Kerala-based sports-tech startup Dartle has raised $100,000 in seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), as it looks to turn growing demand for digital tools in youth sports into a larger international business. The company plans to deploy the capital towards expanding its go-to-market operations, scaling in the US and adding more artificial intelligence (AI)-driven capabilities to its software platform.

The funding comes as Dartle seeks to build on its early traction across international markets, with the US emerging as a key growth market. The startup, founded by Nihal Pradeep, Swathi Krishnan and Nagaraj R Potti, is backed by accelerator Upekkha and has also been recognised by NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. Its focus is on building a recurring-revenue software business around the operational and performance-management needs of youth sports and football academies.

Building an operating system for sports academies

Dartle operates a vertical business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed for youth sports and football academies. The platform brings several operational functions under one system, including scheduling, player performance analytics and parent engagement.

The startup is targeting a market where academies often rely on a combination of spreadsheets, messaging applications and manual processes to manage their operations. By bringing these functions onto a single platform, Dartle aims to reduce administrative work while giving coaches and academy administrators greater visibility into player development.

According to the company, its platform can reduce administrative workload by up to 75 per cent. Its data and performance-tracking tools are also designed to help academies monitor individual player development and improve athlete retention.

US market emerges as key growth driver

Dartle currently works with 14 academies across India, the Middle East, Nepal and the US. Its international expansion is increasingly centred on the American market, where the company is running eight paid pilots.

Targeting 100 academies and $1 million ARR

The new funding comes as Dartle looks to scale its customer base and increase recurring revenue. The company plans to onboard more than 100 sports academies globally over the next year and is targeting annual recurring revenue (ARR) of nearly $1 million.

AI will form a key part of that expansion. Dartle plans to deepen AI integrations within its platform as it seeks to offer academies more data-led tools for managing athletes and operations.

For the startup, the immediate focus is on converting its US pilots into wider adoption while expanding its footprint across international youth sports markets. Its growth strategy reflects a broader shift in sports towards technology platforms that combine operational management with player data and engagement tools.

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Real Madrid narrowly defeated Elche (3-2) in Matchday 6 of La Liga. Kylian Mbappé scored a goal and provided an assist.

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that Hardik Pandya will have to build his way back into international cricket through game time, with the all-rounder currently not part of India’s squads after not playing enough cricket since the IPL.

Following India’s 127-run win over Afghanistan in the third T20I in New Delhi on Thursday, Gambhir said Pandya’s immediate priority should be getting back on the field, including through the India A series, before pushing for a return to the senior sides.

“Hardik at the moment cannot bowl 10 overs, and he hasn’t played a lot of cricket since the IPL, so we don’t want to push him into international cricket because international cricket can be extremely tough on your body as well,” Gambhir said during the post-match press conference.

The India head coach also revealed that the message to Pandya has been straightforward: play, regain match fitness and then push for a place in both white-ball squads.

“And that was the clear message to him that if he can play that India A series, and then if everything goes well, he can come back and be part of the T20s and the one-day squad as well,” Gambhir said.

India could play Hardik and Nitish together

Gambhir’s comments also highlighted India’s plans to develop more than one seam-bowling all-rounder. Nitish Kumar Reddy, initially included in India’s 15-member Asian Games squad, has been withdrawn from the continental event and will instead feature in the ODI series against the West Indies.

Gambhir believes the move will give Reddy valuable game time and accelerate his development with the ball ahead of India’s future assignments.

“From Nitish’s point of view, it’s actually a great thing that he’s been withdrawn from the T20 format, and he’ll get game time against the West Indies as well,” he said. “We know how important a seam-bowling all-rounder will probably be in a year and when we go to South Africa. And once Hardik comes back, obviously it’s going to be good.”

The coach even suggested India could eventually accommodate both Pandya and Reddy in the same playing XI.

“Sometimes we could even go on to play both of them in the playing 11,” Gambhir said, while stressing that Pandya’s current bowling workload remains a factor.

“Hardik at the moment cannot bowl 10 overs,” he added.

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Reddy’s bowling development excites Gambhir

Gambhir was encouraged by Reddy’s progress as a seam-bowling all-rounder and believes having multiple players who can contribute with both bat and ball will give India greater flexibility.

“I think it’s good that we got Nitish now from the Asian Games so that now he can, and you could see the more he bowls, the better he becomes, and we have when you can develop a couple of seam-bowling all-rounders, it will always be handy,” Gambhir said.

Reddy will now get an opportunity to feature in the ODI series against the West Indies rather than the Asian Games, providing him with additional match exposure.

