Latest news with #YouthCommonwealthGames
NDTV
05-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Eyeing Top Podium Finish In 2028 Los Angeles Games: Swapnil Kusale
Emboldened by his landmark bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale is now working on his goal to strike gold in the next edition of the Games in Los Angeles. In Paris last summer, Kusale became the first shooter from the country to win an Olympic medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions event. Kusale, who won gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 World Cups, is not content with the success so far and wants bigger medals. "The big target is next Olympics but in between whatever events comes is important. My focus and vision is on LA and working towards that," Kusale told PTI during an interaction on the sidelines of the logo launch of inaugural Shooting League of India (SLI) here on Thursday. "Obviously, need to think and dream big and like any other athlete I am also looking for the top spot. "My current focus is on World Cup, then will concentrate on Asian Games selection trials," added Kusale, who is part of the Indian contingent for the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich from June 8 to 16. "Next is Munich World Cup and we are leaving tonight, hope to give my best there." The bronze medal in Paris is yet to sink in for Kusale, but he has set his new goals and is working towards achieving them. "The journey since Paris was quite good. I am right now working on some things which I had missed or erred in Paris. Life now is little different from what it used to before Paris, but I am loving it, enjoying it," he said. "I have made some changes health wise, body, fitness and obviously in shooting." Talking about his journey post Paris Games, Kusale said: "After Olympics first event was National Championships and I won bronze medal there, after that was National Games where I again won bronze. After that it was all trials." "I didn't participate in last two World Cups because I needed some rest." Kusale said rifle shooting attracted him after he watched the sport at the 2008 Youth Commonwealth Games. "I started shooting in 2009, may be at the age of 14 or 15. It was Youth Commonwealth Games in 2008 and I watched that on TV, and online, and saw rifle shooting there and felt something is different from rest of disciplines, and I started liking that," he said. "I played so many games, I played volleyball for one and half years when I was in school. I also played a bit of hockey but professionally my interest was in shooting." The 29-year-old shooter from Maharashtra feels the upcoming SLI will be a game-changer for the sport in the country. "It is a big platform for Indian shooters. Those who will come from abroad will attract our budding shooters, our performance will also get better. We will get to learn a lot," Kusale said. "Youngsters will get to learn a lot from this league. They will get to know how a higher level athlete performs, how he prepares and handles situations." The inaugural SLI will be held from November 20 to December 2 between six to eight franchises, but the details are yet to be finalised.
Metro
04-06-2025
- General
- Metro
What Madeleine McCann's twin siblings are doing now after ‘living in her shadow'
Madeleine McCann's parents vow to 'leave no stone unturned' is 'unwavering' as new searches for the missing toddler begin this week. She was three when she vanished while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. Her parents, Kate and Gerry, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance last month. There has been no positive sighting of her since, with the trail remaining as cold now as it was nearly two decades ago. New searches have begun in Praia da Luz and a 26-mile stretch of scrubland between the resort and the Foral where German suspect Christian Brueckner lived in 2003. The new searches for Madeleine, who would have celebrated her 22nd birthday last month, were requested by German police. They face a race against time to charge Brueckner before he is released from prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. In their most tribute to Madeleine, who would also be turning 22 this month, Kate and Gerry McCann said: 'No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day. 'We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is. We miss her.' But Madeleine isn't Kate and Gerry's only child – she also has twin younger siblings, Amelie and Sean, who were born in 2005. A family friend said of twins Amelie and Sean: 'They've always been in Madeleine's shadow, and just been the McCann twins. 'But now they are young adults, they are carving out their own lives.' Today, both are studying at different universities. Amelie, who studies at Durham University is described as popular and outgoing and has competed in triathlons in the past. Speaking for the first time about her sister's disappearance at a vigil two years ago, she commented: 'It's nice that everyone is here together, but it's a sad occasion.' Meanwhile, Sean studies chemical engineering at the University of Loughborough and is a champion freestyle swimmer He's been tipped to represent Scotland at next year's Commonwealth Games – and could even compete for Team GB at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Previously, Sean represented Scotland at the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games, taking part in the 400 and 1500m Freestyle finals, and is part of the country's National Open Water Development Squad for open water swimming. Sean explained how he first started swimming competitively in a post on a local website after winning a grant to fund his training. He said: 'At the age of 10, I was selected to swim at City of Leicester, and I have since gone on to win multiple county titles, as well as becoming regional and national champion in my age group. 