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🚨 HEADLINES

🎓 Landmark decision: The NCAA Division I Cabinet has unanimously approved an age-based, five-year eligibility model to replace the existing structure that has no age restrictions. The historic change, set to take effect in 2027, will see athletes’ eligibility clocks start either when they enroll or after their 19th birthday (whichever comes first).

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🏈 Sorsby saga update: The NFL delivered a scathing lesson in accountability on Tuesday by denying Brendan Sorsby’s request to hold a Supplemental Draft. The 22-year-old, who admitted to betting on his own team and will no longer be playing for Texas Tech this fall, may still enter the standard 2027 NFL Draft.

🏀 Coaching carousel complete: The Trail Blazers have hired longtime Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori as their next head coach, filling the NBA’s last remaining vacancy.

🏒 Ditto: The NHL’s last remaining vacancy was also filled on Tuesday when the Oilers hired Mike Babcock, who last coached in the NHL in 2019.

⚾️ What a turnaround: The first-place White Sox improved to 41-37 with Tuesday’s win over the Guardians, matching their entire win total from just two years ago when they set the modern MLB record for losses in a season (41-121).

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See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports.

🏀 DYBANTSA HEADLINES LOADED DRAFT CLASS

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was selected No. 1 overall by the Wizards on Tuesday night in Brooklyn, where nearly every team earned top marks for their selections in the first round of an absolutely loaded NBA Draft.

Top 4: Any of these freshman uber-prospects could have reasonably gone No. 1 in most years, so Washington, Utah, Memphis and Chicago should all be thrilled with the young men who are about to join their ranks.

1. Dybantsa (Wizards): The 6-foot-9 athletic freak and scoring machine (he led the NCAA with 25.5 points per game last season) gives Washington someone who could become one of the NBA’s most unstoppable shot-creators, and someone who should slot in nicely alongside veteran All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

2. Darryn Peterson (Jazz): The 6-foot-5 guard out of Kansas is a buttery-smooth scorer and dynamic playmaker who can shine with or without the ball, and his 6-foot-11 wingspan makes him a high-impact defender, to boot. Utah got a potential superstar as long as he can avoid the cramping issue that hindered his otherwise sensational season in Lawrence.

3. Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies): The most polished player in the class and reigning POY out of Duke made this an incredibly easy choice for Memphis, who get a 6-foot-8 forward that can score from the post with both footwork and power. Plus, second-generation players like him historically outperform their draft slot expectations by 26%.

4. Caleb Wilson (Bulls): The most gifted athlete in the draft class is 6-foot-9 with springs for legs, and when the North Carolina big is flying above the rim, finishing through contact, and chasing down every shot, he looks like a future franchise cornerstone. That sort of defensive anchor with offensive upside is exactly what the Bulls need in the frontcourt.

Next up: Those four freshman at the top were followed by four freshman guards who went in succession, as the Clippers got Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, the Nets got Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., the Kings got Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., and the Hawks got Houston’s Kingston Flemings.

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Consider this: 11 of the 14 lottery picks were freshmen, while the other three were transfers — all of whom won the national championship with Michigan. Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth to the Mavericks (where he’ll reunite with Dusty May), Yaxel Lendeborg went 11th to the Warriors and Aday Mara went 12th to the Thunder.

The Swoosh strikes again: Dybantsa’s selection made him the 12th Nike athlete in the last 20 years to go No. 1 overall, or 14th if you include the Nike-owned Jordan Brand. His addition adds young dynamism to an evolving men’s basketball roster at Nike, where the future is in uncertain hands.

• The top of the roster is aging, as LeBron James and Kevin Durant — on the 23rd and 19th iterations of their signature shoes, respectively — near the end of their playing careers.

• Nike added reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a signature athlete last week, plucking him from Nike-owned Converse to fortify its collection of prime-aged players.

• Ja Morant and Cade Cunningham headline the tier below SGA, but the former’s play has taken a step back, while the latter’s marketability remains a source of skepticism.

Further complicating matters? The presumed face of the next generation, Victor Wembanyama, is an impending sneaker free agent, per Shams Charania. Depending on the Frenchman’s decision, Dybantsa could have size 22 shoes to fill.

