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Armand Duplantis, the reigning Swedish Olympic champion, broke his own world record on Friday at the Clermont-Ferrand, France, before moving on to a different kind of record.

Duplantis then attempted to break the world record by clearing a bar at 6.07m, raising the bar to 6.27 meters and clearing it on the first attempt.

The vaulter known as “Mondo” said, “I just felt really good. I came here to do it, what can I say? I put everything together for it. The setup was extremely effective. I simply accomplished it.

There are times when it’s easy, and other times it’s not, but there’s a lot of work, hardship, bad days, good days, and everything in between, he said, adding that breaking the world record remained thrilling.

It’s always unique, she said. Every time, it feels crazy. It resembles euphoria in that it is felt. It’s challenging to explain.

Since claiming the record in February 2020 with a leap of 6.16 meters, he had already broken it 11 times.

Duplantis made sure the arena was playing his song “Bop,” which was just in time for the meet.

The breathless Duplantis responded immediately after the jump, “That was my song that was playing.” I “thought this wold be the perfect song to jump to when I made this song a few months ago.” I rushed it out for that reason.

We can’t complain because it was “playing in the background, everything, exactly as I’d imagined it to be,” he said.

“I pondered whether or not I should jump on my own song seriously. I found it to be almost funny. However, I assumed it sounded good when I heard it on the speakers. He continued at the press conference, “I thought it sounded really good and put me in a good frame of mind.”

The athlete, who was born in Louisiana, chose not to sing.

He said, “Now my voice is messed up because I’ve been yelling.”

Duplantis, 25, has improved his Clermont-Ferrand ranking twice in the past. In February of this year, he jumped 6.22 meters.

He declared, “I’m going to enjoy this right now, I’m going to enjoy it tonight, and I’m going to enjoy it.”

I simply adore this place.

At a Diamond League meeting in Chorzow, Poland on August 25, 2024, Duplantis had previously set the previous record of 6.26 meters.

Just a few weeks prior to his sixth-best world record of 6.25, he won the gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.

Duplantis and Olympic bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis both completed 6.02 meters on Friday. After feeling cramps, the Greek jumper withdrew and said “not to take risks.”

Duplantis broke the tie by clearing the bar 20 cm and in 6:07 m.

Duplantis, who returned to competition in Berlin on February 14th by jumping 6.10 meters, had his second All Star Pole Vault meeting of the season.

He had chosen to compete in Clermont rather than the Netherlands’ Apeldoorn Indoor Championships on March 6 and 6.

“Duplantis said, “I just love it here. The atmosphere is fantastic here. Here, I can jump really well. Here, everyone has a great leap. I didn’t travel to Europe because of this.

Before traveling to the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China on March 21 and 23, he will meet with him again on March 13 in Uppsala, Sweden.

The sports industry is buzzing! This week debates about the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ‘s pedigree raged on, and Liverpool took a giant step to winning the Premier League title.

Aruna Quadri of Nigeria also suffered a significant blow earlier this week.

The biggest sports stories that have made headlines in the past seven days are covered in First 11, Part 1!

AFCON Under Scrutiny

Let’s start with the AFCON debate, which was a hot topic at the time.

It all began when a former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher claimed that Mohamed Salah’s inability to win a major competition – World Cup, Euros, or Copa America – puts the Egyptian at a disadvantage in the Ballon d’Or race.

Salah, who plays for Liverpool, has led the Merseysiders’ efforts to win the Premier League, Champions League, and League Cup. Due to a lack of laurel on the international scene, Carragher argued that the player has no chance of winning one of football’s most coveted prizes despite his form.

He dismissed the AFCON as a major tournament. However, that comment set off one of the most heated debates in football history. In their defense of Africa’s most renowned football competition, a number of African players and former continental footballers attacked the Englishman.

Liverpool: EPL Champions-Elect?

The debates about the AFCON owed partly to Liverpool’s form in the English Premier League. The title is only a few minutes away for the Reds. With only 10 games left in the series, they were able to advance by defeating Newcastle 2-0 on Wednesday in a league tie, which put them 13 points clear of them.

Salah is driving that league title charge. In the EPL this year, he has scored 25 goals. Additionally, the former Chelsea player has 17 assists. Can he win the Ballon d’Or this year?

D’Tigers Afrobasket Berth

Without NIGERIA, you can’t have AfroBasket!

