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Vaishali has worked hard, is confident now: coach Ramesh  Making history is probably easy for R. Vaishali and her brother Praggnanandhaa.The siblings have achieved a few firsts as a duo and individually — the first to become Grandmasters and qualifying for the Candidates tournament.The 24-year-old Vaishali, long in the shadow of her prodigiously talented brother, chose to make some history of her own after winning the women’s Candidates tournament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian to do so.She had endured a lean run in 2025 before finding form to claim the Grand Swiss title and book a spot in the Candidates. Following an epochal triumph in Cyprus, she will take on reigning champion Ju Wenjun of China for the Women’s World Chess Championship title later this year.Vaishali’s long-time coach , R.B. Ramesh, is over the moon and told        Sportstar, “Qualifying for the World Championship match is an amazing thing and I hope she’ll be able to win the title.”Speaking about the Chennai GM’s loss of confidence last year, he said, “Yeah, she had some confidence issues earlier, especially after the Chennai GM tournament (last year), but she has been working hard on her game and is feeling much more confident now.”The manner in which Vaishali played during the triumph in the Cypriot city of Paphos should stand her in good stead going forward. Often flying under the radar given her sibling’s achievements, Ramesh said, “Pragg and Vaishali have made peace with each other being very strong on their own terms. I don’t think Pragg’s performances have any negative impact on Vaishali anymore.”He said Vaishali is very strong in attack and calculation skills and added, “Wish she can improve her time management a bit.”Ramesh believes his ward has benefitted a lot from the support she gets from her family and feels she has a good chance at the World title.More history beckons when Vaishali faces the Chinese with the prospect of becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win the World title.Published on Apr 17, 2026  #Vaishalihas #worked #hard #confident #coach #Ramesh

Vaishali has worked hard, is confident now: coach Ramesh

Making history is probably easy for R. Vaishali and her brother Praggnanandhaa.

The siblings have achieved a few firsts as a duo and individually — the first to become Grandmasters and qualifying for the Candidates tournament.

The 24-year-old Vaishali, long in the shadow of her prodigiously talented brother, chose to make some history of her own after winning the women’s Candidates tournament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian to do so.

She had endured a lean run in 2025 before finding form to claim the Grand Swiss title and book a spot in the Candidates. Following an epochal triumph in Cyprus, she will take on reigning champion Ju Wenjun of China for the Women’s World Chess Championship title later this year.

Vaishali’s long-time coach , R.B. Ramesh, is over the moon and told Sportstar, “Qualifying for the World Championship match is an amazing thing and I hope she’ll be able to win the title.”

Speaking about the Chennai GM’s loss of confidence last year, he said, “Yeah, she had some confidence issues earlier, especially after the Chennai GM tournament (last year), but she has been working hard on her game and is feeling much more confident now.”

The manner in which Vaishali played during the triumph in the Cypriot city of Paphos should stand her in good stead going forward. Often flying under the radar given her sibling’s achievements, Ramesh said, “Pragg and Vaishali have made peace with each other being very strong on their own terms. I don’t think Pragg’s performances have any negative impact on Vaishali anymore.”

He said Vaishali is very strong in attack and calculation skills and added, “Wish she can improve her time management a bit.”

Ramesh believes his ward has benefitted a lot from the support she gets from her family and feels she has a good chance at the World title.

More history beckons when Vaishali faces the Chinese with the prospect of becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win the World title.

Published on Apr 17, 2026

#Vaishalihas #worked #hard #confident #coach #Ramesh

Making history is probably easy for R. Vaishali and her brother Praggnanandhaa.

The siblings have achieved a few firsts as a duo and individually — the first to become Grandmasters and qualifying for the Candidates tournament.

The 24-year-old Vaishali, long in the shadow of her prodigiously talented brother, chose to make some history of her own after winning the women’s Candidates tournament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian to do so.

She had endured a lean run in 2025 before finding form to claim the Grand Swiss title and book a spot in the Candidates. Following an epochal triumph in Cyprus, she will take on reigning champion Ju Wenjun of China for the Women’s World Chess Championship title later this year.

Vaishali’s long-time coach , R.B. Ramesh, is over the moon and told Sportstar, “Qualifying for the World Championship match is an amazing thing and I hope she’ll be able to win the title.”

Speaking about the Chennai GM’s loss of confidence last year, he said, “Yeah, she had some confidence issues earlier, especially after the Chennai GM tournament (last year), but she has been working hard on her game and is feeling much more confident now.”

The manner in which Vaishali played during the triumph in the Cypriot city of Paphos should stand her in good stead going forward. Often flying under the radar given her sibling’s achievements, Ramesh said, “Pragg and Vaishali have made peace with each other being very strong on their own terms. I don’t think Pragg’s performances have any negative impact on Vaishali anymore.”

He said Vaishali is very strong in attack and calculation skills and added, “Wish she can improve her time management a bit.”

Ramesh believes his ward has benefitted a lot from the support she gets from her family and feels she has a good chance at the World title.

More history beckons when Vaishali faces the Chinese with the prospect of becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win the World title.

