bayern: Bayern Munich and the myth of competition

It just ended like that. For a month or two, there was the slightest glimmer of hope for the clubs in the Bundesliga. He hadn’t felt it in a while. They didn’t want to admit to feeling it now, not in public: it was fragile, guilty, most likely, but it was hope nonetheless.

Robert Lewandowski was gone. Serge Gnabry, for a time, looked like he might follow. Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer were another year older. For the first time in a decade, Bayern Munich didn’t seem weak – Bayern Munich never get weaker – but just a little less, just a little more human.

At Borussia Dortmund, at Bayer Leverkusen, at RB Leipzig, the idea would have been formed, unopposed and silent. What if Dortmund’s reinforcements worked? What if Florian Wirtz flourished? What if Christopher Nkunku was only just starting out? What if it was one of those years, in between, the marginal ones, when Bayern fade and another rise?

And then the cold reality infiltrated. Bayern’s first game of the season was at Eintracht Frankfurt: an intimidating stadium filled with rafters cheering on a team that had won the Europa League a few months earlier. This was not a soft start. Not for the first five minutes anyway.

Then Joshua Kimmich scored. Five minutes later, Benjamin Pavard did the same. Then, on his debut, Sadio Mane, and Jamal Musiala, and Gnabry himself, and now the Bundesliga season was exactly 43 minutes, and all hope was extinguished and all was answered. Just like that, for another year, it was over.

Hope is, of course, a little harder than that. No one, not even Bayern Munich, wins the championship in August. Its defeat to Eintracht was only one game away. Perhaps, Julian Nagelsmann’s strategy will go awry in the coming months. Perhaps Bayern’s squad will break into a full-scale rebellion. Perhaps it will suffer from an injury epidemic. Perhaps, as was outlined in this space last week, the World Cup will split the season into two halves, both surrounded by randomness.

Nevertheless, the impression left from that opening day was indelible. Lewandowski’s departure, and the lingering sense of generational change it has created at Bayern, have done nothing to change the power dynamics in the Bundesliga. Its championship fate seems predetermined, if not from the moment the season begins, then certainly from the 43rd minute.

Of course, this has come to be seen as a fatal flaw in German football. Bayern has the most fans, the most commercial influence and the most Champions League prize money, and therefore dominates what now surrounds the absolute. It has won every title for the last 10 years. Sometimes, there is a difference of 25 marks for the nearest contender. There is no drama. There is no doubt about it. Describing the Bundesliga as a competition at the top of the table doesn’t quite feel right.

Germany, at least, is not alone. In France, Paris Saint-Germain started their season with three runs in 38 minutes against Clermont and won 5–0. PSG have won eight of the last 10 available titles in France. Its budget, bloated with Qatari favors, has no ties to any of its rivals. The air is also inevitably thick in Ligue 1.

In theory, of course, this not only reflects badly on these two leagues, but also limits both their appeal and their ambition. Sports, we believe, require two things to fill stadiums, to attract the attention of drifting and distracted television viewers, to retain old fans and attract new ones.

They are related (and often confused) but different. One is what is commonly called competitive equilibrium: the idea that multiple entrants to a tournament can win it in the end. The second is known, academically, as the uncertainty outcome hypothesis: the belief that an individual sport within any given competition is attractive only when fans feel – or at least feel themselves. Can cheat – as if both sides stand a chance.

The best measure of how important these concepts are perceived by the league comes in the form of the Premier League’s deeply hubristic, though undeniably successful, marketing strategy.

In England, the top flight’s sense of self is inextricably linked to the idea that not only can any team beat any other team at any given time, but that it alone can compete with many challengers for the final crown. Claims people.

After all, Germany and France only have one. Spain has a smaller three: Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona with no pieces sold to sign Marcos Alonso. Italy’s contenders could rise to four these days, but that’s only because Juventus very politely decided to spend three years in self-transplantation.

England, however, have no less than six, a full half-dozen teams that go into the season with a shot at winning the championship that is more than theoretical at least. The reality, of course, is considerably more complicated: not just because some of the six are more equal than others, but also because having a comparatively wider swath of contenders means less predictable seasons but more predictable games.

But truth, in this case, matters less than belief. The success of the Premier League is less, it is largely acknowledged, for the fact that it has fewer processions than all of its rival competitions. It follows, then, that the prospect of yet another season in which Bayern Munich and PSG are vying for their home crowns is a black mark against the league that houses them.

