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Imported machines, non-toxic gel, double-door entries and monkey whisperers: How Delhi is bracing for BWF World Championships | Badminton News

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Imported machines, non-toxic gel, double-door entries and monkey whisperers: How Delhi is bracing for BWF World Championships
The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium will host the BWF World Championships from August 17 in New Delhi. (Image: TimesofIndia.com)

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi has received a fresh coat of paint, new infrastructure, and swanky lights ahead of the BWF World Championships, which return to India after a 17-year gap. The objective is to host the best in world badminton, administrators from around the planet, thousands of fans and multiple VIPs starting August 17. The objective is also to ensure the pigeons and monkeys stay away, avoiding a repeat of the chaos at the India Open, earlier this year.In January, during the India Open, pigeons halted play in the match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew. Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt strongly criticised the practice and warm-up facility’s hygiene. She complained about dirty areas and bird droppings near the training courts.While the Badminton Association of India (BAI) refuted the allegations, they and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), alongside the Sports Ministry, are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring something similar doesn’t happen again.Wooden doors have given way to a double-door entry system in order to keep the monkeys away from entering the four-court premises and the training facilities at the KD Jadhav Stadium. Vents have been sealed to keep the pigeons from entering. Additionally, six plug-and-play machines have been imported from the US and installed to emit noise made by predatory birds. Further, non-toxic gel has also been filled in the roof ducts.The wheels for the preparations began as early as February, with things picking up pace in May. Hundreds of workers and contractors from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) have been busy at work for the past few weeks to bring the tournament to fruition.

Roof IGI Stadium 1280

Machines from the US have been brought in to tackle pigeons during the BWF World Championships in New Delhi. (Image: TimesofIndia.com)

“The order for the pigeon gel went out in April, and it was imported only recently; it arrives in 10 days. It is a plug-and-play machine and can be imported from one stadium to another,” said a source tracking developments to TimesofIndia.com.“The only hiccup is that it can’t be used at one place for a long period. The pigeons get accustomed to it and understand that this is not natural. But in the last 15-20 days of tests, it has worked well,” he added.The gel in use is castor oil-based and has been installed on the surface of the root at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Every time a bird sits on the top of the arena, it’ll slip, ensuring they stay away.

Glass Door IGI Stadium 1280

Glass doors have been installed at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi as part of the infrastructural overhaul. (Image: TimesofIndia.com)

Another challenge for the organisers in the past has been monkeys. A full-grown rhesus macaque roamed the upper tier of the stands during the India Open. Now, as part of a Rs 20 crore revamp, 16 entrances have been fitted with glass doors and an automatic double-entry system.And if all else fails, a four-man team, led by Delhi-native Jabbar, is on hand to make noises similar to that of a langur to fend off monkeys. Born into a family of professional monkey whisperers, Jabbar, who earns Rs 25,000 a month, is confident that his and his team’s vocal cords will be enough to keep monkeys at bay.

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U.S. Amateur’s most important lesson comes from … an accounting professor?

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European Athletics Championships 2026: Great Britain’s Amy Hunt wins 100m gold

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Amy Hunt claimed her first senior international title by storming to 100m glory and delivering Great Britain’s first gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

Hunt announced herself on the sport’s global stage last year by claiming world 200m silver in Tokyo, where she secured the first individual international medal of her senior career.

Having backed that up with Commonwealth 100m silver two weeks ago, the 24-year-old would not be denied gold this time on home soil at Alexander Stadium.

Hunt, full of confidence after this season breaking the 11-second barrier for the first time, raised her arms in celebration after producing a trademark strong finish which delivered her from fifth to first over the second half of the race.

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Finishing in 11.00 seconds, she could have as many as three further opportunities to add to that tally on home soil, in the 200m and both the women’s and mixed 4x100m relay events later this week.

British defending champion Dina Asher-Smith, bidding to win her seventh gold and become the joint-most successful athlete in the history of the championships, finished fifth in 11.10 as Poland’s Ewa Swoboda (11.02) and Belgian Delphine Nkansa (11.06) completed the podium.

It was Great Britain’s second medal on the opening day of action, after the hosts took silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.

