Defending champions Argentina will face England in the semifinals of FIFA World Cup 2026 after beating ten man Switzerland 3-1 after extra time thanks to a decisive long-range effort by Julian Alvarez.

Alexis Mac Allister headed in a 10th-minute cross by Lionel Messi to hand Argentina the lead at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday.

It was far from the dominant display that the South Americans would have hoped for thereafter, and the Europeans deservedly levelled in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye slotted home from close range.

The Swiss controversially lost Breel Embolo to a second yellow in the 72nd minute for simulation. VAR had to intervene, however, to request the referee to review whether the booking given to Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was a case of mistaken identity – a new VAR rule for this tournament.

Embolo appeared to dive to win the free kick and Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro changed his decision, which resulted in an inconsolable Embolo given his marching orders.

Argentina pressed for the winner in normal time and nearly found their reward with virtually the last kick of the period when Lisandro Martinez flung himself at a loose ball in the box, but his scissor-kick didn’t have the power to beat the keeper.

Messi had himself come close when through, one-on-one, but his chip was saved. The referee’s assistant raised his flag to suggest the effort would have been offside anyway, although replays show a goal may well have stood – it would have been Messi’s ninth in six appearances at the tournament.

It was Alvarez who stole the show on this occasion, however, with a fizzing effort from 25 yards which rifled into the top right corner of the goal in the 112th minute

As the Swiss threw bodies forward in the dying seconds, there were huge holes left at the back and Lautaro Martinez capitalised deep into stoppage time in extra time to slot home a third after a counterattack led by Thiago Almada, whose initial shot deflected kindly into his teammate’s path.

Argentina will now face England in the semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta. Spain play France, the team Argentina defeated in the final at Qatar 2022, on Tuesday in the other last-four clash.

Only two nations have previously defended a World Cup title, Italy and Brazil.

The taxing nature of the competition, which saw Argentina also pushed to extra time in the round of 32 by Cape Verde, may play a part.

England, though, also needed extra time to beat Norway on Saturday, and 39-year-old Messi seems determined to defy time and can’t be ruled out from finding yet more magical moments.

(Aljazeera)

The Dialog President’s Gold Cup Volleyball Championship 2026, Sri Lanka’s premier volleyball tournament, will get underway in September, with Dialog Axiata PLC continuing as title sponsor for the 19th consecutive year.

Organised by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, the annual championship remains the country’s only open volleyball tournament that provides village-level teams with an opportunity to compete their way to the national stage.First introduced in 1991 with the inaugural final played at the newly renovated Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, the President’s Gold Cup has grown into one of the country’s most important domestic volleyball competitions. Dialog Axiata has backed the tournament since 2005, while also serving as the principal sponsor of Sri Lanka’s men’s and women’s national volleyball teams.

This year’s competition will be conducted in two stages, beginning with district-level tournaments before moving into the national championship. The district champions, 25 men’s teams and 25 women’s teams, will qualify for the national stage.District matches are scheduled to begin on weekends from early September, with the national competition expected to commence about two months later.Teams may field players of any age, allowing experienced players and young talent to compete together. Players must have lived within the relevant Divisional Secretariat division for at least three years to be eligible to represent clubs from that area.Entries for the championship close on August 15.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with the Dialog President’s Gold Cup Volleyball Championship for two decades. Dialog’s vision is to create opportunities for athletes to progress from village-level competition to the international stage. This tournament has consistently produced talented players while helping strengthen Sri Lanka’s national sport, I also would like to Thank the Sri Lanka Volleyball federation for their support to conduct the Tournament,” said Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Marketing Officer Lasantha Theverapperuma.

Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation President Senior DIG Sajeewa Medawatta said the tournament has played a significant role in developing players capable of representing the national team.

“Many players have progressed from village volleyball through this championship to represent Sri Lanka. Dialog’s continued support has helped create that pathway, and we are grateful for its long-standing commitment to the sport,” he said.

The tournament will be broadcast on Dialog Television, the Dialog Play app and ThePapare.com, allowing volleyball fans across the country to follow the competition.

Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of the National Cricket, Volleyball and Esports teams. Dialog is also the primary sponsor of the Sri Lanka Golf Open and Paralympic sports by powering the National Para Games, and the Sri Lankan contingent to the World Paralympic Games. Further, in line with its commitment towards powering the champions of tomorrow, the company continues to power the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, and School Rugby

The first death anniversary of Rienzie Wijetilleke just passed us, bringing back memories of the banker, the gentleman and legend.

Much has and will continue to be written about this banking icon not just for his outstanding achievements but also for the values he stood by in a hugely challenging career spanning more than four decades.

While many are conversant with his legendary deeds, to me he was clearly a man of destiny.

A humble beginning with the Bank of Ceylon, where his talents were recognised early by his peers Loganathan and Sirimanne, led to him being assigned to a four year spell in their London branch in 1966.

While life in London at that time posed its own challenges, supported by his soulmate Dammi as he fondly referred to his dear wife, the adjustment was made and soon they were blessed with Harsha and Chamira, during that tenure.

Upon his return and while serving the Bank of Ceylon in their Nuwara Eliya branch he was head hunted by the newly formed Hatton National Bank in 1972. The senior official recognising his growing stature on this occasion was the Bank’ s General Manager Dharmarajah.

This change appeared to lay the foundation for a remarkable career for Rienzie but then a brief distraction took him overseas to the British Bank of the Middle East in Dubai, much to the disappointment of his peers at HNB. Their third son Kusum was born there.

Dharmarajah, a true visionary did not give up on Rienzie and in 1986, convinced him to return to the Bank and placed him in a position that clearly identified his path to the Bank’s Board Room…..Destiny?!

Immediately thereafter two deaths within the family and the premature shocking demise of the Bank’s Chairman Lester Cooray in a short space of time took him emotionally to the verge of depression.

Thanks to his religious faith and strong character he showed glimpses of his leadership qualities by taking adversity head on.

With a total focus on the bank’s activities and expansion, he initiated a network of branches that made the bank the largest private commercial bank in the country and introduced a multitude of products and services for these branches to access.

HNB Towers will be a lasting monument to his innovative leadership and when he was criticised for embarking on such an ambitious project in the times of the conflict he responded by saying ” It’s better to build than to destroy”!

Then came another stroke of destiny.

In 1999, the Cricket Board had sunk to an alarmingly low level with wide spread allegations of extensive financial mismanagement, assaults and intimidation of voters at gun point that drew the world’s attention.

Our name had been sullied in the eyes of the International Cricket Council while our ranking as a Test playing nation had plunged to Nine.

Her Excellency the President Chandrika Kumaratunge was swift to respond in directing her Sports Minister to suspend the Executive Committee and to gazette the appointment of an Interim Committee headed by Rienzie.

The next eleven months saw an amazing resurgence of our on field performances under a new young captain Sanath Jayasuriya facilitated by the return of Dav Whatmore as Coach.

Meanwhile our credibility and image at the ICC was equally restored by the Interim Committe’s official who attended the AGM on the 23rd June 1999 at Lord’s in London.

Rienzie ‘s strong leadership in an area unknown to him previously was admired by the other members of the committee viz Michael Tissera, (Vice Chairman) Skandakumar ( Vice Chairman/ Secretary ), Sidath Wettimuny, (Member and Chairman Selection Committee ), Ashantha De Mel ( Treasurer) and Kushil Gunasekera ( Asst Secretary ) and the rapid change to accountability and professionalism in the functions of the Cricket Board was astounding.

It was also a period in which Rienzie’s own image, most deservedly, received a boost in the public eye to the extent that he came to be associated more with the nation’s cricket than the bank!

While acknowledging the accolades he received for restoring the game from the low depths it had descended to, in his memoirs he wrote on his colleagues as follows

“Yet for all their achievements, their courage and disciplined temperament, there was a touching honesty and modesty in the way they went about their mission.”

“They demonstrated what a small spirited group expounding crisp, clean and clear objectives could achieve in the face of insurmountable odds “

Thank you Rienzie , our coming together in such a worthy national cause was also DESTINY’ !

Rest in Peace dear friend! Your Legacy lives on…

by S. Skandakumar