How will stadium delay impact Chelsea?
Chelsea Chelsea place Stamford Bridge redevelopment on hold, what does it mean for Roman Abramovich and the club’s future? Nizaar Kinsella Click here to see more stories from this author Chelsea correspondent Last updated 1 year ago 21:32 5/31/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) Chelsea Premier League The Blues were set to expand to a 60,000-seater stadium, but have now shelved those plans for the immediate future Chelsea have delayed their stadium redevelopment plan due to an “unfavourable investment climate” but the decision should not have a major effect on the club’s transfer plans or Roman Abramovich’s interest in the team.The official announcement was only three paragraphs long but it is understood that every aspect of the plans have been delayed, which included the search for a temporary stadium and the purchase of land to expand to a 60,000-seater stadium.Delays and unforeseen short-term expenses had seen the costs slowly rise, but Abramovich was keen to avoid footing the whole bill himself and the inability to attract enough investment from external sources has proved decisive in slowing the ambitious project. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Chelsea’s stadium was also initially expected to cost around £500 million, but external factors, including Brexit, had seen those costs predicted to rise up to £1bn, leaving the oligarch in need of extra funding.The FA Cup winners had been backed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan before the plans were shelved. The leading architect firm Herzog and de Meuron had produced a Gothic design for Abramovich’s personal project, which would have seen Stamford Bridge match Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham for their stadium size.The announcement may raise concerns whether the development will ever be completed, with further costs likely to be incurred. However, the statement claims that it is only a delay to the project.Abramovich is also going through problems of his own as the United Kingdom delays his tier-1 visa application while diplomatic tensions increase between Russia and the UK.Abramovich has since moved to Tel Aviv after being granted Israeli citizenship, which allows him to visit the UK for six month periods without a visa. Reports in Israel have suggested that Abramovich may withdraw his visa request and investment in the UK which could affect Chelsea.Chelsea are thought to be operating as normal, despite Abramovich’s visa concerns. Chelsea’s finances remain healthy after they announced a record turnover in January, but it will be slightly impacted upon by their absence from the Champions League next season, as Antonio Conte’s first team squad finished fifth in the Premier League.The halting of the stadium isn’t going to increase the funds available to whoever is managing Chelsea next season. This has always been separated from the day-to-day running of the west London side.Abramovich is famous for putting significant investment into Chelsea since buying them in 2003, which has seen him write off over £1bn in loans to the club. The club has won the highest number of major honours in England’s top flight since his takeover.The UK Home Office said that it refuses to comment on individual cases when asked about Abramovich’s visa withdrawal by Goal. Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries.
Transfers Morata to make Juventus return? ‘Let’s see’, says Chelsea striker Chris Burton 21:37 6/4/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(1) 
Getty Images Transfers Juventus Chelsea Atlético Madrid Serie A Primera División Premier League Morata The Spanish striker is ruling nothing out ahead of the summer window, with a testing debut campaign in England having sparked fresh transfer talk Alvaro Morata has done little to curb the speculation suggesting he could be heading out of Chelsea, with the Spaniard saying “let’s see” when quizzed on talk of a possible return to Juventus.The 25-year-old striker has spent just one season at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues breaking their transfer record to acquire him from Real Madrid in the summer of 2017.A switch to England was intended to provide Morata with the regular minutes he needs in order to show his true colours and prove himself as an elite frontman. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now He was, however, to endure a testing 2017-18 campaign which ended in him slipping behind Olivier Giroud in the pecking order at Chelsea and being left out of Spain’s squad for World Cup 2018.Speculation has built steadily around his struggles in west London, with a second stint at Serie A champions Juventus being mooted for a man who spent two years in Turin between 2014 and 2016.Morata is currently in Italy during his summer break and refused to rule anything out when quizzed on the mounting transfer talk, with Tuttosport reporting him as saying: “Juve? Let’s see; for now I do not know anything about my future.”The Blues forward, who has previously been pictured in Milan with Juve’s sporting director Fabio Paratici, claims to be back in Italy “to attend a birthday party”.He is, however, aware of the rumours surrounding his future, with La Liga giants Atletico Madrid considered to be another possible landing spot for him this summer.Morata added: “Chelsea or Atletico? At this moment I am thinking only of holidays.”Goal revealed back in May that Juventus had yet to table a bid for Morata, despite some reports suggesting that a fee had already been agreed.The Bianconeri’s CEO, Giuseppe Marotta, then endeavoured to brush aside the rumours when asked about links to several high-profile figures.He said: “Morata? We are pleased that those who have left keep a great memory of Juventus and show they want to savour the Juventus climate. However, it’s just simply a rumour and I want to deny it because we have great players in the attack.”