⚽️ RONALDO JOINS THE PARTY

With his fading abilities the subject of question marks and jeers, Cristiano Ronaldo had to watch as his chief rival chased and achieved tournament history through the World Cup’s early stages. On Tuesday, the Portuguese icon made history of his own.

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Two decorated decades: Ronaldo scored two first-half goals in Portugal’s 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, adding to the parade of superstar braces that began on Monday.

• His first, a characteristically clinical finish in the match’s sixth minute, made him the first player to score in six World Cups — a feat that it’s hard to imagine anyone ever matching (Lionel Messi was shut out in the 2010 edition).

• His second, carefully slotted past the keeper in the 39th minute, made him the oldest player ever with a multi-goal game in the tournament (41 years, 138 days), breaking the record set by Messi twice in the past week (38 years, 363 days).

More from Tuesday: England and Ghana played to a scoreless draw as the Black Stars joined Mexico, Spain and Argentina as the only teams who have yet to allow a goal; Croatia dismissed Panama from the tournament in a nervy 1-0 win; Colombia booked their trip to the Round of 32, beating DR Congo 1-0.

Where it stands: With every team having now played two of their three group stage games, the knockout round picture is beginning to come into focus.

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• Advanced: Mexico, United States, Germany, Argentina, France, Norway, Colombia

• Eliminated: Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Panama

Everything to play for: 36 teams (75% of the field) still have hope of advancing out of the group stage. And though such widespread uncertainty at this juncture is nothing new, the heavy proportion of those teams who will eventually secure passage into the knockouts is.

• In 2022, 27 of 32 teams (84%) came into Matchday No. 3 facing an uncertain outcome. However, only 13 of those nations (48%) would ultimately advance.

• In this year’s edition — where the top-eight third-place teams will advance alongside the top two teams in each group — those 36 teams are vying for 25 remaining positions, ensuring that more than two-thirds of them will fight on past the group stage.

What to watch: The group stage gets kicked up a notch beginning this afternoon, with six games per day until the preliminary round concludes on Saturday. With that in mind, here are five of the most important games to keep an eye on, headlined by Friday’s dream matchup between Kylian Mbappé’s France and Erling Haaland’s Norway.

⛳️ THE PGA TOUR INTRODUCES PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

The PGA Tour unveiled a radical new competitive model on Tuesday, featuring a series of changes that will be more substantial than any in the Tour’s half-century-long history.

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Champions and Challengers: Beginning in 2028, the Tour will operate on two tracks — the Championship and Challenger Series — which will run concurrently from February through August and include a promotion/relegation system.

• Championship: The top golfers’ slate includes a baseline of 15 regular-season events, each with about 120 golfers, a 36-hole cut and at least a $20 million purse. Their remaining schedule is filled out with the four majors, The Players Championship, the playoffs and an annual international team event (Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup).

• Challenger: Larger fields of about 144 golfers will compete in at least 20 events, each with a minimum purse of $4 million. Of note: The exact criteria for which players will slot into each Series has yet to be determined, but to be clear, this is distinct from the Korn Ferry Tour; these will be PGA Tour golfers.

Promotion/relegation: The top 20 players in the season-long Challenger standings will be promoted to the Championship, with immediate promotion available to anyone who wins either two events or a major. The top 90 Championship players (at least) will remain on that track, while the remaining ~40 will be eligible for relegation. In the fall, several “last-chance” events will give fringe players an opportunity to play their way into the Championship.

Plus: The postseason will be revamped to include match play, and will be contested across a rotation of courses. Further details will be revealed at the Tour Championship in August.

📺 WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24

⚽️ World Cup, Day 14

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You thought four games a day was fun? Let’s try six. First up is Canada vs. Switzerland in Vancouver (3pm ET, Fox) and Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar in Seattle (3pm, FS1). Then it’s Scotland vs. Brazil in Miami (6pm, Fox) and Morocco vs. Haiti in Atlanta (6pm, FS1) followed by Mexico vs. Czechia in Mexico City (9pm, Fox) and South Korea vs. South Africa in Guadalupe (9pm, FS1).

Host nation bump: Mexico has already clinched Group A, while Canada has all but assured its first-ever trip to the World Cup knockout round. They’ll clinch Group B with either a win or draw against the Swiss.

