Andrea Leek is still contemplating the spring plans for Cosmic Crusader, but she is looking forward to seeing him race for the first time this Saturday.

The Group 1-winning Western Australian gelding will debut in Victoria in the $200,000 Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

The Bob and Sandra Peters-owned five-year-old gelding has joined Leek’s stable from Perth’s leading trainer Michael Grantham, who prepared Cosmic Crusader for his Northerly Stakes win last year. Leek is very pleased with the horse’s transition to his new Victorian environment.

“I think he loves it,” Leek said. “He seems very happy and we’re just looking forward to seeing what he can do on Saturday. It’s a bit short of his (best) distance, but you’ve got to start somewhere and it just looked like a nice starting point.”

Leek mentioned that no specific major spring target has been identified for the horse, who arrived in Victoria considered by many to be the best galloper from WA, with Peters keen to see his performance this weekend.

The son of Maurice was unable to gain a start in Perth’s most prestigious race, the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m), but was a dominant winner of the Listed Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) on the same day, followed by a victory in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 6.

He then dropped back to 1400m for the Group 3 Gold Rush seven days later, where he was narrowly defeated by Victorian sprinter Rey Magnerio.

Cosmic Crusader has not raced over 1200m since winning at Ascot in October 2024, his second win from three starts at the distance. He heads into the Bletchingly Stakes off one Victorian jumpout, finishing second to Pop Award at Caulfield on July 1.

“He had the one jumpout at Caulfield, just to give him a look at it,” Leek stated. “I was really happy with it, very happy.”

Cosmic Crusader was one of 13 nominations for the weight-for-age Bletchingly Stakes. Potential rivals include Monash Stakes winners Winnasedge and Recommendation (the 2024 winner), the classy Zou Sensation, and Group 2-winning mare Miraval Rose.

The Bletchingly Stakes is shaping up to be a competitive affair, and punters are already checking the racing odds at various bookmakers.

Two wheelchair-bound women of indomitable spirit — one with spinal cord injury after a fall from a tree and another an amputee above knee after a bus accident in childhood — are aiming something no Indian has ever done in sport, winning a medal for the country in the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Minakshi Jadhav of Maharashtra and Ritu Chanu of Manipur are among the Indian quartet competing in the 3×3 wheelchair basketball event in the Glasgow Games beginning on Thursday. The other two members are Reena Gupta from Maharashtra and Laxmi Rayannavar from Karnataka.

The 3×3 wheelchair basketball event, which was introduced in the 2022 CWG in Birmingham, has three players on the field at a particular time. One player is used as substitute during the match which has a duration of 10 minutes.

The Indian team qualified for the CWG through the 2025 IWBF (International Wheelchair Basketball Federation) Asia-Oceania Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

“I was a normal girl at a village in Maharashtra. But in 2012, when I was 23 years old, I fell down from a tree and injured my spinal cord. I initially didn’t know that I got spinal cord injury but later I didn’t have any sensation from my navel,” said Minakshi, the captain of the team.

“Only upper body strength was there. After some time, my injury got worse. I had to struggle in the ICU for some time.” 
Minakshi left her village at Satara district and went to Mumbai to join a rehabilitation centre in Mumbai to undergo therapy. She also completed her graduation from Mumbai University.

“In 2017, I competed in my first Nationals in Hyderabad. It was very hard work. I had to manage the wheelchair. I had to do a lot of things.” 
The journey to the rehabilitation centre in Mumbai proved to be a blessing for Minakshi as she met wheelchair players, including former India players, and coaches there, and she was initiated to the sport.

“I got to know about sports after meeting all of them. The social workers at the rehabilitation centre were themselves sportspersons. I had the support of many people. The rehabilitation centre itself helped me a lot. They helped me in sponsorship. Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) is also there. They supported me when in need.” 
The Indian Wheelchair Basketball team was formed in due course.

“We used to play 5×5. We got a chance to play 3×3 for the first time. We will prove it by winning a medal in Glasgow. That is our target, to make the country proud.” 
For Ritu Chanu, hailing from Irengbam village at Nambol in Bishnupur district of Manipur, life changed abruptly when she was seven years old due to a freak accident. She was hit by a bus coming in reverse gear.

“I was just six or seven years of age at that time,” said Chanu, who uses a clutch as her right leg has been amputated above knee.

“I have competed in three Nationals and also in the qualifying event in Thailand last year,” said Chanu, who trains at the Khuman Lampak sports complex in Imphal.

