From India to Palestine: Who were the five athletes the world of sport mourned on July 3, a day of global sorrow?
From rabies to traffic accidents, a catastrophic motorsport collision, and the brutal realities of war, the world of sports was immersed with sorrow across boundaries.
India: Kabaddi star Brijesh Solanki succumbs to rabies
The day of tragedy began in India, where news broke of the untimely death of 22-year-old Brijesh Solanki, a promising state-level Kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh. Weeks earlier, Brijesh had rescued a stray puppy from a drain and was bitten during the act. Tragically, he never received a rabies vaccine. Symptoms began to show during a training session on June 26, and he was soon hospitalized in Noida, where he passed away.
Brijesh Solanki
Although his death occurred on Saturday, it wasn't until July 3 that it gained national attention. A gold medallist with aspirations of making it to the Pro Kabaddi League, Brijesh's passing has deeply shaken the local sports community. In response, health officials have launched a vaccination drive and a rabies awareness campaign in his village.
Spain: Liverpool's Diogo Jota and brother killed in car crash
The football world was stunned by the death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, in a tragic car crash in northern Spain. The accident occurred near Cernadilla on the A-52 highway around 12:30 AM. Jota had spent five years with Liverpool F.C. and had just recently gotten married. His sudden passing has left fans worldwide in mourning.
Diogo Jota and André Silva
André Filipe Teixeira da Silva, 25, played professionally as an attacking midfielder for F.C. Penafiel, a club in Portugal's lower divisions. While his brother Diogo Jota made headlines as a forward for Liverpool, André carved out his own path on the pitch in a more playmaking role.
France: Moto2 racer Borja Gomez dies during practice
In France, 20-year-old Spanish motorcycle racer Borja Gomez lost his life in a horrific crash during Free Practice for the European Stock Championship at Magny-Cours.
Borja Gomez
Gomez, a former Moto2 competitor, was struck by another rider after going off-track. He was a championship leader going into the race, with wins and podiums under his belt. Gomez had been considered one of Spain's brightest motorsport prospects.
Palestine: Footballer Muhannad Al-Laili dies from airstrike injuries
As the sun set, news broke from Gaza. Muhannad Al-Laili, a player for Nadi Khadamat al-Maghazi, succumbed to injuries from an Israeli airstrike on his family home in the Maghazi refugee camp.
Muhannad Al-Laili
According to sports journalist Leyla Hameed, he became the 439th athlete killed in Gaza. Social media has since circulated heart-wrenching wedding photos, showing he had recently married.
A world united in mourning
Four young athletes - each from different backgrounds, dreams, and disciplines - lost their lives on a single day. From the playing fields to the refugee camps, July 3 reminded the world how fragile even the brightest talents can be. As tributes pour in, the global sporting community stands united in sorrow.
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News18
2 hours ago
- News18
'Legacy': Liverpool To Immortalise Diogo Jota With Touching Tribute
Last Updated: Jota passed away on July 3, 2025, after a tragic car accident in Zamora, Spain, that also claimed the life of his brother Andre. Premier League club Liverpool announced that they would immortalise the legacy of Diogo Jota after the Portuguese forward's tragic passing following a car crash on Thursday. Jota passed away on July 3, 2025, after a tragic car accident in Zamora, Spain, that also claimed the life of his brother Andre. The Premier League and UEFA Nations League winner was only 28 years old at the time of his death. He had recently married his partner, Rute Cardoso, on June 22, just weeks before his untimely passing. The couple had three children together. He took us to victory – a tribute to Diogo Jota ❤️— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025 'What cruelly has proved to be his final flourish in football saw Jota become a Premier League champion and a UEFA Nations League winner," Liverpool said in a statement. 'The No.20 will be rightly immortalised for his contributions as part of Liverpool's 2024-25 title-winners – the club's 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April's Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life," the club added. Jota started his youth career at Gondomar in 2005 before moving to Paços de Ferreira, where he made his senior debut in 2014. In 2016, he transferred to Atletico Madrid but was immediately loaned to Porto for a season and then to Wolves in 2017. His impressive performances for Wolves led to a permanent move to Molineux. Jota's remarkable feats at Wolves, including helping the team win the EFL Championship title, earned him a transfer to Premier League giants Liverpool in 2020. With Liverpool, Jota won the Premier League, the FA Cup in the 2021-22 season, and the EFL League Cup. He was also part of the Portuguese team that won the UEFA Nations League in both the 2018/19 and 2024/25 seasons. Born Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva, he adopted the surname 'Jota' to distinguish himself from teammates with similar names in the youth academy. An avid gamer, Jota formed his own eSports team, Diogo Jota eSports, later renamed Luna Galaxy, and topped the FIFA 21 Championship table in February of that year. A versatile player capable of playing various roles along the front line, Jota clinched the Premier League title with Liverpool a month ago and followed it up with his second UEFA Nations League title. Last week, he married his childhood sweetheart, Cardoso. First Published: July 04, 2025, 07:20 IST
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Women's EURO 2025: Spain thrashes Portugal 5-0; Italy beats Belgium 1-0 in Group B clashes
