Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran of looks on during the Men’s Quarter Final match between India and Great Britain on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Yves Du Manoir on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)
P R Sreejesh’s stint as India junior men’s hockey coach has ended after 17 months, but his exit has now led to questions and differing claims from both the former goalkeeper and Hockey India.Sreejesh’s contract ended after he guided India to a bronze medal at the Junior World Cup held in Chennai and Madurai last year. He reapplied for the role, but Hockey India did not renew his contract.On Thursday, Hockey India officially appointed Frederic Soyez as the new junior men’s team coach.The federation said there was nothing unusual about the decision and maintained that the process was carried out properly.However, Sreejesh said on social media that he was ignored to make way for a foreign coach allegedly preferred by senior men’s coach Craig Fulton.The issue has also reportedly caused mixed reactions among players.“Some players of the junior team were not happy with Sreejesh’s working style, they couldn’t reach him when needed over phone when camps were not in progress,” a source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said the decision was part of a long-term plan linked to India’s preparations for the 2036 Olympics.“We have not fired Sreejesh. His contract expired in December 2025 and we followed the due process of and advertised for the position. He also applied and applicants were short-listed and finalised as per a proper selection process basis merit,” Tirkey said.“We never wanted him to come out of the coaching programme, we offered him to lead the developmental programme, India A and beyond that. Besides that we offered him to guide our goalkeepers at the national level with his vast experience, but he refused,” he added.“But the doors are always open for him and other Indian coaches.”Sreejesh moved directly from playing to coaching despite having no formal coaching experience at the time of his appointment.Having played under several foreign coaches during his career, including Roelant Oltmans, Terry Walsh, Graham Reid and Craig Fulton, his criticism of Hockey India’s preference for a foreign coach has also drawn attention.Tirkey denied that Fulton had any role in the appointment process.“We have never conveyed to him that the chief coach of the men’s team has given a preference to appoint a foreign coach for the junior side. As a federation, we are collectively working towards the vision of our government to build a pathway towards 2036 and a big part of that process is to develop our Indian coaching talent.”Apart from coaching, Sreejesh is also the mentor and director of Hockey India League franchise Delhi SG Pipers.
Randy Orton’s wife shared a personal update today amid the legend’s absence from WWE. The Viper has not been seen since WrestleMania 42 earlier this year.
The 46-year-old’s wife, Kim Orton, took to Instagram today to share a family update. She shared several family photos in the post, and Orton can be seen in the first slide. You can check out the photos in Kim Orton’s Instagram post below.
Thanks for the submission!
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Orton aligned with Pat McAfee ahead of WrestleMania 42 during his rivalry with Cody Rhodes over the Undisputed WWE Championship. The legend won the Men’s Elimination Chamber match earlier this year to become the number one contender.
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Pat McAfee tried to interfere in the match, but Orton betrayed the former NFL punter and planted him with an RKO. The American Nightmare capitalized on the distraction and hit Orton with the Cross Rhodes for the pinfall victory to retain the title at The Show of Shows.
The Apex Predator has not been seen on WWE TV since his loss to Rhodes on The Grandest Stage of Them All. There have been rumors that he was dealing with a back issue, but the former champion shut those down on social media.
Former WWE star tells hilarious Randy Orton story
Wrestling veteran Maven recently shared a humorous story about Randy Orton flipping out at a restaurant.
Speaking on the INSIGHT podcast with Chris Van Vliet, Maven stated that he once accompanied Randy Orton to Denny’s, and the veteran got upset because there was water floating on top of his oatmeal. The situation led to an argument between Orton and the manager.
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“Orton looked at her and threw the oatmeal. So out comes the manager. And the manager looks and sees, and it was me and Orton and someone else. I’m not going to say who. And the manager sizes us up. I’m the smallest guy in the group. And the manager says, well, you’re going to have to pay for that oatmeal and the one they’re making. And in true Randy Orton fashion, he says, I’ll buy every box of oatmeal you got if you can get one of them right. And that was a tame day, with early Orton.”
WWE SmackDown ratings have reportedly dropped by over 30% since Randy Orton was taken off television due to injury.
Only time will tell when the former champion will make his return to WWE television.
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After nearly four years away from professional tennis, Serena Williams is back in the winner’s circle.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion made a successful return at Queen’s Club, teaming up with Victoria Mboko to defeat Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2), 6-2 in the doubles draw.
This is her first professional match since the 2022 US Open and her first victory in 1,376 days.
