Category: 6. Sports

Cheteshwar Pujara, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, leaves behind a career celebrated for its patience, courage and resilience. Among the many innings that defined him, his 56 off 211 balls during India’s historic win at the Gabba in 2021 stands out,but not just for the runs, but for the sheer physical punishment he withstood. On the final day in Brisbane, as Australia’s fast bowlers launched a relentless barrage, Pujara was struck 11 times on his body. Pat Cummins hit him on the back of the helmet, below the neck, chest, thigh, bicep and once on the gloves.Mitchell Starc rapped him twice on the bottom glove, while Josh Hazlewood delivered three painful blows. One was on the arm above the elbow, the other on the gloves that even made him drop his bat, and finally on the helmet which saw his neck guard fall off.

Each strike was a painful blow, but Pujara refused to flinch. His 211-ball vigil blunted Australia’s pace attack and set the stage for Rishabh Pant to script one of India’s most famous Test victories. Explaining his mindset later, Pujara revealed why he chose to take the blows rather than fend them with the bat. “Getting hit on the head wasn’t very painful because you have the protection of a helmet. Yes, it looks very scary when you’re watching on TV and even as a batter you don’t want to get hit on the helmet … forget about the pain and the bruises … but talking about that pitch, I feel it had variable bounce. Especially from one end, the ball wasn’t rising much and then at times it was rising more than what I was expecting,” Pujara said back in 2021.

“There was the option of defending with the bat, but it wasn’t the safe option because the ball could hit your glove and go to short leg, leg slip or gully or you can be out caught-behind. So I wanted to rule that option out. That is why I was taking blows on my body,” he added.

Pujara’s endurance earned praise from across the cricketing world. Sunil Gavaskar, paying tribute after his retirement, told TOI, “One of the old-school cricketers who put India above everything else. Took endless blows for Indian cricket but never took a backward step. Hopefully, Indian cricket will use his experience and expertise to teach young budding cricketers that whatever they become in life is because of Indian cricket and it should come above anything and everything. Take a bow, Cheteshwar. You have made India proud.”

In many ways, those 11 blows at the Gabba captured the essence of Cheteshwar Pujara — a batter who wore pain as armour, and stood tall when India needed him most.

Where all was Pujara hit and by whom?

Body parts struck

With the recent conflicts along the border of the two nations in mind, an already passionate, emotional, and sometimes bad-blooded rivalry threatens to boil over as the countries face off for the first time since the Pahalgam attacks and Operation Sindoor. With that in mind, Akaram demanded that the fans remain ‘disciplined’ and allow the excitement and the quality of the match to speak for itself.

“I am sure these matches will be entertaining, just like all other India-Pakistan matches. But I hope both the players and the fans will remain disciplined and do not cross the line,” said Akram while speaking on Telecom Asia Sport.

“If Indians are patriotic and want their team to win, the same goes for Pakistani fans,” expressed Akram, indicating that the love for the country and for the sport was intense on both sides of the border, but also making a plea that this should not cross over into something beyond the scope of the sport itself.

Akram expects India to start as favourites

While that might be a request that is easier to make than to follow through in the wake of the lives lost during the conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year, the focus will also be on the cricket itself, where India will want to continue their recent strong run against their neighbours.

“India has been in better form recently and will start as favourites, but the team that handles pressure best on the day will win. This Asia Cup will be a feast for fans worldwide,” said the great pacer.

Beyond this upcoming contest, Akram also voiced his desire to see the two teams take each other on in a Test series, something that hasn’t taken place between the two nations in nearly two decades. However, he re-emphasised that the fans showing respect and discipline despite the recent history was integral to see out this vision.

“It’s my wish that India and Pakistan also resume playing a Test series. It’s been too long, and it would be a historic spectacle for fans on both sides, [but] fans must show discipline,” concluded the Pakistan great.

LAHORE:

“I will be getting back after seven months, it is not so easy, but we can win,” Pakistan’s star Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Rizwan ‘The Haider’ Ali believes in his ability to adapt and put his faith on Allah as he will be take on Egypt’s Adham Mohamed ion his lightweight Road to Brave 100 bout at Sports Complex DHA Pahse 6 in Lahore on Sunday night.

