Veteran administrator and former All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das, who played a significant role in organising the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, died here on Friday.

Das was 65. He held the position of AIFF general secretary for 12 years before resigning in 2022 on health grounds.

Before entering football administration in 2010, Das had served as Chief Financial Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and International Management Group (IMG) India.

He breathed his last at a private hospital in the capital, according to Shaji Prabhakaran, another long-time football administrator who succeeded Das as the AIFF’s full-time secretary general in 2022 after former I-League CEO Sunando Dhar served as the acting GS for a brief while.

“Former AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das passed away this morning at a private hospital in Delhi. Sending my deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Om Shanti,” Prabhakaran wrote on his ‘X’ handle.

During his tenure, the Indian national team qualified for three AFC Asian Cup tournaments besides the country hosting the prestigious FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 2017, which he described as “game changer” for Indian football at the time. 

The event set a record for the most-attended FIFA youth World Cup in history. He also secured hosting rights for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Das also played a key role in bringing Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) as a marketing partner of AIFF in 2010, which led to the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL). He often credited this partnership with saving the AIFF from financial crisis after previous broadcasters moved on.

Under his guidance, the AIFF launched the Golden Baby Leagues and a structured youth development system, including age-group leagues that forced clubs and academies to focus on long-term player pipelines.

Das’ tenure in the AIFF coincided with Praful Patel’s reign as its president, and the former had sent his resignation to the Committee of Administrators which was then running Indian football after the Patel-led dispensation was ousted by the Supreme Court for not holding elections on time.

Das was re-appointed as AIFF’s general secretary for a second term of another three years in 2013.

Das completed his BSc in Mathematics at the St. Stephen’s College in Delhi.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has honoured Akwa Ibom teenage athlete, Jacinta Lawrence Andrew, with a cash reward of ₦3 million after naming her the Outstanding Junior Athlete of 2025.

The presentation took place on Friday, March 13, 2026, at her school, Community Secondary Commercial School, Ibiaku Itam, in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, shortly after school hours.

Officials of the National Sports Commission flew in from Abuja for the ceremony, which was attended by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, who was represented by the Director of Coaching in the Ministry of Sports, Mrs Catherine Ekuta. Other directors and officials of the ministry, teachers, and Jacinta’s schoolmates were also present.

The recognition was part of the NSC Appreciation Tour, which made a significant stop in Uyo to celebrate young Nigerian athletes who have performed well and continue to inspire others through their dedication and achievements.

One of the major highlights of the visit was the recognition of Jacinta, an SS2 student who has quickly emerged as one of Nigeria’s most promising young athletes.

Jacinta first gained national attention when she won a silver medal in the girls’ 400 metres at the maiden African School Games in Algeria. She later went on to win gold in the same event at the African Youth Games in Angola.

She was also recently part of the Nigerian team that qualified the country for the World Athletics Relays, an impressive achievement for a student still in secondary school.

Speaking during the presentation, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the Appreciation Tour represents a new approach to celebrating and motivating athletes across the country.

“This Appreciation Tour is about recognising hard work, discipline, and excellence wherever we find it across the country. When young athletes see that their sacrifices and performances are valued, it inspires them to aim higher and assures them that the nation stands firmly behind them,” Olopade said.

He added that supporting young athletes like Jacinta is part of the Commission’s long-term plan to strengthen Nigeria’s sports talent development.

“Jacinta, like many others, represents the future of Nigerian sports. For someone still in secondary school to achieve so much on the continental stage shows the great potential we have in our young people, and it is our responsibility to nurture and support them,” he added.

In recognition of her achievements and dedication, the Commission presented Jacinta with a ₦3 million cash reward.

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, represented by Mrs Catherine Ekuta, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Sports Commission for introducing what he described as a morale-boosting reward system for athletes.

Speaking further, the Commissioner said the reward aligns with the efforts of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who has continued to support sports development in the state.

“Rewards like this are in line with what Governor Umo Eno is already doing in Akwa Ibom State. In 2025, the governor rewarded medallists from the National Youth Games and the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, and Jacinta was one of the major beneficiaries.

“In line with the ARISE Agenda of the Pastor Umo Eno-led administration, the state government remains committed to doing even more to ensure that athletes like Jacinta continue to excel, while also discovering and developing more young talents who will make the state and the country proud,” he said.

An emotional Jacinta thanked the National Sports Commission for the honour and also expressed appreciation to Governor Umo Eno for what she described as a sports revolution in Akwa Ibom State.

She said the governor’s support for sports is already producing positive results, pointing to the state’s performance at the just concluded Niger Delta Games.