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Posters are 20×30 inch full colour print and are $140 each including GST plus postage. Following Australia’s success in the 2012 Trans Tasman Series against New Zealand, be sure to purchase your copy of the poster for yourself or your affiliate. To view the poster, please click on the attachment below. To order your copy, please contact Phillipa Greig in the Touch Football Australia office on (02) 6212 2800 or email sales@austouch.com.au. Related Files2012_tt_poster-jpg
Liverpool boss Klopp: Mourinho too successful too soon at Man Utdby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveLiverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes Jose Mourinho paid for bringing success to Manchester United too soon.The loss to Klopp’s Liverpool on Sunday proved to be the final game in charge for Mourinho, and the German says the Special One knows how high expectations are at Old Trafford.“He wanted to be successful at United — and he was, but then it didn’t work out in the way everybody wanted it to,” said Klopp.“Then you have to take the consequences. That’s how it is in our job. I always said it.“It’s the same for me. And if the club thinks there is someone who can do it better, then they have to change.” TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
TagsTransfersAbout the authorCarlos VolcanoShare the loveHave your say Barcelona and Man City sweat on whizkid Ilaix Moriba pro callby Carlos Volcano10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveBarcelona are sweating on negotiations with whizkid Ilaix Moriba over a first pro deal.With Manchester City also in contact, the future of Ilaix will be settled on January 19 when he turns 16 years of age.The 15 year-old attacker has been with Barca for seven years and is currently playing with youngsters three years his senior in the Juvenil A team.City are eager to ferry Ilaix away from La Masia next month and an offer is on the table.But Mundo Deportivo says there’s a confidence inside Barca that he will commit to pro terms with them. 
TagsTransfersAbout the authorCarlos VolcanoShare the loveHave your say Atletico Madrid defender Lucas leaves door open to Bayern Munich moveby Carlos Volcano10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveAtletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez has left the door open to a move away.Lucas is being linked with a January move to Bayern Munich, which are prepared to pay his €85m buyout clause.He said, “I am very well in Madrid and Spain, where everyone has trusted me for a long time. But in football, there is a lot of solicitations, and I will have to weigh every time the pros and cons to make the best possible decision for me, my family and the rest of my career.”Lucas also told Le Figaro: “Is returning to France part of my career plan? This is not the most important thing to me. After, in life, you do not really know what your future will be, even more in the world of football where everything goes very fast. “If tomorrow I want to return to France, I would be delighted, because it’s my country, but if fate tells me to go elsewhere, it will not be a problem. There are plenty of clubs that make me dream in Europe, but I will not tell you which ones (laughs). “I’m good here in Madrid, but if I have to leave tomorrow because a project interests me, I’ll think about it.” 
Liverpool join battle for Red Bull Salzburg star Erling Haalandby Paul Vegas16 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveRed Bull Salzburg star Erling Haaland is fast becoming one of Europe’s hottest properties.The Daily Star says Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are ready to challenge Juventus for his signature.The 19-year-old has bagged 18 goals in just 11 games so far this term including four in the Champions League.Haaland’s rise is going to put huge pressure on his Austrian club who cannot match the ambitions of their European rivals. He only signed from Molde on a five-year deal in January, but Salzburg’s resolve could be tested at the next possible opportunity in January. TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
Chelsea adviser De Visser: Lampard a ten-year prospectby Paul Vegasa day agoSend to a friendShare the loveChelsea adviser Piet de Visser hopes Frank Lampard stays at the club for a decade.The Blues are on a six-match winning run following Wednesday’s win over Ajax.”Frank Lampard was like a brother to me when he was a Chelsea player. He and John Terry always took hold of me,” de Visser told De Volkskran.”Lampard is a special type. He doesn’t talk much, but he is a boss. He sees football well. I followed him at Derby County.”I wrote to Marina: fantastic football. Derby lost the final of the play-offs for promotion just from Aston Villa.”The coaches at the academy are among the best youth trainers in the world. Lampard took a few of them into his staff at Derby County. They are back now and know all those young boys. That works perfectly. I hope that Lampard stays for ten years.” TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
florida state ole missCollege football season kicks off in less than two months, and there’s no doubt that one of the opening weekend’s biggest contests is Florida State vs. Ole Miss in the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando. The contest, which features two national title contenders, will be broadcast Monday, September 5 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.A few weeks back, a company named Seminole Productions put together a great three-minute hype video to tease the contest. It’ll get fans of both the Seminoles and the Rebels pumped for 2016.
