Latest news with #U19s
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
FC Barcelona confirms new deal for 18-year-old left-back until 2028
Jofre Torrents has signed with FC Barcelona until 2028. The 18-year-old left-back , who has proved himself at La Masia , has impressed the Barcelona coaching staff . Pocketing a new contract not only indicates the club's faith in the kid but also a tactic to prevent any overtures from other European giants. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jofre Torrents' journey through adversity and rise to prominence Jofre Torrents was born on January 28, 2007, in La Selva del Camp, Spain, and he joined Barcelona's youth academy in 2018. He suffered a cruciate ligament tear during an international match in September 2023 and was out for the whole season. In a display of resilience, Torrents impressively bounced back in the 2024–25 season, being promoted to the U19s and appearing for FC Barcelona Atletic in March 2025. The way he plays, his runs into the box, the crosses, pinned one-on-one, are strong. Although he suffered a hamstring injury in early 2025, which was another setback, Torrents recovered his form and once again displayed his never-say-die on-field talents. FC Barcelona's commitment and prospects Barcelona's gesture to tie Torrents to the club until 2028 suggests they see a future first-team player in him. The actions of the club's hierarchy and staff, among them President Joan Laporta and Sporting Director Deco, were crucial in achieving this agreement, at a time when clubs, including Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, and AS Roma had expressed interest in poaching the young forward. The fact that Torrents is training with the senior side under coach Hansi Flick is further evidence of their intentions. Impressing at the highest level will not come immediately; the path to regular participation with the first team is blocked, but he's there or thereabouts. Torrents' role in the next generation of La Masia graduates Jofre Torrents began a revolution and a boom generation of La Masia talent that FC Barcelona continues to use in their long-term planning and strategic direction. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With youth development more of a priority for the club at the moment, so they can rebuild sustainably and carry on their footballing philosophy, Torrents is something of a poster boy for this approach. His hard work, maturity, as well as his technical ability, have been commended by coaches and fellow players, with many at the club feeling as though he may have what it takes to occupy a place in the first team's backline in coming seasons. Also Read:
West Australian
25-04-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Justin Langer: Young sports prodigies shine under immense pressure on global sports stage
Gout, Vaibhav, Tiger, Thorpedo, Cassius, Kobe, Belinda, Boris, Simone, Messi are an eclectic set of names, all with something in common. They are all young prodigies whose stories add weight to the narratives of the varying global sports they represent. Prodigy, like legend, is never a word used lightly in the sporting world. Born in Brisbane to South Sudanese parents, he's not just running races — he's rewriting history. Watching his heat in the Stawell Gift last weekend, was like witnessing a miracle. Coming from his handicapped position, the speeding train, in red athletic attire, blew the field away. In December last year, the young Queenslander shattered Peter Norman's 56-year-old 200m record in a blistering 20.04 seconds. That time defined him as the second-fastest under-18 sprinter the world has ever seen. A silver medal at the World U20 Championships in Lima, where he clocked 20.60 in the 200m, confirmed his arrival on the global stage. This was followed by his selection for the World Championships to be held in Tokyo later this year. No longer is he running with the kids, now he is in the big league. Like all athletes, comparisons make me nervous. Gout Gout and Usain Bolt is a long bow to draw at this stage, but there is always something exciting and hopeful about kids making it in the big time. Back in November, the IPL auction was held in Saudi Arabia. Toward the end of the scheduled second and final day, the name Vaibhav Suryavanshi was bid on, and won, by the Rajasthan Royals. Sitting at one of the tables I asked our analysts who he was. His name hadn't come up in our planning. As it transpired this was no surprise because Suryavanshi was only 13-years-old. He was not only the youngest player in history to be bought, but he was also 1.1 Crore richer, which is the equivalent to around $200,000 Australian dollars. Within minutes the name Vaibhav Suryavanshi was making headlines across the cricketing world. They called him a prodigy when he hammered a 58-ball century against Australia's U19s when he was 13. In that astonishing innings, he danced down the pitch with a swagger that echoed Brian Lara — his childhood idol and blueprint. At just 12, he strode onto the field for Bihar in the Ranji Trophy, the equivalent of our Sheffield Shield. His rise wasn't just meteoric — it was radiant. With fearless eyes he has gone from strength to strength. Last week his name came up on the team sheet for the Rajasthan Royals. He was in their eleven. I was the head coach of his opponents for his debut match. Naively, I