Month: May 2024

Indian Football team is set to face Kuwait in a highly anticipated FIFA World Cup qualifier match in Kolkata. This encounter is crucial for Indias ambitions to secure a place in the upcoming World Cup, making it a high-stakes game for both the team and its fans.
Indian Football teams quest for FIFA World Cup qualification faces a setback as midfielder Mehtab Singh has left the national team training camp in Kolkata due to a pressing family emergency as per reports. The news comes just days ahead of their crucial clash against Kuwait at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on June 6th.
Mehtab Singhs absence is a blow for the Blue Tigers. The experienced defender has been a regular contributor to the national team, known for his tenacity and ability to control the flow of the midfield. His presence would have been valuable against a strong Kuwaiti side, especially considering Indias second-place position in the group.
The Indian Football Teams head coach, Igor Stimac, will now have to find a suitable replacement for Mehtab Singh. With the squad already announced, the options are limited. However, India boasts a pool of talented defenders, including Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, and Anwar Ali. The coach will be tasked with choosing a player who can effectively fill the void left by Mehtab and maintain the teams balance.
Despite the setback, the Indian team remains determined to secure a positive result against Kuwait.  They will need to adapt to Mehtabs absence and showcase their collective strength. The team spirit and fighting spirit that have characterized Indias campaign so far will be crucial in navigating this challenge.
The match against Kuwait is more than just a qualifier; it is a test of Indias resilience and depth. The teams ability to adapt and perform under pressure will be crucial. Fans across the nation are hopeful that India will rise to the occasion, overcome the challenges, and secure a vital victory on their path to the World Cup.
Fans across the country will be keeping a close eye on developments and will undoubtedly rally behind the Blue Tigers as they take on Kuwait in this crucial World Cup qualifier. While Mehtab SInghs absence is a cause for concern, India has the potential to overcome this adversity and emerge victorious on June 6th.
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Ligue 1 club AS Monaco are reportedly keen on signing 22-year-o,d Chelsea striker Armando Broja ahead of AC Milan this summer.
According to a report from French publication LEquipe, AS Monaco face competition from AC Milan in the race to sign 22-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja. And the Ligue 1 giants are currently ahead of the Italian club in the race.
AS Monaco need to add more attacking depth to their side after parting ways with Wissam Ben Yedder. So, Broja could prove to be a quality acquisition. Recent reports have also linked the Chelsea prospect with several Premier League clubs.
The 22-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea, and he needs to leave the club to play regularly. Regular football in France or Italy could be crucial to his development, and the player is likely to be excited about the possibility of joining AS Monaco or AC Milan. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.
The striker must seek game-time assurances before making the move in the summer. He has the ability to develop into a quality player and Chelsea could regret losing him in the future. Broja has previously shown his quality in the Premier League during his loan spell with Southampton, and there is no doubt that he has the quality to thrive in the English top flight, even though the move to Fulham has not worked out.
A move away this summer will be crucial to his development. He should look to head out and regain his confidence and form with regular game time. If he manages to fulfil his potential, he will have plenty of opportunities to return to English football in the near future.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will look to get rid of the player as well. He is clearly not a key part of their plans going forward, and the Blues have their financial worries to deal with. Chelsea will have to comply with the financial regulations. So, they will look to sell players in order to balance the books. It is fair to assume that the 22-year-old will be one of the first names on the sale list.
It remains to be seen whether AS Monaco or AC Milan can secure an agreement with Chelsea in the coming weeks. Both clubs would represent an exciting destination for the young striker, and he will look to prove his worth with regular game time in France or Italy.

Naseem Shah put under pressure by Phil Salt, Jos Buttler in T20I series (X.com)
To demotivate Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler of the England cricket team demolished the Men in Green’s strike bowler, Naseem Shah, to slam 25 runs off his second over of the powerplay.
Pakistan faced England for the 4th and final T20I of the four game series last night at London. The visitors collapsed batting first which resulted in a below par 157 runs total which proved to be nothing but cake walk for England.
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler practically finished the game in the powerplay itself as the opening pair stacked up 78 runs in a 158-run chase.
The openers went ballistic to take down Pakistans strike wicket-taking bowler Naseem Shah. Shah was handed over the responsibility to bowl a clinical 5th over of the powerplay which he ended up blowing completely and allowed England to gain momentum.
Naseem Shah allowed as many as 25 runs off the 5th over as Salt and Buttler unleashed carnage from both ends.
After Phil slammed a six over deep mid-wicket off the first ball, he rotated the strike in the next ball to let Jos take charge.
And Jos Buttler, who has been in sublime form since IPL 2024, didnt disappoint. He slammed 3 boundaries and a six on the trot to claim 25 runs of Naseems over, and with that, England had 67 runs on the board with one over still left off the powerplay.
Pakistan never recovered from the carnage as England chased down 158 runs total inside 16 overs and took the series 2-0. 
With just days left ahead of the T20 World Cup, the humiliation will adversely affect the morale of the Pakistan cricket team.
On the other hand, for England, its just added motivation as they are already a strong and balanced side.