🏀 NBA Draft, Day 2

30 more prospects will be selected tonight in Brooklyn (8pm, ESPN) on the second and final day of the NBA Draft.

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Still on the board: Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), Henri Veesaar (UNC), Richie Saunders (BYU) and Isaiah Evans (Duke) headline our best players still available.

More to watch:

• ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Tigers (6:40pm Prime) … Tarik Skubal makes his third start since returning (incredibly quickly) from a groundbreaking new procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow.

• 🏀 WNBA: Mercury at Fever (7:30pm, USA); Dream at Valkyries (10pm, USA) … Five of the top 11 scorers take the floor in Indiana’s Caitlin Clark (21.3) and Kelsey Mitchell (20.9), Atlanta’s Allisha Gray (19.5) and Rhyne Howard (19.1) and Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper (19.2).

Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!

🏈 NFL TRIVIA

104 years ago today, the NFL got its modern name, rebranding to the National Football League before its third season kicked off in the fall of 1922.

Question: What was the league’s original name from its founding in 1920?

A) American League of Professional Football

B) American Professional Football Association

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C) All-America Football Conference

D) Association of Professional Football

Answer at the bottom.

📣 LAUNCH DAY IS HERE!

Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich, launches today!

What to expect: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Dylan and the rest of our growing newsletter team will break down the deals, dollars and decisions shaping your favorite sports.

Trivia answer: B) American Professional Football Association

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From the show

World Cup Debrief

Reading time
1 min

The Black Stars’ head coach Carlos Queiroz had strong words about the refereeing after two fowls from the Three Lions went unchecked, and the two sides played out a goalless draw. Meanwhile Colombia qualified for the knockout round beating DR Congo 1-0 and Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cups.

A mouthwatering title fight hits New York City this weekend, as Xander Zayas takes on Jaron “Boots” Ennis at the top of the super-welterweight division.

Boots is one of boxing’s most highly-toured stars, and the American enters this bout as the challenger – unbeaten like champion Zayas, who defends the WBO and WBA belts here.

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Puerto Rica’s Zayas last fought in January, earning a split-decision win over Abass Baraou to extend his record to 23-0 (13 KOs), while the 23-year-old’s opponent this weekend has an even more impressive record; Ennis, 28, will enter the bout at 35-0 (31 KOs), having stopped Uisma Lima in the first round in October.

Meanwhile, the undercard features the next outing for Ben Whittaker, as the controversial British star takes on Richard Rivera.

Here’s all you need to know:

When is the fight?

Zayas vs Ennis will take place on Saturday 27 June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. The broadcast will begin at 1.30am BST on Sunday (5.30pm PT / 7.30pm CT / 8.30pm ET on Saturday), with main-event ring walks following at 3.45am BST on Sunday (7.45pm PT / 9.45pm CT / 10.45pm ET on Saturday).

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How can I watch it?

The event will stream live exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view worldwide, at a cost of £24.99 / $74.99. You do not need to be a DAZN subscriber to purchase the event, but plans are available here, starting at £15.99 per month.

Odds

Zayas – 7/2

Ennis – 2/9

Draw – 14/1

Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers. The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

Undercard

Subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion

Xander Zayas (C) vs Jaron Ennis (WBO and WBA super-welterweight titles)

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Emiliano Vargas vs Bryce Mills (super-lightweight)

Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera (light-heavyweight)

Jahi Tucker vs Euri Cedeno (middleweight)

Quincey Williams vs Jerome Baxter (welterweight)

Dennis Thompson vs Edwin Rodriguez (super-bantamweight)

Juanma Lopez de Jesus vs Alberto Motos (super-flyweight)

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

The Georgia Bulldogs have finished the college baseball as the No. 3 team in the country in the final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. Georgia won the SEC (regular season and SEC Tournament) and went 53-14 during a historic year for the Bulldogs.

Georgia’s NCAA Tournament started with the Dawgs and manager Wes Johnson winning the Athens Regional. Georgia defeated the No. 13 Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Athens Super Regional to advance to the College World Series in Omaha.

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The Bulldogs won their opening College World Series game against the No. 5 Texas Longhorns before falling to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners. Georgia bounced back to defeat and eliminate Texas, but the Bulldogs lost their following game to Oklahoma, who went on to defeat the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels in the national championship series.