“I am very grateful to the National Sports Commission for believing in me. This recognition encourages me to keep training and to make Nigeria proud,” Jacinta said.

“I also want to thank Governor Umo Eno for the support he is giving to sports in Akwa Ibom State. The encouragement we are receiving is helping many young athletes to perform better.

“We saw the results at the recent Niger Delta Games where Akwa Ibom finished fourth with 55 medals, improving from the first edition where the state finished sixth with 39 medals. It shows that sports in the state is moving forward,” Jacinta added.

The Appreciation Tour is part of the Commission’s efforts to recognise excellence, encourage emerging talents, and promote grassroots sports development across Nigeria.

Welcome to the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast, where co-hosts Joe Oberle and Mark Craig offer their unique insider’s opinion and analysis on the latest Purple news and happenings emanating from TCO Performance Center, U.S. Bank Stadium and beyond. The Minnesota Vikings are a constant source of exciting, enervating and, oftentimes, confounding news, and Craig and Oberle illuminate and explain it all from a perspective of experience and hard-earned insight.

The Insider

Mark Craig Mark Craig is a Vikings writer and the NFL Insider for the Star Tribune newspaper and Startribune. Hailing from Northeast, Ohio, he has been covering the NFL since Brett Favre was a rookie (1991) and writing for the Star Tribune about football for 23 years and the Vikings for the past 20 seasons. He is author of the book, “100 Things Vikings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” and is Minnesota’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame selector and Associated Press post-season NFL Honors voter. Each week he shares venerable insight on everything from one-on-one sit-downs with the Vikings head coach to the latest quarterback change for the Cleveland Browns. Craig covers everything NFL and speaks from a time-worn perspective of one who has seen and wrote about it all. But he’s still the, um, “young gun” of this podcast.

The Homer

Joe Oberle has been in on every iteration of this podcast from when it was called Three Deep (with the website creator Joe Johnson) back in 2016 to today. He has been following the Vikings since before their first Super Bowl loss in 1970 and has covered them for several websites (including CBSSports) for more than 12 years. The award-winning author of three books (including “Unstoppable: The Story of George Mikan—The 1st NBA Superstar”) Mankato-native Oberle has spent a career working in sports (with the Minnesota Timberwolves), covering them (Vikings, Twins, NBA, amateur hockey and golf) and talking about them. His coverage is thorough and often passionate, with a dose of humor sprinkled in to spice up his takes.

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Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle

Fans have mocked Nottingham Forest star Omari Hutchinson for his post-match gripe about bad weather affecting his face cream, claiming that it sums up the frailty of “modern footballers”.

Forest succumbed to a 1-0 defeat in their Europa League last-16 first leg against Danish outfit Midtjylland, the second half of which was hit by torrential rain.

Hutchinson complained in an interview with TNT Sports after the final whistle that the poor conditions caused his moisturiser to run, in turn hampering his vision.

He said: “I couldn’t really see, my face cream was covering my face. It was very tough. The conditions weren’t the greatest.”

The interview has since gone viral but not for the right reasons, with supporters decying Hutchinson’s mental fortitude and longing for the days where players would run through brick walls for their team.

One fan wrote on X: “1956 – Bert Trautmann played on with a broken neck. 2026 – Omari Hutchinson ‘my face cream got in my eyes’.”

Another account added: “Says it all about modern footballers – utterly embarrassing.”

Some of the reaction on social media was slightly overblown to the point of actual outrage, though other fans were able to simply see the funny side of things.

User Tony McDonough wrote: “If Omari Hutchinson wants to use face cream that is entirely his business, but… there is something undeniably hilarious about hearing him say this nonetheless.”

Hutchinson did not try and lay all the blame for Forest’s shortcomings against Midtjylland on the miserable weather, insisting it was “no excuse”.

“We could have punished them but we will come to next week with confidence to bring it back,” said Hutchinson on what he branded as a “very frustrating” night.

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“We had two chances early in the second half but the weather changed things. They put pressure on us and punished us.”

Forest have their work cut out to recover the tie in next week’s return leg to keep their European hopes alive, though there are arguments that their Europa League campaign is acting as an unnecessary distraction from their Premier League survival bid, with the club perched just above the relegation zone.

Hutchinson, however, insists the club are intent on staying in the competition and will fight to do so at the MCH Arena next Thursday.

He added: “Every game is massive and we do have full belief. We are training well and the fans are sticking by us. We want to put things right.”