James Rodriguez wants to move to Napoli but the club are yet to agree a transfer fee with Real Madrid, according to the Serie A side’s chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis.The Colombia international worked with Carlo Ancelotti during his time with Los Blancos and Bayern Munich, and De Laurentiis has confirmed the Italian is keen to bring his former player to Naples. James is looking for a move away from Santiago Bernabeu after his two-year loan spell at the Allianz Arena ended with Bayern opting not to trigger a clause to sign him permanently for €42 million (£37m/$47m). Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare A move to Napoli has been widely tipped, although the playmaker admitted last month that Real Madrid will have a significant influence on where he ends up next season.And De Laurentiis says Napoli are waiting to come to terms with the Liga club. “James is the footballer who, after Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, is considered one of the best,” De Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport.”Ancelotti likes him very much, and James wants a move to Napoli, but we are waiting for a more reasonable demand from Real. They have high demands in our opinion.”The Serie A side have been linked with a number of players this summer, including Valencia’s Rodrigo, Fenerbahce’s 19-year-old midfielder Elif Elmas and Inter striker Mauro Icardi.
On those rumours, De Laurentiis added: “He [Rodrigo] prefers to stay there [at Valencia]. He told us and we take note of it. “With Elmas, at that age you are no longer a kid. We have a lot of interest, I can’t deny it, but it is necessary that we complete some departures to avoid the overcrowding that, as you know, is never productive.”Icardi has always wanted to go to Juventus. But I also prefer Lorenzo [Insigne], because we need him, while in front of him we have [Arkadiusz] Milik and [Dries] Mertens.”There have been some high-profile managerial changes in Serie A over the summer, with former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri having returned to take charge of Juventus and Antonio Conte moving to Inter.Conte has said he is keen to close the gap to Juve and Napoli, who have finished first and second respectively in three of the last four seasons.”Conte, to whom I welcome back, knows Italian football and has remained connected during his mission in England,” De Laurentiis continued. “He noted our progress, that of a club that has been permanently in Europe for 10 years. I would like to add that our willingness to improve ourselves, which has been indisputable in the past, remains the same for the future as well: it will be a wonderful championship, with six or seven teams closer together, and therefore a year will come in which there is more interest and intrigue.”
CLEMSON, SC – SEPTEMBER 24: Sammy Watkins #2 of the Clemson Tiger catches a touchdown pass against Terrance Parks #4 of the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Memorial Stadium on September 24, 2011 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Sammy Watkins is a couple of weeks away from his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs. The former All-American showed up to training camp today with a completely different look.The star wide receiver entered camp a new hairdo. Watkins changed his appearance for the first time in a decade.He ditched the dreads for a much shorter haircut.Here’s what he looks like now.New year, new look. @sammywatkins → #ChiefsCamp pic.twitter.com/b63DB99cWd— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 25, 2018For all those who don’t remember what Watkins looked like before, here’s a photo of the former Clemson star with his dreadlocks.Sammy Watkins on top, who dis on bottom??!!!! pic.twitter.com/wWy5L3NzQG— Liz Gonzales (@TheLizGonzales) July 27, 2018What do you think of the new look?Watkins enters the 2018 season with a new team, a new look, and what he hopes will be his first truly successful season since 2015 when he went for more than 1,000 yards receiving with the Buffalo Bills.He’ll have a young quarterback tossing him the ball in Patrick Mahomes. The hype for Kansas City’s offense has been off the charts this season with offensive weapons like Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt, and more.
