Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2nd from R) and Mohammed Shami (R) during the Duleep Trophy. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami may be in the latter phase of his career, but the veteran pacer believes young Indian cricketers are arriving with a level of maturity that means they need less coaching and more timely guidance.Shami, who has not played for India since March 2025 and last featured in a Test during the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in 2023, spoke about mentoring youngsters after helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone.Among those who caught his attention was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenage batter who was part of the East Zone squad.
‘The kid in our team is literally as old as my career’
“I thoroughly enjoyed it. The kid in our team (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is literally as old as my career. He has that youthful innocence, loves to joke around, and absorbs things quickly,” Shami said.The 36-year-old believes the exposure young players receive today, particularly through the IPL and other high-pressure competitions, has accelerated their development.“But most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they play today—featuring in the IPL and other high-pressure tournaments—maturity comes early, so you don’t need to over-coach them,” he said.“But yes, when the game gets tight and challenging, that’s when you step in with tactical inputs and remind them to keep fighting,” he added.Shami’s own motivation, meanwhile, remains undiminished despite his prolonged absence from India colours.“There are plenty of reasons to stay motivated if you look for them. At this level, if you aren’t self-motivated, your approach is wrong. No matter what stage you’re playing at, your eyes must always be set on the next level,” he said.
Shami celebrates 100th first-class game with title
Shami took two important wickets, dismissing Ravichandran Smaran and Sheikh Rasheed, as East Zone secured the Duleep Trophy title on the basis of a first-innings lead. The triumph also coincided with his 100th first-class appearance.“As far as satisfaction goes, achieving this in my 100th match—and that too in a winning Duleep Trophy final—is special. East Zone has won this after a very long time. You’ve seen how we performed.“Every single boy put his heart and soul into this campaign to get us here. To achieve this in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding. As for me, whether it’s your first match or your 100th, it doesn’t matter—the effort and the approach remain exactly the same,” he said.Shami also stressed that the level of cricket does not change his approach.“When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn’t matter. If you play for the badge, that hunger will naturally show. Your willingness to fight only grows when you play with that pride.“My mindset is simple: whichever level I get an opportunity to play, I want to make it count and fulfil my responsibility toward the team,” he said.
Aryna Sabalenka may have lost the world number one spot but she is determined to keep her US Open title.
The 28-year-old from Belarus, who will be overtaken by Elena Rybakina at the top of the rankings on Monday, overpowered Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 to reach a fourth successive Flushing Meadows final.
The two-time defending champion took her winning streak in New York to 19 matches and is now one victory away from the ‘three-peat’.
American third seed Pegula, beaten by Sabalenka in the 2024 final, had served superbly during the first set, winning 18 out of 20 points behind her first serve.
That was until 5-6, when Sabalenka suddenly unleashed three blistering returns to bring up three set points, taking the second when Pegula’s forehand fell into the net.
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More break points arrived in in the fourth game of the second set and a 91mph return put the top seed in total control.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka – who beat Pegula en route to US Open wins in 2024 and 2025 – punched her ticket to Saturday’s final with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. The 28-year-old Belarusian, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, swatted aside Pegula with a dominant service game and a fearsome array of powerful groundstrokes.
Sabalenka will face the winner of Thursday’s other semi-final between second seed Elena Rybakina or fourth seed Coco Gauff — who beat Sabalenka in the 2023 final.
On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula’s dream of a first ever Grand Slam title.
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“I’m super happy I was able to play such tennis,” said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners. “I was so desperate to win. I wanted it so badly.”
Both players gave away little in the first set, serving superbly to keep the match on serve until the 12th game, with Sabalenka leading 6-5.
It was Pegula who would blink first, finding herself down 0-40 after a barrage of hefty groundstrokes from Sabalenka, who clinched the set when Pegula duffed a return into the net.
Sabalenka kept the momentum rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula’s suspect second serve and grabbing the crucial break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.
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The rest of the set went with serve until the eighth game, when Pegula hit a return long to give up match point.
Sabalenka sealed victory with another ferocious forehand.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight US Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night.
Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula’s second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament.
“No complaints,” Sabalenka said. “I’m just super happy that I was able to pull out such tennis.”
