Pick of the week: Experience the excitement of victory with India’s historic win in the T20 Men’s World Cup! Meanwhile, the NBA draft witnessed a groundbreaking moment, and the IBF belt contest is scheduled for September. In other news, Elkanemi Warriors celebrated their first major trophy in 32 years, while reigning champions Italy faced a shocking defeat and Germany secured a spot in the quarter-finals at Euros 2024, making for a thrilling series of events in the sports world!
What a week it has been in the sports world, filled with heart-stopping action and record-breaking feats! Let’s revisit some of the most thrilling moments, starting with the Euros 2024. The round of 16 kicked off with Germany, the host nation, securing a spot in the quarter-finals after a 2-0 win over Denmark. Kai Havertz’s penalty kick in the 53rd minute, and Jamal Musiala’s third goal of the tournament in the 68th minute sealed the deal. The match was not without drama, as a weather delay forced a 20-minute suspension in the first half, and controversy surrounded the victory. Despite the challenges, Germany emerged triumphant, earning their place in the quarter-finals after four attempts at a major tournament.
Elsewhere, Switzerland outclassed Italy with a superb 2-0 win to knock out holders from the Euros 2024. The coach of Italy, Luciano Spalletti, changed six of his starting lineups, searching for better ways to gain grounds, but it wasn’t meant to be as Switzerland was the better side as Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas goals in the 37th and 46th minute fired them to a win.
England’s journey to the quarterfinals of the Euros 2024 was far from straightforward. Slovakia’s Schranz scored early in the 25th minute, putting England in a challenging position. However, England secured a dramatic 2-1 victory in extra time, with Harry Kane scoring in the 91st minute and Jude Bellingham in the 90+5 minute. This thrilling comeback could mark a turning point for England’s campaign, boosting their momentum going forward.
The boxing world is abuzz with news of Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his world title, paving the way for an exciting showdown. Anthony Joshua, who has bounced back from previous losses to Usyk, is set to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight belt on September 21st at Wembley. Dubois, the current IBF interim champion, was initially slated to challenge Usyk but now has a new opponent in Joshua, who has been on a winning streak, including a recent knockout of Francis Ngannou.With both fighters having successfully rebuilt their careers, the stage is set for a thrilling contest that promises to be an unforgettable experience!
The 2024 NBA draft was a groundbreaking event, spanning two days for the first time ever! The draft began with a bang, as French prospect Zacharie Risacher was chosen first overall by the Atlanta Hawks, setting the tone for a day that saw four French players selected. The second round was just as exciting, with the Los Angeles Lakers making history by drafting Bronny James, the son of NBA legend Lebron James, with the 55th pick. This marks a milestone moment, as father and son are now part of the NBA simultaneously. Check out the full list of draft picks and their teams for more details.
From the basketball courts to the tennis courts, with less than 24 hours left before the start of Wimbledon 2024, players have been drawn against their opponents. Former US Open champion Raducanu will face 22nd Russian seed while Murray faces a first-round tie against Tomas Machac should he recover in time to feature in the men’s singles after surgery. The reigning champion will start his defence against Mark Lajal, while seven-time champion Djokovic, who appears to have recovered from a knee injury, opens against Czech qualifier Here are some of the pairings.
To the field of cricket, after a thrilling group stage and intense super 8’s, the South Africa and India teams battled it out for the ultimate glory in the iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown Barbados, a ground that has witnessed some of the greatest moments in sports. South Africa who were playing in their first World Cup T20 finals looked poised to reach their target to win but India edged South Africa to win their second T20 World Cup title and the first since 2007 as an astounding catch from Suryakumar Yadav and excellent bowling clinched a seven-run win in Barbados. India became the first team in the history of the T20 men’s World Cup to go through a tournament unbeaten. Following their World Cup triumph, India legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from T20 internationals.
Francesco Bagnaia, riding for Ducati Lenovo, achieved a historic hat-trick by winning his third consecutive Dutch MotoGP at Assen, a feat last accomplished by Mick Doohan between 1996 and 1998. This victory allowed Bagnaia to narrow the gap with championship leader Jorge Martin, who finished second after being penalized three grid places for slow riding in Q2. Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia’s teammate, secured a third-place finish.
In athletics, with a few weeks to the Paris 2024 Olympic games, Nigeria’s 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan has been cleared of her pending whereabouts failure charges by the court of arbitration for sports. She was charged in July 2023 with three missing anti-doping tests in 12 months and was cleared off by the disciplinary tribunal of the sports governing body, but the World anti-doping agency appealed to CAS against the decision. However, CAS acknowledged that two filing failures were committed but did not confirm the existence of a missed test. Tobi Amusan, having featured in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, is on course for her third appearance at the Olympics game.
On the local scene, the NPFL announced the kick-off date for the 2024/25 season via their X handle, revealing that the next season will kick off on August 31st
Following this, in the women’s President Federation Cup finals, Rivers Angels were crowned champions of the tournament for the 9th time after a slim 1-0 victory against Naija Ratels The lone goal was the courtesy of Blessing Okpe’s spot kick in the third plus third minute. Ogbonda Whyte won his first major trophy with Rivers Angels.
Subsequently, Elkanemi warriors of Maiduguri won their third President Federation Cup title in 2024, previously winning it in 1991 and 1992. The team who just earned a promotion to the NPFl proved their worth by winning their first major trophy in 32 years, which means they will compete in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup with their last appearance in 1993. Both goals scored by Elkanemi Warriors against their opponent Abia Warriors were courtesy of Nasiru Saliu’s brace in the 31st and 68th minutes.
The new week has a lot to unveil, so join us again for another round of thrilling recap from the world of sports.