Category: 6. Sports

Ghailene Khattali competed for Tunisia in canoe sprint at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 and says the platform has been an asset as he pursues a dual career: “Athlete365 represents a window for me to find all the programmes that can help me as an athlete or as an entrepreneur.”

One of the key pillars of the Athlete365 offering is its learning platform, with courses designed to help athletes and their entourages gain new skills and knowledge across a wide array of topics. Athlete365 Learning also collaborates with Worldwide Olympic Partners (TOPs) such as Alibaba, Airbnb, Allianz, Coca Cola, Deloitte, P&G, Samsung and Visa to bring their expertise to athletes.

In 2024, nearly 17,000 athletes took more than 25,000 courses on Athlete365 Learning, a respective 46 per cent and 31 per cent rise on the previous year. “We have expanded our resources beyond career support to include mental health, safeguarding and personal brand development, continuously adapting to athletes’ evolving needs,” explains Maria Ntanou, Athlete & Olympian Communications Manager – and three-time Winter Olympian herself.

As a free tool available to all who sign up, Athlete365 Learning is accessible to any athlete – wherever they are in their career. Romio Recardo Goliath, vice-chair of the Namibia AC and LA28 hopeful, says: “Athlete365 Learning has been a valuable resource in my wrestling journey, providing me with useful information, tips and guidance to improve my performance and well-being.”

Giving athletes a helping hand

For athletes who sign up to Athlete365, there is also a range of tangible support available – including the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grant and Airbnb500, which have reached thousands of athletes since their launch in 2020.

Below is ticketing information for our Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 17 at 16:30 pm.

We have received an allocation of 3,099 tickets for this fixture, which will be in blocks S229, E230, E231, E232 and E233. 

All tickets for this game will be NFC Digital Passes and will be sent to each lead client and must be added to a mobile device prior to arrival at Old Trafford. Please ensure that your email address details are up to date. Tickets will be sent on Tuesday, August 12. If you have not received your tickets, please contact our Supporter Services Team on 020 7619 5000 (option 1). 

Please be aware that blocks S229, E230, E231 and E232 are safe standing areas. Supporters who purchase tickets in these areas, will have the option of standing throughout the match. Manchester United recommend that tickets are not sold to children in these areas, as their view may be impeded by standing adults. 

Those supporters who prefer to remain seated during the match should look to purchase tickets in block E233.

Children aged 13 and under must also be accompanied by a person aged 16 or over.

We ask that you only purchase a ticket if you are planning to attend the match. Our goal is to ensure that as many supporters as possible have the chance to attend this game, and that our away support remains vibrant and passionate. 

If you fail to successfully scan the relevant away match ticket at the turnstile of the hosting club’s ground, resulting in the ticket not being used, we will remove any away loyalty points that have been credited to your membership account for the relevant game. The club also reserves the right to implement further away point removals for repeated occurrences as set out under section 3.8 of the Arsenal Away Match Ticket Terms and Conditions. 

AWAY TICKET Exchange

As part of our continued efforts to improve the ticketing experience for our supporters, we are pleased to announce a new Away Ticket Exchange service replacing Away Ticket Transfer, which will be available from our first away fixture with Manchester United for the 2025-2026 season.

The Away Ticket Exchange service will open once the relevant away fixture has sold out.

Ticket collections will continue to be enforced along with the Away Ticket Exchange service, as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that genuine Arsenal supporters are using these tickets. Those supporters who have been informed to collect their tickets for this match, will be sent an email in advance of the date of the game with all the relevant ticket collection details.  

Supporters collecting duplicate tickets on the day of the fixture, will be required to provide photo ID. The ID must match the name on the assigned ticket and photographs of ID are not valid. Third party ticket collections are also not permitted.  

TICKET PRICES

The disability access ticket price includes a complimentary personal assistant ticket, which is subject to eligibility.  

Information for Disability Access members 

Members purchasing concession-priced tickets must bring ID on the day of the game, as you may be required to produce this on entry to the visiting stadium.

SALES PHASES

All tickets and sale phases are subject to availability. 

 You can purchase your seats online (booking fees apply). You must quote the following information: 

• A valid password
• A valid email address
• Platinum, Gold or Travel Club Membership number/s
• Credit/debit card details

AWAY COACH TRAVEL 

We are pleased to offer our supporters coach travel for this fixture at a rate of £35 per person.

For more information and to purchase your travel for this fixture after completing your ticket booking, please click here.

She was 16 years old, a rising tennis phenom, looking forward to her first match on grass the week before Wimbledon.