This, to most fans, sounds right. It just feels. Obviously it is a drawback from the start to know which team will emerge victorious. Like going to a movie with all the information that one lover lets the other drown even though there’s plenty of space on the raft, or that the guy is actually a ghost, there’s no point in staying until the end. There has to be a competitive balance. There should be uncertainty of the outcome. After all, that’s what we see.

Except that, as it happens, it doesn’t happen. A paper published in 2020 by researchers at the University of Liverpool – and drawing on a welcome addition of academic inquiry into sports fans’ motivations – found that there was no correlation between how uncertain the outcome of any given game was and how many people watched it. . The link, he wrote, was “decisively redundant”.

It’s not, it turns out, why most people watch sports, whether we want to admit it ourselves or not. According to the researchers, there was a correlation between the number of viewers and the quality of the player in the show. More importantly, however, was the name of the teams involved. The power of the brand, he wrote, was its tendency to “dominate any contribution to audience size”.

Those two findings suggest that, rather than undermine the Bundesliga’s appeal, Bayern’s win did the exact opposite. Here, after all, was a team with a well-known name and an established brand full of highly talented players. Looks like that’s what fans want.

It is this thinking that has convinced PSG to try to blind the rest of Ligue 1 and much of Europe with their sheer star power. This argument is regularly made by the Bundesliga to defend Bayern’s impregnable hegemony. Football’s dirty little secret is that it nurtures dominance, not balance; It craves diversity, but nothing pulls it off like dynasticism.

And yet, there is another finding in that 2020 report that deserves attention. “The match with the highest championship significance observed in our data set would be expected to attract 96% more total spectator size without any implications for the prizes awarded at the end of the season,” even if the teams involved were the same. , the researchers wrote.

In other words, what fans really want – more than the competitive balance, more than the uncertainty of the outcome, more than famous faces and powerful names – is at stake. They want, we want, risk as much as we can get: the game when it seems like everything is on the line. That’s what leagues sell. This is what attracts fans.

Ultimately neither Germany nor France can offer it. Given the distorting effects of Champions League revenue across the continent, season by season in the rest of Europe’s major leagues and some of its minor leagues is becoming increasingly rare.

But that’s what we want, more than anything. Watching Bayern and PSG ride rough on everyone provides a short-term hit, the fleeting satisfaction of awe but at the cost of greater rewards. Most likely, this season there will be no decider in the Bundesliga. There will be no final showdown. How can it happen, when everything is settled in 43 minutes?

difficult conversation

Without a doubt the most horrifying transfer of the summer was not the one in which a troupe of Europe’s biggest clubs searched for Erling Haaland, or Manchester United’s futile pursuit of Frankie de Jong, or even the heartbreak of Real Madrid. Tried, which was rejected by Kylian Mbappe. , Instead, Gonçalo Guedes aims to move from Valencia to the Wolves.

Every move, after all, would have been full of traps and traps and pitfalls. First, the agent who has a close relationship with Wolves’ owners, Jorge Mendes, will have to get in touch with the agent most aligned with Valencia’s owner, Jorge Mendes, to see if the player is interested in the move. keeps.

Next, those agents must reach out to the player’s agent – Jorge Mendes – to see if his client is interested in the move. Geddes must then contact Wolves’ manager, Bruno Ledge, to discuss his role in his new team, probably through Ledge’s agent: Jorge Mendes.

And in the end, politics may have dictated that Geddes express his desire to leave Valencia’s new coach, Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso, undoubtedly, would have been furious. He tried to sign Guedes only last year, while Gattuso was (briefly) at Fiorentina. This was his chance to work with a player he clearly admires. We can only imagine that he must have expressed his disappointment at losing him to his agent in no uncertain terms. George Mendes.

This article is originally from . appeared in
new York Times,

Originally published at Pen 18

Beginning of the end of all-format cricketers?

The days of all-format cricketers are numbered. It is difficult to predict exactly when the last straw of the proverb will break the camel’s back. What can be said that this will happen as soon as possible.

Last month, when England’s Ben Stokes announced his retirement from one-day internationals, his message was clear and clear: “The three formats are just untenable… because of the schedule and what is expected of us (the players).”

New Zealand’s Trent Boult, the latest all-format player to join the growing list of players moving away from international cricket, didn’t say it outright but did highlight the need to spend more time with his wife and kids. “Family has always been the biggest motivator for me and I feel comfortable putting it first and preparing myself for life after cricket.”

Last December, South Africa’s Quinton de Kock also expressed a desire for more family time when he retired from Test cricket at the age of 29.

They have all been victims of the overly hectic schedule of cricket which keeps the players away from home for long hours and not enough free time.

Sample India’s whirlwind schedule since the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) final on May 29:

In just 72 days, the Indian cricket team has had 26 match days – that is, one match every third day.

