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Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Carabao Cup opponents revealed, Ten Hag fires dig at Jadon Sancho, latest takeover updates

United legend impressed by Jonny Evans

United legend Paul Parker has revealed that he has been impressed by Jonny Evans since his return to United.

Evans set up Bruno Fernandes’ brilliant volley against Burnley on the weekend and looks to have settled back into life well in Manchester.

He told Bettors: “I think Jonny Evans was always expecting Varane and Martinez to be ahead of him. He will accept it but he has done himself more than justice.

“A lot of people were looking for him to fail. Some of the keyboard warriors were just hoping that he would fail, especially with Varane sitting on the bench.

“He played a very good game against Burnley. He proved everyone wrong. He won a lot of good headers in both boxes and he looked like a player who wanted to score a goal and not just close his eyes and hit the ball.”

Gary Neville ‘torn’

Gary Neville has said he is “torn” on whether to back Jadon Sancho or Erik Ten Hag in the ongoing saga concerning the winger’s future.

He told Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast: “The big story has been about Jadon Sancho, and I’m torn – I think it’s really important to have discipline and control if you’re a manager in the dressing room.

“Also, what is niggling me a little bit is that only six months ago he was allowed to have two or three months off with mental health issues, and now he’s had this very public spat where the manager has come out and said he’s not training well.

“Sancho has come back and now Erik ten Hag is demanding an apology, and Sancho is not forgiving.”

Ten Hag impressed by Gore debut

Erik Ten Hag has said that Dan Gore earned the right to make his United debut last night.

The United manager said: “Gore? It’s a good birthday for him, but I’m not a coach who gives opportunities to players [for no reason], they have to earn it.

“Once they earn it, they have their chance. They have to earn it every day in training.”

Ex-United player has his say on Sancho

Ex-United defender Mikael Silvestre has had his say on Jadon Sancho’s exile from the United squad.

The ex-French international told BettingExpert that he regrets the fact that Sancho took to social media to air his grievances about Ten Hag.

He said: “I must say that a lot of players, the majority, would always look at excuses. If you look at Jadon’s performances, when he was supposed to be at his best, his peak, at United, he hasn’t delivered as much as everybody was hoping for.

“So, instead of pointing fingers at the manager. First of all these things should stay between the manager and himself, not in the public domain.

“If you have something to say to your boss, you don’t go on social media, you go in the office and you talk to him, as a man. Man-to-man and respect the working situation. It is a co-working situation and has to be dealt with like this.”

Antony returns for police interview

Manchester United player Antony will remain on indefinite leave despite flying back into the UK on Tuesday.

Three different women have made accusations of domestic abuse with the winger strongly denying them all.

Now, the Brazil international will voluntarily take questions from Greater Manchester Police and has agreed to hand over his phone for examination.

Officers in Brazil allowed the 23-year-old to return to England after he fully co-operated with their enquiries and stated they do not require any more information from him.

A total of four alleged attacks are described in a police report, according to ESPN.

A source said: “Antony is adamant he has done nothing wrong and wants to sit down with officers and let them ask him questions.

“He has nothing to hide and will hand over anything they want to see including his mobile phone. He wants to be exonerated as quickly as possible so he can get on with his football career again without any distractions.”

‘When art begins with profit motive…’, Humans of New York founder’s latest dig at Humans of Bombay which makes…

The ongoing ethical battle between Humans of New York and its ripoff entity Humans of Bombay has entered a new phase with Brandon Stanton taking a subtle dig at those ‘making profit of art’.

Humans of New York Founder Brandon Stanton and Humans of Bombay founder Karishma Mehta

In a recent social media post, Humans of New York founder, Brandon Stanton commented on an ongoing ‘court case involving my work, but which thankfully doesn’t involve me.’ Clearly he was referring to the copyright infringement case filed by Humans of Bombay against People of India.

Brandon has in the past shown displeasure at Humans of Bombay making huge profits after using his brand. “I’ve stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if they’ve monetized far past anything I’d feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you can’t be suing people for what I’ve forgiven you for,” posted the American blogger.

