True to form, Cameron Young arrives early and well prepared.
Our production crew is finishing its setup behind the clubhouse at Dutchman’s Pipe, a well-to-do West Palm Beach golf club just a few miles south of Young’s home, when the cover star himself, the third-ranked golfer in the world, pulls up in a cart and offers a wave to our photographer. He looks more casual than we’re accustomed to seeing him at Tour events, wearing an unbuttoned white polo untucked over gray shorts. Several hangers swing from the back of his cart.
“I brought options,” he says sheepishly, gesturing to a handful of logoed golf shirts and checked button-downs. He hops from the cart and shakes hands with each member of the GOLF team. For the next couple hours, he’s engaged and engaging — direct and forthright through a photo shoot, a sit-down chat and a one-sided battle with a bucket of balls.
That Young is here at all is an encouraging sign for those of us intrigued by his game and what makes him tick. His first several years on Tour were marked by a Teddy Roosevelt — like approach to the media and his on-course performance, speaking softly and carrying a big stick while leaving us to guess the rest. We got to know him, in part, from what we saw on TV — the beard, the game-time scowl, the prodigious power, the trademark pause at the top of his backswing — but not much else. Young seemed, from the outside, a reluctant star, notably declining to create even an Instagram account — almost unheard of in this multi-platform, brand-building era.
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So who is Cameron Young? Let’s start here: He was born in New York’s Westchester County and now lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. He doesn’t care if you call him Cameron or Cam. He and his wife Kelsey have two boys and a girl. They travel just about everywhere together. He’s quicker to smile in real life than in competition (or photos). His teammates at Wake Forest included Will Zalatoris and Alex Fitzpatrick. He’s sponsored by Major League Baseball but doesn’t watch much Major League Baseball. His first pro tournament win came as an amateur, at Bethpage Black, at the 2017 New York State Open. Last year he became the 1,000th unique winner in PGA Tour history. Before the biggest drive of his life, he gave himself the first pep talk of his life. As he hit the biggest one-foot putt of his life, he couldn’t feel his hands.
Thanks to his series of breakthroughs on the game’s biggest stages — his long-awaited first Tour win at the 2025 Wyndham; a starring role a month later at the Ryder Cup; victory at this year’s Players and a validating follow-up win at the Cadillac Championship; his ascent to World No. 3 — something has changed.
He’s being asked better questions and giving more interesting answers. The door has cracked open a bit wider, offering glimpses of the 29-year-old on the rise, of where he came from and how he now finds himself among the game’s elite.
Young poses for photos at Dutchman’s Pipe in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Michael Schwartz
YOUNG’S ORIGIN STORY will make you nostalgic for a childhood you never even had. You can picture how he would have looked: the little kid at the big golf club, chasing his ball into the fading sun, not a care in the world besides impending dusk, night after night after night.
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“It was a dream place to grow up,” Young says.
That dream place was Sleepy Hollow Country Club, where his father, David, took the head pro job when his son was three or four.
“By that point, I already loved going out there and smacking it around.”
Sleepy, as it’s known, is a landmark club just north of New York City, famous for its Golden Age course design, Vanderbilt-mansion clubhouse and entrancing Hudson River views. It’s rarefied turf, but Young felt welcomed from the start. His father or his mother (Barbara, an accomplished player too) would take him out to play nearly every evening, and he could chase to his heart’s content.
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About a decade into his dad’s tenure, the family moved on property, into a house off the fourth hole of Sleepy’s nine-hole short course. Cam developed a ritual: He’d take the train home from school, change into his golf clothes and head straight out.
“I’d get out on the course as much as I could, especially late in the afternoon — see how many holes we could play,” he says. “It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of [land] you could ever find.”
He continues to get membership emails. That’s how he knows about the occasional watch parties and clubhouse meetups supporting the kid who climbed to the top — even as every rung of the ladder brings a reminder that he’s not that kid anymore.
Cameron and his father, David.
Courtesy Cameron Young
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A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME, Young’s career was still defined — at least publicly — by what he hadn’t quite accomplished. He’d jacked up expectations with a red-hot rookie year in 2022 but still hadn’t been able to win a PGA Tour event. Sure, he’d almost gotten across the line, dating back to that Rookie of the Year campaign and its extremely near-misses at the PGA Championship and Open Championship as part of a season with seven top-three finishes. But no dice. He also hadn’t made a Ryder Cup team, and even that omission barely registered. When the 2023 U.S. team was announced, the spotlighted snub in Netflix’s Full Swing was Keegan Bradley, who’d finished 11th in qualifying, while Young, 9th in the standings, was passed over with significantly less fanfare.