The No. 1 seed will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina or No. 4 Coco Gauff on Saturday, needing a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14.
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Rybakina will replace Sabalenka atop the women’s tennis rankings next week, and Sabalenka said this week she would be fine ceding No. 1 after she held it 99 consecutive weeks if it she was able to win another US Open trophy.
It will be hard to prevent that if she hits the ball Saturday the way she did against Pegula.
Sabalenka pounded 29 winners to Pegula’s 12, turning their third straight meeting at the end of the US Open into a rout, after her victory in the 2024 final and 2025 semifinals were tight most of the way.
“I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly,” Sabalenka said.
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She has won 19 straight matches at the US Open since losing to Gauff in the 2023 final.
The New York Yankees have recalled Anthony Volpe to the major league roster to replace Jazz Chisholm Jr., who sprained his thumb while sliding into second base during Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
On Thursday, popular content page “Talkin’ Yanks” posted to Instagram, announcing that Volpe, who is primarily a shortstop, will be playing second base in his return to the starting lineup.
“Anthony Volpe is in the starting lineup tonight, playing second base and batting ninth,” the post was captioned.
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Fans seemed to have varying reactions to this. Many left comments voicing their dissatisfaction about Volpe’s inclusion in the starting lineup.
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“WHERE IS OSWALDO!! We don’t want Volpe!!” a fan wrote.
“Ruined my day,” another fan commented.
“Can he bat 10th?” another fan replied.
Screenshots of fans’ comments on Talkin’ Yanks’ Instagram post (Image via Instagram.com/@talkinyanks)
Others, meanwhile, showed support for the infielder.
“He’s part of the organization. Stop hating on the guy. Should be rooting for him and his contributions,” a fan responded.
“Love Volpe 🙌,” another fan shared.
“Let’s go Volpe,” another fan posted.
Screenshots of fans’ comments on Talkin’ Yanks’ Instagram post (Image via Instagram.com/@talkinyanks)
Volpe is currently playing on a one-year, $3.475 million contract.
“I have a ton of respect for the person and the player” – Yankees manager talks about recalling Anthony Volpe to the major league roster
Speaking to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch on Wednesday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered his opinion on recalling Anthony Volpe to the Bronx Bombers’ major league roster.
“I feel like he’s in a really good spot,” Boone said. “He’s been really productive down there and playing really well. He has taken well to the other positions. So we’ll see. I have a ton of respect for the person and the player.
“He’s been a complete pro and completely gotten after it down there in everything they’ve thrown at him. It’s one of the things we’ll talk about, but I mostly consider him at first [base] right now.”
Anthony Volpe of the New York Yankees – Source: Getty
For the 2026 season, Volpe is batting .240 with one home run and 19 RBIs. Yankees fans will hope to see those numbers improve in what remains of the campaign.
In other seasons after a loss like this, the distinctively long trek from the dugout to the visitor’s clubhouse at Sutter Health Park might have felt like a funeral march for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tired, banged up and piling up a stack of L’s that should be too unwieldy to manage at this time of year, the Blue Jays are squandering opportunities faster than Norway maple trees are shedding their leaves.
No matter: The rest of the unexceptional postseason contenders are just playing into their hands.
Even with a record of 73-74, the Blue Jays are not dead, not yet, due to the uniquely mediocre results produced by most of the American League. How helpful!
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Under the current format in Major League Baseball, the lowest victory total by a full-season postseason qualifier is 84 by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023. Results in the AL this season suggest they’re trying to cram at least two participants into the playoffs with 81 or 82 wins. The spirit of the participation trophy is strong, thank you very much.
So, it matters that the Jays fell 2-0 on Wednesday to the Athletics, ending their road trip with a blah 5-4 record after dropping two of three at the strange ballpark the A’s for now call home in West Sacramento, Calif.
It just doesn’t MATTER. Yet. You might even say (or sing) that everything is “OK, Blue Jays,” because everybody closely relevant to Toronto’s repeat postseason attempt also lost yesterday, except for the wily Baltimore Orioles. The Jays came in lagging one game behind the last AL Wild Card spot, and they went to sleep in the same fetal position. Mostly what they lost is time; the Jays have 15 games left in the regular season. A baker’s fortnight.
The signs for the Jays aren’t great, that’s true, no matter if you read the measurements in Canadian metric or U.S. imperial.
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It was a bullpen game for the A’s, their relief corps is mediocre at best, and the Jays could do nothing with left-hander Brady Basso, who is a pitcher and not a childish rhyme for Ted Lasso.
Only one team in the majors has scored fewer runs than the Jays. It’s not all Vladimir Guerrero’s fault but he does draw some glances. Guerrero did manage to hit a ball hard in the air in the eighth inning, and it would have been a home run at Wrigley Field, per MLB Statcast. Not that he’ll ever again need any nuggets like that for salary arbitration. If it seems like the last home run Guerrero hit came in the World Series, it’s not literally true, but almost. He’s got eight this season, in 558 plate appearances.
The Jays used George Springer as a pinch-hitter, and he also hit a loud out, but he walked off the field almost as gingerly as Kirk Gibson that one time.
It’s remarkable they’re still in the thick of the postseason race, given the state of the starting rotation beyond Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano. Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage — they’re all hurt. Max Scherzer isn’t hurt, but it hurts to watch him struggle.
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It’s been clear for months that the Jays aren’t as good as the AL pennant winners of 2025. Eventually a bill for their shortcomings was going to come due. But it might not happen until after the regular season ends, because the other teams with whom they’re jousting are also hurtin’ for certain.
After a day off, the Orioles (71-76) come to Rogers Centre for three games. Any other year and we’d say, “Oh, the O’s need a sweep to stay alive.” Heck, if the O’s sweep they might move into the driver’s seat.
It’s also true that if the Jays simply avoid being swept, they’ll still have everybody else right where they want ’em.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has received the Torch of Unity for the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to sports development and youth empowerment.
Governor Umo Eno received the torch on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Governor’s Office Complex in Uyo, as activities began ahead of the second edition of the state sports festival.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Governor described sports as a “multi-billion-dollar industry” and said his administration was determined to equip young people with the skills and opportunities needed to benefit from the sector.
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According to him, the annual state sports festival represents a major milestone in the development of sports in Akwa Ibom, particularly in the discovery and nurturing of talents at the grassroots.
“Last year, we held the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival as part of the development of youths and sports in our State, as encapsulated in the ARISE Agenda.
“The results of this event have been impressive and heartwarming, as several quality sports talents among our youths have been discovered to represent even the country in international sports tournaments,” he said.
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Governor Eno said the maiden edition of the festival was a significant moment in the development of sports in the state, as it provided a platform for talented athletes from the grassroots to be discovered, groomed and prepared for national and international competitions.
He recalled that at the recently concluded Niger Delta Games in Benin City, Akwa Ibom emerged as one of the standout states, winning 16 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze medals.
The Governor also noted that athletes from the state had represented Nigeria in national and international competitions across various sporting disciplines, including judo, wrestling, athletics and weightlifting.
“Just recently, the State made history by providing three athletes in the country’s contingent to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and they all came back with medals. Edidiong Umofia won gold in weightlifting, Ruth Nyong won silver in weightlifting, while Enku Ekuta won bronze in judo,” he said.
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In recognition of their achievements, Governor Eno directed the immediate employment of the three Commonwealth Games medalists into the State’s Ministry of Sports Development, saying the gesture would enable them to continue their careers while being groomed for greater accomplishments.
The beneficiaries are Edidiong Umoafia, Ruth Nyong and Enku Ekuta.
Governor Eno also commended the Commissioner for Sports Development, Elder Paul Bassey, and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the State Sports Festival for their efforts in promoting sports development in the state.
Speaking with journalists after the event, Elder Bassey expressed appreciation to Governor Eno for what he described as his remarkable investment in sports and youth development.
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He said Akwa Ibom had continued to carve a niche for itself in Nigeria’s sports history through the discovery, nurturing and promotion of sporting talents.
Elder Bassey disclosed that the event marked the commencement of the second edition of the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, following the success of the maiden edition held in 2025.
