Rising Indian javelin thrower Rohit Yadav aspires to follow in the lofty footsteps of iconic Neeraj Chopra, who has pulled out of the upcoming Asian Games due to an injury, in the continental event beginning on September 19.

Rohit, 25, from Dabhiya village in Uttar Pradesh, had a dismal Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year with a throw of just 81.56m but he recorded his personal best on August 22 with a throw of 87.68m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubaneswar.

And he is confident of bettering that feat in Aichi-Nagoya during the Asian Games.

“I am not taking any pressure although I know people are expecting a lot from me. It is not good that Neeraj is not there but we have to accept that. Neeraj’s medal was 100 per cent sure but I will try fill up his place. I know I won’t be able to take his place but will try and get a podium place. I will try to give my best throw to be among medal winners,” Rohit told PTI in an interview “Neeraj’s place is different, he has made history for the country. He has all medals in the world. There is no place in the world where he has not won a medal. I will try to do what he has achieved so that the country can be proud.” Rohit said for him to progress, he needs to participate in top level competitions, like the Diamond League.

“I need to play in big competitions like the Diamond League, if I can do that it will give me a lot of confidence. I have that throw and I want to produce that in that level among the world’s best. That will be a really different experience.

“So I my goal is to play all the big competitions next year to get to his stature and make India proud,” he said.

Rohit said he didn’t make any particular changes to his technique after the disappointing Commonwealth Games outing, and has only worked on his rhythm and mindset.

“It’s not about changes, it’s all about mindset. In CWG my run was not right, I couldn’t understand. My rhythm totally broke and I couldn’t produce my best throw. After that we have just worked on that aspect, rhythm and focus on just the throw and remember Rohit has to become Rohit only,” he said.

“Somebody told me don’t look at others just focus on your own throw and then you can finish on the podium.” Although he is not targeting any benchmark, Rohit just wants to finish on the podium in the Asian Games.

Asked about the challenge from Sri Lankan javelin sensation Rumesh Pathirage, who has won gold medals at the 2026 Diamond League and the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and Olympic gold medallist Pakistani Arshad Nadeem, Rohit said: “They will do their best and I will try to give my best throw, rest we will see.

“While throwing 87.68m I didn’t give my 100 per cent, so javelin can travel 2-3m back and forth, it’s possible. They have made their name, it’s good. Everyone needs to make their name and everybody’s time will come.

Carrick’s team picks itself, with the exception of how he approaches the game in attack. The United boss has shown a liking for playing without a striker, but Sesko gave him something to think about by scoring against Sabah earlier in the week.

Does Carrick start with Rashford, Cunha and Mbeumo, an interchangeable and pacy attacking line that should excel on the counter-attack, or give Sesko another start up front? Sesko was taken off in the 64th minute against Sabah, so he will be primed for today, but it would be a slight surprise to see him start.

John O’Shea and Tom Charlton did not have the Cap D’Antibes Stakes as the intended starting point for Satono Glow’s campaign. Nevertheless, her decisive victory might have paved the way for further engagements on the straight course this season.

The three-year-old filly maintained her perfect record at Flemington, securing her second win from as many starts by narrowly defeating Over Excited in the $175,000 Listed race over 1100 metres.

Charlton indicated that he arrived at Flemington without a clear plan for the Satono Aladdin filly’s campaign, but her performance may have provided the necessary direction.

A potential target now looms for the filly: the $2 million Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) back at Flemington on Derby Day.

“We came into today just thinking whether we may go up and trip or stay where we are and, I guess, we might have answered that,” he said. “But she’s really classy and has a great group of owners who will support us with allowing us to buy them fillies every year and they’ve been well rewarded.”

The Cap D’Antibes Stakes proved to be a significant event for the O’Shea and Charlton partnership, with their $16 outsider Scintillation also claiming third place.

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Carl Froch hasn’t held back with his assessment of Conor Benn following his defeat to Ryan Garcia on Saturday.

Benn came up short in his bid to become WBC welterweight champion as he was beaten by Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

‘King Ry’ dropped his rival in the second round with a big right hand, and while Benn was able to get back up to his feet, Garcia continued to unload on the ropes, forcing the referee to jump in and wave off the contest.

Former super-middleweight king Froch has now shared his verdict on his YouTube channel, stating that it confirms that Benn shouldn’t be competing at that level.

“The truth tonight has been revealed. Conor Benn has shown that he doesn’t belong at world level. He had one great fight with Chris Eubank Jr where he got beat, he beat him in the rematch but Eubank Jr was flat. I’m not going to dig out his career and give him any stick, but his best win before that is Chris Algieri, and then he’s not fought anyone.

“He’s somehow found himself in a WBC world title [fight], but unfortunately he’s in there against Ryan Garcia, down at 147 as well. Conor tried his best, his mind looked focused and he believed in himself, but the bottom line is Ryan Garcia is a totally different class.”