By those lofty standards, he floundered in the years that followed, sliding from top 15 in the world to outside the top 50. By early 2025, he was off the Ryder Cup radar for Bethpage Black, the course and career goal he’d circled since high school.
But then he made changes — some essential, others sharpened by experience — that added up to something special.
Young changed caddies. After shuffling through a series of more established loopers, he passed his bag to Wake Forest pal Kyle Sterbinsky.
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“Some of it is just grinding through tougher times and finding better ones,” Young said at the time. “[Kyle is] one of my best friends, a college teammate, and he’s great at reading greens.” Whatever the alchemy, the results were immediate: his putting stats soared, as did his iron play — and his scores dropped accordingly.
Young changed ballflights. Rather, he committed to a single ballflight. Instead of adjusting from shot to shot, he decided to lean into the draw he’d grown up with around Sleepy, a return to his swing DNA. “You watched Tiger in his prime and he hit all of them. Every shot,” Young says. “And, in theory, if you want to be as good as you can be, you want to be able to hit every shot. But for most people, it probably just isn’t practical.”
Young tweaked his mindset too, choosing to think bigger picture and stating plainly his intention to make the Ryder Cup team at Bethpage. With that as his North Star, everything else found its place.
Finally, he changed his golf ball, putting a mysterious Titleist Pro V1 prototype into play ahead of the 2025 Wyndham, which immediately helped him flight the ball better and control his distance accordingly. It had the desired effect. In his first week with the new rock, Young won the event by six strokes, putting an emphatic end to the chatter about his conspicuous winless streak on Tour.
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To hear him describe it, it all was a massive relief.
“It was nice to just not have it be the conversation anymore,” Young says.
Young has vaulted to No. 3 in the World Ranking.
Michael Schwartz
THAT FIRST TOUR TRIUMPH proved to be a springboard. Young finished fifth the following week, 11th a week later and T4 at the 2025 Tour Championship, earning a Ryder Cup captain’s pick in the process.
He acquitted himself so well in the first two days at Bethpage that U.S. captain Keegan Bradley sent him out first in Sunday singles in front of his New York faithful. He finished a back-and-forth showdown against Justin Rose with a must-make birdie putt on the 18th green for a 1-up victory and the biggest fist pump of his golfing life, knowing he’d toppled the first domino in a rowdy comeback that the U.S. side nearly pulled off.
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“It was maybe more rewarding, in a sense, to make the putt on Sunday knowing that there was another guy behind me and one behind him and another one behind him,” Young says, remembering the momentum. His 3-1-0 record was Team U.S.A.’s best.
In early 2026, Young picked up where he left off in 2025, finishing T7 at Riviera and T3 at Bay Hill before unleashing late heroics at TPC Sawgrass, where he chased down Sunday’s leaders, birdied the island par-3 17th, stepped to the terrifying 18th tee with a pep talk to himself — I’m going to hit the best shot of my life right here — and pummeled the longest drive in the hole’s recorded history. When he won the Players Championship outright (Matt Fitzpatrick bogeyed No. 18, the sort of help he’d never seemed to get from competitors in the past) the tee shot seemed emblematic of this new, assertive, self-believing Young — a golfer in full.
There were still more positive signs at the Masters. Young’s first point of pride was bouncing back from four bogeys in his first seven holes on Thursday to ultimately finish the event T3 behind winner Rory McIlroy and runner-up Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy-Scheffler-Young, at the biggest tournament on the calendar? Company noted.
Two starts later, Young won again, six shots clear of second-place finisher Scheffler at the Cadillac Championship.
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“I’m just playing better,” he says. “And I think you could argue all day about which piece has influenced that the most.”
“I always thought, If I can just get to top 10 in the world, things will be easier. And they’re not,” Young says.
Michael Schwartz
THERE ARE PERKS that come with joining this club, with winning, with making the Ryder Cup, with being the world’s third best player. Youngarrived on Tour as something of a loner. Now he talks about playing at home with Sunshine State neighbors Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley and more.
Still, winning isn’t the game changer he imagined it to be.
