Ahead of the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey Championship which is starting from August 29 in Rajgir in Bihar, teams have begun arriving in the state. Today, the Indian team reached Patna.
Talking to Akashvani News, the Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh said that the team is fully confident of winning the championship.
Indian team coach Craig Fulton said that the side has prepared extensively, and expressed hope that it will emerge as Asia Cup champions and also qualify for the World Cup.
The recent passing of FedEx founder Fred Smith marked the end of an era. His company revolutionized the freight transport industry and ultimately changed society.
GE Aerospace is proud to have powered Smith’s bold vision from the very beginning, when he was a young, decorated military veteran who daringly launched a unique enterprise in Memphis, Tennessee, with a few modified business jets.
Through the decades, Smith’s company grew wildly across the globe with a massive fleet of large cargo jets and vehicles. At the same time, GE Aerospace transformed from a leading military engine supplier to become the world’s largest producer of commercial jet engines. Along the way, GE Aerospace has been FedEx’s principal jet engine supplier, while Smith worked closely with generations of GE Aerospace leaders — from Gerhard Neumann and Brian Rowe to David Joyce and current Chairman and CEO Larry Culp.
The FedEx of today operates 269 cargo aircraft powered by GE Aerospace, including the CF6 and GE90 engine lines. And it began with a handshake deal.
After graduating from Yale University and serving two tours in Vietnam as a platoon leader and aerial observer/tactical air controller in the U.S. Marine Corps, Smith pursued his idea of creating an overnight freight carrier. He founded Federal Express (later renamed FedEx) in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1971 and went operational in April 1973 in Memphis, with 14 small jets serving 25 cities.
Smith put up personal savings and took out loans to buy the 14 Dassault Falcon 20 business jets, which he converted into cargo carriers. Strapped for cash, he faced another financial hurdle: how to maintain his jet engines.
Enter Brian Rowe and GE Aerospace. The Falcon 20 is powered by the CF700* engine, a commercial variant of GE Aerospace’s wildly successful J85 military engine developed in Lynn, Massachusetts. Using an aft-mounted fan, the CF700 became the world’s first turbofan for business jets. Rowe had moved to the U.S. from England in 1957 to join GE Aerospace’s Lynn operation, and his first project management job was leading the CF700 program. The engine was certified in 1964.
By the early 1970s, Rowe had moved up the ladder at GE Aerospace and was running commercial engine operations for division head Gerhard Neumann. As Smith acquired the Falcon 20 jets, Rowe presented the young Memphis entrepreneur with a bold financial proposal.
“Fred came to my dad over the maintenance of his engines,” says David Rowe, Brian’s son and managing partner of AE Industrial Partners. Brian Rowe assured Smith that GE Aerospace would provide his company with a significant line of credit while offering attractive terms to have the CF700 engines overhauled at its service shop in Strother, Kansas. Smith’s collateral would be his aircraft.
“The amazing part is that the deal was done on a handshake,” says David Rowe. “My dad simply asked of Fred that if his company became successful, he would buy GE engines.”
And did he ever. After operating 33 Falcon Jets for several years, FedEx acquired a massive fleet of large cargo jets.
Just like the closing scene with Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains in the classic film Casablanca, the handshake between Smith and Rowe was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. “They relied on each other’s opinions,” says David Rowe. “They were very close.” Rowe was chairman emeritus of GE Aerospace when he passed away in February 2007.
Smith continued to enjoy warm friendships with other GE Aerospace leaders. Larry Culp described Smith as “a friend and inspiration” saying “Fred was a trailblazer whose bold ideas and relentless drive built one of the world’s most respected companies. I have long admired his professionalism and patriotism. He was one of the first people to reach out to me when I joined GE. He always was actively engaged, offering wisdom and guidance with the same passion that has shaped his legacy.”
Smith’s story is one of bold ideas, resilience, and the kind of trust that builds lasting partnerships. His journey reminds us that some of the most important parts of innovation are the relationships we build along the way.
McLaren have enjoyed a stellar 2025 campaign up to this point, with the reigning World Champions storming towards back-to-back titles while impressively managing the intra-team battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. With 14 of 24 rounds down, we present their glowing half term report…
Oscar Piastri – 1st in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami, Spain and Belgium; Lando Norris – 1st in Australia, Monaco, Austria, Britain and Hungary
McLaren ended a 26-year wait for title glory last season, building on the progress they made through 2023 to become regular podium finishers and then frequent race winners – ultimately earning them the Teams’ crown over historic rivals Ferrari.
