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La Liga: Barcelona beats Celta but loses Yamal to injury; Atletico Madrid falls to Elche  Barcelona moved a step closer to winning La Liga with a tight 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday but lost its goalscorer Lamine Yamal to an apparent hamstring injury.The teenage Spain star won and converted a penalty to clinch a narrow triumph but hurt himself as he took it and was replaced before half-time.Joao Cancelo also went off injured for a Barca team who moved nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six matches remaining, including a Clasico on May 10.Hansi Flick’s side, playing for the first time since its Champions League quarterfinal elimination by Atletico Madrid last week, lacked its usual attacking spark.Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia saved well from Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla in the opening exchanges at Camp Nou.With little between the teams, it came down to Yamal’s fleet footwork to help Barca open the door.The forward skipped into the box, exchanging passes with Dani Olmo, and was felled by Yoel Lago as he tried to evade the Celta defender.Yamal beat Ionut Radu with a low penalty, with the goalkeeper diving the right way.However, he pulled up hurt immediately, calling for treatment and lying on the turf as his team-mates came over to celebrate.The match was delayed for over 15 minutes because of a medical incident in the stands at the same time, and when Celta kicked off again Yamal had been replaced by Roony Bardghji.Barca battled through the second half without creating much until Ferran Torres lashed home with a volley from Pedri’s pass.The Catalans’ joy was short-lived though as the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside call against the Spanish forward.Former Barca defender Marcos Alonso smashed a free-kick into the wall as the host side held on to claim three potentially vital points.Another Atletico defeatAtletico Madrid fell to a 2-3 defeat at lowly Elche, its seventh loss in its last eight matches across all competitions.The Champions League semifinalist, which hosts Arsenal next Wednesday in Europe, could not bounce back from its Copa del Rey final defeat on penalties by Real Sociedad last weekend to build morale.Diego Simeone’s side is comfortable in fourth in La Liga and the coach played mostly a reserve side to rest his star names after the draining cup final.Nicolas Gonzalez struck twice for the visiting side but Elche prevailed with a brace from Andre Silva and a goal from David Affengruber, boosting its survival hopes.Argentina winger Gonzalez opened the scoring after Rodri Mendoza backheeled the ball to him on the edge of the box.Elche pulled level when Affengruber prodded past Jan Oblak and then the defender was instrumental in his team’s next goal.Atletico played an hour with 10 men after Thiago Almada was dismissed in the 30th minute for pulling back Affengruber inside the area.Silva sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot to put the host ahead, but Atletico levelled almost immediately through a superb effort from Gonzalez.The winger just managed to keep the ball in, lifted it over Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro and headed home.Silva won it for Elche with 15 minutes remaining, blasting home from close range to take his team provisionally 15th, two points above the drop zone.“The defeat is painful, the 10 men left gave everything to keep trying to pick up points,” Simeone told        DAZN. “All the responsibility (for losing) is mine as the coach.”Published on Apr 23, 2026  #Liga #Barcelona #beats #Celta #loses #Yamal #injury #Atletico #Madrid #falls #Elche

La Liga: Barcelona beats Celta but loses Yamal to injury; Atletico Madrid falls to Elche

Barcelona moved a step closer to winning La Liga with a tight 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday but lost its goalscorer Lamine Yamal to an apparent hamstring injury.

The teenage Spain star won and converted a penalty to clinch a narrow triumph but hurt himself as he took it and was replaced before half-time.

Joao Cancelo also went off injured for a Barca team who moved nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six matches remaining, including a Clasico on May 10.

Hansi Flick’s side, playing for the first time since its Champions League quarterfinal elimination by Atletico Madrid last week, lacked its usual attacking spark.

Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia saved well from Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla in the opening exchanges at Camp Nou.

With little between the teams, it came down to Yamal’s fleet footwork to help Barca open the door.

The forward skipped into the box, exchanging passes with Dani Olmo, and was felled by Yoel Lago as he tried to evade the Celta defender.

Yamal beat Ionut Radu with a low penalty, with the goalkeeper diving the right way.

However, he pulled up hurt immediately, calling for treatment and lying on the turf as his team-mates came over to celebrate.

The match was delayed for over 15 minutes because of a medical incident in the stands at the same time, and when Celta kicked off again Yamal had been replaced by Roony Bardghji.

Barca battled through the second half without creating much until Ferran Torres lashed home with a volley from Pedri’s pass.

The Catalans’ joy was short-lived though as the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside call against the Spanish forward.

Former Barca defender Marcos Alonso smashed a free-kick into the wall as the host side held on to claim three potentially vital points.

Another Atletico defeat

Atletico Madrid fell to a 2-3 defeat at lowly Elche, its seventh loss in its last eight matches across all competitions.

The Champions League semifinalist, which hosts Arsenal next Wednesday in Europe, could not bounce back from its Copa del Rey final defeat on penalties by Real Sociedad last weekend to build morale.