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“I always thought, If I can just get to top 10 in the world, things will be easier. And they’re not,” Young says. “You still start over every day, every week. I have a better handle on what I’m doing and how to approach things than I did probably a year or two ago. But, like, is it easier? Less stressful? No. I mean, golf is still really hard. You still have to hit all the shots. So,yeah, my self-belief is higher. I have more tools to deal with things that come my way. But at the same time, it doesn’t feel as different as I would have thought.”
Nevertheless, full-circle moments keep materializing. His three- and four-year-old sons have begun taking an interest in golf at about the age their father was when he first toddled along the fairways at Sleepy. Recently, on a whim, Young’s wife asked the boys if they wanted to go to the golf course.
“I thought it would be five minutes, and they’d get bored and go do something else,” Young says. “But they sat there and hit balls forever. We went and had lunch, then they both said, ‘Can we go back out and hit more?’ ”
Young and family celebrate a Players Championship title.
Getty Images
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The Youngs travel everywhere as a unit, an achievement in patience and logistics Cam credits to his wife, Kelsey. Their presence makes weeks on the road more meaningful — even if it has the effect of ratcheting down post-win celebrations.
“My wife does a family photo album each year,” Young says. “And in this year’s, we have a picture from the Players, late that night, while I was still [at TPC Sawgrass]. Right next to it is a picture of our kids on swings at the park. The two pictures are taken, like, 11 hours apart. We drove home in the rain [from Sawgrass to South Florida], fought the kids to bed, then got up and they were ready for the park. And we’re like, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ ”
With family his first priority, Young has had to double down on fundamentals, on discipline, on managing time and energy. “It’s not glamorous and fun, but simple is the most effective [approach], I think,” he says, adding with a chuckle: “In our household, we joke about ‘being committed to your process,’ whatever it is. Making eggs, whatever.”
Outside the house, Young’s process is focused on making birdies. Does he still love the game? He does. But to get the most out of himself, he’s learned to treat it like a job.
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“To be good at golf, I probably do a lot more things now that I don’t love,” he says. “I love the process of trying to get better, but it doesn’t mean I love endlessly hitting putts on a chalk line with a mirror.”
Does he ever chase daylight for old time’s sake?
“This past December, for probably the first time in three years, I played one round of casual golf with my friends,” he says. His Wake Forest teammates were in town for a wedding.
And that was that. But he’s at peace with the trade-off.
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“I talk to my wife about this on a relatively regular basis, just making sure that we stop and appreciate where we are,” Young says. “It’s much easier to do when things are going well, but [it’s important] even if I was playing poorly. It’s been my dream to compete on the PGA Tour, really, for a very long time. And the opportunity to do that is something to be grateful for.”
Young knows he’s raised expectations. That winning is now the standard, that the question When will he win? has been ramped up to When will he win a major? That’s okay. He’s comfy there: under pressure late on a Sunday, the best players around him, the world watching.
It’s a chance to remind himself of the thing he learned as a kid: It’s good to be on a golf course, late in the afternoon, with something to chase.
Coby Bryant’s Chicago Bears tenure is not off to the start he wished, as he was emotional after being carted off the training camp field during Monday’s practice.
There is a bright side to Bryant’s situation, though, despite needing to miss time.
Bryant was very upset as he got himself onto the cart after suffering a knee injury, expecting the worst just days into his Bears career one season after winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
Coby Bryant of the Chicago Bears speaks to media after minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., on June 10, 2026.(Getty Images)
Bryant was facing tight end Cole Kmet during a 1-on-1 drill where he went down and immediately clutched at his leg. But Bryant’s injury got a better diagnosis than he initially believed.
It won’t be season-ending for Bryant, as ESPN reported the safety will miss eight-to-10 weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, bone bruise and small fracture.
Bryant signed a three-year, $40 million deal to join the Bears this offseason, bolstering a secondary that was overhauled following multiple departures.
He figured to be a mainstay after proving his worth with the Seahawks during his rookie deal, where he tallied seven interceptions and helped his team win the Super Bowl.
Bryant may not be available during Week 1, but since that’s five weeks away, he shouldn’t be gone for long when the regular season finally kicks off.
Cornerback Coby Bryant of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago, Ill.(Getty Images)
“It always sucks to see,” second-year tight end Colston Loveland said about Bryant’s injury, per the New York Post. “That’s part of it. You know, he’s tough, he’s a dog. He’s going to be fine.”