For 2025, the goal was to turn that morale-boosting triumph into a championship double. Thanks to the ultra-efficient MCL39 winning 11 out of 14 Grands Prix so far at the hands of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, it is surely a matter of when, not if, this target will be achieved.
The only remaining question surrounds which of the two McLaren drivers will go on to secure the individual title – Piastri having triumphed six times to Norris’ five so far and heading into the summer break with a slender nine-point advantage.
Piastri 8-6 Norris
With Norris making his F1 debut back in 2019 and Piastri arriving as his team mate only a couple of years ago, it was the Briton who comfortably led their Qualifying and Grand Prix head-to-heads through the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
However, Piastri has made a clear step forward this year – in his own words, improving “a little bit in a lot of areas” – to consistently challenge Norris for intra-team supremacy, as highlighted by him narrowly topping the one-lap charts after 14 rounds.
While both drivers have scored four pole positions, Piastri’s Qualifying form has been particularly consistent – logging a worst grid slot of fourth in Miami. As for Norris, he ended up sixth in Bahrain, 10th in Saudi Arabia and seventh in Canada via Q3 mistakes.
Piastri 7-7 Norris
It is a tie when it comes to Piastri and Norris’ race day head-to-head, with their internal battle ebbing and flowing between the season opener in Australia and Hungary last time out – and pausing on that aforementioned gap of just nine points.
The obvious hit to Norris’ tally came at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he dramatically ran into the back of Piastri’s car in the closing stages of the race and retired, meaning his team mate is the only driver to score points at every weekend so far.
McLaren’s relentless success in 2025 gives us plenty to choose from when it comes to ‘best moments’, but achieving a 200th F1 win at the Hungaroring – only the second team after Ferrari to reach that number – marked another major milestone in their journey.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said it was a result – which also earned a fourth successive 1-2 finish – the entire Woking-based squad were “proud and privileged to have delivered, following in the footsteps of our founder Bruce McLaren”.
On personal levels, Piastri’s hat-trick of wins across the Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami weekends would no doubt be towards the top of his list, while Norris achieved two childhood dreams by winning on the streets of Monaco and at Silverstone.
We mentioned the Canada clash above, and it is difficult to look beyond it for McLaren’s worst moment. After all, it marks the only time one of their cars has failed to take the chequered flag this season, while bringing into question the policy of letting both drivers race freely.
“We never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident, and definitely we don’t want to see the two McLarens having contact, so this situation is a situation that we know is not acceptable,” Stella explained to F1 TV in the immediate aftermath.
“At the same time, we appreciate that Lando immediately owned it and apologised to the team, which for us sort of reset the situation. I’m sure he has an important learning point coming from this race – he paid a price in the championship.”
To the benefit of fans, McLaren admirably stuck with that free-to-race approach after Montreal – their drivers’ subsequent scraps and close calls in Austria and Hungary (two races in which Piastri almost hit Norris’ car) showing that nothing had changed.
On the whole, the situation appears to have been managed extremely well, with both Piastri and Norris getting a fair crack at the title, the pair of them aware of their wider responsibilities, and the rest of the team fully aligned under Stella and CEO Zak Brown’s leadership.
It is likely to be more of a challenge when the heat gets turned up over the final 10 rounds, but McLaren are confident they will avoid controversial showdowns of the past and, disasters aside, be able to properly celebrate becoming double World Champions for the first time since 1998.
“It’s not a problem,” Brown recently said of managing the situation. “They want to race fairly – they just want equal equipment, fair treatment, which is exactly what they get, and they want to beat 19 other cars, their team mate included.
“It’s a pleasure to work with them. They’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for each other – how you see them conduct themselves, that’s how they are behind the scenes. I think a lot of that is the chemistry that we’ve built in the team.
“I see no reason why it can’t come down to [the final round in] Abu Dhabi. I hope the two of them are battling it out and, when it’s all said and done, they shake hands and say, ‘Job well done’, and go again next year.”
After facing some stiff resistance from Phnom Penh, East Bengal broke through as Fazila, a two-time IWL Golden Boot winner, struck to break the deadlock. The goal proved enough to seal the victory.
The preliminary phase of the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League features 19 teams, split into five groups – four pools of four teams each and one of three.
After single round-robin matches, the five group winners and the best-ranked runners-up across pools will progress to the group stage, joining six automatic qualifiers from the highest-ranked AFC member associations.