Today again he posted a long comment on how he doesn’t believe in profiteering from art and art seizes to exit if that happens.

‘For the last thirteen years I haven’t received a penny for a single story told on Humans of New York, despite many millions offered. All my income has come from books of my work, speeches I have given, and Patreon.’ He stated.

The commenting on copyright infringment he went on to add, ‘I cannot provide an informed opinion on the intricacies of copyright law, but I do have an opinion on what it means to be an artist. Beautiful art can make money, there is nothing wrong with that. But when art begins with a profit motive, it ceases to become art. And becomes a product’

Clearly Brandon respects his art and won’t take any step against those using his name but doesn’t want to be identified with profiteers, ‘I welcome anyone who is using the ‘Humans of’ concept to express something true and beautiful about their community. I do not identify with anyone who is using it for the sake of creating a certain lifestyle for themselves.’

Also Read: Humans of Bombay vs Humans of New York: Why HONY founder Brandon Stanton is angry with HOB

Netizens have been quick to showcase their support for Brandon who has allowed several versions of his brand being created across the world. ‘Brandon’s continued principled refusal to turn HoNY into an “influencer” “brand” is admirable and wholesome and inspiring by itself.’, wrote Gaurav Sabnis, Associate Professor ast Stevens Business. He even called out HOB founder Karishma for her hypocrisy, ‘Karishma, who came from money and has made a lot more money, could just show some humility, swallow Brandon’s scolding and move on. It’s not like he has any power in Indian courts..’

Meanwhile Humans of Bombay founder, Karishma Mehta, has thanked Brandon, ‘We are grateful to HONY & Brandon for starting this storytelling movement. The suit is related to the IP in our posts & not about storytelling at all. We tried to address the issue amicably before approaching the Court, as we believe in protecting our team’s hard work.’

It is interesting to note how Humans of Bombay is a heavily monetised website and earned over 6.78 crores of revenue last year’s and 3.2 crores in Profits. Reports on social media suggest they even charge ₹2-7 lakh per social media post.

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“Can Go To Spain But…”: Congress Leader’s Dig At Mamata Banerjee

Adhir Ranjan also attacked Mamata Banerjee for staying at a luxurious hotel in Spain (File)

Murshidabad, West Bengal:

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her trip to Spain amid the spread of dengue cases in the state saying that she can go to Spain but is incapable of understanding people’s pain.

“We had already warned the state government about the rampant spread of dengue during August-September. This is due to the ignorance of the government towards the common people. They can go to Spain but cannot understand the pain of people here,” the state Congress chief said speaking to reporters at a press conference in West Bengal’s Murshidabad.

Adhir Ranjan further attacked the Chief Minister for staying at a luxurious hotel in Spain during her trip to the European nation.

“We have heard that the Chief Minister does not take her salary. She sustains herself from the sale of her books and from her paintings. How could you afford to stay at a hotel in Madrid that costs Rs 3 lakhs per day?” the Congress leader asked.

Describing the visit as a ‘luxury trip’, Adhir Ranjan asked, “How much did you spend on this trip? Which industrialist have you brought here? Don’t fool the people here.”

“If 10 per cent of what you had spent in Biswa Bangla industrial meet would have come back, lakhs of those unemployed in Bengal would have got jobs. We want to know which Spanish companies want to invest in Bengal,” he further added.

Speaking on the Vande Bharat Express trains flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Adhir Ranjan said, PM Modi had promised Bullet trains, now they are running ‘Guler’ (joke) train. Vande Bharats do not run at their actual speed. Its fare is higher than normal trains.”

On Shantiniketan getting included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List, the Congress MP said, “Shantiniketan does not need any other certification. It stands in its own right…At first please see that there is a congenial environment to study in Shanti Niketan in the manner that Rabindranath intended. Every day there is fight between RSS and TMC ideologues.”

Adhir Ranjan rubbished the recent accreditation of Murshidabad’s Kiriteshwari village as the Best Tourism Village of India by the Ministry of Culture saying that there is nothing in the village except an ancient temple.

“There is nothing in Kiriteswari except an ancient temple. They practice temple politics, let them do that…I would like every Nawab-era architecture in Murshidabad to be protected. I have met and given a letter to Minister Meghawal in this regard,” Adhir Ranjan said.

On the Parliament passing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Special Session of the Parliament, the Congress leader said that these are brought about just to distract the people from the real problems that they currently face.

“Modi government creates new issues before elections. At times Women’s Reservation Bill, at times One Nation One Election…It is not easy to implement ‘One Nation One Election’ in our country. Modi knows this and everyone knows this. But it is important to address the issues of today. It is just a distraction to deflect people from their real problems,” he said.

Speaking on the Ramesh Bidhuri episode in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan said, “We have written to the Speaker. This is BJP’s new thinking in the new Parliament. We condemn the way the BJP has insulted our Parliamentary culture…When we speak in the House, we are told that we disrespect the Prime Minister. Instead, the BJP is insulting all democratic values.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

“Taking U-Turn On Ladli Behna Yojana”: Kamal Nath’s Dig At Shivraj Chouhan

“This time the date 10 is not coming in the calendar of the BJP government,” said Kamal Nath. (File)

Bhopal:

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Sunday doubted whether the money would be transferred to beneficiaries of the ruling BJP’s flagship Ladli Bahna Yojana on the scheduled date “this time”, a claim dismissed by the BJP as misleading.

Under the scheme, the government transfers Rs 1,250 to the accounts of beneficiaries on the 10th of every month.

After initially announcing to provide Rs 1,000 to beneficiaries of the Yojana, Shivraj Chouhan later said the moeny is being raised to Rs 1,250 and it will be subsequently taken to Rs 3,000.

“Sisters, I heard that this time the 10th (date) is not coming,” Kamal Nath posted on X on Sunday night.

Taking a swipe at the state government’s advertisements, Kamal Nath said after wasting crores of public money for the last four months in the name of “Das Tareekh Aa Rahi Hai” (10th is coming), this time Shivraj government is taking a “U-turn”.

“Das Tareekh Aa Rahi Hai” is the phrase used in the state government’s advertisements.

“This time the date 10 is not coming in the calendar of the BJP government. As this scheme of the government is just a means to cheat votes, similarly their 10th also turned out to be a trick,” Kamal Nath alleged.

Kamal Nath asked why Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spent people’s hard-earned money running into crores on advertisements just to remind the date for four months.

A day before, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan announced that unmarried women above 21 years of age would get Rs 1,250 per month as assistance under Ladli Behna Yojana.

At present, there are 1.31 crore beneficiaries of this scheme.

When asked about Kamal Nath’s claims, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said the money is transferred under this scheme after a Cabinet decision was taken as per the law.

“The Congress has a long history of cheating people so Kamala Nath is seeing the same and creating doubts to mislead the people. The people know the truth of Congress,” Rajneesh Agrawal said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top McCarthy ally drafted motion to oust him as GOP renegades dig in: ‘Get this over with’

One of Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) top Republican allies stunningly revealed he’s drafted a motion to oust the House leader.

Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), who helped negotiate a debt ceiling deal in May, suggested bringing the measure forward could mollify McCarthy’s critics.

“I drafted a motion to vacate for the speaker as well. I’ve got it sitting on my desk right now,” Graves told CNN on Saturday.

“I said if you’re going to keep hanging this over [his] head and playing these games, let’s do it now and get this over with.”

Graves’ remarks are the latest of the red-hot tensions among House Republicans over a spending bills melee boiling over into the public domain.

A motion to vacate the chair allows rank-and-fill members to try to remove the speaker.

During his marathon 15-vote grovel for the gavel in January, McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold for a motion-to-vacate down to one vote.

Given Republicans’ threadbare four-seat majority in the lower chamber, such a motion could spell doom for McCarthy, who barely clinched the gavel when the GOP had a five-seat majority earlier this yearin the year.

