Athletics Financial News

With nearly $11 billion in funding, India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Yet, this growth comes with challenges—around 5,000 startups shut down in 2024 due to funding constraints, scalability issues, market saturation, governance lapses, and policy hurdles.

The season officially began this year with the games played between Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 at Japan's Tokyo Dome.

Trent Alexander-Arnold can soon get to see their favourite star play for the Real Madrid as the Liverpool right-back is close enough to sign a deal with the La Liga side as a free agent this summer. Real Madrid has been eying Alexander-Arnold for two years. They have been making all possible efforts on their behalf since January this year to convince the 26-year-old to join their side by the end of this season, The Athletic reported.

Emma Raducanu had nothing but kind words for her opponent McCartney Kessler after the American tennis star was forced to retire from the Miami Open. Kessler stepped back from the game after she sustained an injury in the second set. Kessler’s decision meant that Emma made it through to the tournament’s round of 16. The British tennis player will compete against world No. 6 Amanda Anisimova on Monday, March 24.

Lou, an associate professor affiliated with Zhejiang University’s School of Marxism, allegedly shared his preferences within a matchmaking chat group earlier this month, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, which cited Chao News. In his post, Lou, 35, provided a self-introduction, stating that he stands at 175 centimeters tall and weighs 70 kilograms. He holds a doctorate from a prestigious Chinese university and earns an annual salary surpassing one million yuan (approximately ₹1.16 crore). Additionally, he highlighted his enthusiasm for athletics and financial market investments. Lou further noted that he is the sole offspring of a prosperous family based in Yiwu, Zhejiang. Regarding his envisioned partner, Lou specified that she should have been born after the year 2000, making her at least ten years his junior. He delineated a preferred height range between 165 and 171 centimeters and underscored that she must possess a slender physique and an appealing overall appearance. Educational qualifications were another fundamental criterion, as Lou insisted that his potential girlfriend must have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree from one of nine distinguished Chinese universities.

International Olympic Committee for Kirsty Coventry. The first woman president elected in the IOC's 131-year history began Friday in a breakfast meeting with Thomas Bach to start their transition. The formal handover is on Olympic Day, June 23. They agreed Coventry will take precedence in major IOC decisions in the next three months. The 41-year-old sports minister of Zimbabwe will soon resign her government position and plans to move with her family in April to the Olympic home city, Lausanne in Switzerland. Here's a look at some of the issues ahead: Equality for women Coventry's victory is the biggest statement of Bach's consistent policies to promote women in Olympic sports and politics.

Kansas Jayhawks will take on No. 10 seed Arkansas Razorbacks in the first round of the men's 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 20. The game will see two legendary coaches, Bill Self of Kansas and Arkansas’ John Calipari, making all possible efforts to start the season on a positive note.

University of Pennsylvania over its inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s college sports. The University of Pennsylvania’s campus, nestled in the heart of Philadelphia, is known for its academic excellence but now it is embroiled in a political showdown with the White House. On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced the suspension of $175 million in federal funding to the university over its policies regarding transgender athletes. ALSO READ: Why Trump did not meet Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore after they returned to Earth

ADGM, Abu Dhabi’s leading international financial centre. This significant milestone marks the fund’s official establishment in ADGM, positioning Yashaa Global Capital as a catalyst for driving global investments in the rapidly evolving sports sector. The fund, a unique initiative, helmed by General Partners Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Sirajuddin, Arif Padaria and Victor Tay, combines a pedigreed investment team with elite athletes. This collaboration leverages their expertise and extensive networks in the sports ecosystem, aiming to provide unparalleled value to portfolio companies through mentorship, strategic partnerships, and growth opportunities. Previously known as Da One Global Ventures, the fund has been rebranded to reflect its global ambitions and sharpened focus on innovation and wealth generation. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Yashaa Global Capital has a targeted $75M corpus (including a $25M greenshoe option), and is set to deploy capital globally across SportsTech, Fitness & Wellness, Esports & Gaming, MediaTech, Leagues & Teams. Leveraging ADGM’s status as a premier financial hub, the athlete-backed fund bridges global investors, startups, and sports entrepreneurs, fostering innovation and scalability. Its unique network ensures that its portfolio companies gain strategic insights and connections, delivering exceptional value to all stakeholders.

Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh suggests doing the opposite. Her advice? Don’t give your 100%. But why? In a LinkedIn post, the youngest self-made entrepreneur shared a fresh perspective on productivity, emphasizing that giving 100% every single day might not be the best approach to building a solid business. Reflecting on years of relentless work, she realized that constantly striving for perfection can backfire. Instead, she advocates for what she calls the "85% Rule"—a strategy of focused effort and smart prioritization. She draws a parallel with top athletes who, despite rigorous training, understand the importance of rest and recovery. That balance allows them to perform at their peak when it truly matters. The same principle applies to entrepreneurship.

elite cricket athletes by signing Jasprit Bumrah—one of the most celebrated cricketers and a globally acclaimed pace powerhouse. The India National Team and Mumbai Indians bowler now competes in Skechers Cricket footwear and will feature in Skechers marketing campaigns, supporting the brand’s performance and lifestyle collections. Bumrah joins a Skechers roster that already includes cricket stars Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia, who have been competing in the brand’s innovative footwear for the past year.