East Bengal have been drawn in Group E alongside hosts Phnom Penh Crown FC and Hong Kong China’s Kitchee SC in the preliminary stage. Monday’s win puts them in good standing to progress.
East Bengal will face Kitchee in their next AWCL preliminary stage match at the same venue on Sunday.
This is only the second edition of the AWCL, Asia’s premier women’s club competition, which launched in 2024-25.
Odisha FC represented India in the inaugural season, advancing from the preliminary stage to the main draw before exiting in the group stage.
The 12-team main draw for the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26 will be held between November 9 and 23.
The Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight Semifinals of the PFL Africa Tournament Will Take Place on Oct. 18 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda
RWANDA (August 25, 2025) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced four bouts for the historic first-ever PFL Africa Semifinals, taking place Saturday, October 18 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. This event marks the biggest MMA competition ever to take place in East Africa, underscoring Rwanda’s growing reputation as a premier destination for world-class sports and entertainment.
Rwanda has quickly established itself on the global sports map, hosting international spectacles such as the Basketball Africa League (BAL), major concerts, and high-profile competitions. By bringing the PFL Africa Semifinals to Kigali, the league is adding MMA to that list of milestone moments and cementing Rwanda’s place as a hub for sport and culture while making history with the nation’s first major MMA event.
For the first time, Africa’s elite fighters are on the road to Benin, where four champions will be crowned and claim the title of the very best in Africa and among the best in the world. After two groundbreaking events in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the inaugural PFL Africa Tournament now reaches its Semifinal stage, where Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight finalists will be decided, with additional bouts to be announced shortly.
“This is a historic moment for PFL and for the sport across Africa,” said John Martin, PFL CEO. “We’re proud to bring the first-ever PFL Africa Semifinals to Kigali’s BK Arena and showcase the continent’s best on one of its premier stages.”
In the main event, Nigeria’s Patrick Ocheme (7-1), who outworked Mohamed Camara in Johannesburg to secure his place in the Semifinals, now faces Burkina Faso’s Abdoul Razac Sankara (7-4), the flashy striker who delivered Joburg’s knockout of the night with a spectacular head kick over Shadrick Dju Yemba. Their meeting pits Ocheme’s steady composure and experience against Sankara’s explosive finishing power, with a place in the 145-pound Finals hanging in the balance.
The co-main event features South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele (9-3), known as the “King of Many Nations,” who continues his march through the Bantamweight bracket after a commanding performance in Cape Town. Across the SmartCage will be undefeated Simbarashe “Simba” Hokonya (6-0), a dangerous contender from Zimbabwe who trains with Nicholas Hwende, the last man to hand Ndebele a loss. With national pride and personal redemption on the line in Kigali, the stage is set for a dramatic Semifinal showdown.
Welterweight action sees Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança (10-1), fresh off a viral 34-second submission win in Johannesburg, taking on Cameroon’s undefeated Octave “Bantu Warrior” Ayinda (7-0), who blasted through his previous opponent with a first-round TKO. Both fighters ignited social media with their dancing celebrations, but in Rwanda only one will be able to celebrate and advance to the Finals.
The Heavyweight bracket opens the main card, as Cameroon’s Maxwell Djantou Nana (7-1), who impressed the Cape Town crowd with his power, collides with South Africa’s undefeated Justin Clarke (3-0), who eliminated Nana’s countryman Jashell Ticha Awa in the First Round. With both men eager to establish themselves as the face of PFL Africa’s Heavyweight division, fans can expect a thunderous start to the night.
PFL Africa: Rwanda Main Card:
BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda
SuperSport (Africa – English) | Canal+ (Africa – French)
PFL App (U.S.)
Saturday, 18 October
Featherweight Semifinal Main Event: Patrick Ocheme (7-1) vs. Abdoul Razac Sankara (7-4)
Bantamweight Semifinal Co-Main Event: Nkosi Ndebele (9-3) vs. Simbarashe Hokonya (6-0)
Welterweight Semifinal Bout: Shido Boris Esperança (10-1) vs. Octave Ayinda (7-0)
Heavyweight Semifinal Bout: Maxwell Djantou Nana (7-1) vs. Justin Clarke (3-0)
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BACK TO NEWS
Three weeks on from the last race weekend in Budapest, it’s race week again as the 2025 season gets set to resume. The teams have all had to commit to a two-week shutdown during August, but should be raring to go when the paddock reconvenes at Zandvoort.
