Leslie Xavier

J-Rod of Hero leads as India Baja Dakar Challenge gives reality check to Indians

Joaquim “J-Rod” Rodrigues leads India Baja after Day 1, ahead of TVS Racing’s KP Aravind and Abdul Wahid Tanveer; Raj Singh Rathore leads Xtreme four-wheeler segment.

India Baja Rally: ‘Enduro advantage’ for TVS over Hero’s Dakar beast

India Baja Dakar Challenge rally is poised for an interesting battle in the moto segment with Hero Motosports team fielding Portuguese ace Joaquim Rodrigues on their Dakar-proven machine against TVS Racing’s riders, who possibly have the best bikes for the terrain in Jaisalmer

Why 2017 India Baja rally is significant beyond a TVS-Hero shootout

Indian raid rallying scene’s bragging rights are at stake at the 2017 India Baja Dakar Challenge to be held in the dunes near Jaisalmer from April 7 to 9, with Hero Motosports Team and TVS Racing lining up their best riders. But, beyond the scorching hot action, Baja is a significant landmark in Indian motorsport

Steve Smith would’ve learnt a lesson from DRS row with Virat Kohli: Steve Waugh

Steve Smith’s attempt to take the dressing room’s help in taking a DRS call on Day 4 of the India vs Australia second Test irked Virat Kohli. Former Australia captain Steve Waugh said he believed Smith’s statement that he had ‘brain-fade’ while taking that decision.

Why Oz legend Ian Healy is losing respect for Indian captain Virat Kohli

Talking about the incident involving Virat Kohli and Steve Smith on Day 2 of the Bangalore Test, former Australia cricket team wicketkeeper Ian Healy says Virat Kohli’s aggression is putting unnecessary pressure on India cricket team players

Why cyclist Laura Kenny is top choice for Laureus Woman Athlete of the Year 2016

Women’s cycling -- track, road or MTB -- is a distant poor cousin of the men’s sport and Laura Kenny, as one of its illustrious ambassadors now, is hoping her medals bring in the attention, sponsorship and races it deserves, and also inspire the next generation. Laura is vying for the Laureus Woman Athlete of the Year 2016 award

When Nick Kyrgios did a Meryl Streep, taunted Donald Trump with 4-letter T-shirt

Nick Kyrgios made a political statement during the press conference after beating Spain’s Rafael Nadal in a Fast4 exhibition match (in a build-up to the Australian Open) in Sydney, where he came wearing a t-shirt with a message for Donald Trump, perhaps inspired by Hollywood actress Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globe awards ceremony.

When a deadly Yuvraj Singh smashed England’s Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over

Yuvraj Singh, who got married recently to model-actress Hazel Keech, returned to the Indian limited overs team after a gap of over three years. He has a good record against England

Vijender Singh vs Francis Cheka boxing highlights: 8th win for Indian star

Boxing highlights: Vijender Singh vs Francis Cheka: Vijender defends his WBO Asia Pacific Super-Middleweight title beating Francis Cheka of Tanzania by a TKO at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. (Catch boxing live score of Vijender Singh vs Francis Cheka).

What made Asia Pacific rally champion Gaurav Gill drive into motorsport history

Gaurav Gill, who won the 2016 Asia Pacific Rally championship title, established a world record, becoming the only driver in motorsport history to take home an FIA crown after winning in all the races of the season.

Will finish your boxing career, Francis Cheka warns unbeaten Vijender Singh

Tanzanian Francis Cheka has 43 bouts under his belt, out of which he has won 32 -- 17 of them coming via knockouts. Vijender Singh, on the other hand, has had seven pro bouts so far, winning six of them via TKO or knockouts

Haseeb Hameed, England cricket team’s ‘Baby Boycott’, blooded in Rajkot Test

Haseeb Hameed, whose family roots are in India, is England cricket team’s fifth youngest Test cricketer at 19 years and 297 days and the youngest since Ben Hollioake played against Australia in 1997

After initiation in Morocco, Aravind to train in Europe for Dakar debut

Aravind finished 26th at Rally Morocco, earning the Dakar entry as well as a reputation that he belongs on the international stage.