As a result, McCarthy’s chief agitator, firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), has openly dangled an ouster — threatening to put forward a motion to vacate earlier this month, when the House reconvened from its six-week recess.

The House Speaker plans to plow ahead with a slew of appropriations this week.

So far, few of the nearly dozen Republican holdouts on a bill to avert an Oct. 1 government shutdown have gone that far publicly.

But Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) on Sunday threatened to back the efforts if McCarthy cuts a deal with the Democrats to bypass the GOP renegades.

“That would be something I would look strongly at ma’am,” Burchett replied when asked by CNN’s “State of the Union” host Dana Bash. “Our financial ship is sinking.”

Louisiana Republican Rep. Garret Graves has repeatedly lambasted GOP hardliners whom he believes have undercut the party’s negotiating position with Democrats.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is pictured with fellow GOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, both of whom have now dangled a motion to vacate if Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) doesn’t play ball.

Burchett had almost consistently backed McCarthy for speaker when the contentious voting began.

Meanwhile. McCarthy has publicly and privately downplayed the threat against his speakership.

“You guys think I’m scared of a motion to vacate. Go f—ing ahead and do it. I’m not scared,” McCarthy reportedly told Republicans at a closed-door meeting.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is rumored to be eyeing a run for Florida governor.

Alongside Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Graves helped cut the bipartisan deal to suspend the debt ceiling until January 2025 in exchange for capping discretionary spending to $1.59 trillion — a move that infuriated hardliners.

GOP rebels want something much closer to the fiscal year 2022 baseline discretionary spending level of $1.471 trillion that was Republicans’ initial offering in the debt limit negotiations.

“The arsonist that lit their house on fire, they’re whining about their house burning, they’re gonna want credit for putting the fire out, and then they’re gonna set up a GoFundMe to get paid for what happened,” Graves bemoaned to reporters.

“@RepGarretGraves, while embracing the new @johnFetterman dress code, called House Conservatives demanding individual appropriations bills (as opposed to a CR) ARSONISTS!!!” Gaetz shot back on X, formerly Twitter.

Graves, who represents Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, could be in danger of losing his seat in the 2024 cycle depending on how the state redraws its districts.

Although the nation’s borrowing authority has effectively been lifted, the government has not been funded for the next fiscal year, which starts in October.

Should Congress fail to fund the government in some fashion, there will be a shutdown.

McCarthy has sought a temporary stopgap continuing resolution to buy time for Congress to hash out spending.

But so far, the House has only managed to pass one of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government — and is at odds with the Senate and White House over top-line figures.

“Can Men Not Speak Up For Women”: Amit Shah’s Dig At Congress Leader

“I want to ask Adhir Ranjan ji, will only women care for women, can men not speak up for them?”

New Delhi:

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday took a dig at Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after he interrupted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey when he stood up to speak on the Women’s Reservation Bill.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey stood up to speak after Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniam in the Lok Sabha.

There was a brief ruckus in the House as Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and other MPs from the opposition insisted that the Government should have nominated a woman MP to speak.

Amit Shah intervened and took potshots at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for interrupting Dubey’s speech and said he may be getting “jealous” as he did not get to speak first.

“I want to ask Adhir Ranjan ji, will only women care for women, can men not speak up for them? What kind of society do you want to build? Women’s welfare, women’s concerns…brothers should be a step ahead. That is the tradition of this country. Everyone has the right to think of women’s welfare. And when Nishikant ji stood up from our side to speak, what was his (Chowdhury’s) objection? Maybe because he didn’t get the chance to speak first, he is getting a little jealous,” Amit Shah said.

The bill was earlier moved for passage in the House by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the first sitting of the House in the new Parliament building.

Sonia Gandhi, who initiated the debate on the bill, extended her party’s support and demanded its immediate implementation.

She said that a delay in implementing the bill is an injustice to the women of the country.

The Bill will be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on September 21, government sources said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Austin urges nations to dig deep and give Ukraine more much-needed air defense systems

The group is made up of the defense and military leaders from more than 50 nations and is the main forum for raising contributions of weapons, other equipment and training for Kyiv’s war effort. It meets about once a month, in person and virtually, and this is the 15th gathering.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly pushed for the longer-distance weapons. Proponents have argued that Ukrainian forces need to be able to strike Russian troops and facilities while still staying out of range.

But the U.S. has continued to balk, expressing longstanding worries that Kyiv could use the weapons to hit deep into Russian territory and enrage Moscow. The Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, could give Ukraine the ability to strike Russian targets from as far away as about 180 miles (300 kilometers), but the U.S. also has other variants of the missile that have a shorter range.

Speaking before the meeting began, Bill Blair, the Canadian defense minister, told reporters that the allies are listening to Ukrainian leaders’ descriptions of their military needs and are discussing “new and important ways” to help bolster the ongoing counteroffensive.

Austin said the 31 M1 Abrams tanks promised months ago will soon begin arriving in Ukraine, as has been expected. A defense official said they have arrived in Europe and will begin crossing the border into Ukraine within the coming days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the precise location of the tanks is sensitive.

Ukrainian troops began training on similar tanks in June, while the ones arriving soon were being refurbished in the U.S.

Defense leaders are working to continue what they say is unbowed support of Ukraine, despite growing worries that public and international government backing for the war, which is well into its second year, may be starting to wane.

Zelenskyy will be in Washington, D.C., later this week to meet with President Joe Biden and congressional leaders in a move to shore up support for continued American funding and weapons. The visit comes as there is a growing partisan divide in Congress over continued Ukraine funding.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has told reporters that he wants more aid for Ukraine to be debated on its own merits as a standalone bill, rather than attaching it to other priorities like government funding. But Senate leaders want to combine the aid with other priorities, such as a short-term spending bill that will likely be needed to avoid a shutdown at the end of September.

Nations have been pouring millions of rounds of artillery and other weapons into Ukraine, but worry that their stockpiles are shrinking and the defense industry is struggling to boost production lines. At the same time, Ukrainian forces have been making slow progress breaking through Russian battle lines in a counteroffensive that has not moved as quickly or as well as initially hoped.

“Ukraine’s recent gains also hinge on the crucial capabilities provided by the members of this Contact Group,” Austin said at the Ramstein opening. “And our shared commitment will be vital during the current battles — and for the long road ahead.”

Military leaders, including Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have pushed back on the criticism that the offensive has moved too slowly, arguing that Ukraine troops are making steady progress in a difficult fight. This, Milley has said, is real war and Ukrainian forces are carefully pushing their way through large and deadly Russian minefields.

At the close of a meeting of NATO military chiefs on Saturday, Adm. Rob Bauer of the Netherlands, who chairs the alliance’s Military Committee, acknowledged that nations have to weigh the risks of providing Ukraine more weapons without risking their own security needs.

The Ramstein meeting also marks Milley’s final session as U.S. joint chiefs chairman. He will retire at the end of the month, at the close of four years on the job.

“Certain Elements…”: India Football Coach Igor Stimac’s Veiled Dig At ISL Organisers | Other Sports News

India football team head coach Igor Stimac, on Sunday, lashed out at the Indian Super League (ISL) organisers FSDL and clubs for not releasing players for the Asian Games as the national federation was forced to stitch an under-strength ragtag side at the last moment after hectic parleys. While Stimac did not take names while addressing a virtual press conference ahead of team departure but dropped enough hints about who all scuppered his and AIFF’s plan to field a strong squad, comprising players from current senior national side.

“If I knew that certain elements will stop us from going with the best possible team, I would have rather picked all the players from the I-League and request to train with them for two months and prepare with them for the Asian Games,” a fuming Stimac said during media interaction.

“It would not have been much different,” he added, making clear what he thinks about the third-string players that ISL clubs have released.

