Sports News Feb 20, Highlights: India Announce Contingent For Winter Games; LA Lakers Lose To Charlotte Hornets In NBA

🌠Welcome to the live coverage of everything sports that is happening and will happen on Thursday, February 20. Stay tuned for updates.

Some shocking results in the UCL with Real Madrid 𝓡sending Man City out whereas Juventus too exited the tournament after their 1-3 loss to PSV.

Check all the results here:

🐈Aston Villa drew 2-2 to Liverpool in the Premier League as the Reds moved eight clear of Arsenal in the title run-in. Trent Alexander-Arnold rescued a point for Arne Slot's men, meaning they are eight clear of the Gunners going into the weekend's fixtures.

﷽The 2nd T20I match between Indonesia and Bahrain has been delayed due to bad weather. Stay tuned for further updates.

In what comes as a shocking news, Seven Chilean men have been charged in Florida federal court with orchestrating burglaries at the homes of prominent professional athletes ꦇincluding NFL star Patrick Mahomes, according to a criminal complaint.

The Indian U-20 women's football team came from behind to beat Jordan in the Pink Ladies U20 Youth Cup. ✨The Young Tigresses found themselves trailing via a penalty at the break before Lhingdeikim and Pooja scored in the second half to secure the comeback win.

Lionel Messi's crucial goal gave Inter Miami ꦜa vital away goal as it beat Kansas 1-0 in first leg in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

ꦕAhead of their Group A match against India in the Champions Trophy, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said that his team can beat any team in this tournament.

🥃“If you look at this format, our team is quite balanced, and we believe we can beat any team in this tournament,” Shanto was quoted in Sportstar on the eve of his team’s opening fixture against India.

🍰Asian Games champion shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's father R Kasi Viswanatham passed away of cardiac arrest on Thursday morning. "It is extremely sad and unfortunate that Satwik has lost his father this morning," said a source close to the family.

💫Venus Williams along with Petra Kvitova, has received a wild-card entry for the BNP Paribas Open. The 44-year-old hasn't competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 19, 2024.

ꦦWith Jasprit Bumrah missing in the Indian pace bowling attack, the heavy burden will be on the shoulders of Mohammed Shami. The veteran pacer, who is making a comeback to the national side, said recently that he had 'doubts' that he'll ever play for Team India again.

🐽NASCAR has fined Daytona 500 pole-winner Chase Briscoe as his driving team Joe Gibbs Racing had a modified spoiler on the No. 19 Toyota in time trials. JGR were fined $100,000 and crew chief James Small was suspended for four races.

♐Clara Tauson stunned world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships. It was Tauson's first win over a No. 1-ranked player.

ꦉBangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected bat first in their Group A encounter in the Champions Trophy 2025.

🍸The Indian contingent, comprising 49 members, is set to represent the nation at the prestigious Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025, to be held in Turin, Italy, from March 8th, 2025 to March 15th, 2025. 

The contingent includes 30 athletes and 19 support staff, who will be participating across 6 sports disciplines - Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Floorball, Short-track Speed Skating, Snowboarding and Snowshoeing. Read Full story HERE.

🐻Bayern Munich faces an anxious wait on Harry Kane’s availability for their crucial Bundesliga showdown against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. The England captain, dealing with a calf issue sustained in the Champions League win over Celtic, is taking a break from training. With Bayern coming off a grueling stretch, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller may need to step up if Kane is sidelined. Meanwhile, third-placed Frankfurt arrive fresher, having cruised past Holstein Kiel 3-1 in their last outing.

𝔍The International Olympic Committee has secured Chinese electronics giant TCL as a global sponsor through 2032, replacing long-time partner Panasonic. The deal covers four Olympic Games, including Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032, with TCL set to provide smart displays, household appliances, and AI-driven innovations for the events.

🦋Pakistan have left for Dubai ahead of their high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India without opener Fakhar Zaman, who sustained a muscle strain while fielding in the loss to New Zealand. The PCB awaits an ICC update on his availability, with Imam-ul-Haq likely to be called up if Zaman is ruled out.

💎Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian to pick 200 ODI wickets, reaching the milestone in 104 matches during India's Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh. The pacer marked his comeback in style with a brilliant 5/53, further cementing his legacy in ICC tournaments.