Felix Baumgartner the fastest skydiver, dies in crash in Italy
Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver who became the first human to travel faster than the speed of sound without the assistance of a craft during his record-breaking leap through the stratosphere, died Thursday after crashing into a town along the eastern coast of Italy, authorities said. He was 56. Italian firefighters who responded said a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio. The city’s mayor confirmed Baumgartner’s death in a social media post. “Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,” Who was Felix Baumgartner? Baumgartner shot to global fame on October 14, 2012, when he became the first human to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. Wearing a pressurized suit and supported by a helium balloon, he ascended to 128,000 feet—over 24 miles above New Mexico—then stepped off the capsule and began a free fall to Earth. At one point, he reached speeds of 843.6 mph, or about 1.25 times the speed of sound. During a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew later said. His descent lasted nine minutes. Millions watched it live on YouTube.”When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble,” he said afterward. “You do not think about breaking records anymore… the only thing you want is to come back alive.” The altitude he jumped from also was the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat. Baumgartner’s altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance. Baumgartner began skydiving at the age of 16, eventually joining the Austrian military’s demonstration and competition team before becoming an extreme athlete for Red Bull, the sponsor of his 2012 feat, according to his website. He began BASE jumping in the 1990s, going on to set 14 world records, including jumping from what was then the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101, in 2007, his website said. In a statement posted Friday, Red Bull described Baumgartner as “clear, demanding and critical,” someone who “sought out the greatest challenges and mastered them with sharp thinking, relentless precision and a good dose of courage.” We grew with you and you with us, the statement read. “We wouldn’t trade a single day we had together. You will stay with us as a colleague, a loyal companion, but most of all as a friend.” Stefano Pitrelli contributed to this report.
How IPL is influencing english clubs to survive
Will the investment by IPL owners in The Hundred competition ease the financial struggles of the majority of 18 county clubs in England? It is a “make or break” question facing the struggling clubs in the county circuit right now. According to the recently-released Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report, the gap between the top clubs and the smaller ones is widening with the big three — Surrey, Lancashire and Warwickshire — generating 44 per cent of the total revenue of all 18 first-class counties in 2023. The smaller clubs like Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire are hugely reliant on the funding from the parent body — the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The sale of equity in the eight franchises of The Hundred is expected to raise approximately 520 million pounds, a part of which would be shared with the county clubs. The ECB decided to sell stakes of the eight franchises ahead of The Hundred’s fifth season that begins on August 5, day after the conclusion of the Test series between India and England. Four out of the eight teams have attracted investments from IPL franchise owners connected to Mumbai Indians (49 per cent of Oval Invincibles), Sunrisers Hyderabad (100 per cent of Northern Supercharges), Delhi Capitals (49 per cent of Southern Brave) and Lucknow Super Giants (70 per cent of Manchester Originals). The other four teams — Welsh Fire, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Trent Rockets — have drawn huge sums from American investors. The eight counties hosting The Hundred teams, including the hosts of Test matches in the summer, are sitting pretty but the majority of the remaining 12 face an existential threat. “The Hundred money allows the 18 first-class counties to look to the future rather than simply survive from one summer to the next,” said former England captain Michael Vaughan in the report. In a separate interaction with PTI, Vaughan said the fresh investments into The Hundred would help England produce better cricketers. “There is an expectation that it’s (Hundred investments) going to help County cricket. What it does do is help England produce better players because some of our players go to the IPL and mix with some of the legends of the game and coaches and they come back better players. “The IPL is not going to move and it’s not going to get any smaller, so the game is going to accelerate,” he said, referring to the money pumped in by the IPL teams. Stuart Cain, CEO of Warwickshire County Cricket Club believes the fresh influx of cash in English cricket will help all 18 counties but in the long run they need to develop multiple revenue streams, that money will help red-ball cricket and T20 cricket thrive in all the counties. Cain said there is also plenty to learn on the operation front from the IPL biggies besides stressing on the important of creating different revenue streams for clubs that don’t have teams in The Hundred. Farokh Engineer former India stumper and Lancashire great said With more cash in hand, the clubs would be able to attract better players and improve the standard of red ball game he also added county cricket’s standard has fallen down, in his time time there was myself and Clive Lloyd playing for Lancashire. There was Gordon Greenidge, Barry Richards playing for Hampshire, Andy Roberts, Ian Botham and all these guys are playing.” “The standard of county cricket was very high then, with Indian money coming in, let’s hope county cricket standards will improve.