Let’s expand it.

A typical year has 365 days, which are further divided into 52 weeks. Let’s say two vacation days per week, there are about 261 active days in a year (when a person is active for the purpose of doing his job). Then there are holidays and paid leaves. After subtracting these, an average person is likely to be active for about 220-30 days in a year.

Active days for office goers usually include a combination of reading, writing, planning, meetings, phone calls, and other non-physical tasks. An average office goer has to go through the most difficult form of physical labor traveling between home and office. What modern day international cricketers do with their bodies to prepare for their main job, i.e. playing matches, will make your jaw drop.

Indian cricket (don’t mistake it with Indian cricketers!) already has 195 ‘active days’, including 64 days of IPL, with only 224 days completed this year (from 1 January 2022 to 10 August 2022) .

A cricketer’s ‘active days’ can be divided into three parts:

1. match day
2. Training, rest and recovery days
3. travel day

But before we go any further, let’s understand how we arrived at this number of 195 active days.

As, and if, you read further, you will realize that the said number is not accurate, certain things had to be assumed, such as the break between two matches, the training days before a series and the travel days. But you will realize that the exact number may not vary much. These approximate numbers were then added to the number of match days, which is also different from the number of matches. For example, a Test match is of five days duration. (But not all Test matches last long.)

The grind begins with the journey. For an overseas series, a team has to gather at one place before flying together and then spend at least a day at their hotel to get rid of jet lag. In total, players need three to four days to be ready to travel abroad and start training.

Any team would need at least two to four days of training to be match-ready. In case of Tests it can be higher as teams also play practice/tour matches. For calculation purposes, let’s give two days for white-ball matches and four days for red-ball cricket.

The third part is the break between matches. While a break may seem like a period of no activity, it is better than nothing. The process of recovery and preparation for the next game involves a lot of activities, sometimes as grueling as the match itself. On average, teams get at least one day’s break between two white-ball games. For Tests, it is at least three days.

For detailed calculations, see Table 3.

No player, however, was active on all days – this is not humanly possible – either with an injury, coming to the rescue for rest or the board-mandated rest. But let’s imagine a cricketer plays all the matches and is active throughout the day, do you see him survive this endless marathon?

While this punitive program affects everyone, the most affected are players of all formats, especially fast bowlers (Boult) and multi-skilled cricketers such as all-rounders (Stokes) and wicketkeepers (de Kock). But Virat Kohli and David Warner are equally impressed by the intensity they display on the field.

The development of a third format, Twenty20, and its spread through franchise leagues have done two things: it has crowded the calendar and brought in never-before-seen money.

This packed cricket schedule is partly aided by the ICC’s push for a bigger event each year, but with a growing number of T20 leagues around the world, players spend some time without missing a series or two. There is no window for

But no player can afford to be ignored in the T20 league. There is a lot of money available to make. This year Rishabh Pant earned 16 crores by playing 14 IPL matches. He has played 27 matches for India so far and has earned only Rs 1.68 crores. Even if you add the Rs 5 crore he gets through the central contract with BCCI, it doesn’t come close to his IPL earnings.

Players are already grappling with the tough choices they will have to make to strike a balance where they can maximize their career earnings, make their country proud and have time to spend with their families. Leaving an international format can bring some balance out of that. For how long, that is a question for the future. Right now, players of all formats are at risk of serious burns.

Originally published at Pen 18

williams: Serena Williams leaves tennis just as she played – on her own terms

वह एक प्रतीक है। एक व्यक्तित्व। एक एथलीट जो अपनी पथप्रदर्शक बहन के पदचिन्हों से बहुत आगे निकल गई है और एक मठ, ज्यादातर सफेद खेल पर राज करने आई है। उसने वहाँ रुकने से इंकार कर दिया।

टेनिस से संन्यास लेने की अपनी योजना की घोषणा करते हुए, सेरेना विलियम्स ने मंगलवार को कहा कि वह एक माँ, एक फैशन निर्माता, एक उद्यम पूंजीपति और बहुत कुछ को प्राथमिकता देने के बजाय अपने जीवन को खेल से कहीं अधिक केंद्रित करेंगी। वह अपने भविष्य को डिजाइन करेगी जैसा वह फिट देखती है।

वह ओह-सो-सेरेना है।

उसने हमेशा इसे अपने तरीके से किया है, हमेशा अपनी शर्तों पर काम किया है। इसने उसे विशेष, विशिष्ट रूप से कुशल और प्रिय बना दिया है – और कभी-कभी आलोचना भी की है। इसने हमें सबसे महान एथलीटों में से एक बनने में मदद की है – एक अश्वेत महिला जो अमेरिकी शुरुआत के सबसे विनम्र से एक स्टार के रूप में विकसित हुई, जिसका चुंबकीय आकर्षण खेल की सीमा से बहुत आगे तक पहुंचता है।