'In order to have achieved this, I have had to remain extremely dedicated, getting up at 4am multiple mornings each week to train.' Their parents have said the twins are grateful to be able to 'live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now', despite the continued heartbreak over their missing big sister. More recently, Kate said: 'They have their own friends and they keep busy and they're really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home.' Kate had been a GP but left her job when Maddie vanished. She returned to the healthcare sector during the pandemic. She now works with people with dementia and is an ambassador for the charity Missing People. In their recent statement, the couple thanked the charity and other organisations 'who remain committed, despite many challenges and limited resources, to finding and bringing home the many missing and abducted children'. Gerry McCann is a research lead and professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicester, whose 'life-changing work' has been praised by colleagues. They still live in the same redbrick detached house in Rothley, Leicestershire, where they resided when the toddler disappeared. Speaking to the Daily Mail, family friend Michelle Canilleri said: 'I have seen this family's grief from the very beginning to now. 'Our hearts go out to them, and the village as a whole hopes they get the answers they so desperately need.' But as well as deep sympathy, the couple have also been on the receiving end of personal attacks and further anguish. Two women are accused of stalking the McCann family, including turning up at their home. Polish national Julia Wandel is due to stand trial in October this year accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February 2025. Wandel made global headlines in 2023 after claiming to be Madeleine and has continued to speak out on social media despite those claims being rubbished by a DNA test. She is said to have made calls, left voicemails, and sent a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry, as well as sending their other children, Sean and Amelie, Instagram messages. Karen Spragg has also denied stalking, allegedly by making calls, sending letters and attending the McCann's home. May 3, 2007: Kate and Gerry McCann leave their children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while they dine with friends. They check on their children three times throughout the night, and, at 10pm, they find her missing May 14, 2007: Police take property developer Robert Murat in for questioning and make him a formal suspect – this is later withdrawn. August 11, 2007: 100 days after her disappearance, detectives acknowledge that she could be dead. September 7, 2007: Maddie's parents become formal suspects in their daughter's disappearance. September 9, 2007: The McCanns return to England with their two-year-old twins. July 21, 2008: Portuguese authorities shelve the investigation and remove the McCanns and Murat as suspects. May 12, 2011: Kate McCann publishes a book about her daughter's disappearance on her eighth birthday April 25, 2012: Scotland Yard detectives say they believe Madeleine could still be alive and release a picture of how she may look as a nine-year-old. They ask Portuguese police to reopen the case, but they say they have found no new information. July 4, 2013: Scotland Yard confirms it has launched its own investigation and says it has identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons. October 24, 2013: Portuguese police decide to reopen the case January 29, 2014: British detectives fly out to Portugal June 3, 2024: Sniffer dogs and specialist teams are used to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing. December 12, 2024: Detectives begin questioning 11 people who it is thought may have information on the case. September 16, 2014: The Government states that the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance has so far cost £10 million October 28, 2014: Scotland Yard cuts the number of officers working on the inquiry from 29 to four. April 30, 2017: The McCanns mark 10 years since her disappearance with a BBC interview. May 3, 2019: Local media reports say Portuguese detectives are investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect in the abduction of Madeleine. June 3, 2020: Police reveal that a 43-year-old German prisoner, later named as Christian Brueckner, has been identified as a suspect in Madeleine's disappearance. April 21, 2022: Christian Brueckner is made a formal suspect by Portuguese authorities. October 11, 2022: Brueckner is charged with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Madeleine's disappearance. May 3, 2023: Kate and Gerry McCann mark the 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance by saying she is 'still very much missed' and that they 'await a breakthrough'. May 22, 2023: An area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, is sealed off as police prepare to start searching on May 23. May 23, 2023: Searches begin with police divers in the water and officers with sniffer dogs and rakes seen on the banks. June 23, 2023: A man named Helge B claimed to the German newspaper Bild that Brueckner almost confessed to killing Maddie, allegedly telling him 'she didn't scream' when the pair talked about the case at a music festival July 11, 2023: The German prosecutor involved with the case warns not to 'expect too much' from the search. February 16, 2024: Brueckner's trial starts over three counts of alleged rape and sexual abuse of two children not connected to the Madeleine investigation October 8, 2024: He is acquitted of all the allegations due to 'insufficient' evidence. An appeal over the acquittal is launched, which is still ongoing March 27, 2025: A 60-year-old woman is charged with stalking the McCann family May 3, 2025: Maddie's parents Kate and Gerry McCann mark the 18th anniversary of her disappearance with a heartbreaking message September 17, 2025 : This is the date Brueckner could be released from prison if no further charges are brought In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating their older sister's disappearance. More Trending Kate and Gerry still share updates on the Find Madeleine website. One section is headed 'Why do we continue?' Underneath it reads: 'There is absolutely nothing to suggest that Madeleine has been harmed. Madeleine is still missing, and someone needs to be looking for her. She is young and vulnerable and needs our help. We love her dearly and miss her beyond words.' A version of this article was first published on May 10, 2025 Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Three missing sisters found dead after going to visit dad as manhunt for him is underway MORE: PC sacked after telling teenager to 'stop crying like a b****' during arrest MORE: Three Brits face firing squad for 'smuggling cocaine inside Angel Delight sachets'
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Rugby bid farewell to 12 including Emiliano Boffelli and seven other full internationals
Argentine international's season has been blighted by injury Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Edinburgh Rugby have announced that 12 players will leave the club at the end of the season and eight full internationals are among those moving on. It was already known that the Scotland quartet of Jamie Ritchie, Dave Cherry, Ali Price and Matt Scott would be going but they are joined by four other full caps, Emiliano Boffelli, Mark Bennett, Javan Sebastian and Jamie Hodgson. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In addition, Robin Hislop, Jake Henry, Nathan Sweeney and Jack Hocking are also heading to pastures new. Edinburgh's Emiliano Boffelli in his final appearance for the club, against Zebre Parma. | SNS Group Boffelli, 30, has had a torrid time with injury since helping Argentina reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 2023. He has played only once this season due to a nerve problem in his back and has been much missed after an outstanding first season with Edinburgh in 2021-22. The long-serving Bennett, 32, is another whose season has been blighted by injury but the gifted centre leaves after eight years at the club. He was Edinburgh's player of the season in 2021-22 after ten tries in 22 games helped them reach the URC and Challenge Cup quarter-finals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh's Jamie Ritchie, left, and Ali Price, right, are moving on at the end of the season. | SNS Group Scotland prop Sebastian, 30, played 28 times across two seasons with Edinburgh while international second-row Jamie Hodgson, 27, came through the system as his hometown club for whom he made 67 appearances. He was on loan at Bristol Bears for a spell this season. Hislop, 33, has spent the last two seasons with Edinburgh but a serious knee injury curtailed his involvement with the club he returned to after being part of the academy set-up. Henry, 24, spent this season on loan at Coventry and the speedy winger will remain with the English Championship club. Sweeney, 24, made his Edinburgh debut against Connacht in 2023 and now moves on after three appearances. Hocking, 20, was part of Scotland's gold medal-winning Sevens team at the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games. Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt paid tribute to the departing dozen. 'I want to express my sincere gratitude for their unwavering efforts, their commitment to the jersey and the passion they've shown for this club and our supporters,' he said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The Advertiser
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Fressard's path from school expulsion to Origin arena
If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it." If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it." If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it."
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fressard's path from school expulsion to Origin arena
If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it."