Czechoslovakia’s Martina Navratilova and her doubles partner, Renata Tomanova, sent in their 1973 Queen’s Club entry forms from Rome, site of the Italian Open.

“When we arrived in London, our names were not in draw,” Navratilova said. “We didn’t know it then, but the Italian Postal Service went on strike so our forms got there too late.”

A Czech expatriate named Milos Vainer stepped in, offering them lodging at his house in nearby Wargrave, a small village on the River Thames and access to the grass courts at the local tennis club. Navratilova, Tomanova and countryman Jan Kodes — who would win the titles at Wimbledon and the US Open that year — began to develop a feel for the low bounces on the curious, slippery surface.

A week later, Navratilova played her first career match at the All England Club, the beginning of a cozy relationship that would not be equaled in women’s professional tennis. Navratilova won more titles (nine) and matches (120) at Wimbledon than any player in the Open Era.

“It’s crazy that I wanted to win Wimbledon — and I did it the first time in ’78,” Navratilova said recently from her Miami home. “And then I did it eight more times. But next to Rafa’s 14 [titles] at Roland Garros — it’s nothing.”

Actually, those nine titles are the most for any woman at a single Grand Slam in the Open Era.

“My game was perfect for grass,” Navratilova said. “I just didn’t know that it was perfect until I started playing on it.”

A surreal streak

The overriding memory of that first match?

“I remember,” Navratilova said, “how much my dress was itching.”

Back in those days, the Grand Slams provided designer clothes for its participants. At the French Open, it was Lacoste. Fred Perry was the outfitter of choice at Wimbledon.

“I got a dress with a lot of lace, which was a mistake because the first time I wore it was in the match,” Navratilova said. “It was pretty tight and itched like crazy. It was the biggest audience I had ever played in front of, but I wasn’t nervous. At 16, you get excited.”

Out on sprawling Court 1, the teenager was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Great Britain’s Christine Truman. She managed to prevail 8-6, 6-4 over Laura Dupont in the second round before falling to Patti Hogan in the third.

“It was my first one,” she said, ticking off those names, “so I remember that.”

Still a teenager, Navratilova reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1975 and the semifinals a year later. Her athleticism, her aggressiveness and willingness to move forward at any opportunity, were huge assets on grass. In 1978, at the age of 21, she won her first title, then repeated the next year. After losing in the semifinals the next two years (to Chris Evert and Hana Mandlikova), Navratilova embarked on a surreal streak.

From 1982-87, she won six straight titles. Navratilova was champion in 1983, 1984 and 1986 without dropping a set and, from 1982-88, won a staggering 47 consecutive matches at Wimbledon. That’s the longest streak in the Open Era for any player in any Grand Slam.

“I just knew that I knew how to play on grass, that my game was better suited to it than anybody,” Navratilova said. “So if I just played up to my capability, no one was going to beat me. I was going to have to have a really bad day — but I was too consistent for that. Even my bad days were pretty good. 

“The feeling is amazing. You’re saying, ‘I got this. I got this.’”

An end … and a new beginning

But by 1990, German Steffi Graf had emerged as the best player in women’s tennis. Her forehand, on any surface, was lethal.

Ranked No. 1 at the age of 19, she defeated No. 2 Navratilova in the 1988 Wimbledon final in three sets, ending that 47-match win streak. Ultimately, Graf swept the four Grand Slams and won the singles gold medal in Seoul, South Korea. It happened again a year later at the All England Club, with Graf winning the final over Navratilova 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-1.

Back in those days, the age of 30 was a serious line of demarcation. Yet Navratilova came into 1990 Wimbledon at 33, still ranked No. 2.

“I’m thinking I have to be ready for Steffi because I lost to her in ’88 and ’89,” Navratilova said. “In the early 80s, so much of my practice and strategy and shot-making was tailored to beating Chris [Evert]. And now it’s tailored to beat Steffi.

“I had everybody else covered, but Steffi was giving me fits.”

But in the semifinals Zina Garrison stunned the two-time defending champion in three sets. Navratilova, meanwhile, had been tearing through the field, defeating Sophie Amiach, Anne Smith, qualifier Karin Kschwendt, Judith Wiesner, Katerina Maleeva and, in the semifinals, Gabriela Sabatini — all in very straight sets.

Navratilova, who had lost to Garrison in the 1988 US Open quarterfinals, knew exactly what she was up against.