As the squad was stitched at the eleventh hour after the ISL clubs refused to release their players and organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) did not entertain a request to delay the start of the league by a few days, Stimac informed that the team will play its first match on Tuesday against China without a single session.

“Players are arriving at Delhi airport at 5-6pm today. We are going to meet there and we have a flight at 10 pm to Hong Kong. We will wait (at Hong Kong airport) for another 5-6 hours for another flight which will take us to Hangzhou,” Stimac’s caustic comment wasn’t lost on anyone.

Such has been Indian team’s plight that it faces a formidable Chinese team on Tuesday after reaching Games Village on Monday.

“We will reach there (Hangzhou) at 5pm (on Monday) and there will be no single training session prior to the game (next day). We have to do tactical preparation with the players at the airport and during flight so that they take rest as soon as possible after reaching there and have some good sleep prior to the match.” It has been a complete mess, not seen often in Indian sports. And certainly not expected after the sports ministry gave a special exemption to field the team in the Asian Games despite not fulfilling the eligibility criteria.

The AIFF named a 22-member squad, which was more or less the near full strength senior national team with the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in it.

Thirteen players were not released by their respective ISL clubs, including Jhingan and first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet. A 17-member team with Chhetri as the only notable face was named initially.

On Friday, the AIFF announced a revised squad of 22 after hectic parleys with Jhingan in it, besides two more senior players in Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga.

Stimac is not sure of the results from the team but remained optimistic and said there is a possibility to make it to the knock-out round.

“There is a question mark on how much we can do with this team without spending one single day together to prepare. Five-six of these players are not involved in the ISL matches and most of them never worked with me.

“We will look at the tournament as a hope and yes there is a possibility to qualify from the group but to do that some luck need to be there in our side. Also, the boys need to produce the best performance of their lives.” After the match against China on September 19, India face Bangladesh (September 21) and Myanmar (September 24) in their group matches. The top two teams from the six groups will make it to the pre-quarterfinals, with four best-ranked third-placed sides also qualifying.

“I am not thinking about results and the reasons are well known. We are hoping to give a good fight, because I can’t expect more in such a situation,” he said.

Stimac said he would think more about Bangladesh and Myanmar and would keep Chhetri and Jhingan out of the China game to make them fresh for the remaining matches.

“I will have to take wise decisions on how much I have to use the senior players (in view of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in November). I have to see no one gets down or injured.

“Sunil missed the whole of pre-season for his club (Bengaluru FC) because of the birth of baby and spending time with family and he has been involved in training in just last couple of weeks. We cannot put the country in danger of losing Sunil for the World Cup qualifiers.” The final squad was assembled without taking into account the position of the players because the ISL clubs were not willing to release those wanted by Stimac or the AIFF.

“We have no full backs but three are centre backs in the squad. There are only to central midfielders. That is all we got from defenders. I will probably need to fulfil the missing puzzles of the team with the wingers.”

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Certain elements stopped us from taking best team to Asian Games: Igor Stimac’s veiled dig at ISL organisers

India football team head coach Igor Stimac, on Sunday, lashed out at the Indian Super League (ISL) organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and clubs for not releasing players for the Asian Games as the national federation was forced to stitch an under-strength ragtag side at the last moment after hectic parleys.

India head coach Igor Stimac(PTI/File Photo)

While Stimac did not take names while addressing a virtual press conference ahead of team departure but dropped enough hints about who all scuppered his and AIFF’s plan to field a strong squad, comprising players from current senior national side.

“It would not have been much different,” he added, making clear what he thinks about the third-string players that ISL clubs have released.

As the squad was stitched at the eleventh hour after the ISL clubs refused to release their players and organisers FSDL did not entertain a request to delay the start of the league by a few days, Stimac informed that the team will play its first match on Tuesday against China without a single session.

Such has been Indian team’s plight that they face formidable Chinese team on Tuesday after reaching Games Village on Monday.

“We will reach there (Hangzhou) at 5pm (on Monday) and there will be no single training session prior to the game (next day). We have to discuss things with the players at the airport and during flight so that they take rest as soon as possible after reaching there and have some good sleep prior to the match.”