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As Bryant will attack rehab, the Bears’ depth chart will be tested. They spent their first-round draft selection on Oregon standout safety Dillon Thieneman, who was always considered the team’s starting free safety next to Bryant. But Cam Lewis, who was at slot cornerback after Kyler Gordon suffered a previous injury, will likely move to safety to fill the gap there.
Lewis is another free agent signee for the Bears, who lost Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jonathan Owens this offseason. Lewis spent the past six seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
Coby Bryant of the Chicago Bears stretches during an OTA offseason workout at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., on June 3, 2026.(Getty Images)
This is the time of year when teams are hoping for health, but the NFL knows all too well that depth determines just how far a team goes come February.
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The Bears are feeling that early on, but they won’t have to go the entire season without a main free agent addition during the 2026 NFL season.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Selva Prabhu believes food poisoning denied him a shot at the gold medal in Glasgow, saying a performance close to his personal best would have been enough to top the podium.
Selva won bronze in the men’s triple jump with an effort of 16.52m, finishing behind compatriot Praveen Chithravel (16.58m) and Scotland’s Jordon Scott (16.72m).
“I wish I should have gotten that gold. I was really hoping for gold but what can be done when the competition begins, there is illness and food poisoning. I feel that in the end, there is always a cost to yourself. I am mentally tough so I decided, whatever happens, I will do it. Keep pushing myself,” Selva told PTI after returning from Glasgow on Monday.
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The Tamil Nadu athlete said the illness affected his performance and rued missing a golden opportunity, as a jump close to his personal best of 17.05m would have comfortably secured the title.
“I should have stayed healthy, but it’s for the next time I’m always ready. I can compete more, stay healthy. It’s about the stage. I have the consistency. It’s all about that particular day. I just always want to stay healthy. Now, I want to work on my approach. Once I get the hang of it, I can do it,” he said.
Asked about the upcoming Asian Games, Selva said he was not looking too far ahead.
“I live each day. Each day requires a new performance. You just cannot target a gold like that. Yes, I am now looking forward to qualifying for the Asian Games first and then taking it from there,” he said.
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The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is yet to announce the team for the Asian Games in Japan.
Former Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary has reflected on Virat Kohli‘s fiery on-field personality, recalling the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star’s infamous altercation with Gautam Gambhir during the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL). While praising Kohli’s passion and intensity, Chaudhary stressed that aggression is an essential part of cricket, provided it does not cross the line.Speaking on JioHotstar, Chaudhary, who has officiated Kohli’s matches since his junior cricket days in Delhi, said the former India captain has always been an emotional cricketer but never carries ill intent.
‘I’ve known Virat since childhood’
Chaudhary revealed that his long association with Kohli helped him understand the batter’s personality beyond his aggressive on-field image.“Actually, my advantage with Virat was that I had officiated his matches since childhood, so I have known him for a long time. He doesn’t have any malice,” Chaudhary said on JioHotstar.He added that Kohli’s intensity is often misunderstood, as the star batter is equally appreciative when officials make the right decisions.“He reacts aggressively sometimes, but if you’re right, he’ll give you a thumbs up too. Between overs, he’ll come over and put a hand around your waist. But he is lively throughout. Players like him should be there; otherwise, the game will get boring,” he added.
The veteran umpire also looked back at the much-talked-about confrontation between Kohli and Gautam Gambhir during an IPL 2013 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders. According to Chaudhary, such incidents were not entirely unexpected given the competitive nature of players from northern India.“I knew something like that would happen because all of them from the North play with aggression. I have played local cricket too, and our players have always played like this. If they don’t play with that aggression, their performances won’t come out as well. The flavour of the game won’t be there if you put too many restrictions on the players. But there’s a limit, and it shouldn’t be crossed,” Ex-umpire concluded. During an IPL 2013 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were involved in a heated on-field altercation. The incident occurred after Kohli was dismissed for 35 by Laxmipathy Balaji while chasing 155. Instead of walking straight back to the pavilion, Kohli exchanged words near the bowler, prompting Gambhir to confront him. The two captains engaged in a tense face-off before KKR all-rounder Rajat Bhatia intervened and separated them, preventing the situation from escalating further.