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While fans celebrated Serena’s winning return, the pair admitted afterwards that they saw plenty of room for improvement.
“Well, we had a lot of fun. We feel like there’s room for improvement,” Serena said with a laugh.
Mboko agreed.
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“There were so many times in the match where we were kinda like… this could be so much better.”
Serena then joked about some of the mistakes they made during the match.
“Yeah, or ugh, this is embarrassing… I missed that, oh my God.”
Mboko revealed the pair were constantly critiquing themselves throughout the contest.
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“It was a vibe and it was also just us being realistic a little bit. Say like, she missed two returns or I missed two returns… we’d be like, ‘Damn, we suck.’”
Despite the self-criticism, Serena was quick to praise her young partner.
“I think Vicky is doing great,” she said. “I need to make some returns next match. I didn’t miss one in practice. But ugh, that was a little embarrassing out there.”
“The good news is I can do better.”
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After 1,376 days away from professional competition, she is back on court, back in front of fans, and back in the winner’s circle.
The BBC has unveiled its new state-of-the-art World Cup studio in Salford, hitting back at Gary Lineker’s ‘green box’ jibe
The BBC’s director of sport appears to have hit back at Gary Lineker by insisting their new “work-from-home” World Cup studio is not a “green box in Salford”.
Back in April, former BBC presenter Lineker took a swipe at the corporation, ridiculing its decision not to establish a base in the United States. The 65-year-old added that his departure from the broadcaster has enabled him to attend the World Cup in New York, and stated he has no regrets about missing out on fronting their coverage of this summer’s tournament.
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Then in mid-May, BBC presenter Gabby Logan mounted a staunch defence of the BBC’s decision to remain in the UK until the last week of the five-and-a-half-week tournament. She cited the “very expensive cost” of moving the studio to the US for the start of the World Cup and claimed it won’t “harm our coverage to not be there”.
Now on Tuesday, six weeks after Lineker’s remarks and just two days before the tournament kicks off, BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski unveiled the broadcaster’s headquarters for this year’s World Cup.
There was no green-screen backdrop in sight, with the BBC instead splashing out on a cutting-edge studio, boasting a vast panoramic screen as its centrepiece. This is designed to create the impression that the studio is overlooking whichever of the 16 World Cup host cities a match is being broadcast from, including Mexico City and New York.
They have even fitted fans beside the screen to circulate air and replicate a soft breeze. This will sit alongside augmented reality elements in a 360-degree partly-real, partly-virtual environment where BBC presenters, including Logan and Mark Chapman, and pundits will be stationed until the tournament’s final week this summer.
Lineker had been anticipated to front the BBC’s coverage for the competition until his exit was announced in 2025 following a social media post containing a rat emoji, a symbol that has featured in anti-Semitic material. The former Tottenham and England striker subsequently secured a £14million contract with Netflix to host his The Rest is Football podcast from a New York studio, which is due to launch this week.
On 30 April, Lineker boasted about heading to the US for the World Cup and “overlooking Times Square”, while his previous employers remain “in Salford in a green box”.
However, Kay-Jelski said on Tuesday: “It’s not a green box in Salford. It’s a beautiful state-of-the-art studio. No one’s seen it until now. It’s completely fine to assume that what was there before was what it was going to be. And I’m really proud of this.
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“The actual end product people are getting at home, I don’t really think it’s that different,” Kay-Jelski added. “If these people were sitting somewhere else, would your viewing be massively changed?
“If I was standing here saying, ‘Everything is going to be done from a studio in Dallas’, you would rightly be saying to me, ‘How can you justify that spend?’”
The tournament gets under way on Thursday when host nation Mexico take on South Korea, while the BBC’s first fixture is anticipated to be Canada’s Group B clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
Serena Williams makes a triumphant return to professional tennis at the Queen’s club, securing a first-round doubles victory alongside Canada’s Victoria Mboko. Playing on the Andy Murray Arena, the 44-year-old American icon inspired the crowd by declaring “you can do anything at any age” following their progression to the second round.
FILE–Ateneo’s Divine Adili reacts during a game against UE in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo de Manila University, rocked by drowning deaths of two of its basketball players in a team activity, provided a statement on Tuesday.
The families of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili were promised all the help they need even as Baternonia’s family had requested than an autopsy be done on the promising native of Davao.
“At the request of Rene’s parents, an autopsy will be conducted,” the statement read. “The University…has coordinated with the appropriate authorities, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), to facilitate this process.”
