Te Indian chess team recently emerged joint champions (with Russia) at the recently-concluded FIDE online Chess Olympiad.

The five Indians, who had gone missing from villages near the China border earlier this month were handed over to India by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday.

Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) is likely to hand over the five Indian nationals, who were missing from Arunachal Pradesh, to Indian authorities on Saturday, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju said on Friday. 

The Sports Ministry has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs five lakh to young Indian footballer Ramananda Ningthoujam, who is suffering from a kidney ailment.

Rijiju, who visited the range on Wednesday, has managed to address that concern having spoken to the shooters himself.

The Sports Minister spoke on the readiness of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) to conduct tests as per WADA guidelines.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs and MP from Arunachal Pradesh Kiren Rijiju has said China has confirmed that missing youth from Arunachal Pradesh have been found on their side and further process to handover them to India is being worked out.

Rijiju said the COVID-19 pandemic situation has made it difficult to say when the crowds will return to the stadia. India has recorded over 39 lakh cases so far.

Rijiju made this announcement on the occasion of the 115th birth anniversary of hockey legend Dhyan Chand, which is also celebrated as National Sports Day.

Rai, who was to be bestowed the honour on Saturday and had even participated in the dress rehearsal for the first-of-its-kind virtual ceremony, died on Friday evening after suffering a heart attack in Bengaluru. He was 79.

Sports minister Kiren Rijiju has said that the BRICS Games 2021 will be held at the same time as Khelo India Games.

Kiren Rijiju shared pictures from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, informing that the preparations are on to welcome athletes back to sporting action.

As part of the explanation, the Sports Ministry said that since Sakshi was earlier conferred with India's highest sporting honour, Khel Ratna Award in 2016, she will not be awarded the Arjuna Award.

The 12-member panel recommended 13 names for the annual honour for coaches, which is due to be announced along with other winners on August 29 -- the National Sports Day.

Kiren Rijiju has said that the Centre will assist states in conducting Khelo India events.

Rijiju said the talent hunt initiative, to be funded by the Sports Authority of India under the Khelo India Programme in partnership with the All India Football Federation, will be the "most aggressive exercise" ever done.

According to a release issued by the sports ministry, the 22-year-old athlete, who has won 24 gold medals at the state Wushu Championship, was sanctioned the money through the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.

He said the 'Target Olympic Podium Junior Scheme' is scouting talent as young as 10-year-old and 12-year-old with an aim to prepare them for the Los Angeles Games.

Rijiju has said that he hopes sporting activities in the country, which have been on a standstill since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume by September of October.

Dutee Chand had earlier said that she is putting her car on sale to raise funds to prepare for Tokyo Olympics. However, she deleted the post later.