Experienced Karla Pretorius has earned recognition for the excellent form shown in the Free State Crinums season, which concluded with a TNL title. As a result, she has joined the Proteas squad for the Commonwealth Championship.
Experienced Karla Pretorius has earned recognition for the excellent form shown in the Free State Crinums season, which concluded with a TNL title. As a result, she has joined the Proteas squad for the Commonwealth Championship.
As Karla Pretorius packed for the trip to Glasgow this week, the experienced defender admitted that she feels like a rookie again. Since the Commonwealth Championship starts on Thursday, the 34-year-old athlete will attend her third tournament, driven by the same excitement and nervousness she felt when first wearing the Spar Proteas jersey after a break from the national team.
Pretorius shared in a video clip that it feels like her first tour, comparing it to the moment she received her first national team jersey. She noted having both excitement and some anxiety but emphasized that returning to the environment was a very positive experience, and she felt accepted while continuing what she had been doing previously.
Pretorius returns to the South African team, which is full of confidence after defeating England in a trial series and arriving in Glasgow as African champions. Although there are many young players in the squad, the experienced player in the goal/wing defense position believes her contribution goes beyond simply preventing opponents' attacks.
She stated that she considers it important to share her experience from past Commonwealth Championships. According to her, this involves transferring knowledge about what worked and what did not, as well as being aware of inevitable difficulties. Furthermore, she aims to help everyone enjoy the experience.
Pretorius also stressed that from the beginning, she was confident in the importance of understanding her role in coach Jenny van Dijk's plans. She stated that as a player, she wants to be the best version of herself, whether on or off the pitch, striving to be the best for this group.
The Proteas squad hopes to reach the podium in Glasgow for the first time, relying on recent form and a combination of youth and experience. Proteas captain Khanyisa Chauane believes Pretorius's influence could be invaluable as South Africa strives to win its first Commonwealth Championship medal since 1998.
Chauane noted that even during training, young defenders approach her with questions and engage in conversations. She emphasized that Pretorius is someone who has achieved success and can raise the team's level. In her opinion, the standard of play increases in any team Karla plays in.
Free State Crinums completed a flawless campaign in the Telkom League, where Pretorius played a key role in defense. Chauane believes this winning mentality has permeated into the national team. South Africa is openly stating its goals in Glasgow.
The South African team will start its Group A against Malawi on Saturday at the OVO Hydro stadium, followed by matches against Tonga, Northern Ireland, Australia, and England. The top two teams will advance to the semi-finals in early August, with medal matches taking place the following day. Pretorius confirmed that all the team's work has been aimed at achieving the goal—reaching the podium.
The youth national swimming team of Uzbekistan achieved a victory by winning gold and bronze awards at the Asian Youth Aquatics Championship held in Thailand.
Mukhammadismoil Rakhmonov won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke discipline among athletes under 18 years old. Parizad Abdukarimova received the bronze medal in the 50-meter butterfly competition among juniors under 18 years old.
Thanks to these achievements, the national team of Uzbekistan increased the total number of medals won at the continental championship.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff expressed his intention to support an emotional George Russell ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix after the driver retired early from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Wolff stated that he plans to hug Russell, who looked upset after spinning out on the first lap in Belgium. A controversial event took place on Sunday afternoon: Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli won, his sixth of the season, increasing the gap between him and teammate Russell in the drivers' championship to 50 points.
Russell, who started 25 points behind his teammate, dropped to third place in the title fight after colliding with former teammate and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
After being forced to retire from the race, Russell blamed his situation and the accident on the car's insufficient power in an interview with Sky Sports. He noted: 'I was completely taken by it right on the straight,' adding that 'I lost three positions when I went into Turn 5. It was a racing incident. Maybe I could have turned wider, maybe he could have braked harder.'
