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International sports are competitions in which teams represent more than one country. This is a common feature in many sports, and is especially prevalent in events like the Olympics and the World Cup. These events can influence culture in a variety of ways, including by building national pride and promoting certain values. They can also bring people from different cultures together and encourage cultural exchange.

One of the most famous international sports is the Olympics, a series of events that span several weeks and include competitions in a wide range of sports. The games began in ancient Greece, when city states would travel to Olympia to compete against each other. This set the precedent for using sports as a form of diplomacy and bringing rivals together in peaceful competition.

The Olympic Games have a long history of influencing culture in a variety of ways. They are a way to foster national pride, promote healthy lifestyles, and build friendships between nations. They can also teach important lessons about teamwork, fair play, and dedication. In addition, they can be used as a way to celebrate victories and overcome hardships.

The future of international sports is likely to be shaped by several factors. For example, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability, which can help reduce the environmental impact of sports events. It is also possible that new technology will be developed to improve the experience of spectators at sporting events. This could include virtual reality or augmented reality, which can provide an immersive experience of the game.

Although it is taking a long time to achieve true equality, gender equality in sports has made significant progress. In the Olympic Games, for example, there were more female athletes than ever before. The 2024 Olympic logo even includes a woman’s face. In addition, mixed-gender events are increasingly being held.

But achieving true equality in sport will take more than just making women feel welcome in sports organizations. The gender gap will also need to be bridged through education, tackling sexist stereotypes that undermine women’s abilities and promoting positive role models who demonstrate the potential of both men and women in sports. And it will require increased investments and equitable policies that address sexism and discrimination.

Gender equality in sport can be improved by implementing a range of strategies, including enhancing access to funding and ensuring equal representation in decision-making positions, such as the boardrooms of sports organizations. Having an easy-to-use, secure and anonymous whistleblowing mechanism that can capture discrimination and harassment complaints is crucial, too.

The #MeToo movement has brought sexism and harassment to the forefront of discussion, helping create more accountable environments and increasing awareness of how it affects athletes at all levels. But there is still much to be done, and that includes continuing to support women’s teams just as we do men’s.

This will help to ensure that women who put in an equivalent amount of effort have the same opportunities to excel. It will also help to encourage girls and young women to choose a career in sports, knowing that they will be supported and encouraged as well as receive equal pay and perks.

The Ringer is ready to dive deep into the NFL draft 2025 with big boards, mock drafts and scouting reports that break down player stats and team needs.

The first 18 teams to be eliminated in the Wild Card round draft next, followed by the conference runners up (who pick before the Super Bowl champions). The teams that lost in the Divisional and Conference Championship rounds then choose based on their record.

Cam Ward is a clear top pick because of his talent and situation, but there’s no consensus on the next few players to take. Daniel Jeremiah says Ward’s rushing ability makes him a potentially generational back, while Mike Clay suggests the more elusive Mason Graham is a good fit for an NFL offense with the speed to evade blocks and strength to outlast offensive linemen.

Wide receiver has evolved into a top-heavy position, and this class is no different. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Puka Nacua are all slated for high target shares, and each offers intriguing rushing upside.

The Cleveland TE situation is also as loaded as any in the league. David Njoku finished as the TE6 last season and could be a top-10 option again this year. And then there’s Jordan Reed, who remains a great bet to score touchdowns in the red zone. Identifying trustworthy TD scorers for wideouts is crucial in fantasy, and this article delves into how to find them by studying target distribution, efficiency and more.

Whether they’re yelling at a referee or still mourning Brangelina, every sincere fan carries a little bit of sports celebrity gossip inside them. Fortunately, we’re here to help you sort through the latest from soccer — ahem football — star Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s partied with Paris Hilton and fended off autograph hounds, or surfer Billy Kemper, whose gruesome injury is now a video you can actually watch (and cringe). Also in our daily roundup of sports celebrity gossip: WNBA star Suni Lee and NBA player OG Anunoby make their relationship official, a former world champion wrestler reveals what it’s really like to lose a leg, and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn talks about her career and groin injury.

