Sportshour The fight back
In 1992, the Algerian runner, Hassiba Boulmerka, won gold in the women's 1500m at the Barcelona Olympics. Before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, her success had made her a political opponent for extremists. An imam had told her that running in shorts was anti-Islam. "My image didn't fit in at all with their ideology," is how she describes it. She was forced to do all her training abroad. She defied death threats from Islamist extremists to win one of the best women's middle-distance races of all time.
Laurence Fisher is a former world karate champion who hung up her black belt and medals years ago, but she is now using the sport to help women who are survivors of sexual and physical violence re-discover their self-respect and confidence. The karate lessons they attend are not about self-defence but re-appropriating their bodies after years of abuse. We went to one of the classes in the southern French city of Toulouse.
The perfectly manicured fairways of Augusta National - the home of golf's Masters - with its rolling greens and vibrant colours of the azaleas, is one of the perfect images of sport. Contrast that with poverty and struggle experienced by some residents of Sand Hill, just a long drive off the tee from the exclusive golf club. That's where Carl Jackson grew up, but he would go onto experience the highs of Augusta National, winning The Masters twice whilst caddying for Ben Crenshaw.
Photo: Wojtek Czyz of Team New Zealand and Jürgen Klopp poses for a picture on day one of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games (CREDIT: Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
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The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Chelsea player ratings: Moises Caicedo dominates and Reece James looks sharp but Enzo Fernandez quiet against AC Milan
MOISES CACIEDO dominated the proceedings as Chelsea signed off their pre-season with a 4-1 win over AC Milan. The midfielder starred across the pitch while he made up for a quiet afternoon's work by Enzo Fernandez. 9 9 9 Andre Coubis gave the Blues a helping hand as he put through his own net and was sent off within the opening 18 minutes. Joao Pedro continued his impressive form with an early strike to put the hosts 2-0 up. But it was Delap who shone as he netted a brace after coming on as a substitute to seal the win. Robert Sanchez - 6 A very quiet afternoon for the Chelsea keeper, made some straightforward saves and there was nothing he could have done about Milan's goal. Reece James - 8 A dangerous dipping cross from the wide free-kick on the left forced the own goal from Andrei Coubis, defended well when needed too, making a fine block on the line early in the second half. After another season of injury issues the Blues skipper is looking sharp and back to his old self once more Tosin Adarabioyo - 7 Marshalled the back line well and took the captain's armband when James departed. Could be a big figure this season if Chelsea cannot fulfil Maresca's wish and add a replacement for the injured Levi Colwill. Trevoh Chalobah - 6 9 A worrying moment when the academy graduate had to limp off just ten minutes into the second half following a tangle with Yunus Musah, though he managed to walk off unaided and did not need immediate further treatment. Chelsea star Jorgenson pranks team-mate on live TV after Bayer Leverkusen clash as even Cole Palmer won't take trophy Not overly tested at the back but looked composed before going off. Marc Cucurella - 6 Showed his usual energy up and down the left wing, covering well in the middle and gave little away down his side. Moises Caicedo - 8 Dominated midfield for large parts with an aggressive front-foot approach. Had full control up against the energy and power of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the craft of veteran midfielder Luka Modric. Enzo Fernandez - 6 9 Nothing too spectacular from the Blues midfielder but a straightforward hour or so from the Argentine. Tested Mike Maignan with a good effort from range before being replaced. Jamie Gittens - 7 There was a danger Gittens could have been forgotten about a touch after the flurry of signings which followed his arrival. But this display offered great promise as he gave right-back Musah a nightmare, winning the free-kick which brought about the early opener with a dangerous run. Cole Palmer - 7 9 Linked well with Joao Pedro and the wide men and came agonisingly close to scoring two stunning free-kicks, rattling the post with one of them. Pedro Neto - 7 A fine cross for Pedro's headed goal, Neto showed his worth during a summer in which a host of new wingers will arrive to compete for his spot. Joao Pedro - 8 9 The summer signing continued his fine start to life at Chelsea. Pedro now has five goals in as many games for his new club and took his header well here, while also looking smart on the ball when dropping deeper. Substitutes Josh Acheampong - 6 After an impressive showing against Bayer Leverkusen, another chance to show he can be trusted to fill the left-sided gap left by Colwill. Liam Delap - 8 The two new No9s are settling in nicely at Stamford Bridge. Delap came off the bench to replace Pedro and confidently tucked away his penalty, firing low to Maignan's right before showing some smart footwork for Chelsea's fourth, collecting and finishing on the turn. Esetvao - 7 9 Huge cheers from the Blues fans when he was introduced after the break and quickly made an impact. The penalty was rather soft but came from a direct run by the young Brazilian who already appears a firm favourite and great prospect. Malo Gusto - 6 Should have been more alert to Youssouf Fofana sneaking in behind him for the Milan goal but otherwise a decent performance. Andrey Santos - 6 Allowed Alexis Saelemaekers too much space in the build up to Fofana's strike, should have closed him down with more aggression. Redeemed himself with a very smart and quick ball into Delap to tee up the fourth goal. Reggie Walsh - 6 9 A very surreal moment for the 16-year-old, who will be waiting on his GCSE results, as he faced up to Modric, 23 years his elder. Always asked for the ball and kept things simple rather than showing off. Jorrel Hato - 6 Looked very comfortable moving into midfield from left-back, a key part of the game for any full-back who wants to succeed under Enzo Maresca. Didn't get too many chances to show what he can offer down the left as Estevao stole the limelight. Likely to leave on loan before the window closes. Dario Essugo - 6 Added plenty of energy to midfield and kept things ticking over as Chelsea saw out the game.
