Conor Benn came up short when challenging for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday and former undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor has now given his opinion on whether ‘The Destroyer’ can ever capture world honours.
Whilst Garcia now looks set for unifications after defeating his WBC mandatory challenger, fans are questioning where Benn can go from here and if he should remain at world level or drop down and attempt to get his hands on the British title.
Advertisement
In an interview with Seconds Out, Taylor admitted that the outcome of Benn’s world title bid was what he expected it to be, stating his belief that Benn is a domestic-level fighter.
“It was something that I kind of expected, really. I have said it for long enough and I have said it numerous times, I don’t think that Conor Benn is anywhere near world level.
“I know that I sound like I am being critical of him, but I am just saying what I think. I do think that he is domestic/European level at best.
“He is getting these fights and these opportunities because of the pull that he has got. He has got this commercial pull and he is getting opportunities off the back of that.”
‘The Tartan Tornado’ then went on to declare that he does not envisage Benn ever getting his hands on a world title, despite his fellow Briton being just 29 years old.
Advertisement
“I don’t think that he is any better than that [British/European level], I don’t think that he will win a world championship, but he has got massive appeal.”
Benn is set to move back up in weight following his first stoppage loss, with a big leap up to either middleweight or super-middleweight expected to be confirmed soon and possibly even a trilogy showdown with Chris Eubank Jr.
One of AEW’s top talents and champions, Andrade, sent a message to a WWE superstar shortly after the latter’s World Heavyweight Title match against Roman Reigns. El Idolo appeared to applaud the performance of Penta this week on Monday Night RAW, even though the former Death Triangle member failed to unseat The OTC.
This past August, WWE held a tournament to crown the #1 contender for Roman Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship. After defeating Laredo Kid in the opening round and La Parka in the semifinals of the tourney, the fan-favorite defeated his tag team partner and brother Rey Fenix in the finals to earn his shot at the Head of The Table. This past Monday on RAW in Mexico City, the erstwhile Pentagon Jr. challenged Reigns for his strap in the Mexico City Arena, and pushed the leader of The Bloodline to his limits.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, Penta was unable to dethrone The Tribal Chief, who managed to retain his World Heavyweight Championship in a hard-fought victory. With fans still buzzing over the former Intercontinental Champion’s performance against Reigns, the masked luchador received a message from AEW National Champion Andrade El Idolo, who took to X/Twitter to seemingly recognize Penta’s effort against Roman with a fist-bump emoji.
The Real Latino Man has shared the ring with the former Penta El Zero Miedo on multiple occasions, both in AEW and in WWE.
Andrade El Idolo has been busy and successful in AEW lately
Last month at All In: London, Andrade El Idolo participated in and won a Men’s Casino Gauntlet Match to earn a contract for a future shot at the AEW World Championship. Days later on AEW Dynamite, the beloved star teamed with his United Empire stable-mates Callum Newman, HENARE, Francesco Akira and newly crowned AEW Men’s World Champion Will Ospreay to defeat The Demand and The Dogs in a ten-person tag team bout.
On the September 5 episode of AEW Collision, El Idolo retained his National Championship against Gabe Kidd. Last week on Dynamite: Rebel Heart, he once again successfully defended his strap against The Beast Mortos.
Advertisement
It remains to be seen when Andrade might execute his World Title contract for a match against The Aerial Assassin.
Why did you not like this content?
Advertisement
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking here
Canelo Alvarez is set to challenge for the WBC super-middleweight world title next month in an attempt to regain the 168lb throne. Should he be successful, a ‘firefight’ could be waiting for him.
Terence Crawford brought an end to Canelo’s reign as the undisputed super-middleweight world champion 12 months ago, but ‘Bud’ retired shortly after the win and the belts were subsequently reassigned, whilst Canelo was sidelined through injury.
On Halloween, Canelo seeks to dethrone one of those new champions as he collides with WBC titleholder Christian Mbilli, atop a mammoth ‘Mexico vs. The World’ bill in Riyadh, which already features three world title bouts.
Advertisement
On the Mr Verzace Podcast, reigning WBO super-middleweight world champion Hamzah Sheeraz shared his keenness for a unification clash against the Mexican superstar, if he is able to get the better of Mbilli.