Qualified once again!! We’re traveling to Angola! pic . twitter.com/vuKs66nJZM

Nigeria’s D’Tigers qualified for the Afrobasket competition on the basketball court. They were on the brink of missing out on the competition for the first time in 32 after a poor performance in the last qualification window. However, they were defeated by hosts Libya, Uganda, and Cape Verde in the final round of qualifiers to secure a spot in the later this year-scheduled competition.

Quadri Halted: No Sixth Star

It was yet another banger in Omar and Aruna’s long-standing rivalry. pic . twitter.com/R39dRvkLN3

Aruna Quadri of Nigeria lost the Africa Cup final to Omar Assar of Egypt because the D’Tigers had secured the event’s ticket. He was defeated by a score of 4-3, preventing him from capturing a sixth title. Quadri, however, will take solace in that reaching the semi-final means he will be part of those playing at the 225 ITTF World Cup in China.

A Homage to a Super Bowl Winner

Following his Superbowl triumph, Nigeria-born NFL star Moro Ojomo paid homage to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ojomo made history as the Super Bowl LIX winning Philadelphia Eagles player.

After the Super Bowl victory, Tinubu told the 23-year-old of Nigeria’s pride in flying the country’s flag.

“With the kind of focus that you have, you can mentor many youths and develop our culture”, The Nigerian leader said.

F1 Engines in Africa To Roar?

South Africa is attempting to organize a new Grand Prix and reinstate the continent’s championship three decades after Formula One engines last roared on African tarmac.

A street circuit in Cape Town and the less picturesque but storied Kyalami race track outside of Johannesburg are competing to host the high-octane spectacle. The last grand prix on African soil was held in 1993, the year before South Africa’s first democratic elections that ended apartheid. Alain Prost won it in a Williams.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion who has long supported an African Grand Prix, can rely on South Africa’s bid to host F1 to win. Rwanda is also gunning for the hosting rights. However, their participation in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo might hinder their F1 bid.

Rusty Medals

replacements for over 200 damaged Paris Olympics and Paralympics medals
The mint in France responsible for producing medals for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics has received 220 requests to replace ones won at the Games.

Some athletes have complained that their medals have been chipped or colored, sometimes within weeks of the Games’ conclusion last year. The replacement medals, according to the Monnaie de Paris, will be made to look like the originals, but they will have a protective varnish to make them last longer.

Hoopers ‘ BALling ‘ Opponents

The Kalahari Conference has drawn us in.

FUS Rabat
Al Ittihad
Stade Malien
Rivers Hoopers

Mark your calendars April 5-13 in Rabat, Morocco #TheBAL#BAL5 #TheKingsMen pic. https://twitter.com/Zk1X6R0lUq

Meanwhile, Rivers Hoopers have been drawn in the Kalahari Conference of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the 2025 season.

The Nigerian side were the bronze medalist in last season’s competition. Rivers Hoopers will battle it out against FUS Rabat of Morocco, Egypt’s Al Ittihad, and Stade Malien of Mali for honours this season. The season will run from April 5 to 13 in Morocco.

Duplantis’ Ascension to New Heights

Swedish Olympian Armand Duplantis broke his world record on Friday at the All-Star Pole Vault in Clermont-Ferrand, France, before moving on to a new record. Duplantis then set the world record by raising the bar to 6.27 meters and clearing it on his first attempt after winning the competition by clearing a bar at 6.07m.

Mourinho’s Touchline Troubles

Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho was handed a four-match ban and fined more than 40, 000 euros by the Turkish football federation on Thursday for comments he made after an explosive Istanbul derby against Galatasaray.

The 62-year-old Mourinho claimed the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys” after the game ended with a goalless draw. He reportedly criticized Turkish referees once more. Fenerbahce said that Mourinho’s comments were taken out of context.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) disciplinary panel issued a two-game suspension on Thursday for his remarks made during a match between the fourth referee and two more games for his foul play on the Galatasaray bench.

Double Dose by David

Until June 2026, UEFA, the governing body for European football, has prohibited former Premier League referee David Coote from officiating games. Coote, 42, was sacked by Premier League Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) in December after a video emerged showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and the club’s former manager Jurgen Klopp.

Battle Royale at NPFL

Returning home to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), there are matches this weekend across the country.