Georgia’s season ended in disappointment, but their Bulldogs can be proud of their postseason run. Georgia ended up as a one of the final four teams in the College World Series. UGA finishes the season with top-10 wins over No. 5 Texas (two), No. 7 Ole Miss (two), No. 8 Troy and No. 9 Auburn (two). Georgia went 7-5 against top-10 opponents.

Impressively, national champion Oklahoma was unranked entering the NCAA Tournament. It is safe to say the Sooners proved their doubters wrong.

Final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for 2026 season

Schools Dropped Out

No. 21 Oklahoma State; No. 22 Arizona State; No. 23 Jacksonville State; No. 24 Cincinnati; No. 25 Tennessee;

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Others Receiving Votes

Arizona State 66; Oklahoma State 53; Jacksonville State 37; UC Santa Barbara 20; Kentucky 10; Liberty 9; Cincinnati 9; Tennessee 8; Wake Forest 6; Miami (FL) 6; Mercer 5; East Carolina 4; Coastal Carolina 4; Louisiana 3; North Carolina State 1;

Follow UGA Wire on Instagram, Facebook, X, or Threads for more Georgia baseball coverage!

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Where Georgia baseball is ranked in the final coaches poll

FIFA will consider keeping hydration breaks for future World Cups despite backlash to the extra stoppages in play at this year’s tournament.

Gianni Infantino, the soccer body’s president, defended the decision to introduce breaks – which come midway through each half – at this World Cup and said Tuesday they may be providing more entertainment for fans.

He said FIFA would analyze what it will do in future tournaments “based on this experience.” But after criticism that the breaks were a stealth way to insert advertising or American-style timeouts, Infantino suggested the stoppages have been positive. 

“Maybe the coach can reassess certain situations, correct certain mistakes. The players get a little rest and come back in full speed. Well, is that bad necessarily? Maybe it’s good,” Infantino said. “And we see as well the intensity of the games. We’ve never seen 90 minutes in a tournament like this played in such an intensity.

“Until the last second of the match, players attack and so on,” he continued. “And maybe, maybe not, but maybe it’s also a bit thanks to this little break that the players have and after they can go back on the field and show what they can do.” 
The World Cup has certainly delivered in terms of entertainment, with goals scored at a record pace and big performances from soccer greats like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. There have also been shocks provided by debutants Cape Verde and Curacao, despite fears the expansion of the tournament from 32 teams to 48 would dilute the quality.

But the biggest criticism has been the introduction of hydration breaks for all matches regardless of venue or location.

Loud jeers have greeted the stoppages, around 22 minutes into each half, especially at games played in stadiums with roofs and air conditioning, such as Atlanta. 

Infantino said it was necessary for sporting equity.

“If we were to use hydration breaks only in those matches where it was too hot and not in the other matches, we would give an advantage or a disadvantage to some of the coaches or some of the teams,” he said. “Why would the coach have the opportunity to influence the game in one match just because it’s hot and in another match where it’s a bit less hot, he wouldn’t have this opportunity?” 
Infantino also insisted FIFA was making no extra money as a result of networks cutting to commercials because contracts had been signed before the decision to introduce hydration breaks.

Did it feel like the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason and free agency, in particular, were a bit quieter than normal? Your observation was correct. CBS Sports ranked each NFL team last week by offseason spending, and Minnesota checked in at No. 32 — the fewest dollars spent.

It’s a new era in Minnesota with general manager Nolan Teasley in the saddle and a freshly reset salary cap.

“Quiet” Offseason Was Deliberate for Vikings

CBS Sports on Vikings’ Spending

The Vikings were fiscally restrained, and the numbers prove it.

Garrett Podell wrote this week, “The Minnesota Vikings were up against it from a salary cap perspective entering free agency, which hindered how active they were this offseason. Minnesota began around $43 million over the salary cap, but was able to clear up space with the retirement of offensive lineman Ryan Kelly, plus contract restructures for wide receiver Justin Jefferson, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and cornerback Byron Murphy.”

“Trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles also helped decrease the Vikings’ financial issues. Cutting defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were also subtractions the Vikings needed to make to their roster this offseason.”

The Vikings went on an absolute spending barrage in 2024 and 2025; the 2026 offseason was markedly different.