मंगलवार को जारी वोग पत्रिका की कवर स्टोरी में उसकी घोषणा, कि वह इस महीने के अंत में यूएस ओपन खेलने के बाद टेनिस छोड़ देगी, वह उस उत्कृष्ट व्यक्ति के अनुरूप है जो वह बन गई है।

यह भूलना आसान है कि उनकी चैंपियनशिप यात्रा, जिसमें 23 ग्रैंड स्लैम एकल खिताब शामिल थे, मार्गरेट कोर्ट द्वारा बनाए गए 24 के रिकॉर्ड से सिर्फ शर्मीली, 1999 में यूएस ओपन में जीत के साथ शुरू हुई। 17 साल की उम्र में, सेरेना बन गईं 1975 में आर्थर ऐश के बाद ग्रैंड स्लैम एकल खिताब जीतने वाली पहली अश्वेत खिलाड़ी और 1958 में एल्थिया गिब्सन के बाद किसी स्लैम में विजयी होने वाली पहली अश्वेत महिला।

विलियम्स एथलेटिक महानता की पहचान बन गईं – और कम से कम दो दशकों तक लिंग और नस्लीय समानता की आकांक्षाओं को आगे बढ़ाया।

रास्ते में, उसने दुनिया को सीमाओं को तोड़ने और मानदंडों को खत्म करने की अविश्वसनीय शक्ति दिखाई। हाल के वर्षों में विलियम्स के संघर्षों को देखते हुए, वोग लेख, एक प्रथम-व्यक्ति खाता, प्रतीकात्मक रूप से प्रतीकात्मक लगता है, भले ही यह लंबे समय से अपेक्षित था। उसने अपने इंस्टाग्राम अकाउंट पर, ईएसपीएन पर या मैच के बाद के समाचार सम्मेलन में इस खबर को नहीं तोड़ा। नहीं, विलियम्स वह करती है जो वह चाहती है, जब वह चाहती है, जिस तरह से वह चाहती है।

बेशक, उसके पास स्पीड डायल पर वोग के टेनिस-प्रेमी संपादक अन्ना विंटोर हैं। बेशक वह घोषणा करेंगी कि वह दुनिया की प्रमुख फैशन पत्रिकाओं में से एक के माध्यम से टेनिस से ब्रेक ले रही हैं।

सेरेना विलियम्स ने कभी भी टेनिस को अपनी पहचान नहीं बनने दी।

सेवानिवृत्ति की खबर के साथ, उनकी यादें लहरों में आ जाती हैं। ओह, वह कैसे मनोरंजन करना और शो करना पसंद करती थी। क्या इसी ने हमें आकर्षित नहीं किया? उसके पास एक आदत थी, एक भूख थी, एक इच्छा थी जो देखने की मांग करती थी। पहले दौर के मैच या दबाव वाले फाइनल के लिए ग्रैंड स्लैम सेंटर कोर्ट पर उसे आगे बढ़ते हुए देखना अपने सबसे अच्छे मनोरंजन में था। उसने इस समय बहुत से लोगों को आकर्षित किया, उन लोगों को साथ लाया जो अन्यथा कभी टेनिस मैच नहीं देखेंगे।

वे नए प्रशंसक, और कई आजमाए हुए और सच्चे टेनिस प्रेमी, जिन्होंने वर्षों तक इस खेल को देखा था, जब वह संघर्ष करती थीं या खुद को उस भयंकर तरीके से विवादों में घिरी पाती थीं, जिस तरह से वह कभी-कभी ऑन-कोर्ट डेकोरम के मानदंडों को तोड़ती थीं।

2018 यूएस ओपन को कौन भूल सकता है, जब वह चेयर अंपायर के साथ गर्मजोशी से भिड़ गईं, जिन्होंने नाओमी ओसाका को हारने के अंत में पहले एक अंक और फिर एक पूरा खेल डॉक किया? टेनिस में उनके करियर का पूरा स्पेक्ट्रम – दर्जनों दिल दहला देने वाली जीत और कभी-कभी कष्टप्रद उतार-चढ़ाव – टेपेस्ट्री में बुनते हैं जो सेरेना विलियम्स हैं।