Greg Chappell’s Tips to Shubman Gill on improvement of captaincy
Former India head coach Greg Chappell also said that Shubman Gill will have to accept that his bat won’t always do the talking and the 25-year-old will have his “biggest examination” as captain in the Manchester Test next week. Greg Chappell noted Jadeja’s solid performance but stressed he should have batted aggressively. He called on Shubman Gill to improve communication. Gill should have directly told Jadeja to go for the win while the tail hangs around “The truth is, Jadeja was the only recognised batter left. If India were to chase down the target, he had to take calculated risks. His job wasn’t to leave balls and collect singles – it was to win the match. That clarity should have come from the dressing room, from the captain. He needed to be told directly: “You are the man who has to get this done. The tail’s job is to hang in there with you, but you must go for the win. “We saw exactly that from England’s Ben Stokes against Australia in Leeds in 2019. In a similar situation, he backed himself and produced one of the best innings of the past 50 years. “And this is where Gill’s leadership challenge becomes very real. He must start setting those expectations – clearly, proactively, and consistently. Chappell said that great captains are always great communicators, and Gill must develop this skill quickly. According to Chappell, whether it’s during training, in the middle of a match, or in the dressing room, clear and calm communication is essential. “Gill must define what sort of team he wants India to be. The captain sets the tone – not just with words, but with actions, clarity of purpose, and visible standards. That means demanding discipline in the field. India cannot afford to slip back into being a poor fielding side. The best teams are superb in the field. They don’t give easy runs. They don’t drop chances,” He noted that Gill cannot rely solely on his batting to lead and must learn to speak in a manner that aligns the team, fosters belief, and builds trust. The former Australia skipper also added that while Gill’s animated on-field self, like the one during his altercation with England opener Zak Crawley on the third day of the Lord’s Test was fine viewing, it must only come on the back of confident preparation.
Arindam says the I-League title for 2024-25 is his best achievement!
He has already earned several foremost trophies in his football journey, including the ISL, the I-League once, and prestigious trophies like the Durand Cup and the Rovers Cup. He was one of the members of the SAFF championship-winning Indian team that consisted of all the young and inexperienced footballers under Sukhvinder Singh’s coaching. Still, Arindam Bhattacharya, one of the country’s one of the most experienced goalkeepers, held his second I-League title, this time with Inter Kashi has been the best achievement in his football career! The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) in its verdict on Friday announced Inter Kashi as the I-League champion for 2024-25. The decision came out after almost three months of the completion of the League. Speaking to Parallel Sports, the custodian revealed, “This is my second I-League title, and it is special, probably the best among the trophies I have won so far. We had to go through tremendous mental pressure for the last three months. It was a grueling battle for all the footballers during this period.” He continued, “We spent almost sleepless nights during these three months. A new team could not become champions despite having garnered the highest points and reached the top of the League table. Everybody turned out against, and some moved to the court. Even the All India Football Federation (AIFF) did not stand by us. So, we were waiting for the final justice, and on Friday, our battle came to an end. That is why this title is special for me.” However, when asked whether he would start mental preparation after his team earned qualification for the ISL, the 35-year-old custodian explained, “I have already won the ISL once. I will be happy if I can win the title for the second time. But my motivation is not only that. Rather, ensuring a place in the first eleven at this age, even though there are several potential youngsters, has been my motivation.” When asked about the dearth of Bengali goalkeepers in the present time, Arindam added, “Subhashis Roy Chowdhury, Sandip Nandy, and Abhijit Mondol have been nurturing potential young goalkeepers. I hope they will be successful in producing quality Bengali goalkeepers for the future. But at the same time, I feel, potential goalkeepers of impressive height should be scouted and nurtured properly.”
