Author: ops566320@gmail.com

Another exciting PKL Player Auction for Season 12 concluded on Sunday after a weekend of intense bidding action.

Another exciting PKL Player Auction for Season 12 concluded on Sunday after a weekend of intense bidding action as the 12 franchises built teams worthy of providing a healthy competition for the upcoming season. 10 crorepatis were the top highlight of Day 1, as two-time champion Mohammadreza Shadloui joined the Gujarat Giants for a whopping Rs 2.23 crores. With him in the 2 Crore group was Devank Dalal, the Best Raider in PKL 11. He was signed by Bengal Warriorz for Rs 2.205 crores, making him the fifth-most expensive player in the PKL Player Auction after Shadloui’s bid on Saturday.The new Final Bid Match (FBM) rule was also seen in action across the two days, allowing teams to buy back their released players by matching the final auction bid price, for either one or two seasons. While five players were retained for two seasons, nine players were retained for one season.

Category C was a golden opportunity for the all-rounders, with the likes of Nitin Rawal, Gurdeep and Dheeraj earning high bids. Nitin joined Jaipur Pink Panthers for a fee of Rs 50 lakhs, while Gurdeep was signed by Puneri Paltan for Rs 47.10 lakhs and Dheeraj will don the Bengaluru Bulls jersey after earning an impressive bid of Rs 40.20 lakhs.

However, it was raider Akash Shinde who took the top bid in this category, moving to Bengaluru Bulls for Rs 53.10 lakhs.

In what was one of the most surprising moves of the Player Auction, an exciting bidding war saw U Mumba secure the services of Aanil Mohan for an impressive Rs 78 lakhs – the highest-ever bid in Category D in PKL history.

The all-rounder from Himachal Pradesh won the highest bid across both categories on Day 2, with Uday Parte getting the second-highest bid in Category D. He was signed by Jaipur Pink Panthers Rs 50.10 lakhs.

Speaking about the Player Auction, Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner of Pro Kabaddi League said, “It is very positive that the momentum of the PKL 12 Player Auction Day 1 has been maintained on Day 2. The teams have displayed strong interest in Categories C and D, especially through the Rs 78 lakh buy for PKL debutant Aanil Mohan, the highest ever for a Category D player in our League’s history. Such fresh players often form the backbone of a team, and investing in their growth is key to building competitive squads for the long term. Of course, the emergence of 10 ‘Crorepati’ players this season reflects a balanced market, where both established names and new talent are being valued appropriately. It sets the tone for another competitive season ahead.”

Aanil Mohan, who was signed by U Mumba, shared his excitement at the end of the Player Auction, “It feels very exciting to finally be a part of the PKL and to see my hard work paying off. I am also thankful to U Mumba for their efforts in signing me for the upcoming season and hope to leave a mark. Mumba has nurtured a lot of Raiding stars in the past and I hope I can follow in their footsteps. Playing in this league is a dream come true and I will do my best to ensure I can repay the faith put in me.”

In one of the most exciting moves during the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 12 Player Auction, legendary raider Naveen Kumar has signed with defending champions Haryana Steelers for Rs 1.20 Crores

In one of the most exciting moves during the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 12 Player Auction, legendary raider Naveen Kumar has signed with defending champions Haryana Steelers for Rs 1.20 Crores, marking his much-anticipated return to his home state and setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying season. The PKL Season 8 champion, who amassed 1102 Raid Points for Dabang Delhi K.C. during his stellar six-season tenure, entered the PKL Player Auction for the very first time since making his debut. He expressed his joy at wearing the Steelers jersey.

Kumar’s acquisition makes him one of the 10 crorepatis from the PKL 12 auction, underlining his status as one of the most valuable players in the league. With his experience in the PKL as well as with the Services kabaddi team, he brings unparalleled experience to a squad already brimming with young talent like Vinay, Shivam Patare, and Vishal Tate.

Speaking about joining forces with the defending champions, Kumar emphasised the team’s championship mentality.

England successfully defended their Under-21 European Championship title as Jonathan Rowe’s header gave Lee Carlsey’s team a 3-2 extra-time victory over Germany in the final.

England successfully defended their Under-21 European Championship title as Jonathan Rowe’s header gave Lee Carlsey’s team a 3-2 extra-time victory over Germany in the final on Saturday. The reigning champions took an early two-goal lead but were pegged back as Germany took the match to an added half-hour. Marseille winger Rowe provided the crucial moment in the 92nd minute as England secured their fourth Under-21 Euro title, moving one ahead of Germany and just one behind joint record five-time winners Spain and Italy.

England raced into a fifth-minute lead as Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott collected a loose ball and calmly stroked in his fifth goal of the tournament.

Carsley’s side threatened to run riot as they regularly cut Germany open on the counter-attack, and Omari Hutchinson drilled in their second goal 20 minutes later after being set up by James McAtee.

Manchester City midfielder McAtee almost added a third before the break but was denied by a fine save from German goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

Nelson Weiper, who also scored in Germany’s group-stage win over England, dragged his team back into the contest in first-half stoppage time, powering Paul Nebel’s cross into the net with a bullet header.

The Germans drew level just after the hour as Nebel picked up a second ball from a corner and fired a shot past goalkeeper James Beadle with the aid of a slight deflection.

Germany almost grabbed victory in injury time, but Nebel’s shot came back off the crossbar.

England reclaimed the lead in the second minute of extra time, as Tyler Morton’s brilliant cross was headed home by fellow substitute Rowe.

Germany again went within a whisker of scoring in injury time, but Merlin Roehl’s thunderous strike rattled the bar as England clung on.