Special Olympics Winter Games continued on day three and four, with the athletes adding as many as 15 more medals to the country's tally in Turin, Italy. India's total medal count has now risen to 24, building on the nine medals secured in the earlier events. In alpine skiing, Deepak Thakur and Giridhar displayed exceptional skills to clinch gold medals in the Intermediate Super G M04 and M05 categories respectively, while Abhishek Kumar secured a silver in the Novice Super G M01 category. Radha Devi also delivered a stellar performance, earning a silver medal in the Intermediate Super G F03 event. Adding to India's success on the ice, Ziara Porter showcased impressive speed and determination to claim silver medals in 111M F1 event and 222M F2 event of short track speed skating, while Tanshu won a bronze in the 777M M2 category and a silver in 500M M3 category. India's presence in cross country skiing was also felt as Akriti put in a commendable effort to secure a bronze medal in the 50M Classical Technique Final F03.

Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, have written a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential candidates, urging them to make climate action their top priority. As IOC members gather in Costa Navarino, Greece, to vote on the seven candidates next week (March 18-21), the Olympians called for stronger commitments from the IOC to cut carbon emissions, promote sustainability in host cities, set clear guidelines on polluting sponsors and use its platform to advocate for climate action. Climate impacts are «no longer a distant threat, but a current and growing harm to the sports we love and to the countries that make up our Olympic family», the letter said. The signatories include 57 Olympic champions and over 100 Olympic flag bearers. They represent some of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, including Argentina, Aruba, the Bahamas, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Eswatini, Fiji, Ghana, India, Kenya, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sierra Leone and Zambia. Recognizing that extreme weather events are already disrupting the Summer and Winter Olympics and affecting athlete performance and safety, the letter urges decisive action to ensure the games remain accessible and safe for future generations. Earlier this year, massive wildfires burned large areas of Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympic Games. The fires killed about 30 people, destroyed thousands of buildings, and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson, despite two more seasons remaining on his contract. This comes after four years of Johnson rebuilding rosters on a repeated basis at his alma mater as the side failed to even come close to an NCAA Tournament appearance, The Associated Press reported.

Vanessa Low of Australia lived up to her top billing as she easily clinched gold in T61-64 class while India's Paris Games medallist Preethi Pal bagged a bronze in T35-38 class 200m race on the concluding day of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix here on Thursday. India finished on top of the medal tally with a total haul of 134 — 45 gold, 40 silver, and 49 bronze. Around 150 Indians had competed in the Grand Prix while around 100 were from other 19 countries. Vanessa, one of the few top stars taking part in the three-day event, cleared a distance of 4.96m in her third attempt, to stand on the top of the podium. Zhanna Fekolina, a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, and India's Bhavani Munniyandi took home the silver and bronze respectively with efforts of 4.13m and 3.51m at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. T61-64 classification is for those athletes who are competing with prosthesis affected by limb deficiency and leg length difference. «I am happy with my performance. It's fun moments here in India. I will be coming back here for the World Para Athletics Championships (in September),» Vanessa said after the event.

Cheltenham Gold Cup, the major highlight of the Cheltenham Festival, will see Irish jockey Paul Townend and Galopin Des Champs attempting to win the major horse racing tournament for the third year in a row. If all goes as planned, Galopin Des Champs will become the first to mark a Gold Cup hat-trick ever since Arkle did the same in 1966. Till now, four horses have been able to win the Gold Cups three times, including Arkle and Best Mate, BBC reported.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The most celebrated athletes in the world have one thing in common: an unbreakable mindset. Training your brain to win is as crucial as training your body.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Tiger Woods was training at home, working his way back from yet another injury, when he was struck by one more devastating blow on the back-nine of his career: a ruptured Achilles tendon. Woods, who was attempting to return from his latest back surgery, says he felt a sharp pain in his left Achilles and underwent a “minimally-invasive" repair for an injury that will require arduous rehabilitation—with no guarantee that it will ever fully heal.

Stephen A Smith, a former newspaper reporter, has signed a new five-year contract with ESPN that is worth $100 million, according to a report. As per the agreement, Smith will continue to star on “First Take”, the ESPN's popular morning program, while scaling back some of his other required appearances on the network. Sources told The Athletic. Reports suggest that ESPN will pay Stephen A Smith $20 million annually under his new contract, compared to the $12 million per year he received under his previous deal.

Governor Gavin Newsom, suggested that Democrats made a mistake by permitting transgender athletes to take part in female college and youth sports. Newsom stated that he believes the involvement of transgender athletes in women’s sports is «deeply unfair.» Newsom’s comments on the issue roiled political debates nationwide.

Barcelona secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo's early red card gave Hansi Flick's side a comfortable afternoon with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the scoresheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis.