Latest news with #NationalAcademy
IOL News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Proteas Test debut a happy moment for Dolphins spinner Prenelan Subrayen
"With his achievements over the years, I think he's not only a role model, but a friend off the field as well." "Receiving my cap from Keshav is a cherry on top kind of thing. Keshav and I have been friends for a very long time, as well as playing for the Dolphins for a very long time," Subrayen told the media on the eve of the second Test. Subrayen received his Test baggy green cap from Maharaj himself, a fitting moment given that the two had played together at the Dolphins since starting their journey. The off-spinner will make his debut after having played over 70 First-Class matches, returning 242 wickets and 12 five-wicket hauls at an average of 27.94. Subrayen comes into the playing side, replacing the injured Keshav Maharaj. The 31-year-old has earned the opportunity having been a consistent performer for the Dolphins in the Four-Day competition for many years. Dolphins off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen is set to don the Proteas Test baggy green for the first time in the second Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday. 🔥 TEAM NEWS 🔥 Wiaan Mulder will lead the Proteas Men as captain in the second and final Test match of the Zimbabwean series. 🧢🇿🇦 A proud moment as Prenelan Subrayen and Lesego Senokwane are set to make their Test debuts. 🏏✨ A fresh chapter in South African cricket as our… Subrayen described the moment as a happy moment for himself and his family. "Definitely a very happy moment for me. It was both my parents ... I think it was a dream of theirs to finally see me play for South Africa, and they are really ecstatic. My dad's a Level 3 coach. But I think the role that they played, as well as both my sisters, has been massive for me, right from the junior levels right till now," said Subrayen. "It's been a case of no pressure being put on me and just being allowed to express myself on and off the field. It's a great feeling. It's a lot of hard work that has been put in behind the scenes as well as on the field. " I think it's just been family. The bond between family and the close-knit between me and my family has definitely been the main driving force for me. You go through different phases in your domestic career, and I think I've been through most of them, the ups and downs." Subrayen is a newbie in the Test environment, but feels welcome in the squad as he has experience being coached by Shukri Conrad. "I'm kind of new to the change room. I was fortunate enough to work with Shuks in one of my National Academy years, so he kind of knows me pretty decently as a person on and off the field," said Subrayen. "I think he managed one of our football teams as well when I was in National Academy, so he kind of knows me off the field as well. "He kind of knows my character, so that definitely made it easy for me to fit in, as well as a lot of the guys within the set-up playing against them over the years and playing in the same team as most of them. It definitely made it easy to fit in." The second Test is set to get underway on Sunday in Bulawayo.
South Wales Argus
01-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Mika Stojsavljevic grateful for first Wimbledon experience
The 16-year-old – who trains at the LTA's National Academy in Loughborough - held her own on her senior Grand Slam debut despite a 6-3 6-2 defeat to world No,31 Ashlyn Krueger. It was a first taste of the level it takes to compete at the sharp end of the women's tour, and Stojsavljevic left confident she can reach It with more exposure. 'It was an incredible experience. I am really grateful to the All England Club for the wild card. I can hopefully use this for next year and play better,' she said. 'It's a different kind of intensity when you are playing people who are top 50, the more you play with them the more you get used to it. 'It is just the experience of how to play matches. I don't think there was a huge gap in terms of tennis. 'It was just a few break points I didn't convert and a few service games where I didn't hold. In the first set the difference was five points, but I lost. 'I saw that I can compete against her, so that was good confidence for me. I would have liked to do better, maybe next year.' Stojsavljevic was one of three teenage British wild cards in the women's singles draw, with compatriots Mimi Xu and Hannah Klugman also tasting defeat in the first round. Stojsavljevic boasts both Serbian and Polish parentage and lists former Wimbledon champions Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova as her tennis heroes. The 16-year-old from Ealing has a long way to go to reach those levels, but her junior US Open victory last September was a strong sign of her huge potential. A first match at her home Slam was a strong first step, especially with family and friends watching on. 'Of course I was a little bit nervous but I was more excited. I really wanted to get on court,' she said. 'I was waiting around for a long time. 'My mum, my sister were in the crowd, it is nice to have them there cheering you on. Especially at the start of the second set the crowd were really getting into it which was fun.' For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
