New Delhi, India | 26 January 2026
The 2026 edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) concluded on 26 January with the Kalinga Lancers defeating the Ranchi Royals to claim the men’s championship title. The final was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
This domestic league result capped a day of notable sporting news across the country. In international chess, Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh defeated Vladimir Fedoseev at the ongoing Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands.
Off the field of play, the Government of India announced several sports figures among the recipients of the annual Padma Awards. Legendary tennis commentator and former player Vijay Amritraj was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award. Hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, cricketers Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur were among those honoured with the Padma Shri.
In administrative news, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the appointment of Italian Pamela Conti as the new head coach of the Indian women’s U17 national team.
References:
- ESPN. “Kalinga Lancers win men’s Hockey India League title: Indian Sports, January 26.” ESPN.com, 26 Jan. 2026, https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/47722390/ranchi-royals-face-kalinga-lancers-hockey-india-league-final-indian-sports-live-january-25.
