Transfer window: English soccer flaunts financial power in USD 2.2 billion spree

A record spending spree by Premier League clubs in the summer transfer market passed the USD 2.2 billion mark before the window closed on Thursday with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and – of late – Chelsea all signing players to end the rescheduling of their squads. The headline transfer on a generally frantic final day of trading was the arrival of Brazilian winger Antony at United from Ajax for US$95 million, making him the fourth costliest player in Premier League history and football’s most expensive deadline-day. Signed.

This took United’s total spending to around $240 million – a figure topped only across Europe by Chelsea, who eventually signed an out-and-out striker from Barcelona in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In the club’s first transfer window in the post-Roman Abramovich era, Chelsea spent a staggering $280 million.

Man City’s signing of Switzerland centre-back Manuel Akanji for USD 17.5 million felt comparatively less important, while Liverpool’s only move – the loan signing of Brazil international Arthur Melo from Juventus – was still significant as it affected the team. -Strengthened midfield.

With proceeds from huge global broadcast deals worth nearly £10 billion (USD 11.8 billion) over three seasons, Premier League clubs have returned to pre-pandemic levels of spending – and then some – leaving the rest of Europe in its wake. For.

By calculations, England’s top-flight clubs have almost as much over players in the top leagues as Spain (USD 500 million), Italy (USD 750 million), Germany (USD 485 million) and France (USD 540 million). Only spent. By Transfermark website. The net spending of Premier League teams was USD 1.35 billion, compared to Italy (USD 8 million) and Spain (USD 64 million). In France and Germany, the league actually made a profit according to Transfermark.

The business run by Nottingham Forest was a summation of the humiliating sparring by English clubs since their return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

Forrest signed three players on the day of the deadline, bringing the total to 21, which cost USD 160 million.

ronaldo stay

Cristiano Ronaldo’s future has been a hot topic since the end of last season – the Portugal star has pushed to leave Man United because the team is not in the Champions League – but the five-time world player of the year will remain at Old Trafford. , at least until January anyway.

Ronaldo was a second-half substitute for United in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Leicester in the Premier League and manager Eric ten Haag reiterated after the match that he is relying on the 37-year-old striker this season.

However, Antony’s arrival has increased competition in the attacking spots, with Ronaldo making only one debut in United’s five Premier League games.

United’s rebuilding under Ten Haag was wrapped up with the signing of a season-long loan from Newcastle with Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka as David de Gea’s backup.

busy fulham

Fulham had a busy end of the window, bringing in three attackers and a defender on the day of the deadline.

Former Brazil winger Willian is back in the Premier League after previous spells at Arsenal and Chelsea, while former Man United winger Daniel James arrived on loan from Leeds.

Brazil striker Carlos Vinicius joined from Benfica, while Fulham brought back Levin Kurzawa on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG further reduced their squad by selling Senegalese midfielder Idrisa Guay to former club Everton, who also signed young Man United striker James Garner.

A deadline-day spree by Southampton also resulted in four transfers – including Croatia defender Duje Caleta-Carr, who left Champions League qualifier Marseilles for a team that finished in the top half of the Premier League. will perform well.

Aston Villa signed Belgian midfielder Leander Dendonker from Wolverhampton.

solitary signature

Leicester chose the final day of the window for the first and only outfield signing of the summer for French club Reims’ Vout Fes. Fess filled the vacancy left by Wesley Fofana, who joined Chelsea for £75 million (USD 87 million) on Wednesday.

Leicester’s pathetic outlook this summer has left the club too much of an outsider in the Premier League and manager Brendan Rodgers grumbled after a loss to United on Thursday – which left his team in last place and without a win – to strengthen the team. About the failure of the club in In summer transfer.

“With the greatest of respect,” Rodgers said, “we didn’t get the help in the market that this team needed.”

single-season record

The Premier League’s record for spending in one season – covering both summer and winter transfer windows – was previously £1.86 billion (USD 2.18 billion) in 2017-18.

This figure has been exceeded in this transfer window alone. (ap) AH AH

Originally published at Pen 18

Just play me, ready to bat anywhere: Suryakumar Yadav

India’s Suryakumar Yadav keeps unconventional looks cool and his aggressive instincts compel him to head to the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Suryakumar hit a 26-ball 68 to lift India 94-2 in 13 overs to post a mammoth 192-2 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament on Wednesday.

India bowlers restrict Hong Kong to 152-5 as they register 40-run win

In the Super Four of the Six Nations tournament, which serves as a precursor to the T20 showpiece event in October-November.

Suryakumar’s batting was brilliant and was acknowledged by star batsman Virat Kohli, who had the best seat at home at the non-striker’s end as the duo scored 98 runs off 42 balls.

Kohli, who has been batting for a long time, scored 59 off 44 balls but looked dazed by Suryakumar’s performance as he allowed the batsman to walk back after the innings ended.