Esther González scored twice as world champion Spain delivered a strong statement by routing Portugal 5-0 in their Women's European Championship opener on Thursday. The 32-year-old González became the oldest player to play for Spain at the tournament and scored minutes before the youngest, 18-year-old Vicky López, added the second goal. Spain captain Alexia Putellas also scored for La Roja, showing she's ready to lead the team to success after missing Euro 2022 with a knee injury. Spain lost to eventual winner England in the quarterfinals of that tournament. Substitute Cristina Martin-Prieto completed the scoring with a header in stoppage time. Spain captain Alexia Putellas also scored for La Roja, showing she's ready to lead the team to success after missing Euro 2022 with a knee injury. | Photo Credit: AP González wasted little time before opening the scoring after 87 seconds with a flick past Inês Pereira. It quickly became apparent that the Portugal goalkeeper would have a busy game. She did. Pereira did well to clear a cross but was unable to stop Mariona Caldentey giving López a tap-in minutes later. Only 24 minutes were played when the fans started a Mexican wave around the nearly 30,000-capacity Wankdorf Stadium, normally home to Swiss Super League team Young Boys. Spain dominated possession in a textbook first-half display. Teammates' work off the ball ensured there was always a passing option. No player had the ball for long as it zipped around, and the Portuguese players were left to chase it. More from Women's EURO 2025: Hegerberg leads Norway to opening 2-1 win over host nation Switzerland Putellas went close, Pereira denied Clàudia Pina, and it was no surprise when Putellas finally got the third goal after she displayed some brilliant control to evade a defender in the 41st. The fourth came two minutes later when González tucked in the rebound after Pina's cross came back off the post. But Spain coach Montse Tomé may have concerns about her team's second-half performance as her players' level of control dropped. Martin-Prieto's late goal was the only addition. The game was preceded by a moment's silence for Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, killed in a car crash with his brother the night before. Rest in peace, Diogo Jota and André Silva 🤍 — UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) July 3, 2025 Caruso nets winner in Italy vs Belgium Italy secured what could prove to be a pivotal opening victory in the Women's European Championship by beating Belgium 1-0 on Thursday. Arianna Caruso scored on the stroke of half-time to give Italy an advantage in a tough Group B, which World Cup winner Spain is expected to top. The first two in the group will progress to the quarterfinals, and Belgium, Italy and Portugal will likely face a close battle for second. Two-time runner-up at the Euros, Italy hasn't reached the knockout stage since 2013. Italy plays Portugal on Monday and Spain four days later. Next up for Belgium is the world champion. Thursday's victory was also revenge for Italy, which lost to Belgium in the group stage at Euro 2022 and came into the match on a streak of three straight defeats to the Red Flames. Italy's Arianna Caruso celebrates scoring during the EURO 2025 match between Belgium and Italy at Stade de Tourbillon in Sion, Switzerland. | Photo Credit: AP UEFA announced earlier that a minute's silence would be observed at Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday in memory of Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, who were killed in a car accident in Spain. That was observed impeccably at a packed Stade de Tourbillon in Sion. ALSO READ: Finland beats 10-woman Iceland 1-0 in opener The first half was finely poised, with a lot of good moves from both sides but a lack of final product as neither goalkeeper was really troubled. The biggest threat came from Belgium captain and all-time top goalscorer Tessa Wullaert, and the Inter Milan forward had the best chance five minutes from the break. Her initial shot was blocked, and she then sent her second attempt just wide of the left post. Italy broke the deadlock just four minutes later. Lucia Di Guglielmo picked out Caruso, who had been left completely unmarked on the edge of the area by the Belgian defence, and the Bayern Munich midfielder advanced into the left side of the box before cutting in and curling into the near top corner.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Her Sport pays tribute to Diogo Jota after his death; advocacy group says he ‘understood why it mattered' to support women
Diogo Jota's death has sent shockwaves throughout the soccer community, with many mourning his tragic demise in a car accident that also killed his brother, Andre Silva. The footballer, who signed to Liverpool in 2020 and hailed from Portugal, also received condolences from the sports advocacy organization Her Sport. Her Sport, which is headquartered in Dublin, Leinster, aims to be 'the voice of women and girls in sport' and has repeatedly advocated for increased representation of women in sports. The organization paid its own tribute to Diogo Jota by revealing that he made sure to show up when there was a chance to advocate for women in sports. Diogo Jota gave a speech on last year's International Women's Day Her Sport recounted an event that had occurred last year, during International Women's Day. During that time, Diogo Jota met with Irish footballer Leanne Kiernan and spoke at length about the need to advocate for women like her. He recalled his upbringing, expressing his gratitude for the women who raised him. He spoke highly of his partner, Rute Cardoso, whom he'd marry a mere ten days before his death. He then spoke of his own role models in women's sports, which included Brazilian footballer Marta and American tennis legend Serena Williams. He didn't just look up to them personally, but also considered them an example for his two-year-old daughter and his sons to follow. Her Sport pointed out that they didn't typically comment on men's sports, but for Diogo, they were willing to make an exception. Diogo Jota was a rising star from Portugal jota was a big advocate for women's football, he'll always be so appreciated and loved in our community. god bless diogo and andré. Diogo Jota hailed from Portugal and began his ascent to soccer stardom by competing with local football clubs, including Gondomar and Paços de Ferreira. He'd then play for Atlético Madrid and Porto before signing on to Liverpool in 2020. Diogo Jota's loss has been heavily felt among many corners of the soccer community because of the wide scope of his influence. From Portugal's soccer clubs to the Premier League, and even advocacy organizations like Her Sport, the footballer's loss is sure to be felt for a long time to come. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
