenge against China&rsquo;s world No. 7 duo, Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui. The Indian team lost 6-21, 15-21 in a 51-minute encounter.
Lakshya&rsquo;s match was an intense contest, with the Indian bouncing back in the second game after a tight battle until 17-17. He capitalized on three crucial errors from Yang to clinch four consecutive points and force a decider. In the third game, Lakshya led 11-9 at the interval. Though Yang fought back to level at 15-15, Lakshya displayed composure and dominance, securing the last six points with a combination of powerful returns, a body smash, and unforced errors from his opponent.
On Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> and world No. 1 men&rsquo;s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin their campaign.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei’s SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 win  in the opening round

India's Lakshya Sen staged a remarkable comeback to secure a second-round spot at the All England Championships on Tuesday (March 11), while compatriot HS Prannoy suffered an early exit in the men's singles competition. World No. 15 Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei’s world No. 37, SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 victory in the opening round of the prestigious Super 1000 event. The 23-year-old from Almora will now take on Indonesia’s third seed, Jonatan Christie, whom he had defeated during his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year. Also Read: Vanessa Low: Leaping beyond limits, one record at a time Meanwhile, HS Prannoy, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games, fell short against France’s Toma Junior Popov. Despite a 53-minute battle, the world No. 29 Indian lost 19-21, 16-21 to the 17th-ranked Frenchman. Prannoy had his chances in the first game, leading 6-1 and later 15-12, but Popov turned the contest around with a strong finish. In the second game, Prannoy fought back from 9-13 to level at 13-13, but Popov’s aggressive play saw him close out the match convincingly. Satish-Aadya lose In the mixed doubles category, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath faced a tough challenge against China’s world No. 7 duo, Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui. The Indian team lost 6-21, 15-21 in a 51-minute encounter. Lakshya’s match was an intense contest, with the Indian bouncing back in the second game after a tight battle until 17-17. He capitalized on three crucial errors from Yang to clinch four consecutive points and force a decider. In the third game, Lakshya led 11-9 at the interval. Though Yang fought back to level at 15-15, Lakshya displayed composure and dominance, securing the last six points with a combination of powerful returns, a body smash, and unforced errors from his opponent. On Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and world No. 1 men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin their campaign. (With inputs from agencies)

All England Open Badminton Championships: Lakshya advances, Prannoy ousted

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