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Kohli’s focus now firmly on ODI cricket
Virat Kohli’s most recent international appearance came in the ODI series against England at Lord’s on July 19, 2026. Having already retired from T20 Internationals and stepped away from Test cricket, Kohli is now exclusively focused on the 50-over format as India prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup.The batting great heads into the upcoming season on the back of another outstanding IPL campaign. Kohli played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning run in IPL 2026, scoring 675 runs. He also produced a match-winning unbeaten 75 off 42 balls in the final against Gujarat Titans.Kohli’s next international assignment will be India’s three-match ODI series against the West Indies, beginning on September 27, 2026, in Thiruvananthapuram.
NEW DELHI: The announcement of a glamour friendly between India and Brazil should have been a moment of celebration for Indian football. Instead, it has exposed the widening gap between spectacle and substance, prompting former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia to question both the timing and the purpose of the high-profile fixture.“The timing of the Brazil friendly is a problem for me,” Bhutia said, pointing out that India will be involved in the FIFA ASEAN Cup around the same period. “The FIFA ASEAN Cup will be taking place at that time and we don’t know how the national team will be formed.” His concerns are difficult to dismiss. India, ranked 138th in the world, have been drawn alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the ASEAN Cup, a tournament where only the group winner advances.With qualification already a challenging prospect, diverting attention towards an exhibition match raises legitimate questions about priorities. Bhutia’s criticism goes beyond scheduling. For him, the Brazil match has become a symbol of a football ecosystem struggling to address its fundamental problems.“I was wondering about the purpose of the friendly match against Brazil. Is Indian football going to gain anything out of it?” he asked.The question strikes at the heart of the debate. A match against five-time world champions Brazil will undoubtedly generate excitement, television audiences and commercial interest. But can a single evening against one of football’s global giants compensate for years of structural decline? The former captain believes it cannot. “A big corporate group like the Tatas have declared shutting down of Jamshedpur FC. It goes to show the health of Indian football,” he said.The uncertainty surrounding Jamshedpur FC has only amplified concerns about the financial sustainability of Indian football. At a time when clubs are struggling, developmental pathways remain weak and investment is shrinking, a marquee international fixture risks appearing disconnected from the realities on the ground.Bhutia painted an even bleaker picture of the current state of the game. “The focus of the football federation should be getting the house in order. Let alone the seniors, even the U-17s are failing to earn qualification in continental tournaments,” he said. “The national league is in disarray, the junior programme is rudderless and there is no money to develop the grassroots game.”His views have found support within the playing community. India full-back Nikhil Poojary echoed similar concerns on social media, noting the contrast between celebrating Brazil’s visit and waking up to news of another club shutting down operations.India has hosted football royalty before. Uruguay and Argentina played in the Nehru Cup during the 1980s, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina visited in 2011 and again in 2025. Those occasions generated excitement and memories, but they did little to alter the trajectory of Indian football.
Shaw is now the longest-serving player at United, having reached the 12-year anniversary of his £30million transfer from Southampton in June, which made him one of the most expensive teenagers in the world.
The deal Shaw signed four years ago expires next summer, meaning he is in the final year of his contract, and United do not have the option of a 12-month extension, which they now include in many deals.
There will be serious conversations around whether to offer Shaw a new contract once the summer transfer window closes, as United will then turn their attention to what the squad will look like in a year’s time.
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There are plenty of reasons in favour of giving Shaw a new contract, most of all the fact that he did not show any signs of decline last season, consistently performing to a high standard across 38 starts in the Premier League.
Shaw became the fifth outfield player to start every top-flight game for United during a campaign. Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin and Harry Maguire are the other four players to have achieved the feat.
That’s without mentioning the leadership and experience Shaw provides in the dressing room, and how he acts around the club’s young players, serving as a sounding board at Carrington.
The problem is Shaw’s injury record, though. He demonstrated durability last term, but United played their fewest games in a season for 115 years due to their failure to qualify for Europe.
There is enough evidence from Shaw’s time at the club to conclusively say he cannot play two games per week without picking up an injury, which is why United are looking at signing a left-back in this transfer window.
The new campaign will bring a different challenge for Shaw. United expect to play more than 60 games throughout the season, competing in the Premier League, Champions League, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
United are aware they need to strengthen and they are considering left-backs who could be signed as the heir to Shaw, a long-term successor.
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Lewis Hall would be the perfect signing, but there has been acknowledgement since the window opened that it would be a difficult deal to do, and that feeling has only intensified given the sales Newcastle have already made.