“Zina was dangerous,” Navratilova said. “She would run everything down, hit unbelievable passing shots from anywhere on the court. She kept the ball low. She was not a user-friendly player. She played like me, but I did everything just a little bit better. 

“Just felt if I just don’t play a horrible match, that I’d be OK. I was still nervous as hell.”

Garrison, who had been playing the tournament in a dress from Navratilova’s personalized line, called her the night before the match. Reebok had made her a contract offer. Was it OK not to wear Navratilova’s dress in the final?

Of course, she said. To this day, they’re good friends and keep in touch.

Thirty-five years ago, the final was 6-4, 6-1, Navratilova. 

It capped a marvelous run in which Navratilova dropped only 29 games in seven matches. Seven of 14 sets were 6-1. Navratilova became the oldest player in the Open Era to win the Wimbledon title, a record that would be surpassed by 34-year-old Serena Williams in 2016.

It was the last of her 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

A timeless game

She played what she thought might be her last singles match at Wimbledon in 1994 at the age of 37 — losing in the final to Conchita Martinez.

But a decade later, Navratilova was back in the 2004 draw with a wild card.

“I wanted to get more match play for doubles,” Navratilova said. “I felt I could play better tennis; I just needed matches. It was all about that. I had no expectation of getting anywhere in the singles.”

Navratilova rocked Catalina Castano 6-0, 6-1 before falling to Gisela Dulko in three sets.

“It was fun to play singles again,” Navratilova said.

Navratilova was still a formidable doubles player, even in her mid-40s. She had won the 2003 US Open mixed title with Leander Paes and, three years later, two months shy of her 50^th birthday, the 2006 US Open mixed with Bob Bryan. It was the 177^th and final doubles title of her career.

Today at Wimbledon, the grass is slower and the ball bounces higher. This requires a different approach than the one Navratilova employed.

“I would probably have to stay back on some first serves,” she said. “The chip and charge would still work … because my slice was outstanding. It stayed low, even on clay and lower on the grass. And the volley would still hold up. 

“I’d just be coming in on more picky shots. Kind of a combination of Roger [Federer] and myself, coming in on the forehand, mixing it up. Probably closer to what [Carlos] Alcaraz is doing. I think I would be OK.”

 

Christian Horner entered Formula 1 as its youngest team principal in 2005 and developed Red Bull from a “party team” to a serial title winner.

Following the announcement by Red Bull on Wednesday that Horner had been fired after 20 years, here’s a look at his time in F1:

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1997

An aspiring driver at the level below F1, Horner founds junior team Arden with his father. Horner gives up his driving career a year later but continues running Arden, whose strong results with other drivers create a buzz.

2005

Ford wants to get out of F1 after five underwhelming years running a team under its Jaguar brand. Red Bull drinks company co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz leads a takeover and rebranding for 2005 and appoints Horner. He becomes F1’s youngest team principal at 32.

2009

Red Bull sheds its reputation as a publicity-hungry “party team” by taking its first F1 race win with Sebastian Vettel at the Chinese Grand Prix. The team has won 123 more races since then.

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2010

Vettel wins the first of four drivers’ championships in a row, getting the better of Ferrari and his own Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, in what becomes an increasingly bitter rivalry.

2016

Max Verstappen makes his debut for Red Bull after being promoted from its sister team Toro Rosso. The 18-year-old Dutch driver stuns F1 with victory in his first race for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming F1’s youngest winner.

2019

The first season of “Drive To Survive” airs on Netflix. It takes viewers behind the scenes of F1. Over the following years, it makes stars of executives like Horner and helps interest in F1 boom in the United States, in particular. Viewers get insights into his rivalry with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, and home life with his wife, singer Geri Halliwell.

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2021

Horner is a key figure in one of the most dramatic and controversial title fights in history as Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to the championship. A disputed decision on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix deepens the feud between Horner and Wolff.

2023

A season of record-breaking dominance sees Red Bull cars win all but one race all year. It’s a third drivers’ title for Verstappen and the sixth and most recent constructors’ title for the team.

2024

Before the season begins, F1 is shaken by reports Horner is under investigation for alleged inappropriate conduct toward a team employee. He remains in his post as two investigations launched by Red Bull dismiss the claim. Verstappen wins his fourth drivers’ title, although Red Bull no longer has the fastest car by the end of the year.

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2025

Verstappen’s future at Red Bull comes into question amid speculation he could leave for old rival Mercedes, while he struggles with an increasingly uncompetitive car and Red Bull tries to plan for a new era of F1 rules in 2026. Amid all this uncertainty, Horner is fired.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Prince George’s fans have received upsetting update about the young royal ahead of a major event.