NFL legend Tom Brady still has it at 48 years old, and he obviously isn’t afraid to flaunt it.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion posted an image of himself preparing for the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic scheduled for March 21 in Los Angeles. It was initially supposed to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but it was moved due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

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Brady, along with multiple other NFL stars, are slated to compete in a flag football event. To no one’s surprise, Brady is already hard at work preparing to step back onto the football field. On Thursday, he posted an image of himself throwing the football shirtless, while wearing tight blue jean shorts.

That prompted NFL fans to roast Brady for “thirst trapping,” as Barstool Sports put it.

After last year’s 6-7 campaign, Utah State football has played 111 FBS seasons, dating back to 1912.

Overall, according to Sports-Reference.com, the Aggies have compiled a 548–557–28 ^{(.496) record as an FBS program through the 2025 season.}

Since the program’s first season, Utah State has appeared in 18 bowl games, winning six, and has secured two conference championships.

Utah State has also produced three consensus First Team All-America players.

The Aggies begin their 112th FBS season in the new Pac-12 with renewed optimism under second-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, looking to resume their winning ways.

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings all but handed their starting quarterback job to J.J. McCarthy. Daniel Jones wasn’t given the assurances he could start, and no legitimate backup was brought in either. After watching Sam Howell struggle in the preseason, someone spoke up and called Carson Wentz.

The chatter thus far this offseason has focused solely on Kyler Murray. That’s fair, as he will come in to start in for Kevin O’Connell and can be signed for just $1.3 million. Arguably as important is who backs him up.

A Familiar Veteran Could Solve the Vikings’ Backup QB Question

Murray doesn’t have the cleanest injury history, and McCarthy certainly doesn’t either. The reality, though, is that McCarthy shouldn’t be called upon mid-game at any point. It’s unclear if he’s ready to be relied upon at the highest level, but an unexpected situation makes matters even worse.

The Vikings need a backup capable of stepping on the field without a range that could span the entire field. Last season, Wentz went just 2-3 as the starter for the Vikings. However, he connected with Justin Jefferson for over 95 yards per game while under center, and he completed 65.1% of his passes.

It’s unfortunate how much Wentz’s career trajectory changed after his knee injury with the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Foles came on and won the Super Bowl; he should have led them to. However, Wentz is a North Dakota kid who grew up cheering for the Vikings, and it’s only right that he be on the sidelines the first time they win one.

Murray brings a serious ceiling to a Minnesota team ready to compete now. If O’Connell can integrate him into the offense and immediately get things clicking, the upcoming season could be really fun. There has to be someone on the sidelines pushing that player, though, and it won’t be McCarthy.

Assuming Wentz is cleared from his season-ending surgery, he’d be best suited to reunite with the Vikings. This time, it would happen a few days before Week 1, and the chemistry is already there with the coach and the roster. QB3 for McCarthy might not be fun, but it needs to happen.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

For years, trainer Shawn Mathrick out of Cranbourne has thrived using horses let go by Godolphin.

The current stablemate Corniche prepares for another start with Mathrick in the VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m) this Saturday at Caulfield.

Having raced 14 times for Godolphin with two wins under James Cummings and Ciaron Maher, the gelding was runner-up in the Listed Abell Stakes (1200m) at Cranbourne on February 27.

This came as the gelding’s first race back from last September, and Mathrick was delighted with the outcome having dreaded the worst when Corniche arrived.

“I was worried we he first came, and thought ‘I’ve done my brass here’, but it’s taken a bit of work and he’s thriving at the beach,” Mathrick said.

“He’s got some knee issues. His action was terrible when he came to me and we’ve been doing a lot of beach work with him.

He galloped on Monday, and he worked the place down.”

Mathrick has managed numerous ex-Godolphin performers in his care, with special fondness for Adirondack and Gig, a mare he bred from.

“They pretty much tell what it is with their horses is,” Mathrick said of Godolphin.

“They’re pretty honest about it.

My old man used to say they don’t lose their ability, so there must be something going on and this horse got beaten a length-and-a-half by Joliestar one day and got flattened twice in the straight and then powered home.

He’s definitely got the ability and softer tracks, with his knees, would be better for him, but I’ll let him go around on Saturday and then see if we have to back off.”

Early on, Corniche placed in the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude, won the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes, and later the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas.

His Sunshine Coast Guineas triumph dates to May 2024, followed by sparse racing.

“I’ve been picking my mark when I gallop him,” Mathrick said.

“I’ll only gallop him on the grass and when we’ve had a bit of rain, but his action was faultless on Monday.

The Goodwood in Adelaide, it might be a good race for him, so we’ll see how he is.”

Visit betting sites to find the best racing odds for Corniche’s run in the VOBIS Gold Sprint.