The NPFL has the following games planned:

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Sunshine Stars v Kwara United

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Nasarawa United vs. Abia Warriors

Kano Pillars v Rangers

Bendel Insurance v. Bayelsa United

Enyimba vs. Niger Tornadoes

Remo Stars v Plateau United

March 3, 2025

El-Kanemi Warriors v. Lobi stars

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) v Rivers United

Katsina United vs. Akwa United

The week’s biggest and most intriguing sports stories are compiled into First 11 as a weekly summary.

Alejandro Garnacho vanished straight into the tunnel after being substituted in Manchester United’s Premier League defeat against Ipswich, according to Ruben Amorim, who confirmed on Friday that the pair would go out for dinner.

A reshuffle ensued after Patrick Dorgu was sent off shortly before half-time on Wednesday, with 20-year-old Garnacho heading immediately down the touchline after being replaced by defender Noussair Mazraoui.

After the 3-2 victory, Amorim promised to speak with Garnacho, who took the initiative and visited the United manager on Thursday morning.

Before his team’s FA Cup fifth-round encounter with Fulham on Sunday, Amorim said, “He came to me.” He arrived the next day, and it was funny.

He went to the dressing room and changed his clothes because he was wet, so I did some digging.

He did not sit on the bench during the game, but rather in the different (place). There is no problem there because he was there at the end of the game and then he left.

But I told him that everything at Manchester United is important, and that perceptions of big clubs are very important, so he agreed to attend a dinner with the entire team, and that’s it. ”

Garnacho, who had been replaced by Amorim, wanted to calm the situation down. He posted an Instagram story in which he appeared dejected.

He remarked, “He’s a young child who will learn.” The crucial thing was that he spoke with me the following morning. ”

Before being fired in late October, Erik ten Hag, who was in charge of United’s cup triumph last season, earlier this week stated that modern footballers struggle with criticism.

INCLUDE   Maresca claims Chelsea’s mismanagement is a “over-reliant on Palmer.”

pitfalls of social media

According to Amorim, the current generation of players has a difficult time using social media.

He claimed that the players’ attitudes to this are completely different today. There was nothing more than two newspapers before. It completely changes with social media.

They are very social media-focused, she said. You can’t use social media to read bad news or photos, or to focus on what you read. You can focus on the bad things and then focus on the good things for a while. ”

Following a terrible Premier League campaign, FA Cup holders United are determined to win back this year.

At Friday’s press conference, former United skipper Roy Keane, who is now a TV pundit, also addressed Amorim about his vile critique of captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal midfielder’s leadership was mocked by Keane, who claimed that he was not a fighter, as he told The Overlap podcast that “talent is not enough.”

Amorim said, “I am aware of that.” I disagree with you, too. Bruno is very important to the club, and particularly to me.

He occasionally acts as a captain, such as wagging his arms, and it can sometimes be seen as he criticizes his fellow captains. Most of all, I believe, it’s a lot of frustration over this year, the previous year, and the others.

Everyone has a point, they say. It’s common to have an opinion because Roy Keane had high expectations from him in his day.

I disagree with Roy Keane, but I believe that his performance is more significant than his. I coach and believe he performs well. ”

After suffering a serious knee injury in September, Rodri has since resumed training.

Rodri ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September, and he was scheduled to miss the rest of the season.

The 28-year-old’s absence has played a significant role in Pep Guardiola’s team’s subpar form this term.

The English champions are 20 points adrift of Liverpool’s top Premier League rivals, and they have also lost the Champions League and League Cup.

In a video released by City on Friday, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was spotted taking part in an individual session at the club’s Etihad Campus, with more time to come after being released earlier than expected.

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Rodri, a native of Spain, had intended to return in time for the Club World Cup, which will take place on June 14 in the United States.

Rodri might start playing once more, but Guardiola has been reluctant to schedule a date.

The City manager said at the start of the month that the most crucial thing for him is that he recover well. Although he is not a teenager, he still has years to play, and that recovery is likely to occur if he recovers well.

No father would want his son to have a successful football career like the former Liverpool man, according to former Super Eagles international Jay Jay Okocha, who refutes Jamie Carragher’s claims regarding the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) pedigree.

After making the suggestion that Mohamed Salah ; is disadvantaged by the&nbsp’s annual debate; Ballon d’Or over his inability to win a ‘major” international competition, including the Euros, Copa America, or the World Cup with the Egyptian National Team, in his opinion.