जब हम सेरेना, या वीनस विलियम्स की बात करते हैं, तो रेस को कभी भी छूट नहीं दी जा सकती है, जो कि यह सब शुरू करने वाली बड़ी बहन है। उनका कालापन और उनका शारीरिक कद एक टेनिस की दुनिया के खिलाफ था, जहां केवल कुछ ही समान रूप से समान दिखते थे, शोस्टॉपिंग महसूस करते थे।

ऐश और गिब्सन अच्छे खिलाड़ी थे जो कभी-कभी महान थे। ब्लैक कैमरून के पिता और श्वेत मां के बेटे यानिक नूह ने 1983 में फ्रेंच ओपन जीता। अन्य अश्वेत खिलाड़ियों, पुरुष और महिला, ने टेनिस पर संक्षिप्त लेकिन महत्वपूर्ण निशान बनाए।

विलियम्स बहनों की तेज़ निरंतरता के साथ कोई भी खेल में आगे नहीं बढ़ा या उस पर हावी नहीं हुआ।

सेरेना ने उपक्रम के लिए एक साहसिक अवज्ञा जोड़ा, जैसा कि उनके पिता रिचर्ड विलियम्स ने भविष्यवाणी की थी, जब वीनस टेनिस के दृश्य पर पहली बार छप रही थी, तब भी यह सेरेना होगी जो टेनिस इतिहास में सर्वश्रेष्ठ बनेगी।

क्या आप कल्पना कर सकते हैं कि जिमी एवर्ट, क्रिस एवर्ट के पिता, कोच और टेनिस प्रतिष्ठान के सदस्य, अपनी बेटी के बारे में ऐसा ही कह रहे हैं जैसे वह 1970 के दशक की शुरुआत में दृश्य पर फूट पड़ी थी?

सेरेना विलियम्स ने जो कुछ भी नहीं किया वह परंपरा से सीमित था। उसने यथास्थिति की अवहेलना की और नेट पर लगातार, पोलैक्सिंग शक्ति और स्पर्श के मिश्रण के साथ खेला, जो उम्र के लिए एक सेवा और एक मुक्केबाज की फौलादी इच्छा से सक्रिय था।

केवल अभिजात वर्ग के अभिजात वर्ग ही अपने खेल के तरीके को बदल सकते हैं। आधुनिक बास्केटबॉल पर स्टीफन करी के प्रभाव और बाहरी शूटिंग के साथ इसके निर्धारण के बारे में सोचें। या टाइगर वुड्स का गोल्फ पर क्रांतिकारी प्रभाव। मिश्रण में विलियम्स डालें।

दूसरों ने उसके सामने एक शक्ति का खेल खेला – जेनिफर कैप्रियाती, उदाहरण के लिए – जैसे करी से पहले अन्य 3-बिंदु निशानेबाज थे। विलियम्स ने खेल को नई ऊंचाइयों पर पहुंचाया। वह 1999 के यूएस ओपन के फाइनल में मार्टिना हिंगिस के खिलाफ गई थीं, जिन्होंने चालाकी से खेलकर और पुराने गार्ड द्वारा बताए गए हर कोण का फायदा उठाकर रैंकिंग के शीर्ष पर पहुंचा दिया था। विलियम्स की शक्ति, गति और धैर्य के बाद हिंगिस को 6-3, 7-6, टेनिस कभी भी पहले जैसा नहीं रहा।

न केवल विलियम्स के खेल के बारे में सोचें बल्कि उनकी शैली के बारे में सोचें – कैसे उन्होंने विक्टोरियन युग के बाद से टेनिस में संहिताबद्ध फैशन और उपस्थिति के पुराने मानदंडों से परे कदम रखा।

विलियम्स ने अपने पूर्ण स्व के रूप में दिखाया, उसके बाल लट या मनके या कभी-कभी गोरे थे। कोर्ट पर, उसने हर रंग के आउटफिट पहने: नीला, लाल, गुलाबी, काला, तन, आप इसे नाम दें। उसने टेनिस के जूतों के वेश में स्टड, सेक्विन और जूते पहने थे – या यह दूसरा तरीका था?

