Tuesday, 21 April 2026
SONY BAGS ASIA GAMES BROADCAST RIGHTS, BUT FIFA WORLD CUP STILL FINDS NO TAKERS IN INDIA
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| A Sony logo appears in this illustration taken August 25, 2025. Photo: Reuters |
Sony Pictures Networks India has secured the exclusive broadcast rights for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
Under the deal, the continental multi-sport event will be telecast on Sony Sports Network channels and streamed on Sony LIV across India and the subcontinent.
India heads into the Games on the back of a historic campaign in the previous edition, where it secured a record 107 medals. “We are proud to bring this continental multi-sport event back to Sony Pictures Networks for the third time,” said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head – Sports and International, SPNI.
However, even as the Asian Games secures a broadcaster, the FIFA World Cup still has no takers in the Indian subcontinent. The tournament, scheduled to begin on June 11, will be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Reports indicate that match timings- between midnight and early morning in India- have discouraged major broadcasters, including Sony and JioHotstar, from bidding. Jio had held the digital rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Asian Games, one of the biggest multi-sport events globally, will feature 41 disciplines, including 32 Olympic sports, with new additions such as mixed martial arts and surfing. Traditional events like cricket, tennis, esports, kabaddi, sepak takraw and kurash will also be part of the programme.
Cricket is expected to be a major attraction for Indian audiences, with both men’s and women’s teams in contention for top honours. “India’s historic performance at the last edition, where the nation crossed the 100-medal milestone for the first time, has ignited unprecedented interest in multi-sport events,” Rajesh Kaul said.
“The stage is set for another unforgettable chapter with the inclusion of cricket along with a formidable Indian contingent ready to chase new milestones. We are committed to delivering immersive coverage that celebrates every medal and inspires millions across the country as our athletes strive for greatness once again,” he said.
- Onmanorama Staff
MONACO ACADEMY MARKS 50 YEARS OF FOOTBALL EXCELLENCE
AS Monaco’s academy celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of developing elite talent and shaping generations of players…
Festivities took place at the Stade Louis II ahead of the club’s match, with former academy stars honoured in front of supporters. Club legends from different eras gathered for a lap of honour, highlighting the academy’s enduring legacy. Over the decades, it has produced some of football’s most recognisable names, including Thierry Henry, Kylian Mbappé and Emmanuel Petit, reinforcing its reputation as one of France’s leading training centres.
The event also brought together past and present, with current academy players presenting jerseys to former graduates in a symbolic passing of the torch. For many, it was a rare opportunity to reconnect and reflect on the shared experience of Monaco’s development system.
To mark the occasion, parts of the stadium were transformed into a temporary exhibition space, showcasing key moments in the academy’s history and its contribution to the club’s success. The celebration concluded with a visit attended by HSH Prince Albert II, underlining the importance of the academy within Monaco’s sporting identity.
Fifty years on, the academy continues to look ahead, committed to nurturing future talent while preserving a tradition of excellence both on and off the pitch.
Image: Philippe Fitte
- Ross Povey
'YOU DESERVE BETTER' - WOLVERHAMPTON WOLVES OFFICIALLY RELEGATED AFTER WEST HAM AND CRYSTAL PALACE BATTLE 0-0 DRAW
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| Getty Images Sports |
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ relegation from Premier League is now official - confirmed not by anything they did themselves, but by a 0-0 draw between West Ham United and Crystal Palace on Monday night. That result took the last bit of suspense out of it. Wolves, stuck on 17 points after 33 games under Rob Edwards, can’t mathematically claw their way out.
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| Getty Images Sports |
Inevitable
The drop has been coming for months - Monday just made it unavoidable.
It’s been a season that never really got off the ground. Wolves didn’t win a league game until January, and even a slight uptick since - including surprise results against Aston Villa and Liverpool - always felt like too little, too late. The early damage was already done.
Wolves interim executive Nathan Shi stressed the club would respond with conviction after a troubling campaign.
"Confirmation of our relegation is a difficult moment for everyone connected to Wolves," he said in a statement. "While this is a deeply disappointing outcome, work has been underway since my arrival in December to ensure we are ready to respond with clarity and conviction.
"We are clear on what needs to improve, and our focus is now on strengthening the club, building momentum, and creating a team our supporters can believe in. We know what is required and will approach the months ahead with purpose.
"You deserve better, and giving you a club you can genuinely be proud of is what drives everything we do from this point forward."
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| Getty Images |
Concerning stats
Wolves have managed just three wins this season, with five games still to play. They have conceded the second-most goals in the league (61) and are the only team yet to reach 30 - stuck on just 24.
The last time Wolves were relegated
Wolves were last relegated from the Premier League during the 2011-12 campaign. It took them six seasons before they returned to England's top flight.
- Alex Labidou
Monday, 20 April 2026
ROMAN REIGNS BEATS CM PUNK TO WIN WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE IN WRESTLEMANIA 42 MAIN EVENT
Roman Reigns stopped CM Punk in the WrestleMania 42 main event and left Las Vegas with the World Heavyweight title.
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| Roman Reigns - Image via @WWE X.com |
Roman Reigns left WrestleMania 42 with the World Heavyweight Championship after beating CM Punk in the main event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Punk came in as champion and carried the belt into the biggest match of the weekend against the man WWE has positioned as its top star for most of the last decade. Like other top-dog return stories we have tracked recently, including another major championship push built around star power, the company leaned hard on name value here. The feud had deeper roots than a normal title defense, with WWE framing it around bad blood that stretches back to Punk’s 2014 departure and everything that followed after. That gave the match a different kind of weight before the opening bell even rang.
Once it started, they worked a long main event with the kind of protection WWE usually saves for its biggest names. Both men survived signature offense, both took heavy damage outside the ring, and Punk was left bleeding as the match kept dragging into deeper water. A powerbomb through the announce table gave the fight its first major crash point, and Punk later answered with a flying elbow that drove Reigns through the other table.
Punk kept reaching for shortcuts once the title started slipping. He distracted the referee, landed a low blow, and still could not finish the job. He hit another GTS and followed later with one more after the elbow through the table, but by then he was too exhausted to turn it into the finish. Reigns recovered, blasted him with a Spear, then put him away with another once Punk got back to his knees.
Roman Reigns closes WrestleMania 42 with the belt again
That finish fit the story WWE told all the way through. Punk had more desperation, more chaos, and more empty-the-tank offense. Reigns had the cleaner closing stretch and the stronger final shot. In a match built around two stars with long histories and oversized egos, WWE chose the same answer it has picked over and over when the stage gets biggest.
For Reigns, the win puts a world title back around the waist of a wrestler whose entire modern run has been built around dominance, presentation, and main-event control. For Punk, it ends this title run with a loss that came only after he emptied everything he had, including the cheap shots. He was protected in defeat, but he still walked out without the championship.
WrestleMania 42 was sold around spectacle, but this match finally brought the scale the card needed. Reigns leaves Las Vegas as World Heavyweight Champion, and Punk leaves with a loss in a feud that had enough baggage to keep going if WWE wants another round. If you have been following how major-event headliners are being framed lately, the same championship-first logic has shown up across other recent marquee results.
- Jake Blend
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