Diego Simeone’s side is comfortable in fourth in La Liga and the coach played mostly a reserve side to rest his star names after the draining cup final.

Nicolas Gonzalez struck twice for the visiting side but Elche prevailed with a brace from Andre Silva and a goal from David Affengruber, boosting its survival hopes.

Argentina winger Gonzalez opened the scoring after Rodri Mendoza backheeled the ball to him on the edge of the box.

Elche pulled level when Affengruber prodded past Jan Oblak and then the defender was instrumental in his team’s next goal.

Atletico played an hour with 10 men after Thiago Almada was dismissed in the 30th minute for pulling back Affengruber inside the area.

Silva sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot to put the host ahead, but Atletico levelled almost immediately through a superb effort from Gonzalez.

The winger just managed to keep the ball in, lifted it over Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro and headed home.

Silva won it for Elche with 15 minutes remaining, blasting home from close range to take his team provisionally 15th, two points above the drop zone.

“The defeat is painful, the 10 men left gave everything to keep trying to pick up points,” Simeone told DAZN. “All the responsibility (for losing) is mine as the coach.”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Liga #Barcelona #beats #Celta #loses #Yamal #injury #Atletico #Madrid #falls #Elche

Barcelona moved a step closer to winning La Liga with a tight 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday but lost its goalscorer Lamine Yamal to an apparent hamstring injury.

The teenage Spain star won and converted a penalty to clinch a narrow triumph but hurt himself as he took it and was replaced before half-time.

Joao Cancelo also went off injured for a Barca team who moved nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six matches remaining, including a Clasico on May 10.

Hansi Flick’s side, playing for the first time since its Champions League quarterfinal elimination by Atletico Madrid last week, lacked its usual attacking spark.

Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia saved well from Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla in the opening exchanges at Camp Nou.

With little between the teams, it came down to Yamal’s fleet footwork to help Barca open the door.

The forward skipped into the box, exchanging passes with Dani Olmo, and was felled by Yoel Lago as he tried to evade the Celta defender.

Yamal beat Ionut Radu with a low penalty, with the goalkeeper diving the right way.

However, he pulled up hurt immediately, calling for treatment and lying on the turf as his team-mates came over to celebrate.

The match was delayed for over 15 minutes because of a medical incident in the stands at the same time, and when Celta kicked off again Yamal had been replaced by Roony Bardghji.

Barca battled through the second half without creating much until Ferran Torres lashed home with a volley from Pedri’s pass.

The Catalans’ joy was short-lived though as the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside call against the Spanish forward.

Former Barca defender Marcos Alonso smashed a free-kick into the wall as the host side held on to claim three potentially vital points.

Another Atletico defeat

Atletico Madrid fell to a 2-3 defeat at lowly Elche, its seventh loss in its last eight matches across all competitions.

The Champions League semifinalist, which hosts Arsenal next Wednesday in Europe, could not bounce back from its Copa del Rey final defeat on penalties by Real Sociedad last weekend to build morale.

Diego Simeone’s side is comfortable in fourth in La Liga and the coach played mostly a reserve side to rest his star names after the draining cup final.

Nicolas Gonzalez struck twice for the visiting side but Elche prevailed with a brace from Andre Silva and a goal from David Affengruber, boosting its survival hopes.

Argentina winger Gonzalez opened the scoring after Rodri Mendoza backheeled the ball to him on the edge of the box.

Elche pulled level when Affengruber prodded past Jan Oblak and then the defender was instrumental in his team’s next goal.

Atletico played an hour with 10 men after Thiago Almada was dismissed in the 30th minute for pulling back Affengruber inside the area.

Silva sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot to put the host ahead, but Atletico levelled almost immediately through a superb effort from Gonzalez.

The winger just managed to keep the ball in, lifted it over Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro and headed home.

Silva won it for Elche with 15 minutes remaining, blasting home from close range to take his team provisionally 15th, two points above the drop zone.

“The defeat is painful, the 10 men left gave everything to keep trying to pick up points,” Simeone told DAZN. “All the responsibility (for losing) is mine as the coach.”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

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#Liga #Barcelona #beats #Celta #loses #Yamal #injury #Atletico #Madrid #falls #Elche

For a moment, it appeared that the New York Liberty might be the next WNBA team that boasted a great roster on paper, but with a roster that didn’t meaningfully translate to on-court success. The Liberty began the season with a 3-4 record, dropping two of their first three games against the Portland Fire, the league’s new expansion team.

While the roster wasn’t fully available — Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich all missed significant time — for a moment, the slew of offseason moves that initially appeared to catapult the Liberty into title favorites resulted in lackluster play.

