Cyclists Ronaldo and David Beckham Compete at Asian Games; Their Identities Revealed

During the semi-final of the 2026 Asian Games between India and Sri Lanka, an event occurred that caused confusion among Indian cricket fans. Player names appeared on the match scoreboard that at first glance might have seemed like a translator's error, sparking discussions on social media.

India defeated Sri Lanka by a score of 124 runs in the semi-final, where India itself scored 170 points. Ishan Kishan delivered an impressive performance, scoring 80 runs off 46 balls, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi added 38 runs.

However, unusual names were displayed on the scoreboard during the game. Instead of Washington Sundar, 'W.S. Mani Sundar' was shown, and instead of Tilak Verma, 'T.T.V Namboori' was displayed. The scoreboard photo quickly went viral on social media, raising questions for the Sony Liv broadcaster. Nevertheless, it turned out that these names were not errors.

In the case of Washington Sundar, the entry 'W.S. Mani Sundar' reflects his name Washington Sundar, where 'W.S.' denotes his initials, and 'Mani Sundar' is his father's name.

Similarly, Tilak Verma's full name is Namboori Thakur Tilak Varma, which is why the designation T.T.V Namboori appeared on the scoreboard. Thus, the names displayed on the scoreboard corresponded to the players' official names.

Furthermore, the change in Sanju Samson's name attracted fans' attention. Instead of him, S. Vishwanadh was displayed on the scoreboard. The reason is that Vishwanadh is Sanju Samson's real middle name, and this part of the name was used on the scoreboard because Sanju was born in Tiruvannanthapuram.

The process of registering player names at major multi-sport events, such as the Asian Games, differs from standard cricket series. This is not a broadcasting error but part of standardized athlete registration. According to the procedures of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), player information is usually entered based on their officially registered names, including those listed in passports and accreditation.

This data is stored in a centralized database used for the event and broadcasting. OCA rules stipulate that in bilateral cricket series, players are usually recognized by popular or commonly accepted names in the cricketing world. However, at multi-sport events like the Asian Games, a unified naming system is applied for athletes across different disciplines. This is why these 'other' names of Indian cricketers appeared on television graphics, digital scoreboards, and official reports. A similar situation was observed with the name of women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was displayed as Harmanpreet Kaur Buller, as well as with other athletes.

The Asian Games reached their peak, and Sunday proved to be a mixed day for Indian athletes. The athletes demonstrated their dedication in disciplines such as running and field sports, hockey, and boxing, thereby bringing pride to the country. On Sunday, India won a total of 7 medals, bringing the overall tally to 37.

In running and field events, Indian athletes showed outstanding results, securing several awards. Sarvesh Kushare received a silver medal in the men's high jump, displaying brilliant performance. Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase, setting a personal record. In the intense decathlon competition, Tejashwin Shankar added a bronze to the country's collection.

In the women's final of the 200 meters, Harita Bhadra surprised everyone by winning a bronze medal. Ansi Sodjan secured a silver medal in the women's long jump after fierce competition.

Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase at the Asian Games 2026, setting an impressive national record time of 9:08.67.

The Indian women's hockey team dominated the field, achieving a convincing victory over Singapore with a score of 7:0, thus securing first place in Group B. In this match, Sunelita Toppo scored two excellent goals.

What happened in boxing? Indian boxers continue to show excellent results. Ankush, Parvin, and Nrendra won their bouts, advancing to the semi-finals and guaranteeing the country at least bronze medals.

In squash, India had to fight a bit to win a silver medal. Abhay Singh and young talent Anahat Singh both finished in second place, losing to Malaysian athletes in their singles finals.

Indian archers demonstrated excellent form on Sunday, successfully qualifying for the semi-finals in five different disciplines—compound and recurve. The day was difficult for Indian athletes in badminton: all six players in singles and doubles, including P.V. Sindhu and Unnati Hooda, were eliminated from the tournament after losing in intense matches. Meanwhile, the Indian men's volleyball team confidently started its journey, defeating Vietnam with a score of 3:0.

