Polish swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski becomes the first to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland

Peyman Gavidel, who won bronze at the Asian Games, believes that the Iranian sprint canoeing team faces a challenging task at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya. Nevertheless, he is convinced that thorough preparation will allow the team to contend for medals.

Commenting on his preparation for his third participation in the Asian Games, Gavidel emphasized that consistency in the training process is crucial. He noted that their work is extremely difficult, and they are in a very vulnerable position: the slightest lag in training will negatively affect their confidence and ability to show maximum potential.

Gavidel highly praised the achievements of the Ukrainian head coach of the Iranian national team, Sergey Bozugly, calling him one of the world leaders. He compared him to Pedro, noting that Sergey cannot compare to him because Pedro was a world champion and close to winning the London Olympics, finishing fourth after being in contention for a medal until the last fifty meters. He stated that Pedro's track record speaks for itself.

Furthermore, Gavidel pointed out that although Pedro's former coach was not solely responsible for Iran's disappointing results in Hangzhou, internal problems and disagreements within the national team played a significant role. He explained that issues within the canoeing system and distractions led to the division of the team, which hindered the achievement of desired results.

Gavidel reported that Iran will not field a four-person boat in Nagoya. Instead, they will participate in the K2 discipline with Ali Agamirzaei and in the mixed race with Elnaz Shafian. Despite acknowledging the strength of traditional Asian leaders such as China, South Korea, and Japan, he believes that Iran has the quality to fight for the podium.

He added: 'We have good boats and good athletes. If everything goes according to plan, I believe good results are possible in Nagoya.' Gavidel previously won bronze in the K2 500m discipline at the previous Asian Games and believes that partnering with Agamirzaei gives Iran even more chances to win a medal this time.

Inter midfielder Genghis Mkhityaryan shared his thoughts ahead of the twentieth season of his professional career. He expressed satisfaction with this stage, noting that it indicates he has achieved a great deal in his career, which has allowed him to maintain a high level of play for many years.

Mkhityaryan emphasized that as the most experienced player in the team, he strives to serve as a role model for young athletes. He aims to demonstrate all aspects of proper conduct that they can learn. He considers this extremely important and makes efforts to help them both on and off the field.

He added that the next step depends on the young players themselves—whether they are ready to learn or not. Mkhityaryan concluded that they represent one team and one family, and can only achieve their goals together.

It was previously officially announced that Inter extended the contract with the 37-year-old Armenian midfielder until June 30, 2027. Last season, Mkhityaryan participated in 39 matches in all tournaments, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists.

Former England captain Ben Stokes made an important statement regarding his future after leaving international cricket. Following the announcement of his retirement from international sports, his focus is now on coaching. Stokes stated that he aims to become the head coach of the England team in the future and has already begun preparing for this goal.

Stokes previously announced his departure from international cricket on June 28, 2026, after playing 122 Test matches, 114 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 43 T20 international matches. He is currently undergoing training to obtain Level-3 qualification so that he can immediately take on coaching duties after retiring.

During an interview on the 'Love of Cricket' podcast, Stokes revealed that he is acquiring Level-3 qualification parallel to his playing career. His objective is to have all necessary formalities completed in advance so that he can start working as a coach without delay after retirement. He emphasized that he clearly understands what he wants to do after sports and believes that coaching is the most suitable path for him, as he wishes to remain part of the world of sport in some capacity. He added that he would be proud of the opportunity to coach the England team if such an offer arises, noting that the role of a leader has always appealed to him, even off the field.

After his departure, Stokes passed the captaincy of the England team to Joe Root. While Stokes is confident in Root's ability to handle the responsibility, he also expressed concern that the pressure of captaincy might be too heavy for Root. He hopes that Root will succeed in the captaincy role and enjoy working alongside Stephen Fleming. Stokes mentioned that he previously worked with Fleming and knows how positive the collaboration with him is.

The former captain stated that he made it clear to Root that his main concern is Root himself. He observed that Root has always prioritized the team's interests over his own and has dealt with personal difficulties. Stokes recalled that he himself faced many challenging situations when taking responsibility for a team. Therefore, he does not want Root to go through similar pressure and mental strain. In Stokes' opinion, the team must always come first, but maintaining the captain's mental and physical health is equally important.