Prince William and Princess Kate’s eldest son will miss out on royal engagement as the future king headed to Zurich to attend the second Women’s Euro 2025 group stage match between England and the Netherlands.

George, second in line to the British throne, is not expected to join his father Prince William in Switzerland to support England’s Lionesses at Euro 2025.

The Prince of Wales attended several Euro 2024 England matches during last summer’s tournament when he supported the men’s national team. He was joined by George in Germany to watch England suffer a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of the tournament.

The trip to Switzerland comes just one day after Prince William took centre stage in welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for their State Visit to the UK on Tuesday.

Last week, Prince William visited St. George’s Park to meet the England Women’s football team. In his role as Patron of The Football Association, he arrived at England’s national football centre to wish the squad luck for the tournament.

Prince William’s children are huge fans of football, and they often join their dad at important matches.

In less than one month (Wednesday 7 August) the men’s and women’s beach handball competitions of The World Games 2025 will get underway in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.

On Monday, 7 July, the draws were made for the preliminary groups at the International Handball Federation (IHF) headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

The men’s and women’s competitions both start with the preliminary group stage. Two groups of four teams each – group A and group B – will play each once in their preliminary group.

All eight teams in each competition then move directly into the quarter-finals, where the top team in preliminary group A and B play the bottom team in group B and A respectively, while second plays third in each.

IHF.info spoke to those involved with the teams as they prepare for the global sporting event in Asia next month.

Group A: Vietnam, Spain, Germany, Denmark

Ngoc Trinh, Player – Vietnam women:
“The draw is really exciting. We’ve been placed in a strong group with some top-class teams, which is a great challenge. Every team has its strengths and I’m looking forward to facing them all. This is a great opportunity to test ourselves and show what we’re capable of on the international stage.

“My goal for Chengdu 2025 is to give my absolute best and represent my country with pride. Of course, winning a medal would be incredible, but more than that, I want to enjoy the experience, compete with heart, and make lasting memories with my team and fellow athletes from around the world.”

Juan Pablo Morillo, Head Coach – Spain women: 
“There’s no doubt that we’re in the toughest group, with very strong opponents, which is a challenge for us because we’ll have to play at our best if we want to compete for the medals.

“Our goal? The World Games are one of the main objectives we’ve set for this year, and once there, the priority will be to try to be in the fight for the medals.”

Alexander Novakovic, Head Coach – Germany women:
“The World Games 2025, with their modified qualifying format, are certainly the strongest tournament in the last 20 years – the preliminary group shows only top-class players.

“Spain are certainly the strongest opponent with and form and nuances will decide the day. Denmark is also expected to be very strong; their matches in recent years have always been extremely close, often ending in shoot-outs. Vietnam are not a big unknown, but as Asian champions, with a different playing philosophy, they are also interesting.

“We have to prepare well and approach each game as a knockout game. For spectators and fans, the tournament will certainly be extremely interesting and exciting from game one.”

Group B: Croatia, Portugal, Argentina, People’s Republic of China

Lara Miholic, Player – Croatia women:
“The draw has placed us in a challenging and exciting group. Argentina are one of the strongest teams in the world and current world championship runners-up. They are a fast and well-organised team with high-quality players in every position.

“Portugal are a team that keeps improving year-after-year. They play a modern and dynamic style of beach handball and are coming into the tournament with big ambitions. China proved at the last world championship that they rightfully belong among the top teams. Their progress is clear, and playing in front of a home crowd will give them additional motivation and strength.

“We know we have a tough job ahead of us, but there’s a positive atmosphere within the team and our goals are clearly set. We have high expectations and want to prove that we belong at the very top of beach handball. Our preparations have gone well – we’ve trained hard and we’re ready to give everything we have for the Croatian jersey.

“The team traveling to China has been playing together for many years, which gives us extra strength and stability. Every player has experience from major international competitions and knows how to perform under pressure. We believe in our game, we believe in each other, and we can’t wait for it to begin.”

Leticia Brunati, Head Coach – Argentina women:
“Both preliminary groups are very difficult. We’ll play against Croatia, Portugal and China in almost the same group that we played in at the last world championship (Editor’s note: Argentina were in the main round group at China 2024 with all three sides).

“All we know right now is that the most important game is the quarter-final. We’ll try to get in shape for that in the preliminary group because it is winter here in Argentina and we aren’t playing beach handball currently.

