Sports
A Pope who played the game right
In 1978, when Pope John Paul II had a swimming pool installed at the Vatican, it made more than just a ripple. A few Cardinals raised eyebrows at the cost—after all, it wasn’t exactly a drop in the holy bucket. But when word reached the Pope, he waved away the murmurs with a smile and said, “Cheaper than a conclave.” For a man who lived and breathed his daily laps, it was a matter of staying afloat – literally and spiritually. John Paul II wasn’t just a man of prayer but also a man of play, once donning gloves as a goalkeeper in his native Poland.
When he elevated the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, to the rank of Cardinal, he knew he was passing the torch to a kindred sporting soul. The two are said to have often bonded over football – a sacred ritual in Argentina almost as fervent as Mass itself.
Like many Argentine boys, Francis grew up with a football at his feet. But if you’re imagining a future Messi or Maradona in the making, think again. The young Jorge wasn’t quite dancing past defenders – he later admitted he had “hard feet,” and his friends didn’t let him forget it. Still, his love for the game never waned.
As Pope, Francis became a spiritual coach to athletes the world over. When meeting footballers at the Vatican, he preached the gospel of teamwork. “Football is a team sport. You can’t have fun alone. Teamwork leads to dream work,” he told them. “Team spirit nourishes both the mind and the heart, especially in a world overwhelmed by individualism.”
True to his roots, Francis remained a die-hard fan of San Lorenzo, the club founded in 1908 by Father Lorenzo Massa. The fans, affectionately known as “the Crows” (in honor of the founder’s black cassock), shared a special bond with their most famous supporter. The Pope held membership number 88,235 and faithfully paid his annual dues till the very end. Fittingly, the club now plans to name their new stadium after him – a tribute cast in stone for a man of faith and football.
Asked once to name the greatest among Pele, Messi, and Maradona, the Pope didn’t pull any punches. “Maradona as a player was great, but as a man, he failed,” he said, speaking truth with grace. It’s the same sentiment that most sports lovers share about the Argentine great, whose ‘hand of God’ sent England packing in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Yet when Maradona passed, Francis offered prayers for his fallen compatriot – a reminder that compassion, not condemnation, was his style of play.
To sportsmen chasing glory, Francis offered a word of caution. “Don’t let success go to your head,” he said. “Remember your journey – one of sacrifice, victories, and battles. True greatness lies not just on the scoreboard, but in how you live your life.”
In the wake of the Pope’s passing, both Argentina and Italy postponed their sporting events – a moment of silence for a voice that echoed across locker rooms as much as it did from pulpits.
Tributes came flooding in. Lionel Messi wrote, “You were a different, approachable Pope. Thank you for making the world a better place. We will miss you.” Gianluigi Buffon, Italy’s legendary goalkeeper, added, “Francis illuminated his era like only the greatest can. He moved our souls. I’ll carry his example forever in my heart.”
by Rex Clementine
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizure Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).
Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”
Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.
Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.
ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.
[Cricinfo]
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
110th Colombo Championships
Dinara de Silva bagged her second title of the Colombo Championships as she partnered Inuki Jayaweera to record straight sets victory in the women’s doubles final played at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Wednesday.
Dinara and Inuki beat Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles final.
Incidentally, it was the second title of the tournament for both Dinara and Inuki.
While Dinara won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Inuki was the winner of the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles.
Women’s doubles results
Semi-finals
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala 6-3, 6-2
Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi beat Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya 6-3, 6-0.
Quarter-finals
Venuli Jayasinghe and S. Usgodaarachchi beat Tuvini de Alwis and Hasali Gajaba 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Nimasha Shehara and Arushi Thomas 6-1, 6-3.
Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala beat Diyansa de Silva and Lihini Jayakody 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya received a walkover from Gehansa Methnadi and Akeesha Silva.
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