Asia-Pacific sports M&A hits record high as wealthy investors swap sponsorships for stakes - The Business Times

• Barcelona has officially unveiled a new German forward as part of their latest squad reinforcements. • Arsenal is actively pursuing a Brazilian midfielder, while Chelsea has looked to the United States for their most recent summer signing.

• India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have been granted direct entry into the knockout stages of the Asian Games. • These four seeded teams will join four others who must first compete in a qualifying round consisting of Group A (Japan, Nepal, and the 2023 silver medalists) and Group B (Malaysia, Oman, and Hong Kong, China).

• India, captained by Shreyas Iyer, has secured direct entry into the quarter-finals of the Asian Games cricket tournament. • The competition will be held in Nagoya, Japan, utilizing the T20 format for both the men's and women's events.

• Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his fast, while India's athlete quota for the Commonwealth Games has been reduced from 16 to 11. • The cuts heavily impact India's strongest sports, as badminton, hockey, wrestling, table tennis, squash, and cricket are excluded from the Glasgow programme.

• On July 24, India's campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games intensified with athletes competing across six different sports. • In swimming, RVVBK Budigina and Ali Imam successfully qualified for the men's S13 100m freestyle final.

• Indian badminton star P V Sindhu was eliminated from the China Open on Thursday after a second-round loss to world number four Chen Yufei. • Despite an early lead, Sindhu lost the grueling 90-minute match in Changzhou with a final score of 21-16, 20-22, 18-21.

• A record nine Asian nations competed in the FIFA World Cup 2026, though the overall performance of the AFC representatives was described as underwhelming. • Japan and Australia reached the Round of 32 before suffering close defeats, while five other teams—Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan—finished bottom of their groups without a win.

• Cambodia faces Singapore in the opening Group A matchday of the 2026 Hyundai ASEAN Cup. • Japanese manager Koji Gyotoku has selected a 25-man squad, following a training camp in Japan and a historic 2-0 victory over Hong Kong.

• India and Pakistan have received direct entry into the quarterfinals for both the men's and women's cricket competitions at the 2026 Asian Games. • The tournaments will follow the T20 format and be hosted at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi prefecture, Japan.

• The Guardian team has released their final tournament verdicts and awards for the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the best games, goals, and individual performances. • Key highlights include a "magical" atmosphere at the Estadio Azteca and a standout performance by Erling Haaland, who is described as "breaking America."

• The article highlights 10 football transfers that occurred during the 2022 World Cup, focusing on players like Leandro Trossard, Sergio Ramos, and Denzel Dumfries. • Denzel Dumfries is specifically noted for his strong tournament performances, including a goal and two assists against the USA in the round of 16.