The driver market is unusual this year, given the fact there are so many confirmed seats for 2026 already. That’s a byproduct of the length of contracts that were already in place, but also a wider desire to have continuity in race seats from this year to next, in order to not have to integrate a new driver at the same time as a significant regulation change.
The unusual aspect is the fact there is a new team entering in 2026, and they have to put in place an entire new driver line-up.
Cadillac will be the 11th team on the grid next season, and have been linked with a long list of drivers. The majority of them include those with recent F1 experience, but there have also been rookies and IndyCar winners that have been mentioned in connection with the new entry.
Rumours that a decision is close have been gaining momentum during the summer break, and we could soon find out who the first pairing for Cadillac will be. Whoever they pick, it will be a simple case of expansion, with two new seats and therefore two extra drivers getting to race next year.
Fourteen races down, 10 to go. The summer break might often feel like the halfway point in the calendar, but in many senses it’s a pause before the run-in. The final two European rounds are about to kick off, and after the double header of Zandvoort and Monza we will be heading into the final third of the season.
While no single Grand Prix pays more points than any other, the closer you get to the end of the season the more the pressure seems to ramp up, and each race feels that bit more important.
For the two McLaren drivers who are the clear favourites for the title this season, the summer break is likely to have been a welcome spell of time off before the resuming hostilities, even if the battle hasn’t been particularly hostile so far.
Oscar Piastri arrives in Zandvoort with a nine-point advantage over team mate Lando Norris, but it was Norris who won last time out in Budapest and also delivered a very strong performance to dominate last year’s Dutch Grand Prix, winning by over 20 seconds as Piastri ended up fourth.
But there has been another clear step forward from the Australian in his third season in F1, and there is often little to choose between the two McLaren drivers in terms of pace. Who comes out on top in the first race after the break is likely to be down to small details once again, and in such a close fight you never know how important any given weekend could end up proving.
Until that dominant win for Norris last season, Zandvoort had been the domain of Max Verstappen, who won the first three editions of the Dutch Grand Prix since it returned to the calendar in 2021.
Verstappen always enjoys huge support at his home race, with a sea of orange greeting him, along with a raucous atmosphere on the North Sea coast.
While those fans may have arrived with a sense of expectation in previous years, this time around it is likely to be more in hope, as Verstappen has not finished on the podium in the past four races this season. With just two wins to his name in 2025, he doesn’t arrive as the favourite for once.
Yet there is still reason for Verstappen fans to be optimistic, with a Sprint win in Belgium breaking up that lack of a podium, and the Dutchman proving on multiple occasions that he can threaten at the front if the car is to his liking.
It will likely need something special in Qualifying to open up the possibility, but you can never rule the four-time World Champion out.
2025 has been a challenging year for Lewis Hamilton so far, with his move to Ferrari seeing him having to settle into a new environment for the first time in 12 years.
There have been obvious highs – including a Sprint victory in China – that hint at the potential of the partnership, and they appeared to be making some good progress ahead of the summer break as he was increasingly competitive compared to team mate Charles Leclerc.
But those gains didn’t lead to firm results in the two races in Belgium and Hungary, and the latter saw Hamilton particularly downbeat after he dropped out in Q2 and was unable to score a point after he and the team gambled on a different strategy in an attempt to recover.
In many ways, the break could well have come at the perfect time, allowing Hamilton – who is often very hard on himself – to gain a bit of perspective on the performance potential he has shown. Still, after being so frustrated in Budapest, both he and Ferrari could do with a clean race at Zandvoort to start to build some positive momentum again before a big weekend at Monza.
Aside from the Cadillac driver line-up, the other team that have had a significant focus on their pairing this year have been Mercedes.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are yet to receive confirmation that their contracts will be extended – or at least that confirmation has not yet been made public – following a summer where discussions with Verstappen also made headlines.
Given the consistently high level that Russell has performed at this year, and the clear potential Antonelli has shown that he has, it would be a major surprise if there were any changes at this point, but until signatures are on contracts then there is always a slight chance of something unexpected happening.
Russell admitted in Hungary that it wasn’t a particularly reassuring time having to wait for confirmation of his future, and if there is no announcement prior to the paddock arriving in Zandvoort then it could remain a significant talking point over the weekend.
The FEI is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr Genshitsu Sen, President of the Japan Equestrian Federation, in August, at the age of 102.
Dr Sen assumed the Presidency of the Japan Equestrian Federation in 2003 and dedicated 22 years to the growth and promotion of equestrian sport in Japan. His tenure included landmark achievements such as hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020, and guiding the Japanese Eventing team to a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
Born in 1923, Dr Sen served in the Japanese Navy Air Force during World War II. He later became the 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke School of Tea, promoting his philosophy of “Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea,” and assumed the title of Grand Master Emeritus in 2002.
