Italian government provides legal protection for the referees after they face continuous abuse in Seri-A matches
Referees in Italy will now receive the same legal protection as police officers and other public officials, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, to help curb a rise in cases of assault in sports such as football. A change to the penal code will mean much tougher penalties, including potential jail, for acts of violence against match officials, including pushing, hitting, or threatening. The move follows months of discussions between the government and the Italian Football Referees Association. The law, part of a decree approved by the Italian government late on Friday, extends protection to all officials responsible for ensuring sporting fixtures are conducted fairly. Abuse towards match officials at all levels of Italian football has become a growing concern. In December, Serie-A referees highlighted the issue by wearing black smudges on their cheeks during matches as a symbol of protest. In one notorious example last season, 19-year-old referee Diego Alfonzetti was attacked when he took charge of a youth match in Sicily. Alfonzetti was invited onto the pitch alongside the match officials before the Lazio-Rome Serie A derby in April as an act of solidarity. “Sport is loyalty and sharing. Those who do not accept it are warned: from tomorrow violent behaviour and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, even with prison,” said Senator Andrea Ostellari, a junior justice minister.
BCCI issues safety guidelines after horrific ‘RCB’ stampede tragedy
Following the horrible stampede that occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory celebration, the BCCI is taking decisive action. The board has confirmed that no future IPL celebrations will proceed without stringent safety measures in place, following the incident in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives and injured over 50 fans. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia acknowledged the mishap and stressed that the public celebrations during the post-IPL wins must not come at the cost of human lives. Although the BCCI initially distanced itself from the event, organized independently by RCB and the Karnataka government, the board has now stepped in to regulate such celebrations moving forward. To ensure that future felicitation events are well-planned and secure, the BCCI has constituted a three-member committee to frame standardized safety protocols. These guidelines will be mandatory for all IPL teams henceforth. Key guidelines proposed by BCCI: Cooling-off period: No team will be allowed to hold celebrations within 3-4 days of winning the title. Quick turnarounds will not be permitted to avoid rushed and poorly managed events. Mandatory BCCI clearance: Teams must seek formal permission from BCCI before organizing any celebration. No events can be held without prior written clearance from the board. Security blueprint: Mandatory 4 to 5-tier security protocols. Multi-layered security presence will be essential at all venues and during transit. Security arrangements must cover team movement from the airport to the event venue. The franchise must have to ensure full protection for players and staff throughout the event schedule. Government permissions: Permission must be obtained from district police, state government, and local authorities. All celebrations must be green-lit by civic and law enforcement bodies to proceed legally and safely. RCB’s victory parade was hurriedly planned for June 4, just a day after their first-ever title win. Despite traffic police warnings, the event saw over 2 lakh fans assemble outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, leading to a deadly stampede. The franchise’s marketing head was later arrested and KSCA officials resigned in the aftermath. Nikhil Sosale, however, went out on bail afterwards.
Jasprit Bumrah expresses frustration to the coach in the dressing room after bowlers let him down
Jasprit Bumrah cast a frustrated picture towards the end of Day 2 of the first Test against England and understandably so. He was by far the best bowler on display in the series opener of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Still, without proper support from the fielders and his fellow fast bowlers, England got away to challenge India’s big first-innings score (471) by reaching 209/3. The pace spearhead was seen having an animated chat with head coach Gautam Gambhir in the dressing room in the final hour of play on Saturday. It transpired in the 40th over of England’s innings when Bumrah was off the field. Shardul Thakur, India’s fourth seamer, was introduced into the attack for the first time in the match. During Thakur’s uneventful first over, the cameras panned to the Indian dressing room, where Bumrah was seen doing all the talking. He didn’t quite seem pleased with how things were proceeding in the Test match. Bumrah scalped all the three wickets giving away 48 runs. The wicket of Ben Duckett helped Bumrah break Wasim Akram’s long-standing record of picking the most wickets by an Asian bowler in SENA countries. Bumrah now has 147 wickets in 55 innings. Earlier, India were bowled out for 471 in the first innings in their opening Test against England with skipper Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring centuries.
Tutu Bose to receive ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’ award this year; Late Mitra to receive same posthumous award next year
The Executive Committee of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club at its second meeting held at the club premises on Saturday has decided to confer ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’ for 2025 to the club’s former president Swapan Sadhan Bose (Tutu Bose). Bose in a reply to the club has conveyed congratulations and gratitude also to the newly selected executive committee for choosing him as the recipient of ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’. At the same time, the executive committee resolved in the same meeting that the ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’ for the next year would be posthumously awarded to the late Anjan Mitra, the former club secretary, acknowledging his exemplary service and lifelong dedication to the club’s cause. Sujata Mitra, the wife of late Mitra has also congratulated the new executive committee for selecting Mitra as the recipient. It was Anjan Mitra who introduced the ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’ award. However, Mohun Bagan Day, this year will be celebrated at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on 29th July.
