Category: 6. Sports

Thank you for joining uspublished at 17:07 British Summer Time

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FT: Wales 25-28 Fiji

Image source, Getty Images

Well, Wales finish their Rugby World Cup campaign without a win.

You could argue they improved with each game, from the devastating loss to Scotland to the improved defeat against Canada, and through to today’s narrow beating by Fiji.

But ultimately this campaign will be looked back on as one filled with disappointment.

Having beaten Australia just a couple months ago, and with the quarter-finals the aim once more, Wales instead end the tournament with no points.

Canada and Scotland march on from Pool B, and will find out their quarter-final opponents later today.

But for Wales and Fiji their tournaments are over.

Thank you for joining us. There is plenty more action to come today, and you can follow all the latest from England against Australia on the BBC Sport website here.

Image source, Getty Images

The Indian hockey team fought back from a goal down twice to draw their second Women’s Asia Cup 2025 match 2-2 with Japan at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Hockey Field in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China, on Saturday.

For India, 10th in the women’s hockey rankings, both the goals were equalising goals and were scored by Rutuja Dadaso Pisal (30’) and Navneet Kaur (60’). Defending champions and world No. 12, Japan’s goals were scored by Hiroka Murayama (10’) and Chiko Fujibayashi (58’).

The result means India are unbeaten so far in the tournament, having won their first game against Thailand 11-0 on Friday. After the round-robin phase, the top two from each pool will progress to the Super 4s, which will decide the finalists. India are drawn in Pool B with Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

It was a quick start from India as Japan did their best to thwart their attacks. However, Japan’s resistance eventually paid off as they drew first blood when Hiroka Murayama found the back of the net to round off a sweeping move. Japan led 1-0 and kept India at bay for the remainder of the first quarter.

After the breather, India went on the attack in the hunt for the equaliser, although Japan were not giving anything away. However, in the final minutes of the first half, India found a way through as Rutuja Dadaso Pisal scored and made it 1-1 at half-time.

The second half started with both sides taking a watchful approach in their bid not to concede momentum. India were looking to get their noses out in front, having finished the first half strongly, while Japan’s disciplined defensive unit held on. The third quarter saw both teams trade punches and go into the break with the scores at 1-1.

In the final quarter, both teams upped the ante in attack as they were looking for the crucial winner. However, it was Japan’s pressure that paid off initially as they got the goal a few minutes before the final hooter.

A penalty stroke fell to Chiko Fujibayashi and she smashed home to make it 2-1 with barely any time left. However, India gave it their all as they went in search of a late equaliser and it came in the form of Navneet Kaur from a penalty corner in the dying moments of the game.

Eventually, both teams shared the spoils with the scores at 2-2 at the hooter. India will face Singapore next in the women’s Asia Cup hockey tournament on Monday.

Kalpana is no longer the favourite for next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after an odds-on defeat by Giavellotto at Kempton.

Andrew Balding’s four-year-old was around 6-1 favourite for Europe’s richest race on 5 October but is now out to 12-1.

King George runner-up Kalpana, ridden by Colin Keane, was beaten by a length and a half by Giavellotto in the September stakes.

The winner was guided home by Oisin Murphy on his 30th birthday for trainer Marco Botti.

Balding indicated afterwards that a decision on whether Kalpana would run in the Arc at Longchamp in Paris has yet to be made.

We began our Barclays Women’s Super League campaign with a comprehensive 4-1 win over London City Lionesses at Emirates Stadium. 

After falling behind early, a fantastic strike from debutant Olivia Smith kick-started our comeback, before Chloe Kelly, Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum put our Gunners fully in command. 

WHAT HAPPENED

38,000 supporters took in the sunshine at Emirates Stadium for the start of the Barclays Women’s Super League season, as our European Champions took on the newly-promoted London City Lionesses.

Renée Slegers handed a debut to summer signing Olivia Smith, who sprang into action early with some nice interplay with Emily Fox down the wing.

Our right-back had the first definitive chance of the match after ten minutes, receiving the ball at the edge of the area and dragging her shot just wide of the post.