The National
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Eilidh Doyle on mission to pass baton to next generation
The most decorated Scot in track and field was on the anchor leg for GB and NI that Sunday evening in March and duly guided the women's 4x400m team home to precious silver medals. Six years later and Doyle is still passing the baton, only in a different way. Helping the next generation in athletics was on her mind even before she hung up the spikes, joining the board of Scottish Athletics in September 2018. Her life after competition features in an absorbing new documentary created for the governing body by Urbane Media. 'Eilidh Doyle – Passing the Baton' by Calum McCready features the 38-year-old talking about quitting competition, motherhood to two boys and giving something back to the sport she loves. Keynote speaking engagements with the National Academy, Awards Dinner and Club Conference have shone a light on the hurdler's career change. And she feels passionately that Scotland must draw on the top athletes to help educate and guide those now on the same pathway. 'I was a PE teacher before I was a full-time athlete and, even when I was still competing, I was exploring different avenues to see what was out there,' said Doyle in the film. 'In my career as an athlete, I think I learned a lot and I experienced a lot. And it was trying to work out: 'What did I learn and where would that be useful?' 'I think that's kind of where I'm useful in all my roles, because it's somebody who's been there and done that, who can give an athlete's perspective on it. 'I'm a member of the Board of Scottish Athletics. I also work with various coaches across the country. Read more: 'As an athlete, you're very much in your own bubble. Now that I'm out of that world, it's nice to kind of understand what's going on in the rest of athletics.' Scottishathletics recently posted a short series, 'Learning from our Olympians', with video content from Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan and that chimes with what Doyle wants to see. 'There are lots of us out there, athletes who have been to so many championships and had success or not had success, but equally have really important life skills and lessons and experiences,' she added. 'They can share that with others. We can use our athletes that are coming to retirement or are retired and try to tell their stories and learn about their journeys. I think we have some great people who can pass on what they have experienced and share for the next generation as well.' Further roles give her other opportunities, too. 'I'm also working for Youth Sport Trust, which is a charity. One of the main projects I'm doing is a programme called Set For Success. You work with young people, do various activities with them, do some work with them to sort of draw out those skill sets that they have, that they maybe don't know that they have. 'And then finally, I've just started a new role with Edinburgh University. Part of the university's aims is to set up performance hubs. My role is more as a sort of mentor between the athletes and the performance team. 'So yes, lots of different projects, but really exciting ones and areas I am very passionate about as well.' None of which was on her mind, presumably, as she took a lap of honour at Hampden after Commonwealth Games silver at Glasgow 2014 and then celebrated gold as European champion in the 400m hurdles in Zurich two weeks later. Eilidh Doyle chatter through her career (Image: Bobby Gavin) 'It's a great life, you know, being able to kind of travel around and do what you love, is great,particularly when you're in shape and you're running well,' she said. 'I think the highs just come when you're running really well and you're just full of confidence. 'For me, there was no better feeling than crossing the line knowing I'd just left it out there, like you've nothing left, you've crossed the line and you know it has been a really good performance. Regardless of times or positions. I think just that feeling of crossing the line and having given it everything that was always a real high for me. 'Sometimes you can train really, really, really hard and not get the result that you think you deserve. Everybody trains really hard and everybody wants those results so that can be the hard things. But the highs always did outweigh the lows in my opinion.' McCready joins Doyle at Grangemouth – where the Hampden track was laid after Glasgow 2024. And the memories, and senses, start to stir for the Pitreavie AAC athlete who began her sporting story in athletics and has openly admitted went off the rails while at university in Edinburgh. 'It's really funny like, in no way is it the same or do I feel like that same athlete in 2014 but actually being on this track, it's quite a humid day and there's like a smell that tracks give off,' she said. 'And when I was running round there, I actually had a little smile to myself because I was sensing the smell that took me right back to 2014. For a moment I was back at Hampden and it was nice because it was like, 'Oh, I remember that'. Thinking back gave me butterflies in my tummy.' Glasgow 2014 fell between the Olympics in London and Rio. Competing at a third, in Tokyo, was very much the plan. 