Abhishek’s hundred powers India to 3-0 sweep

The Hardik discussion came after India completed a commanding 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan. Abhishek Sharma smashed a record-breaking 108 off just 34 balls as India posted 221/7 in the third match in New Delhi.

Ravi Bishnoi and Reddy then claimed three wickets each as Afghanistan were bowled out for 94, their lowest total against India in T20Is and their heaviest defeat in the format.

Gambhir, however, said the focus inside the dressing room remained on impact rather than individual milestones.

“I can sit here and keep talking about his 100, but it’s just the impact. The only thing we talk about in that dressing room is how much impact we create with the bat and how much impact we can create with the ball,” Gambhir said.

India’s 100 runs in the powerplay was another major positive for Gambhir.

“T20 cricket is not about runs or wickets; it’s about how much impact you can create,” he said. “The biggest positive was we got a 100 in the powerplay that we have never done in my coaching tenure.”

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) jogs on the field during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Another domestic football season is underway and already, in mid-September, the shortcomings of technology in sport are at the center of the discourse once again.

The video assistant referee (VAR) is perhaps the most discussed technology in modern sport. While video replays have been in use for years in sports like American football, rugby or cricket, it has only been a decade since the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the highest regulatory authority in the sport, approved the use of VAR.

With artificial intelligence (AI) reportedly reaching dangerous levels of development and technological optimization of people’s lives at an all-time high, it is perhaps a pertinent time to consider the use of technology in sport. Has it finally evolved from a supporting role to an all-powerful, game-altering one?

“The idea behind VAR was that technology could reduce human error while leaving the referee in charge,” Susmit Gulavani, an assistant professor in AI and machine learning in sport at the University of South Carolina, told DW.

“Over time, however, VAR has expanded in both its use and its influence. The introduction of newer technologies, such as AI-assisted Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT), has made it an increasingly central part of decision making. While these advances have improved the precision of offside decisions, they have also raised expectations that technology should deliver perfect outcomes,” he said.

“That is where the sense of “mission creep” comes from. VAR is now expected to resolve almost every contentious decision, even though many incidents, such as fouls or handball decisions, still require human interpretation.”

That pursuit of perfection often leaves fans waiting and confused, and it breaks up a game that is fast and fluid. The World Cup this summer was evidence of that. And yet, if anything, the technology looks like it is finding more ways to embed itself into the sport.

VAR in the Bundesliga under the spotlight 

It has been nine years since VAR was introduced to the Bundesliga.

After the World Cup, German officials confirmed that VAR will also be allowed to have a say in second yellow cards and corner kicks in the Bundesliga. Granting technology additional powers did not go down well with organized fan groups in the country though, who launched a coordinated campaign calling for VAR to be scrapped in August this year. The broad message was that the technology has “robbed football of its joy” and that it was time to put the cameras back in the box.

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This is particularly significant in Germany, where many fans are club members and therefore have genuine influence over the actions of their club and the governance of the game. Jochen Drees, the head of VAR operations in Germany, has however argued for refining the technology rather than removing it – a natural tendency, according to Gulavani.

VAR mission creep a symbol of technology’s power

“VAR is a useful example of a broader societal pattern. As technology becomes more capable, we increasingly rely on it, but we also have to decide where its role should begin and end,” he said.

“The appeal is understandable because AI can significantly improve efficiency and productivity. Tasks that once took hours can often be completed in minutes. At the same time, this expansion raises important questions about privacy, transparency, accountability, environmental costs, and where human judgment should remain central.”

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Is AI the better referee?

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What will technology in sport look like in the future?

Sport without this technology is unlikely. Business, recruitment and event management are already finding ways to be more efficient thanks to the introduction of AI and other technologies.

As for VAR, perhaps a different system is required. At the U20 men’s football World Cup last year, challenge cards, as seen in the NFL for example, were trialed. Coaches could ask for situations to be reviewed, reducing the interference of constant replays and slow-motion assessments. Reportedly, trialing of the approach, officially called Football Video Support (FVS), continues but it is likely seen as a cheaper alternative to the expensive VAR rather than a replacement.

“The key is to treat technology as decision support rather than decision replacement,” Gulavani said. “

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AI and technologies like VAR are good at processing large amounts of information quickly and consistently, but they cannot fully understand the context, intent, or nuance that many sporting decisions require. Human referees are still needed to interpret the Laws of the Game and exercise judgment in situations where there is no objectively ‘correct’ answer.”

A return to a previous era seems unlikely, but the challenge is familiar. Can sport find a way to return technology to a supporting role rather than one that governs it to such an extent that it removes human engagement and emotion? If it can, perhaps those ripples will be felt beyond the white lines of sporting arenas.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

Collagen, long associated with skincare and wellness products, is increasingly finding a place in elite sport, where athletes are using it as part of efforts to support joints, tendons and other connective tissues.

