Latest news with #mentalToughness
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Nepal propelled by unbreakable spirit and bus-driver-turned-head coach on Asian Cup quest
Matt Ross turned his life upside down to move across the world for football and found himself driving a bus. After sticking to his guns to forge an upwardly-mobile career, however, the Nepal head coach said his own mental toughness 'pales into insignificance' with that of the players in his world No 175-ranked squad. 'When you hear of the conditions in which some of our boys grew up, and the sacrifices their parents and extended families have made, it melts your heart,' said Ross, ahead of Nepal's friendly with Hong Kong on Thursday. 'It equips our team with such belief and strength. We have an unbreakable spirit.' The Australian and his wife quit their teaching jobs in 2011 to move to Germany, where the 47-year-old, who had been coaching part-time, pursued a professional football role. Nepal's players are put through their paces during a training session at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Edmond So While his wife landed a teaching post, Ross was running into dead ends and took a job as the school's bus driver. In 2013, he finally gained unpaid work as a video analyst for Eintracht Frankfurt Women.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Nepal propelled by unbreakable spirit and bus-driver-turned-head coach on Asian Cup quest
Matt Ross turned his life upside down to move across the world for football and found himself driving a bus. After sticking to his guns to forge an upwardly-mobile career, however, the Nepal head coach said his own mental toughness 'pales into insignificance' with that of the players in his world No 175-ranked squad. 'When you hear of the conditions in which some of our boys grew up, and the sacrifices their parents and extended families have made, it melts your heart,' said Ross, ahead of Nepal's friendly with Hong Kong on Thursday. 'It equips our team with such belief and strength. We have an unbreakable spirit.' The Australian and his wife quit their teaching jobs in 2011 to move to Germany, where the 47-year-old, who had been coaching part-time, pursued a professional football role. Nepal's players are put through their paces during a training session at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Edmond So While his wife landed a teaching post, Ross was running into dead ends and took a job as the school's bus driver. In 2013, he finally gained unpaid work as a video analyst for Eintracht Frankfurt Women.
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong pair told to work on mental toughness ahead of 2028 LA Olympics
Doo Hoi-kem and Wong Chun-ting need to work on their mental toughness if they were to still be competitive at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, head coach Li Ching said on Saturday. A fourth bronze medal in the mixed doubles at this week's ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, came despite Li acknowledging that the pair, who have been together for a decade, had been 'thoroughly studied' by their rivals, making any competition increasingly challenging. Still, the Hongkongers reached the semi-finals in Doha before being comfortably beaten 3-1 to Japan's Satsuki Odo and Maharu Yoshimura. And having praised the pair's fighting spirit and determination, Li said he was asking for more from his charges. 'They could still fight on,' he said. 'There is always room for improvement in techniques and strategies. But mentality counts even more. 'It's all about sheer determination, willpower and their obsession with table tennis, they need to put in more effort.' Doo and Wong's first world championships as a pair was rewarded with a bronze in 2015, followed by more medals in 2017 and 2023.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aaron Gordon's hustle-filled Game 7 with hamstring injury had NBA fans in awe
Entering Sunday, there was significant doubt whether stalwart forward Aaron Gordon would even be able to play a Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. But waving the white flag is not how Gordon or these eternally resilient Nuggets roll, especially with the entire season on the line. So, despite a Grade 2 hamstring strain, a debilitating long-term injury for explosive basketball players and really any athlete in any sport, Gordon started anyway. And despite some evident limitations — it was clear Gordon was moving around gingerly — he actually looked pretty ... good? Through the first half of play, Gordon had eight points and eight rebounds. He helped keep the Nuggets together on both ends of the floor, even though he was nowhere close to 100 percent while potentially risking so much of his long-term health. A player with a serious hamstring injury should simply not be able to make plays like this: Aaron Gordon and-one off a nice feed from Jokić 💪 — NBA TV (@NBATV) May 18, 2025 Regardless of the final result, it's probably time to enter another NBA figure into the legendary Willis Reed club. Gordon deserves his flowers for persevering and fighting through an impossible athletic injury for his teammates, his brothers, with so much on the line. The NBA world agreed and sang Gordon's praises for showing so much mental toughness: This Aaron Gordon performance is incredible. — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 18, 2025 aaron gordon should have like 0 haters after this playoff run lmao — SJ (@SJBasketball8) May 18, 2025 I love to hear the NBA breaking news that Aaron Gordon is going to play against the Thunder in Game 7! — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 18, 2025 Aaron Gordon vs OKC Game 7 — LDN (@ShubzLDN) May 18, 2025 If the Nuggets win game 7, 'the Aaron Gordon Hamstring game' will join 'the Michael Jordan Flu Game' in playoff basketball lore. — Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) May 18, 2025 What a gutsy performance from Aaron Gordon. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Aaron Gordon hamstring injury in Game 7 for Nuggets didn't stop him
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Andy Murray in shock career change after failed Novak Djokovic coaching experiment
Tennis hero Sir Andy Murray has signed up as a motivational speaker. The three-time Grand Slam winner will talk about tackling adversity, mental toughness and peak performance. He has signed with London-based Chartwell Speakers, whose clients include ex-PM Gordon Brown, Olympian Sir Mo Farah and TV host Graham Norton. The fee for hiring Murray, 37, has not been revealed but is likely to run into thousands of pounds per event, The Sun reports. Chartwell's website says: 'Andy's story of overcoming adversity continues to inspire both on and off the court. 'Despite hip surgery in 2018 and 2019, his resilience and passion for the game have seen him return to the court, inspiring millions with his determination to compete at the highest level. 'Murray's insights on adversity, leadership, and peak performance make him a sought-after speaker at events worldwide. 'His ability to connect with audiences and share his experiences offers valuable lessons in resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence.' The double Wimbledon champ hung up his racket after last summer's Paris Olympics. He has since coached ex-rival Novak Djokovic.