Some players have a soft spot for saying something; you simply ignore it. You can understand if you examine their careers and the style of football they played. You wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher, after all. During a Thursday interview, Okocha said.

Therefore, he is never able to appreciate African football or the African-born talent. ”

On his Obi One podcast, Carragher was also criticized for making the remarks, calling them disrespectful. ”

The size of the Africa Cup of Nations is comparable to the size of the Euros. I’ve participated and triumphed in it. Not in his right mind, which discredits the AFCON. He spends his days there, week after week, teaching and coaching people how to win the Premier League. He never succeeded! ”

The former X defender’s stance on AFCON is maintained by the 47-year-old defender.

He stated, “I was trying to make the point that MO Salah is at a disadvantage when he plays for Egypt and wins the Ballon d’Or.”

If Salah won the AFCON but had an average season at LFC, was MVP, I don’t believe he would have won the Ballon d’or. ”

Because I don’t believe AFCON weighs down other competitions, I believe. However, if Mbappe won the World Cup or the Champions League in a typical season at Real Madrid, he still would have a fantastic opportunity.

Boris Spassky, the soviet grandmaster who was famously defeated in the so-called match of the century at the height of the Cold War, passed away on Thursday at the age of 88, according to the Russian Chess Federation.

Generations of chess players had benefited from his victories, the federation claimed, calling his death a “great loss to the country.”

Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, who was one of the first to react, said to TASS state news agency, “He was always one of my main idols.”

The 1972 duel between Spassky and American Bobby Fischer, which symbolized the conflict between East and West, is best remembered.

The Soviet chess giant alternated between fierce competitions between the best players of the time and periods of escapist rule.

Born in 1937 in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, Spassky showed prodigious talent early, becoming junior world champion and the youngest grandmaster in history at the time at 18.

He claimed that he was five when he first started playing chess in an orphanage after escaping Leningrad with his family during World War II’s nazi siege.

His aggressive play without fear of sacrifice was noticed by his peers and encouraged by the state, which gave him a scholarship and a coach after the war.

Having made a strong impression, he found himself in the shadow of another rising figure in Soviet chess, Mikhail Tal, the so-called “Magician of Riga”.

Spassky made a remarkable comeback by winning the USSR Championship in 1961.

Eight years later, he won the world title over Tigran Petrosian and defeated his compatriot.

“I never intended to be a world champion.” Everything worked out by itself. I was progressing in leaps and bounds”, Spassky said in 2016.

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Spassky vs. Fischer

Spassky would continue holding his title for a further three years.

In 1972 in Iceland he played the match that would define his career, against the American prodigy Fischer.

Spassky and the eccentric 29-year-old, who openly criticised Soviet chess players, faced a must-win situation in their match-up with the Soviet Union, which had dominated the game for years.

However, Spassky’s comfortable first half saw him roar back to win, putting an end to his long run of Soviet world champions since 1948.

Although the loss was a slap in the face for Moscow, for Spassky it was a relief to be rid of a “colossal responsibility”.

“You can’t imagine how relieved I felt when Fischer took the title from me.” He declared nearly forty years later, “I breathed freely and released myself from a very heavy burden.”

Numerous books, documentaries, and movies have been written about the iconic Cold War conflict. Most significantly, it was influenced by Walter Tevis’ novel “The Queen’s Gambit,” which was later adapted into the popular Netflix series in 2020.

But at the time, in the wake of his defeat, Spassky fell out of favour.

Four years later, in 1976, he moved to France, after marrying a Frenchwoman of Russian origin. In 1978, he was granted French citizenship.

Prior to his unofficial rematch against Fischer in Yugoslavia in 1992, Spassky had not played in the public eye for many years.

His final years were marred by a mysterious family conflict and poor health.

He had two strokes before returning to Russia in 2012, despite the advice of his sister and wife.

“I have to start over from scratch, but I’m not afraid”, Spassky said on Russian television after his return.

A few years earlier, in 2008, he had visited the grave of his former rival Fischer, who died that year and was buried in a small cemetery in Iceland.

“Do you think that the neighbouring spot is available”? Spassky requested journalists to accompany him during the visit.

The chess federation’s executive director, Alexander Tkachev, informed the RIA Novosti news agency that Spassky had resided in Moscow and that his relatives had informed him of his death.