Golf Icons Cup tournament starts in South Africa in December under the leadership of Ernie Els and AB de Villiers

The coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso, believes that the team has become stronger after an emotionally difficult pre-season period interrupted by the tragic death of Jayden Adams.

The team, which is the reigning CAF Champions League champion, recently returned from a training camp in Europe. The delay in departure caused them to miss the first matches of the domestic season. The initially planned trip was postponed following Adams' death.

The squad first attended a memorial service in memory of the midfielder and then traveled abroad to continue preparations. Cardoso acknowledged that the team was in a difficult emotional state and could not immediately return to football, but he believes that the overseas camp created an ideal environment for players and staff to grieve together and support each other during this extremely difficult time.

Cardoso told the club's media department: 'I think this was a very important turning point from an emotional perspective. We unfortunately had to interrupt the pre-season due to Jayden's passing.' He added that after attending the memorial, the team was not in the best emotional condition, so 'leaving the country and some distancing from the context was very important.'

The Portuguese tactician noted that one of the main positive aspects of the trip was that the entire group was able to stay together while processing the loss of one of their teammates. 'I really think this is the first very positive aspect we should highlight: keeping the team together while we were still dealing with the funerals. It was very important that we could go through this collective emotional moment together.'

He continued that this was a positive aspect because, in his opinion, they finished the camp in a suitable state—mourning, honoring, but also sharing love and living that feeling.

In addition to emotional recovery, Cardoso believes that Sundowns achieved sporting goals by playing matches against higher-level opponents than usually encountered during the South African pre-season. 'Regarding the sporting part of the preparation, it is obvious that the club provides the team with a good opportunity. To come abroad where we can find opponents of such a level that is hard to find in South Africa, especially since we don't play in preparation against our strongest rivals. The mission is accomplished. Difficult opponents lie ahead, and this is a positive result.'

The Masandawana team will start its season with a match in the MTN8 tournament against Polokwane City on Saturday.

In the federation ratings announced by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for August, Uzbekistan rose to 8th place.

This result was ensured by the appropriate participation of members of the national men's team in international competitions during July and the organization of chess competitions in Uzbekistan according to established international standards. The average rating of the men's national team was 2626.

According to the rating, the women's national team of Uzbekistan occupied the 20th position among 204 national teams with an average rating of 2238. Additionally, the country's mixed team secured 14th place with a rating of 2432 points.

The regional stage of the volleyball tournament within the framework of the 'Besh Tashabbus Olympiad' took place in Andijan. Teams of boys and girls in age groups 16–21 and 22–30 participated in the competition, having won at the district and city stages, and competed for the title of champions.

According to the results of the matches held at the sports hall of the Andijan State Medical Institute, the team from Izboskan District took first place in the boys' age group 16–21, Marhamat District took second, and Asak District took third.

Among the girls' teams in the 16–21 age category, the team from Balikchi District won the championship, the team from Marhamat District received second place, and the team from Asak District took third.

In the competition among boys in the 22–30 age group, the teams from Buston District won, followed by Izboskan District in second place and Marhamat District in third place.

As for the girls in this same age group, the first place was awarded to the team from Marhamat District, second place to Balikchi District, and third place to a team from the city of Andijan.

The winners and prize-winners of the tournament were awarded cups, corresponding medals, diplomas, and souvenirs. The teams that became champions in their respective age categories will represent the region at the republican stage of the competition.