afpf-conference-Latest News About the World Test Championship

There’s no better way to immerse yourself in a new culture than by kicking back and cheering on the local team. Even if you aren’t super into sports, attending a match can still give you a taste of the local spirit. This is especially true when you’re studying or interning abroad in a city with a strong culture surrounding its sporting teams.

In its earliest form, international sport was a means of diplomacy. When the city states of Ancient Greece competed at the Olympia Games, they were expected to put all internal struggles on hold until the competition was over. This helped bring about peace between rivals, and set the stage for what would become a global event.

As travel and communication became more readily available, international sporting events grew in popularity and scope. The first official international match took place in 1882 between England and Australia, followed the next year by the first FIFA World Cup. The spread of television and radio only enhanced the impact of these events.

The governing body of association football in the world is the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), which was founded in 1904. FIFA now oversees the international governance of the game, while national federations govern specific local rules and regulations.

Another major multi-sport international event is the Olympic Games, which was first held in 1900. This is the world’s premier multi-sport and multi-country sporting event. The Winter Olympic Games are similar to the Summer Olympics, except that they focus on winter sports. The Paralympic Games are also a multi-sport event, though they are limited to athletes with disabilities.

Using the power of sport, women can teach girls and young women teamwork, self-reliance and resilience. But to break down barriers that disproportionately affect women in sports, all stakeholders need to collaborate to make gender equality a lived reality.

The research shows that a whole range of policies is needed to promote more participation in sports and to break down gender stereotypes. These include training athletes, encouraging more women to take on technical and management roles in sport, ensuring that coaching and management teams are gender-equitable, supporting dual careers for women and prioritizing the needs of athletes with respect to their physiological characteristics.

In addition, tackling the gendered nature of violence and discrimination in sport should also be high on the agenda, along with prioritizing trauma-informed and survivor-focused responses. Finally, addressing the gender inequalities in funding, investment and media coverage is vital to ensure that more women and girls can find the joy and lifelong benefits of sport.

Overall, the findings of this study confirm and extend those of previous research. The high ATGEQS scores of Nordic countries – Finland and Sweden in particular – are in line with the literature, which associates these results with strong welfare policies, progressive gender norms and good representation of women in leadership positions (80-84). By contrast, Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania show much lower ATGEQS scores, suggesting that these countries are more resistant to progress towards gender equality in sports. This resistance is likely to be related to the legacy of traditional gender roles, conservative religiosity and older socio-political structures (85-87). The ATGEQS approach is a valuable tool for monitoring attitudes towards the equality of men and women in sport. However, it should be supplemented by individual unstructured interviews to explore the complex and multifaceted experiences of women in sport.

The 2025 NFL draft took place April 24–26 at Lambeau Field and its Titletown District in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The draft featured 257 players hearing their names called during the three-day event.

We tracked every selection by team. Find all of our coverage in the NFL app, where you can also enable news alerts to get the latest updates as they happen. You can enable them by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner of the app.

Why they picked him: The Saints lost right tackle Terrance Penning and cycled through left guards last year, so Banks fills a need for the offense. He has experience starting at both spots and should be a plug-and-play player this season.

Why they pick him: The Vikings’ coaching staff was unusually blunt in its assessment of the offensive line following their wild-card playoff loss to the Rams, and coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear he wanted to add depth at both guard positions. Jackson has experience playing both left guard and left tackle in college, and he offers the versatility to play either position for the Vikings.

The Eagles lost a number of starters on their defense this offseason, including edge rushers Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. Campbell brings size, speed and a versatile skill set to Philadelphia’s front seven.

International qualifiers are the stage for a battle of national pride that can sometimes be as much about mental and physical strength as it is about football. They take place in a variety of conditions, from freezing winters in Europe to the sweltering heat of the Middle East. They often feature long distance travel and intense playing schedules, as well as a vast disparity in quality that can make for lopsided matches, but they also give smaller nations invaluable international experience.