He also held numerous prominent roles, including UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Japan-U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Rotary Japan Foundation, President of the United Nations Association of Japan, and President of the Kyoto City International Foundation.
“Dr Sen was a remarkable man and an outstanding ambassador for equestrian sport,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“His dedication and commitment will be remembered with great respect, and he will be profoundly missed. Many of us have treasured memories of the tea ceremonies Dr Sen held for our equestrian family during the FEI General Assembly in Tokyo in 2016, as well as at the Olympic Family Lounge in the equestrian venue at Baji Koen during the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
“As President of the Japan Equestrian Federation for more than 20 years, and as former Grand Master of the Urasenke Chado Tradition, Dr Sen was not just an extraordinary ambassador for our sport but also a true reflection of the Spirit of Japan.”
Among his many awards and recognitions, Dr Sen received the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan in 1997 and was appointed Commandeur of France’s Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur in 2020.
The FEI extends its sincere condolences to Dr Sen’s family, friends, the Japan Equestrian Federation, and the wider equestrian community.
Photo caption: Dr Genshitsu Sen, who had served as President of the Japan Equestrian federation since 2003, has passed away at the age of 102.
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 25, 2025) — The Orlando Pride (8-4-4, 28 points) today announced that midfielder Morgan Gautrat has been loaned to Newcastle United W.F.C for the remainder of the 2025 season. The NWSL veteran also has announced her retirement from NWSL play.
“We want to thank Morgan for her incredible contributions to our club and the NWSL. Her professionalism, leadership, and dedication have made a lasting impact on our organization and the league as a whole,” said Haley Carter, Vice President and Sporting Director of Orlando Pride. “We understand and fully support Morgan’s decision as she moves into this next chapter. While we’re sad to see her go, we respect her choice to pursue opportunities that align with her personal goals and wish her and her family nothing but success in their future endeavors. Morgan will always be part of our family, and we’re grateful for everything she’s brought to our club.”
Gautrat, 32, joined the Pride via trade from the Kansas City Current ahead of the 2024 season. During her time with the Club, the 11-year NWSL veteran has appeared in 34 matches and earned one assist for Orlando, helping the team complete the double during the 2024 season as the Pride won both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship.
Prior to playing for Orlando, Gautrat had stints with the Kansas City Current, Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash. While in Chicago, the midfielder helped the Red Stars to four-straight playoff appearances, appearing in 62 matches and scoring six goals across all competitions. In 2018, Gautrat spent time overseas playing for French club Olympique Lyonnes where she appeared in four matches and recorded one goal and one assist.
The St. Simons Island, Ga., native originally entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash. During her rookie season, she appeared in 10 matches but spent a large part of the season with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. After her rookie campaign, Gautrat would go on to log over 1,000 minutes for the Dash while also being part of the USWNT’s participation in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
Overall with the USWNT, Gautrat has made 88 appearances and tallied eight goals and 11 assists since making her senior team debut on June 15, 2013. She won two FIFA Women’s World Cups in both 2015 and 2019 and was the youngest member of the 2015 winning squad.
TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride loans midfielder Morgan Gautrat to Newcastle United W.F.C for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Chicago Stars FC today announced the signing of midfielder, Meg Boade, to a roster relief contract.
Boade spent the first half of the regular season with the Washington Spirit, where the midfielder first joined as a non-roster invitee before signing with them as a short-term injury replacement player. The Colorado native made three appearances with two starts for a total of 108 minutes for the Spirit. Boade made her professional debut in the Spirit’s opening match of the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season and scored her first professional goal against the Utah Royals May 17. In March, Boade was named to the United States Under-23 Youth National Team for their training camp in Los Angeles.
Prior to joining the Spirit, Boade played college soccer at UCLA for one year and Northwestern University for four years. The midfielder made 24 appearances and 18 starts for UCLA, scoring one goal and making two assists. While at Northwestern, Boade played 66 matches with 52 starts from 2020-2023 and scored 12 goals with 17 assists. Boade was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region team in 2022.
Boade and the Stars travel to Washington to take on the Spirit August 31 at Audi Field at 3 p.m. CT. The team then returns to Chicago to play in the team’s Wintrust Lakefront Faceoff match against the Orlando Pride September 7 at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Tickets are still available at chicagostars.com/tickets.