All posts tagged: drought

How Sumit Nagal battled self doubt, lack of motivation to end 2-year title drought

How Sumit Nagal battled self doubt, lack of motivation to end 2-year title drought

Published by Webster

India’s tennis ace Sumit Nagal went without winning a tournament for two straight years. His ranking dipped and injuries halted his progress, but the 28-year-old kept pushing. And last Sunday he finally found a breakthrough at the Intaro Open 2026 final in Romania. He lifted his seventh ATP Challenger title, defeating France’s Felix Balshaw in straight sets 6-3, 7-5. “Definitely means a lot. There have been a lot of tough times over the last two years with the way I was playing, how my body was feeling, the drop in my ranking and my earnings. A lot of emotions came with it,” Nagal told The Bridge. In July 2024, Nagal reached a career-high ranking of World No. 68. However, a dip in form and injuries led to a major drop to World No. 297 in February this year. But, his recent run in Romania earned him crucial ranking points and helped him climb back to World No. 219. #News | Sumit Nagal is a champion once again! 🎾🏆🇮🇳 The Indian tennis star ended his two-year …

New York Knicks defeat San Antonio Spurs to snap 53-year NBA title drought

New York Knicks defeat San Antonio Spurs to snap 53-year NBA title drought

Published by Webster

4 min readJun 14, 2026 09:25 AM IST For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA. Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories. The deficit was 16 on Saturday night. Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed. “I have no words,” Brunson said during the on-court celebration. “It’s everything I ever dreamed of.” Brunson, fittingly, closed with a flourish. He set a Knicks record for points in a finals game; it had been 38 by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the 1970 series. It now belongs to the left-handed point guard who changed the franchise’s fortunes when he arrived four years ago. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, the other two parts of the “Nova Knicks” trio that also includes Brunson, three players who …

Ancelotti has restored belief, but can Brazil end 24-year World Cup drought?

Ancelotti has restored belief, but can Brazil end 24-year World Cup drought?

Published by Webster

6 min readMexico CityUpdated: Jun 13, 2026 06:30 AM IST A band of Brazil fans in their canary yellow shirts, their names printed on the back, were wading through a stream of Mexicans, before the World Cup’s opening game at the Azteca. Their transit in Mexico City from Sao Paulo, en route to Brazil’s first game in New Jersey, against Morocco, has a superstitious purpose. “Back home, we visit the church, attend the mass before we set out for something important. Azteca is a shrine for us Brazilians, it’s where we won our greatest World Cup (1970),” says Rafael, in his late 20s, and attending his first World Cup. The World Cup drought, running 24 years, has turned Brazil’s fans fatalists, increasingly reading into the dots of destiny and accident of fate. Their previous longest wait for World Cup glory was 24 years too, and it ended on American soil too. The last time the tournament was co-hosted (by Japan and South Korea in 2002), they won it too. In 1970, they played with a …

Suriya’s Karuppu crosses Rs 200 cr globally, ends Tamil box office’s nine-month drought | Tamil News

Suriya’s Karuppu crosses Rs 200 cr globally, ends Tamil box office’s nine-month drought | Tamil News

Published by Parlour News

4 min readHyderabadMay 23, 2026 02:35 PM IST RJ Balaji’s Karuppu has crossed Rs 200 crore at the worldwide box office within eight days of release, becoming Suriya’s highest-grossing film ever. The film has also ended a nine-month dry spell at the Tamil Nadu box office, emerging as the first Tamil release since Coolie to cross the Rs 100 crore mark in India. According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 113.85 crore net in India across its first week, with the eight-day domestic total standing at Rs 121.65 crore. Overseas, the film has earned Rs 60 crore, taking the worldwide gross to Rs 200.86 crore. The bulk of the domestic figure has come from the Tamil version, though the Telugu dubbed release, titled Veerabhadrudu, has performed reasonably alongside it. Karuppu crossed the Rs 100 crore net milestone in India on Day 6 after collecting Rs 10.30 crore across 6,194 shows. It is the first time in Suriya’s career, spanning over 35 years in Tamil cinema, that any of his films has crossed the Rs 100 crore …

Satwik-Chirag’s title drought extends to 2 years

Satwik-Chirag’s title drought extends to 2 years

Published by Webster

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finished runner-up at the 2026 Thailand Open Super 500 on Sunday. Up against Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin, the top seeded pair from India went down 12-21, 23-25 in 53 minutes in what was their first final of the year. The loss meant that Rankireddy and Shetty, India’s ace doubles pair, now haven’t won a title for over two years. Their last title win came at the Thailand Open in May 2024. Rankireddy and Shetty were completely outplayed in the opening game by the Indonesians. The Indians were well in control in the second game before Carnando and Marthin raced to take the lead. The Indians saved four match points in their bid to force a decider, but eventually crumbled to a straight games loss. They were guilty of playing unforced errors at crucial junctures multiple times in the contest. “It was a little difficult for us to control [in the second game],” said Satwik after the match. “They took us into their game style and it …

Takhellambam Inunganbi wins bronze at Asian Judo C’ships; ends 13 year drought | Sport-others News

Takhellambam Inunganbi wins bronze at Asian Judo C’ships; ends 13 year drought | Sport-others News