The visitors were handed an early lead, however, after Katie Reid mistimed a tackle against Kosovare Asllani in the box, forcing the referee to point to the spot. The London City captain converted the penalty comfortably into the bottom corner, giving our Gunners an early test in the first half.

Smith continued to cause problems down the right flank with her speed and footwork, weaving her way into the visitors’ box but just missing the finishing touch to trouble the keeper.

But it didn’t take long for that magic to strike. Our number 15 ducked and dodged through the midfield, shouldering a challenge with ease, before letting rip from 30 yards out. The second the ball left her foot, there was zero doubt where it was ending up. We were back on level terms.

Our Canadian wasn’t done either, nearly bagging a second before half-time. Alessia Russo floated a cross into the box that Smith connected with on the volley, but it flew just shy of the net.

Our squad continued to turn the heat up as half-time approached, with a Chloe Kelly volley momentarily fooling the crowd, before landing in the side netting.

After 20 minutes of pressure, that all-important goal came in injury time, with Kelly swooping into the six-yard box to hit home from Russo’s cutback.

We brought the same energy and control into the second half, as we looked to consolidate our lead.

After a sparkling debut in the red and white, Olivia Smith was replaced after an hour by Caitlin Foord, with Victoria Pelova also making way for Frida Maanum.

Daphne van Domselaar was hardly tested by the visitors in the second 45, with the majority of the action reserved for the North Bank end. The likes of Kelly, Russo and substitute, Stina Blackstenius, were thwarted by London City’s backline at the right moment.

The wall did eventually fall, with Blackstenius picking up where she left off in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final with a goal to give us daylight. 

The crowd had barely found their seats again before we were back on the scoresheet through Frida Maanum, who headed home after Beth Mead’s shot looped goalwards.

What’s next

Next up in the WSL, a trip across the capital to face West Ham United next Friday evening. We have already faced the Hammers in pre-season, bagging a 2-0 win at Meadow Park. 

Amid calls for a boycott of the match, including disapproval from former cricketers and fans, Saikia clarified that the Indian cricket board is acting in accordance with guidelines issued by the central government. The revised policy, introduced in August, permits Indian athletes and teams to participate in multinational events featuring countries not on friendly terms with India, while continuing to bar bilateral engagements with those nations.

“So far as the BCCI’s view is concerned, we have to follow whatever the central government formalises,” Saikia told ANI. “Recently, our policy, which is in place, regarding India’s participation in any multinational tournament or international tournament, there is no restriction imposed by the central government on whether we play any of the countries which are not on good terms with India.”

He reiterated that India’s participation in the Asia Cup and other ICC events is mandatory under international commitments. “As the ICC Cup is a multinational tournament involving the countries of the Asia continent, so we have to play. And also, for any ICC tournament, when there is a country which is not on friendly terms with India, we have to play in the international tournaments,” he said.

Bilateral contests, however, remain off the table. “So far as bilateral is concerned, we are not going to play with any of our hostile countries,” Saikia said, drawing a firm line in line with national policy.

He also warned of the broader implications if India were to boycott a multinational event. According to Saikia, refusing to participate in matches against certain countries could invite sanctions from global sporting bodies, not just in cricket but across other sports disciplines as well.

“So we are following the policy framed by the government of India, the Youth and Sports Development Department,” he said. “And for that, BCCI will have to do it. And we are very happy to follow the policy. That policy is very nicely done, taking into consideration not only cricket, but also other games.”

To highlight the seriousness of the issue, Saikia pointed to the potential risks athletes like Neeraj Chopra could face if similar boycott sentiments were applied in other sports. “Suppose in athletics, India is not playing a particular tournament because we have to play with a player belonging to a hostile country. In that situation, if any sanction comes with the Indian Athletic Association, then take the example, suppose Neeraj Chopra, he won’t be able to participate in any international event. So that will be detrimental to the interests of the players.”

Saikia noted that the government had likely accounted for all such scenarios before formulating a balanced approach that protects national interests while ensuring athletes remain part of the global competitive landscape.