Qualification tournaments are divided into groups or knock-out ties, with teams playing each other home and away. The winners of each group automatically qualify for the next World Cup, while runners-up enter a play-off round to determine the final two places. The process can be long and drawn-out, but it is an important way to develop footballing talent while giving fans worldwide the opportunity to see their favourite nations compete for a spot at soccer’s biggest stage.

The race for the final places in 2026 is wide open. Italy, under new coach Gennaro Gattuso, need to win both of their remaining games if they are to overhaul Norway and secure a first World Cup appearance since 2014. They begin their campaign at Nagyerdei Stadium in the Hungarian city of Debrecen on Friday.

Athlete endorsements leverage personal credibility and influence to foster consumer trust, elevate brand visibility, and build differentiation. When done well, athlete marketing can be a game-changer for lifestyle and beauty brands that are looking to reach new audiences in an authentic and dynamic way.

The key to success is ensuring that the athlete you choose for your campaign truly aligns with your company values and goals, establishing an authentic connection with your target audience. For example, an athlete like Kylian Mbappe who represents a fashion and lifestyle brand can drive engagement through personal stories and behind-the-scenes content that evokes an emotional connection with the consumer.

In contrast, an athlete with a reputation for controversial behavior is less likely to generate a positive response from their audience and may be negatively impacted by the association. For this reason, athlete endorsement agreements often include a morals clause, which can be triggered if the athlete behaves in a way that compromises their image or negatively reflects on the brand.

Long-term sponsorships provide an opportunity for deeper integration between athletes and brands, allowing them to craft an ongoing storyline that is consistent with the athlete’s career goals and personal identity. This type of storytelling can also be facilitated through the use of digital platforms that allow for real-time interaction between athletes and their audiences, fostering authenticity and driving conversions. Additionally, tracking conversion rates and measuring audience sentiment can help to understand the enduring impact of your endorsement campaigns on consumer behavior and cultural trends.

When SportsPro first compiled this list of 20 sports technology trends in January 2020, the world was a very different place. Tokyo was preparing for the Olympics, social distancing was common practice at soccer grounds, and zoom was a sound you might hear at a Formula 1 race.

But the 2021 list outlined a number of innovative technologies that are set to transform the way athletes train, track their performance and engage with fans. Some, like fitness watches and social-viewing applications, are tackling short term issues caused by the pandemic while others, such as data analytics and personalisation, address long-term needs.

The latest wearables and video analysis tools have become game-changers for semi-professional sports clubs, providing access to high-level performance insights and allowing them to develop training programs that can improve athlete safety, mitigate injury risks and enhance competitive advantage. In particular, systems such as Catapult Vector allow coaches to see precise data on movement and workload, enabling them to create tailored training regimens for individual players.

Similarly, a range of smart sports equipment and fabrics have been developed to reduce injuries. For example, smart shoes or rugby-specific pads can include pressure sensors to measure force distribution and determine whether the player has absorbed a blow to the knee or back. Smarter helmets also offer a variety of protective features, including impact sensors and visors that detect concussions to protect athletes’ brains.

These advancements will continue to have a profound impact on the way sports is played and consumed. And they will also drive a transformation in how sports organizations operate and generate value.

Whether helping bring down Jose Mourinho, marching against their club’s owners or pushing back against plans to commercialize their sport, football fans have a long history of using their passion for the game as a vehicle to fight for change. This gallery, curated by AP’s Matias Delacroix, highlights some of the most memorable fan protest stories over the years.

On Saturday, fans of second-division Sheffield Wednesday stormed the pitch during their match against Coventry City, causing a five-minute stoppage in play as security cleared them away from Hillsborough Stadium. They were protesting against the club’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri, who has been struggling to pay staff wages on time.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Borussia Dortmund fans threw tennis balls onto the field during their match against Stuttgart to protest ticket prices. According to the BBC, some tickets to Tuesday’s game cost as much as PS64.