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Usyk names the fighter who would have ended Floyd Mayweather’s unbeaten run

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Oleksandr Usyk suspects there is one fighter who, in a fantasy showdown, would have become the first and only man to defeat Floyd Mayweather in a professional ring.

Very few came close to trumping the all-time great and, even when they did, it was scarcely conceivable that they would emerge victorious on the judges’ scorecards.

Take Mayweather’s first encounter with Jose Luis Castillo, for instance, and many will argue that the elite technician should have lost his WBC super-lightweight title in 2002.

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Similarly, the American was pushed tantalisingly close to defeat against Marcos Maidana, who ultimately lost a majority decision in their 2014 welterweight contest.

Mayweather also won their respective rematches but, even so, the two South Americans are widely credited for giving the Hall of Famer two of his toughest fights.

It could therefore be argued that there was a blueprint to defeat the 50-0 icon, given the stylistic similarities between Castillo and Maidana.

From a different perspective, though, Usyk has suggested that Terence Crawford would have completed the mission that so few were even capable of attempting.

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Speaking with Daily Mail Boxing, the Ukrainian named ‘Bud’ as the man to not only defeat Mayweather but also the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker and Sugar Ray Robinson.

Like Mayweather, Crawford retired as an unbeaten five-division world champion, shortly after dethroning Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight crown last September.

But despite ending his career at 168lbs, Crawford was arguably most effective at welterweight, where he scored a ninth-round finish over Errol Spence Jr for the undisputed championship in 2023.

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Brian Kelly’s game-by-game 2026 predictions for LSU, Notre Dame

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For the first time since his coaching career began in 1983, Brian Kelly won’t be patrolling the sidelines with a headset on. The former LSU and Notre Dame coach has joined CBS Sports as a college football analyst for the 2026 season, giving him a front-row seat to the programs he knows better than almost anyone.

Kelly spent four seasons at LSU before his tenure ended in 2025, with Lane Kiffin replacing him. Expectations are high in Baton Rouge, just as they always are. With the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country, Kiffin has the talent to get the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff.

FanDuel Sportsbook has LSU’s regular-season win total set at 8.5, but that won’t satisfy the fans in Kiffin’s first season.

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Lane Kiffin unplugged: How leaving Ole Miss and social media changed the polarizing LSU coach’s perspective

Brandon Marcello

Lane Kiffin unplugged: How leaving Ole Miss and social media changed the polarizing LSU coach's perspective
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Before LSU, Kelly spent 12 seasons at Notre Dame, where he became the winningest coach in program history with 113 victories. Marcus Freeman is entering his sixth season in South Bend and has Notre Dame positioned among the teams best equipped to compete for a national championship in 2026.

FanDuel has set the Fighting Irish’s regular-season win total at a lofty 11.5, with the under carrying the juice. Still, Notre Dame’s schedule provides a manageable path to the College Football Playoff.

So, how does Kelly think his former teams will fare in 2026?

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Lane Kiffin era begins with a bang

It’s vital the Lane Kiffin era at LSU gets off to a good start in the opener against Clemson, especially with all the attention on the matchup that awaits at Ole Miss. Kelly mentioned new LSU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt could have some rust after missing all of spring practice, and his performance against Clemson could set the tone for the Tigers’ trip to Oxford.

“I think this really comes down to what quarterback plays better,” Kelly said. “If Trinidad Chambliss plays to the level that we all think he can, this could be a game that Ole Miss beats LSU.”

The Tigers then face a quick turnaround with Texas A&M the following Saturday. Kelly said LSU can overcome a split in those two games, and the Tigers should feel good about their outlook if they can come out of that stretch 1-1 before moving into an easier portion of the schedule.

From there, Kelly has LSU beating Alabama at home.

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“I think they’ll have great energy and momentum with just the one stumble at this point,” Kelly said. “I think they’ll beat Alabama at home.”

That sets up a mid-November showdown with Texas, marking the first meeting between the Tigers and Longhorns since 2019, when Texas was still in the Big 12.

“This is difficult,” Kelly said. “I think they probably get beat at the end here, and I expect that Texas will win this game.”