thought, the kid is now playing in the most intense domestic cricket tournament in the world, surely, he won't give us too much trouble. We did our homework, but to be honest how much intel can you get, or need on a 14-year-old upstart? Shirt hanging out he strolled out to open the batting. Our old pros surrounded him like circling sharks. We have current international captains, global superstars and senior players who started in the game before the youngster was born. Shardul Thakur our veteran seamer stood at the end of his mark. How hard can it be? The crowd went silent, Thakur charged into bowl. Six! And this wasn't just a six. The ball flew over the cover boundary and far into the grandstand. I couldn't help but smile — 14 years of age and he's hitting his first ball in the IPL for six. Whatever happens from here, we will see, but his first ball in the IPL can never be erased from the history books, and I am certain it will be shown and talked about for years to come. He wasn't finished there. Three sixes and two fours later he was out for 34 from just 20 balls. But then something interesting happened. As he was walking off the ground it looked like the young Indian was about to cry and it was at that moment that I remembered just how overwhelming this occasion must have been for such a young person. I kept thinking back to what I was doing at 13 or 14 years old. I am sure I was dreaming about the big stage, but I was nowhere near walking upon it. Mum and Dad might have given me a few bucks as pocket money to buy a dollar's worth of lollies or an ice-cream from the local deli back then, but $200,000 was unimaginable. Already comparisons are being drawn to Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Only time will tell whether he will reach the heights of their greatness. Opportunities will be abundant, but the pressures will rise, and it will take more than youthful exuberance and insane talent to finish as a legend. Australian cricket has never recorded anyone as young as Suryavanshi but Ian Craig was the youngest Australian to play Test cricket, debuting against South Africa in 1953 at 17. He later became Australia's youngest Test captain at 22 but retired early at age 26 due to health issues. His promising career ended with just 11 Tests. Ashton Agar debuted in the 2013 Ashes at 19, making a remarkable 98 runs batting at number 11 with another young player, the late Phil Hughes. Since then, he played four more Tests and over 70 white ball games for Australia. Jake Fraser-McGurk made his first-class debut for Victoria at 17 years and is considered one of Australia's most exciting batting talents. Rather than the youngest debutants in cricket becoming the greatest players, the evidence suggests that prodigious talents who debut young, but not extremely young, and who are properly managed — are often the ones who develop into the game's greats. Australian captain Belinda Clark debuted for the Australian Women's team at 18 and went on to become one of women's cricket's greatest players and captains. Ricky Ponting made his debut at 20 before developing into another one of our greatest batsmen and captains. The legendary Steve Waugh was 20 before building a career of 168 Test matches, as was Sir Donald Bradman. The great Shane Warne and Greg Chappell were 22 when they first donned the baggy green cap. Whilst coaching Western Australia we were faced with a challenge. A young schoolboy by the name of Cameron Green was playing AFL and cricket at Scotch College. He was 16 years old and still in Year 12 when we decided to offer him a contract. In many ways this went against every instinct as he seemed so young. But after the events of the last week, 16 seems like being middle-aged! His first over to current Australian selector George Bailey was breath-taking and will be hard to ever match. Fast, hooping outswingers had us all looking at each other with that familiar glance, suggesting we had just witnessed something special. Now fighting his way through stress fractures in his back, the tall West Australian is 25-years-old with 28 Test matches and more than 40 white-ball games under his belt. His early start and resilience to overcome injuries sets him up to reach the mantle as one of Australian cricket's all-time great all-rounders. Boris Becker won Wimbledon at 17. Rafael Nadal was a professional at 15, before winning his first Grand Slam at 19. Serena Williams was a pro at 14, whilst sustaining success into her late 30s. Gymnastics royalty Simone Biles won her first World Championship at 16 and Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10 at the Montreal Olympics at age 14. In football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debuted at 17 and are still playing today. While we have all seen footage of Tiger Woods swinging a golf club while he was still in a nappy. In the pool Ian Thorpe made his international debut at 14, before going on to become our greatest male swimmer. Not all prodigies go on to become household names because they soon find out that it is not talent alone that takes them to the top. Elite sport is a jungle of internal and external pressures, requiring solid support and resilient navigation. But, when the Gout and Suryavanshs come along, they make us sit up and smile with astonishment at how these young kids have the talent and courage to do what they do.