Whether United sign a left-back this summer, and who that possible signing is, will be a factor when club chiefs weigh up a new contract for Shaw, who will want clarity on where he stands sooner rather than later.
In some ways, the situation would be more straightforward if United had a one-year extension in his contract to trigger, because the can could be kicked down the road without too much thought, but new terms must be negotiated with Shaw to keep him.
What would that contract look like? Maguire is two years older and was given a one-year deal on a wage reduction with the option of a 12-month extension, which feels about right for Shaw.
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Ineos have leaned toward signing players in their early 20s since gaining control of football operations, but retaining experienced players in the dressing room is important for the group’s health.
Shaw has bags of experience, and United should be exploring how to keep him under the right offer.
Ibom Angels Football Club have appointed Mr Emmanuel Ntuk as the club’s new Chief Coach, SportsRation reports on Monday August 3, 2026.
The club announced the appointment in a statement dated August 3, 2026, describing Ntuk as an experienced coach with a strong professional background.
Ntuk has worked with several football clubs and academies in Akwa Ibom and beyond. His coaching career includes a spell as Technical Adviser of the defunct Akwa Starlets Football Club.
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Emmanuel Ntuk
He has also served as Head Coach of Dakkada Football Club and Ibom Youth Football Club.
In addition, Ntuk previously worked as Head Coach and Chief Executive Officer of Greater Tomorrow Academy. He has also coached Police Machine Football Club and Emlo FC, Uyo.
Ibom Angels said his experience and technical knowledge made him a strong addition to the club’s coaching team.
“The management, players, and entire family of Ibom Angels Football Club warmly welcome Mr Ntuk and wish him every success as he embarks on this new assignment,” the club said.
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The club added that it was confident Ntuk’s leadership and coaching experience would help drive its continued growth and success.
“We are confident that his experience, leadership, and technical expertise will make a significant contribution to the continued growth and success of the Club,” the statement added.
Ntuk now begins his new role as Ibom Angels prepare for the next stage of their football development.
He will work alongside former Super Falcons head coach Edwin Okon, who heads the club’s technical crew.
Manchester United have a golden opportunity to resolve one of Michael Carrick’s last remaining squad options in this transfer window by capitalising on the contract situation of one serial winner
Michael Carrick has an expiring opportunity to solve one of Manchester United‘s major squad dilemmas before the transfer window shuts. However, it would mean acting quickly and potentially giving up on one of the club’s main targets this summer.
United are being linked with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall as a long-term successor to Luke Shaw at left-back. It’s a position that has plagued the club for some years now, with Patrick Dorgu failing to prove he’s the solution to replace the injury-prone incumbent.
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Dimarco, 28, admittedly doesn’t yield the same long-term benefits. However, United’s move for Youri Tielemans is a sign of United’s strengthened desire to recruit squad options capable of making a more immediate impact.
And after entering the final 12 months of his contract at the San Siro, a rare opening has presented itself to sign the Italian. Dimarco is coming off the back of a historic season for Inter, during which he set a new Serie A record for assists in a single season (18).
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The left-sided star won his second Serie A title in the space of three seasons as a critical piece of Cristian Chivu’s puzzle in Milan. Dimarco, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for his efforts last season, is supposedly being lined up for an extension at the San Siro but could be swayed by a potential move to Old Trafford under his current terms.
Reports emerged in Italy toward the end of the last campaign suggesting Dimarco has a 12-month extension clause in his contract. It was suggested the Nerazzurri will first trigger that option before prolonging the player’s stay by a further two years.
It hasn’t come to pass as of yet, however, and a club of United’s standing can expect to throw a spanner in the works as long as that’s the case. Reports also indicate Dimarco earns around £125,000 a week in Milan, terms United wouldn’t struggle to match (or slightly improve) in their bid to sign one of the most valuable left-sided assets on the current market.
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One potential obstacle that could hamper Dimarco at Old Trafford would be the tactical transition required on the player’s part. Chivu’s preferred three-at-the-back system permitted the Italy international to roam with freedom down the left flank, similar to the Ruben Amorim regime Carrick has succeeded in veering away from.
The United icon has prospered by moving back to a more traditional four-man defence. Shaw, 31, has still been given licence to advance in that system, albeit through more central channels and less so by hugging the touchline as Dimarco often prefers.
