From cities to villages, box cricket spreads across Punjab

Box cricket, once largely associated with urban recreation centres and commercial sports complexes, is increasingly finding a place in Punjab’s smaller towns and remote rural pockets as demand grows for accessible and organised sporting spaces among youngsters. mwafrika.life

A recent example is Khassan village in Bholath, where the administration has approved the development of a dedicated box cricket facility on the ground of Government Senior Secondary School. The project, covering around 6,000 square feet, is expected to be completed within two months of work commencing, with tenders to be floated shortly.

Deputy Commissioner Kapurthala Akash Bansal said the facility would provide youngsters with a safe and dedicated space to play and practise. Besides regular games, the ground could be used for local tournaments, coaching sessions and friendly matches.

The spread of such facilities marks an expansion of sporting infrastructure in Punjab, where cricket has traditionally been played on open village grounds, school fields and makeshift pitches. Box cricket, with its enclosed playing area, artificial turf and safety nets, offers a more compact format that can be developed even where large expanses of land are not available.

The concept is particularly suited to smaller towns, where youngsters often have limited access to professionally maintained sports infrastructure. With floodlights and enclosed nets, such grounds can also allow games to be played in the evenings, making them convenient for students and working youth, said Varun Singh, a cricket enthusiast.

Officials say the facilities can serve a dual purpose — promoting fitness while keeping youngsters engaged in constructive activities. Regular participation in sports is also seen as helping to build discipline, confidence and teamwork.

The Khassan project is part of a wider push to take modern sports infrastructure beyond Punjab’s major urban centres. For villages and semi-urban areas, such facilities can also become community sporting hubs rather than merely cricket grounds. With proper maintenance and regular competitions, they can give local players an opportunity to participate in organised sport without having to travel to bigger cities.

While cities such as Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Mohali have witnessed the growth of private sports academies and commercial box-cricket venues, smaller towns are now beginning to embrace the format through schools, local bodies and government-backed initiatives. In Jalandhar city, there are at least eight private box-cricket facilities, with per-hour charges ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,200. Bookings are also available through the Hudle app.

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In the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026 match against Team India, Hong Kong has reached the score of 32 runs for the loss of three wickets after the completion of 10 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.

With an aim of chasing the target of 193 runs, Hong Kong's opening batswoman Mariko Hill was dismissed on a four-ball duck. Skipper Natasha Mile lost her wicket on 15 runs in 27 balls, which included a boundary. Wicketkeeper-batswoman Yasmin Daswani registered 11 runs in 23 balls, with the help of a boundary.

Team India's Nandani Sharma, Deepti Sharma, and Prema Rawat bagged one wicket each. Kranti Gaud, Shafali Verma, and Shree Charani are yet to claim any wickets.

Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026, IND W vs HK W: First innings' summary

Earlier, having been put to bat first, Team India's star batswoman Smriti Mandhana garnered 124 runs off just 64 deliveries. Her knock was laced with 14 boundaries and seven maximums.

Fellow opening batswoman Shafali Verma scored 28 runs in 17 balls, including three boundaries and two maximums. Pratika Rawal also departed after scoring 10 runs in 12 balls.

Wicketkeeper-batsowman Richa Ghosh was dismissed on 11 runs, which came in 13 balls, including a boundary. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur accumulated 10 runs in nine balls, with the help of a boundary. Bharti Fulmali and Deepti Sharma staye unbeaten. Facing four balls, Fulmali scored two runs, whereas Deepti scored one run in one ball. With this, the "Women in Blue" posted a total of 193 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.

Hong Kong's Marina Lamplough returned with the figures of two wickets for 46 runs in four overs. Ruchitha Venkatesh and Joyleen Kaur bagged one wicket each. Iqra Sahar, Kary Chan, Maryam Bibi, and Mei Wai Siu went wicketless in the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026 match against the "Women in Blue".

Buenos Aires [Argentina], September 4 (ANI): All football matches across Argentina this weekend will be paused in the 10th minute for a 60-second round of applause in honour of Lionel Messi, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced, following the superstar’s decision to retire from international football, Reuters reported.

The tribute will be held across men’s and women’s divisions and disciplines, with stadiums equipped with screens also instructed to play an AFA institutional video before matches.

“For the upcoming matchday across all men’s and women’s divisions and disciplines, matches will be paused in the 10th minute of the first half for a minute of applause in recognition of Lionel Messi’s career with the Argentina national team," the AFA announced late Wednesday, according to Reuters.

“Furthermore, stadiums equipped with screens must broadcast the Association’s institutional ⁠video before the start of the matches," the AFA statement added.

The 10th-minute tribute is a nod to Messi’s iconic No. 10 jersey, which he has worn throughout the majority of his Argentina career.

Messi announced his retirement from the national team on Monday, bringing the curtain down on a decorated international career that began with his senior debut in 2005. He became Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer, while guiding the country to three major international titles.

“After the time that passed since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to communicate to everyone that I am retiring from the national team," Messi wrote Monday on Instagram.

“It was a decision that hurt and hurts in a soul, but I understand that this is the moment. I swear to you that I always gave everything, not just in ‌the ⁠last few years when we won everything but before as well and I always fought and left everything on the field for this shirt, to give you all joys and make you feel proud to be Argentines through soccer," he added.

The 39-year-old’s Argentina journey included several years of disappointment before he finally delivered major silverware. After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and the 2016 Copa America final to Chile, Messi helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America, ending a 28-year wait for a major trophy.

He then led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, scoring twice in the final against France before converting his penalty in the shootout as Argentina won 4-2 after the match ended 3-3 following extra time.

Argentina retained the Copa America title in 2024, adding another major trophy to Messi’s international honours.

His World Cup career spanned six editions from 2006 to 2026, with 21 goals in 34 appearances. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, including his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer despite stepping away from international football. (ANI)

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Anshuman Hooda was a national-level roller skater, a graduate of Delhi Technological University (DTU), an employee at a multinational company and someone who had never played age-group cricket. After two failed Under-23 trials, he contemplated quitting the game. Then came the Delhi Premier League (DPL), and a 140 kmph fast bowler emerged who, according to his coach Harish Dagar, can touch 150 kmph. Suddenly, the road from corporate life to professional cricket did not look so improbable.