Adili’s remains, meanwhile, will be flown to Nigeria.
“The family of Divine Adili has expressed its wish to have his remains returned to Nigeria, in keeping with family and cultural practices that are important to them,” the school said. “The University is assisting the family in the necessary arrangements and is awaiting the written authorization required to begin processing the relevant documentation.”
Ateneo has also emphasized that it is providing support and assistance to the families of Rene and Divine after the tragic incident.
The school also said that the team has arrived back in Manila following the mishap in Aurora during their team building, and that each member of the team will undergo counselling and psychological sessions to be “facilitated by the College Guidance Office.”
“The University recognizes that the emotional impact of this tragedy extends beyond a single session and has committed to providing continuing counseling, psychological support, and other forms of care for the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in the days and weeks ahead.”
Coach Tab Baldwin, meanwhile, under whose watch the tragedy happened, has yet to give a statement regarding the matter.
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen walks the sideline during one of the final games of his NFL career, representing the franchise where his journey began. In 2025 against the Baltimore Ravens, Thielen appeared in team-released footage after a career that started with Minnesota in 2013 and concluded following the season. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
If you haven’t heard by now, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen is a fan of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Thielen has not been shy in the last two years about pounding the table for McCarthy, and this week, he continued the pattern.
McCarthy’s stock is low right now, playing second fiddle to new Viking Kyler Murray. But if Thielen has it right, McCarthy’s upside is very much intact.
Vikings QB Plan Still Depends on McCarthy’s Next Step
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy scans the field before delivering a pass during a road matchup against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The young signal-caller continued gaining valuable experience as Minnesota pushed toward the postseason. Captured on Dec. 21, 2025, the play reflected McCarthy’s growing comfort within Kevin O’Connell’s offensive system. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
Thielen on McCarthy
Thielen spoke with Kyle Brandt, and the McCarthy topic surfaced. Thielen opined, “He’s got all the traits to be a successful quarterback in this league. He has the skills. He has the strong arm. He has the mindset that not a lot of guys have, has this dog mentality that everyone wants to find. So, I love those two aspects of him. I think he’s a guy who loves football; he loves his teammates.”
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“You feel that in the locker room with him. Now, was there some things that he needs to work on? Yes. Absolutely. He knows that. And I think he’s gone to the drawing board this offseason, I think he’s taken feedback from coach O’Connell, and coach, I think, was very candid with him of ‘This is what you need to improve on.’”
Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill also shared a similar opinion about McCarthy last week.
Thielen continued, “And I think he’s gone to the drawing board and really worked on those things. I think you have to wait and see what that looks like in training camp, when you put the pads on, when you put a full defense coming at him, with preseason games and things like that.”
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“But I think he’s gonna step in the right direction.”
McCarthy May Have to Wait for Serendipity
While McCarthy may have all the right stuff, according to Thielen, he likely won’t get a chance to strut in September. For now, Murray is the runaway frontrunner at Vikings organized team activities to win the QB1 job. McCarthy has not struggled; Murray has just looked too impressive for a QB2 job.
On the other hand, Murray is not known for his durability — neither is McCarthy — at 5 feet and 10 inches tall. So, there’s a decent chance that Murray gets hurt sometime in 2026, and in that scenario, all eyes would turn to McCarthy, who would enter the huddle and be asked to script a mini-redemption tale.
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There’s a world where Murray gets injured, McCarthy takes over, McCarthy plays great, and just never gives the job back. That happens in the NFL. McCarthy, at least for 2026’s sake, could be down to that alternative, based on the way Murray is trending early this summer.
A High-Pressure Season for His Career
And make no mistake: the stakes are elevated for McCarthy, even if he’s not tapped on the shoulder for the QB1 job this season. Most young quarterbacks show their true colors in Year No. 3, a tell-tale marker of quarterback development.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen looks on following a victory over the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Thielen was in the midst of one of the most productive stretches of his NFL career, cementing his status as a fan favorite. Photographed on Oct. 14, 2018, the image captures a defining era for Minnesota’s offense. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.
For instance, if McCarthy sees playing time in 2026 and balls out, there’s no reason to believe the Vikings would deviate from his candidacy as the long-term QB1. After all, not long ago, he was the one-and-only QB1 solution for a team ending the Kirk Cousins era.