The shift represents a new application for an ingredient already established in the consumer health and beauty market. In high-performance sport, however, the focus is less on appearance and more on helping athletes cope with the physical demands of repeated training, competition and rehabilitation.

Collagen is generally consumed as peptides or powder, particularly by athletes returning from injury and those competing in sports that place greater loads on the body.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Wayne Lombard, head of athletic performance for the Indian women’s hockey team, said the science around collagen use in sport is still developing. He added that athletes use it because of its potential role in supporting joints and tissues such as ligaments, the meniscus and the labrum.

Injury management creates a new sports-nutrition market

Collagen is a structural protein found in connective tissues, including tendons, ligaments and cartilage. For elite athletes, maintaining these tissues can be important because training involves repeated mechanical loading and, in some sports, high-impact movements.

According to The Indian Express report, Lombard said athletes use collagen to strengthen soft tissues and help keep them in a condition capable of handling repeated physical stress. He also said its use becomes particularly relevant when athletes are recovering from injuries.

That puts collagen in a different segment of the sports-supplement market. Rather than being promoted primarily for muscle growth or an immediate performance boost, its use is linked to the broader objective of keeping athletes available for training and competition.

High-performance centres bring supplementation under scrutiny

The growing use of collagen also reflects the changing role of sports science in Indian high-performance programmes.

At the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Vijayanagar, supplementation is part of a wider system that places emphasis on nutrition, training and rehabilitation. The centre follows a “food first” approach, encouraging athletes to meet their nutritional requirements through food wherever possible.

Samuel Pullinger, head of sport science at IIS Vijayanagar, said collagen is used for joint health and pain management, with supplementation timed around specific phases of training or rehabilitation.

Athletes in sports such as rowing, swimming and athletics, particularly the triple jump, are among those using collagen because of the physical loads associated with their disciplines, according to the report.

The approach illustrates how sports organisations are increasingly treating supplements as part of an athlete-management programme rather than standalone products. Decisions around their use can involve sports scientists, nutritionists, coaches and medical teams.

Timing becomes part of the proposition

Another element attracting attention is when collagen is consumed. Pullinger said collagen has a specific window in which it can be particularly useful and suggested consuming it around 45 to 60 minutes before training or a rehabilitation session. He also recommended pairing it with vitamin C.

Research has explored this timing principle, with studies suggesting that consuming gelatin or collagen before exercise can increase markers of collagen synthesis. But these studies have generally been small, meaning the findings do not establish that a particular timing protocol will improve sporting results.

That distinction is important as collagen moves further into the elite-sport market. The commercial opportunity lies in a more specialised product proposition — supplements designed around training and rehabilitation — rather than presenting collagen as a shortcut to improved performance.

Science still puts limits on the claims

The expanding use of collagen comes despite an evidence base that is still evolving. Recent research has found potential benefits for tendon adaptation and connective-tissue health, but evidence of a direct improvement in athletic performance or muscle strength is less conclusive. The emerging consensus is that collagen may have a role alongside appropriate mechanical loading, nutrition and rehabilitation, rather than functioning as a performance enhancer on its own.

Pullinger also cautioned athletes against viewing collagen as a secret ingredient that could dramatically transform sporting results.

For Indian sport, therefore, collagen’s significance may lie less in its promise as a miracle supplement and more in what its growing use says about the professionalisation of athlete care. As high-performance programmes invest more in recovery, injury management and sports science, supplements such as collagen are becoming another tool in the business of keeping elite athletes training and competition-ready.

For the Chicago White Sox, dropping two of three in a series against the Cleveland Guardians really feels like a double whammy.

Not only did Chicago fall out of first place in the AL Central for the first time since early July, but they also fumbled away a valuable first-round bye in the postseason. If the White Sox somehow get right in the final eight games of the regular season, their best chance of making the playoffs at the moment is via the AL Wild Card — along with the other rabble.

By carving out space for three Wild Card teams, Major League Baseball treats the division winner with the second-best record like the team with the best record. This means the Tampa Bay Rays (92-59) could win 100 games and the AL East and be rewarded almost identically to another division-winner that can’t finish better than 87-75.

It doesn’t seem fair, but that’s what Major League Baseball gets for making it too easy — or “fair,” if you will — to reach the postseason in the first place. The entirety of the American League has played mediocre baseball all season, and as a result, all but three teams still have a chance to be a Wild Card as of Thursday morning. It’s like that “Oprah” where everyone wins a car. Sorry to say, the Kansas City Royals (67-85) dream of driving off to the playoffs crashed last night.