He commended the Governor’s sports development initiative, saying it had provided opportunities for grassroots talents to be discovered, nurtured and exposed to competitive sports, thereby positioning the state for greater prominence.
The 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival is scheduled to officially open on Tuesday, September 22, and end on Sunday, September 27.
Unlike many of his players, Michael Carrick has personal experience of the special nights at Old Trafford in the Champions League. This was scarcely one of them, but if Carrick had compiled a list of things he wanted from the evening, this must have ticked nearly every box. A perfect night? “Yeah, I think so,” he said.
The fixture list made it a low-key comeback to the Champions League but Carrick was able to rest four players ahead of the Manchester derby, take off five more and chalk up a comfortable win. “Some of the football we played was really good,” said Carrick. “We just did a lot of good things.” Some players benefited. Matheus Cunha, who was fortunate to avoid a late red card for a studs-up challenge on Erivaldo Almeida, surely needed his first goal of the season. Benjamin Sesko marked his first start of the campaign with a second goal in a week.
In a sense, though, the most meaningful goal came from Bruno Fernandes. The captain was nominated for the Ballon d’Or even after a campaign when United were not in any continental competition. He showed a loyalty to United during their European exile. More than any other player, he dragged them back into the Champions League. It was fitting he scored on their return. Fernandes being Fernandes, it was also typical he was not among the rested or the removed.
Mickels missed a chance to level at 1-0 (Reuters)
Carrick has rarely needed to rotate since he took charge. Given this season’s greater workload, this was something of a learning exercise. Patrick Dorgu played left-back for the first time under Carrick, excelled in attack and played a part in the first two goals, but revealed defensive deficiencies. Noussair Mazraoui, brought back in for Diogo Dalot, seemed to have a point to prove and looked lively going forward. A fit-again Mason Mount made a belated first appearance of the campaign in the second half. Andrey Santos, dropped after his ill-fated debut at Hull, got the final half-hour. The youngsters Harry Amass and Shea Lacey appeared for the last 20 minutes.
By then, the game was won. It could have been more emphatic but it was still United’s biggest Champions League victory since 2020’s 5-0 rout of RB Leipzig; yet that also reflects the reality they have sat out many a European night since then. As they became the first English club to play 300 games in the European Cup, it was also their first since 2023.
Fernandes bagged a second as Sabah fell apart at the back (Reuters)
Carrick gave Luke Shaw the night off altogether, while United’s lead allowed Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot to remain on the bench. Later, Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Dorgu joined them there.
The first two goals featured Dorgu’s forays forward. “Pat played every so well, he was a big threat,” said Carrick. For the breakthrough, and after Sabah had made a fine start, the overlapping left-back crossed for Cunha to finish at the near post. The Brazilian had made a slow start to the season as a supposed centre-forward. Perhaps it was no coincidence he scored when in a deeper role. He looked better operating off the left, with Dorgu’s runs outside him allowing him to come infield.
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Sesko added a third shortly before half-time (Reuters)
Then came a quickfire double just before the break. Tielemans span to pass and Fernandes angled his shot in perfectly. It reinforced the sense two creative, intelligent footballers have the potential to combine well.
The third goal came when Mbeumo sent Sesko in behind the Sabah defence. He strolled past goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov to finish. “Ben gives us a different kind of threat,” said Carrick. Sesko’s shin problems have restricted his minutes this season and he had gone off before United added a fourth.
Lisandro Martinez supplied the close-range finish after a cheeky chipped free kick from Fernandes and a deft backheel from the substitute Joshua Zirkzee. United rejected a deadline-day attempt from Everton to take him on loan and Zirkzee only looks a back-up but he was prominent, seeking to make the most of his longest outing of the season.
Lisandro Martinez scored a fourth to cap a comfortable win (PA Wire)
For Sabah, it was a night to savour for other reasons. Their Champions League run began in July, before the World Cup finished. This was their second game of the campaign in England: the first, against Welsh champions The New Saints, was in Oswestry, before a crowd of 1,179. There were rather more at Old Trafford for the biggest game in the Azerbaijani champions’ history.