But sports celebrity gossip isn’t just about the good and the bad, it’s a way to get people interested in a sport or team that they may not otherwise be. For example, when singer and actress Taylor Swift started showing up to Chiefs games to cheer on tight end Travis Kelce, the team saw a spike in viewership and ticket sales as well as merchandise sales.

Likewise, when rapper Cardi B showed up to WWE’s SummerSlam 2025 as the event’s host, she instantly became a crowd favorite and a source of entertainment for fans. But there’s a fine line between consuming sports celebrity gossip for fun and engaging with it in a responsible manner that supports personal values and promotes healthy societal discourse.

International qualifiers are the tournaments teams participate in to gain the right to compete at a FIFA World Cup. These competitions are held in the years leading up to a World Cup, and are broken down into separate rounds, each with their own rules and structure. The format of qualifiers varies from confederation to confederation. The top teams from each group earn a place in the final tournament, while the second-placed teams enter an inter-confederation playoff to secure the last two spots.

The 2026 World Cup will have a record 48 teams competing, and the qualification process for many of these nations is already well underway. Qualification in Europe began this month, and most UEFA sides who are not involved in a UEFA Nations League campaign will play double-headers until November 2025. Unlike previous qualifying tournaments, the final round of the World Cup will see all groups of four or five teams play traditional home-and-away matches, with “all play all” principles retained. The three group winners will qualify automatically, while the best two second-place finishers will progress to a two-legged play-off in March 2026.

The race to the World Cup is also hotting up in Africa, where a number of sides are in contention for one of nine direct places and a spot in the intercontinental playoffs. DR Congo, Morocco and Algeria lead their respective groups, while Mohamed Salah’s Egypt and Ghana are in strong positions to qualify.

Formula 1 isn’t just a sport – it’s a global business with hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money at stake, and the winning teams and drivers enjoy the best opportunities for lucrative sponsorships and endorsement deals. As such, the results of each season’s races are extremely important – and the battle for supremacy across the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships draws in thousands of fans from all corners of the world.

Across the 23 Grand Prix races and the handful of shorter, preliminary sprint races that form part of the season, twenty drivers, two each from ten teams, primarily score championship points by finishing in the top 10 positions of each race (excluding a few situations where conditional fastest lap times can award bonus points). In addition to these results, a number of other factors can impact a team’s total tally – including key strategies, technical issues and tactical choices.

Drivers earn a maximum of 25 points per race, with the winner awarded ten and second place receiving eight points. The driver who sets the fastest lap in each qualifying session receives an additional five points, and a further five are awarded to the driver finishing in the fastest lap position in the final race of the season.

The team with the most combined points – from both drivers – across the season is declared the constructors’ champion. Since the championship system was introduced in 1958, 12 different teams have won – with Ferrari leading the way with 16 titles, followed by Williams and McLaren with nine each and Mercedes who have won an incredible eight-in-a-row between 2014-2024.

Back in 2021, Tokyo was gearing up for the Olympics, social distancing was a tool used to separate rival fans at soccer grounds and zoom was a sound you might hear from Formula 1 cars. Now, immersive VR and AR fan experiences, new 3D tracking technologies and AI data analytics are driving the future of sports technology.

Athlete safety is another area undergoing major disruptions. Smart helmets such as Guardian Caps and soft-shell helmet covers are helping reduce concussions, while the consolidation of wearable devices with sports tech platforms like Firstbeat Sports is streamlining data analysis. Similarly, scouting and recruiting is getting a boost from predictive analytics tools that help hone in on top talent and identify potential problems with a player.

Enhanced fan experience and event management are other areas benefiting from technological advances. An example is the use of IoT sensors to automate stadium operations. At Germany’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, for instance, automated parking systems rely on license plate recognition to direct drivers and allow touchless entry for pre-registered fans through biometric scanning. At entrance points, facial recognition is being piloted by companies such as Idemia to facilitate security and ticketing checks with the wave of a hand.