Someone being eliminated from the postseason in the AL isn’t something that happens every day. And it won’t happen today, because the earliest the Minnesota Twins can be eliminated is Friday. The Seattle Mariners, who sneakily have a day off Thursday, can’t be snuffed out until the weekend. What a life.

Looking critically at the AL Wild Card field, it’s probably too harsh to say “they all stink,” but they definitely are thoroughly flawed teams. Even the ones from the mighty AL East. For all of the handwringing about how the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox “deserve” a bye more than any of the AL Central or AL West unmentionables, sure, let’s feel sorry for someone from the AL East.

Because of their starting pitching, the Red Sox have a legit shot to emerge and reach the World Series. They’d supercharge their chances if they had a bye. But if you break up their outlier 15-game winning streak from two months ago, their 82-70 record looks a lot more like the other Sox.

The Yankees — won’t someone think of the Yankees?! — could use a bye because it would give Aaron Judge a few extra days to stay off his feet. He’s hurt again. They could still attrit (as in attrition) their way to the World Series — but only because the competition ain’t too good.

Save the “re-seeding” talk for another season. The AL is just bad, and the reward is a playoff spot.

The Guardians still have time to mediocre themselves (mediocre is a verb now) back into the Wild Card portion. Their 9-7 September surge is not synonymous with a run that erased a 15 1/2 game deficit on the Detroit Tigers a season ago. Going back to the start of June, they’re four games under .500. Are the Guardians like a watch dog? Because, woof.

And don’t even look at the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros out of the AL West. Don’t look! What the league should do in their case is tell the winner they’ve made the playoffs and send them to an empty stadium in a recreation of that scene in “Goodfellas” with Joe Pesci in his nicest suit. And then have their moms make them dinner. But no playoffs.

Throughout the college football season, I’ll be giving you my just-for-fun picks, but I’m competitive, so I do some research.

I’m off to a 20-3 start in my fearless picks this year. Last season I got 70 percent right.

If not for Oklahoma State shocking Oregon last Saturday, I would’ve had my first perfect week ever.

This week I’m making picks for the following ten games:

• Arizona State @ Kansas
• USC @ Rutgers
• Utah State @ Utah
• Wagner @ Cal
• Stanford @ Duke
• BYU @ Colorado State
• Colorado @ Northwestern
• James Madison @ San Diego State
• Fresno State @ San Jose State
• Purdue @ UCLA

You will also want to read Stephen Vilardo’s Big Ten Previews,  Dane Miller’s Big 12 Column, and my Pac-12 Previews.

Sit back and relax.

Let’s get on to the picks!

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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Kylian Mbappe‘s move to Real Madrid was years in the making, and the Frenchman has now revealed just how important Florentino Perez was in finally making it happen.

In an extensive interview with AS, Mbappe looked back on his journey to the Santiago Bernabeu and explained that there was never really a question over whether he wanted to play for Madrid. The difficult part was making the move possible.

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Now in his third season at the club, Mbappe says the reality has matched the dream he had as a child.

Mbappe says Perez never gave up

Mbappe recalled that his relationship with Perez stretched back a decade before he eventually became a Real Madrid player.

“He’s the one who brought me here. We stayed in touch throughout the 10 years leading up to my arrival.

Perez and Mbappe were in touch for 10 years. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“He always showed warmth and understanding regarding every decision made, whether positive or negative for Real Madrid.

“He always told me that one day I’d play for Real Madrid, and here I am – and very happy at that. That’s why I have to thank him for everything he’s done and continues to do for me. He’s the best president in the world.”

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Those years of contact meant Perez remained a constant figure in Mbappe’s path towards Madrid and when the opportunity finally arrived, the forward did not need persuading.

Real Madrid was always Mbappe’s destination

Asked whether Real Madrid are what he had imagined as a boy, Mbappe said that playing for Los Blancos had always carried a different significance.

“Yes, absolutely. I was expecting the best club in the world, and to be met with such enthusiasm from Real Madrid fans all over the world.

Mbappe never had any doubts about Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“When I arrived here, I already had a certain status, but when you’re a Real Madrid player, you move to another level – a higher level. I think that if you want to be part of football history, you have to play for Real Madrid.”

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That explains why Mbappe insists nobody actually convinced him to make the move.

“To be honest, nobody and nothing needs to convince you to join Real Madrid.

“Everyone close to me knew that at some point I’d want to join Real Madrid. There was absolutely no doubt that I wanted to come, but sometimes when something isn’t possible, there’s nothing you can do about it and you have to accept it.

“Nobody had to convince me to come to Real Madrid, not even Florentino Pérez, as great as he is. It was a given,” he noted.