'In 2019, I competed in the indoor season, and then I took a year off to have a baby, and I was pregnant with my first son, Campbell, at the time. In 2020, my plan was to come back after having Campbell and compete at the Olympics. If I was being realistic, that was going to be probably my last hurrah. It would have been a third Olympics. And then Covid hit and everybody stopped. 'Nobody really knew what was happening and for me, it felt like I had another chance and more time to get back to full fitness. I was thinking, 'The Olympics have been postponed for a year, I've got a whole year now to get back and be ready'. 'But during that time, and I think probably a lot of people were the same, my motivation was just up and down and up and down.' One day, on that same Grangemouth track, the motivation stayed down. For good. 'Literally it was just one day I was training at Grangemouth and I turned to Brian, who is my husband, but was my coach as well at the time. I said to Brian, 'I think I'm done. I think I've had enough now'. His response was. 'Oh, thank goodness you've got there, thank goodness you've realised'. 'Brian could see my motivation was not quite there. The determination, the drive to train wasn't quite there. But he couldn't tell me to quit; that had to come from me. I probably got there a little bit slower than I might have done. 'I think becoming a mum was an easier way to transition out of the sport. Athletics took up a lot of my life, you know. It was what I did every day. And even when I wasn't at the track, I was constantly thinking about making sure I was doing everything right to be the best athlete. 'Parenthood makes you balance and plan life around somebody else now and not just kind of geared around me and athletics. A couple of years later, we had Lewis, who came along as well. 'I love being a mum. It's hard. I don't know what's harder, training for an Olympics, or being a mum of two boys...' Watch Eilidh Doyle – Passing the Baton via
The Herald Scotland
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Eilidh Doyle on mission to pass baton to next generation
Six years later and Doyle is still passing the baton, only in a different way. Helping the next generation in athletics was on her mind even before she hung up the spikes, joining the board of Scottish Athletics in September 2018. Her life after competition features in an absorbing new documentary created for the governing body by Urbane Media. 'Eilidh Doyle – Passing the Baton' by Calum McCready features the 38-year-old talking about quitting competition, motherhood to two boys and giving something back to the sport she loves. Keynote speaking engagements with the National Academy, Awards Dinner and Club Conference have shone a light on the hurdler's career change. And she feels passionately that Scotland must draw on the top athletes to help educate and guide those now on the same pathway. 'I was a PE teacher before I was a full-time athlete and, even when I was still competing, I was exploring different avenues to see what was out there,' said Doyle in the film. 'In my career as an athlete, I think I learned a lot and I experienced a lot. And it was trying to work out: 'What did I learn and where would that be useful?' 'I think that's kind of where I'm useful in all my roles, because it's somebody who's been there and done that, who can give an athlete's perspective on it. 'I'm a member of the Board of Scottish Athletics. I also work with various coaches across the country. Read more: 'As an athlete, you're very much in your own bubble. Now that I'm out of that world, it's nice to kind of understand what's going on in the rest of athletics.' Scottishathletics recently posted a short series, 'Learning from our Olympians', with video content from Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan and that chimes with what Doyle wants to see. 'There are lots of us out there, athletes who have been to so many championships and had success or not had success, but equally have really important life skills and lessons and experiences,' she added. 'They can share that with others. We can use our athletes that are coming to retirement or are retired and try to tell their stories and learn about their journeys. I think we have some great people who can pass on what they have experienced and share for the next generation as well.' Further roles give her other opportunities, too. 'I'm also working for Youth Sport Trust, which is a charity. One of the main projects I'm doing is a programme called Set For Success. You work with young people, do various activities with them, do some work with them to sort of draw out those skill sets that they have, that they maybe don't know that they have. 'And then finally, I've just started a new role with Edinburgh University. Part of the university's aims is to set up performance hubs. My role is more as a sort of mentor between the athletes and the performance team. 'So yes, lots of different projects, but really exciting ones and areas I am very passionate about as well.' None of which was on her mind, presumably, as she took a lap of honour at Hampden after Commonwealth Games silver at Glasgow 2014 and then celebrated gold as European champion in the 400m hurdles in Zurich two weeks later. Eilidh Doyle chatter through her career (Image: Bobby Gavin) 'It's a great life, you know, being able to kind of travel around and do what you love, is great,particularly when you're in shape and you're running well,' she said. 