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United News of India
6 hours ago
- United News of India
Arsenal sweats on Havertz knee injury that could see transfer market return
London, Aug 20 (UNI) Arsenal faces an anxious wait to see the extent of a knee injury striker Kai Havertz has suffered and the problem could lead the club to make a late move in the transfer window. Havertz missed Wednesday's training session at the Emirates Stadium due to the problem, but the club medical department reportedly needs to allow the injury to settle down before it is able to make a complete diagnosis and estimate how long he will be sidelined. The German was unavailable for 20 games last season, suffering a minor knee issue in December followed by a hamstring tear in February that kept him out of action until early May. Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres over the summer to give more firepower in attack, but he has still to adapt to the club. Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus hasn't played since suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in January and is still several months away from returning. Leandro Trossard can play in a central striking role, but missed much of pre-season with a groin problem, but although midfielder Mikel Merino showed he can play in a striking role last season, if Havertz's knee issue proves to be serious Arsenal will probably move to bring in a new player. Real Madrid's Rodrygo has been named as a possible target, with the Brazilian playing only a bit-part role in the Club World Cup and the 24-year-old was an unused substitute as his side debuted in La Liga with a 1-0 win at home to Osasuna on Tuesday night. UNI/XINHUA BM
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why France is the real unpretentious home of Badminton
It isn't really surprising that French badminton was the first to be alerted to a crisis of duck feather shortage in Chinese poultry farms that spiked up the prices of badminton shuttles. Badminton's first citizens in France – those who literally were handed basic light racquets and rudimentary shuttles and urged to play the sport and took it up enthusiastically a few decades ago, in barns and rural schools – were students who formally studied farming. When the Badminton World Championships return to Paris after 2010, those creating the din and atmosphere at the fancy Adidas Arena, are expected to be these original folk who travel from far-flung rural corners of France, but who have played the sport for years, with rustic fervour and a bohemian passion. 'I visited 8 Ministries of the government starting with Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Education, Employment, Diversity, besides Sport, to get a quarter of our 10 million Euro funding few years back, to spread badminton across France,' the French Federation of Badminton president Yohan Penel had explained before the Paris Olympics. 'The most enthusiastic communities taking up badminton were those training to be farmers,' he explained the humble grassroots that make up the sport, in stark contrast to the urbane, affluent tennis crowd. 'We're not as rich as other disciplines like football or tennis. Ours might be the 20th federation in priorities! But it has been one of the most ambitious programs for social utility, and I can confidently say, almost every average French person under the age of 50 would have played badminton at local schools. There's emotional connect, not elitist private club numbers.' Migrants to France from all over – Asia and smaller east European countries like Popovs from Bulgaria and Africa, have been welcomed in this unpretentious sport, that's played with fewest barriers. Anyone who played at Paris or has turned up at the French Open, will vouch for the show that shouting, chuckling, chatty fans put up, quite unlike the sanitised etiquettes of Roland Garros in a more famous sport. 'French badminton fans love to make noise. Plus a lot of Asians come to watch, so it's a carnival atmosphere, though we have a soft spot for Indian players, especially Satwik and Chirag. They smile a lot, play freely and don't look like it's only for the money, and they are funny. There's something about them that connects with the French crowds,' Penel had said, of the winners at the last French Open in 2024, though the Olympics had ended in heartbreak, a 'triste' – melancholy for the Indians. But on either side of Covid, winning in 2019 and 2024 in France, Satwik-Chirag offered grand memories to the French audience. Covid, though, was when the sport made massive inroads in the country. 'The thing with French badminton was, it was always about local clubs and something to do for the whole community. A lot of badminton would be played in sports halls, orchards, vineyards in rural areas but when these closed during Covid, politicians became aware of how much the sport meant to people and local associations became stronger. When people worried about energy supplies in winters, it was also about keeping these badminton centres going. The sport meant a connect,' Penel had explained. While France has representation in every category in singles and doubles this year and Alex Lanier has won a Super 750 since the Olympics, to be counted amongst elite like Thom Giquel and Delphine Delrue in mixed doubles, plus the Popov brothers Toma Jr and Christo, the sport retains its wider, humbled, egalitarian base in France. 