“Absolutely, [I want Canelo if he beats Mbilli]. Listen, I have got to keep doing my thing, keep winning, keep putting on big performances, moving forwards and he has got to do the same.
“He is a legend of the sport. If the fight happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I will continue to be the best version of myself that I could be, but yeah it would be an absolute honour to share the ring with him.
“I think that it would be a firefight, for sure.”
Canelo-Mbilli is set for October 31. Sheeraz has been ordered to take on his mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly next in order to avoid being stripped of his world title, with a purse bid hearing scheduled for this Wednesday, September 16.
The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) has announced updates to the 2026 fall high school championship schedule for field hockey, soccer and volleyball in an email sent out on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The main change is that no field hockey or soccer championship games will be hosted at the University of Vermont and instead will be at high schools around the state.
All three field hockey championship games will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester. Game times are set for 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., with the order of the finals based on travel time of the participating schools.
Advertisement
Counting the 2020 COVID season, this year will mark just the third time the field hockey hockey finals will not be played at UVM’s Moulton Winder Field, which opened in fall 2005.
Advertisement
“Due to the ongoing success of UVM athletics, their field availability this year is not conducive for VPA Championships,” VPA Executive Director Lauren Young said in an email to the Free Press. “Also, in order to be geographically considerate we are trying to have multiple locations for schools and fans.”
1 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
The Rice defense gets ready for a penalty corner during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
1 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
The Rice defense gets ready for a penalty corner during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
2 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Violet Clough and CVU’s Emery Thompson battle for a loose ball during the Green Knights 7-0 win over the Redhawks on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
3 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Claire Robblee sends the ball up the field during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
4 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU senior Stella Soucy chaces down a loose ball during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
5 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU’s CJ Johnson gathers the ball during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
6 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Finley Sifers controls the ball during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
7 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Claire Robblee stops the ball during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
8 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice captain Eliza Fischer sends a pass across the field during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
9 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU’s Stella Soucy brings the ball up the sidelines during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
10 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU’s Emma Hamble brings the ball up the field during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
11 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU’s Lilly Irons brings the ball up the field during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
12 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Annabelle Rumsey sends a pass across the field during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
13 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Clare Hamilton and CVU’s Kendal Fagnant battle for a loose ball during the Green Knights 7-0 win over the Redhawks on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
14 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice’s Ellie Larkin and CVU’s CJ Johnson battle for a loose ball during the Green Knights 7-0 win over the Redhawks on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
15 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice senior Eliza Fischer works the ball up the sidelines during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
16 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU’s Madeline Bessette watches the ball head up the field during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
17 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU goalie Cici Kenny makes a save during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
18 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
CVU captain Emery Thompson gets to a loose ball during the Redhawks 7-0 loss to Rice on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
19 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice senior Violet Clough winds up for a shot during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
20 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Rice goalie Molly McGibney makes a diving save during the Green Knights 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
21 / 21
Champlain Valley vs Rice in Vermont field hockey matchup
Nico Murnaghan chases down a loose ball during Rice’s 7-0 win over CVU on Saturday morning at John P. Larkin Turf at Bill Landers Field.
Advertisement
(Paul Lamontagne/Special to the Free Press)
This year there will be soccer championships from Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1. South Burlington High School will be hosting the games on Oct. 30 and 31 while Rutland High School hosts a four-game slate on Nov. 1. The VPA will determine who plays where based on geography of the schools who reach the finals.
Game times on Oct. 30 are set for 5 and 7 p.m. while Oct. 31’s slate is set for noon and 2 p.m. The games at Rutland are set for 11 a.m., 1:30, 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.
Advertisement
In the same email, the VPA also announced that all three volleyball championships will be played at St. Michael’s College on Sunday, Nov. 1. Specific game times are still being finalized.
Manchester boxer Pat Brown will fight for the for the British and Commonwealth titles in front of a home crowd at the Co-op Live arena this month
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Manchester’s own Pat Brown will fight for his first major title in front of a home crowd later this month. The Sale-born boxer will face Essex’s John Hedges for the vacant British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles at the Co-op Live arena on September 19.
Advertisement
Brown, who fought for Team GB at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, is on a stellar run of six knockouts from six professional fights. His opponent boasts a clean record of 12-0 (3 KOs) and was previously trained by Ricky Hatton.