Conversely, if Murray refuses to relinquish the QB1 title, well, McCarthy may not stay in Minnesota longer than the 2026 campaign. The Vikings already bungled the Sam Darnold situation. There is precisely zero chance that Murray would thrive in Minnesota while the Vikings’ front office said “thanks but no thanks” to a Murray contract extension in 2027. In that scenario, McCarthy would be looking at a trade sweepstakes in the 2027 offseason.
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Thielen Knows Best?
On Thielen, he worked in the NFL for 13 years. He knows things; he’s seen some stuff. If he’s going out of his way to praise McCarthy, he would not do that as a hot-take merchant. There’s no reason to hype a quarterback who stinks, and to Thielen’s credit, he’s pounded the table for McCarthy more than a couple of times.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy walks off the field after a road game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The rookie passer continued building momentum during his first season as Minnesota’s starter while navigating playoff expectations. Captured on Dec. 14, 2025, the moment reflects the growing responsibilities placed on the franchise quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
Therefore, when you see fans on social media hinting that McCarthy is a bust or just flat-out stinks, Thielen may be a more credible source and quarterback evaluator.
In fact, McCarthy feels like the type of guy who eventually “figures it out,” not unlike Baker Mayfield or the aforementioned Darnold.
McCarthy will turn 24 next January. He still has youth in his favor, and the Vikings have the option to control his contract for the next three seasons.
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Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Scott O’Neil and other LIV Golf executives are well aware they have work to do. With the Saudi PIF pulling its funding beyond this season, LIV leaders need to secure outside investment for the breakaway golf league to exist in 2027.
“I could tell you one thing is that I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else with any group of players, with any group of executives or any group of advisors in the world right now,” O’Neil told Wapner. “I think we have a very, very special opportunity to create tremendous value. Now, it’s going to be different. It will be certainly sustained; it will be disciplined and value accretive. I think what we’ve seen in terms of the increase of the value in sports teams over the last 30 years since I have been in this business is absolutely incredible. There’s a lot of disposable income knocking on the door, wanting to get into ownership of league and teams.”
O’Neil mentioned Formula 1 and MotoGP as examples, as well as the estimated values to the NBA’s potential expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas.
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LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil was asked about Sunday’s @FOS report today on CNBC.
Q: Can you guarantee today that the 4 remaining tournaments on your schedule will actually take place?
“We are in the right space, we are out here at the right time,” he continued. “I got extraordinary star power like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Young. We are playing at incredible events, we got great business momentum. Look, I’m in market one week, and I can tell you it’s been a really, really warm welcome reception in the market. … We are pretty excited about where we are.”
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Wapner then asked O’Neil if he could comment on a Front Office Sports report that LIV might not have enough money to finish the current season.
“Well I can say they have been terrific partners so far, and you have to take an incredible organization like PIF at their word,” he said. “They have been very public about funding us through the season, so we are full steam ahead.”
Asked if he could guarantee the remaining four LIV tournaments for 2026 will actually take place, O’Neil only said: “What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business.”
LIV Golf, which played in Spain last week, is off for the rest of the month. Its next event is in the United Kingdom in July and has tournaments scheduled for New Jersey, Indianapolis and Michigan, the latter its team event, in August. The league has already postponed a New Orleans tournament scheduled for June to later this year, although a new date has not been set.
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Since the announcement of the PIF pulling its funding, LIV Golf’s uncertain future has been a major talking point in the golf world. Bryson DeChambeau said he’s attended meetings and would try to help secure funding as much as he can, although other players have admitted that’s not so easy.
“I know nothing about business,” Jon Rahm said last week. “I’m never going to claim to know anything about business, and if I was in a business pitch, I would not know the first thing to say. My job is to play golf, and I’ll say it’s is hard enough as it is. But if any player who knows what they’re doing is willing to do certain things like that, I think it can only help.”
Emma Raducanu is hopeful her commanding first-round win over Anna Blinkova at Queen’s can serve as a “really good stepping stone” for her Wimbledon preparations.
British number one Raducanu was dominant for most of the contest, winning the first eight games without reply before going on to complete a 6-0 6-3 victory over the Russian qualifier.
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It was the 23-year-old’s first win since 6 March, when she beat qualifier Anastasia Zakharova in the Indian Wells first round.
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Raducanu’s season has since been disrupted by a post-viral illness that kept her off the WTA Tour for more than two months, and she lost her only two matches on clay on her return – in Strasbourg and at the French Open.