Int'l Cricket Council
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Bakrania the hero again as Tanzania claim shock U19 Men's Cricket World Cup spot
The Tanzanians are the first team to qualify via the regional qualification pathways, a feat made more remarkable considering the team entered the competition from the Division Two phase back in August 2024. There was an element of history repeating itself at the competition, with skipper Bakrania once again haunting the Namibians, like he did four years ago at the same competition as a 14-year-old in Rwanda. Rewind: Then 14-year-old Bakrania shocks Namibia in 2021 Claiming a match-winning five-wicket haul with his left-arm orthodox against the Namibians in 2021, the now-senior international and U19s captain claimed 2/17 (10) and made an invaluable 34 with the bat as his side held on in a 17-run win. The win meant the Tanzanians created separation from the tournament favourites, closing out competition victory thanks to subsequent wins over Kenya and Sierra Leone. A delighted Bakrania struggled to hold back the emotion upon qualification. "I am lost for words and it's unbelievable that we have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in our history," Bakrania said. 'It is a great moment for the country of Tanzania, and it is down to the hard work of the team and the support and encouragement from the Tanzania Cricket Association. "At the World Cup in 2026, we shall give our best to compete among other great nations.' Tanzania are the 12th team to qualify for the event, with 10 teams automatically qualifying for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the previous event in 2024 (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies). Full Member hosts of the 2026 edition Zimbabwe have automatic qualification. Four places for the tournament are yet to be decided, with one place up for grabs in each of the four remaining regional finals. Asia and East Asia-Pacific qualification places will be decided in April, with European and Americas qualifiers concluding in August.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona youth talent spotted in first-team training before Atlético
An up-and-coming member of the goalkeeper ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona was afforded the chance to impress as part of first-team training on Saturday. The player in question? Max Bonfill. Bonfill, for his part, is a highly-regarded 18-year-old shot-stopper, who is currently plying his trade with Barcelona's U19s. Amid a shortage of options between the posts at youth level in Catalunya's capital at present, owing chiefly to injury, the Spaniard was afforded a first-ever call-up to senior training earlier this week. And Bonfill evidently did enough to impress Hansi Flick and his coaching staff. This comes amid confirmation that the youngster was drafted in once again on Saturday, featuring alongside Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña at The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. As much comes amid ongoing preparations for Barca's final pre-international break outing, against Atlético Madrid on Sunday night. It now remains to be seen if Bonfill has done enough to earn a call-up for the fixture. ❗| Juvenil A goalkeeper Max Bonfill is training with the first team today. #fcblive 🧤 — BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) March 15, 2025 Conor Laird – GSFN
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Jos Buttler counts the cost of muddled methods as England hit the reset button again
And so ends as battering and bruising a two months as any that English cricket has experienced. Many similarly scarring winters of discontent have come before but since the start of 2025, the senior men's and women's sides have played 18 times and won just once. Credit, therefore, must go to Abi Norgrove's U19s restoring a semblance of respectability with a semi-final finish at the World Cup in Malaysia. Tournaments of torment are far from new but there was a singular sadness to the final outing of Jos Buttler 's tenure as white-ball captain on Saturday. The damage already done, both on the day and beforehand, the captain poked and prodded at the debris of his sinking ship on his way to a boundary-less 21, part of a final English omnishambles to conclude their Champions Trophy. It was meant to be the tournament that got the England skipper smiling again; a grimace was about as close as Buttler came to a grin. Bowed and beaten by a post that has proved thankless for too much of his tenure, a relinquishing of duties after this tournament had come to feel likely in the India series that preceded it – England ill-prepared, ill-equipped and ill-disciplined, careering into precisely the sort of miserable tournament that followed. 'It's the right decision for me and it's the right decision for the team," Buttler conceded on Friday with doleful eyes. 