उसने ऐसे कपड़े पहने जो बहते और झूलते हों, या जो गर्व से उसके पेट और मजबूत कंधों को दिखाते हों। उसने 2002 के यूएस ओपन और 2018 के फ्रेंच ओपन में पेरिस की चर्चा में फुल-बॉडी कैटसूट बनाया।

“मैं इसमें एक योद्धा की तरह महसूस करती हूं, एक योद्धा राजकुमारी” विलियम्स ने फ्रेंच ओपन में संवाददाताओं से कहा, जैसा कि उन्होंने फिल्म “ब्लैक पैंथर” का उल्लेख किया था।

“यह एक सुपर हीरो बनने का मेरा तरीका है,” उसने कहा।

ज़रूर, उसके फैशन पर ध्यान देना सतही और ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा लग सकता है। लेकिन इस संदर्भ में नहीं। अश्वेत महिलाओं के शरीर और फैशन की अक्सर उन तरीकों से कड़ी आलोचना की जाती है जो आमतौर पर श्वेत महिलाएं अनुभव नहीं करती हैं। इसके अलावा, टेनिस उन खेलों में से एक है जो बहिष्कार और एकरूपता की परंपरा से बंधे हैं। विलियम्स ने वह सब उड़ा दिया।

यहाँ एक और तरीका है जिससे उसने पुरानी सीमा से परे छलांग लगाई। याद करा दें कि विलियम्स ने दो महीने की गर्भवती होने पर 2017 ऑस्ट्रेलियन ओपन जीता था। फिर याद रखें कि वह प्रसव पीड़ा में लगभग मर गई थी। फिर एलेक्सिस ओलंपिया को जन्म देने के बाद उनकी वापसी को याद करें। वह चार और प्रमुख चैंपियनशिप फाइनल करेंगी।

उसने उन सभी को खो दिया, सच है, और कोई भी करीबी मैच नहीं था। लेकिन विलियम्स अपने सबसे अच्छे वर्षों को पार कर चुकी थीं, उनके पक्ष में एक बच्चा और व्यापार जगत की ओर इशारा था। और गर्भावस्था से उनकी वापसी ने महिलाओं के पेशेवर टेनिस में एक महत्वपूर्ण नियम परिवर्तन में मदद की – खिलाड़ियों को जन्म देने के बाद तीन साल तक उनकी गर्भावस्था पूर्व रैंकिंग के आधार पर टूर्नामेंट में प्रवेश करने की इजाजत दी।

अब, विलियम्स ने यूएस ओपन में अपने आखिरी मैच के बाद अपने जीवन के इस चरण को समाप्त करने की योजना बनाई है, चाहे वह पहले दौर की हार हो या फिर सभी बाधाओं के खिलाफ एक और: दौरे पर मुश्किल से कदम रखने के बाद, यह सब जीतना, 40 साल की उम्र में। पिछले साल भर में।

वह आसानी से दूर नहीं जाएगी। उसने यह स्पष्ट किया क्योंकि उसने घोषणा की कि उसने उसे “विकास” कहा है, जिसमें एक और बच्चा पैदा करने की कोशिश करना शामिल होगा। उसने कहा, उसके प्रयास, उसके टेनिस करियर को जारी रखने के विपरीत थे, एक तथ्य यह है कि उसने नोट किया कि पुरुष पेशेवर एथलीटों को संघर्ष करने की ज़रूरत नहीं है।

यह उनके करियर के अंतिम चरण की तरह लग रहा है, लेकिन हमें विलियम्स द्वारा कभी भी आश्चर्यचकित नहीं होना चाहिए। मुझे आश्चर्य नहीं होगा अगर शायद एक दूसरे या अधिक बच्चे के साथ, वह फिर से पेशेवर दौरे पर आती है, यहां तक ​​​​कि खेल की लाइमलाइट के सिर्फ एक और काटने के लिए भी।

अगर सेरेना विलियम्स चाहती हैं, तो वह करेंगी। इतना हम जानते हैं।

यह लेख मूल रूप से . में दिखाई दिया
न्यूयॉर्क टाइम्स.

Originally published at Pen 18

Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé & Lisa’s Best Style – WWD – Pen 18

As the most popular all-girl group in the world, it’s only natural that the members of Blackpink have some of the most fashion-forward getups too.

Since their rise to fame, Lisa, Jenny, Rosé and Jisoo have worn some of the most exclusive creations by illustrious brands such as Valentino, Michael Kors and Prada to attend events, shows and parties over the years.

While Blackpink has its roots in South Korea, the group’s global fame has accelerated over the years, and they have become an international pop sensation. Since its debut in 2016, the group has broken several records, with traction on social media and YouTube, and artists signed high-profile brand deals.

Currently, all four members are mostly associated with French luxury fashion houses, with Lisa as an ambassador for Celine, Jenny for Chanel, Rosé for Saint Laurent and Jisoo for Dior.

Over the years, Rosé and Lisa’s style was more edgy and punk, with outfits paired with dark colors and boots, while Jenny and Jisoo adopted a more girly and feminine style with mini skirts and dresses.

Blackpink performs at the Sahara Tent during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Weekend Two.