But things have since dramatically changed. New York hasn’t lost a game since May 25th, rattling off seven straight wins. Some of those victories have come against bottom-feeders — they beat the Phoenix Mercury twice and Connecticut Sun once — but on Thursday, they put together perhaps their most impressive win of the season, a 14-point beatdown of the Atlanta Dream, who were 8-3 entering the game.

In that one, Breanna Stewart, who has been New York’s most consistent and available player, led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Satou Sabally (19 points), Marine Johannes (17 points), Pauline Austier (16 points), and Jonquel Jones (16 points) were all major contributors.

Three days later, the Liberty put together a 22-point beatdown of the Washington Mystics, and Stewart recorded a career-high 7 blocks.

The Liberty are 7-0 with Fiebich in the lineup; the 26-year-old missed the start of the WNBA season as she finished her season with the Spanish club Valencia Basket. Fiebich is averaging 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but has a +8 +/- rating, the fifth-best in the WNBA. The Liberty now have the second-best plus-minus in the league (a +7), trailing only the Lynx (who have outscored opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game).

They’ve yet to face the two best teams in the league — the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces — but they’re right on track among the best teams in the league.

Stewart, who is 31, is having another MVP-caliber season. She’s averaging 19.9 points (the 6th-most in the league) and 9 rebounds (the 7th-most in the league), along with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Alongside her, Jonquel Jones (13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds) has held down the frontcourt, while Marine Johannes (11.6 points, 3.2 assists) and Pauline Astier (11.3 points, 3.9 assists)

Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s biggest offseason acquisition, has averaged 10.1 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Johannes (43.4%), Austier (45.8%), and Sabally (41.9%) have all been scorching-hot from three.

All of this success has come with Sabrina Ionescu, a franchise cornerstone, appearing in only two games thus far. Ionescu missed time to begin the season with an ankle/foot injury, and was later sidelined for seven games with back soreness.

Ionescu averaged 15.7 points per game last season, and should return to her All-Star caliber play again at some point this season.

For now, the Liberty already look like one of the best teams in the league, their sloppy start a distant memory.

#York #Liberty #completely #bounced">The New York Liberty have completely bounced back  For a moment, it appeared that the New York Liberty might be the next WNBA team that boasted a great roster on paper, but with a roster that didn’t meaningfully translate to on-court success. The Liberty began the season with a 3-4 record, dropping two of their first three games against the Portland Fire, the league’s new expansion team.While the roster wasn’t fully available — Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich all missed significant time — for a moment, the slew of offseason moves that initially appeared to catapult the Liberty into title favorites resulted in lackluster play.But things have since dramatically changed. New York hasn’t lost a game since May 25th, rattling off seven straight wins. Some of those victories have come against bottom-feeders — they beat the Phoenix Mercury twice and Connecticut Sun once — but on Thursday, they put together perhaps their most impressive win of the season, a 14-point beatdown of the Atlanta Dream, who were 8-3 entering the game.In that one, Breanna Stewart, who has been New York’s most consistent and available player, led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Satou Sabally (19 points), Marine Johannes (17 points), Pauline Austier (16 points), and Jonquel Jones (16 points) were all major contributors.Three days later, the Liberty put together a 22-point beatdown of the Washington Mystics, and Stewart recorded a career-high 7 blocks.The Liberty are 7-0 with Fiebich in the lineup; the 26-year-old missed the start of the WNBA season as she finished her season with the Spanish club Valencia Basket. Fiebich is averaging 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but has a +8 +/- rating, the fifth-best in the WNBA. The Liberty now have the second-best plus-minus in the league (a +7), trailing only the Lynx (who have outscored opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game).They’ve yet to face the two best teams in the league — the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces — but they’re right on track among the best teams in the league.Stewart, who is 31, is having another MVP-caliber season. She’s averaging 19.9 points (the 6th-most in the league) and 9 rebounds (the 7th-most in the league), along with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Alongside her, Jonquel Jones (13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds) has held down the frontcourt, while Marine Johannes (11.6 points, 3.2 assists) and Pauline Astier (11.3 points, 3.9 assists)Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s biggest offseason acquisition, has averaged 10.1 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Johannes (43.4%), Austier (45.8%), and Sabally (41.9%) have all been scorching-hot from three.All of this success has come with Sabrina Ionescu, a franchise cornerstone, appearing in only two games thus far. Ionescu missed time to begin the season with an ankle/foot injury, and was later sidelined for seven games with back soreness.Ionescu averaged 15.7 points per game last season, and should return to her All-Star caliber play again at some point this season.For now, the Liberty already look like one of the best teams in the league, their sloppy start a distant memory.  #York #Liberty #completely #bounced

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.

In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.

Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.

READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes">AFI to make SRY gene test mandatory for women athletes from 2027  The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000mAhead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.Published on Jun 16, 2026  #AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes

Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes">AFI to make SRY gene test mandatory for women athletes from 2027

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.

In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.

Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.

READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes

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