Category: 6. Sports

Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his U-19 teammates were spotted at Edgbaston, cheering for Team India on Day 2 of the second Test of the ongoing five-match Test series.The India U-19 team is also in England. They are set to play five Youth ODIs, followed by two Youth Tests. The India U-19 side is currently leading the ODI series 2-1.On Wednesday, Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit the third-fastest half-century in India U-19s history, off an astonishing 20 balls, to set up victory over England in their third one-day match in Northampton and go 2-1 up in the five-match series.So far, he has scored 48 (19), 45 (34), and now 86 (31) in the series, and is currently the leading run-scorer for India.

Suryavanshi displayed the extraordinary range of strokes that had catapulted him to fame earlier this year when he smashed the second-fastest century in IPL history. In pursuit of a target of 269, he unleashed six boundaries and nine towering sixes, racing to a breathtaking 86 off just 31 balls and dispatching England’s bowlers to every part of the ground.His blistering scoring pace meant that by the time he departed, India had rocketed to 111 for two in only eight overs. Vihaan Malhotra complemented the assault with a stylish 46 from 34 deliveries, putting India firmly in control of the chase.However, Malhotra’s dismissal triggered a brief stumble, with three wickets falling for just 30 runs over the next six overs. It took a calm, assured unbroken stand of 75 between Kanishk Chouhan (43) and R.S. Ambrish (31) across 11.1 overs to seal the win comfortably, with 33 balls remaining.

LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – Usually the second volume of a Smart Power Rankings has a couple teams moving up or down a spot or two. The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 hasn’t been a usual event – as you can see by the massive shifts by many teams in the review of the teams going into the Quarter-Finals.

We took stock of the teams and all the madness going on in Lausanne and re-adjusted the rankings.

Here is Volume 2 of the Smart Power Rankings.

16 Jordan =

Jordan were expected to struggle in their first appearance in the competition in 30 years and the Asians have done just that.

Jordan hung around with Dominican Republic for a while but they haven’t been a real threat other than that.

15 China -4

Thoughts about China coming in were that the extensive preparations they had would pay off in victories. But that hasn’t been the case.

The Asians were close in the first game against Canada and then had a rally versus New Zealand in the Round of 16, but it will be tough for them to register wins the rest of the way.

14 Mali -2

Mali pulled off a massive shocker to start the tournament with their win over Serbia.

But the Africans were not able to match that same mix of effort and success the rest of the way.

13 Dominican Republic +1

Dominican Republic have kind of been the unlucky losers so far, falling to Switzerland and Israel by four points in both games and then scoring 96 points against Australia but still losing the Round of 16 game.

12 Argentina -2

Argentina fall into that same category as Dominican Republic.

After losing to New Zealand in the opener, the South Americans beat Serbia and Mali. But they were unable to reach their third straight Quarter-Finals after losing in a heart-breaking defeat against Slovenia.

11 Cameroon -3

Some might question why Cameroon are so high after losing all four games so far and having never played in this competition.

But the Africans played tough in all three group games against basketball powerhouses France, Australia and USA and then missed a golden opportunity to beat Israel in the Round of 16 for a historic first win.

10 France -5

France must bounce back from the massive disappointment of losing to Switzerland in the Round of 16 – and missing out on the podium after three straight top-three finishes.

This is the second consecutive poor showing for France on the global youth stage after they lost to Puerto Rico in the Round of 16 at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 and ended up taking ninth place.

9 Serbia -6

Serbia came to Lausanne with the hopes of finally getting back to the podium for the first time since they were second in 2013. And the chances seemed decent given they were second in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024.

But Serbia lost to Mali and Argentina in the group stage and then had to face Germany in the Round of 16 – a rematch of the U18 European title game from last summer. And they couldn’t slow down the Germans. Now they are playing in Classification 9-16.

8 Israel +5

Israel have put together a valiant performance in their first appearance in the FIBA U19 World Cup, going undefeated in the group stage and then fighting off Cameroon in the Round of 16 to reach the Quarter-Finals.

7 Switzerland +8

Switzerland’s magical run in their first-ever FIBA U19 World Cup continued as they shocked France in the Round of 16 with an 18-0 run spanning the fourth quarter and overtime.

