Churchill Brothers does not want to play the I-League! Waits for entry in the ISL
Sudeep Pakrashi: Churchill Brothers will not play in the I-League this season, says the club’s founder and president, Churchill Alemao. When asked about their preparation for the I-League this season, Alemao told Parallel Sports, No, we will not play in the I-League. Why should we play? We are already the I-League champions. Our team is now playing in the Goa Professional League. We are busy with that.” When asked whether the club has been asked to make a debut in the ISL this season, Alemao commented, “We have not yet received any such intimation. So, if we get the intimation, then we can take part. But to date, we have not made any preparation for the ISL.” Odisha FC had given two days to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about the team’s confirmation in the ISL this season. It is believed that the AIFF has selected the Goan team for the ISL if Odisha FC finally pulls out of the League. But at the same time, the reality shows a different scenario, in which not only Odisha FC, but six more clubs have not yet confirmed their team’s participation in the country’s top-tier league. They have adopted a delaying tactic by raising three fresh queries. Those are the relaxation of the participation fee, confirmation of the promotion-relegation issue, and the cost of respective stadiums while staging the home matches.
Fans excited with Kylian Mbappe’s arrival in Saudi Arabia before the El Clásico Super Cup final
Kylian Mbappe has arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final. Mbappe made a brief post on the social media platform X, greeting fans with a “Salam Alaikoum” as Madrid landed in Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup final, scheduled for 12th January at King Abdullah Sports City. While the French forward has been nursing a knee injury for several weeks, his presence in Saudi Arabia has fuelled speculation that he could still play a role in the final. The football fans are excited with Mbappe’s arrival as millions revelled in welcoming him for the El Clásico final and requested him to play the match. The Real Madrid forward’s fitness has been a major issue as the forward has been sidelined since late December after suffering a ligament sprain in his left knee, an injury confirmed by the club on the final day of 2025. He subsequently missed Madrid’s recent competitive fixtures, including the semi-final against Atletico, as he followed a carefully managed recovery programme in the Spanish capital. However, Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso struck an optimistic note after the derby win, revealing that Mbappe has trained and is responding well. Alonso suggested that the forward will be assessed like any other squad member ahead of the final, leaving the door open for a potential return on the biggest stage. “He is much better, he has trained, and the sensations are good. The options for him to play are the same as everyone else who is available,” Xabi said. In Mbappe’s absence against Atletico, Madrid found inspiration elsewhere. Federico Valverde delivered the decisive moment, unleashing a thunderous strike just two minutes into the match to break the deadlock. His energy, intensity and all-round influence proved vital in a contest decided by narrow margins, earning high praise from Alonso afterwards. Whether Mbappe features or not, his arrival has already added an extra layer of intrigue to the Super Cup final. With silverware at stake and El Clásico bragging rights on the line, all eyes will now be on Madrid’s final team call, and on whether their star forward is ready to make his return.
Shanto lambasts BCB for calling Tamim ‘Indian agent’! Feels uncertainty will affect the team’s performance
Bangladesh Test captain Najimul Hossain Shanto lambasted Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director M Najmul Islam for calling former captain Tamim Iqbal an agent of India after Iqbal urged for a restrained and pragmatic approach to resolve the current impasse. Shanto also feels the uncertainty surrounding his team’s participation in next month’s T20 World Cup in India is affecting the players’ psychological well-being, but they are “acting” as if “everything is ok”. Bangladesh’s involvement in the showpiece has been clouded by controversy after the BCB asked the ICC to move the team’s matches out of India, citing security concerns. “First of all, if you look at our World Cup results, we’ve never really played consistently good cricket. Last year, we did play well, but there were even better opportunities, and we couldn’t capitalise on them. “But you’ll see that something always happens before every World Cup. I can say this from my experience of three World Cups – it does have an effect,” Shanto told reporters on Friday. “Now, we act as if nothing affects us, that we are fully professional cricketers. You guys also understand that we are acting – it’s not easy,” he added. Shanto said the players try to keep these distractions aside and perform for the team. “Of course, it would be better if these things didn’t happen, but this is partly beyond our control,” he said. The World Cup gets underway on 7th February, and Bangladesh are scheduled to play four matches (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai) in India. They demanded that these matches be moved to Sri Lanka after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions of the BCCI, which cited unspecified “developments all around” to justify the decision. “I don’t know the details of how it happened, or how it could have been controlled. Still, I’d say that even acting in such circumstances (is difficult),” Shanto said. “With the right mindset, if we go to the World Cup and play anywhere, we should focus on how to do our best for the team,” he said.
Boxers and coaches dislodged from their accommodation! BFI has no answers
In a bizarre incident, the boxers, coaches, and support staff were evicted from their respective hostels and lodges where they were accommodated for the ongoing Boxing National Championship on Friday night! All the participants, who came from several states, were asked to vacate their accommodation after returning from the penultimate day of the elite National Boxing Championships, being held at Greater Noida. According to a report from The Indian Express, several teams reported that their bags were put outside their rooms, and they were asked to vacate their accommodation at the hostels and lodges. The hostels and lodges were booked for them till Friday. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is in an embarrassing situation. But without any specific explanation, an official statement said that some remedial measures had been taken. Immediate steps have been taken to ensure that the affected athletes have been accommodated at the nearest facility at GB University, where suitable sleeping arrangements have been made for the night. The Federation is closely monitoring the situation,” the statement said. However, the solution was made after many contingents had to spend several hours in the bitter cold on an evening when temperatures hovered around 6-7 degrees Celsius. Some teams hadn’t got accommodation by the time of going to print. The participating teams at the Nationals, taking place at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, had been lodged at various hostels and lodges but found themselves looking for other options after returning from the tournament venue in the evening. Telangana, Kerala, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh were some of the states that faced the accommodation problem.