Published on Apr 17, 2026

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Deadspin | Sunny Mehta returns to Devils as new general manager <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28736639.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28736639.jpg" alt="NHL: New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a New Jersey Devils logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Sunny Mehta, who once served as director of hockey analytics for the Devils, was hired by New Jersey on Thursday to be its new general manager. </p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Mehta, 48, had worked with the Florida Panthers since 2020 as an assistant general manager and head of analytics, helping them win the past two Stanley Cups.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Per ESPN, Mehta will be in charge of all hockey operations. Head coach Sheldon Keefe and his coaching staff will be evaluated after the Devils missed the postseason for the second time in three seasons.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-4"> <p>“This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa,” Mehta said. “New Jersey has a tremendous young core that will be looking to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success. I was fortunate enough to watch the New Jersey Devils raise three Stanley Cups and am excited to get to work to return to that level.”</p> </section> <section id="section-5"> <p>Mehta grew up in New Jersey and played high school hockey there, then worked as a musician, professional poker player and derivatives trader before working for the Devils from 2014-18.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Metha fills the vacancy left by the dismissal of Tom Fitzgerald earlier this month. Fitzgerald, 57, is in the running for the same role with the Nashville Predators. </p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Led by Olympic hero Jack Hughes, along with Jesper Bratt, Simon Nemec and Hughes’ brother Luke, the Devils face a July 1 deadline on whether to offer captain Nico Hischier a contract extension. Hischier has one year left on his seven-year, $50.75 million deal. Per PuckPedia, the Devils will have $12.18 million in projected salary cap space this summer.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-8"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Sunny #Mehta #returns #Devils #general #manager

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Deadspin | Duke coach Manny Diaz inked to extension through 2031 <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/27912254.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/27912254.jpg" alt="Syndication: El Paso Times" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Tony the Tiger dumps Frosted Flakes on Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, after a 42-39 win against Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Duke coach Manny Diaz inked a contract extension that will keep him in Durham, N.C. through the 2031 season, the university announced on Thursday.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Diaz has posted an 18-9 record at Duke in two seasons and led the squad to its first outright ACC title since 1962 this past season. They defeated Virginia, 27-20, in overtime in the ACC Championship game and then edged Arizona State, 42-39, in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Diaz has signed the best recruiting class in the program’s history for 2026, according to AVG Recruit Ranking</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>The university did not release terms of the extension.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-5"> <p>“Manny Diaz is exactly the right leader at exactly the right time for Duke University,” athletic director Nina King said in a statement. “His clear vision for Duke football, deep understanding of our student-athletes and strong alignment with campus and athletics leadership have positioned us for sustained success in the years ahead. We are incredibly proud to have him leading the Blue Devils, and with his passion, integrity and expertise, Duke football will continue to pursue excellence on and off the field well into the future.”</p> </section> <section id="section-6"> <p>The 52-year-old Diaz replaced Mike Elko, who left Duke for Texas A&M after the 2023 season. He led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record in 2024, but they fell, 52-20, to Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>The Miami, Fla. native served as head coach for his hometown Hurricanes from 2019-21, compiling a 21-15 record. Miami appeared in three consecutive bowl games, although Diaz was dismissed prior to the 2021 Sun Bowl and the team subsequently opted out of the game.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>He then served as defensive coordinator at Penn State for two seasons before taking the Duke position.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>In 2025, Duke played the aggressive defense that Diaz’ teams have been known for. The Blue Devils finished 11th nationally in fumbles recovered (10), 13th in turnover margin (+0.71), 14th in turnovers gained (24) and 16th in tackles for loss per game (6.6).</p> </section><br/><section id="section-10"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Duke #coach #Manny #Diaz #inked #extension

#Jalen #Brunson #injury #Knicks #star #returns #NBA #Finals #hurting #knee">Jalen Brunson injury: Knicks star returns to NBA Finals after hurting knee  Jalen Brunson limped off the floor in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs after an opposing player fell on his knee. Brunson headed to the locker room in what amounts to the worst case scenario for the Knicks.Update: Brunson returned to the game with under eight minutes left in the second quarter. He quickly hurt his ankle after returning. He stayed in the game even after the ankle injury and scored on the next Knicks’ possession.Brunson was injured when teammate Landry Shamet pushed over Spurs forward Harrison Barnes on a made three-pointer by Julian Champagnie. Barnes fell on Brunson’s right knee, and the star guard immediately signaled that he needed to come out of the game. San Antonio ended the first quarter on a 20-5 run.Watch the play where Brunson was injured here:Here’s Brunson walking to the locker room:Brunson has been the Knicks’ biggest star during this NBA Finals run. New York absolutely needs him to be at his best to win this series, and this is a terrible start. Here’s hoping Brunson can return.Brunson is back now, and we’ll continue to update you on his status as the game goes on.We’ll update this story as it develops.  #Jalen #Brunson #injury #Knicks #star #returns #NBA #Finals #hurting #knee

The Democratic Republic of Congo warmed up for ​their first World Cup appearance in more ‌than half a century with a ​0-0 draw against Denmark on ⁠Wednesday.