“While they weren’t big spenders, their most expensive free agent signing on an average per year basis — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings — fills a key need. Minnesota lost speedster Jalen Nailor to the Las Vegas Raiders, but Jennings can certainly make up for some of the production lost in Nailor’s departure,” Podell added.

“Since 2024, Jennings’ 83 receiving first downs rank 28th in the NFL. Once 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy returned from injury in Week 11 in 2025, Jennings’ six receiving touchdowns from Week 11 to the end of the regular season were tied for the second most in the entire league. He’ll be a prime secondary weapon for whomever emerges in the quarterback battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.”

Who’d They Get?

Because the Vikings ventured into free agency without an official general manager — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired about a week before the Super Bowl, and Rob Brzezinski took over in the interim — onlookers didn’t know what to expect from free agency.

Well, Minnesota played it cool — aside from landing a new quarterback in Murray. Here’s the haul of notable additions:

• Eric Johnson (DT)
• Isaiahh Loudermilk (DT)
• James Pierre (CB)
• Jauan Jennings (WR)
• Johnny Hekker (P)
• Kyler Murray (QB)
• Ryan Van Demark (OT)

Because Murray and Jennings have big-name offensive appeal, it didn’t feel like Minnesota was totally quiet. Yet, compared to the rest of the NFL, the spending was puny.

The Cap Is Reset

The Vikings pressed pause on the remote control this offseason, compared to their spending in 2024 and 2025. Theoretically, they could’ve pursued high-profile free agents like Tyler Linderbaum or Trey Hendrickson — moves that would have generated considerable buzz — but the team chose a different path.

Rather than front-loading massive cap hits into future seasons (2027-2030), the Vikings prioritized value. They secured Murray on a teensy contract, added the aforementioned veterans at reasonable prices, and largely steered clear of bidding wars.

The strategy contrasts sharply with that of many other NFL teams. The Eagles, for example, are known for pushing cap obligations into future years, a tactic the New Orleans Saints also employed for an extended period. While effective in the short term, this approach eventually leads to substantial financial reckoning.

It appears Minnesota decided that 2026 was the opportune time to rectify its financial outlook.

While this offseason has been quieter, the Vikings’ cap health has improved. By 2027, they anticipate having substantial financial flexibility, avoiding the cap disasters that often plague teams employing more aggressive spending habits.

Heading into 2027, the books will be relatively clean.

Any More on the Way?

Minnesota has just over $13 million in cap space — from spending judiciously. The roster is largely in good shape, but as always, a couple of enhancements could be in order.

At the top of the list, the purple team needs an OLB3 if rookie Jake Golday isn’t ready to fill a hybrid ILB-OLB role as a rookie, or if the tentative plan to convert DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins to OLB doesn’t take flight. Free agents like Jadeveon Clowney, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and others are waiting on the wire for a phone call.

Otherwise, the Vikings could sign an extra guard or safety for depth if Harrison Smith doesn’t return or OT Walter Rouse isn’t converted to guard.

The Vikings’ regular season begins in 81 days.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

National record holder decathlete Tejaswin Shankar will be considered for this year’s Asian Games despite not competing in the National Inter-State Senior Championships which begins here on Wednesday as he has been granted exemption from the meet, a top official of the national federation said on Tuesday.

Tejaswin, who rewrote his own national record during the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month, has been named in the 32-member Indian team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July 23 to August 2). He has sought exemption from the National Inter-State Senior Championships and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) granted him exemption.

“Yes, he has sought exemption from the National Inter-State in writing and we have granted it. He will be considered for the Asian Games,” AFI Planning Commission chairman Lait Bhanot told PTI ahead of the championships here.

“The gruelling 10-event decathlon is such an event which an athlete cannot compete twice within one month. You need a long period of recovery time, otherwise he will get injured.” 
Tejaswin had won a bronze medal in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The AFI had earlier announced that National Inter-State will be the only selection trial for the Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan in September-October.

Bhanot also said that national 100m record holder Gurindervir Singh, who has also been named in the Indian Commonwealth Games team, has sought exemption from the National Inter-State and the AFI will take a call on that.

“Gurindervir has also sought exemption and the AFI is yet to take a call on that. We will do that. In any case, the Asian Games team will be named on the final day of the National Inter-State (on June 28).