“He came in and completely changed the pace of the game on a pitch that was not easy to bat on,” Kohli said in conversation with Suryakumar for India’s cricket board website.

“It was a great innings. When we played the IPL I saw a lot of people from afar, but it was my first experience of watching it up close. I was completely blown away.”

Suryakumar hit six sixes, including four in the last over, to thwart a hapless Hong Kong attack that had put India on the defensive early on.

A product of the Indian Premier League, Suryakumar, who loves his tattoos and has a pleasant smile under his hair, made his India debut last year and quickly became the team’s favorite in tough situations with his aggressive approach. became a person.

– ‘Fearless’ batting – but his strange display of batting on Wednesday with audacious shots, including a sit-down lap, for a six over the fine leg area to a wrist flick-of-the-wrist over deep mid-wicket The jaw was To drop

A smiling Suryakumar told reporters after the win, “Some shots are predetermined because this format is about how you prepare when you go to bat.”

“But it’s important to stay in the present when you go out.”

The 31-year-old batsman, who has scored six half-centuries and one century in his 25 T20Is for India at a strike rate of 177.51, said he is “flexible” to bat in any position of his team.

Suryakumar, who was adjudged the man of the match, said, “I have told the captain and the coaches that I will play anywhere, just play me.”

Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed for 21, also praised Suryakumar’s “fearless” batting.

A powerful striker of the cricket ball, Suryakumar made his debut for Mumbai in 2010 in India’s top domestic competition – the Ranji Trophy.

But it was his IPL pyrotechnics with Mumbai Indians that earned him recognition and a place in the national team and he has not looked back.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer, who captained Suryakumar in Mumbai’s home team, said, “I’ve seen it before, so I’m not surprised. But he is doing it at the international level with world class bowlers.”

“It’s just that he hits so many different parts (of the field) from third-man to the other end, which makes it difficult for the bowlers to bowl. So I’m glad he comes at three or four.” and no less.”

Originally published at Pen 18

serena williams: US Open: Serena Williams continues magical run to enter third round

Serena Williams on Wednesday credited Tiger Woods as one of the main reasons she played tennis and got golf on her feet during her stunning victory over world No. 2 Annette Kontaveit to reach the third round of the US Open.

Woods, as Williams is regarded as the GOAT (greatest of all time) in his sport, cheered him from the stands at Flushing Meadows, which is expected to be his final tournament.

Perhaps more than any other athlete, the winner of 15 Golf Majors can relate to Williams as she wrestles with the idea of ​​impending retirement while trying for another shot at Grand Slam glory.

In a career spent defying the odds, Woods has turned the comeback into an art form. In April, he made perhaps his biggest comeback when he returned to competition at the Masters just 14 months after a car accident in which doctors were considering the possibility of amputating his right leg.

“He’s one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing,” Williams said after a 7-6(4) 2-6 6-2 win over Kontaveit. “So we talked a lot. He was really trying to motivate me.

“There are some people, but we were like, well, we can do this together, you know?”

The game’s two greats are both chasing history, Woods hunting down Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 Majors and Williams, one Grand Slam shy of equaling Margaret Court’s mark of 24.

Both records seem out of reach, although Williams enters the third round with her victory over Kontaveit and a chance to write a story about the end of her career.

Woods has already shown that anything is possible when he ended an 11-year major title drought to claim a fifth Green Jacket at the 2019 Masters. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said Williams, who earlier this month indicated his intention to retire.

“I was just lost, so many questions,” she said.

“When you can count on someone like that, I mean, my goodness, that’s Tiger Woods, it was really helpful to get that clarity.”

After being world number one for 319 weeks, Williams reached New York, down 600, unseeded and with only one match win out of three events leading into the final Grand Slam of the season.

But Williams made a very Tiger-esque effort, harnessing his famous fighting spirit to register an impressive victory.

Originally published at Pen 18

delhi half marathon: Vedanta comes in as title sponsor for Delhi Half Marathon

Indian mining company Vedanta has signed a five-year deal with Procam International to be the title sponsor of the Delhi Half Marathon. There are plans to invest between Rs 100 and 150 crore over the next five years to align with the Fit India movement and CSR activities, and the division will fund the deal.

With the deal, the World Athletics Elite label race will now be known as Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. As part of the deal, Vedanta will also be a social connect partner for the Mumbai Marathon and Bengaluru Marathon, two other running events promoted by Procam International.

Procam International promoters Anil and Vivek Singh said in a statement, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Vedanta on board as our title sponsor for the Delhi Half Marathon.” “The Natural Resources chief has chosen distance running to make his mark on the sports landscape of our country. Vedanta has been at the forefront of social initiatives and has led the way for the development of our nation. Now with the inclusion of sports, We will continue to strengthen the legacy of this event as a harbinger of change.”