The 28-year-old will be going into his 10th international bout and has an impeccable record of nine wins, as he remains undefeated in his career.

Rizwan, along with Brave Gym owner and the President of Pakistan MMA Federation Omar Ahmed, were also recognised by the Pakistan Army and were honoured by the Inter-Services Public Relations with the “Pride of Pakistan” award.

He is up against Ahdam, who is a slightly more experienced fighter than Rizwan. Adham has a record of 11 bouts and has lost four so far.

Talking to The Express Tribune as he came to Brave Gym at Packages Malls in Lahore for his weigh-in on Saturday, he said that he is looking for a win and not taking the pressure.

Rizwan is a celebrity and a hero. As soon as he entered the gym, the air shifted, and people began surrounding him, even though the preparations for the second day of the Pakistan MMA Open were in full swing, with fighters preparing to take the cage.

Brave Gym is a wonderful place, with high ceilings, light coming in from the windows, a full-size MMA bout ring in the centre of it, and different training equipment put on the corners of the wall to make room for people to move around more freely.

But in the midst of the hustle and bustle, Rizwan’s entrance made an impact as he headed toward the office located at the far end of the gym.

Rizwan was looking leaner than one would expect from just seeing his pictures.

He intensified his diet and water intake monitoring during the last few days, and he believes that cutting down on weight before the fight is more difficult than the fight itself at times.

“I train all year round, so it is not an exception, but the most challenging part is the weight. I have not competed in seven months, so in this time one tends to gain weight, and shedding that near the fight is something which I deem to be more difficult than the fight itself at times.

“The weight division is less than your natural weight. I think that is most challenging, but then it is all part of the sport,” explained Rizwan.

The boy from Gujjar Khan made Pakistanis proud all over the world with his back-to-back wins against the Indian fighters last year.

Starting from April 20, 2024, when he knocked out Pawan Gupta in the first round of the Karate Combat 45 bout, then Srikant Sekhar in the BRAVE CF 85 third round through knockout on August 18, and lastly, knocking out Sekhar again in the BRAVE CF 92 bout on December 15.

The Haider, meaning the lion and having a religious and spiritual context of it being the title of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) cousin Ali ibn Talib’s honourary title, inspires Rizwan to fight fearlessly and to prepare for that fight fearlessly too.

“The story behind my nickname is that my mother wanted to name me Haider, but that didn’t happen, so I chose it to be my nickname in the MMA fighting arena, because it has so much depth. For me, it is also the nickname of Hazrat Ali, Sher-e-Khuda (The Lion of God). So I kept it, and it helps me get into the spirit of fighting,” said Rizwan.

He said that faith plays an important role in his mental health and well-being.
“I don’t really have any rituals, but I feel that if one prays five times a day, it keeps one balanced.

“Secondly, MMA also keeps me disciplined and away from stress; it helps in reducing it for sure when we train and fight, and it keeps me away from negative things,” said Ali before heading out to the weigh-in as the Pakistan Open fights went on in the background.

Similarities

Although it had been more than three years since the last Levante v Barça showdown, that match (like this one) also ended in a 3–2 victory for Barça, featuring a comeback, penalties, and a late winning goal in stoppage time. Too many similarities to ignore in two encounters that both unfolded in ways that led to an equally dramatic and joyous ending for the blaugrana.

Morales and penalties

The first clear parallel comes from Levante’s José Luis Morales. ‘El Comandante‘ found the net in both matches, and on both occasions, from the penalty spot. Three years ago, he beat Ter Stegen. This time, it was Joan García. In fact, Ter Stegen faced two penalties in that earlier fixture. Morales scored the opener to make it 1–0, but the German keeper saved one from Roger Martí just four minutes later to deny a 2–0 lead.