It has been a complete mess, not seen often in Indian sports. And certainly not expected after the sports ministry gave a special exemption to field the team in the Asian Games despite not fulfilling the eligibility criteria.

The AIFF named a 22-member squad, which was more or less the near full strength senior national team with the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in it.

Thirteen players were not released by their respective ISL clubs, including Jhingan and first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet. A 17-member team with Chhetri as the only notable face was named initially.

On Friday, the AIFF announced a revised squad of 22 after hectic parleys with Jhingan in it, besides two more senior players in Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga.

Stimac is not sure of the results from the team but remained optimistic and said there is a possibility to make it to the knock-out round.

After the match against China on September 19, India face Bangladesh (September 21) and Myanmar (September 24) in their group matches. The top two teams from the six groups will make it to the pre-quarterfinals, with four best-ranked third-placed sides also qualifying.

Stimac said he would think more about Bangladesh and Myanmar and would keep Chhetri and Jhingan out of the China game to make them fresh for the remaining matches.

Prince Harry Closes Invictus Games, With Veiled Dig At Royal Family Over Uniform – Or Lack Thereof

Prince Harry has closed the Dusseldorf Invictus Games with a speech that some have interpreted as a veiled dig at the British royal family.

Harry told the audience of competitors – comprising injuries military personnel –

“A week ago I stood here and told you about the significance of being able to wear your nations flag again.

“So many of you have told me that hit you right here. For many of you the uniform you’ve been wearing this past week will give you a new story to tell.

“And for others it may give your old uniform new meaning.

“But I’m here to remind you that after all of this, you don’t need to rely on a uniform, nor should you feel lost without one. Because everything you need is already within you.”

Keen-eyed observers in the UK media have interpreted his words as a subtle dig at the Royal Family’s decision to not allow Harry to wear his military uniform at either his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022, or at his father King Charles Coronation in May this year.

A veteran of two tours of Afghanistan during his decade in the British Army, Harry was reported to be distressed by the decision to ban him from wearing his ceremonial military uniform because he is no longer a working royal.

At his grandfather’s funeral in April 2022, Harry joined other male royals in wearing morning suits, and he was permitted to wear his Blues and Royals No 1 Uniform and medals for a vigil for his grandmother at Westminster Hall in London.

He was stripped of his military titles including Captain General of the Royal Marines when he and his wife Meghan stepped back from royal life, and moved away from the UK.

This is the 6th outing of the Invictus Games, the event and organisation founded by Harry in 2014 to support injured veterans. He wrote in his memoir Spare that he was inspired to create the event when he was travelling home from his own tour of Afghanistan, and shared the plane with injured personnel returning home.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado dig deep to top Colorado State in heated double overtime victory

Colorado needed to dig deep to come away with a victory against in-state rival Colorado State and the Buffaloes’ grittiness prevailed behind an epic performance from Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders brought the team back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter and then had two touchdown passes in the two overtimes to give Colorado the 43-35 victory over the Rams in Boulder.

Colorado needed to storm back late to at the very least force overtime.

Down eight points, Sanders led the No. 18 Buffaloes on a 98-yard touchdown drive. He found wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. in space and he made a move around a Colorado State defender and dove into the end zone for a touchdown. Sanders then found Michael Harrison for the 2-point conversion.

He added two more touchdown passes in overtime and the defense stopped Colorado State on their final drive of the game.

“To be great you have to be resilient,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said, explaining the win.

Shilo Sanders got the party started for the Buffaloes. He returned a Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi pass 80 yards for a touchdown to get Colorado on the board early.

Dallin Holker would get his first touchdown on a pass from wide receiver Tory Horton. Then, Ron Hardge III returned a Colorado fumble 45 yards for a touchdown. The Rams, stunningly, had a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.

Things were already pretty heated between the two teams but it got more dicey.

