Current Affairs - Sports

Neeru Dhanda won the women’s individual trap gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, securing India’s fifth gold medal at the Games. She scored 26 points in the eight-shooter final, finishing ahead of China’s Sun Yunong and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik, who each scored 21 points. Dhanda had also won a silver medal in the women’s trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. She scored 118 out of 125 points in the team competition. Dhanda also won her first ISSF World Cup gold in women’s trap at Lonato, Italy, in July 2026.

Samarkand was the host city of the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. India won the silver medal after drawing 2-2 with Hungary in the final round. India finished with 18 match points and 28.5 game points, the same as Germany, but secured the silver medal through the tiebreak system. Uzbekistan won the gold medal with 20 match points, while Germany secured the bronze. The tournament highlighted the strong performances of India and Uzbekistan in international team chess competitions.

Esha Singh won the silver medal in the women’s 25m pistol individual event at the 2026 Asian Games held in Nagoya, Japan. She qualified for the final with 580 points and successfully progressed through several shoot-offs during the medal round. In the gold medal shoot-off, Esha competed against China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan after both shooters were tied at 38 points. Esha missed her final shot and finished second, while Xiao Jiaruixuan won gold. North Korea’s Kim Hyon Suk secured the bronze medal. Esha’s performance earned India another shooting medal at the Asian Games.

Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh won silver medals in the women’s and men’s singles squash events, respectively, at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Anahat became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in singles squash at the Asian Games. She lost the final to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam. Abhay Singh also secured silver after losing to Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow in the men’s singles final. Their performances added two silver medals to India’s squash tally, while Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar won bronze in mixed doubles.

Pune was selected to host the 2032 UCI Road World Championships, marking the first time the prestigious global cycling event will be held in India. The decision was announced during the UCI Congress in Montreal, Canada, on September 24, 2026. Pune secured the hosting rights after competing against Groningen/Drenthe of the Netherlands in the final round. The bid was jointly submitted by the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India, with support from the Government of India. Proposed venues include Balewadi Stadium and the Pune University circuit. The event aims to promote cycling and develop Indian athletes, coaches, and technical officials.