India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December. The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.

The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.

This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).

It was also announced that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031.

New Delhi, Dec 16: Coach Sumit Bhatia is all pumped up for the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup scheduled to take place from January 13-19, 2025. Bhatia, who holds a distinct record of being the only head coach to have won the Asian Championship twice, believes that this historical step is an indication of the realisation of the dream to take the sport to the international level and help it gain global recognition.

Having been honoured with the best coach award by the Delhi government, Bhatia has been a part of various Indian teams’ success, including the 2016 and 2023 Asian Kho Kho Championship victories, and has trained players like Nasreen Shaikh and Sarika Sudhakar Kale. Both of them have been Arjuna Awardees.

Nasreen, who is also a part of the World Cup camp, is the only player who has played in two Asian Championships and won the gold. The coach-student duo is now gearing up for the global event.

Sharing how the journey of Kho Kho World Cup’s inception, the coach said, “We organised an international camp here before COVID happened, in 2020. Coaches and players from 16 countries came here and we gave them training. Now they will be coming here for the World Cup but this campaign started in that camp”.

He further said, “Around 30-35 countries were willing to play the tournament but we picked the best 20 teams for both men and women. Some countries have single teams while some have double teams but a total of 24 countries will be participating in the tournament. It was our dream to take Kho Kho to the international level and now we can see that our dream is getting fulfilled.”

He also lauded the launch of the Ultimate Kho Kho League and shared how the franchise-based model has helped the players and coaches gain recognition, while also bringing forward grassroot talent.

“When the Ultimate Kho Kho league started, I also joined Telegu Yodhas as their head coach and we also played the final. Players have gotten exposure through the league and it’s not just financial. Earlier we used to hesitate while admitting being a Kho Kho coach but today our players introduce us as their coach,” said Bhatia.

He added, “The league got so much coverage that wherever we go, the players are approached for autographs. So the platform of the league started a new world for both coaches and players and now not just India but the entire world knows us. Earlier we used to tell people about our game but now they know what is Kho Kho and Ultimate Kho Kho league and are also waiting for the third season.”

Bhatia also discussed the impact of sports science on Kho Kho and lauded the newly introduced technology and said, “We have benefitted a lot from it. Sometimes we don’t understand why a player is not performing well. But with the introduction of sports science, we now know about the details of the problem.

“For example, a player might be facing issues with his left leg while sitting and so, it gives us an opportunity to work on that weakness… Sports science has helped us in identifying the accuracy and weakness of a player. So it’s very beneficial for us.”

New Delhi,Dec 13: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) president Nitin Narang lauded D. Gukesh on becoming the youngest World Chess Champion and said it is not just a personal milestone but the feat has also etched India’s name in golden letters in the history of chess.

Gukesh scripted history on Thursday after beating Ding Liren of China in the 14-game World Chess Championship final in Singapore. The 18-year-old from Chennai capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th game to dethrone the reigning champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 to become only the second Indian, after five-time champion Viswanathan Anand, to win the World Chess Championship.

Congratulating Gukesh over his historic performance, AICF president Nitin Narang said, “Gukesh’s victory is not just a milestone in his career but also etches India’s name in golden letters in the history of chess.

Throughout the tournament, he displayed remarkable focus and patience, which is truly inspiring. Gukesh has emerged as a role model for today’s youth.”

Narang further said that Gukesh deserves to be called the Crown Prince of Chess. “Gukesh’s victory has established beyond a shadow of doubt that India is the king of chess. I congratulate Gukesh, his coaches, his family, and everyone else who stood by his side during his journey from a chess prodigy to a world champion,” he said.

At 18, Gukesh has shattered barriers and surpassed Garry Kasparov’s record to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion.

AICF Secretary Dev A Patel said Gukesh has emerged as a symbol of hope and aspiration for millions of youngsters who are drawn to the game of chess.

“Gukesh’s victory will help the AICF in taking chess to tens of thousands of schools across the country. The AICF already has a ‘chess in school’ program in motion where hundreds of coaches have been roped in to popularise the game among the young generation,” he added.

AICF treasurer Dharmendra Kumar pointed out that AICF is continuously bolstering and building chess and its ecosystem in India, which is evident from the success Indian players have secured in international competitions.

Gukesh will wear the world crown 11 years after Vishwanathan Anand was dethroned in the 2013 World Chess Championship. Incidentally, Gukesh’s triumph was bolstered by the mentorship of GM Anand and his WestBridge Anand Chess Academy.