Here’s everything fans need to know about Hedges vs Brown, including how to get tickets and watch on TV.
Where to buy tickets for John Hedges vs Pat Brown
Plenty of tickets for John Hedges vs Pat Brown are still on sale at several retailers, with both general admission and VIP hospitality packages up for grabs. At Ticketmaster tickets range from £49.50 for the arena’s Level 1 to £233.50 for ringside seats.
VIP tickets are also available for £118.50, which provides access to ‘The Club, the Co-op’s premium area with exclusive bars and dining options. More affordable hospitality packages are sold through Seat Unique, where £59 includes access to the exclusive Seat Unique Suite before, during and after the fight.
Advertisement
It also includes ‘premium’ seats directly outside the lounge on Level 1. There’s also the £59 Seat Unique Suite Bar Seats package with bar seating at the back of the lower tier.
This VIP area serves a range of drinks and food, but they must be purchased separately on the night. Seat Unique offers a Private Suite too, but at time of writing price and availability is yet to be confirmed.
Fans can also find a number of tickets on resale sites like viagogo and Stubhub, where tickets listed by fans range from £62 to £230. Most seats are situated on Level 1, while some also include access to ‘The Club’ hospitality area.
How to watch John Hedges vs Pat Brown on TV
John Hedges vs Pat Brown will be broadcast live on DAZN, meaning fans will need a DAZN subscription to tune in. With a new limited-time deal, DAZN’s flexible monthly-rolling plan now starts at £9.99, down from the usual £25.99.
John Hedges vs Pat Brown is included with a DAZN subscription from £9.99 in a limited-time deal on the broadcaster’s monthly-rolling plan.
This saves 62% from the standard price but will revert to £25.99 after the first month unless cancelled. DAZN’s 12-month plans are £15.99 when paying monthly or £119.99 annually.
The fight is also included with the new DAZN Ultimate subscription, which provides at least 12 pay-per-view fights each year including Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 (October 17) and Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli (October 31). This premium package is £24.99 per month or £249.99 annually, both of which require a 12-month commitment.
Advertisement
According to DAZN, Ultimate members can save £320 per year compared to the price of DAZN Monthly Flex and 12 PPVs. Both DAZN standard and DAZN Ultimate unlock access to more than 185 fight nights every year from promoters like Matchoom, Queensbury and MisFits.
Hedges vs Brown will broadcast exclusively on DAZN so it won’t be shown on TNT Sports or Sky Sports.
Reports indicate that FIFA may favour a Normalization Committee as a way to address the leadership crisis in Nigerian football.
The development followed consultations between the FIFA and CAF delegation currently in Nigeria and key stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
Advertisement
Four of the five NFF stakeholder groups consulted reportedly backed a Normalization Committee instead of a Caretaker Committee. They include the Players’ Union, Football Coaches Association of Nigeria, league bodies and Nigeria Referees Association.
This has weakened the position of some State FA chairmen who have been calling for a Caretaker Committee following the resignation of several NFF leaders, including the General Secretary.
One major issue in the debate is the FIFA Statutes.
Advertisement
While a Normalization Committee is a recognised FIFA arrangement that can be used in special situations to restore order in a member association, a Caretaker Committee is not provided for in the FIFA Statutes.
FIFA also places strong importance on the independence and proper governance of its member associations. Any temporary arrangement must therefore follow FIFA rules and the statutes of the football federation involved.
The latest consultations suggest that the Normalization Committee option is gaining more support among stakeholders.
The committee, if approved, could be given the task of restoring stability, reviewing the NFF’s governance structure where necessary and preparing the federation for a return to elected leadership.
Advertisement
The FIFA and CAF delegation is expected to continue its consultations on Tuesday with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), former NFF presidents and former NFF General Secretaries.
The delegation will also meet with the National Sports Commission before ending its visit to Nigeria and returning to FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The outcome of the meetings is expected to provide more clarity on the next step for the NFF and how FIFA and CAF plan to resolve the current leadership crisis.
For now, the balance of opinion among key stakeholders appears to favour a Normalization Committee over the Caretaker Committee being proposed by some State FA chairmen.