However, Dimarco’s obvious technical advantages suggest he has the traits to adapt to a more regimented role if required. And the potential bargain opportunity for a more experienced asset in the final 12 months of his contract could outweigh any negatives.
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Magpies star Hall has been touted as United’s left-back for potentially the next decade should the club splurge to take him from St. James’ Park. However, Dimarco is the much cheaper summer option for that role more readily available to take over the position here and now.
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The first batch of Indian athletes, including ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and Lovepreet Singh, returned home to a heroes’ welcome after a successful Commonwealth Games campaign with hundreds of fans lining up to receive them at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday.
Olympic medallist Mirabai clinched her third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 49kg event.
“Coming from Manipur, I feel really proud that I have done something good for my country,” Mirabai told PTI at the airport.
Lovepreet, who settled for silver in the men’s +110kg category after narrowly missing the gold by just one kilogram, said his next target is the Asian Games in Japan.
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“I would like to thank my Indian Navy staff and captain Vijay Kumar, and all who have come,” said the 28-year-old from Punjab, who lifted a total of 388kg, including a Commonwealth Games record of 176kg in the snatch.
“It happens (missing on gold), but I did my hard work and I have got the result for that and when two players fight one has to lose. Up next, I will prepare well for Asian Games.”
Happy with the warm welcome on their return, Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam, who claimed bronze in the women’s 58kg category, said she would work even harder ahead of the upcoming competitions.
“Everyone has welcomed us like this so it feels great, thankyou all for making feel like home,” she said.
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“I’ll train even harder than I have so far for the upcoming competitions.”
Rishikanta Singh, who won silver in the men’s 60kg category, said he would strive for gold the next time.
“Feeling good that I have got a medal for India. I’ve already spoken about my performance, but I’ll come back stronger and perform even better,” Rishikanta said.
The Imphal-born Indian Army weightlifter also appealed for peace in his home state, saying it would help produce more sporting talent.
“For me both Navy and Meitei are equal. I would want to say this that we need peace in Manipur so that Manipur could produce more athletes even better than me,” he said.
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Indian weightlifters concluded their campaign with eight medals — one gold, six silver and one bronze.
Chief National Coach of the Indian weightlifting team coach, Vijay Sharma said: “We feel very proud as we have received this reception here. Everybody is very happy. I am really very happy with the performance of my players.
“There are some areas where we fell short, and we can work on them to change the colour of our medal from silver to gold. But that happens in sports. Overall, the results are good. We are happy.”
He also lavished praise on Mirabai for her third gold.
“Mirabai is an exceptional player. With her discipline, she is able to deliver these results. We are preparing for the Asian Games, and I think we will win that medal as well,” Sharma said.
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India are currently fourth in the medal standings with 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze medals for an overall tally of 39.
Nobody likes packing for a trip. It doesn’t matter if it’s your dream honeymoon or a perfectly planned golf getaway. No matter how great where you’re going might be, packing is a pain.
Decision paralysis is what slows me down (or even prevents me from getting started). How am I going to get all that I need to bring in the luggage that I’ve got? As a video producer for GOLF.com, camera equipment takes up a lot of space that I could be using to pack an extra just-in-case layer.
Before a big trip across the world to New Zealand, I knew it was time to upgrade. In a world full of rising checked bag costs, I had to get efficient with my golf travel bag and avoid checking another. Hours of research eventually led me to the Coaster Travel Bag from Sunday Golf.
I was a little confused at first. Sunday Golf is best known for their thin, lightweight golf bags that you might put only a few clubs in for a range session or a relaxed walk around a par-3 course. Was the company that burst on the scene with minimalist golf bags really going to solve my long-haul packing problems?
The short answer is yes; the Coaster travel bag has been really helpful for all my golf travels this year. But if you sweat all the small details on the road like I do, you’ll want to hear about why.
The biggest win is the zip-off compression cube in front. It can fit two pairs of shoes, or a few days’ worth of clothes and accessories, depending on what you need. On my journey through New Zealand, where we were often making one-night hotel stays, it was so much easier to bring the next day’s outfit in an easy-to-carry detachable pouch, rather than lugging around my whole suitcase. And when it was time to fly home again, a collection of laundry lived here independent from my clean clothes, zipped back to the front of my travel bag. Long story short, the external packing cube has as many uses as you can think of. I even used it recently to bring my golf shoes and a change of clothes into a locker room.