“All of our force will be focused on trying to reach the semi-finals, but we know that is really hard in The World Games because there are five European teams. They are all are playing in the European Championship right now, so they are going to be at a good level when they get to Chengdu. But, as usual, we will do our best to leave Argentina as high and as ready as possible.”

Group A: Brazil, Germany, Croatia, Portugal

Marten Franke, Head Coach – Germany men:
“It’s a really, really tough group, but that’s why we are at The World Games – we are competing with the best teams in the world.

“We are lucky to have such a really high level, competitive group, with The World Games and World Championship champions Croatia, world championship bronze medallists Portugal, and us, who finished fourth, plus Brazil, who are a top world championship and The World Games winner over the last 20 years.

“With every win in the preliminary round, we have a chance to get a better position for a good quarter-final spot, so we will try our best, but from the perspective of the other preliminary group, it’s nearly not so important which place you finish in the preliminary group because you will face one of the top teams in the world in the quarter-finals. It will be very interesting to see what will happen there.

“For us, we hope to have our best team possible, but, of course, our concentration at the moment is on the European Championship. However, from next week, we will put our full focus on The World Games. It is a big honour to compete at The World Games Chengdu 2025 and as the first German men’s team since 2005. We are really looking forward to having a great competition there.”

Group B: Tunisia, Spain, Denmark, People’s Republic of China

Mohamed Taboubi, Head Coach – Tunisia men:
“It’s a strong group, but we know them well; we played against each of them recently; Spain at stage 1 of the 2025 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour, China at the 2024 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship and Denmark in Tunisia at a training camp in April 2024.

“But our team has changed, with more than seven players named for The World Games not at the 2024 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship. Five of them were born in 2008 so our goal is to help these young players gain experience at a high level.

“After The World Games, our next big goal is to defend our African Beach Handball title in August.”

Juan Antonio Vázquez, Head Coach – Spain men: 
“The truth is that we didn’t get the best possible draw; China and Tunisia don’t have the level of some of the European teams, so the quarter-final matchup is expected to be very dangerous.

“The level is very high in the men’s competition; the battle to reach the medals comes at a high cost so our goal is to try to make it to the semi-finals and, from there, give our very best.”

Martin Vilstrup Jr Andersen, Player – Denmark men:
“We face hosts China who we have never met, and then Tunisia who we have played against a couple of times, but Spain we know well. It’s always tough against Spain, so we’re looking forward to it, and hope that we can get into a flow that can help us achieve our goals.

“We would have liked to have been in group A; that was what we were hoping for – to get the toughest preliminary group as possible. Now, we face an incredibly tough quarter-final against The World Games record-breaking champions Brazil, or Portugal, who won bronze at the 2024 IHF World Championship, or Germany who came fourth, or the world champions Croatia.

“Group A has the potential to get an easier quarter-final opponent – on paper –  than us, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“We believe in ourselves and believe we can be competitive against the best teams in the world. This is our first The World Games ever with the Danish national team and we want to achieve something. We have the level to do something. 

“Our goal is to go to Chengdu and get a medal and we are looking forward to the challenge – and it’s going to be a huge challenge.”

Mario Bernardes, National Beach Handball Co-ordinator – Portuguese Handball Federation (speaking on behalf of both Portugal’s men’s and women’s teams):
“Both of our teams are making their The World Games debut and everyone who has the privilege of representing Portugal at Chengdu 2025 has a deep feeling of honour and strong sense of responsibility.

“Every moment we have experienced and will experience along this journey is guided by an unwavering commitment to excellence and collective dedication.

“Both of our teams are placed amongst strong national teams, but we have full confidence in the work we’ve been doing, in the dedication of our athletes, and in the spirit of unity that defines our teams.”

For more information about how the teams qualified, visit HERE. https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/world-games-draw-information-and-team-qualification-update 

About The World Games
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the IWGA, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee.
 
Chengdu 2025 will be the 12th edition of The World Games, the most recent being held in Birmingham, USA, last July, with 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and 100 countries taking part.

Beach handball has been part of The World Games since it was introduced as a demonstration/invitational sport in Japan in 2001. It followed in Germany (2005) and Chinese Taipei (2009), before becoming a full sport at the 2013 edition in Colombia and then continuing in Poland (2017), before the USA (2022), where Croatia (men) and Germany (women) won the beach handball titles.

The 12th edition of The World Games will take place from 7 to 17 August 2025 in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China with Beach Handball one of over 30 sporting disciplines on the event programme. 

For further information, visit www.theworldgames.org.