'It was quite clear this tournament was going to be important results-wise for my captaincy and going out with a bit of a hangover from the tournaments before, I've just reached the end of the road. "My over-riding emotions are sadness and disappointment but I'm sure in time that will pass and I'll get back to really enjoying my cricket.' Time may allow more fond reflections of a stint that sadly swung sharply into the negative. Having led England to a trophy at his first major event, Buttler has since overseen three consecutive tournament failures. With a coaching change already performed, a switch of skipper had felt to have been coming. A drop-off in personal performances has been symptomatic of the collective's malaise; how to get the best out of Buttler the batter will be a key question for his successor. Brendon McCullum himself admitted, though, that the 34-year-old has not been set up to succeed. Where predecessor Eoin Morgan received, and demanded, his nation's best and brightest each time England took the field en route to 2019 World Cup triumph, Buttler has too often been the fall guy of the saturated schedule, the Test team understandably prioritised as McCullum and Ben Stokes began their revolution. The fortunes of the white-ball sides have naturally taken a dip with several senior figures featuring sparingly. Attempts to get the band back together for the World Cup in 2023 showed the perils of a lack of practice, an unrehearsed collective playing all the wrong notes on a Spinal Tap-style tour from hell across India. Before this tournament, Joe Root had not made an ODI century in more than five years; the glimpses that he and Ben Duckett – increasingly important but only just emerging as a consistent pick in the 50-over format – show what might have been with a stable batting line-up. Even the seam bowling attack, exciting on paper but inflexible in practice, for the Champions Trophy seemed partly picked with upcoming red-ball assignments in mind. There has been misfortune along the way. Ben Stokes would have better balanced the XI but for an all-action cricketer, something has to give – one hopes that his hamstring issues do not become any more regular a concern. Injury to Jacob Bethell was untimely, removing one of few in the squad with more than one specialist string to their bow. Yet the importance of a 21-year-old in his first months in international cricket show the skew of a strange selection. Pakistan can sometimes be a pace paradise but travelling to the subcontinent with one specialist spinner always felt destined for disaster. After Bethell's injury opened an opportunity to call up another all-round option, England's brains trust instead opted for a fifth wicketkeeper-batter. Compare and contrast England to their opponents on Saturday and the difference is stark. South Africa had already lost pacemen Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee before the tournament began before two of their top three fell ill on matchday - yet the Proteas had an adaptability and attitude that their opponents lacked. Likewise, Australia's raft of retirements and injury issues appear to have done them little harm. It has been a very good tournament for Sam Curran, Liam Dawson and a number of other county cause celebres. One can overplay the lack of variety within England's attack – Morgan's men won a World Cup with five right-arm seamers – but McCullum's lack of love for genuine all-rounders is a touch perplexing. Liam Livingstone was the closest they had in Pakistan: a batting all-rounder who averages 15 at ICC events in his career. Livingstone 's hopeless hack at Keshav Maharaj meant that he, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook compiled 134 Champions Trophy runs between them – the depth England claim to have built in white-ball cricket is not yet delivering when it matters. Salt and Livingstone, having led in Buttler's stead in the West Indies in the autumn, shape as among the possible contenders to succeed the skipper; neither should be at all secure of their spot in the side. Vice-captain Brook is the presumed favourite but England ought to be cautious not to overburden a player reflective of their muddled methods – the Yorkshireman is yet to find the right tempo or technique in ODI cricket, particularly against high-quality spin. Like many, Brook is still learning the balance between risk and reward in a format that the nation's most promising young cricketers no longer really get to play. While the erosion of domestic List A cricket is not unique to England, India, for example, have done a fine job supplementing the surfeit of T20 options with regular 50-over cricket, creating a pool of players who understand the different rhythms required. Instilling that same understanding in his side is now a key task for McCullum. If his great strength with the Test team was casting off the shackles of self-doubt and burden of a fear of failure, this is perhaps a tougher coaching task. Having originally turned down the white-ball role in favour of the Test team, fearing it too easy, it is a challenge that should excite him. It was McCullum's New Zealand that inspired the Morgan-led transformation that culminated in World Cup triumph; after their latest low, England are pressing the reset button again