They were only founded in 2017. They have come a long way in a short time and the rank outsiders perhaps ought to have had a goal to celebrate. But when Joy-Lance Mickels headed Kaheem Parris’ cross into the side-netting, the Rwandan striker was unable to believe he did not equalise. Later the substitute Orphe Mbina headed against the bar.
Sabah showed verve to accompany their counter-attacking pace. “A clean sheet was important,” said Carrick, but it contained elements of fortune. United’s next European tie will provide a greater barometer of their prospects.
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Visiting Atletico Madrid will be a different kind of learning exercise about Carrick and his team. Stiffer tests await, but United have already won as many Champions League games as they did in their last campaign in this competition: one.
Manchester United celebrated their return to the Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Sabah on Thursday, as Cesc Fabregas’s Como impressed on their debut in Europe‘s premier club competition.
Harry Kane and Michael Olise, with a brace, both scored in the week that they were nominated for the Ballon d’Or as Bayern Munich were made to work before Bodo/Glimt’s second-half collapse in a 5-0 rout.
Matheus Cunha scored his first goal of the season while captain Bruno Fernandes, forward Benjamin Sesko and centre-back Lisandro Martinez were also on the scoresheet on a comfortable night for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
“I think it was perfect for everyone, especially our fans,” Sesko told TNT Sports.
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“It means a lot to them, especially when they see so many goals. I think it was great for us in general to give us more motivation for the upcoming games.”
There was one moment of concern after Cunha had given Michael Carrick’s team a 27th-minute lead from Patrick Dorgu’s cross, as United’s defensive frailties almost came back to haunt them.
But Joy-Lance Mickels headed wide for the Champions League debutants when free at the back post from less than five yards out.
The Azerbaijanis wilted at the end of the first period as Youri Tielemans teed up Fernandes and then Sesko ran onto Bryan Mbeumo’s through ball before rounding goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov before sliding the ball home.
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Midway through the second half, Martinez pounced on a bobbling ball that ricocheted off Pokatilov and a defender from substitute Joshua Zirkzee’s backheel as United went into cruise control.
Carrick even had the luxury of bringing on youngsters Harry Amass and Shea Lacey for their Champions League bows as he sought to rest legs ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby.
“I think the confidence boost is definitely big. It’s important to recover good and focus on the derby,” added Sesko.
Goals from Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina, Greece forward Tasos Douvikas and Senegal‘s Assane Diao put Como in control against RB Leipzig.
Serbia midfielder Andrija Maksimovic pulled a goal back for Leipzig before Maximo Perrone sealed a 4-1 victory late on a dream night in northern Italy.
Kane scored for the eighth Champions League game in a row as he powered home a header from Olise’s free-kick, with Bayern eventually overcoming a spirited Bodo/Glimt.
Jamal Musiala had given them the lead shortly after a goalless first half and after Kane’s goal, Alphonso Davies shot into the bottom corner when Olise’s corner was only half cleared.
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It was Musiala’s first goal since he collapsed on the pitch during pre-season due to a neurological condition.
“Scoring a goal — pure happiness,” Musiala told DAZN.
“I just want to perform well again… I just want to get back to my level step by step, playing with a sense of ease, joy, and fun on the pitch.”
Olise got in on the act with a sumptuous finish seven minutes from time before Odin Bjortuft was dismissed for the Norwegians.
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Olise then completed the rout with his second.
Lens twice came from behind to beat 10-man Slavia Prague 3-2 with injury-time goals from Florian Thauvin and Ruben Aguilar.
Danijel Sturm had twice given Slavia the lead, firstly just after Mikulas Konecny was dismissed and then with just two minutes remaining, but the Czechs were unable to hold on.
Earlier on, there were 1-1 draws between Fenerbahce and Roma, and between PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk.
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Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal quit after the match in Istanbul, during which he was targeted by a bottle thrown from the crowd.
But his president Aziz Yildirim said he had rejected the resignation.
By 11am in Phuket, most fighters have already finished their morning training. The heat has settled over Donegal Den, the new boxing gym opened by long-time Irish trainer John Hutchinson. Team Opetaia have already completed their morning run and are back in the gym for the second session of the day. Jai Opetaia is working on the heavy bag while his father and trainer, Tapu “Tap” Opetaia, calls out instructions from nearby.