NEW DELHI: India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to field against Afghanistan in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. India won the opening T20I by seven wickets and currently lead the three-match series 1-0.India made one change to their playing XI, with Bishnoi replacing Chakaravarthy.Speaking at the toss, Iyer said: “We are going to bowl first. You have a fair idea of how the wicket plays, and it gives the bowlers an idea, a little bit of an advantage. It wasn’t comprehensive because we could have won by a huge margin. As a bowling unit, we could have picked wickets in the middle. Varun is injured and Ravi Bishnoi comes in.”Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was not included, while Sanju Samson retained his place in the team.
Why is Varun Chakaravarthy not playing?
Chakaravarthy is not playing the second T20I after suffering a side strain during the opening match.“Varun Chakaravarthy experienced sudden-onset discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while bowling his third over in the first T20I. Scans have revealed a side strain, and he has subsequently been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is. Bishnoi replaces injured Varun,” BCCI said in its statement.
Afghanistan unchanged
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said his team would also have preferred to bowl first.“We would have bowled first as well. We want to play positive cricket, we didn’t get a good start that day, but we covered in the middle. We will try to do better tonight. We are playing the same XI.”Afghanistan have made no changes to their playing XI.Playing XIsAfghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq FarooqiIndia: Sanju Samson (w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi
JJ Gabriel should have become Man Utd’s youngest-ever player this week, but instead, he might be approaching the end of his Old Trafford career.
16:30, 15 Sep 2026Updated 16:31, 15 Sep 2026
Advertisement
This should have been the week when JJ Gabriel etched his name into the Manchester United history books. A debut against Brighton on Wednesday would have made him the first 15-year-old to ever play for the club.
Instead, it is the week when his future at Old Trafford appears to have reached the point of no return, no matter how much United insist they still believe the situation can be rectified. The question should be how badly they actually want to fix it.
United sources are bemused by what has prompted Gabriel to issue a formal notification that he wants to leave the club. It is a big enough issue to cause him to refuse to train with the first team this week, effectively ruling himself out of that Brighton game.
Amateur sleuths can probably suss out what is going on here. Gabriel scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah on Thursday, but then promptly deleted a raft of posts on Instagram and removed all mention of United from his social media channels.
Advertisement
A few hours after that game at Leigh Sports Village, Michael Carrick handed Champions League debuts to 19-year-olds Harry Amass and Shea Lacey. Another 19-year-old, Tyler Fletcher, was on the bench.
Gabriel was ineligible for that fixture because he wasn’t on United’s ‘A’ list when they submitted their squad to UEFA and because he isn’t yet 16, he couldn’t be added to the ‘B’ list.
He will be old enough to be on the B list when United head to Madrid to face Atletico next month, and a Champions League debut was always more likely once the legwork had been done in securing qualification to the next round.
Advertisement
It now looks pretty clear that wasn’t enough for Gabriel, or for his father Joe O’Cearuill, a voiceforous supporter of his son on social media and a major influence on his career. The former Republic of Ireland international has never shied away from trumpeting just how good he believes his son can be.
He has regularly posted videos of his goals on X and clips from behind-closed-doors training sessions and games and industry sources claim he can be difficult to deal with. He has previously denied talking to other clubs about a move for his son.
Rather than taking a debut in the Carabao Cup, Gabriel is ready to toss it all away at United, just as he considered doing barely a year ago when he came close to joining Manchester City. He has also accepted invites to Barcelona and has met first-team players at the Nou Camp. His commitment to United can certainly be questioned.
Could United have done more? Director of football Jason Wilcox intervened in 2025 to keep Gabriel at the club, and he has regularly trained with the first team since then. He met Ruben Amorim, has been backed by Michael Carrick, given regular exposure to the seniors at Carrington and told the pathway is there.
Advertisement
It’s interesting to look back at Gabriel’s hat-trick at Leigh Sports Village last Thursday now. He celebrates enthusiastically, thanks teammates for assists and doesn’t look like a player who has thrown his toys out of the pram because he isn’t involved in the first-team.
That fits with the view of many around Carrington, who talk of him as a polite individual and someone who has fitted in well with the senior squad. The sight of Benjamin Sesko giving him a headlock on the way out to training recently was evidence of that.
You could argue United should have found room on their 12-man bench for Gabriel against Sabah last week, but depending on how the game went, there was never any guarantee he would get on. It’s easier to make the case that 90 minutes against different opposition in the UEFA Youth League was a good tune-up for a debut against Brighton, especially as the Under-21s didn’t have a game at the weekend.