Inter Miami vs PSG FIFA Club World Cup Live Streaming: Inter Miami are all set to lock horns against Paris Saint-Germain in their FIFA Club World Cup, Round Of 16 match on Sunday.

 Inter Miami are all set to lock horns against Paris Saint-Germain in their FIFA Club World Cup, Round Of 16 match on Sunday. This is going to be a special clash as Inter star Lionel Messi will be up against his former club PSG. Argentine great Messi joined PSG in 2021 from Barcelona, where Luis Enrique had coached him and several other current Inter Miami players. The forward departed in 2023, the same summer the Spaniard arrived at PSG, having won two Ligue 1 titles but failed to bring the French club the Champions League triumph they craved.

Luis Enrique eventually led PSG to European success this season as they won the trophy for the first time by thrashing Inter Milan on May 31.

The Inter Miami vs PSG FIFA Club World Cup, Round of 16 match will be played on Sunday, June 29 (IST).

The Inter Miami vs PSG FIFA Club World Cup, Round of 16 match will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Six-times European champions Bayern take on three-times Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo at Hard Rock Stadium with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany says that for all the fascination and romance of playing against Flamengo in Sunday’s Club World Cup round-of-16 match, he expects the game to be similar to a Champions League contest. Six-times European champions Bayern take on three-times Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo at Hard Rock Stadium with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. It is the kind of fixture that FIFA surely had in mind when they came up with the idea for the tournament but for the Bayern boss, the task at hand is a familiar one.

Bayern go into the game after losing their final group stage game against Benfica 1-0 having fielded a weakened team. But victories against Auckland City and Boca Juniors had already assured the German side of a place in the knockout stage.

While Brazilian teams have shown during this tournament that they can compete with European clubs, Kompany still sees some elements of the country’s traditional flair amid the tactical discipline.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said facing former player Lionel Messi will be an “emotional” reunion for both himself and the French club ahead of Sunday’s Club World Cup clash against Inter Miami

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said facing former player Lionel Messi will be an “emotional” reunion for both himself and the French club ahead of Sunday’s Club World Cup clash against Inter Miami. Argentine great Messi joined PSG in 2021 from Barcelona, where Luis Enrique had coached him and several other current Inter Miami players. The forward departed in 2023, the same summer the Spaniard arrived at PSG, having won two Ligue 1 titles but failed to bring the French club the Champions League triumph they craved.

Luis Enrique said star PSG forward Ousmane Dembele had trained this week but he would “take no risks” with the French winger for the last-16 clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

After Botafogo stunned PSG in the group stage and Inter Miami surprised with a 2-1 win over Porto, Luis Enrique called on his players to maintain their concentration.

Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras.

Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States. The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay.

Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James’ opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining.

But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted.

It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning.

When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee.

Benfica’s Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time.

An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni’s second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory.

But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo’s low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin.

As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced.

Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight.

They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has stated that their title ambitions will be all but over if the new upgrade package does not work.

Max Verstappen leads Red Bull into their home Austrian Grand Prix this weekend hoping a major upgrades package can boost his title defence before it is too late.  The four-time world champion, who still needs to avoid any on-track problems that could lead to a mandatory race ban, has won four times at the high-speed Red Bull Ring circuit in the Styrian Alps and will be backed by his ‘orange army’ of fans.  But he knows that combination may not be enough.

McLaren’s championship-leading duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who collided in Canada, are hoping to return to form after that rare off-day in a forecasted heatwave on a circuit expected to suit their car.

Last year’s winner George Russell of Mercedes, who took advantage of McLaren’s struggles in Montreal to win with aplomb ahead of Verstappen, will arrive with momentum and optimism, if wary of the heat.

Liam Lawson came in a career-best sixth for RB on a desultory day for the senior Red Bull team after four-time champion Max Verstappen retired on the opening lap after being hit by Mercedes’ teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli. He is now 61 points behind Piastri.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was seventh ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and his Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, the future Audi outfit showing their huge potential, with Esteban Ocon finishing 10th for Haas.

After a frantic prelude, during which Carlos Sainz’s Williams failed to leave the grid and then caught fire in the pit lane, the race was

delayed for 10 minutes – before delivering immediate drama at the second attempt.

Norris made a clean start while, behind him, Piastri passed Leclerc on the outside of Turn One before Antonelli locked up and lost control at Turn Three and hit Verstappen’s Red Bull.

Novak Djokovic admits Wimbledon offers him the “best chance” to make history as he chases a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the twilight of his glittering career.

Novak Djokovic admits Wimbledon offers him the “best chance” to make history as he chases a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the twilight of his glittering career. Djokovic is dreaming of putting an exclamation point on his incredible career by becoming the most successful singles player in tennis history. The 38-year-old has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles since winning his most recent major prize at the 2023 US Open. With Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner emerging as the sport’s dominant forces by winning the last six Grand Slams between them, Djokovic believes his most realistic hope of a historic 25th title lies on the lush lawns of south-west London.

Djokovic lost to Alcaraz in the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals and has failed to make the title match in any of his last three Grand Slams.

After losing to Sinner in the recent French Open semi-finals, Djokovic arrives at Wimbledon in the unusual position of no longer being regarded as the All England Club title favourite.

The Serb would draw level on a record eight men’s Wimbledon singles titles with Roger Federer if he wins the grass-court tournament for the first time since 2022.

But Djokovic, who won his 100th tour-level title in May in Geneva, has been dogged by questions about when he will retire since fulfilling his long-held desire for Olympic singles gold in Paris last year.