'I think the highs just come when you're running really well and you're just full of confidence. 'For me, there was no better feeling than crossing the line knowing I'd just left it out there, like you've nothing left, you've crossed the line and you know it has been a really good performance. Regardless of times or positions. I think just that feeling of crossing the line and having given it everything that was always a real high for me. 'Sometimes you can train really, really, really hard and not get the result that you think you deserve. Everybody trains really hard and everybody wants those results so that can be the hard things. But the highs always did outweigh the lows in my opinion.' McCready joins Doyle at Grangemouth – where the Hampden track was laid after Glasgow 2024. And the memories, and senses, start to stir for the Pitreavie AAC athlete who began her sporting story in athletics and has openly admitted went off the rails while at university in Edinburgh. 'It's really funny like, in no way is it the same or do I feel like that same athlete in 2014 but actually being on this track, it's quite a humid day and there's like a smell that tracks give off,' she said. 'And when I was running round there, I actually had a little smile to myself because I was sensing the smell that took me right back to 2014. For a moment I was back at Hampden and it was nice because it was like, 'Oh, I remember that'. Thinking back gave me butterflies in my tummy.' Glasgow 2014 fell between the Olympics in London and Rio. Competing at a third, in Tokyo, was very much the plan. 'In 2019, I competed in the indoor season, and then I took a year off to have a baby, and I was pregnant with my first son, Campbell, at the time. In 2020, my plan was to come back after having Campbell and compete at the Olympics. If I was being realistic, that was going to be probably my last hurrah. It would have been a third Olympics. And then Covid hit and everybody stopped. 'Nobody really knew what was happening and for me, it felt like I had another chance and more time to get back to full fitness. I was thinking, 'The Olympics have been postponed for a year, I've got a whole year now to get back and be ready'. 'But during that time, and I think probably a lot of people were the same, my motivation was just up and down and up and down.' One day, on that same Grangemouth track, the motivation stayed down. For good. 'Literally it was just one day I was training at Grangemouth and I turned to Brian, who is my husband, but was my coach as well at the time. I said to Brian, 'I think I'm done. I think I've had enough now'. His response was. 'Oh, thank goodness you've got there, thank goodness you've realised'. 'Brian could see my motivation was not quite there. The determination, the drive to train wasn't quite there. But he couldn't tell me to quit; that had to come from me. I probably got there a little bit slower than I might have done. 'I think becoming a mum was an easier way to transition out of the sport. Athletics took up a lot of my life, you know. It was what I did every day. And even when I wasn't at the track, I was constantly thinking about making sure I was doing everything right to be the best athlete. 'Parenthood makes you balance and plan life around somebody else now and not just kind of geared around me and athletics. A couple of years later, we had Lewis, who came along as well. 'I love being a mum. It's hard. I don't know what's harder, training for an Olympics, or being a mum of two boys...' Watch Eilidh Doyle – Passing the Baton via
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Girls from same Bournemouth tennis club win elite academy places
Two 14-year-old girls from the same tennis club have won places at an elite training Britton and Grace Watson are among five juniors selected in 2025 to join the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) National pair, from The West Hants Club in Bournemouth, will receive free coaching, education and travel to international Richard Irwin said he was proud of the club's "brilliant" achievement. He said: "It's made all the more special by how tough the selection criteria is."It's our aim to get players there. To have two - I'm not sure another club's done it. Couldn't be prouder."Dani's had something since she first came. A very natural ball striker, skilful player. "Grace - her work rate is through the roof. She has just worked so hard and given everything she had." The National Academy, which is for players aged 13-18, currently has 10 spend at least two years at the centre at Loughborough Britton, who is ranked 358th for world under-18s, said she was excited to be selected at her second said: "I've definitely had to work hard for it, it's not just come easy."I can just push my dream of being a top tennis player now."Grace Watson said: "I've been working very hard to get the opportunity to go there. "The dream is to be the best tennis player I can, win a few Grand Slams of course." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