The hosts have now won three straight games and believe in something great. They are a dangerous team to face right now with that kind of momentum.

6 Canada =

Canada and the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA U19 World Cup go hand-in-hand, now reaching the top eight for the seventh straight time.

But the Americas side has only picked up two wins at this stage of the competition in that run – going all the way to the title in 2017 and finishing third in 2021.

Canada face a tough battle against USA in the Quarter-Finals.

5 Australia -1

Australia have not been so lucky at this competition, reaching the top eight for the first time since 2015. The 2003 champions lost to USA in their opener and have lost since then – fighting back to beat Cameroon and then knocking off France and Dominican Republic.

The Emus next must face a very difficult matchup with Germany.

4 New Zealand +5

New Zealand are in the Quarter-Finals for the first time in history with just one loss thus far – falling to Serbia in the final group game though New Zealand were already secured first place in the group and Serbia last place.

New Zealand have a core of leaders who helped the country make history by finishing fourth at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. Now they are hungry for success at the U19 level.

3 Slovenia +4

It’s been a while since Slovenia have been among the top eight in world in this competition – the only other time was 2003 when they finished seventh. Slovenia started the tournament on a down note – losing to Germany and Canada.

The Europeans bounced back and beat China and then narrowly knocked off Argentina in the Round of 16. Now they are just a win over Israel in the Quarter-Finals to be in the top four in the world.

2 Germany =

Germany have done nothing for them to move from the No. 2 ranking. They had a bit of a subpar opener against Slovenia but have rolled since then.

Comfortable wins over China and Canada were followed by a strong showing against Serbia in the Round of 16 – a rematch of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 Final.

1 USA =

USA have dominated in every game thus far in the competition, especially with their defense – not allowing more than 77 points in a game. The Americans, who have won this competition a record eight times, have a wealth of weapons who can step up and carry the team.

USA seem clearly set to reach the Final and the only question is if someone can keep them from a ninth crown.

FIBA

LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the selection of 30 players for the third phase of the U19 Skills Assessment camp in Multan.

The third phase will begin on Monday, 7 July and will go until the end of next month.

The selection of 20 players follows a comprehensive match-based assessment process conducted in two phases, in which a total of 65 players participated under the supervision of Azhar Ali, Head of Youth Development.

The 10 players who had previously represented Pakistan U19 and are eligible to feature in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 are added in the third phase of the camp. The players born on or after 1 September 2006 are eligible to feature in the forthcoming ICC U19 World Cup.

To ensure a fair and detailed evaluation, the 65 players were divided into two groups, with each group playing four matches under competitive conditions. This format enabled selectors and coaches to evaluate a range of key skills, including batting, bowling, fielding, and tactical awareness.

The third phase of the Skills Assessment camp aims to further refine the players’ technical and mental skills as part of the broader strategy to prepare a strong pool of talent for upcoming domestic events as well as international events, including ACC U19 Asia Cup and ICC U19 World Cup.

Players (20) in alphabetical order:

Abbas Khan, Abdul Wahab, Ali Hassan Baloch, Asad Umar, Daniyal Ali Khan, Ghulam Haider, Hamza Zahoor, Haroon Khan, Hazrat Ali, Huzaifa Ahsan, Ibtisam Azhar, Mohammad Arshad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Niqab Shafiq, Rana Adeel Mushtaq, Rizwanullah, Saad Sakhawat, Sadeeq Aman, Sameer Minhas and Yahya Shah

10 players (already represented Pakistan U19) in the third phase (in alphabetical order):

Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf, Hassan Khan, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Tahir, Momin Qamar, Tayyab Arif, Umar Zaib and Usman Khan

Even before the gun has gone off, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown is already in a race against time.

Sani Brown said on Thursday (3 July) that he will compete at the Japan Athletics Championships 2025 with a bone bruise in his right hip joint, a freak injury he suffered last week in training.

“I’ll be honest, I was starting to pick it up, but then last month on the 26th, I had a slight accident,” Japan’s men’s 100m hopeful said at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where the championships will be held from Friday, doubling as the Japanese trials for the World Athletics Championships in September, which is also in Tokyo.