Despite her financial struggles, Chanu has completed her graduation and does weaving at her home in Manipur.

Asked about the financial support to pursue her sport, Chanu said, “I do weaving at home and earn a bit. I also get support from the state government. Besides, my elder sister is also there to support me.” 
Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) President Varun Ahlawat said the team has trained well in Gwalior and hoping to win a medal in Glasgow.

“This is the first time we are qualifying for the CWG and we are aiming to win a medal in the first attempt,” he said.

WBFI vice-president Ulhas KS is accompanying the athletes to Glasgow as team leader.

Eight teams have been divided into two groups of four each. Each team in a group will play three matches in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semifinals.

The 3×3 wheelchair basketball events begin on July 24.

Returning to competitive swimming after taking a break due to a severe ‘burnout’ post the Paris Olympics, veteran Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash believes that understanding the critical role of rest and recovery has been the defining pillar of his comeback as he set his sights on the podium finish at the Commonwealth Games, starting in Glasgow on Thursday, and Asian Games in September.

Prakash, 32, has qualified for both the Commonwealth Games and the upcoming Asian Games, set to take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by breaching the Swimming Federation of India’s qualification mark in the men’s 200m butterfly event. He recently reached Glasgow after finishing extensive training camps in Edinburgh and Sierra Nevada, Spain.

“I would like to say that athletes, when they are training really hard and they put their heart and soul into performing and saving themselves, saving their family and bringing glory to India, they become very tolerant to pain and they don’t understand much. If they are left alone, they don’t understand what recovery is. Recovery and rest are part of training.

“It’s not always pushing hard. When I took the break, I understood that my body was in a big shock and I had to recover and take that rest. Sometimes as you age and as you evolve, rest is very important, a crucial part of recovery. That is also part of training. So that helped me to come back again because all I think about is swimming and I find my inner strength in swimming competitively.

“So I just felt that there are many unfinished businesses. I always wanted to be on the podium of the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and I just want to give my best effort irrespective of what the result is. I think in that case, I will fulfill my dreams,” said Prakash during a virtual interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Having spent over two-plus decades in the pool, Prakash noted that age has necessitated a fundamental shift in how he approaches his physical workload compared to his younger years. It also comes with the awareness of how tight the field will be at the Commonwealth Games.

“I’ve swam for almost 26 plus years now. I’m 32 years old and at every stage of life, I think we experience different things, adapt to the newer challenges and adjust to the modules. The same goes for anybody in anything in life and different sports have different programs, models.

“So what I did 10 years ago, I was 22 years old, my body’s capacity and adaptations and recovery is in a much better place and 10 years later, here I am. I’ve done most of the work with endurance and aerobic buildups and the foundation is already built, now it’s just a stepping stone on understanding what’s necessary and what’s my weakness and be more specific to that one event.

“Going to the Commonwealth Games, it’s going to be only a fraction of seconds which will decide whether I’ll be on the podium or not. So we know those challenges and we have to just work on those minute changes as over the period, you need to adapt and evolve as an athlete,” he added.

Prakash’s post-burnout return also saw him form an unexpected partnership with former teammate and Asian Games medallist Sandeep Sejwal, who is now serving as his coach. Sejwal remains the last Indian swimmer to stand on a multi-sporting event podium.

“He’s been in this field and Indian sports for many years. He understands the challenges faced locally and then he has better advice to give because he has been in the sport for long and we work together on what specific programmes I have.

“I just completely would say I am on a different training program altogether, focusing only on the 200-metre butterfly. so. It’s more technical. I can’t explain everything in one sitting, so technically we are in a different program working towards one specific event,” he added.

When asked about his future after the upcoming major events are over, Prakash signed off by talking about his two current aims; being in the present and achieving a podium finish. “I had a tough time, there was so much fatigue and burnout, and I’m in a better position now with health and performance.

“I don’t want to comment on that (if it’s his swansong) right now because I want to take one step at a time and see how this Commonwealth and the Asian Games goes and decide after all of this. But whenever we give a final push, we give our best effort. That’s what I’m aiming for now.”

Watch the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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UK & Norway PM Sport Football Jerseys Ahead Of England, Norway Quarterfinal Clash

Spain’s World Cup Final hero, Ferran Torres, decided to celebrate the country’s victory on Monday with a nod to President Donald Trump.