'Ofcourse we want French players to get medals. But we are not just about creating champions. It's a bit like France's politics, we don't worship personalities. And it's different from football where it's all about Messi, Neymar, who are great players. Badminton's not the same, and we aren't like the Danish either. We might not all be fans of the World No 1s, but still enjoy watching the sport. Here the crowd can get behind anyone from No 1 to 50 and become crazy fans of them, depending on the connect,' he had said. The top French players too came up from the hyper localised club system. 'Delphine started 15 years back from a local club, so did Thom – inter-club, local area meets, small towns.' It didn't stop the French from developing one of the most sophisticated training centres in Europe. While Fernando Rivas, coach of Carolina Marin served a stint there, Penel didn't dither on bringing in all sorts of professionals. 'I'm a mathematician,' he laughed about setting the store by exactitude. The sporting director in the last decade came from American Football, and he took up French badminton as a project – data analytics, top range video sports science, tactical, mental professionals, and those monitoring what to drink, eat, and recovery, plus doubles specialists from England. Some of the French contraptions, go a step further than oxygen chambers and gravity-channelling machines, to hasten recoveries from fractures and ligament tears. It's cutting edge tech in injury rehab. It's quite the candy store for sports scientists. The French also run one of the most advanced programs in para badminton, devising ways to bridge the gap with the able-bodied, and para shuttlers can train alongside. The sport's popularity as an inclusive sport has seen it develop innovations for all strata. Because it's low key, the entry barriers are nothing like expensive tennis. 'Even when we took it to agricultural schools and colleges, we were clear we don't want badminton to be elitist. People of different abilities, levels can play together and racquets and plastic shuttles were not that expensive. So even if the top goal was a high performance centre like Denmark, broadbasing was more important.' Nearing the end of his term, there was another important matter to ensure. 'It's funny but nobody calls them 'badminton players' in France. It's 'badiste' (pronounced baa-deest). We are committed to introduce the word and register it as official in all our dictionaries,' he says. That's yet another government department that received a delegation from a sport that wasn't content with just that one showbiz event – Paris week for badminton.
News18
7 hours ago
- News18
Marseille's Adrien Rabiot Up For Sale After 'Extremely Violent' Bust-Up In Dressing Room
Last Updated: Marseille had called the players' behaviour "unacceptable" in a brief club statement published on Tuesday. Marseille president Pablo Longoria announced on Wednesday that the club has decided to place star player Adrien Rabiot and English winger Jonathan Rowe on the transfer list due to an 'extremely violent" dressing room altercation. 'What happened was extremely serious and violent, something I've never encountered before," Longoria told AFP in an interview. 'We had to make a decision because what occurred went far beyond what is acceptable in a football club, as it would in any organisation." The incident took place following Friday's 1-0 defeat away to Rennes in their opening match of the French Ligue 1 season, a game Marseille lost to a stoppage-time goal after playing for an hour with an extra man. Marseille condemned the players' behaviour as 'unacceptable" in a brief club statement released on Tuesday. 'I wasn't in the dressing room, but the staff who were told me it was incredible, violent, aggressive, and went beyond any limits," said 39-year-old Spaniard Longoria, who has been Marseille president since 2021. The incident is a significant setback for the 1993 Champions League winners, who finished second in Ligue 1 last season to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. 'Roberto De Zerbi has been coaching for 13 years, and (sporting director) Medhi Benatia has been in top-level football for 22 years. I started out in professional football 20 years ago," Longoria added. 'I think we all have enough experience to say we have never seen anything like it in a dressing room… Even in the worst punch-ups, there are rules. Not in this case." England Under-21 international winger Rowe spent last season on loan at OM from Norwich City, and that deal was made permanent in the summer. The 30-year-old Rabiot, who has 53 caps for France, joined Marseille at the beginning of last season as a free agent after leaving Juventus. He had an outstanding first campaign at the Velodrome, but Marseille have not succeeded in persuading the former PSG midfielder to extend a contract which will expire at the end of this season. However, Longoria insisted that the decision to put Rabiot up for sale was not related to his contractual situation. 'The decision was very clear. It protects the club as an institution and it protects our season going forward. It is not negotiable for me to be president of a club where there are no rules," Longoria added. 'Honestly, as a club, we are the victims in this situation. A fight like this is unheard of in the world of football." Marseille's second game of the Ligue 1 season will be at home to newly-promoted Paris FC on Saturday. First Published: August 20, 2025, 21:18 IST News sports Marseille's Adrien Rabiot Up For Sale After 'Extremely Violent' Bust-Up In Dressing Room Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