Froch isn’t the only man to share that view, with countryman Tony Bellew also claiming that Benn jumped up too many levels.

The Indian senior women’s rugby sevens team has begun its preparation for the upcoming Asian Games here with coach Terence Joseph saying the focus of the national camp will be on execution and consistency.

The camp is being held at the Sports Authority of India’s Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre in Kolkata, which has been the home base for the Indian rugby team ahead of major international competitions.

The Indian eves will compete in the women’s rugby sevens tournament at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya from October 1 to 3. India has been drawn in Pool B alongside defending champions China, Hong Kong China and Malaysia.

“The Asian Games is a big tournament for us. We are looking at details and consistency from the team. A lot depends on how we execute our plans in Japan,” Joseph said during a press conference in SAI Kolkata.

“SAI Kolkata has been the home for the Indian rugby team. We have been conducting camps here for the past three years.” Captain Shikha Yadav echoed her coach’s sentiments, saying the team would look to carry its recent form into the Asian Games.

“We want to carry the form and consistency from recent impressive performances at Asia Rugby Sevens series into the Asian Games. Rather than putting ourselves under added pressure, we want to remain grounded, follow the pattern and stick to the basics,” she said.

Shikha, Dumini, Kalyani Patil, Vaishnavi Patil, Mama Nayak and Sandhya Rai, who were part of the previous Asian Games squad, are also in the squad for the mega event in Aichi-Nagoya.

The current camp, scheduled to continue until September 24, is focused on finalising the travelling core team and sharpening the tactical details required against some of the continent’s strongest teams.

A total of 20 players are currently attending the national coaching camp, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India at Rs 19.8 lakh.

India’s women’s rugby sevens team finished seventh at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022. The team had earlier made its Asian Games debut at Guangzhou in 2010.

Ireland finished runner-up to Germany in the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Canada, overnight.

Nine nations took to the International Ring to challenge the 1.60m track designed by FEI Course Designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN).

All nine teams participated in the opening round before the field was narrowed to the top six teams based on their combined scores.

Round One

Daniel Coyle and Farrel were the pathfinders for Jessica Kurten’s team. The Derry rider and the 16-year-old gelding completed the course in a time of 69.38 seconds, but with four faults.

His brother, Jordan, was next into the arena, with Cordiamo. The combination had an uncharacteristic total of 16 faults, which became the Irish discard score in round one.

Conor Swail and Clonterm Obolensky had four faults, stopping the clock in 71.73 seconds.

Ireland’s only clear of the opening round was delivered by the anchor combination of Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Vistogrand. This left the team with a total of 8 faults at the conclusion of the first round.

Round Two

Ireland, Britain, Germany, Belgium, the United States and France all produced scores needed to advance to the second round, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.

With the scores tightly packed at the top, Germany, Ireland and defending champions Great Britain entered the second round separated by only a narrow margin.

The powerful Germany lineup featured three members of the team that claimed victory at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in August: Daniel Deusser, Sophie Hinners and Jörne Sprehe. The three all delivered faultless performances in the second round.

Only three of the Irish combinations took to the International Ring for the final round.

Daniel Coyle and Farrel improved on their opening effort as they went clear in 68.30 seconds.

Jordan Coyle and Cordiamo also improved on their first round score, this time having two rails down in a time of 71.42 seconds.

Conor Swail and Clonterm Obolensky were next to go for Ireland, and the combination went clear, only to have one time fault.

Ireland’s anchor combination of Denis Lynch and Vistogrand withdrew as their efforts would not have made any different to the result.

Germany took the title of a two-round score of 4 faults, with Ireland second on 17 faults. Belgium finished in third on 21 faults, ahead of the defending champions, Britain, in fourth place with 26 faults.

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A day after revealing his disappointment over the lack of a new contract offer by Liverpool, Alexis Mac Allister delivered the perfect response with the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mac Allister unleashed a ferocious strike from outside of the box as Liverpool came back from a goal down at Anfield.

The Argentina international, who joined Liverpool in 2023, raced away to celebrate in front of the home fans. It was in stark contrast to his sombre tone ahead of the game when discussing the uncertainty over his position at the club.

“I received the news that the club was not in a position to offer me a new contract,” he said during a pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

Mac Allister’s contract runs until 2028, so there is no urgency for Liverpool to renew yet. But his goal five minutes after after halftime was a reminder of his qualities, firing powerfully into the corner and beyond the reach of Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Atletico had taken the lead through Marcos Llorente after 17 minutes, with the midfielder extending his remarkable goal-scoring run at Anfield.

It was his fifth goal in his last three visits to Merseyside, having famously scored twice as Atletico eliminated then-defending champion Liverpool from the tournament just before the Covid 19 lockdown in 2020.

