Jamshedpur FC, which won the Indian Super League Shield in 2022, will not participate in the ISL from the 2026-27 season onwards.

The club made the announcement after the expiry of the All India Football Federation’s extended July 31 deadline for payment of the first instalment of the participation fee (Rs. 55 lakh).

While JFC, which finished sixth in 2025-26, has decided to fold its operations, the club stated that Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited will continue to work within Indian football in other capacities.

“We will continue in our endeavour to promote and develop the game of football, including at the grassroots level. We will continue to identify and develop young football talent across India to create a strong pathway for players from grassroots to national and international football,” JFC said in a statement.

The Red Miners made their ISL debut in 2017-18 and finished fifth in two consecutive seasons. After a disappointing 2019-20 campaign, Owen Coyle was appointed manager, and under the Scotsman, it became only the third club — after FC Goa and Mumbai City FC — to win the League Winners’ Shield.

Owned and managed by Tata Steel, JFC was the only club in the Indian topflight to own its stadium and training facilities. Its withdrawal from ISL adds to the uncertainty surrounding Indian football, with the league already navigating administrative and governance challenges in recent months.

Winning an Ultimate Table Tennis title is special. Defending it, Lilian Bardet believes, is even more satisfying.

The Frenchman, one of only two surviving players from U Mumba TT’s maiden triumph in 2025 alongside reserve paddler Akash Pal, felt Sunday’s victory over Dempo Goa Challengers, unbeaten in the seventh season until then, was a testament to the team’s resilience after a shaky start.

“The first time is always something new for the team, for the players. But to achieve it a second time in a row is even bigger,” Bardet said after lifting the trophy at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji on Sunday.

“Teamwork from the first day until today [Sunday]… we are really proud of this victory.”

Coach John Murphy, who continued alongside Jay Modak after last year’s title-winning campaign, believed this triumph was markedly different from the first. “We lost the first two matches. We didn’t panic. We built our way back into the league. We qualified and then hit the ground running in the playoffs,” Murphy said.

“Last year, we ran on adrenaline and had some really big individual performances. This year was more calculated. I felt that the longer the tournament went on, the better we became.”

That measured approach was exemplified by Manush Shah. Returning to UTT after missing the 2025 season due to international commitments, the ace Indian paddler grew into the tournament before producing decisive performances in the semifinal and final.

Manush’s impact increased with every passing tie.
| Photo Credit:
BUTTERFLY UTT

“When we saw that Manush was available in the auction, he was one of the players we wanted,” Murphy said. “We were lucky enough to get him. Coming back after missing last season, he had to adapt again because UTT is a different format. But good players find their way.”

Murphy felt Manush’s impact increased with every passing tie. “He never backed down. He was probably the one player who just got better and better as the tournament went on. In the end, he was probably the key.”

Even so, Murphy insisted the title was built on collective consistency rather than individual brilliance. “But the team is a team. We wouldn’t have got there if we weren’t stable all the way through the league”.

Taneesha Kotecha produced a major upset in Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 to formally seal HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades’ place in the semifinals, while Frenchman Lilian Bardet ensured defending champion U Mumba TT also advanced despite a narrow defeat in its final league tie at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

The night’s final flourish, however, belonged to Nithyashree Mani. The Chennai paddler, representing U Mumba, stunned Zeng Jian to take the contest down to the wire before the experienced Singapore paddler held her nerve to clinch the decider and hand the Kolkata outfit an 8-7 victory.

With both teams locked on 41 points before the tie, each needed at least five points to guarantee a semifinal berth. Eduard Ionescu gave Kolkata the ideal start by defeating the left-handed Manush Shah in a clash of equals.

Taneesha then delivered the standout performance of the evening, blanking World No. 34 Anna Hursey 3-0. Although Hursey, ranked more than 100 places above the Indian, was visibly hampered by a stomach bug, Taneesha was relentless in exploiting her opponent’s restricted movement with remarkable consistency.

Hursey, to her credit, returned for the mixed doubles and partnered Manush to secure two crucial points for U Mumba.

Bardet then confirmed U Mumba’s passage to the semifinals by taking the opening two games against the flamboyant Ankur Bhattacharjee. The Kolkata youngster responded with a sparkling display of backhand winners to claim the third game and keep his team in the hunt.

Trailing 5-7, U Mumba turned to Nithyashree ahead of the in-form Anusha Kutumbale. The gamble nearly paid off as Nithyashree raced through the first two games against Zeng, only for the vastly experienced paddler to edge the decider and complete a win for Thunder Blades.

The result: HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades bt U Mumba TT 8-7 (Eduard Ionescu bt Manush Shah 9-11, 11-8, 11-7; Taneesha Kotecha bt Anna Hursey 11-6, 11-4, 11-4; Ankur Bhattacharjee & Taneesha lost to Manush & Hursey 11-8, 4-11, 7-11; Ankur lost to Lilian Bardet 9-11, 8-11, 11-6; Zeng Jian lost to Nithyashree Mani 10-11, 5-11, 11-5).

The standings: HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 49 points (6 ties), U Mumba TT 48 (6), Dempo Goa Challengers 46 (5), Ahmedabad APL Pipers 45 (6), Dabang Delhi TTC 36 (5), PBG Pune Jaguars 34 (5), UP Prometheans 27 (5).

Jyothi Surekha has been a picture of consistency since picking up the bow and arrow. With 93 medals to her name – including five from the Asian Games – the 29-year-old is now preparing to add to that tally at this year’s edition of the quadrennial event in Japan.

Surekha emerged on top at the selection trials held at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Sonipat, Haryana, while several prominent names, including Atanu Das, Ojas Pravin Deotale and Deepika Kumari, failed to qualify.

The compound archer began her World Cup run with gold in the women’s team event in Mexico but a rare off day saw a quarterfinal exit in Shanghai. She admitted that the quick turnaround between Stage 2 of the Archery World Cup and the trials in Sonipat, in addition to challenging conditions made preparation difficult.

“There was a lot of heat. There wasn’t much wind initially, but by the round-robin stage, which is very important, it became very windy,” she told The Hindu.

While pleased with her selection, Surekha is equally excited about guiding a young compound women’s team featuring 21-year-old Chikitha Taniparthi and 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep at the Asian Games.

For now, Surekha’s immediate focus remains on Stages 3 and 4 of the Archery World Cup in Antalya and Madrid, respectively.
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. GIRI

“I’m just two months away from turning 30,” she reiterated, with a laugh.

“Even though I was happy to qualify, I was a little surprised too because some big names missed out, not just in compound women, but overall. But what’s done is done. The team has been selected, and now we have to work together and make sure things go well for us.”

There were barely any celebrations at home in Vijayawada. “Everything was normal at home. Maybe we’ll celebrate after winning the Asian Games.”

For now, Surekha’s immediate focus remains on Stages 3 and 4 of the Archery World Cup in Antalya and Madrid, respectively.