Constant danger: High costs challenge improved safety at Raid de Himalaya

Air ambulances are non-existent in India while the costs of a GPS-based hazard signalling and recovery system are too high.

Rally of Morocco: Positives aplenty for KP Aravind and CS Santosh

CS Santosh, who has ridden in the famed Dakar Rally twice, and KP Aravind, who is taking his first steps in international cross-country rallying, both faced their own set of challenges at the OiLibya Rally Morocco.

Wheels of change: India slowly pedalling its way to a cycling culture

Cycling has the power to transform not just the waistline but define that essence of life we call happiness. And India is fast catching up.

MTB Himalaya: The survival game on mountain bikes grips Himachal

The 2016 edition of MTB Himalaya — 12th running of the race — began on September 25 from Shimla, and will traverse through some picturesque trails in Himachal, crossing high passes including the famed Jalori Pass, before ending in Dharamshala on October 3.

India’s dream Test team: How Twitterati responded to HT poll

Ahead of India’s 500th Test, we asked Hindustan Times readers to name their 11 favourite players for the squad in a Twitter poll. The results...

NGT, Cattle traffic and tricky stages: Rally de North was quite a bumpy ride

It was a particularly bumpy ride for both the organisers and the drivers at the Rally de North, the third round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), on Sunday.

Rally de North bumpy for drivers and organisers alike

Slipping, sliding with India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill

The afternoon ride HT took — in the co-driver’s seat of the former Asia Pacific Rally champion — was during the shakedown session of the Rally de North, the third round of the Indian National Rally Championship.

Four Paralympians ran 1,500-metre faster than Rio Olympics gold medallist

Abdellatif Baka of Algeria, who won gold in the men’s T13-class with a timing of 3:48.29, his brother Fouad, who finished fourth with a timing of 3:49 and silver and bronze medals winners Tamiru Demisse (3:48.49) of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Henry Kirwa (3:49.59) were all faster than American Matthew Centrowitz, who won the Olympic final last month with a timing of 3:50.00.

US Open 2016: How ‘underachiever’ Stan Wawrinka evolved into the giant-killer

From an “underachiever”, destined to forever be in the shadow of Roger Federer, to a giant-killer with a penchant to turn up with all strokes blazing against the stars on the grandest of stages, the Swiss player has heard it all.

Narain Karthikeyan takes first podium of the year at Super Formula Championship

Narain Karthikeyan had a lot to be happy about at the Okayama International Circuit in Mimasaka, Japan, on Saturday.

Thangavelu’s knack for high jump was discovered while playing volleyball

Thangavelu jumped 1.89 metres in the T42 high jump event to win gold.

Sportsmanship is Yogeshwar’s trophy

No gold, so what? Yogeshwar shows why sportsmanship is his trophy

Dutt displayed great heart in suggesting that it is not the colour of the medal but the ethics of sport that should prevail. Let’s celebrate that in an era where gamesmanship is getting more and more footing over sportsmanship.

No gold for Yogeshwar, world wrestling body says London 2012 winner clean

The sport’s governing body, the United World Wrestling (UWW), confirmed on Tuesday that the 2012 gold medallist in the 60kg freestyle category, Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan, has not committed any dope violation.

Yogeshwar’s London Olympics upgrade, gold or silver, could take months

Yogeshwar Dutt’s London Olympics medal upgrade—be it to gold or silver—will take a long time coming as the technical decision has to be made by United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body, before it forwards the decision to the IOC for final approval.

From Commonwealth Games to Beijing gold: Highlights of Bindra’s career

Here are the highlights of an international career that began in 1998, when, at 15, he became the youngest participant in the Commonwealth Games.