“I went to the hospital, had an MRI and a scan, and the doctor told me I had a bone bruise in the hip joint. He said I should sit still, [and not move], let alone run in a meet. Three weeks for it to completely heal, he said.

“But as a professional, who’s been at the forefront of track and field here, and also for all the fans who come out to watch as well as all the kids who support me, I feel compelled to go out there and run.

“’l’ll do everything I can to get ready for competition.”

Sani Brown said he was hurt last Thursday but did not think much of it initially. When the pain did not go away, he went for a check-up on Monday, when he received the diagnosis.

The two-time Olympian – who set a personal best of 9.96 at Paris 2024 – needs to finish in the top three this weekend to qualify for the worlds. He could still make the team by virtue of his world ranking, a Japan-best 17th, but won’t know of his status until late August if he relies on that route.

There is also the risk that the 26-year-old could aggravate the injury by hitting the track against doctor’s orders, which would make him a question mark for a home world championships.

But evidently, Sani Brown feels compelled to start on Friday.

“Basically, anything that involves raising my knee leads to pain,” he said. “It really was a freak accident. I was off balance and just put too much stress on the bone.

“I don’t know how far I’ll be able to go until I actually run, but it is an important meet where I have to give it everything I have. I’m not thinking at what percent I’m at, but prepare as well as I can and take it one race at a time.”

The men’s 100m heats and semi-finals are on Friday, followed by the final on Saturday.

The competition is being co-organised by Neeraj himself, along with JSW Sports – the firm that manages him – the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics.

Neeraj has also taken part in high-level meetings with AFI and World Athletics officials and has been regularly coordinating with multiple departments within JSW Sports to make the NC Classic a success.

“I’m spending time with every department at JSW Sports, understanding things, giving my inputs and suggestions and it’s been a fantastic experience,” the Indian javelin throw ace noted.

Originally slated for May 24 at Panchkula’s Tau Devi Lal Stadium, the NC Classic was shifted to the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru due to issues with the floodlight at the earlier venue.

The event hit another roadblock as it had to be postponed due to India-Pakistan political tensions and was later rescheduled to July 5.

Neeraj has been heavily invested throughout and has played an active role in navigating through the challenges. In fact, he had reached out to the Karnataka Chief Minister personally to help facilitate the shift from Panchkula to Bengaluru.

As part of his many roles, Neeraj has approved personalised welcome letters and banners for each of his 11 competitors at the NC Classic, including seven international athletes.

He’s also involved in finalising the entertainment line-up, vetting the stadium video content and supervising the athlete fan zone. On Wednesday, he also personally inspected the gym at the Kanteerava Stadium.

Taking time out from promotional shoots to training sessions, Neeraj has also made time to go over the dinner menu for athletes and officials.

In the lead-up to the competition, Neeraj has been heavily involved in promotional activities for the NC Classic

Former tennis player and Olympian Manisha Malhotra, who works closely with Neeraj at JSW Sports, revealed exactly how hands-on Neeraj has been in making sure that the NC Classic ends up as a success.

“Every day he’s going to the stadium and is monitoring stuff. He’s also saying that he’s never been to a city so many days before the event. Usually, he flies in, does a press conference, competes and flies out. He’s having to do some running in Bengaluru other than just training,” she revealed.

“It’s his event so he can’t say it is my training time, so don’t ask me anything. Everybody is surprised to see his new avatar.”

Seven Brits have already clinched wins on day one with Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Cam Norrie, Billy Harris, Arthur Fery and Oliver Tarvet fighting into the second round at SW19.

This is the most British singles victories in a single day at Wimbledon in the Open Era.

Meanwhile, losses came in for British No.3 Jacob Fearnley, Harriet Dart, Oliver Crawford, Henry Searle, Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic.

Boulter takes out ninth seed Badosa

British No.2 Boulter claimed the biggest scalp of the day – beating world No.9 Paula Badosa 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in just under two hours on Centre Court.

