Namdhari FC in talks with UK-based second-vision club academies; expects a formidable show in the IFA Shield
Sudeep Pakrashi: Namdhari FC, the Ludhiana-based I-League club, will assess its new six-seven academy boys in the IFA Shield, starting on Wednesday. The club that finished seventh, garnering 29 points from 22 matches in the I-League last season seems satisfied with the prospect of its youth development program and it is believed that the club management is already in talks with UK-based second division club academies for a tie-up for an exchange program of their potential youth footballers and also coaches’ education. The academy has three age-group teams from under-13 to under-17 and a reserve team. The club which is likely to rope in a Serbian coach before the I-league this season, has also roped in two new foreign strikers, from Brazil and Ghana respectively. The team which will start their campaign in the IFL Shield on 11th October against Srinidi Deccan at Kalyani Stadium consists of a few experienced footballers from I-League last season. Coach Harpreet Singh revealed while speaking to Parallel Sports, “With most of the new footballers including the foreigners, IFA Shield will be our preparatory tournament before the I-League. Still I am hopeful of the boys’ performance. We will be able to make an assessment of the academy boys as well as the foreigners also.” Harpreet has not yet gained any updated information on their two opponents, East Bengal and Srinidi Deccan. “I am aware that East Bengal have won the CFL. But I heard they are planning to field most of their reserve footballers and I also do not have any updated information about Srinidi Deccan. Their first match on Wednesday at Kalyani Stadium will be crucial for me. I will be able to understand their strength and weaknesses,” divulged Harpreet.
‘I have seen you run. You lock the left and then you release the right, both of them should be locked’: Kujur overjoyed by Bolt’s priceless advice
India’s fastest man, Animesh Kujur met his idol, Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man in a Puma collaboration in Mumbai. Kujur, who has had a breakthrough season this year, asked Bolt about running techniques and tips that could help him run faster. Animesh worships Bolt as his hero. The 100m and 200m sprinter loves to hit the legendary Jamaican’s signature celebration whenever he wins a competition. The runner from Odisha was in sensational form this season, breaking the national records in both the 100m and 200m sprints. Due to his consistent performances, he earned qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year. He ran in the 200m sprint heats — the first time ever by an Indian. Animesh talked to Bolt about his running technique, and the fastest man in the world suggested a few corrections. Bolt told him to fling his arms back and forth instead of taking them across his body, and asked Kujur to lock his right arm better while sprinting. “The arms should not go across your body, they should go back and forth. I have seen you run. You lock the left and then you release the right — both of them should be locked,” Bolt told Kujur. Animesh Kujur is known for his devastating top-end speed. He and three other Indian sprinters are leading India’s running revolution. The Indian sprint quartet — Animesh, Manikanta Hoblidhar, Gurindervir Singh, and Amlan Borgohain are expected to do well in the Asian Games 2026. If they can match their best performance, it is highly likely that they will be able to claim India’s first gold medal in the 4x100m men’s relay. Animesh has earned high praise from former Indian athletes as well. Former sprinter and World Athletics body’s vice president Adille Sumariwalla recently had called Animesh the greatest Indian sprinter ever.
Marufa Akter: From Ploughing paddy fields to the country’s best promising speedster
Bangladesh women’s cricket has found a ‘new kid on the block’. Her name is Marufa Aktar. Marufa has already stolen the limelight. The speedster’s brilliant bowling, especially the controlled swing and correctness in length, helped Bangladesh to earn a convincing victory against Pakistan in their opener at Premdasa Stadium in the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup. A fan of Australian great Mitchell Starc, Marufa has chosen a fitting role model. Adding to her team’s momentum, her in-swinger to right-handers left Pakistan gasping when she removed Omaima Sohail and the in-form Sidra Amin off successive deliveries, reducing them to ruins in the very first over. The effort drew praise from several leading voices in world cricket, including Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, who posted a clip of her twin strikes with the words: “Pure skill, excellent control. So far, she had the best delivery in this tournament.” This remarkable moment was a far cry from her humble beginnings. But initially, life was not easy for Marufa. The dream to establish her as a cricketer was distant. One of her mentors in Bangladesh cricket, Arifa Jahan Bithi, a cricketer-turned-coach, posted videos showing that wearing a yellow puffer jacket, Marufa and her father are seen ploughing their paddy field. By then, she had already been scouted, but the pandemic halted training and funding, threatening to end her career before it began. Though Arifa never formally trained her, she has remained a constant supporter and sounding board. Marufa was a wiry teenager who roared at every wicket and hurled herself at the ball in the field. The passion remains, but the foundation has strengthened—built on structured fitness, power training, and technical refinement. That shift came under the guidance of Bangladesh’s former strength and conditioning coach Ian Durrant. Her newfound discipline and growing strength soon started to show results. “Earlier, I used to bench press 25–30kg. Now I do around 42–44kg, and squats with 30–35kg have now gone up to 60kg,” an excited Marufa said in a video shared by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. This increase in strength contributed to her growing impact on the field. The young pacer made a strong early impression, finishing as Bangladesh’s top wicket-taker at the 2023 U-19 T-20 World Cup and putting in notable performances at the 2022 Asian Games. While speaking to Sportstar, Arifa Jahan exclaimed, “Marufa has a background of working very hard in the fields since childhood. She is a good athlete, a natural athlete, and that amount of hard work is normal for people like her, and has held her in good standing. Watching her remove those two batters in the first over gave me goosebumps. That kind of pace bowling I have not seen from a player from this nation.”
