ISL 2025-26: Effiong Nsungusi’s brace helps Punjab FC beat Bengaluru FC 2-0 at home

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Bengaluru, Feb 27 (IANS) Effiong Nsungusi scored a brace of goals to help Punjab FC stun former champions Bengaluru FC 2-0 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.

Renedy Singh named an unchanged XI from the previous game, but the match did not go Bengaluru FC’s way as Punjab FC’s registered their first win of the season and opened their account on the points table.

After a cagey opening 20 minutes, Punjab FC broke the deadlock as a good cross from Kipgen saw Effiong Nsungusi rise above everyone else to fire a header in at the near post. Gurpreet got a hand to it, but not enough to keep it out.

Punjab FC doubled their lead 10 minutes later as Effiong scored his second with a low effort from the edge of the box to fire it past a diving Gurpreet. An intense battle followed for the rest of the first half, with Punjab FC taking a 2-0 lead into the break.

The second half saw Renedy make 3 changes to his lineup, with Meetei, Kuziev, and Sunil Chhetri coming on to replace Sana, Suresh, and Sivasakhti.

Bengaluru FC came close to pulling one back, as a good release pass from the midfield saw Ryan Williams break into space on the right flank, and put in an excellent low cross for Sunil Chhetri, but the veteran Indian fired it over the goal.

Around the 69th minute, Punjab FC were faced with an injury concern to the creator of their first goal, as Kipgen walked off the field with a limp.

The remainder of the match saw both teams play back and forth from one end to the other, but neither team could change the scoreline further. It ended in a 2-0 victory for Punjab FC, their first win of the season.

A tough loss for Bengaluru FC in their third game at home on the trot, their tally remains at 4 points after 3 games, with the next game away against Mohammedan SC on March 7.

–IANS

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Srinagar, Dec 30 (IANS) Coming from the snow fields of Jammu and Kashmir, Ummer Ahmad is chasing a dream — he aims to be part of the Indian men’s team at the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi next month and win a gold medal for his country.

Ummer Ahmad is a firm believer in the motto, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’. A Budgam resident, Ummer has been playing Kho Kho since he was in class sixth and is now vying for a place in the Indian men’s team for the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup. Ummer follows his training routines very religiously despite all odds including extreme weather conditions.

“I’m really excited for the World Cup. It’s a great opportunity for all of us and we aim to get gold for the country. It’s a proud moment for all of us that there will be a Kho Kho World Cup happening in India giving the sport global recognition. It’s a matter of pride that more than 20 countries will be participating in the event.”

Ummer comes from a humble background and like the others, financial stability is one of the biggest challenges that the J&K player faces but he is putting in the hard yards to pursue his dream. “Me and my father work as a labourer. Despite the hardships, my final aim is to represent the country in the World Cup and that keeps me going,” he added.

Ummer is thankful to the Kho Kho Association of Jammu & Kashmir and the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) for helping the players from the state to pursue their dreams professionally.

“I’m really thankful to the Kho Kho Association of Jammu & Kashmir and Kho Kho Federation of India for supporting us and giving us a platform to play the game professionally. We have been getting a lot of guidance about our fitness regime, nutrition, and diet.”

Ummer has trained under coach Bilal Ahmed Bhagat and is now a part of the training camp that is taking place at JLN Stadium in New Delhi. He lauded the initiative and added that it’s a chance for the players to enhance their skills. “Coaches in camp are very good. Moreover, there are a lot of players from different states and we get to learn a lot from each other including new skills and cultural habits,” he concluded.

India is all set to host the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup from January 13 to 19 in New Delhi.

–IANS

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Neeraj Chopra triumphs at Paris Diamond League

Paris, June 21 (IANS) Double Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra delivered a commanding performance at the Paris Diamond League, claiming top spot with a powerful 88.16m throw on his very first attempt at Stade Charléty on Saturday.

His opening throw set the benchmark for the evening and remained unmatched through the competition. Despite recording three fouls in his six attempts, the early effort was enough to keep him in the lead in a highly competitive field.

Germany’s Julian Weber, a former Diamond League champion and one of Chopra’s fiercest rivals, came closest with a strong 87.88m effort, also in the first round. Despite a consistent series, Weber was unable to surpass Chopra’s mark and finished second.

Brazil’s Luiz Maurício da Silva delivered a career-best 86.62m throw in the third round, placing third and setting a new South American record in the process.

This was Chopra’s first appearance at the Paris Diamond League since 2017, when he finished fifth with a throw of 84.67m as a junior world champion. The Paris meet marked the eighth stop on the 2025 Diamond League circuit, which will culminate in a two-day final in Zurich this August.

Chopra began his 2025 campaign with a win at the Potch Invitational in South Africa, throwing 84.52m. He made headlines in Doha by breaching the elusive 90m barrier for the first time, setting a new Indian national record with a 90.23m effort—though he was narrowly edged by Weber’s personal best of 91.06m.

The rivalry continued in Poland’s Janusz Kusociński Memorial, where Weber again finished ahead with 86.12m to Chopra’s 84.14m in wet, tricky conditions.

In Paris, however, Chopra reclaimed the lead—and reminded the world why he remains one of the sport’s most formidable athletes.

— IANS

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