Twenty-seven years ago, on July 7, 1999, El Guerrouj set his historic mile mark of 3:43.13 at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Understanding what Hicham represents to the soul of track and field is necessary to explain why Kerr’s heavily publicized record leaves such a lingering, complicated aftertaste. These pictures were clicked on the last day of the 2004 Athens Olympics. #joshkerr athleticsindia.com/josh-kerr…

Just finished Seichō Matsumoto’s Tokyo Express (brilliant translation by Jesse Kirkwood). Between detectives Mihara & Torigai, suspect Yasuda, and the "suicide" at Kashii beach, Matsumoto sends you on a dizzy chase where 1957 train timetables are as crucial as sleuthing! The infamous “four-minute” puzzle kept me hooked. Reading it felt like riding back and forth with Mihara. And when it ends, it truly “leaves a sour taste in the mouth” - intermingling corruption, loneliness, and careerism that feels all too modern. Thanks to keeping my phone switched off, I’m finally back to reading. Now back to my own overdue book - a deep dive where blood, feuds, sports, and politics are bedfellows. (And shoutout to the generous lady at Sanseido (Nagoya) who introduced me to Matsumoto!) #japanesecrimefiction #nagoya #japan

🚨 #BREAKING : ATHLETE EVADES NADA DOPING TEST AFTER WINNING SILVER! Uttar Pradesh’s Lavkush Rana, who won silver in the men’s 1500m at the ongoing U23 Nationals in Jaipur, left the venue after NADA officials approached him for a doping test. NADA officials present at the venue confirmed that they were unable to complete the process and said they had video footage of Rana running away when approached. According to an NADA official, Rana is likely to face an evasion charge. He also did not appear for the medal ceremony. AFI Technical Committee Chairman Ravinder Chaudhary said the federation would act based on NADA’s report. If NADA officially records an evasion, Rana could lose his medal. A technical official also expressed surprise, stating that while other athletes stopped after finishing, Rana continued running and crossed the gate. #U23Nationals #Doping #NADA #IndianAthletics #Athletics     #NNISSports @afiindia @NADAIndiaOffice

🚨 100m QUALIFICATION CONTROVERSY AT INDIAN OPEN U-23 CHAMPIONSHIPS? The men’s 100m event at the 6th Indian Open U-23 Athletics Competition in Jaipur has sparked questions over both the semifinal qualification system and the communication of the rules to athletes. Athletes have alleged that the qualification criteria - 15 Heats, 1Q + 9q for the semifinals, were not mentioned in the original start list or on the event website. They also claim that the qualification format was not communicated to them at the call room. According to the athletes’ allegations, AFI updated the start list on its website after the protest, adding the wording “15 Heats, 1Q+9q for SF”, which they say was absent from the earlier version. ➡️ The results have also raised questions about the format: 1⃣ Kapish Mahajan qualified after winning Heat 1, while Varun Oori clocked a faster 10.76s but missed out after finishing second in Heat 1. 2⃣ Sumit Patel advanced as Heat 11 winner in 10.91s, while Shivam Vashnav ran 10.78s and Halvi S Vij clocked 10.79s, but neither qualified. 3⃣ Jamil Ali clocked 10.79s to finish third in Heat 8 but did not advance. The published semifinal list appears consistent with a system of one automatic qualifier per heat plus nine fastest non-winners. The concern, therefore, is not just the format itself, but whether the criteria were clearly communicated to all athletes before competition. Were athletes adequately informed of the qualification rules before taking to the track? #IndianAthletics #Athletics #AFI #IndianOpenU23 #NNISSports @afiindia #AthleticsIndia

Reporting scores is pure grunt work. Staying low in the trenches to do the unglamorous labour is what Sushant does best. It takes real grit to expose what happens behind closed doors. Routine news keeps you informed. Fact-based journalism is what keeps the sport honest. Shoutout to @Sushant_singh95

🚨 #BREAKING: ASI MIDDLE-DISTANCE COACH YUNUS KHAN SUSPENDED BY NADA! Army Sports Institute (ASI) middle-distance coach Mohd. Yunus Khan has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) under Article 2.9 — Complicity or Attempted Complicity. Several Army athletes, including Gulveer Singh and Sawan Barwal, have trained under Yunus Khan. @IA_SportsAdvntr @adgpi @NADAIndiaOffice @afiindia @Media_SAI #Athletics #IndianAthletics #AthleticsIndia #NNISSports

It is never easy for a team to dance around the chaos at Hockey India. Between the cross-accusations, court cases, looming legal threats, and debates over jersey changes, the boardroom soap opera played out in full view. There was even a former captain and teammate turning to social media with heavy sarcasm: “Don’t worry the World Cup doesn’t matter. The Asian Games are coming. Win a gold medal there and that’s enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.” To top it all off, the President filed a police complaint against four federation officials. It was sports administration as high theatre. #hockey #hockeyindia @FIH_Hockey @TheHockeyIndia

