
-
New Bruce Springsteen music set for June 27 release
-
Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer
-
Zuckerberg repeats Trump visits in bid to settle antitrust case
-
US fencer disqualified for not facing transgender rival
-
'Everyone worried' by Trump tariffs in France's champagne region
-
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
-
Russian soprano Netrebko to return to London's Royal Opera House
-
French creche worker gets 25 years for killing baby with drain cleaner
-
UK avoids worst US tariffs post-Brexit, but no celebrations
-
Canada imposing 25% tariff on some US auto imports
-
Ruud wants 'fair share' of Grand Slam revenue for players
-
Lesotho, Africa's 'kingdom in the sky' jolted by Trump
-
Trump's trade math baffles economists
-
Gaza heritage and destruction on display in Paris
-
'Unprecedented crisis' in Africa healthcare: report
-
Pogacar gunning for blood and thunder in Tour of Flanders
-
Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
-
Wall St leads rout as world reels from Trump tariffs
-
Mullins gets perfect National boost with remarkable four-timer
-
Trump tariffs hammer global stocks, dollar and oil
-
Authors hold London protest against Meta for 'stealing' work to train AI
-
Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's new tariffs list
-
Tonali eager to lead Newcastle back into Champions League
-
Lesotho hardest hit as new US tariffs rattle Africa
-
Stellantis pausing some Canada, Mexico production over Trump auto tariffs
-
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit Moon
-
Italy reels from Brignone broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Is the Switch 2 worth the price? Reviews are mixed
-
Civilians act to bring aid to Myanmar earthquake victims
-
US trade gap narrows in February ahead of bulk of Trump tariffs
-
Stocks, dollar and oil sink as gold hits high on Trump tariffs
-
Arsenal defender Gabriel out for rest of the season
-
Trump says US to emerge 'stronger' as markets tumble over tariffs
-
Wiegman says Belgium games can aid England's women's Euros title defence
-
Prosecutors demand jail term for Ancelotti for tax fraud
-
Syria accuses Israel of deadly destabilisation campaign
-
Skiing World Cup champion Brignone suffers broken leg
-
Iconic Paris hotel Lutetia taken over by Mandarin Oriental
-
Nepal capital chokes as wildfires rage
-
AI could impact 40 percent of jobs worldwide: UN
-
Liverpool's Slot happy to let Premier League title bid take its course
-
Tesla sales fall again in Germany amid Musk backlash
-
Italy's skiing champion Brignone air-lifted to hospital after crash
-
Defending champion I Am Maximus heads final field for Grand National
-
Rubio says US committed to NATO - but tells allies to spend more
-
India eyes opportunity despite Trump tariffs hit
-
UK show reveals tawdry tale of Shakespeare folio theft
-
Top Russian official in Washington for talks on improving ties
-
Sinner's former physio to blame for failed dope tests, says ex-physical trainer
RBGPF | -0.41% | 67.72 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.81% | 22.32 | $ | |
SCS | -5.23% | 10.89 | $ | |
BCE | 2.96% | 22.485 | $ | |
JRI | -1.48% | 12.85 | $ | |
RIO | -2.08% | 58.68 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0.2% | 9.8 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.79% | 22.65 | $ | |
NGG | 5.5% | 69.605 | $ | |
BCC | -7.58% | 94.88 | $ | |
RELX | 1.01% | 51.5 | $ | |
VOD | 2.77% | 9.38 | $ | |
GSK | 3.5% | 39.005 | $ | |
AZN | 2.68% | 74.205 | $ | |
BP | -7.25% | 31.525 | $ | |
BTI | 4.18% | 42.005 | $ |

Olympic push for kho kho, India's ancient tag sport
The ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organisers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport's place in the Olympics.
Kho kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for more than 2,000 years across southern Asia but only saw its rules formalised in the early 20th century.
It was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games and since then has been largely eclipsed by India's ferocious love of cricket.
Nearly a century later, enthusiasts have sought to raise its profile with the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India's capital New Delhi.
The tournament's opening ceremony saw a gala of song, dance and an Olympic-style team parade, reflecting the aspirations of organisers and athletes to take the sport global.
"My elder sister played the sport, but was not able to pursue her dreams," Indian women's team player Nasreen Shaikh, 26, told AFP.
"We have crossed the first barrier of playing in a World Cup. The next big step would be an entry in the Olympics."
Kho kho is traditionally played outside on a rectangular court, divided in two by a line that connects two poles at either end of the field.
Teams switch between attack and defence, with the former chasing and tagging defending players around the field.
Only one player can give chase at a time and attacking players can only move in one direction around the court, forcing them to tag in team-mates crouched on the centre line to take over pursuit.
The match is won by whichever team can gain the most points, primarily by tagging defenders faster than the opposing team.
- 'Mud to mat' -
The franchise-based Ultimate Kho Kho League, founded in 2022, brought the sport off grassy fields and onto indoor mats, also boosting its profile with a television audience.
Since then the league has become the third most-watched non-cricket sports tournament in the world's most populous country after the Pro Kabaddi League -- another ancient Indian tag sport -- and the Indian Super League football competition.
"The turning point was when it transitioned from mud to mat. It made it into a global game," Kho Kho Federation of India president Sudhanshu Mittal told AFP.
"Today we are in 55 countries... Native players in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Kenya are embracing the game because of its speed, agility and minimal equipment required."
Mittal said he expected the sport to gain a foothold in dozens more countries by the end of the year, giving it a strong claim to be featured in the Olympics in the coming decade.
That would coincide with India's audacious bid to host the 2036 Games in the city of Ahmedabad, 100 years after kho kho last appeared at the Olympics.
The United States, England and Australia are among the nations competing in this week's World Cup in New Delhi, with expatriate Indians heavily represented after taking the game to foreign shores.
But Pakistan is a glaring omission from the competition despite the sport being popular there -- a reflection of the deep animosity between the nuclear-armed archrivals.
World Cup organisers have refused to comment on the absence, which has failed to dim the sense of optimism at this week's competition that the sport is destined to thrive.
"There has been a sea change in the sport," Indian men's team captain Pratik Waikar, 32, told AFP.
"Cricket has a rich history and they developed it well by going live on TV, and now our sport has also gone live," he said. "In the next five years it will be on another level."
R.Veloso--PC