“The selection committee is the final authority to take a call on whether an athlete will be selected or not,” he said.

“Of course, he (Gurindervir) will have to compete before the Asian Games and qualify if he has to be in the Asian Games team.” 
The Asian Games qualification time for men’s 100m is 10.16 seconds, and Gurindervir had lowered the national record to 10.09 seconds in the Federation Cup last month.

Bhanot also confirmed that national record holder 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable is not in a position to compete after undergoing an ACL surgery last year.

‘Nothing wrong in Animesh Kujur competing for Odisha’ 
There were allegations that the No Objection Certificate issued to 200m national record holder Kujur, who originally belonged to Chhattisgarh, by Odisha to represent the state has lapsed, but Bhanot does not see any problem in it.

“As regarding the migration (of an athlete) from one state to another, both the states have to agree. In case any state is not agreeing, then the athlete can give representation to the AFI which is free to take decision whether the migration is allowed or not,” Bhanot said.

“And once he (Kujur) has gone to Odisha, then if he wants to go back to any other state, there must be some strong reason and the same process needs to be followed again.

“So one time migration is given, it is permanently till the time he does not ask for the migration to some other state.

India’s top-ranked golfer Yuvraj Sandhu says he is “hungrier than ever” and has set himself an ambitious target of winning a major championship within the next two to three years.

Sandhu clinched an unprecedented seven titles last year during a record-breaking domestic season, topping the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit to earn a full-season card on the prestigious DP World Tour.

“I’m just a little hungrier than ever before. Now that I’ve tasted the European tour, I feel like this is exactly where professional golf is… it’s literally where you want to be. So I see myself playing a lot of majors next year, contending as well. And ideally, it would be — winning a major next year,” Yuvraj told PTI.

“So I’m just going to stick to the process, work hard and let’s see if I can win a major next year. That’ll be golden. But I definitely see myself winning a major in the coming two or three years.

“I definitely see that because I know that, to begin with, I have the grit for it. And secondly, I think I have a great team that, you know, pushes me to the limit. And if I tell them that I need to work on certain things.” 
The 29-year-old from Chandigarh said his confidence stems from exposure to European conditions, having played the US Open qualifier at Walton Heath.

“I’ve already competed in European and UK conditions. I did play the US Open qualifier in Walton Heath. On the World Tour, I went out there with my ears and eyes wide open, very receptive to the change,” he said.

“I’ve had trouble breaking through to win or get a top-five finish lately, but I think I’ve become smarter with a lot of things on and off the golf course, and that’s showing in my scores more and more now.” 
Sandhu is part of the six-member Indian team which will compete in the Asian Games scheduled to be held from September 19 until October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Asked how he felt qualifying ahead of the likes of Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma, Sandhu said: “It’s been a dream to compete at the Asian Games and representing the tri-colour. Coming from an army background, seeing my dad wearing the uniform and serving the nation, I think the nation’s pride, it’s just something that comes to me.

“I feel like if I’m representing the tri-colour, it’s just something that gives me goosebumps till date. So going to the Asian Games, it’s always been a dream and I’m really grateful and thankful to everybody and my whole team who’s contributed for me being selected to the Asian Games.” 
Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar make up the men’s team, while Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs comprise the women’s squad.

“I honestly feel it’s a very strong team. Saptak, Veer and I, we’ve played junior golf together. We’ve played amateur golf together. It’s like we’ve literally seen each other in school. We’ve seen each other in college.

“Now we’ve seen each other in the pro ranks in our rookie years. And now the three of us are going to the Asian Games. I know for a fact that it’s the first time for all three of us.” 
Sandhu also credited improvements in his long game and wedge play for his recent progress.

“I’ve always been an aggressive player. I’ve always been a player who wants to hit a driver or, you know, who wants to pipe down a driver down the middle. So, I think that has helped me and given me a little bit of an edge,” said the Indian, who recorded a tied sixth finish at DP World PGTI Open this year.

“And at the same time, I think my wedge play has definitely become better. Like there have been harsh adjustments at the beginning of the year, which are showing results now.

“I’m very confident that towards the end of the year, there will be a week where I’ll be very busy with interviews,” he signed off.