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 09: A general view during the first quarter of the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)While most teams won’t get started until Sept. 1, we’re really only two days away from the start of the college football season at the FBS level. A few games will be played this Saturday.We already have the two major polls out, and there is plenty of speculation about which teams will break through and contend for a national championship this fall.According to one reliable metric, of the 130 teams in FBS, only 10-percent have the talent necessary to go to the College Football Playoff and win a title.Every year, SB Nation‘s Bud Elliott puts together what he calls the “Blue Chip Ratio,” a telling stat that predicts potential college football national championship teams.The metric is pretty simple, and has worked out almost every year since recruiting sites began giving star ratings to recruits: if a team’s roster of scholarship players is made up of at least 50-percent four and five-star players, it has the necessary talent to win a title.This year, 13 teams fit the bill. Alabama leads the way, with 77-percent of its roster comprised of blue-chip players, while Notre Dame just barely makes it at 51-percent. The full list:Alabama77%Ohio State76%USC71%Georgia69%Florida State67%LSU63%Auburn62%Clemson61%Michigan57%Texas55%Oklahoma53%Penn State53%Notre Dame51%Elliott broke down the last handful of years of national champions. Going back to 2011, the lowest percentage for a team was 2016 Clemson, which was at 52-percent. Still, it fit the ratio, and Deshaun Watson certainly helps.In college football, it is very important for fans to have reasonable expectations in a given year. Some teams, like the ones above, and a few others on the fringe, can certainly look to compete for national titles.Others have to look for incremental gains in recruiting, and continue to coach guys up. Penn State has knocked on the door of the playoff the last two years, but this year, is now in a position where it can make a run, based on the roster talent. The Nittany Lions’ percentage of blue-chip players is up 12-percent from last year, as James Franklin’s excellent signing day results continue to pile up.If you root for one of these 13 teams, though, it is not unreasonable to start playing up the expectations.[SB Nation]
This past January, Oklahoma secured the commitment of wide receiver Drake Stoops, son of former head coach Bob Stoops. Stoops joined the squad as a preferred walk-on, meaning he was guaranteed a roster spot but not guaranteed a scholarship.Saturday, in his first collegiate game, Stoops made an impact. He secured his first reception as a Sooner – an eight-yard pitch and catch from quarterback Kyler Murray.The catch came in the second quarter of Oklahoma’s game against FAU. The Sooners led 35-0 at the time.Check out the catch below. It’s one that will surely make his father proud.Drake Stoops makes his first career catch at Oklahoma. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/v5ew51NdWA— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) September 1, 2018Stoops, a class of 2018 player, had a number of offers, including one from Iowa. But he chose to stay in Norman, where he went to high school, and play for the Sooners.It’ll be interesting to see if Stoops can work his way into a larger role for the Sooners. He certainly has all the motivation in the world to get it done.Oklahoma leads FAU 35-0 with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter. The post-Baker Mayfield era is off to a decent start.
LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers watches action against the Colorado Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)Nebraska football has gotten off to a terrible start in Scott Frost’s first year at the helm, but Saturday morning, the Cornhuskers got some great news. Noah Vedral, a quarterback who transferred in from UCF, has been ruled immediately eligible.As a result, he traveled with the team as they take on Northwestern on Saturday. He’ll reportedly be in uniform as well.Back in August, Vedral told reporters that he planned on sitting out the season because of NCAA transfer rules. But Frost and the administration worked on getting Vedral a waiver. Saturday’s news it the culmination of that effort.Why is this a big deal? If Vedral plays in four games or less this season, he can preserve his redshirt season. If he hadn’t been granted the waiver, he would have had to take his redshirt season this year – as he sat out.Per @HuskerSports, quarterback Noah Vedral has been ruled immediately eligible by the NCAA and has traveled with the team to Northwestern. He will be in uniform.— Robin Washut (@RobinWashut) October 13, 2018The best thing with this Vedral ruling is he can still play in four games this year and now keep his redshirt. My guess is that will be the plan going forward for this season.— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) October 13, 2018It’s unclear if Nebraska plans on using Vedral on Saturday. The Cornhuskers are 0-5 on the season, looking for their first win.Vedral was a three-star, dual-threat quarterback recruit out of high school who wound up committing to Frost at UCF in June of 2016. He had offers from eight different schools.Nebraska and Northwestern kick off at Noon ET.