Adopting sports technology trends isn’t about investing in every new gadget. Instead, focus on the tools that match your space and budget. For instance, a personalised sports fan engagement app can serve tailored content to attract and retain customers, while an NFT sports collectibles platform unlocks novel micro-transactions and governance perks for fans. Lastly, an omnichannel sports tech platform can enable geofencing and other security solutions to maximize venue operation.

Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, led a march against their club’s owner at Chelsea or pushed back against plans to commercialize the game, fans prove that fan activism is far from a fad. And they’re a force to be reckoned with in the fight for football’s future.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the Lowry Hotel to block busses that would take Manchester United players on their way to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan for their LaLiga match against Sevilla. They wanted to show their disgust at the Glazer family, which had taken over their team in January and has already made a number of unpopular decisions.

Change for Tottenham, the group that organized this protest, sold flags and scarves that said things like “Enic Out” and “Built a stadium, killed a club.” Many lifelong Spurs supporters feel alienated by their team’s owners and direction under Enic, which has brought financial growth but also sporting decline.

The protests’ success may have come from the fact that it was a small-scale model of Activism of Care, which encourages fans to express their devotion and protectiveness to fandom figures they love (see the ‘Crazy Fangirls’ section). It also tapped into a sense of community that is often found in football — where fans are seen as one big family. It’s a feeling that can be seen in the love fans have for their teams, and their players.

The Asian Games are an intercontinental multi-sport event for athletes from Asia. They are a very large event that fosters friendship between nations through sports and contributes to world peace, just like the Olympics. The first Games were held in 1951 soon after World War II, and the number of participants has continued to grow to 45 member nations.

The Aichi-Nagoya Organising Committee has launched a new website dedicated to the 2026 Asian Games. The site contains information regarding the Aichi-Nagoya Games, including competition venues and schedules, competition rules and regulations, and ticketing info. It also includes a detailed map of Nagoya city and Aichi prefecture, highlighting the competition venues in both areas.

Aichi-Nagoya Organizing Committee to formulate comprehensive transport plan

The Organising Committee of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City has published a press release announcing the commencement of a thorough study on transportation routes for the Games. The aim of the study is to provide a convenient, efficient and safe transport system that enables spectators to reach all competition venues easily, even during the peak periods of the Games.

AINAGOC and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have confirmed the list of 41 sports to be contested at the 2026 Asian Games. Five squash events, including men’s and women’s individual and mixed doubles, have been added to the roster following a successful debut at Hangzhou 2023. Cricket will make its return to the Asian Games after a century-long absence, while MMA has been classed as a medal sport and will feature six events.

Combat Sports offer a unique blend of physical challenge, mental discipline and strategic depth. They have been a part of human culture for centuries and continue to fascinate. From Muhammad Ali’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ to Conor McGregor’s knockout victories or Ronda Rousey’s ground-breaking dominance, these iconic moments transcend sport and become cultural touchstones inspiring and capturing generations of fans.

The practice of combat sports teaches athletes to anticipate and effectively counter opponents’ movements, control their bodyweight and use strength efficiently. This enables them to effectively protect themselves and their loved ones against potential threats. Successful athletes of combat sports have an enduring appeal and inspire others to pursue their dreams, building self-confidence and a belief in personal capabilities that can be used to navigate life’s challenges.

While boxing holds the reigns as the most popular combat sport, other disciplines such as Muay Thai and wrestling are gaining in popularity. Muay Thai is a striking-based art that uses punches, kicks and elbow and knee strikes. It also incorporates footwork and defensive techniques. Wrestling is a traditional Olympic-recognised sport that utilizes grappling techniques to control and pin opponents. It is taught on a tatami (padded surface) and has a formal grading system.

The emergence of MMA in the 1990s has encouraged a cross-training of styles that has increased fighter effectiveness. As a result, those with striking-based martial arts backgrounds have become more competitive as they add techniques from grappling-based arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and catch wrestling.