Pick of the week: Experience a sense of Joie de vivre, fireworks, joy for Spain in the Euros 2024 and despair for England still Barren after 60 years on the contrary questions arise as Wimbledon women’s singles get eight different champions, whereas Alcaraz becomes the new dominant force in men’s tennis. It was a mixed fortune for NPFl clubs at the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup draws. Elsewhere, F1 announced venues to host the sprint race similarly, the NBA announced the rebranding of the NBA Cup and games date.
Most times, a return to the shadow is always best. After all, a small taste of the light leads to the dangerous emotions of hope, and once hope is lost, feelings of regret and recklessness are inevitable. After so much hope to end a 60-year wait, England returned to their familiar shadows
Mikel Oyarzabal’s touch of class earned Spain the Euros 2024 trophy after a 2-1 win over England to break their heart and extend their wait for a major trophy to the 60th year. Spain outclassed England almost from the beginning of the game, but in the second half, both teams came in hot with Nico Williams 47th minute goal for Spain and Cole Palmer equalising for England in the 73rd minute before Oyarzabal made sure to cause England a heartbreak with his 86th minute goal.
The young player of the tournament was awarded to Yasmine Lamal and player of the tournament to Rodri. Spain became the first team to win seven European championship games in the same competition, and England became the first nation in the UEFA European Championship history to lose consecutive finals. Questions have been thrown out already about the future of Southgate with England.
On the other hand, Uruguay beat Canada on a penalty kick to claim bronze at the 2024 Copa America after Luiz Suarez’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser. Canada played their best football with Ismael Kone’s early goal and Jonathan David’s 80th-minute goal however, Luis Suarez broke the heart of Canada and still held their nerves during the penalty shoot-out as Canada saw two of their penalty saved by Uruguay keepers Sergio Rochet.
Men’s tennis is witnessing a changing of the guard, as Carlos Alcaraz emerges as a dominant force. His decisive victory over Djokovic, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), has fueled speculation about the end of Djokovic’s era. Alcaraz joins a prestigious group of six men to have achieved the remarkable feat of winning both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
The women’s singles tournament at Wimbledon 2024 saw several surprising upsets and withdrawals, but Barbora Krejcikova’s victory was not entirely unexpected. She had an impressive record in slam finals and showcased her exceptional serving skills to win her maiden Wimbledon title against Jasmine Paolini.
In a stunning upset, Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, an unseeded pair, clinched the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon, defeating Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in a six-set marathon. This victory marks a back-to-back British win in the men’s doubles, following Neal Skupski’s triumph in 2023. Additionally, Alfie Heweett made history by winning his first Wimbledon wheelchair singles title, completing a career Grand Slam with a convincing victory over Martin De La Puente.
In the MotoGP, defending champion, Francesco Bagnaia took the lead in the title race by winning the German MotoGP. The Ducati Lenovo rider moved ahead of Jorge Martin, who crashed with two laps remaining while leading during the race. The Marquez brothers also became the first in 27 years to finish on the podium together as Marc Marquez came second and Alex Marquez came third. Before the race, Spains Martin opened up a 15-point lead in the standings, but Bagnaia’s fourth consecutive victory gave him a 10-point lead.
Elsewhere, Formula 1 has announced the six venues that will host sprint events for the 2025 f1 season. China, Miami, Belgium, Austin, and Qatar were selected as the venues that will stage the alternative format, which features a shortened 100km race. According to the F1 president Stefano Domenicali, the sprint races have been a great success, giving fans more action, and it’s confirmed through audience data and fan attendance. He also cited that the sprint is an example of bringing new elements into the sports in a way that is respectful and innovative. F1 already announced its 2025 calendar with Australia hosting the opening race and China hosting the next race and also the first sprint of the season.
As part of its brand refresh, the NBA has renamed its in-season tournament the NBA Cup, debuting a new logo and schedule. The teams were sorted into six groups based on the conference and their performance in the 2023-2024 regular season.
Nigerian clubs had mixed luck when the draws for the 2025 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup were concluded in Cairo. NPFL champions Enugu Rangers who are back in continental football are to face Zilimadjou of Comoros in the first preliminary round, with the first leg between August 16 and 18 while the second leg holds a week later. Remo Stars would have hoped for an easier start, but that would not be the case as they were paired with ASFAR of Morocco, the same team that knocked them out in 2022. In the CAF Confederation Cup, Elkamemi Warrior was drawn against Dadje FC of Benin Republic while Enyimba were exempted from the first round of preliminary draws as they are one of the highest-ranked teams and would begin with the group stage.