Published by Webster

2 min readApr 18, 2026 07:00 AM IST Indian judoka Takhellambam Inunganbi ended a 13-year medal drought at the Asian Judo Championships after winning the bronze medal in the women’s -70 kg category on Friday. The 27-year-old judoka’s bronze medal is the first medal won by an Indian at the continental championships after Angom Anita Chanu won a bronze in the women’s -52kg category at the 2013 edition held in Bangkok, Thailand. Competing in Ordos. China, Inunganbi defeated Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Sarantsetseg by ippon in the bronze medal match to secure her spot on the podium. She also had won the gold medal at the Amman Asian Open last year. She got a bye in the first round and started directly in the quarter-finals, where she lost to Uzbekistan’s Shirinjon Yuldoshova. However, as Yuldoshova reached the final, Inunganbi claimed her first win the repechage defeating Alina Moldokulova of Kyrgyzstan. After that, she claimed the bronze medal with a dominant win over the Mongolian. //www.instagram.com/embed.js India had another medal bout on the day but Yamini Mourya bowed down …

Ayush Shetty breaks 3-year medal drought with Badminton Asia semis berth

Ayush Shetty breaks 3-year medal drought with Badminton Asia semis berth

Published by Webster

Rising star Ayush Shetty stunned world no.4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, reaching the semi-finals of Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, on Friday. The 20-year-old came from behind to win the opening game, before scripting a historic straight-set, 23-21, 21-17 win and confirming a medal for him on debut. This will be India’s first medal at the continental showdown in 3 years, since the title-winning run of the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in 2023. He also became the first Indian in 8 years to reach the semi-finals in the men’s singles, since H.S. Prannoy achieved the feat in 2018 and went on to win bronze. Massive Upset🚨🚨 Ayush Shetty defeats world no.4 Jonatan Christie to reach the men’s singles semi-finals at the #Badminton Asia Championships 🙌🏸 He also confirms a medal, the first in 8 years for India in men’s singles at the competition! pic.twitter.com/TUwBzUso10 — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) April 10, 2026 He has not even conceded a single game yet, claiming all 3 straght-game wins en route to his …

IPL 2026: Can Mumbai Indians end title drought? Captain Hardik Pandya sure has the squad to deliver | Cricket News

IPL 2026: Can Mumbai Indians end title drought? Captain Hardik Pandya sure has the squad to deliver | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Mar 28, 2026 09:07 PM IST For a franchise that measures success in trophies, the gap since winning the IPL last in 2020 has stretched longer than the Mumbai Indians would have liked. In those years, they have often looked like a side in transition – searching for identity, juggling combinations, and at times carrying imbalance. As they head into their IPL 2026 opener against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, this version of MI feels different. Not louder or more glamorous, but more complete. And that might be exactly what Hardik Pandya needs to lead the side towards ending a five-season drought. Hardik’s captaincy numbers still need work – 13 wins in 29 matches – but he did guide MI to the playoffs last year. This season feels like a chance to go a step further, especially with a squad that finally gives him control over games that have often slipped away. The batting reflects that shift. Rohit Sharma remains the anchor, but he’s no longer carrying the burden alone. With …

Will Salman Khan Break His 6-Year Drought Of Commercial Successes?

Will Salman Khan Break His 6-Year Drought Of Commercial Successes?

Published by Webster

Box Office: Can Salman Khan Finally Score A Commercial Success After 6 Years? (Photo Credit –YouTube) Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s superstars struggling to make a comeback at the Indian box office. Several years back, he was said to have a Midas’ touch, as even his mediocre movies managed to succeed, but it’s been quite a long time, he’s struggling to find his form. Yes, he has been super consistent when it comes to delivering 100 crore net grossers, but when it comes to delivering a clean success, he’s having a poor phase. Salman Khan hasn’t delivered a single successful film since 2019 Once upon a time, the superstar was ruling the ticket windows like no one else. In fact, he was the most dominant force among all the Khans of Bollywood. However, since the last six years, he hasn’t delivered a single successful film. For those who don’t know, his last successful film was Bharat in 2019. It earned 211.07 crore net in India and secured a plus verdict. After Bharat, all his …

Salim Khan faced 4-year professional drought after split with Javed Akhtar; cried seeing his name solo on screen: ‘I had no work’ | Bollywood News

Salim Khan faced 4-year professional drought after split with Javed Akhtar; cried seeing his name solo on screen: ‘I had no work’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

5 min readChennaiFeb 18, 2026 08:25 PM IST Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar are regarded as the biggest screenwriters the Hindi film industry has ever seen, delivering all-time classics such as Deewar, Sholay, Trishul, Kaala Patthar and several others. At the peak of their career, the iconic Salim–Javed duo enjoyed a level of fame that even surpassed that of the biggest superstars of the era. In fact, they were known to command fees higher than top Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan. However, after delivering Shakti in 1982, the legendary writer duo decided to part ways and pursue independent careers. It was important to prove myself after parting ways with Javed: Salim Khan In an old interaction with film trade analyst Komal Nahta, both Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar spoke candidly about the phase when their partnership ended and how it impacted them personally and professionally. Salim admitted that many within the film industry believed that Javed Akhtar was the primary creative force in the partnership, which made it crucial for him to prove his own …