Thousands of West Ham fans also staged a protest against the club’s board before their Premier League game with Crystal Palace. The demonstrators gathered close to the club’s London Stadium home with banners and flags that read “just resign” and “sold a dream, living a nightmare.”

The Asian Games is the largest continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from across Asia, organized by the Olympic Council of Asia. The first Asian Games were held in 1951, just after the end of World War II, as an opportunity to reestablish the bonds between the peoples of the Asian countries that had been broken by the war. Since then, the Asian Games have grown into an important event that fosters friendship through sports and contributes to peace and prosperity in Asia.

The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City from September 19 to October 4, 2026 with 40 sports and 15,000 athletes and team officials from 45 countries or regions around the world. The theme of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is “Imagine One Asia,” aiming to promote Asia’s rich culture through the power of sport and to deepen exchange with other countries in Asia.

Cricket and Mixed Martial Arts have been formally approved by the Olympic Council of Asia to appear in the programme for the 2026 Asian Games, which are being co-hosted by Japan’s Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya. The decision was made at the AINAGOC board meeting in Nagoya on Monday.

The AINAGOC is making arrangements to host both events, working with municipalities that have cricket facilities in the Aichi Prefecture as well as examining possibilities for venues in areas outside of the Aichi Prefecture such as Sano, Tochigi Prefecture. Those arrangements will be made in accordance with the Host City Contract between AINAGOC, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Japanese Olympic Committee.

Combat Sports are athletic competitions where participants fight in a controlled environment. These disciplines include boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), and martial arts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling. Each sport has its own unique rules, techniques, and cultural significance, but all rely on the same fundamental principles of physical combat.

Throughout history, combat sports have evolved alongside human civilization, reflecting shifting social norms and technological advancements. From the gladiatorial spectacles of ancient Rome to the codified rules of modern boxing and the global phenomenon of mixed martial arts, the evolution of these athletic contests has shaped cultural views on violence and masculinity.

One of the major draws for children and adults to engage in combat sports is that it offers a way to channel aggression and frustration in a safe and controlled setting. By sparring with training partners and hitting punching bags, practitioners can release endorphins that reduce stress levels and promote mental well-being. In addition, participating in combat sports helps people to develop muscle coordination, concentration, balance and flexibility.

Furthermore, the rigors of combat athlete training often teach valuable lessons about discipline and sacrifice. Iconic champions like Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee and Conor McGregor inspire countless people to follow their path in the world of combat sports. Their stories of perseverance and triumph transcend the arena, resonating with audiences across cultural and geographical boundaries.

Combat sports are also a popular form of self-defense. Many of the moves that fighters and martial artists learn in a controlled setting are effective against attackers in real life. Moreover, learning practical self-defense skills gives children and adults the confidence to protect themselves in potentially dangerous situations.

NEW YORK — As Freddie Freeman held the World Series trophy high, he knew what it meant to his team. It was a championship that started with a walk-off home run, then continued through a series of rallies and finished off by a pair of defensive gems. It was a championship that, at one point, had the Yankees chasing it.

The game was tied at 1-1 in the ninth inning, and the Dodgers were in danger of blowing a five-run lead with one more bad inning. So, the Dodgers summoned their last-minute relief chips. Right-hander Brusdar Graterol got through the top of the Yankee order, but then Giancarlo Stanton struck again. His 412-foot, two-run, game-tying sacrifice fly stood up to a review and restored the Yankees’ slim, 3-2 lead.

The World Series is a postseason play-off series between the champions of Major League Baseball’s American League (AL) and National League (NL). The first World Series was played in 1903, following the cessation of hostilities between the NL and AL, and was originally a best-of-nine series until 1905 when it became a seven-game format. The Series has been played annually since 1905, except for 1994 when a players’ strike canceled it. It has produced some of baseball’s most legendary moments.