Ireland vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup Warm-Up Highlights: Former captain Dasun Shanaka bagged a four-wicket haul as Sri Lanka avoided a scare to win comprehensively against Ireland in their T20 World Cup match. After posting 163/8, Sri Lanka bowled Ireland out for 122 to win by 41 runs in Florida. Shanaka bagged a four-for as Sri Lanka sparked an Irish collapse at the death. Maheesh Theekshana and captain Wanindu Hasaranga also picked two wickets each. (Scorecard)

The Saudi Arabian King’s Cup final between Al Hilal and Al Nassr descended into chaos – with three red cards in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr are looking to secure their first trophy of the season after missing out on the Saudi Pro League title to their opposition.
And it looked like they would miss out on another trophy when Aleksandar Mitrovic put Al Hilal ahead on seven minutes.
There was then a brief injury scare for Ronaldo, who collided with goalkeeper Bono before appearing to get his boot caught in the turf.
Fortunately, the Portugal captain was able to carry on – although the sight of the 38-year-old down on the turf will have shaken his home country’s fans ahead of Euro 2024.
Both sides got to half-time at 1-0 – but the chaos started shortly after the break.
Al Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina was shown a red card for diving at the feet of Al Hilal’s Malcom and handling the ball – while comfortably outside of his penalty area.
Defender Ali Al Bulayhi then received a second yellow card for Al Hilal, with Ayman Yahya scoring a dramatic 88th-minute equaliser seconds later.
Former Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly then took Al Hilal to nine men, being shown a second yellow card for bizarrely colliding with the head of Al Nassr substitute goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.
Before the match, Ronaldo received his Golden Boot for finishing as the top scorer in the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League.
In 2023, he was the highest scorer in any major top division European league, beating the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane.
After learning of that particular honour in December, he said: “I’m really proud. I will continue, I feel good, I feel happy.
“Next year, I will try to do it again.”
More to follow…
Featured Image Credit: SSCTopics: Al Nassr, Saudi Pro League, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Saudi Arabia
Ryan Smart

An Indian man broke his own record to win the title of fastest time to type the alphabet with his nose. Vinod Kumar Chaudhary entered the same category three times, and each time, he managed to beat his own record.
The image shows an Indian man, Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, who broke his own Guinness World Record by typing with his nose. (X/@GWR)
The 44-year-old first claimed the title in 2023 by typing with his nose in 27.80 sec. For his second attempt, he got down to 26.73 sec. In his latest try, he completed the feat in just 25.66 sec.
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Guinness World Records took to X to share a video that captured the time he attempted and broke the record the second time. How quickly could you type the alphabet with your nose (with spaces)? GWR wrote as they shared the video.
The footage opens to show Chaudhary with his nose close to his keyboard. He then starts typing the English alphabet.
Take a look at the video:
According to GWR, to make the record, Chaudhary had to type out the Roman alphabet on a standard QWERTY keyboard, and had to type a space between each letter – which he did perfectly.
While talking about his typing records, Chaudhary told GWR that he is now known as the Typing Man of India. In addition to typing with nose, he holds the records for fastest time to type the alphabet backwards (single hand) with 5.36 sec and the fastest time to type the alphabet with hands behind the back with 6.78 sec.
My profession has been typing, that is why I thought of making a record in it, in which both my passion and my livelihood remain. he told GWR. I believe that no matter how many problems you face in your life, you have to keep your passion until eternity, he added.

Real Madrid icon Luka Modri spoke to the media ahead of the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, and was asked if this week was the quietest week of build-up to a final for some time. Its not the quietest, Im sure, he responded. Everyone is putting us up as favorites, but thats not the case, I see it as 50-55%. Dortmund is a big team that has had a great season in the Champions League and will make it difficult. We need to concentrate and to show it on the pitch.
Modri on the feeling in the camp
We are very happy to be here, with a lot of confidence to face the most important game of the year. I hope we do well.
Modri on equalling Paco Gentos six European Cups
Unimaginable. We are enjoying this moment, we feel happy and ambitious. We have one more small step to take and we have to take it as a team. To have six Champions League titles would be impressive.
Modri on a quiet week of preparations
Its not the quietest, Im sure. Everyone is putting us up as favorites, but thats not the case, I see it as 50-55%. Dortmund is a big team that has had a great season in the Champions League and will make it difficult. We need to concentrate and to show it on the pitch.
Modri on the teams spirit to come from behind
We prefer to go ahead! But we have shown that when things dont go well, we keep fighting, until the end. That we find ways to turn games around. Always with fight and commitment.
Modri on returning to London
Its always special to come back to London and go to Wembley, a magnificent stadium. Im looking forward to the game. And thats it.

Ireland vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup Warm-Up Highlights: Former captain Dasun Shanaka bagged a four-wicket haul as Sri Lanka avoided a scare to win comprehensively against Ireland in their T20 World Cup match. After posting 163/8, Sri Lanka bowled Ireland out for 122 to win by 41 runs in Florida. Shanaka bagged a four-for as Sri Lanka sparked an Irish collapse at the death. Maheesh Theekshana and captain Wanindu Hasaranga also picked two wickets each. (Scorecard)