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Germany’s Alexander Zverev clinches tennis No. 1 ranking

29Oct

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Germany’s Alexander Zverev clinches tennis No. 1 ranking

German tennis star Alexander Zverev is set to become the new world No. 1 in tennis, capping a successful year where he won two Grand Slams. Zverev is the second German man, after Boris Becker, to clinch the top spot in the sport. Becker reached No.1 some 35 years ago. Zverev replaces Italy's Jannik Sinner, who previously held the world's No. 1 spot. Zverev got there by reaching the quarter-finals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna this week. He is also the second-oldest first-time No. 1 ranked player after Australian John Newcombe. "(It is) very special. To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing," Zverev said. "It is different than winning a tournament or a title, but it's such a special feeling to know that the No. 1 is going to be next to your name when the new ran...

Managing mental health in sport: A universal challenge

29Oct

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Sports

Managing mental health in sport: A universal challenge

World Mental Health Day is observed across the globe on October 10. Many sporting organizations and teams around the world use the day to raise awareness and to promote the work they are doing helping people with their mental and psychological health. Raising awareness is clearly a huge positive, and speaks to the trend of increasingly vocal and empowered modern athletes, many of whom competed at the Paris Olympics. The IOC also launched an Olympic first at that Games, the "Athlete 365 Mind Zone", which provided a dedicated space for athletes to access mental health support during competition. For the World Health Organisation, "embedding mental health promotion and support into sports at all levels is vital, as is encouraging more people to take up physical activity in order to support ...

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich’s coach with a cause

29Oct

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Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich’s coach with a cause

A win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday would send Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich 11 points clear of their opponents and all but seal back-to-back Bundesliga titles for the Belgian coach. While the football is his focus, Kompany’s powerful, forthright and eloquent monologue on racism and victim-blaming last week struck a chord beyond the game. The 39-year-old condemned Benfica coach Jose Mourinho for his suggestion that the alleged racist abuse by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni that compelled Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. to walk off the pitch was provoked by Vinicius’s celebration of a goal. Kompany then went on to share his own experiences of racist abuse as both player and coach. "I go to Club Brugge [while coaching Belgian side Anderlecht in 2021]. And I played for the national ...

Kompany virus scare highlights need for coach support

29Oct

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Kompany virus scare highlights need for coach support

Vincent Kompany has just returned home from hospital. The Bayern Munich head coach admitted that he hadn't listened to his body, "and then at some point, my body just said, 'Enough is enough!'" Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl, who left Gladbach in 2022 due to his own health concerns, told German public broadcaster ARD that the 40-year-old Belgian had been suffering from meningeal irritation, which if untreated can become meningitis. "They found out what it is. It is a meningeal irritation that brought on the incident last Friday," said Eberl, referring to when Kompany collapsed during training and required an emergency doctor. "Honestly, he is doing as well as can be expected. He has been discharged from hospital today, which is the biggest and best news for all of us." Vi...

Dakar 2026: Africa’s first Youth Olympics an historic moment

28Oct

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Dakar 2026: Africa’s first Youth Olympics an historic moment

On the final day of October, what may well be the final Summer Youth Olympics ever will begin. It will be the first on African soil as around 2,700 athletes aged 15-17 arrive in Senegal to compete across a total of 153 events in 25 sports. Hosted in eight venues across three locations – Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital – these Games are seen by many as a prelude to Africa hosting a full Olympics one day in the future. "I'm really excited about the Youth Olympic Games because, for the first time, I'll be representing our country," 15-year-old judoka Aisha Diop who is competing for Senegal told DW. "I am very proud to be able to represent my country at these Games. This will really motivate young African athletes because they will improve, and they wil...

Kylian Mbappe apologizes to China over Mao dictator remark

27Oct

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Kylian Mbappe apologizes to China over Mao dictator remark

France striker Kylian Mbappe apologized after apparently referring to China's founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator in a video that circulated online. The controversy prompted three major Chinese companies to sever sponsorship ties with the Real Madrid forward, while Chinese state television suspended broadcasts of Spain's La Liga. What did Mbappe say about Mao? The controversy began when a video circulated showing Mbappe discussing his favorite internet meme featuring himself. In the clip, apparently filmed ahead of an appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge, Mbappe referred to an image depicting his face superimposed on the body of "some guy ... I think he's a Chinese dictator." The image appeared to depict Mao Zedong, who founded the People's Republic of China in 19...

Harry Kane: Bayern Munich striker wins Ballon d’Or

27Oct

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Harry Kane: Bayern Munich striker wins Ballon d’Or

England captain Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday, becoming the first English player to receive the prestigious football award since 2001. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was honored at a ceremony at the London Palladium after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last season. The Ballon d'Or, awarded by French magazine France Football, is one of football's most prestigious individual honors, recognizing the world's best players. The last English player to win the award was former Liverpool striker Michael Owen, who claimed the prize 25 years ago. Why did Harry Kane win the 2026 Ballon d'Or? Kane's remarkable goalscoring record helped Bayern Munich secure a German league and cup double last season. The former Tottenham Hotspur f...

Germany skip FIFA U15 World Cup; Russia set to return

23Oct

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Germany skip FIFA U15 World Cup; Russia set to return

With nearly 1,000 matches and 189 teams, the Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan is bloated even by FIFA's usual standards. It marks a change in its attitude to children's international tournaments, which have not existed on anywhere near this scale before. For Germany, it is too much too soon. The German FA (DFB) told DW that it had "consciously decided not to participate." The statement from the organization suggested the DFB — whose development of young players is under scrutiny after a run of poor performances by the men's national team — felt such a tournament was not appropriate for players so young. "At this age level, our identification and development process is still underway, and we therefore do not believe it is appropriate to nominate a fixed squad for an international tourname...

Harry Kane: Ballon d’Or for Bayern Munich striker?

22Oct

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Harry Kane: Ballon d’Or for Bayern Munich striker?

To most Bayern Munich fans under the age of 40, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was the club CEO who regularly spoke his mind. But for those with longer memories, or a better grasp of Bavarian football history, he was one of the club's all-time great players. He was also the last Bayern man to win the Ballon d'Or, in 1981. The last Bundesliga player to win was Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Stammer, in 1996. That long drought looks set to end on Monday, with Harry Kane, born 12 years after Rummenigge's win, the favorite to pick up the trophy at a ceremony held, as a one off, in his native London. "It's obviously special for me that the ceremony is taking place in London. "I come from London and lived there for a long time — maybe that's a good omen," Kane told club magazine Säbener51. "The Ballon d'...

Fabian Hürzeler and Brighton ride high in Premier League

21Oct

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Fabian Hürzeler and Brighton ride high in Premier League

"We are absolutely in love with him. He's been an incredible manager. The results are extraordinary and we're flying." Those words from Ben Parker will be familiar to fans of any club who have been on the kind of winning run Brighton and Hove Albion are currently on. But all the signs on and off the pitch suggest that the man in question — Brighton's German coach Fabian Hürzeler — is more than just a flash in the Premier League pan. Hürzeler has never coached in the Bundesliga. After winning promotion to Germany's top flight with St. Pauli in 2024, he left to become the youngest man ever to take charge in England's Premier League at 31. His team currently sit third, having won six games in a row including a 5-0 thrashing of bitter rivals Crystal Palace last weekend. It was the repea...