Shubman attributes Virat Kohli’s contribution to his Philosophy
Shubman Gill, on a recent podcast with Apple Music, opened up about his performance and how Virat Kohli has changed him. On a recent podcast, Gill gave a sneak peek to the fans of the man behind the bat. While talking about his career and performance over the years, he affirmed that his early cricketing hero, Virat Kohli’s passion and hunger for the game, has left a mark on him. “Talent and skill are one thing, but if you don’t have the drive and the passion, it doesn’t matter,” he said. He stated, ‘Kohli’s sheer passion and hunger for excellence have led to the man people see now.’ Being a test captain now, Gill’s continuous grit and lessons are drawn from his philosophy. He put pressure on the part about being stoic during match pressure, expectation, leadership and performance. “I want to do my part sincerely and honestly without seeking appreciation,” he said, a mindset reflecting Kohli. Gill, further reflecting on a life off the field which he loves spending with classical music, reflected on his journey from Punjab to the world stage. Behind the tough captain, he gave a sneak peek of a person who built himself and his career with passion and with the help of following Kohli’s philosophy.
New Journey for Ronaldinho’s Son; Mendes Joins Hull City
The son of the legendary Ronaldinho, Joao Mendes, has joined Hull City’s Under-21 side under a one-year contract. The 20-year-old talent came into the limelight through Barcelona’s youth club; later in 2024, he moved to Burnley. He has been a regular player for the team; however, he was released earlier in 2025. Menders stated, “I think it is good to be able to play in different styles of football.” “In Brazil, it is one style, Spain is another one, and England is another one, so I think it complements your game really well if you have played at different places.” Ex-Barcelona player and Ballon d’Or owner in 2005 Ronaldinho, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, turned to Instagram to congratulate his son. He posted a picture of Mendes holding a Hull jersey captioned, “Good luck at your new club and challenge, my son.”
After ISL, tender for I-League to be floated also
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has planned to issue a commercial rights’ tender for the I-League and other national tournaments for this season. But the AIFF has not yet officially identified the champions and the two teams that have been relegated. At a virtual executive committee meeting on Thursday evening, arranged to discuss a pathway for the 2025-26 I-League, it was decided that this fresh tender will be called once the tender process for the ISL is put in motion. The I-League tender process will be launched once the deadline to submit request for quotation to manage and award ISL commercial rights ends on 14th September. “Since the contract handed I-League was only for one season, we don’t have a commercial partner in place for these tournaments now, so it was decided to float a fresh tender to attract bids for monetization,” an AIFF official said while speaking to News9 Sports. “We will have to start afresh for the I-League, so maybe after September 15 we will initiate the process once evaluation of RFQ’s for ISL is complete. Let the ISL process get over first, the I-League clubs also need time to assemble a squad,” another official said. No timeline has yet been set for bids for I-League, the 18th edition of which for 2024-25 began on November 22, 2024 and stretched till April 6, 2025. But like ISL, no such panel has been formed for the I-League yet as the same members are unlikely to be part of it, the AIFF official said.
Ahead of the World Athletics Championships, Usain Bolt’s analysis on Australian ‘wonder kid’ Gout Gout
A 17-year-old sprinter from Australia, Gout Gout, has also been attracting plenty of headlines, besides comparisons with the legendary Jamaican himself, thanks to his upright stride and six-foot-tall frame. With Gout actually posting faster times than the Jamaican sprint legend at this age, there are questions about whether he is the man to beat Bolt’s times. “It’s always easy when you’re younger,” Bolt said. “The transition to seniors from juniors is always tougher. It’s all about getting the right coach, getting the right people around you.” ,” Bolt said at an event for his longtime sponsors, Puma, on Thursday, just two days before the start of the World Athletics Championships. Usain Bolt’s world records in the 100m and the 200m blue riband events still stand to this day, 16 years after he posted them at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009. Bolt ran the 100m in 9.58 seconds and then ran the 200m distance in 19.19 seconds, in times that have stood as markers challenging generations of runners. With the 2025 World Athletics Championships already just around the corner, is Bolt worried about his records being broken? “No, I’m not worried. I think the talent is there, there will be talented athletes coming up and they will do well. But at this present moment, I don’t see any athlete able to break the record, so not worried Since Bolt’s record-breaking exploits in Berlin, only Yohan Blake has managed to threaten the times Bolt posted, running 9.7 seconds in the shortest sprint in the business and 19.3 seconds in the 200m event.
East Bengal women likely to prepare for AFC Women’s Champions League playing against stronger age-group teams
Sudeep Pakrashi: East Bengal women’s team have been placed alongside China’s Wuhan Jiangda FC, Bam Khatoon FC of Iran, and PFC Nasaf of Uzbekistan in Group B of the AFC Women’s Champions League Group Stage. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 17th to 23rd November in China. East Bengal coach Anthony Andrews, when asked about his team’s ordeal, admitted that the team will have to face all the superior teams, especially against the defending champion, China’s Wuhan Jiangda. But at the same time, he promised that East Bengal would not give up. “Yes, all the teams are tough, competitive, and strong, especially the defending champion Wuhan Jiangda. But at the same time, I can say we also are competitive and our girls will not give up,” said Anthony while speaking from his residence in Mumbai. Although the club initially aimed to schedule preparatory matches with top domestic teams, these plans have stalled due to team availability and budget constraints. The club now intends to organize preparatory matches against strong youth boys’ teams as part of its preparation for the AFC Women’s Championship. Women’s football heads are seeking opportunities to arrange games with under-19 or under-16 teams participating in the AIFF youth leagues. Simultaneously, due to their AFC Champions League assignment, the club, although has not taken a final decision yet, does not seem keen on releasing footballers for the national preparatory camp for the senior women’s team’s forthcoming participation in the Asian Cup final phase and the under-20 women’s team’s qualification to the Under-20 Asian Cup final phase. Both tournaments are scheduled to be held in April and May next year, respectively. East Bengal women are likely to resume their training for the AFC Women’s Championship from 15th October.