The roomier design of the carrier itself provides plenty of extra space inside for packing more shoes, outer layers and rain jackets. And if you want your clubs absolutely secured, it has compression straps on the inside just for the golf bag.
The rest of the Coaster checks off all the high-quality boxes important for any travel bag. The rolling wheels are smooth and quiet, and the foam padding is strong, sleek and well-placed. It’s quite tough, but technically a soft travel bag, so if you’re looking for extra protection, I recommend grabbing a stiff arm separately to really make sure it keeps its shape through your travels.
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There are handles on the top, middle, side and bottom handles for easy loading. But my favorite feature is the hidden zipper pocket designed specifically for AirTags or your favorite Bluetooth tracking device, making sure you always know where your sticks (and additional 10 pounds worth of personal items!) are.
Mine still hasn’t shown any scratches or signs of wear, but I’m glad that Sunday Golf offers a lifetime warranty on the Coaster. Finally, I think someone’s cracked the code on the best way to design a travel bag. If you’re an efficient golfer looking to maximize space on the road, it might be the last travel bag you buy.
Indian boxer Jaismine Lamboria and other athletes during the closing ceremony of the CWG 2026. (PTI Photo)
PUNE: The Glasgow Commonwealth Games are over. The baton passes to India for the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, dubbed ‘Amdavad 2030’. With the event returning home after 20 years, India will be aiming not only to stage a better Games than Delhi 2010 but also to improve on its best-ever medal haul. At the 2010 Delhi Games, India won a record 101 medals to finish second in the overall standings.For Indian sport, Glasgow offered a mixed picture. The 39 medals collected this time were fewer than the 61 in Birmingham 2022, 66 in Gold Coast 2018 and 64 in Glasgow 2014. More importantly, those medals came from just six sports. By contrast, India’s medals had come from 17 sports in 2010, 11 in 2014, 15 in 2018 and 13 in 2022.The explanation lies partly in the programme itself. Glasgow did not include sports where India has traditionally been strong. India has won 135 medals in shooting between 1966 and 2018, excluding the 1970 Edinburgh edition. Wrestling has fetched India 114 medals across 18 editions since 1934. Yet Glasgow had no shooting, wrestling, hockey, badminton, archery or table tennis, which together had contributed 67 medals for India in Delhi 2010.As India prepares to host in 2030, the focus will be on retaining the positives from Glasgow while also bringing back its strongest disciplines.
Athletics leads the way
Athletics emerged as the biggest winner for India, with medals in the men’s 10,000m and 5,000m long jump, decathlon, high jump, triple jump and para-athletics adding up to 16 medals. What stood out most was the history made by Gulveer Singh, who won silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m and Tejaswin Shankar, who claimed decathlon bronze.Yash Vir Singh also broke new ground by winning a javelin bronze in a field featuring Olympic and world champions, as well as world leaders and record holders. The para-athletes contributed three gold, two silver and one bronze, even as the 4x400m relay team had to settle for sixth place.“The performance was way better than expected. This has been a good result and it will only improve in the years to come. The result reflects the policies that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has adopted in the past few years,” former World Championships bronze medallist and current AFI senior vice-president Anju Bobby George told TOI.“Now we plan the training programme according to individual athletes’ requirements rather than designing a blanket programme for everyone. Some athletes train in the USA, some in Europe, because that is what best suits their future. The results are definitely going to improve in 2030 and beyond, as we also plan to host the Olympics,” she added.
Boxers make a statement
Boxing also delivered strongly, with seven gold among the 13 medals won. While the level of competition at the Commonwealth Games is not as demanding as at the Asian Games or Olympics, the performances will still provide a valuable confidence boost.“It is not as if these were the only medals our boxers have won so far. We had world champions, an Olympic medallist and Asian Games and Asian Championships winners at the Glasgow CWG. The field may not have been as strong as the Asiad, but it was not weak either. A good show at a competition like this gives a boost to the boxers,” 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh told TOI.
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Judokas earn their place in the spotlight
With two historic gold and three medals overall, Indian judokas Asmita Dey, Harsh Singh and Yamini Mourya also deserve special mention. A sport that has often struggled for attention in the past appears to be finding its footing.If judo can continue on this trajectory, the possibilities are immense. With 15 medal events at the Olympics and proper investment and a cleaner administrative setup, India has genuine medal potential at the world level too.
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