Rich Fury for Coachella/Getty Images

One of the group’s more memorable outfits came in their performance during Coachella’s first weekend in 2019, each wearing black, white and silver ensembles, fashioned with embroidery, sequins or lace detailing to complement each other . The following weekend, he also wore a similar look.

In recent years, Jenny, born as Jenny Kim, has opted for simple yet chic looks while attending Chanel’s shows and events, for which she has been an ambassador since 2017. In 2019, she wore a cropped powder blue tie-front top. The jeans were accessorized with a purple tweed cardigan by Chanel and a mini flap shoulder bag from the brand.

In 2021, while attending Chanel’s show for her spring 2022 collection during Paris Fashion Week, she wore a red two-piece set by the French label, which featured a cropped tank top with three buttons in the front, and a pair of red two-piece sets by the French label. There was a mini skirt with a pearl belt. and matching red Chanel flap bag. She also wore the brand’s layered statement necklace.

Jenny at Chanel Spring 2022 at Paris Fashion Week.

Stephen Fugere / WWD

Born of Lisa Morale, known for her more punk-rock glam, saw several extraordinary fashion moments this year alone.

In June, she attended the Bvlgari Gala in Paris, along with Anne Hathaway and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, wearing a bright yellow two-piece skirt set by Pinkong. Later that month, she wore a black sequined halterneck top and black shorts to attend the Celine men’s spring 2023 show in Paris, creating chaos while running alongside V of BTS and Park Bo-gum Was.

Anna Hathaway and Blackpink’s Lisa at the Bvlgari Gala in Paris.

Stephen Fugere / WWD

Rose, born Chai-young “Roseanne” Park, has also experienced a particularly eventful last year with Saint Laurent, which she has been an ambassador for since 2020.

In September 2021, she made waves with rapper CL, becoming two of the first K-pop stars to be invited to the Met Gala. Rosé walked the red carpet in a mini bowtie dress by Saint Laurent, along with the brand’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello.

Rose at the Saint Laurent pre-Oscars party.

Lexi Moreland / WWD

In April, at the Saint Laurent pre-Oscars party, Rosé wore a black bodysuit and a strapless see-through glitter mesh dress with a feather-trimmed hem, which she paired with black platform boots.

This year, Jisoo, born Ji-soo Kim, stunned in some of her most fashion-forward outfits yet.

At the Dior Fall 2022 show in March during Paris Fashion Week, the singer wore a bright yellow plaid dress over a short-sleeved white button-down top and a black tie, inspired by Cher Horowitz from the 1995 film “Clueless”. Reminds me of the iconic form of ,

Jisoo at Dior’s Fall 2022 fashion show.

Stephen Fugere / WWD

Then, in April, during Dior’s first show in Seoul, Korea, she opted for a timeless look, a black midi dress with lace detailing on top and a skirt that flowed down to her ankles. She paired the look with the brand’s signature Lady Dior bag.

Click through the gallery to see some of Blackpink’s more fashion-forward moments from the past few years.

Originally published at Pen 18

Nicola Peltz Debuts Brunette Hair in Fendi at Power of Young Hollywood – WWD – Pen 18

Nicola Peltz Beckham has a new look.

On Thursday, the actress debuted her new brunette hair on the red carpet of the Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles. She wore a look from Fendi, a checkered-printed cotton asymmetrical strapless bustier, paired with a waist belt paired with matching low-rise trousers.

Usually blonde Peltz Beckham dyed her hair brown last month, and was rocking a haircut that included messy short bangs.

For the night, she was styled by Leslie Framer, who also works with the likes of Jennifer Connelly, Lee Seydoux, and Charlize Theron.

Nicola Peltz Beckham attends Variety’s 2022 Power of Young Hollywood Celebration, presented by Facebook Gaming.

John Kopaloff/WireImage

The “Transformers” actress, daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Hefner, attended the event with her husband, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest child of English football legend David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.

Thursday’s event, presented by Facebook Gaming, celebrated Variety’s 2022 Young Hollywood Influencers list, honoring 50 actors, musicians and content creators aged 25 and under. “Euphoria”‘s Angus Claude, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Halle Bailey and Becky G are this year’s cover stars.

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham participate in the diversity power of Young Hollywood presented by Facebook Gaming.

Michael Buckner for Variety

In April, the couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at the Peltz Beckham family estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where nearly 600 guests attended the wedding.

For the wedding, Peltz Beckham chose a custom dress by Valentino, designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli himself, while the groom and his immediate family, including his father and his brothers Romeo and Cruz Beckham, wore a custom suit by Dior. was worn.

