Current Affairs - Sports

Raja Muthupandi won the silver medal in the men's 65kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 held in Glasgow. He achieved a total lift of 286kg across the snatch and clean & jerk events. Despite recovering from an early failed attempt and briefly setting a Commonwealth Games record in the clean & jerk, he finished behind Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed, who secured the gold with a Games record total of 299kg. Raja's remarkable comeback from a serious elbow injury and years of perseverance made his silver medal a significant achievement, further strengthening India's impressive weightlifting medal tally at the Games.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a half-century in T20 International cricket during the first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 23, 2026. At just 15 years and 118 days of age, he reached his fifty in only 19 balls, breaking the previous record held by Gibraltar's Louis Bruce. His explosive innings included four boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of over 263. The achievement also made him the youngest player to score a fifty in international cricket, the youngest cricketer from an ICC Full Member nation to reach the milestone, and the youngest Indian to score an international fifty, surpassing records held by Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma.

Lovlina Borgohain confirmed India's first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after receiving a direct entry into the semifinals of the women's 75 kg boxing event in Glasgow, Scotland. Since only five boxers competed in the category, all semifinalists were guaranteed a medal under international boxing rules. A bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Lovlina entered the Games in excellent form after winning gold medals at the National Boxing Championships, the Boxam Elite International Tournament in Spain, and the Grand Prix of Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic. This also marks her first-ever Commonwealth Games medal after quarterfinal finishes in 2018 and 2022.

Pakistan announced in July 2026 that it will host the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in early 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen regional cooperation under the SAARC framework. The event aims to promote sporting ties and collaboration among South Asian nations while supporting broader regional goals such as climate resilience, energy security, cross-border connectivity, trade expansion, and poverty alleviation. The SAF Games, established in 1981, held their first edition in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1984. SAARC, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Kathmandu, comprises eight member countries working together to foster regional development and cooperation.

Indian Grandmaster Rohith Krishna won the gold medal at the Menuires International Chess Championship held in France on July 21, 2026. He secured the title by winning the tie-break with a score of 43 after finishing unbeaten with 7 points in 9 rounds. Fellow Indian player Raja Rithvik claimed the silver medal with a tie-break score of 41.5, while French Grandmaster Omelja Artem finished third with 6.5 points. The tournament featured 86 players from several countries, highlighting India's growing strength and consistent success in international chess competitions.