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In the world of football, Aleksander Ceferin announced his intention to not run for the UEFA presidency in 2027 after he brought a reform to extend the term limit for the presidential post. Read below to learn details about these top stories and other happenings in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Football
Aleksander Ceferin to not run for UEFA presidency in 2027
The UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is not going to run for the top job in 2027, announcing his intention after the completion of the UEFA Congress where he successfully brought a reform to extend the term limit for the presidential post beyond 12 years. The statutory change was bundled into a wider reform package, which had details about increasing the number of women on UEFA’s Executive Committee and the clarification over the European Super League.
IFAB set to trail sin-binning players by issuing blue cards
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is set to trial sin-binning players for dissent and making cynical fouls, which will result in them being sent temporarily to the technical area for 10 minutes after receiving a blue card from the referee. Although the IFAB is preparing to bring the blue card into football, the world’s governing body FIFA stated “reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.”
Thiago Alcantara expected to be sidelined again after suffering muscle injury against Arsenal
Thiago Alcantara is expected to be sidelined once again after suffering a muscle problem on his return to action for Liverpool during their 1-3 loss against Arsenal in the Premier League. The 32-year-old, who had recovered from a hip issue that kept him out of competitive football for 10 months, made his first appearance for the Merseyside club in the 85th minute of the contest as a substitute at the Emirates Stadium, but it was short-lived.
Erik ten Hag says no decision made on futures of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag stated that they have not decided on the future of the central defensive pairing of the Northern Irishman Jonny Evans and the Frenchman Raphael Varane. Notably, the Manchester United management had signed Evans for a one-year deal at the start of the season, while Varane will have only one year left on his contract at the start of next season, which is why both players are linked with a potential departure from Old Trafford in the summer.
Some major results in football are as under:
Coupe de France 2023-24
Rouen 1-1 (6-5) Monaco
Tennis
Dejana Radanovic faces backlash after making controversial remarks about India
Serbian tennis player Dejana Radanovic landed herself in controversy and was on the receiving end of criticism after making remarks about India. The world number 245 player was on a three-week trip to India, where she participated in three W50 events in Pune, Bengaluru, and Indore. Not only this, but she also played in the Mumbai Open WTA $125K, where she was knocked out in the qualifying round, after losing to India’s Vaidehi Chaudhary. The Serb made distasteful remarks against India and criticised the South Asian country for being unhygienic while criticising traffic, and food and threatening to never return to the country.
My first singles win: Venus Williams revisits 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open win
Former world number one tennis player Venus Williams revisited her 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open win. It was her first title on the WTA Tour after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011. After being diagnosed, Williams didn’t play competitive tennis for a few months, which suffered her ranking. Not only this, but she also withdrew from the 2012 Australian Open, which had a major effect on her career. Recently, she reminisced about the victory and posted on social media, "My first singles win after coming back from nearly a year layoff after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. The racquet actually broke off and it just got fixed.”
Paris Olympics 2024 organisers reveal medals for forthcoming season
The medals to be presented at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics were revealed by the organisers on Thursday. A total of 5,084 gold, silver, and bronze medals will be presented at the marquee event, and each of them will be incorporated in a hexagon shape. These medals will be made from the iron extracted from the original Effiel Tower, which will be positioned at the core. The medals have been crafted by the esteemed French jewelry house Chaumet. The head of the local organising committee Tony Estanguet said, “We wanted to offer to all medal winners at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics a piece of the Eiffel Tower from 1889.”
Hockey
It's challenging: Coach Fulton on rape allegations against defender Varun
Indian men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton opened up on the rape allegations against defender Varun Kumar and said that it is a distraction for the team. Not only this, but he also said that his absence from the FIH Pro League will be treated as an injury setback. He said, "If you take it from outside and, of course, it's a challenging situation but at the same time, you've got a level of professionalism, and then from a start point of view we have to have our plans in place.” He added, “We're going on the level of professionalism we have in the group, the values that we hold. It's a distraction, it's challenging, it's not great but we have to move forward, we have a plan in place on how we go.”
Badminton
Paris Olympics will be challenging, need t o be smarter: PV Sindhu
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu said that the Paris Olympics 2024 will be challenging and that the players need to be smarter. Sindhu is set to return after suffering injury setbacks, and she is eyeing the coveted gold medal in the upcoming Paris Games. In a statement, Sindhu told PTI, "I would say, this Olympics is going to be a different experience because the 2016 and 2020 Olympics were very different. Paris will be more challenging but at the same time, I have much more experience and I will have to be much smarter this time.”