According to multiple outlets, some of the stars on the guest list included Venus and Serena Williams, Gordon Ramsay, Eva Longoria, Jordana Brewster as well as Victoria Beckham’s former Spice Girls bandmates Mel C and Mel B.

Originally published at Pen 18

premier league: Football: Erling Haaland’s will to win impresses Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has said he has been stunned by Erling Haaland’s desire to succeed after the new Manchester City striker announced his return to English football by scoring twice in his Premier League debut last weekend.

City beat competition from across Europe for Norway after scoring 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund.

But any doubts over Haaland’s ability to fit into Guardiola’s system came early from his match-winning performance in a 2-0 win at West Ham after City played no natural striker after winning the Premier League for the past two years. It’s over.

“He is an extraordinary player,” Guardiola said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Bournemouth’s tour of Etihad on Saturday.

“You don’t need to tell it, everyone knows it, but we’re only together a few times. He’s an incredible competitor, and he wants to win.”

Haaland has repeatedly talked about the need to improve his game in his first few months at City and Guardiola is looking forward to developing his new exciting quartet of attacking options.

Argentine international Julian Alvarez also arrived at the Etihad this summer, while academy graduates Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are expected to get more playing time this season after the departure of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.

“I want to improve these players. Erling can be a better player and I think he has the will to do that,” Guardiola said.

“I’ve never seen a player who at 21, 22 years old – maybe (Lionel) Messi – finished business.

“Always you can improve and we will try. When he (Halland) is gone, we want him to say he is a better player than he came.”

Guardiola also confirmed the arrival of Sergio Gómez, although the club has not officially announced his signing from Anderlecht.

An alleged £11 million ($13 million) fee has been imposed between clubs with the Spanish under-21 international set to add depth to both full-back positions.

And Guardiola dismissed suggestions that Gomez could be sent on loan this season.

“He’s going to be with us,” said the city boss.

Originally published at Pen 18

cwg 2022: 12 out of 12 medals, but WFI unhappy with CWG show, to review performance

The national federation is not happy that four Indian women wrestlers could not take advantage of the weak zone in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games and missed out on gold medals.

All the 12 Indian wrestlers returned with six gold, one silver and five bronze medals at the Games.

Among the women, only Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik won the gold, while Anshu Malik, who was also the gold medal favorite, returned with a silver in the 57kg category.

Pooja Gehlot (50kg), Divya Kakran (68kg) and Pooja Sihag (76kg) won the bronze medal despite a weak field.

Only six wrestlers participated in the 50kg category. Pooja lost her match to Madison Bianca Parks of Canada before winning the bronze play-off.

There were eight wrestlers in the 76kg category while there were nine wrestlers in the 68kg category, where smaller players such as Bangladesh, Mauritius, Cameroon, Tonga and New Zealand were part of the field.

The only worthy competitor for Divya was Nigeria’s Blessing Oboruddu, a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist.

Divya failed to score a single point and the latter could barely present a challenge for her to win the bronze medal by defeating Cameroon’s Garib Blandin Nyeh Ngiri.

Interestingly, Divya is seeking ‘respect and support’ from the Delhi government even though she started representing Uttar Pradesh from 2018.

However, the biggest disappointment for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is that the talented Anshu Malik could not win the gold in 57kg.

Anshu had a good final opponent in African champion Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye, who is seven years older than the Nidani woman.

A WFI official said, “It was not a great performance by our women wrestlers. If you are not winning such a weak zone, what does it reflect on your performance.”

“We are going to sit down and review the performance with the wrestlers. Anshu couldn’t even strike a proper attack against a very old opponent. Wrestlers should think about it.

“India is certainly a powerhouse in the Commonwealth Games, but I don’t think it reflects properly in our results,” the official said.

However, there is little WFI can do about it. All the wrestlers won the trials and made it to the Indian team.

Vinesh Phogat (53kg) and Sakshi Malik (62kg) ended up topping their categories despite contrasting fashions.

Vinesh dominated all three of her bouts against hapless opponents, while Sakshi erased a 0-4 deficit in the final against Ana Paula Godínez González before pinning Canada.

In men’s events, Bajrang Punia (65kg), Ravi Sahiya (65kg), Naveen (74kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) won gold, while Deepak Nehra (97kg) and Mohit Grewal (125kg) won the gold. Won bronze medal. each.

Meanwhile, the WFI is set to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Rohtak on August 25 and will allot next year’s junior and senior championships.

“The trend was to allocate these events at the end of the season to the nationals, but this leaves little time for the state associations to prepare, so we will do it early this time.”

Originally published at Pen 18