But Raducanu appeared comfortable as she opened her grass-court season in London – and delighted to be competing in front of her home support.
“I’m so happy to have come through that match. To be back here playing at Queen’s… I haven’t actually won a match for a few months and there isn’t a place I would rather have done it. I’m really grateful for all the support,” Raducanu told the crowd.
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‘A lot of clarity’ – Raducanu ‘feels at home’ at Queen’s
In her two matches following illness, Raducanu appeared to be lacking in both energy and confidence as she showed little emotion on court.
But, 16 days after her first-round exit at Roland Garros, the Briton looked much more relaxed on Andy Murray Arena.
She smiled at the crowd during her warm-up, while there was a celebratory roar or fist pump after every point she won.
“The way I was feeling on the court, the way I was moving, the way I was expressing myself, just the whole package – not necessarily the tennis – just how I kind of was acting on the court, I really enjoyed it,” Raducanu said.
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“I was just feeding off the atmosphere, and it felt free, it felt clear, and a lot of clarity. Not necessarily thinking too much, not trying to do too much. It felt very natural.”
The 2021 US Open champion held a commanding 3-0 lead before rain halted play – but that would not disrupt her rhythm.
She captured the first set without reply after just 20 minutes on court, winning 25 of the 31 points played – hitting 11 winners and just two unforced errors.
Raducanu maintained that excellent level to begin the second set with a break of serve – although she would not have it entirely her own way.
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A Queen’s quarter-finalist last year, Raducanu was hampered by double-faults as she allowed Blinkova back in – with four successive breaks of serve tying the set at three games apiece.
However, Raducanu broke again, courtesy of a fortuitous net cord, to set up the chance to serve out the match, and she wore a beaming smile in the sunshine as a closing backhand winner down the line on her second match point was met by huge cheers.
Writing ‘back home’ with a heart on a TV camera lens before exiting the court, Raducanu will return to face Romanian seventh seed Sorana Cirstea in the second round on Wednesday.
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‘Really hard to sleep at night when you’re in the middle of a match’
British number three Katie Boulter also reached the second round, although her win was less straightforward as she fought back from a set and a break down to beat eighth seed Leylah Fernandez 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.
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Their match was played over two days after rain on Monday evening saw play suspended with the Canadian leading 6-3 3-3.
But Boulter, the world number 73, stepped up the intensity on Tuesday to force a deciding set before wrapping up the win after two hours and 45 minutes.
“I am really pleased with the way I came back today. I was a step slow last night and she was playing great,” she said.
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“I had to respond and it’s really hard to sleep at night when you’re in the middle of a match but I managed to get a few hours and I am really pleased how I managed to turn it around.”
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Raducanu and Boulter joined Harriet Dart, who won her match on Monday, in the second round but British number four Francesca Jones and 17-year-old Briton Mika Stojsavljevic were both beaten in straight sets.
Boulter and Raducanu, nicknamed ‘Boultercanu’ for short after their doubles exploits at Queen’s last year, returned to play together again later on Tuesday.
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But they were beaten 6-4 3-6 10-5 in a match tie-break.by fourth seeds Storm Hunter and Zhang Shuai.
Real Madrid have had a 150m euro (£130m) offer for striker Julian Alvarez rejected by city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Real president Florentino Perez last week pledged to make a 150m euro offer for an unnamed “galactico” player if re-elected to his position.
Having successfully retained control on Sunday, Perez made good on his promise.
However, the move for the 26-year-old Argentina forward was turned down by his club, who cited Alvarez’s release clause of 500m euros (£430m).
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In a statement, Real said: “Following the meeting of the board of directors held today, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Club Atletico de Madrid for the federative rights of the player Julian Alvarez.
“After reviewing and evaluating the offer, Club Atletico de Madrid has expressed its gratitude for the proposal, made within the framework of the good relations between both clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player’s release clause.”
In a subsequent post, external they stated: “You must have confused education with gratitude, but to leave no doubt: we don’t thank you for anything.
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“We neither study nor consider any offer for Julian. How could we not get along, when you make us laugh even more than Barcelona does.”
In a final post, Atletico added, external: “P.S. Taking advantage of the good relationship with your new president, let’s see if you stop ‘stealing’ players from our Academy. Thanks a lot, @realmadrid!”
Former Manchester City player Alvarez, who won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, joined the La Liga club in an £81.5m deal in 2024.
He scored 20 goals in 49 appearances for Atletico last season as they finished fourth in the table and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
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