Tap is approachable and relaxed away from training, but when the work starts there is a noticeable change. He watches closely and corrects what he sees.
Training at this time of day is not easy. Most fighters who have spent time in Thailand will avoid the middle of the day when they can, but for Team Opetaia the conditions seemed to be part of the preparation.
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I asked strength and conditioning coach Mark Mathie whether training in the Phuket heat added anything to Jai’s work.
“For Jai, it’s all mental,” Mathie told me. “You get to a certain level in boxing where it’s all mental, and our goal is to push him.”
Tap puts an even greater number on it.
“Your mindset is 95 per cent of it,” he said. “You can have all the talent in the world, be great at everything, but if your mindset doesn’t follow what your body’s doing, it will just fall apart.
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“It’s like having a nice-looking car with a bad engine in it. It won’t go anywhere. It looks good, but it won’t go anywhere.”
I asked if that was why they pushed his son so hard in camp.
“You have to break yourself and mentally be prepared for the worst,” Tap said. “If you don’t know how to swim, you’ll drown.”
For the next week, I would get a closer look at what he meant.
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My route into the camp had started with a text from Hutchinson.
“Hi Wasim, Jai Opetaia is coming to Phuket for a camp.”
Hutchinson has been based on the island for more than a decade and recently opened Donegal Den. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been too surprised by his message. Thailand had recently hosted a Tyson Fury fight night in Pattaya, while Fury himself had also chosen the country for parts of his recent training camps.
Now Opetaia was heading south to Phuket.
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I booked a ticket from Bangkok and made my way to the island, where I would spend a week around the team as they prepared for Noel Mikaelian on September 12.
As the week went on, the method behind the camp became clearer.
One session saw Opetaia work 12 rounds of pads with three different pad holders, four rounds with each.
Hutchinson worked with the power shield and encouraged Opetaia to sit on his punches. Mathie pushed the conditioning, while Tap slowed things down and corrected the technical details.
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Each pad holder had a different role in the session, allowing the team to work on different areas as the rounds and fatigue accumulated.
Image credit: Wasim Mather
Joining Jai in camp was his younger brother Elvis, who went through the sessions alongside him.
There were also small things I started to notice as the week went on.
During some of the harder periods on the heavy bag, Opetaia would start talking to himself. Sometimes he would swear, particularly when the work became difficult.
Tap had noticed the habit long before I had.
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Having trained his son throughout his career, I asked him what Jai looks like when he is genuinely struggling in training.
“He’s very mentally strong,” Tap said. “He talks to himself. Any time he gets uncomfortable he’ll go, ‘Fuck you,’ and starts swearing at himself. He gets angry.”
I asked whether Jai would agree with that assessment.
Tap laughed.
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“Yeah.”
The idea behind the camp was not complicated. Team Opetaia wanted difficult situations in training to become familiar.
A boxing camp gives a fighter a certain amount of control. Opponents can be studied, rounds can be counted and mistakes can be corrected. If something is not working, the team can go back into the gym and work on it again.
A fighter’s career does not always work the same way.
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For years, becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion has been Opetaia’s goal. Despite continuing to win inside the ring, the route towards it has become increasingly complicated.
In March, the IBF withdrew its sanction for Opetaia’s fight with Brandon Glanton after it became clear that the newly created Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title would also be contested. Opetaia went ahead with the fight and comfortably outpointed Glanton over 12 rounds, but was subsequently stripped of his IBF title.
The WBC situation has added another complication.
In May, the sanctioning body ordered its cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to defend against David Benavidez, whose move into the division immediately changed the picture at the top. Mikaelian instead moved forward with the September 12 fight against Opetaia.
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For Tap, it is another example of how much of a boxer’s career can be decided outside the ring.
“There’s a lot of politics you can’t talk about or get people involved in,” he said. “The cruiserweight division is not very popular like other divisions. So they need big names to sort of bring it out.”
Benavidez is one of those names.
“The WBC want to say, ‘Look who we’ve got as a cruiserweight,’ meanwhile we’ve been struggling to get where we’re at now,” Tap said.
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“There’s so much politics in this. We have no control, so we just do our thing. Whoever they put in front of us, we will fight anybody.”