Dominik Szoboszlai leveled in the 40th before Mac Allister’s winner.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Doma United have sent a strong warning to the rest of the EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League after beating nine-time champions Enyimba 2-0 on Saturday.

The Savannah Tigers made it three wins from three matches at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe, moving to nine points at the top of the early league table.

Sadiq Rilwan opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark, making it three goals in three league matches for the striker.

Yusuf Fantami then scored in the second half to secure another important victory for Doma United.

Even more impressive is their defensive record.

Three matches. Three wins. Nine points. Zero goals conceded.

For a club that many expected to struggle after returning to the top flight, Doma United have quickly become one of the biggest stories of the new season.

But the action continues on Sunday with six more matches.

Lagos Derby Takes Centre Stage

Inter Lagos will face Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in the first-ever top-flight meeting between the two sides.

Neither team has made the start it wanted. Inter have lost their opening two games, while Sporting were beaten 2-0 by Doma United in their first match.

With both sides looking for a big result, Sunday’s 4pm meeting could be the beginning of a new Lagos football rivalry.

Barau Face Ranchers Bees

Barau FC will welcome Ranchers Bees to the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

Barau remain unbeaten after beating Nasarawa United and drawing with Kun Khalifat.

Ranchers Bees, however, have one of the players to watch in Mohammed Rabiu Zulkifilu, who scored the first hat-trick of the season against Abia Warriors.

Barau will be hoping to stop him, while Ranchers will want the striker to continue his impressive form.

Bendel Insurance Target Kun Khalifat’s Unbeaten Run

Bendel Insurance will host Kun Khalifat at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

Kun Khalifat have played two matches without scoring or conceding, with goalkeeper Akuchie Obinna keeping two clean sheets.

Insurance will be looking to break that defensive wall, while Kun Khalifat will be aiming for another clean sheet.

Abia Warriors Search for First Goal

Abia Warriors are still looking for their first goal of the season when they host Ikorodu City.

The Warriors have managed just one point from their opening two matches.

Ikorodu City, meanwhile, started with a 3-1 victory over Ranchers Bees.

However, history favours Abia Warriors, with Ikorodu City losing on both previous visits to Abia.

Niger Tornadoes, Plateau United Battle for Momentum

Niger Tornadoes and Plateau United will meet at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna.

Both teams have one win and one defeat from their opening two matches.

Tornadoes beat Enyimba 2-1 before losing 3-2 to Kano Pillars, while Plateau United bounced back from an opening defeat to Rivers United by beating Kwara United 1-0.

Sunday’s game gives both sides a chance to build momentum.

Kwara United Wait for First Win

Kwara United will also be looking for their first victory when they host Katsina United at the Kwara State Sports Stadium in Ilorin.

Kwara have collected only one point from two matches, while Katsina United held Rangers International to a 1-1 draw in their only game so far.

Kwara have a good recent record against Katsina, winning three of their last five meetings.

Three More Matches Still to Come

Matchday Three will not end on Sunday as three fixtures have been postponed because of continental commitments.

Rivers United will host Warri Wolves on September 16 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

Rangers International will face Nasarawa United on September 17 at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena.

Shooting Stars and Kano Pillars will then meet on October 7 at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

For now, however, all eyes are on Doma United.

The Savannah Tigers have made a perfect start, and with nine points from nine and no goal conceded, the newly promoted side have already given the EuroMatch NPFL plenty to talk about.

England’s Joe Root. (AP Photo)

Joe Root has added another extraordinary record to his already remarkable Test career, becoming the first player in the 147-year history of Test cricket to cross the 2,000-run mark specifically in the fourth innings. The England star reached the landmark during his unbeaten 62 against Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston, producing yet another defining contribution when his team needed him most.Fourth-innings batting is arguably the ultimate examination of a Test batter. The pitch is often at its most challenging, the target is on the scoreboard and every wicket brings the chasing team closer to defeat.Root has made that pressure situation his own.

Root’s fourth-innings dominance reaches another level

Root’s historic achievement came during England’s chase of 130 in the third and final Test against Pakistan. The hosts suffered a nightmare beginning, losing Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay in the opening over to slip to 2/2.With Pakistan suddenly sensing an opportunity to defend a modest target, Root walked into the middle with England under pressure. As has so often been the case throughout his career, the situation appeared to bring out the best in him.Root steadied the chase alongside Jordan Cox, eventually remaining unbeaten on 62 as England reached 130/2 and completed an eight-wicket victory. Cox also remained unbeaten on 59, with the pair putting together a match-winning partnership after England’s early collapse.The victory completed a 3-0 Test series sweep for England, giving Root the perfect finish to his return to the Test captaincy.