The two-time Nottingham champion and Billie Jean King Cup star had to come back from a break down in the third set to claim her fourth career top 10 win.

Serving to stay in the match at 5-4 down, Badosa seemed to completely tighten up while Boulter stayed solid to set up three match points and eventually seal the win off a mistake from the Spaniard.

Boulter is now set to face Argentinian lucky loser Solana Sierra in the next round. This year she’ll be hoping to improve on her career-best third round at The Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Raducanu & Kartal get off to winning starts

Raducanu came through a battle of the Brits out on No.1 Court, defeating 17-year-old wild card Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3

That followed Kartal, who clinched the first British win of this year’s Championships over Jelena Ostapenko, winning 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 on Court 3.

British No.1 Raducanu made a winning start in what proved to be a testing first round. After a slow start, Xu lifted her game and broke the former US Open champion twice to keep on serve in the second set.

Raducanu – who has made the fourth round last year – showed her quality on the return and after a third break for a 4-2 lead managed to serve out the match in just under an hour and a half.

Kartal fought back from 3-0 down to take the first set but couldn’t replicate the same comeback in the second as the Latvian levelled the scoreboard to a set apiece. The British No.3 quickly re-set in the decider to reel off six of the last eight games and seal a spot in the second round.

Next up Raducanu will play former champion Marketa Vondrousova, while Kartal faces Viktoriya Tomova.

First Wimbledon wins for Tarvet, Harris & Fery

Qualifier Tarvet made a dream start to his Grand Slam debut after he eased past Leandro Riedi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

The 21-year-old – who had fought through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw at SW19 – needed just one break in each set to seal a milestone victory on his maiden Grand Slam appearance.

Next up, he will face a blockbuster meeting against two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Harris put in a clinical performance against lucky loser Dusan Lajovic, with the 30-year-old breaking the Serbian five times on his way to clocking an impressive 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

It was a memorable day for Fery who simultaneously clocked his first Grand Slam singles victory and the biggest win of his career as he upset 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

The British wild card converted five of his 16 break point opportunties to secure his spot in the second round in two hours and 51 minutes.

Harris plays Nuo Borges next and Fery will face Luciano Darderi.

Former semi-finalist Norrie up and running

Norrie earned a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) win over HSBC Championships semi-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut in front of a packed crowd on Court 18.

Holding a two sets to one advantage, it was Norrie who made the faster start in the fourth set tie-break as he quickly opened up a 6-3 lead.

With a first match point in sight, Norrie looked to increase the pressure on Bautista Agut, dominating the rallied from the baseline to draw out the unforced error and clinch the win to lift the home crowd on their feet.

Fearnley suffered a first round exit to Brazilian breakthrough star Joao Fonseca – losing out 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(5) in just over two hours.

Former junior Wimbledon champion Searle lost to Ethan Quinn 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(11), 6-2, while Dart narrowly missed out on a spot in the second round to Dalma Galfi.

Crawford took the opening set against Matteo Bellucci but couldn’t quite get over the line as he bowed out in a 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.

16-year-old Klugman put up a strong fight against 24th seed Leylah Fernandez but lost out in a 6-1, 6-3 defeat.

Stojsavljevic looked to be on the comeback as she caught an early break against Ashlyn Krueger in the second set but eventually lost out to 6-3, 6-2.

The duo will represent the team behind the wheel of the Maserati Tipo Folgore in the one-day test that immediately follows the double-header Berlin race weekend, 12 & 13 July. Berlin marks the penultimate race weekend of the season ahead of the double-header finale in London later in the month.

French 2023 Formula 2 Champion Pourchaire previously impressed during the FP0 session in Jeddah and now returns to the Maserati MSG Racing fold with further opportunity to demonstrate his skill and gain experience behind the wheel of the GEN3 Evo.

WATCH: Follow all the action from Berlin live

“I’m really excited to be back with Maserati MSG Racing for the Rookie Test in Berlin,” said Pourchaire. “Driving the GEN3 Evo in Diriyah was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot from the team. Formula E is such a unique and challenging championship, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to get more seat time and continue learning in this environment.”

