Category: 6. Sports

Delestre ended up waiting a full month before he took out Cayman for their first jumps together.

“I really took my time to try to understand what he prefers, what he likes, how he feels. You need to give him a lot of time to try to know him as well as you can,” Delestre explained. “It was very difficult to understand what would be best for him, and I spent a lot of time first to imagine what could be better for him, so always I took a lot of time with him.”

The key, as was the case with all the horses in his life, was to be patient and responsive to their needs. In the end, Delestre and Cayman not only formed a sports partnership but a friendship.

“Every day with them, you need to be patient and you need to try to understand them because they cannot talk but they show you what they like and what they don’t like so every day I try to improve what I can understand from them,” Delestre said.

“We take lessons every day from them. What I think the most difficult part is, is to win their confidence and when you have confidence of horses like him, of such a talented horse, then you can do everything because he doesn’t need to learn to jump. He knows. He’s born for that. Jumping is very easy. It’s the rest. I just had to have him as a friend and having a close relation. And when you have this with these kinds of horses, it’s something very special.”

While other riders rode and ultimately left Cayman – including three-time Olympic medallist Steve Guerdat – for Delestre, the struggle to gain Cayman’s trust was well worth it.

“This one is very different than every other horse I’ve already ridden in my life. He’s different on some points, but he also has the best you can get from a horse. He’s courageous, he’s careful, he is full of energy, and he gives all this 100 per cent,” Delestre said.

“He’s sometimes a headache because he’s so active. I always try to do the best for him, but sometimes it’s difficult because he always has a strong reaction to everything around. At home, he’s very normal, but when he arrives at the show, he can be a little bit tense on everything and sometimes you don’t know what or why. Sometimes he’s a little bit surprised and a little thing can make him really, really active. So, I try just to give him confidence and it’s the most important part of my job.”

Pakistan’s women’s football team pulled off a stunning 2-0 victory against higher-ranked Indonesia in their Group D match of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Tangerang on Wednesday. 

The win marks Pakistan’s first international triumph since September 2023.

Nadia Khan opened the scoring in the eighth minute, netting her fifth international goal and giving Pakistan an early lead. Suha Hirani doubled the advantage in the 18th minute by converting a penalty, securing a commanding position for her side.

Despite being ranked 157th by FIFA, 62 places below 95th-ranked Indonesia, Pakistan displayed resilience, particularly in defense. Goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj played a crucial role, denying multiple Indonesian attacks to preserve the clean sheet. Indonesia had at least 8 shots on target.

Statistically, Indonesia dominated possession (63%) and outshot Pakistan 20-5, but Pakistan’s disciplined defending and clinical finishing proved decisive. The hosts also had a shot hit the post, while Pakistan managed three shots on target from five attempts.

Pakistan’s final group stage match will be against Kyrgyzstan on July 5.

Their last international win before this came in September 2023, when they defeated Laos on penalties.

The victory provides a significant morale boost for Pakistan’s women’s football program as they aim to make further progress in continental competitions.

Reed, dubbed “Captain America” for his past Ryder Cup heroics, has already proven he has the grit to thrive in such a test. His 7-3-2 record across three Ryder Cups, including a perfect 3-0-0 in singles, are evidence that he’s built for match play. At Hazeltine in 2016, he outdueled Rory McIlroy in a Sunday showdown that still echoes in golf lore. Reed made birdie after birdie with fist pumps that ignited the crowd. New York golf fans, known for being loud and raucous, would embrace Reed’s fire and flare for the dramatic. They don’t want golf claps; they want a fighter who thrives under pressure.  

Reed’s LIV Golf breakthrough in Dallas, which moved him into fourth in the league’s season-long individual race, should come as no surprise. Starting with his win last November at the Hong Kong Open, he’s made 19 worldwide starts, with nine top 10s and 15 top 25s. In those eight months, just two other Americans on the major tours have won multiple individual stroke-play tournaments – Scottie Scheffler and athis year’s U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley.

On golf’s biggest stages, he finished 3rd at the Masters and T23 at the U.S. Open. In major championships this season, he ranks 9th among all players who’ve played at least 8 major rounds in strokes gained total per round.  

The 34-year-old is showcasing a resurgent all-around game in 2025, averaging 1.01 strokes gained total per round – the highest in four years. As one of the world’s top scramblers and putters, Reed’s skills are tailor-made for the Ryder Cup, with his short-game prowess evidenced by his strokes gained around the green (+0.24) this season, which is consistent with his elite numbers over multiple years.