Root also becomes the first batter to score 1,000 runs at Edgbaston

The fourth-innings record was not the only piece of history Root created at Edgbaston. During the same innings, he became the first batter to score more than 1,000 Test runs at the Birmingham venue. Root had entered the match needing 52 runs to reach the landmark, having already accumulated 948 runs at Edgbaston.Edgbaston is now the fourth Test venue where Root has scored at least 1,000 runs.His other major haunts are:

That achievement places Root alongside Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting as only the third batter to score 1,000 or more Test runs at four different venues.

And then came another record involving Sachin Tendulkar

Root’s 62 not out also produced another major milestone. The innings was his 69th Test fifty, moving him to the top of the all-time list for half-centuries. That took him past India’s batting great Sachin Tendulkar, who finished his Test career with 68 fifties.Root now leads the list with 69, followed by Tendulkar on 68 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 66. Allan Border and Rahul Dravid have 63 each, while Ricky Ponting has 62. There is another remarkable aspect to that record: Root reached his 69 fifties in fewer Test innings than Tendulkar needed to reach 68.

Root’s 110th fifty-plus score

The 62 not out was also Root’s 110th Test innings in which he scored at least 50 runs. That tally includes 41 centuries and 69 fifties, underlining just how consistently he has converted opportunities into substantial scores throughout his career. Reuters confirmed the Edgbaston innings as his 110th Test score of 50 or more.

Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0, but John Brooks and Stuart Attwell face scrutiny after a disputed penalty and inconsistent handling of key incidents.

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Arsenal left Sunderland with three points after a 2-0 win, but the performance of the officials was far less convincing.

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There were questions over consistency, the application of the laws and the use of VAR, with several significant decisions going against the champions.

John Brooks: 3/10

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The clearest example of inconsistency came with the treatment of throw-ins.

Brooks reversed an Arsenal throw after Riccardo Calafiori took 18 seconds to restart play.

According to figures by Scott Willis of Cannon Stats, Arsenal averaged 12.2 seconds over their throw-ins. Three took longer than 20 seconds and none exceeded 30.

Sunderland, meanwhile, averaged 22.5 seconds. Willis recorded “12 that took longer than 20 seconds, 5 that took longer than 30 seconds, and 3 that took longer than 40 seconds.”

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Even excluding Sunderland’s long throws, which fall outside the new five-second rule, the home side still had five throw-ins that took more than 20 seconds.

John Brooks did not reverse any of them or even threaten to.

That discrepancy is difficult to justify. Arsenal were punished for taking 18 seconds, while Sunderland repeatedly took longer without suffering the same sanction.

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The biggest decision, however, came when Brooks awarded Sunderland a penalty after Dan Ballard was judged to have been fouled by Ezri Konsa when Ballard had instead rolled Konsa to the ground.

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The Match of the Day pundits (Thomas Frank and Ashley Williams) agreed it was not a penalty, while Mikel Arteta was furious after the final whistle.

There was more frustration when Martin Odegaard was stamped on without even being awarded a free-kick.

Gabriel was booked while attempting to calm matters after Sunderland players lost their temper, while fourth official Elliott Bell reported Mikel Arteta for leaving his technical area, resulting in another booking.

Brooks’ 3/10 reflects a performance in which the major decisions and the application of the laws lacked consistency.

The throw-in ruling was particularly hard to square with Sunderland being allowed substantially longer delays, while the penalty compounded Arsenal’s sense that they were being judged differently.

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Stuart Attwell: 5/10

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VAR Stuart Attwell fares slightly better at 5/10, but his failure to intervene over the Sunderland penalty was the most important part of his afternoon and he blew it.

At 0-0, the decision could have altered the course of the match.

The available footage showed Ballard rolling Konsa rather than Konsa bringing down the Sunderland defender, yet Brooks was not sent to the monitor.

That failure carried greater significance because Arsenal had already been told this week by the Key Match Incidents panel that they should have been awarded a penalty, with a red card shown, when Bruno Guimaraes was brought down against Aston Villa.

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The Sunderland decision therefore made it two major penalty calls against Arsenal in only four Premier League matches.

VAR is not there to re-referee every physical contest, but a penalty is one of the most consequential decisions available to an official.

When the footage clearly shows that the player awarded the foul initiated the decisive contact, Attwell had an obvious opportunity to ask Brooks to look again and he refused.

Overall officiating rating: 4/10

Arsenal were good enough to overcome the officials and leave with a 2-0 victory, but the result should not disguise what happened.

The throw-in law was applied to Arsenal in a way it was not applied to Sunderland, a highly questionable penalty was allowed to stand, and other incidents were handled in a manner that added to the sense that Arsenal are still being refereed differently.

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For Arteta and his players, that is the more troubling point. Errors will happen, but when the same side repeatedly appears to be refereed through media narratives rather than the evidence in front of the officials, frustration is inevitable.

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