If you were ranking the most-disappointing college football teams in 2018, Auburn would have to be pretty high on the list.The Tigers are 7-4 on the season and seem primed for a 7-5 finish with a game against No. 1 Alabama this weekend.ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum thinks the Gus Malzahn-led program has a major problem.Finebaum said this morning on WJOX that while Malzahn could make some big changes to his coaching staff, the same issues will remain.“I think so because there are so many other things going on, and really it’s because of his contract. There hasn’t been as sharp a focus on what happens,” Finebaum said of assistant coaching changes. “There’s no getting around it. This is a movie, this is a song that we’ve seen almost every other year. Ultimately that stops with Gus Malzahn, but changing coaches doesn’t really solve the problem.”Malzahn will need to change the way he handles his coaching staff, according to Finebaum.“I hear Auburn fans all the time saying he won’t let coordinators, especially offensively do their job. That’s a decision he’s going to have to make,” Finebaum said. “The number on the buyout isn’t going to make any difference if it’s a year from today, and we’re all here having the same conversation.” Alabama and Auburn, meanwhile, are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. E.T. on Saturday. The game will be on CBS.
FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 29: A general view of play between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 29, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)What college football teams will be slept on heading into the 2019 season?This past year, LSU started the season at the bottom of the top 25, but proved to be worthy of a top 10 ranking for much of the season.The Tigers notched some big victories, including an upset over Georgia, and finished the season with a win over UCF in the Fiesta Bowl.Surely, there will be some teams that are slept on heading into the 2019 season.One analyst has named the No. 1 sleeper team.247Sports’ Brad Crawford ranked the 10 best “sleeper” teams in college football heading into the 2019 season.Here’s the No. 1 pick:Much of the thought process here hinges on TCU’s situation at quarterback entering the fall, a mixed bag at this point unless the Horned Frogs add a graduate transfer with immediate Heisman potential. Guess who that could be? There’s a couple programs in this list who would love to have Jalen Hurts, but TCU might be the best fit for the Houston native based on what’s coming back around him and scheme-fit offensively.As pointed out by Jeremy Clark, publisher for HornedFrogBlitz, Hurts would step into an ideal situation in Ft. Worth. TCU returns five starters along the offensive line, running backs Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua, and welcome back Jalen Reagor, one of the nation’s most electrifying weapons. Reagor became the youngest player in TCU history to join the 1,000-yard receiving club last fall despite season-long issues at quarterback. When you underestimate TCU, Gary Patterson seems to be at his best and he’s still widely-considered one of college football’s top coaches.TCU would certainly reach another level with the addition of Hurts, who will reportedly be contacted by the Horned Frogs about a potential transfer.Gary Patterson’s team should be much improved regardless of Hurts’ decision, too.You can view the full rankings here.
LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers approaches the sidelines in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)Nebraska has recruited well since Scott Frost took over as head coach. Today, Frost landed a commitment from the top 2020 in-state prospect.Bellevue (Neb.) West four-star wide receiver Zavier Betts committed to the Huskers a short time ago. He is the No. 1 player in Nebraska and the No. 20 wide receiver in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.Betts committed to the Huskers after visiting spring practice earlier today. He chose his local program over Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and South Dakota State.“I would like to thank the coaching staff at Nebraska @coach_frost @CoachWalters1 and company for the experience they have given me to help me decide that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Nebraska,” Betts announced on Twitter.I would like to thank the coaching staff at Nebraska @coach_frost @CoachWalters1 and company for the experience they have given me to help me decide that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Nebraska pic.twitter.com/h0j8Li1T9H— Zavier (@zavierbetts1) April 3, 2019Betts’ commitment gives Nebraska two pledges in the 2020 cycle, as of today. Three-star quarterback Logan Smothers chose the Huskers last July.Under Frost, Nebraska signed the No. 19 recruiting class for 2019. Included in the haul were six four-star prospects.The Cornhuskers went 4-8 in Frost’s first season last fall, but are expected to make a big leap in 2019.