Michel Platini scares off a burglar, but 20 Trophies and medals stolen: Reports
Football legend Michel Platini encountered a burglar at his villa in the south of France on Friday, a source close to the police investigation informed AFP. Platini, 70, heard a noise in the garden of his property in Cassis early in the morning and came face to face with a masked man, who fled with several trophies and medals, according to the source. The thieves specifically targeted the garden pavilion, where most of the trophies were displayed. As per reports, approximately 20 of his trophies and medals from his illustrious career were taken. The Marseille prosecutor’s office confirmed the opening of an investigation into aggravated burglary at Michel Platini’s home to the French media group RTL. The local gendarmerie brigade is conducting the initial investigations. Platini played 72 times for France and won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s top player three consecutive years from 1983 to 1985. He led France to the semi-finals of the World Cup in both 1982 and 1986. The former French captain, a star of Juventus and Saint Etienne, is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and was ranked seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1985 and promoted to Officer in 1998. Shortly after leaving the pitch for the final time, Platini turned to coaching, becoming the French national coach in 1988. In December 2015, Platini was banned from international football for eight years following a FIFA investigation that revealed he had accepted an improper payment from Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA.
Complaints from Brazil force change in warm-up rules in Women’s Copa America
CONMEBOL announced on Friday that it has decided to allow the reserve players to warm up on the pitch, following criticism from Brazilian players and coaching staff at the ongoing Women’s Copa America in Ecuador. “From now on, in addition to goalkeepers who already had a 15-minute warm-up period on the field, outfield players will also be allowed to warm up on the pitch for the same duration,” the South American football governing body told Reuters. “This decision was made after a detailed assessment of the condition of the playing surfaces at the competition’s stadiums to date, and after taking into account feedback from some participating teams.” Tournament organizers had restricted outfield players from warming up on the pitch to preserve the playing surface, as each stadium hosted two matches a day during the group stage. Brazil captain Marta, midfielder Ary Borges, and head coach Arthur Elias expressed their frustration after their dominant group-stage win over Bolivia, as both teams had been forced to warm up in a shared room of about 15 square meters that smelled of paint. They also criticized the restrictions after their tournament-opener against Venezuela, saying they were unable to properly assess Kerolin’s fitness, which ultimately led to the Manchester City striker being sidelined. Defending champion Brazil tops Group B with two wins and will face Paraguay on Tuesday.
Arjun Erigaisi’s dream-run in Freestyle Grand Slam ends in semifinal
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi’s dream run at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam ended in the semifinals after a 0-2 defeat to Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian here. Erigaisi, who became the first Indian to reach the last four stage of the Freestyle Grand Slam with a stellar performance, ran out of steam in the match-up against Aronian, who is finding his magical touch back in the game. After beating Magnus Carlsen in the play-off for a top-four spot in the prelims and Hikaru Nakamura in the quarterfinals, Arjun failed to convert his chances in the first game. Aronian, despite being in a difficult position, held firm and was rewarded when Arjun could not capitalise on his advantage. In the return game, with Aronian needing only a draw to advance, he played subtly to gain a slight advantage out of the opening. As the game settled into a balanced position, it seemed headed for a draw, but Arjun, needing a win to stay in the match, took unwarranted risks that cost him dearly. Hans Moke Niemann of the United States was the other player to reach the finals, defeating compatriot Fabiano Caruana. Niemann arrived slightly late for the first game but managed to draw it. Two more draws followed before the younger American outmanoeuvred Caruana with some finely crafted middlegame play. Praggananandhaa, who had bowed out of the title race, defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany in the playoff for 3rd-8th place. Praggnanandhaa drew the first game as Black and outplayed Keymer in the return game to register a 1.5-0.5 victory.