The clash in Belgium, where the Congolese have been preparing for the World Cup, could ‌be their only preparatory match after a planned friendly against Chile ‌in Spain on Monday was ‌cancelled ⁠by local authorities.

The mayor of La ⁠Linea de la Concepcion took the decision even though the Congolese team have been preparing ​for the tournament in ‌Belgium and almost all of their players and staff are based in Europe.

Denmark, which narrowly missed out on ‌World Cup qualification after a penalty ​shootout loss to the Czech Republic in the European playoffs in ⁠March, twice hit the woodwork with Joakim Maehle striking the post with a ‌curling shot in the 33rd minute and captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg catching the corner of the crossbar with a long-range effort early in the second half.

Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu had a chance ‌on the break in the 24th minute but ​he hit his effort straight at Denmark goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who ⁠made another sharp save to deny Joris ⁠Kayembe with the last shot of the match.

At the World Cup, ‌DR Congo opens its Group K campaign against Portugal on June 17.

DR Congo vs Denmark player ratings:

DR Congo: Dimitry Bertaud (7.5/10), Gédéon Kalulu (6.9/10), Chancel Mbemba (7.4/10), Henoc Inonga (7.1/10), Arthur Masuaku (7.0/10), Charles Pickel (6.7/10), Samuel Moutoussamy (6.8/10), Théo Bongonda (6.5/10), Gaël Kakuta (6.6/10), Yoane Wissa (6.9/10), Cédric Bakambu (6.3/10)

Subs: Joris Kayembe (6.4/10), Meschak Elia (6.1/10), Fiston Mayele (5.9/10), Noah Sadiki (6.0/10)

Denmark: Filip Jörgensen (7.4/10), Alexander Bah (7.1/10), Joachim Andersen (7.3/10), Jannik Vestergaard (7.2/10), Joakim Mæhle (7.6/10), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (7.8/10), Morten Hjulmand (6.9/10), Christian Eriksen (7.0/10), Adam Daghim (6.5/10), Rasmus Højlund (6.2/10), Jonas Wind (6.6/10)

Subs: Gustav Isaksen (6.2/10), Morten Frendrup (6.0/10), Victor Kristiansen (6.1/10), Yussuf Poulsen (5.9/10)

(With inputs from Agencies)

Published on Jun 04, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #warmups #Congo #Denmark #player #ratings #report #Leopards #held #draw">FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-ups: DR Congo vs Denmark player ratings, report, Leopards held to a draw  The Democratic Republic of Congo warmed up for ​their first World Cup appearance in more ‌than half a century with a ​0-0 draw against Denmark on ⁠Wednesday.The clash in Belgium, where the Congolese have been preparing for the World Cup, could ‌be their only preparatory match after a planned friendly against Chile ‌in Spain on Monday was ‌cancelled ⁠by local authorities.The mayor of La ⁠Linea de la Concepcion took the decision even though the Congolese team have been preparing ​for the tournament in ‌Belgium and almost all of their players and staff are based in Europe.Denmark, which narrowly missed out on ‌World Cup qualification after a penalty ​shootout loss to the Czech Republic in the European playoffs in ⁠March, twice hit the woodwork with Joakim Maehle striking the post with a ‌curling shot in the 33rd minute and captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg catching the corner of the crossbar with a long-range effort early in the second half.Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu had a chance ‌on the break in the 24th minute but ​he hit his effort straight at Denmark goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who ⁠made another sharp save to deny Joris ⁠Kayembe with the last shot of the match.At the World Cup, ‌DR Congo opens its Group K campaign against Portugal on June 17.DR Congo vs Denmark player ratings:DR Congo: Dimitry Bertaud (7.5/10), Gédéon Kalulu (6.9/10), Chancel Mbemba (7.4/10), Henoc Inonga (7.1/10), Arthur Masuaku (7.0/10), Charles Pickel (6.7/10), Samuel Moutoussamy (6.8/10), Théo Bongonda (6.5/10), Gaël Kakuta (6.6/10), Yoane Wissa (6.9/10), Cédric Bakambu (6.3/10)Subs: Joris Kayembe (6.4/10), Meschak Elia (6.1/10), Fiston Mayele (5.9/10), Noah Sadiki (6.0/10)Denmark: Filip Jörgensen (7.4/10), Alexander Bah (7.1/10), Joachim Andersen (7.3/10), Jannik Vestergaard (7.2/10), Joakim Mæhle (7.6/10), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (7.8/10), Morten Hjulmand (6.9/10), Christian Eriksen (7.0/10), Adam Daghim (6.5/10), Rasmus Højlund (6.2/10), Jonas Wind (6.6/10)Subs: Gustav Isaksen (6.2/10), Morten Frendrup (6.0/10), Victor Kristiansen (6.1/10), Yussuf Poulsen (5.9/10)(With inputs from Agencies)Published on Jun 04, 2026  #FIFA #World #Cup #warmups #Congo #Denmark #player #ratings #report #Leopards #held #draw

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