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver Eric Kumah #83 of the Virginia Tech Hokies catches a pass in front of safety Ramon Richards #7 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the Camping World Bowl on December 28, 2017 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)Virginia Tech’s Eric Kumah is one of the most significant wide receivers on this year’s grad transfer market. With a few big options in front of him, Kumah is going in a very interesting direction.Back in February, Kumah laid out his six transfer options. Cincinnati, Louisville, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Penn State, and Texas Tech cracked the list.If there was one school that seemed far and away the least likely from that list is ODU. The Monarchs, who pulled off a shocking upset of Kumah’s Hokies in September, seemed like it might be courtesy inclusion.Kumah grew up in the DMV area in Woodbridge, Virginia, and ODU is actually about 90 minutes closer than Blacksburg.On Sunday, Eric Kumah spurned a few college football powers, committing to Old Dominion.He tweeted the decision last night, hinting at ODU’s game at Virginia Tech in September.Looks Like We’ll Be Jumping Together One Last Time 👀🤭#Committed 🥶💯✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/WnAWQi6HXe— ⚡️EK3⚡️ (@Eric_Kumah11) April 8, 2019Kumah was Virginia Tech’s second-leading receiver in 2018. He finished with 42 catches for 559 and seven touchdowns on the season.His decision to leave Tech was predicated on wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins’ departure from Virginia Tech after the season. He took over the same spot on Alabama’s coaching staff under Nick Saban.Kumah and the Monarchs will head to Blacksburg looking for a second straight upset on September 7.
Press Trust of India New DelhiMarch 6, 2019UPDATED: March 6, 2019 16:42 IST Manpreet Singh will be assisted by a new deputy in defender Surender Kumar (Photo tweeted by @manpreetpawar07)HIGHLIGHTSIndia have named a relatively young 18-member team to be led by midfielder Manpreet SinghIndia will miss the services of several key players who are ruled out due to injuriesThe 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be played in Ipoh from March 23 to 30India on Wednesday named a relatively young 18-member team to be led by midfielder Manpreet Singh for the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after several key players were ruled out of the prestigious hockey tournament due to injuries.Manpreet will be assisted by a new deputy in defender Surender Kumar in this year’s Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from March 23 to 30.Apart from India and hosts Malaysia, the other participating nations are Canada, Korea, South Africa, Asian Games gold medallist Japan.India, which starts its campaign against Japan on March 23, will miss the services of experienced forwards SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, besides defenders Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh as well as midfielder Chinglensana Singh, who all were sidelined due to injuries.Two junior players Vishal Antil and Pardeep Singh also missed the cut owing to injuries.According to a statement from Hockey India, all the injured players will continue their rehabilitation at the Sports Authority of India South Centre in Bengaluru.The 18-member team will have experienced PR Sreejesh under the goal post while Krishan B Pathak will be the second custodian.The backline will be spearheaded by vice-captain Surender in the company of Gurinder Singh, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam and dragflick duo of Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas.Skipper Manpreet will man the midfield alongside young guns Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Sumit and Nilakanta Sharma.India’s forwardline consists of Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shilanand Lakra and Sumit Kumar.advertisement”It is unfortunate that we will be missing some key players for the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2019 due to injury,” said HI’s High Performance Director David John.”However, it is important for them to return to 100 per cent fitness ahead of the FIH Series Final, which is a crucial tournament in our quest for 2020 Olympic berth and so they will continue to remain in Bengaluru and work on their rehabilitation.”It is a relatively young side but each of these players have tremendous potential and have a good amount of international exposure. It is important to see how they fair in Malaysia as it will show the depth we possess in the core group ahead of the Olympic Qualification events this year,” added John, who is currently in charge of the team in the absence of a full-time chief coach.The position of men’s hockey team’s chief coach is lying vacant after the removal of Harendra Singh following a disappointing World Cup campaign last year, where India crashed out in the quarterfinals.The Indian team will leave for Ipoh, Malaysia from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 18.Indian men’s hockey team:Goalkeepers: P R Sreejesh, Krishan B PathakDefenders: Gurinder Singh, Surender Kumar (vice-captain), Varun Kumar, Birendra Lakra, Amit Rohidas, Kothajit Singh KhadangbamMidfielders: Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh (captain)Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sumit Kumar.Also Watch:For sports news, updates, live scores and cricket fixtures, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for Sports news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted byJepher Nickels Tags :Follow Manpreet SinghFollow Surender KumarFollow Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Manpreet Singh to lead Indian hockey team in Sultan Azlan Shah CupSultan Azlan Shah Cup: Manpreet Singh will be assisted by a new deputy in defender Surender Kumar in this year’s Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from March 23 to 30. India named a relatively young 18-member team after several key players were ruled out due to injuries.advertisement Next