“It is a matter of great pride for us to be a participant in the Delhi Half Marathon. We firmly believe that the upliftment of India will be fueled by our strong and healthy countrymen. The prestigious marathon celebrates the spirit of communities coming together to catalyze social impact,” said Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Director, Vedanta. “As part of our commitment to make a malnutrition free India, our Nand Ghar is working towards impacting the lives of 70 million children and 20 million women across the country. We are calling on everyone to #RunForZeroHunger to take this mission forward – together we can make it happen.”

With an aim to eradicate malnutrition from the country, Vedanta’s #RunForZeroHunger is a mass movement to create awareness to ensure that no child sleeps hungry. This will be directly linked to their sponsorship of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon.

Originally published at Pen 18

virat kohli: ‘I was blown away by Suryakumar Yadav’s knock’: Virat Kohli hails SKY’s inning against Hong Kong – The Economic Times Video

Star Indian batsman Virat Kohli said he was surprised by Suryakumar Yadav’s innings against Hong Kong on Wednesday. In a video posted by BCCI, Kohli said, “I enjoyed Suryakumar Yadav’s innings from the other end. He came and changed the pace of the game on a pitch that was not as smooth as he made it. I was completely blown away.” Suryakumar was also there.

Originally published at Pen 18

road safety world series: Sachin Tendulkar to lead Indian Legends in Road Safety World Series Season 2

Batsman Sachin Tendulkar will lead defending champions India Legends in the second edition of the Road Safety World Series (RSWS), the organizers announced on Thursday. The 22-day tournament starting September 10 will be played at various venues.

The tournament will be inaugurated in Kanpur while the two semi-finals and the final will be hosted in Raipur, which will be held on October 1. Other places include Indore and Dehradun, according to the media release.

New Zealand Legends are the new entrants to this edition and they are mainly among the legends of India, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh and England during the event played to create awareness about road safety in the country and around the world. Will be included. ,

RSWS is supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Technology and Youth Affairs and Sports.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said, “I am sure that the Road Safety World Series will promote social change and serve as a perfect platform to influence people’s mindset towards people’s behavior on roads and road safety.”

RSWS aims to bring about social change in the country and change the attitude of people towards road safety.

Since cricket is the most followed sport in the country and cricketers are seen by many as idols, the league will serve as a perfect platform to influence and change the mind of the people towards the behavior of the people on the streets. .

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “The Road Safety World Series is a very good initiative to create awareness about road safety through cricket.

“We want every person in this country to be aware and follow every rule and law on the road and for this to happen, we have to create awareness among the people, I strongly believe that this series will do and achieve the same. will be able to achieve the goal of saving lives on Indian roads.”

Originally published at Pen 18

Rohit Sharma news: Rohit Sharma surpasses Virat Kohli, becomes India’s second most successful T20I captain

Rohit Sharma has surpassed Virat Kohli as India’s second most successful captain in the T20I format after registering a comprehensive 40-run win against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup on Wednesday.

Sharma, who took over the T20I captaincy after Kohli stepped down, has won 31 out of 37 matches while Kohli has 30 wins in 50 T20I matches.

Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has helped India win 41 T20I matches under his captaincy in 72 matches, still tops the list.

On Wednesday, fireworks from Suryakumar Yadav in the last seven overs sealed India’s place in the Super Four of the Asia Cup 2022 with a 40-run win over Hong Kong in a Group A match.

At 94/2 in 13 overs, when KL Rahul’s struggle ended for 36 off 39 balls, Suryakumar entered and completely changed the color of India’s innings. In addition to audacious wrist games with his drives, slashes, scoops and sweeps, sending the ball across the park, he remained unbeaten on 68 off 26 balls, which included six fours and as many sixes. 60 of his 68 runs came across the boundary, scoring at a strike rate of 261.53.

His combative stroke-play made other batsmen on the Indian side look as if they were batting on a very different pitch. While Suryakumar hit 12 fours in his 26-ball innings, all the other Indian batsmen were collectively successful in hitting nine fours in 96 balls.

Suryakumar also shared a partnership of 98 runs in just 42 balls.

Kohli, who scored 59 off 44 balls, hit four and three sixes in his 31st T20I half-century and brought some shots at the end as India posted a challenging 192-2 score of 78 in the last five overs, which was few and far between. Chance at the half-way mark score of 70-1.

Asked to review the match, Rohit was pleased with the batting performance, especially at the back end of the innings. But he felt that the bowling could have been better.

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja combined to reduce Hong Kong to 152-5 in their 20 overs for 97 runs leaked collectively by young fast bowlers Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh for just 48 runs.

“We batted very well to start, got a very good score. Came out and bowled well, we could have done a little better with the ball.”

Originally published at Pen 18