Tap believes another fighter holding the WBC title could actually make Opetaia’s pursuit of undisputed more difficult.
“If they get the WBC belt, that gives them more reason not to fight Jai,” he said. “They’ll say, ‘What have you got? Why would I fight you for a Zuffa belt? What is a Zuffa belt? No one has even heard of a Zuffa belt.’
“They’ll use this as an excuse. ‘We’ve got these, what have you got?’ And the only option we can give them is money. We have nothing else to offer them.”
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The IBF situation remains another source of frustration.
“They took the IBF off us. The lawyers are taking care of that,” Tap said. “Will it come back to us? I don’t think so. There’s talks of other people fighting for the title.”
Despite that frustration, the belts have not lost their importance to the family.
Image credit: Wasim Mather
I asked Tap whether everything that had happened had changed what a world title actually meant to him and his son.
“No, not really,” he said. “That’s why we started. These belts hold weight. Since he was a kid he’s been watching it. Since I was a kid I’ve been watching it.”
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Fighters can become frustrated with the organisations behind the belts while still spending their careers chasing what those belts represent. For Opetaia, walking away now would mean leaving part of the job unfinished.
During one of the strength and conditioning sessions later in the week, the conversation turned to Benavidez.
Tap believed a fight between the two could potentially happen early next year.
As Jai continued training, Tap reached for his phone and pulled up a video that had been circulating of Benavidez working on a heavy bag in oversized clothes.
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We watched the video and spoke about what a fight between the two might look like.
Benavidez was not the man Opetaia was preparing for in Phuket, but Team Opetaia were clearly keeping an eye on him.
“Yeah, 100 per cent, that fight will skyrocket us to the next level if it does happen,” Tap said. “I’m sure it will be for the unification and then we’ll move up to heavyweight because our plan is to go up to heavyweight. But we have unfinished business here.”
Heavyweight has been part of the plan for some time. With all the difficulties surrounding the cruiserweight titles, Tap admitted there had been a point when he wondered whether they should simply stop chasing them.
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“I even said to Jai, ‘Maybe we just leave it and go,’” Tap recalled.
“He said, ‘Listen Dad, we won’t leave it like that just because of politics. Let’s finish what we started.’”
That conversation explains why Opetaia remains at cruiserweight. Moving to heavyweight would offer a new challenge, but there is still something he wants to complete first.
Benavidez could eventually provide the fight Team Opetaia have been looking for.
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When I asked what he thought his son brought that Benavidez had not seen before, Tap pointed towards Jai’s skill level, power and movement.
But that is a discussion for another fight.
The man directly in front of Opetaia is Mikaelian.
“Anyone that we fight is dangerous. We don’t overlook anyone,” he said.
“We go with a plan, we tick all the boxes. Mark, the strength and conditioning coach, does his job. I do my boxing stuff.
“If anything, it’s all about respect. Respect the sport, respect the athletes. They’re going through the same struggle, trying to feed their families.
“We concentrate on what we have to do. Who’s next? Then move on.”
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By the end of the week, I had watched the routine repeat itself. Running, heavy bags, pads, strength and conditioning and sparring. On some days, the team trained three times.
Through most of it, Tap was never far away.
Before I left, I asked him what he hoped he and his son would remember when all of this was eventually finished. Not the belts or the wins, but the years they had spent doing it together.
“We just love what we’re doing,” he said. “We grew up with it. It’s been in our families for generations. We were born into it. It’s been in our blood for a long time.
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“It’s just a crazy journey. We keep going because this is what we were supposed to do.”
There are still things Team Opetaia cannot decide for themselves. They cannot force another champion into the ring, and whether Benavidez happens next year or Opetaia gets the opportunity to become undisputed remains to be seen.
For now, the focus is Mikaelian and September 12.
By the final days of my week in Phuket, the routine around the gym had become familiar. Opetaia was back on the heavy bag with Tap watching nearby and calling out instructions. As the session became harder, Jai started talking to himself again and continued working.
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It brought me back to something Tap had told me earlier in the week.
“You have to break yourself and mentally be prepared for the worst. If you don’t know how to swim, you’ll drown.”
Image credit: Wasim Mather
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