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The 2025/26 season has already started for the FC Barcelona men’s first team. On Sunday 13 July, the domestic treble winners returned from their holidays and began arriving at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to undergo the required medical check-ups ahead of pre-season training.

The first team players were called up, with the notable inclusion of Joan Garcia, who had already been training individually in recent days, and one absence: Pablo Torre, who did not undergo a medical check-up with the club’s permission, as he awaits a decision on his future.

In addition, ten Barça Atlètic players, who will be training with the first team, also underwent the tests. They are Landry Farré, Toni Fernández, Guillermo Fernández, Jan Virgili, Juan Hernández, Ibrahim Diarra, Jofre Torrents, Pedro Fernández ‘Dro’, Dani Rodríguez, and Swedish player Roony Bardghji.

10 days until the tour 

Following this initial day of routine medical checks, the first training session of the season under Hansi Flick is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday 14 July. This session will mark the start of ten days of training, before the squad departs for Japan on the 24th, kicking off the Asian tour that will take them to the Land of the Rising Sun and South Korea.

In the third quarter, the Indian team continued to build on the momentum gained in the second and increased their advantage to 69-47 by the end of the penultimate period.

The final quarter saw India, sitting pretty with a handy lead, take their foot off the pedal slightly, allowing the Kazakhstan women’s basketball team more time in the offensive third.

Though the Kazahs outscored the Indians in the fourth period, it was only enough to reduce their margin of defeat.

The Indian basketball team will face world No. 6 Chinese Taipei, who beat Tahiti 122-38 in their opening match, in its next FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025 Division B match on Monday.

A total of eight teams, divided into two groups, are competing in Division B of the 31st FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. India have been drawn in Group A with Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei and Tahiti.

After round robin matches, the two group toppers will qualify directly for the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams from each group will compete in the playoffs for the other two spots in the semis.

The team that eventually wins the Division B final will be promoted to Division A for the next edition.

The quicksilver scrumhalf was one of the stand-out players in the Boks’ emphatic 45-0 victory against Italy in Gqeberha on Saturday in their second Castle Lager Incoming Series Test.

A new-look Bok team were in fine form, scoring seven tries and holding Italy scoreless, despite losing No 8 Jasper Wiese with a red card in the 22^nd minute. Early in the second half, they were reduced to 13 men when Wilco Louw was yellow carded in the 44^th minute.

The win followed on a 54-7 victory against the Barbarians in Cape Town and a 42-24 victory against Italy in Pretoria on 5 July.

The match was not only significant for new Springbok centurion Willie le Roux and the three debutants – Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Cobus Wiese, and Ethan Hooker – but also for Williams who made a strong statement in his first game back from a long injury layoff.

Commenting on his comeback, Williams quipped: “I wish I could have played for the Sharks first. There was a bit of nerves this week after a frustrating three months, but I’m happy we got the win and personally to be able to play again. There was obviously a little rust, but I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks.”

Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ethan Hooker, and Cobus Wiese.

However, the nippy scrumhalf admitted that the nerves wore off after touching down for the first try of the match in the eighth minute: “I think I was calm after that. It was great to score a try, even though it was Willie’s try that I took. My mindset last week was all about getting on the field and ensuring that I nail I the detail, but I’m happy for the team and about the result.”

Asked what made his halfback combination with flyhalf Manie Libbok seem so seamless and natural, Williams said he enjoyed playing with all the flyhalves in the squad.

“It’s not just like that with Manie,” said Williams. “It’s the same with Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), Handre (Pollard), Manie and Damian (Willemse). There’s a plan for every game, and this week the strategy was to try a few things, and it worked.

“It’s always special to play with Manie. We have a great relationship, but at the same time, it doesn’t matter who I play alongside.”

Responding to how much of a challenge the red card was to the team, Williams was casual in his response: “It’s always difficult to get a red card, but if you know coach Rassie (Erasmus), there’s always a plan, so we were well prepared for a card, which happened to be the case in the match.”

The Springboks made the trip from Gqeberha to Nelspruit via Johannesburg on Sunday and will return to the training field on Monday to begin their preparations for the closing match of the series against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.