BEYOND THE GOLD... Hockey needs to look beyond LA28. Winning gold was just a step. For all those “concerned” about the sport, domestic hockey is where we need to focus, and domestic hockey must be cleaned up. The answers don’t lie in continental tournaments, Pro League, or simply resurrecting the Hockey India League. If HIL were that resilient, it wouldn’t require so much behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to survive. Speaking to players after the AG final, the consensus was clear: domestic hockey must get back on track with a proper two-tier league featuring 20+ teams. Big question: is there anyone capable in the Federation to even put this together? Indian hockey desperately needs a robust domestic pyramid: an elite Tier 1 (8–10 teams) sitting atop a competitive, nationwide Tier 2 (12–15 teams) complete with promotion-relegation stakes. Such a structure would finally eliminate the talent bottleneck, expand scouting beyond traditional hubs, and guarantee players 8 to 10 months of active, high-intensity competition instead of long months of forced inactivity. Domestic hockey is non-negotiable and for that we only need to look at how the world’s elite hockey nations operate. In countries like Belgium (Honor Division), men’s and women’s top division have 12 teams each. Below that 110 clubs are affiliated and running. Across the country if you include all teams across senior, lower and the junior structures, you have more than 600 teams. In India, all HI needs to do is structure national hockey. Similarly, the UK (England Hockey League) and Spain (División de Honor A) live and die by the threat of the drop and promotion, ensuring every single match is competitive. We, by contrast, try to shortcut this ecosystem with sporadic, short-burst franchise leagues without building the foundational grassroots pyramid underneath. Punjab hosts the Asian Champions Trophy next, followed by backroom shadowboxing for elections (HI’s own internal league being fought between two teams, with a few non-stakeholders on the outside getting quashed for no reason). Gold medals make everything look hunky-dory on the surface, but it isn’t. Administrators need to stop protecting their chairs, dividing the community, and playing stakeholders against each other, and get down to building a sustainable system that safeguards the sport itself. #hockey #domestichockey #hockeytwitter #hockeyindia

What changed in 44 years? From Eliza Nelson and Balkrishan Singh to Savita Punia and Sjoerd Marijne, India’s women’s hockey journey finally came full circle with Asian Games gold. 🥇🇮🇳 @MisraSundeep writes..... #AsianGames #Hockey indiatoday.in/sports/asian-g…

The men have booked their LA ticket! India win their 5th Asian Games Hockey Gold, beating Malaysia 5-1. ​It was a tough contest. India stood firm in the face of sharp Malaysian counterattacks, relying on their overall experience, squad depth, and relentless intent to maintain high pressure on the 2018 silver medalists. ​A final always brings a unique brand of pressure, but India withstood it brilliantly. Even after failing to convert six consecutive penalty corners in the fourth quarter, India turned it around for a sensational right-flank move involving Abhishek and Sukhjeet, with Shilanand Lakra flicking it in to make it 4-1. Captain Harmanpreet Singh then sealed the 5-1 victory with his second goal of the match. ​Early on, Harmanpreet opened the scoring before Jugraj doubled the lead. Hardik and Shilanand then expanded the scoreline before Harmanpreet’s final strike. ​Following their 5-1 victory over Japan in the previous Asian Games final, this marks another dominant performance on the big stage. Most historical of all: for the first time in Indian hockey history, both the men’s and women’s teams have captured gold at the same Asian Games! #hockeygold #hockeytwitter #asiangames #hockeyindia

That 44-year wait is finally over! Reclaiming the Asian Games gold after 1982 Shivaji Stadium glory is a historic triumph for Indian hockey. ​Holding off China with a gritty, disciplined 1-0 defensive performance showed incredible maturity. Savita Punia’s crucial Q2 penalty stroke save completely flipped the momentum, a true champion’s moment under immense pressure. Huge credit belongs to Sjoerd Marijne and the entire coaching staff for instilling a high-performance mindset. ​Best of all, securing direct qualification for the LA 28 Olympics gives India time to build something extraordinary. Truly unforgettable! #goldforindia #goldmedal #hockeyindia #women #teamindia

India using a strong defensive line. China attacking through Ma Ning, Li Hong and Chen Yang. India doing everything right. Cutting off the passing angles and making China think. Can India sit on a one goal lead? India must keep two attackers high to force China’s wing-backs to stay home. The moment China feel safe pushing both backs forward, the pressure on the Indian circle becomes overwhelming. 4th Q fatigue will set in. #hockey #goldmedal #asiangames Pic: Asian Hock Federation

Great save from Savita. Read the angle right on the stroke. And that Lalremsiami screamer for a 1-0 lead in Q1. Shilpi's save in the defence. China look dangerous on the counter, especially when Ma Ning is on the ball. China keeping ball possession. They can't give easy breaks to India; Marijne's team is quick on the ball. Interesting set up for the remaining 2 Qs. #hockey #goldmedal #asiangames

Some games will always be close. But the structure of the team took a battering in the 3rd and 4th.

The day Federations believe the players are assets. Not the other way around.

That would be jeopardy! Better of winning the AG gold than going through the qualification process. Plus players would be changed. Quite a few would retire.

With just 49 seconds to go, India score! Abhishek's push takes a deflection off Sufiyan's stick, allowing India to scrape through by the skin of their teeth. India win 4-3. Enter AG final.

Q1 Two PC goals from Harmanpreet give India a 2-0 lead at the end of Q1 out of 7 penalty corners. India are looking active on the break, while Pakistan rely on counter-attacks trying for a surprise finish. Pak had 3 PCs in the end. Rohidas ran them down. Momentum firmly with India. ​Q2. Shilanand Lakra reverse hit, Sukhjeet calmly taps in. 3-0. The momentum was so heavily in India's favour that Harmanpreet popped up outside the Pakistani circle. Pakistan had 3 PCs in Q2, scoring off the last with 35 seconds left on the clock. It's 3-1 to India. Sets it up nicely for an exciting last two quarters. #hockey #indvspak #asiangames