As tens of thousands of Spaniards welcomed home their World Cup-winning team during a victory parade, Torres, who scored the winning goal in the 106th minute to beat Argentina at New York/New Jersey Stadium, was seen wearing a “Make Spain Great Again” hat – an adaptation of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Torres posted a picture with the mob of Spain faithful while on a vehicle, while donning the hat and no shirt.

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Ferran Torres of Spain celebrates with his medal after the team’s victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19, 2026. (Michael Regan/FIFA)

While it could simply be a coincidence that Torres decided to choose that hat for his celebration fit, Trump did present the World Cup trophy to Spain captain Rodrí and the rest of the team on the pitch after their victory.

Trump had been taking in the suspenseful final , which Spain dominated throughout, alongside First Lady Melania Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, among others.

SPAIN BEATS ARGENTINA TO WIN 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP BEHIND FERRAN TORRES’ EXTRA-TIME GOAL

The match was on its way to a penalty shootout had it not been for Torres’ efforts to finally get one past Argentina’s stellar goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who needed to make miraculous saves just to keep the scoreboard deadlocked at zero apiece.

But when Nico Williams Jr.’s header was dropped back in the box following a cross, Torres had a grade-A chance to net the ball that landed right at his left foot. He didn’t disappoint.

Spain’s Ferran Torres (7) scores their first goal during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

“I think in the end the goal came from 47 million people [the estimated Spain population], not just those of us that are here,” Torres told FIFA host broadcasters after the match, via ESPN. “Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We’re far from our people today but we tried to be as close as possible to them.”

It was just the second time Spain had made it to the World Cup Final, but just as they did in 2010, they left with trophy in hand and were prepared to go celebrate with the masses back home.

When the final whistle blew on Sunday, there was some controversy, as brawls broke out on the pitch between Argentina and Spain players, which FIFA will be investigating.

Ferran Torres of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (Michael Regan/FIFA)

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But back home, especially in Madrid, the capital of Spain, it was a party that started late at night and hasn’t stopped since.

Torres and the rest of his teammates will be sure to soak in this wonderful moment before they all head back to their respective clubs to begin their seasons in the coming months.

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Match Details

Fixture: Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic

Date: July 21, 2026

Tournament: Generali Open

Round: First Round (Round of 32)

Venue: Tennis Stadium Kitzbuhel, Kitzbuhel, Austria

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: €612,620

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN+

Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview

Sebastian Baez will face Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of the Generali Open 2026.

Baez made a strong start to the season. He won all of his singles ties at the United Cup even though his team bowed out in the quarterfinals. His winning ways continued until he lost to Jakub Mensik in the final of the ASB Classic. However, he lost in the second round of the Australian Open.

Semifinal appearances in Buenos Aires and Santiago were his best results during the South American clay swing. He made the third round of the Indian Wells Masters upon his return to hardcourts, and then lost in the first round of the Miami Open.

Baez won only three matches during the European clay swing and lost in the first round of the French Open as well. His woes continued with a first-round exit from Wimbledon. He went out in the quarterfinals of last week’s Nordea Open in Bastad.

A quarterfinal showing in Dallas, followed by a semifinal finish in Acapulco, were Kecmanovic’s best efforts during the hardcourt swing. He was eliminated in the second round of the Italian Open and the French Open, his best results during the clay swing.

After a quarterfinal exit from the Mallorca Championships, Kecmanovic pushed Jannik Sinner to five sets during their first-round showdown at Wimbledon but came up short in the end. He lost in the second round of the Swiss Open last week.

Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic head-to-head

Kecmanovic leads their rivalry 3-0. He won their previous meeting at the French Open 2025 in five sets.

Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic odds

(Odds via BetMGM)

Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic prediction

Baez has put together a 19-16 record this season, with a 9-11 record on clay. Clay used to be the most fruitful part of his season. However, if he loses his opener in Kitzbuhel, he could end up with his worst clay season since 2021. He went 1-1 on the surface back then, although that was before his breakthrough.

Kecmanovic has compiled a 3-6 record on clay this year, and a 12-18 record overall. He won his maiden career title in Kitzbuhel in 2020. This will be his first appearance at the tournament since then.

Kecmanovic has a total of five wins on the clay since the start of 2025. One of those wins was a five-set epic against Baez at the French Open. However, considering the Serb’s poor record on clay over the past year, this could be Baez’s best opportunity to finally score a win in this rivalry.

Pick: Sebastian Baez to win in three sets.

Sebastian Baez vs Miomir Kecmanovic betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have at least 26 games.

Tip 2: Baez to win at least one set with a score of 6-4.