Shedeur Sanders targeted Travis Hunter with a long pass down the sideline but it was over his head. Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn came over and delivered a brutal late hit on the Heisman Trophy contender. Hunter went down in pain and Blackburn was penalized. Sanders finished the drive with a touchdown pass to tie the game. Hunter would leave the game in third quarter to be evaluated at a hospital.

Fowler-Nicolosi’s touchdown pass to Louis Brown put the Rams up 21-14 before the half.

Colorado cut the lead to four points with a field goal early in the fourth quarter but the Rams showed some resilience.

On 3rd-and-7, Fowler-Nicolosi found Holker cutting across the field. The ball, somehow, got through the hands of the Buffaloes’ defender and was caught by Holker, who then scampered for a 35-yard touchdown. It was his second touchdown of the night and pushed him over 100 yards receiving.

Colorado State went up 28-17 with 11:22 remaining in the game. A 41-yard field goal cut the Buffaloes’ deficit down to eight points with 7:33 to go in the game.

Shedeur Sanders finished 38-of-47 for 348 passing yards with four touchdown passes and an interception. Xavier Weaver had nine catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Harrison had seven catches for 76 yards and two scores. Horn had seven catches for 66 yards.

Fowler-Nicolosi was 34-of-45 for 367 yards and three touchdowns.

Three Rams receivers had over 100 yards receiving – Tory Horton (133), Brown (131) and Holker (109). Each of those players had at least one touchdown. Horton had 16 catches, Brown had 10 and Holker had six.

Colorado moved to 3-0. Colorado State fell to 0-2.

The post Shedeur Sanders, Colorado dig deep to top Colorado State in heated double overtime victory appeared first on Fox News.

Alan Carr makes cheeky dig at Phillip Schofield following This Morning exit

ALAN Carr couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at axed This Morning host Phillip Schofield during a recent live performance.

The Chatty Man comedian, 47, was filming his latest gig at London‘s Hackney Empire, with the show also set to air on the BBC around Christmas-time.

Comedian Alan Carr made a cheeky dig at Phillip Schofield during his latest live showCredit: Getty

He referred to the former ITV host’s lawyers in his opening gagCredit: Getty

It came as Alan performed at London’s Hackney Empire, in a show filmed for the BBCCredit: ITV

Yet it was a particularly sticky gig for Alan as it came bang in the middle of the UK’s September heatwave.

He addressed both Phillip, 61, and the sweltering conditions as he opened his show after the warm-up act, stating: “Oh, Hackney, why did I say I’d film this in the middle of a f**king heatwave?

“I am sweating up here like Phillip Schofield’s lawyer, honestly!”

Earlier this year, Phillip was axed from This Morning and ITV more widely after admitting to an affair with a much younger male colleague.

Drama has engulfed the programme in recent months, with ITV bosses facing questions in Parliament over alleged “toxic” conditions backstage after the scandal.

Back in 2021, Alan again poked fun as he joked Phil got him drunk on tequila so he could seduce him.

During a segment on This Morning, Alan confessed the telly host was to blame for his love of the fiery Mexican spirit.

He said: “It was Philip Schofield who got me into tequila – and we all now know why don’t we?”

Alan ended up drunk live on This Morning in 2015 after Phillip forced the host to do a tequila challenge.

He was so plastered he even forgot the name of his own show.

Alan – who was helping former husband Paul Drayton battle alcoholism at the time – joked with a theatre audience that Philip – who came out as gay in 2020 – had designs on him.

Meanwhile, following Phil’s ITV departure, his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby exclusively opened up to The Sun about her “difficult year.”

It came as This Morning was trounced in the NTAs’ Daytime TV category for the first time in 12 years after facing stiff competition from Loose Women, The Chase, and The Repair Shop.

At the ceremony Holly exclusively opened up to The Sun on the tough time.

She said: “If I’m honest it’s been really up and down.

“But what’s lovely is people rallying around you. The support is there. People want us to do well. It all feels good again.

“I just want to the future to continue as it is. We are very blessed we have a great team of people we really do.”