Neeraj now trying to master art of coocking!
Speaking at a fireside chat with Duolingo English Test takers, the two-time Olympic and World Championship medallist Neeraj Chopra spoke about the life skills he developed after moving away from home, starting with learning how to cook. “Cooking is a basic need, especially for athletes who need to eat right. So I started with Namkeen Chawal and slowly learned how to make dal, vegetables, rice and roti,” Neeraj said. Neeraj Chopra was only 13 years old when he left home to pursue his javelin dream. Within years, he was spending months in a country far away. And as he began to live the monk-ish life of an athlete, Neeraj also took a slice of home with him by learning some of his favourite recipes. As the years passed, he slowly began to perfect the art of cooking. And it started with his favourite dish — the Haryanvi speciality, namkeen chawal, somewhat similar to a vegetarian biryani. Neeraj was addressing a group of students and he advised them to stay patient. “When you learn to manage on your own, you are ready for bigger challenges,” he said, encouraging students to take pride in becoming independent.” Neeraj said, In the early years it was tough to ‘train twice a day and cook three times’. Gradually, he found the right balance. “As an athlete, our relationship with diet is quite deep. We have to take care of our nutrition and cook as well. So I learnt to cook different things from the beginning. Like dal, roti, rice… But my favourite thing to cook is something that we in Haryana call ‘Namkeen Chawal’. You can call it veg biryani. And also raita and salad to accompany it. I used to cook it really well and I pour desi ghee on it. It tasted amazing. That was the first thing I learnt to cook. “After that, I learnt many other things. It was quite tough in the beginning because I used to train twice a day and cook three times a day. The journey is tough but if you learn to manage everything, then things do get done.” He added
Pakistan lack fund to participate in FIH pro league
The Pakistan hockey team’s participation in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League is in jeopardy due to a financial crisis, potentially derailing the three-time Olympic champions’ anticipated comeback on the international stage. The Pakistan men’s hockey team, which has won the World Cup four times, has been invited to compete in the FIH Pro League 2025-26 after New Zealand, which had earned direct qualification by winning the 2024-25 Nations Cup, decided not to participate in the upcoming season. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Wednesday invited Pakistan to join the top-tier Pro League after New Zealand, who had originally qualified, chose not to field a team. However, the invite has triggered a series of crises in Pakistan hockey with calls now for the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene. In a press release after a meeting on Thursday, the PSB said according to Dawn: “Concerning the invitation to participate in the FIH Pro League, [the] members authorised the PSB president Rana Sanaullah to take the final decision. It was agreed that a formal letter, outlining the rationale and objectives of participation, would be sent by the PSB President to the Prime Minister.” “But whether this will be possible has to be seen as the PSB will send a summary to the Prime Minister for allocation of special funds to allow the PHF to send the team to the Pro League,” an official in the PSB said. The International Hockey Federation (FIH), the game’s governing body, formally extended the invitation to Pakistan on Wednesday and had given them a deadline till August 12 to inform their confirmation. Pakistan, which has failed to qualify for the last three Olympics and also World Cup, has been given an opportunity by the FIH to compete against top tier teams Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, India, Netherlands and Spain in the competition that will be held from December, 2025 till June, 2026. However, the cash-strapped Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) lacks the funds to send the team to the Pro League. The PHF has requested the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to release 700 million rupees (around USD 2.5 million) for the entire campaign. Rasheedul Hassan, an Olympic gold medallist who has launched a campaign against the PHF, said unfortunately the officials who had managed the federation affairs for last many years had failed to keep a clean image. In its recent annual meeting, the state-run PSB made it clear that it doesn’t have the funds to ensure Pakistan’s participation in the Pro League. The PSB has directed the PHF to submit detailed accounts of the funds allocated to them since last year and has refused to release more funds to the national federation to cover daily and travel allowances of players and officials who attended the recent FIH Nations Cup. For record, Pakistan is the most successful national team in the Asian Games history, with eight gold medals — 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, and 2010, the highest number of times a country has become Asian Champion. Pakistan is also the only Asian team to have won the prestigious Champions Trophy thrice — 1978, 1980 and 1994.
RCB star faces another sexual assault case, this time for raping a minor!
Indian cricketer Yash Dayal has landed himself in deep water, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer facing serious allegations of rape. NDTV has accessed an FIR report which has been registered against Dayal at Jaipur’s Sanganer Police Station for allegedly raping a girl over two years while emotionally blackmailing her. It has been revealed that Dayal lured her with promises of a cricketing career and invited her to a hotel in Sitapura, where the first sexual assault took place. The girl was only 17 when the first instance took place, prompting the police to register the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This comes after the Allahabad High Court recently stayed Dayal’s arrest in connection with an FIR against him for allegedly sexually exploiting another woman. A bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Anil Kumar passed the order on Dayal’s petition challenging the FIR. Staying his arrest, the court asked state counsel to file a counter affidavit and also issued notices to the complainant to file her counter in the matter. The first FIR against 27-year-old Dayal, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL, was registered on July 6 at the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad district under Section 69 (Sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means etc.) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Dayal has been accused of sexually exploiting a woman on the pretext of marriage.
Legendary Xavi’s application for the senior Indian coach’s post reportedly gets rejected by AIFF!
Among the 170 applications for the job of head coach of the senior Indian football team, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had found a surprising, and obviously an exciting name. That was legendary Spanish footballer and presently the manager, Xavi Hernandez! According to a TOI report, Xavi’s name was listed alongside that of former India head coach Stephen Constantine, former Liverpool player Harry Kewell, and India’s Khalid Jamil, among others. According to the report, Xavi sent the application from his email address, but unlike other shortlisted applications, his contact number column was empty. AIFF’s national team director Subrata Paul informed TOI, “It’s correct that Xavi’s name was there. The application was emailed to the AIFF.” But Xavi’s application has reportedly already been rejected due to the high financial cost. A member of the technical committee told TOI, “Even if Xavi was genuinely interested in Indian football and could be convinced to take up the job, we would need a lot of money.” In the past, Xavi had revealed in an interview that he followed Indian football due to the presence of many Spanish coaches in the Asian country. As Barcelona head coach, he led them to the 2022-23 La Liga title. A football legend, he was known for his passing and vision. He spent most of his playing career at Barcelona and is also a La Masia product. He played 767 official matches for the Spanish club and is famous for the midfield combination with Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. With Barcelona, he won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies, and three Champions League titles, which also consisted of two continental trebles in 2008-09 and 2014-15. He left Barcelona in 2015 for Al Asadd, where he also won four trophies before retiring in 2019. With Spain, he won the UEFA Euro in 2008 and 2013, and also the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