The comparisons with Max Dowman are also relevant. He was 15 when he made his Champions League debut for Arsenal, and comparisons between the two players’ progress aren’t unwarranted, given that both are generational talents. Gabriel might believe that if Dowman was ready, then so was he.
Advertisement
If United have erred with Gabriel, then perhaps it came in pre-season. There was an expectation he would make a mark this summer, but he played just eight minutes against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm. That lack of exposure was a surprise.
But this was always likely to be the season when the prodigiously talented teen made his first-team debut, and that was on the cards this week. You wonder whether Gabriel will one day regret the fact that the opportunity might well pass him by.
Maybe United will find a way to soothe relations with the Gabriel family before the season ends. Perhaps he could yet play for the first team this season. He is clearly good enough to leave his mark.
But the history of Gabriel at United would suggest that even if that happens, another drama could be lurking around the corner.
The Asian Games will pose a different challenge for the Indian women’s hockey team, with lower-ranked opponents likely to offer more scoring opportunities than the top sides they faced at the World Cup, coach Sjoerd Marijne said. Apart from China, all other teams competing at the Asian Games are ranked below India. At the World Cup, World No. 8 India faced higher-ranked sides such as Australia and Netherlands. “In the World Cup we had top-ranked teams, except South Africa, in our pool, while here that is not the scene. You would play lower-ranked opponents and get more opportunities to score, so we have to be effective in that way.
“It’s a different approach to keep being sharp and focused. The focus should be on us — what can we do better from the last match, which was against Germany in the World Cup? “How can we create opportunities and do better against the next opponent, Uzbekistan?” Marijne told PTI in an exclusive interview from Japan.
India’s women’s team finished fifth at the World Cup last month, its best performance since the inaugural edition in 1974.
Advertisement
The Salima Tete-led team lost only one match in the tournament, but a goalless draw against Australia cost them a place in the last four.
Marijne now wants his players to use the disappointment of missing out on a World Cup semifinal as motivation to win the Asian Games gold.
“You don’t get to play many World Cups and to come that close to a medal and miss it is disappointing. I told them that not reaching the semis should be a motivation for the gold in the Asian Games,” the Dutch coach said.
“We wrote history in the World Cup. It is important that they realise they have done something extraordinary, which had not happened after 1974. Now the target is the Asian Games and let’s do even better there.” The coach said increased expectations following the World Cup should be seen as a compliment rather than pressure.
Advertisement
“It’s nice to come into a position when people expect more from you. I don’t see it as pressure, but as a compliment.
“The main thing is the mental side — staying focused on our job, the challenge ahead and how can we do better. If we are able to do that, the chance of a good outcome is bigger and better,” said the 52-year-old.
Marijne also stressed the importance of acclimatisation in Japan, which is more humid than Europe, but added that adapting to different conditions was not a major concern for a team that has played across continents.
“It’s a little more humid in Japan, so acclimatisation was important. We also did some fun things like playing mini golf and team activities.
Advertisement
“Other teams are also coming from different countries and it’s normal to constantly adjust according to the conditions, like we have played in Australia, Argentina, Europe and now Japan in different conditions,” he said.
Marijne identified India’s disciplined defence as one of its biggest strengths from the World Cup.
“Our strong defence can make it very difficult for the opponents to score. I don’t want to jinx this, but the discipline and culture we are focusing on is the basis of the success and we must not forget that.
“It’s important to keep the basics right and that’s what we did in the World Cup.” Marijne, under whose tutelage Indian finish fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, also urged his players to remain humble despite their newfound confidence.
Advertisement
“The team has confidence from the World Cup, which is good, but too much confidence is arrogance. I told them that we need to stay humble and there is no room for overconfidence. We have to keep working hard. I tell them to be connected with each other. Being a team is about continuing to work on connecting with each other and the girls are doing well in that aspect,” he said.
Marijne said the team’s emphasis on unity would continue to be symbolised by its “unity thread” and “crystal ball”, which he introduced to the players and support staff during the World Cup.
“That will not change. It reminds them of what is required as a team and that they are there for each other,” he said while showing his unity band.” PTI MJ APA APA
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Advertisement
Featured Video Of The Day
Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin
You must be logged in to post a comment Login