India secured two bronze medals in the shooting discipline at the Asian Games. The women's and men's shooting teams finished third in the team standings. A special achievement was the victory of the trio Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, who brought India its first medal in the women's team shooting tournament at the Asian Games.

After a three-day qualification round, the Indian women's team scored a total of 331 points. China won gold with 357 points, Kazakhstan took silver with 336 points, while India managed to settle for bronze.

Raiza and Parinaaz scored 111 out of 125 points, and Maheshwari scored 109 points. Raiza and Parinaaz now have a chance to win a medal in the individual standings, as both qualified for the finals of the individual women's shooting event. Raiza placed eighth, and Parinaaz placed ninth.

Maheshwari Chauhan

Maheshwari Chauhan was born on July 4, 1996, in Siana, Rajasthan. She is an Indian sport shooter specializing in women's shooting events. She started shooting at the age of 15, inspired by her family's passion for sports, especially her grandfather, whose dedication motivated her to competitive shooting. At 17, Maheshwari first represented India internationally at the ISSF Junior Championships. Currently, she trains in Kelwa, Rajsamand, under Andrea Benelli (Italy), and at Dr. Karn Singh's shooting range in New Delhi, representing Rajasthan at the National Championship.

Maheshwari is considered one of the most capable female sport shooters in India and has played a leading role in this discipline. In 2017, she became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Asian Women's Shooting Championship, winning both a silver and a bronze medal at the Asian Shotgun Championship in Kazakhstan. Later, she won a silver medal at the ISSF Olympic Games qualification stage, setting a national record of 121/125 and securing a spot for India at the Olympics. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she was part of India's first women's shooting team, achieving an impressive fourth place, narrowly missing a medal. Maheshwari, who has set eight national records in women's shooting, continues to work towards the long-term goal of winning her first Olympic medal and World Championship title in shooting, while inspiring the next generation of Indian shotgun shooters.

Raiza Dhillon

Raiza Dhillon (born April 20, 2004) is an Indian sport shooter from Chandigarh, specializing in women's shooting events. At the age of 16, she began shooting under the influence of her father, Ravidjit Singh Dhillon, whose passion for sports prompted her to develop this field competitively. Raiza debuted internationally for India at the ISSF Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, in 2021. She trains at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in New Delhi under the guidance of renowned Italian coach Riccardo Filippelli and represents Haryana at the National Championship.

Due to her outstanding performances on the international stage, Raiza has established herself as one of the leading female sport shooters in India. She made history by securing the first Olympic quota for women's shooting for India at the 2024 Asian Shotgun Championship in Paris. Among her achievements are a silver medal at the ISSF Junior Championships in Kuwait and a silver medal at the ISSF Junior Championships in Suhl and New Delhi, Germany. In the country, she set a national record of 122/125 in both senior and junior categories, and also won a gold medal in the senior women's shooting at the 2025 National Championship. Aiming for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Raiza remains one of the brightest athletes in shotgun shooting.

Raiza's Achievements:

• Gold: Junior Shooting Team, ISSF Junior Championships in Lima, Peru (2021)
• Silver: Junior Shooting, ISSF Junior Championships in Changdo, Republic of Korea (2023)
• Gold: Mixed Shooting Team, Asian Championship, Changdo, Republic of Korea (2023)
• Silver: Junior Shooting, Asian Championship, Changdo, Republic of Korea (2023)
• Silver: Women's Shooting, Asian Championship, Kuwait City, Kuwait (2024)
• Bronze: Mixed Shooting Team, Asian Championship, Kuwait City, Kuwait (2024)
• Silver: Junior Shooting, ISSF Junior Championships, New Delhi, India (2025)
• Silver: Junior Women's Shooting, ISSF Junior Championships, Suhl, Germany (2025)

Parinaaz Dhaliwal

Parinaaz Dhaliwal was born on November 30, 2001, in Patiala. She specializes in women's shooting, team shooting, and mixed team shooting. She started shooting in 2015 at the Nu Moti Bagh club, initially trying trap before switching to skeet.