Monégasque native Leclerc, meanwhile, rejoins the team with strong historic ties, having been part of the family during the team’s time as Venturi Racing. Leclerc originally joined the team as a Development Driver in 2017, progressing to Test and Reserve Driver roles for the 2019-2020 season. He also participated in the Rookie Test in Marrakesh in 2019.

“It feels good to be back in Formula E, especially with my home team,” says Leclerc. “It will be the first time that I will drive the Gen3 Evo so I am looking forward to seeing the evolution compared to the previous generation that I tested a few years ago. I want to give a big thank you to Maserati MSG Racing for the opportunity and I can’t wait to start working with the team in Berlin!”

Their selection reflects Maserati MSG Racing’s ongoing commitment to nurturing talent, reinforcing the team’s vision for future competitiveness. As a former Formula E rookie, current Maserati MSG Racing driver, Jake Hughes is proof that these opportunities have a genuine role to play in promoting the next generation of racing drivers.

This season, Maserati MSG Racing has demonstrated front-running pace, with Hughes securing the third spot on the podium in Saudi Arabia and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne claiming a memorable victory in Tokyo. 

“We’re delighted to welcome both Théo and Arthur back to the team for the Berlin Rookie Test,” adds Cyril Blais, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing.

“Théo made a strong impression during the FP0 session in Diriyah, and Arthur’s past involvement with the team during our time as Venturi Racing gives him a great foundation to build on.

Rookie tests are a vital part of Formula E – not just for showcasing the next wave of talent, but also for gathering valuable data to support our development ahead of the season finale in London. We’re looking forward to seeing what both drivers can deliver.”

Find out more

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It is our understanding Arsenal came into the summer with two primary striker targets – RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Well, there was a third – but the chances of securing Alexander Isak from Newcastle were deemed largely unrealistic.

A move for Slovenia international Sesko has substantial backing from key figures at the Emirates – including Arteta.

BBC Sport has learned the player’s agent, Elvis Basanovic, was invited to Arsenal’s final home game of the season against Newcastle as a guest of the club.

But a deal to sign Sesko has proved difficult. Sources have indicated there is still no agreement between the 22-year-old and Arsenal, let alone the two clubs.

Of course, a breakthrough could come at any moment – but the suggestion is that striking a deal for Sesko has proved significantly harder than expected.

Part of that may be down to changes towards the top of the club in recent months.

With the Gunners’ interest in Sesko well established, Basanovic is understood to have developed a strong relationship with former sporting directors Edu and Jason Ayto.

But with both gone and Berta leading the negotiations, those nurtured relationships are no longer relevant.

And there have been indications in recent days that Arsenal have focused attention on other targets.

The impasse with Sesko could, of course, be a strategic ploy from the Gunners to see if he will accept what to them would be more favourable terms.

Either way, Arsenal are understood to have made headway with a potential move for Gyokeres in recent days.

Significantly, the signing of the Sweden international is understood to have Berta’s backing.

Gyokeres was not a strong target for Arsenal prior to Berta’s arrival earlier this year, but he believes the 27-year-old could make an instant impact.

And the striker, who is at odds with Sporting over his valuation, is understood to be very keen to join Arsenal.

Should Arsenal sign Sesko or Gyokeres, it is likely to cost them in excess of £70m.

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, who Arsenal tried to sign in January, would be a cheaper option – allowing them to spend more elsewhere.

The 29-year-old is open to joining Arsenal – the club he supported as a boy – and it is understood that he and Gyokeres are the two players they have explored moves for in recent days.

That dream demanded even more when she moved clubs to play in England for Reading, travelling a 300-mile round trip from Swansea three times a week after a full day’s work.

The sacrifices paid off when Reading won promotion to the top-tier Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2015 and offered her a life-changing professional deal.

Ten years on, the 32-year-old Southampton forward is set to play a pivotal role for Wales at their first major tournament. Her emotional arrival in Switzerland, seeing the team bus decked with Euro branding, brought tears she fought hard to hold back.

“It hasn’t been easy,” Rowe says. “But I carry all those experiences with me.”

Wales face the Netherlands in their opening Group D game on Saturday, 5 July, 2025 in Lucerne.