Bethpage Black’s punishing rough and demanding greens require finesse, versatility, and the ability to get up-and-down from tricky lies. Statistically, Reed’s best putting surface throughout his career has been Poa annua, the same grass used on Bethpage Black’s greens. In his two starts at the course in his career, he’s gained an average of 0.38 strokes per round putting.  

Over the past three months, Reed has quietly played his way into peak form.  His iron play has been a standout, gaining nearly 0.92 strokes per round on approach. Last week in Dallas, he gained 1.90 strokes per round on approach. He also hit 72.2% of his greens in regulation, which ranked 3rd in the field.

But it’s Reed’s mentality that seals the case. Bethpage doesn’t reward saints. It rewards those who deliver, and Reed always does. 

His recent form, highlighted by his playoff victory at LIV Golf Dallas last week, signals his readiness for the Ryder Cup, an event he admitted is important to him. “It’s always on your mind,” Reed said. “Anytime I get to represent our country, it means a lot to me. For me personally, I’m always thinking about trying to make every team. Obviously being a part of LIV where we don’t get points, it’s an uphill battle, but really for me it’s focused on playing great golf and having a chance. It’s really going to come down to the Open Championship, having a chance to win there.”

Andy Farrell heaped praise on Wales flanker Jac Morgan and joked he can play “wherever he wants” in the British and Irish Lions back row after a man-of-the-match display in the win over Queensland Reds.

Morgan strengthened his claim for a Test start as he produced a stellar display for the tourists in their 52-12 victory in Brisbane on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old impressed in a familiar role at seven, but Lions head coach Farrell suggested the versatile forward could also be deployed at six or even number eight.

“He was everywhere. His offloading game was great, he was aggressive with his hitting,” said Farrell.

“He’ll be delighted. The competition has started and there are reactions all over the place to come.

“If he plays like he did today, he can play wherever he wants.”

Farrell was waxing lyrical for good reason.

Morgan powered over for a try and carried for 44 metres – the most of any forward on the field.

He was equally effective in defence, making three turnovers and joining captain Maro Itoje and number eight Jack Conan with a game-high 18 tackles.

Morgan is in fierce competition with England stalwart Tom Curry, Ireland’s former World Rugby player of the year Josh van der Flier and high-octane youngster Henry Pollock as the recognised open-side flankers.

Ireland captain Caelan Doris’ absence from the tour, though, means there is not yet a standout candidate for the number eight role, with Conan and Englishman Ben Earl the leading contenders.

Ospreys’ Morgan, the only remaining Wales player in the squad following Tomos Williams’ tour-ending injury, has no problem playing in an alternative position.

“I want to try and be as versatile as possible,” Morgan told BBC Sport.

“A lot of boys are trying to play in different positions so it’s just making sure we learn all of our roles within the back row because you never know, with the games coming thick and fast, you could end up playing in any position.”

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant’s ultra-aggressive style has often drawn both admiration and criticism, and on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston, it backfired spectacularly. India were beginning to settle into a strong position, but Pant, who had just started looking comfortable, threw away his wicket in a moment of misjudged bravado.The dismissal came in the 48th over of India’s innings, a moment that swung momentum England’s way. Shoaib Bashir, the young off-spinner, was in the middle of a tidy spell when he floated one up invitingly at 74kph.

Pant, sensing an opportunity to put pressure back on the bowler, went for a big hit over long-on. But the delivery was a touch fuller and slower than expected. Pant didn’t get under it properly, and the ball went flat and hard straight to Zak Crawley at long-on. The dismissal left Shubman Gill visibly frustrated at the non-striker’s end as India lost their fourth wicket against the run of play.Pant’s shot selection suggested he was lured into a trap meticulously set up by Ben Stokes and Bashir — a flighted bait that the flamboyant left-hander couldn’t resist. Given the rhythm Pant was in and his recent form, the shot was all the more disappointing.Pant had been in exceptional touch leading into the second Test. He was the standout performer in the series opener at Headingley, becoming only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match. That performance not only solidified his role as India’s most dangerous counter-attacker but also propelled him to sixth in the ICC Test batting rankings — a new personal high with 801 rating points.Pant now sits just behind the likes of Joe Root and Harry Brook, trailing the top spot by only 88 points. It’s a return to familiar heights for the 26-year-old, who had previously reached the fifth spot in 2022.Elsewhere in the rankings, Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his No. 4 position, while Shubman Gill dropped to 21st. Among bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah continued to dominate the charts with 907 points, ahead of Rabada and Cummins. Ravindra Jadeja remained the No.1 all-rounder despite a quiet match.Pant’s dismissal at Edgbaston, however, was a reminder that brilliance needs balance — something he’ll look to restore in the remaining matches of the series.