Although the stewards deemed Hamilton responsible for the crash and issued him a five-second penalty, Russell repeated his previous claims that his low performance was linked to a lack of power in the car. He stated: 'The incident shouldn't have happened if I had speed on the straight... I am very, very disappointed. I appreciate that everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but right now I am here on the fifth lap of the race.' He continued: 'I thought I was in a good position to fight for the lead at Turn 1, and then suddenly the power disappeared. Everything vanished.'
Toto Wolff defended the Mercedes power units used by both the factory team and others, including rivals McLaren. He emphasized: 'We released a product this year that is so powerful, and I would rather address reliability than accelerate a slow engine.'
He added that the team is making maximum efforts: 'We are giving 100%. We must do this because we have lost many points due to reliability. We must be ahead.' Wolff assured Russell: 'George has 100 percent of our support. He had a tough weekend. Half of this can be explained by the power unit not being as good as it should have been, and the other half—possibly driving.'
He concluded: 'We are in this together. We all make mistakes. Today the mistake is the team's, and another day—the driver's. We just need to minimize this and support each other.'
Wolff also expressed understanding for Russell's feelings, noting that 'in the moment you retire from the race, it is so frustrating, and emotions boil over. We are trying to solve the problems. He is doing everything possible to improve his driving, and I am going to try to hug him.'
After a month when evening matches, penalty shootouts, and football discussions dictated the daily routine of fans across the UAE, the tournament suddenly concluded.
Marwan Sharif, a resident of Dubai from Sudan, noted that waking up without the expected next match feels strangely familiar, yet no less difficult. He compared this feeling to the end of a relationship, saying it is like breaking up with someone he genuinely valued.
Sharif explained that although the World Cup starts as entertainment, as the tournament progresses, it gradually becomes part of the fan's emotional and physical routine. Initially, it was just fun leisure time after work, but by the playoff stage, it transforms into something to which one is emotionally attached.
His days began to revolve around game results, match start times, and the need to recover from night games. He admitted to checking scores of late games even before getting up, restructuring his day and nap schedule around kick-off times, and disrupting his sleep pattern due to penalties, as if it personally affected his life.
As an Argentina supporter, Sharif misses most of all the emotional tension that international football brings. He emphasized how much he loves those 'rollercoaster' mixed emotions over 90 minutes, especially as an Argentina fan, recalling the nervous excitement before Messi begins his mastery. He believes that finding such a feeling in old age elsewhere is impossible.
He thinks that club football, particularly the decisive stages of the Champions League, might partially fill this void, although it won't compare to the main tournament.
The sense of loss is not limited to those who regularly follow sports. Hadher Musad, a resident of Abu Dhabi, usually does not watch football, but tunes in every four years when the World Cup begins. She stated that you don't have to be a fan to watch, because the tournament is much more than just the sport; it is an event that unites everyone.
For Musad, the appeal of the tournament lies in the atmosphere and the overall experience, not just the games themselves. Whether one is at home, in fan zones, or among colleagues, the World Cup provided a common topic of discussion and a reason to gather. She recalled how meeting friends at 11 PM on Tuesday became the new normal, and how everyone at work discussed it the next morning, even those who usually weren't interested in football.
Now that the tournament is over, she plans to return to her usual routine but noted that the energy created by the World Cup will be hard to replace.
Rahim Jairkhanov, another Dubai resident, experienced mixed emotions about the tournament's conclusion. On one hand, part of him wished the celebration would continue, given all the emotions the tournament delivered, but on the other, he is glad for the chance to focus on things other than football again.
He described the final as bittersweet, even though he was pleased with his favorite team's victory. During the last month, football divided every day into two parts: work and personal matters occupied the early hours until the evening matches took over. He said he always knew that the second half of the day would be filled with strong emotions, surrounded by good friends and elegant football.
Jairkhanov also highly praised the atmosphere created across Dubai, especially in the city's fan zones. He expressed hope that they will see a World Cup held in the UAE in the near future. Most of all, he will miss the atmosphere, as well as the chance to see players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who may not appear in the next World Cup. He advised fans experiencing post-tournament emptiness: 'Don't be sad, find positivity in everything.'