Kelly then has the Tigers close the regular season with wins over Tennessee and Arkansas, finishing 10-2. That would give LSU its first 10-win regular season since the 2019 national championship campaign.

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Kelly’s confidence in the Tigers comes down to the roster Kiffin has assembled and the offense’s potential.

“I think they’re better on defense. Lane’s done a great job in the portal. And then offensively, Lane and Charlie Weis (Jr.) will have that offense running quite well,” Kelly said. “They’re like every other team. They’ve got to keep their quarterback healthy. If their quarterback’s healthy, then they’re going to be minimally a 10-2 team.”

Can Notre Dame be perfect?

Kelly was fairly confident in picking the Fighting Irish to finish the regular season undefeated for the first time since 2018, but there are a couple of tricky games that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Notre Dame should be heavily favored in every game through the first half of the schedule before it makes the trip out west to face BYU. Provo is always a tough test, especially if kickoff comes late, but Kelly didn’t seem particularly concerned about the matchup with the Cougars.

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“I think Notre Dame has done a great job against the marquee teams, and I think they’ll continue to do that at BYU,” Kelly said.

That doesn’t mean BYU should be dismissed. The Cougars could represent Notre Dame’s first legitimate test of the season as a potential top-15 opponent. Marcus Freeman is 16-7 (.696) against AP Top 25 opponents during his Notre Dame tenure, but that record drops to 4-4 (.500) in true road games.

If Notre Dame is going to lose a regular-season game in 2026, the most obvious candidate is a November visit from Miami, which beat the Fighting Irish in last year’s opener. That result ultimately kept Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff while the Hurricanes went on to reach the national championship game.

But Kelly doesn’t expect a repeat.

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“I think everybody has penciled this game as one that Notre Dame could lose,” Kelly said. “I don’t see it happening. I think Notre Dame will win that football game.”

Kelly has Notre Dame winning its final three games against ACC opponents to finish the regular season 12-0.

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Maduka Okoye gets real on massive fame after Cardi B-linked Paris Fashion Week moment

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Stefon Diggs’ ex-girlfriend Cardi B was spotted sitting alongside Maduka Okoye at the Paris Fashion Week on July 8. Their front-seat appearance went viral within hours, boosting the social media followers of the Nigerian soccer player. Almost a month later, Okoye talked about his time at the fashion show with the rapper.

“Being at the Paris fashion week was really impressive. It was my first time really coming into contact with high fashion, and it was fascinating,” Okoye said via The Guardian. “It’s a true art form. I enjoyed it immensely, and since that moment I’ve become a much bigger fan of fashion than I was before.”

Maduka Okoye has remained the talk of the town due to buzz around his rumored romance with Cardi B. On July 19, the two were spotted enjoying a dinner date at a restaurant inside The St. Regis Venice, Italy. Less than a week after their date, Okoye’s ex-girlfriend Jelicia Westhoff made allegations of violence and infidelity against him.

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“You was cheating on me with everything,” Westhoff shared via Instagram story. “When I had just given birth to our baby (Isaiah Amiel Okoye), I still chose to wipe your (expletive) because you had just undergone an operation, and none of your people looked out for you.”

“Let’s speak about December, MY son got hospitalized 4 times, ON the intensive of care with an ambulance!! his FATHER didn’t even came!” she wrote in another Instagram story.

Moving forward in the interview, Westhoff talked about maintaining boundaries between his personal and professional life:

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“What happens off the pitch is one thing, what happens on the pitch is another. You have to separate the two. I never let these two worlds collide.”

Cardi B exploded over constant media attention amid romance with Maduka Okoye

In her July 20 Instagram story, Cardi B went on to rant about being constantly under media attention and how her relationship receives more than usual focus. Expressing her anger, the rapper said:

“I’m really hip-hop’s Britney Spears… I know who’s [ ] who, and who was doing what … But guess what? Nobody reports about it because nobody gives a [ ],” she said. “When it comes to me… I can’t even (expletive) piss in a [ ] cup, bitch. Like, this [ ] is [ ] crazy.”

Cardi B and Stefon Diggs had a public relationship, and the two remained in the headlines for a long while despite their breakup. The rapper recently trashed her fans for unrealistic relationship advice, following her separation from Diggs.