Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning to the favourites.

The big win on Saturday in front of nearly 69,000 at Houston Stadium put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them lift-off after being held by Japan.

Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (zero).

Despite the sobering loss, the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.

Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutes.

Before that, the 24-year-old had scored only once for his country since making his debut three years ago.

In a game full of top Premier League talent, Liverpool’s Gakpo – who set Brobbey up for the opener – scored twice early in the second half.

Substitute Anthony Elanga from Newcastle United pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish.

West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville had the last word for the five-star Dutch.

Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston’s place as the home of space flight.

There was no problem here as the Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.

Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.

It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.

Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.

Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, could not handle Brobbey’s muscular presence.

Up front, the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.

Twelve minutes after his opener, Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

Sweden’s English coach, Graham Potter, was in deep discussions with his backroom staff as the game threatened to run away from them.

At the unpopular hydration break, Potter made a beeline for left-sided defender Gabriel Gudmundsson of Leeds United, who was being overrun by the flying Dumfries and Donyell Malen.

Sweden then had their best chance, Gyokeres crossing for an unmarked Yasin Ayari, who completely miscontrolled the ball with his chest.

Gyokeres was next to fluff a good chance, failing to make proper contact after being played in by the largely anonymous Isak.

Gyokeres and Ayari both had further sights of goal, only to be denied by the increasingly overworked Verbruggen.

The Netherlands were hanging on by the end of the half.

Koeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden, Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.

All three goals were strikingly similar.

Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.

Elanga pulled one back five minutes later when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.

Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.

Sweden are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32.

Japan and Tunisia play later Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico.

Sweden face Japan next, while the Netherlands play Tunisia.

[Aljazeera]

Javelin thrower Themiya Thabrew led a strong contingent of emerging athletes who bettered qualifying standards for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships during the Junior National Athletics Championships, which concluded at Diyagama on Thursday.

‎Thabrew produced one of the standout performances of the meet, setting a new championship record of 69.85 metres to claim the boys’ Under-20 javelin title. The Lyceum International School, Wattala athlete not only secured the gold medal but also comfortably surpassed the World Under-20 Championship qualifying mark. Having narrowly missed the standard a couple of months back, Thabrew made amends in emphatic fashion, producing a throw that came close to the national junior record held by Rumesh Tharanga.

‎The one-lap events also yielded impressive results. I.M. Bogoda of St. Joseph Vaz College clocked 47.18 seconds to beat the qualifying mark in the boys’ 400 metres, while Lyceum International School, Wattala athlete Irosha Edirisinghe followed with a qualifying performance of 47.38 seconds.

‎The boys’ 400 metres hurdles produced three World Under-20 qualifiers. M.M.S. Nimasha of Sri Dewananda College led the field in 51.74 seconds, while Trinity College, Kandy athletes M.A. Riffai (52.78 seconds) and K.H. Uyanwaththa (52.92 seconds) also dipped below the qualifying standard.

‎In the field events, Pavan Nethya of Maris Stella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa cleared 2.13 metres in the high jump to achieve the qualifying mark, underlining his potential on the international stage.

‎The triple jump witnessed another pair of outstanding performances. S. Thehara Ravishka Fernando of Maris Stella College leapt 15.83 metres with the assistance of a legal +2.0 m/s wind, while I.D.S.H. Jayasinghe of St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena followed closely with a jump of 15.71 metres. Both athletes comfortably exceeded the qualifying standard for the World Under-20 Championships.

‎The performances at Diyagama highlighted the growing depth of talent in the junior category, with athletes across both track and field disciplines earning the opportunity to compete against the world’s best young athletes at the upcoming World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

(RF)

It is a crucial week for Sri Lankan cricket. The men’s team has been in the doldrums for more than a decade. Since winning the T20 World Cup in 2014, Sri Lanka have struggled to make an impact on the global stage. Reaching the semi-finals of an ICC event has proved elusive, while there have been occasions when the team was forced to play qualifying rounds alongside Associate nations. Last year, they even failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, underlining how far standards had slipped.

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket has been on a remarkable upward trajectory and this week could well prove to be a defining one.

Earlier this week, Chamari Atapattu’s side created history when they defeated New Zealand for the first time in a Women’s T20 World Cup. The White Ferns are the defending champions and among the favourites for the title, but Sri Lanka pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament with a stunning come from behind victory. Sunday’s clash against West Indies in Bristol has now assumed enormous significance, with a win greatly enhancing their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka’s remaining group games are against Ireland and Scotland and on paper, they should start as favourites. Should they progress to the last four, it will mark the first time Sri Lanka women have reached the semi-finals of an ICC event. Exciting times indeed lie ahead.

A place in the semi-finals would not only elevate Sri Lanka’s standing in world cricket but also bring substantial financial rewards. The prize money for reaching the last four stands at USD 800,000, meaning each player could receive around USD 50,000. For many of these players, that money would be life changing.

Most of them hail from far flung towns and villages such as Buttala, Nivitigala, Seenigama, Kantale, Anamaduwa and Akuressa. One can only imagine the difference such a windfall would make to their families. They richly deserve the rewards and their success will undoubtedly inspire many more young girls to take up the game.

While Sri Lanka Cricket deserves immense credit for investing heavily in women’s cricket, introducing central contracts and providing respectable match fees, one man has quietly gone about his work without seeking the limelight; former SLC Secretary Kushil Gunasekara.

The former Ananda College cricketer runs a charitable foundation in his hometown of Seenigama that has transformed hundreds of lives. Sport is at the heart of the project. Not just cricket, but badminton, table tennis and swimming are all actively promoted. In cricket, while the boys’ teams have sprung surprises against traditional powerhouses such as S. Thomas’ College and Royal College, the girls have made an even greater impact. Nearly half of Sri Lanka’s Under-19 women’s team are graduates of the Seenigama academy.

Philanthropist Gunasekara’s contribution has not gone unnoticed overseas. English counties Surrey and Middlesex have funded his projects while the Marylebone Cricket Club has also recognised his outstanding service to the game by making him an honorary member.

As Sri Lanka’s women stand on the brink of history, there are many unsung heroes who have helped lay the foundations. Their time in the spotlight may finally have arrived.

Rex Clementine in Bristol