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Ademola Lookman ‘rejects Arsenal interest' as he has heart set on Inter Milan after handing in transfer request
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN has rejected the chance to join Arsenal, in favour of waiting for a move to Inter Milan, according to reports. The Atalanta forward has made his intentions to leave the club this summer clear, but a move to Arsenal seems off the cards. 2 According to Corriere di Bergamo, the 27-year-old is reportedly waiting for Inter Milan to submit a more suitable offer, with Ivan Juric's side wanting at least £43.3million. The potential deal with Arsenal was an estimated £45m. The Nigerian has seemingly found himself in between a rock and a hard place after he has allegedly not attended training over the last few days. It is no secret that Lookman wants to join Champions League runners-up Inter for the 2025/26 season, after the player reportedly made a personal agreement with the Nerazzurri. Atalanta has turned down two offers for the international forward. Despite the Atalanta talisman making his hopes known, he holds a lot of value for the Juric-led squad. Lookman has been at Atalanta since 2022, when he moved from RB Leipzig for a transfer fee of approximately £9.3m. He has made 118 appearances for the club, scoring 52 goals in the process. 2 He has consistently appeared in 31 of the 38 games each season for Atalanta since he joined, with this season being his most successful for the side. If Arsenal had managed to get the deal for Lookman over the line, it would have meant his return to the Premier League. The six players Arsenal could sell to sign Eze | Transfers Exposed Lookman has previously played for Everton before he signed RB Leipzig in 2018. He then went numerous loan spells back to Everton, then Fulham and also Leicester. After returning from loan from Leicester, he was then signed by Atalanta. To continue their aggressive recruitment drive this transfer window, Arsenal had hoped to capitalise on Lookman's unsettled situation at Atalanta. After failing to tempt the forward, the Gunners have turned their attention elsewhere. Gunners are reportedly on the verge of making a bid for Eberechi Eze, with Fabio Vieira expected to leave for Stuttgart. In other news, Arsenal are said to be waiting to see if Real Madrid will allow Rodrygo out on loan.
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Chelsea 4 AC Milan 1: Pedro and Delap both score after Italian defender's own goal and red card horror show
CHELSEA showed that pre-season might be merely a formality as they rolled over AC Milan by four goals to one, lifting the coveted VisitMalta Weekender trophy for the second time in three days. The Blues have made two supposedly decent teams look like amateurs, in what were hardly tough tests for Enzo Maresca's young team before playing Crystal Palace in the opening game of their season. 2 New signing Jamie Gittens announced himself to the world against AC Milan for Borussia Dortmund two seasons ago, who may well be his favourite opponents as he gave their defence, Yunus Musah in particular, a torrid time today. The electric Englishman was perhaps overshadowed by Estevao against Bayer Leverkusen, but put in a performance today that showed he could nutmeg a mermaid in a telephone box if ever put to the test. It was his direct running and trickery that won the free-kick for Chelsea to open the scoring through an Andrei Coubis own goal on the stroke of the 5th minute, after a calamitous mix-up between the Italian and Mike Maignan in the Milan goal. Moments later and Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto combined for the Brazilian to head home his fifth goal in five games. A driving run from Neto down the right was followed by an inch perfect cross, met by a header that could've ripped a hole in the net to add Chelsea's second in as many minutes. He's proving exceptional value for his £60m fee. The Blues continued to dominate until the half-time whistle, helped out on the way by Milan defender Andrei Coubis' afternoon going from bad to worse with a straight red card for bringing down Joao Pedro who was through on goal. The Italian booted a water bottle as he stormed down the tunnel, and rightly so, you may not see a worse 17 minutes at Stamford Bridge this season than that. Cole Palmer went close twice from first-half free-kicks, one that left the post rattling and another which left former Chelsea target Mike Maignan being ridiculed as a 's*** Robert Sanchez'. The Blues' number ten almost went on to recreate Gus Poyet's famous 1999 'scissor volley' minutes later, but his effort just sailed over the bar. Unsurprisingly, it was Rafael Leao who lead the AC Milan charge. He was denied by Robert Sanchez, Tosin and Reece James before finally beating the Spanish stopper, only to see the offside flag raised on the near side. Half-time brought the introduction of six-time Champions League winner, Ballon D'or winner and Swansea part-owner Luka Modric into the middle for Milan. The Croatian was left chasing the shadows of Chelsea's young and energetic midfield throughout the second half, his only highlight being a tame shot claimed by Robert Sanchez. After the disastrous news that future captain Levi Colwill required surgery on an ACL injury, Enzo Maresca will have winced as Trevoh Chalobah was forced off with a knock in the 56th minute and replaced by Josh Acheampong, Milan grew into the game in the second half, and simply had to score when Yunus Musah rolled the ball past Robert Sanchez before Reece James arrived on the scene to put that fire out. Expectedly, a flurry of Chelsea changes came with 30 minutes to go, and unsurprisingly it was teenage prodigy Estevao replacing Cole Palmer that drew the biggest cheer at Stamford Bridge. It took the 18-year-old exactly five minutes to be involved in another Chelsea goal, as he was brought down inside the box, allowing Delap to rifle a penalty into the bottom left corner. The rest of his touches brought an expectant gasp out of everyone in the stadium, as he danced and dazzled with fancy footwork in front of the Matthew Harding stand. AC Milan got a consolation goal, courtesy of Youssaf Fofana who smashed the ball past Robert Sanchez at the near post with 20 minutes to go, assisted by Alexis Saelemaekers. Just when fans thought that would be game, set, and match, Chelsea added a fourth and final goal. Andrey Santos' perfectly weighted ball into the path of Liam Delap allowed the English striker to make it a brace with a fine finish into the bottom left corner.