Pedri doubles up

Back then, under Xavi, Barça turned the game around with goals from Aubameyang and (just like yesterday) Pedri, who played a key role in both comebacks. Melero then equalised from the spot to make it 2–2 heading into stoppage time. In Flick’s version of the comeback, Barça fought back from 2–0 down at the break. Pedri and Ferran Torres levelled things up after halftime, and once again, the match reached the 90th minute with the score tied and the feeling that a winning goal was still there for the taking…

The winner

Even the winning goal has uncanny similarities. In 2022, it was Jordi Alba’s magical left foot that whipped in the perfect cross for Luuk de Jong to nod home. In 2025, it was Lamine Yamal’s wand of a left foot that delivered a ball intended for Ferran Torres, but it found Unai Elgezabal instead. The Levante defender’s touch sent the ball looping in a wicked arc over Pablo Campos and into the net. 3-2, victory sealed, and three years on, another unforgettable Barça night at the Ciutat de València.

The 2025 Modern Pentathlon World Championships take place in the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania, from 26-30 August, live on Olympics.com and the official Olympic app.

This is the first World Championships since “Ninja-style obstacle racing”, as described by UIPM President Rob Stull, replaced equestrian jumping. And one Egyptian youngster is dominating the headlines in the new-look sport.

At just 14 years of age, Farida Khalil is the athlete to beat in the women’s competition. Khalil, who made headlines when she won the U17 world title at 12, has won three out of the four World Cup events this season, including last month’s World Cup Final on home soil in Alexandria.

A week later, the teenage sensation teamed up with Malak Ismail to win women’s gold at the Relay World Championships before combining with Mohanad Shaban for glory in the mixed event.

Khalil’s time in Kaunas has already been a successful one, adding the U19 world title to her medal haul, and a win in the senior event would make her the first athlete ever to complete the set.

Her only major defeat this season came in the Budapest World Cup round, where she finished second behind Olympic champion and home favourite Michelle Gulyas.

The 24-year-old Hungarian missed the World Cup Final through injury, but her battle with Khalil – who sports an LA28 wristband – in Kaunas looks set to be the highlight of the week.

Outside of the big two, France’s Rebecca Castaudi will be full of confidence after pipping Emma Whitaker to the European title in Madrid last month. Gulyas’ compatriots Blanka Guzi and Blanka Bauer will also be in the mix, along with reigning world champion and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Seong Seung-min.

“It’s a privilege and an honour,” those are the words Ebere Eze used to describe becoming our new number 10. It’s a shirt steeped in history.

The 27-year-old has become the latest to don the famous jersey, taking it on from Emile Smith Rowe, who departed for Fulham in 2024.

The number has been donned by a host of club legends, from the late Kevin Campbell to the brilliant Dennis Bergkamp, as players etched their names into our history with iconic goals wearing the number 10.

Kennedy at the double

We were one of the first English teams to have numbers on the back of shirts, with our legendary manager Herbert Chapman a pioneer. After George Eastham made it his own in the 1960s, scoring on his debut, the number 10 came into its own in the 1970s.

Ray Kennedy wore the shirt in our iconic 1970/71 season, most famously in our match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. A victory on the final day is all we needed to secure the title, and Ray, wearing 10, was the man to do it, netting a late header as we won the league at our rivals for the first time.

We also went on to win the double, with Kennedy wearing number 10 again as we defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley in extra-time.

Read more

10 things you need to know about Eberechi Eze

Dennis Delight

Strangely, on our of our most famous nights, legendary centre back, Steve Bould wore No. 10 in our famous 2-0 win over Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in 1989, but four years later, numbers on shirts were about to change forever.

The Premier League era kicked off in 1992/93 and in its second season, squad numbers were introduced. Now, player would be given their designated number for a season, rather than being handed one from the kit man numbered 1-11.

Paul Merson, who had worn 10 regularly during his time alongside Campbell, took on the jersey in the Premier League. The PFA Young Player of the Year in 1989 played 425 times for us, netting 99 goals, winning five trophies before handing the number over to Bergkamp.

Signing after two years at Inter Milan, it took Dennis eight games to net his first goals. But after that, he didn’t look back. The Dutchman scooped the FWA and PFA Player of the Year in 1998 as his 22 goals helped fire us to the double. Our No. 10 went on to win 10 major honours before retiring in 2006.

Eze time

The number has been passed between players since 2006, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Robin van Persie and – oddly for a defender – William Gallas all holding the position before Smith Rowe took it on in 2021.

Emile held the number until his departure in 2024, and has now passed it on to another Hale Ender in Ebere.

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Gallery: Eze unveiled at Emirates Stadium