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This one drive made me understand why enthusiasts love the VW Polo

What happened on a 350 km solo road trip in a VW Polo GT TSI on a rainy day changed my opinion of the car. BHPian mandavamanojjr recently shared this with other enthusiasts: I always felt that German cars are expensive to maintain, though I listened to reviews that say they offer great driving pleasure, […]

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What happened on a 350 km solo road trip in a VW Polo GT TSI on a rainy day changed my opinion of the car.

BHPian mandavamanojjr recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I always felt that German cars are expensive to maintain, though I listened to reviews that say they offer great driving pleasure, I did not show much interest in them.

While I was auditing our client’s accounts, I happened to see that a total of Rs. 1 Lakh plus was paid towards the repair of the DSG gearbox for a Polo GT TSI.

It was a complete shock for me, as I had never seen that much repair amount for a car back then.

This was strongly registered in my mind.

In 2015, when we were looking to purchase a sedan, though I was originally fascinated by the Volkswagen Vento, I did not even attempt to test drive it, being under the illusion that the maintenance would be higher.

Further, in 2016, I travelled with one of my uncles in his Polo TDI, sitting in the front passenger seat. My first impression was that the car was too compact with no space at all, summarizing that it was not a proper family car.

But, I still remember that drive along with my uncle, where he was constantly cruising at 100-120 kmph, and the car was rock solidly stable with no sort of vibrations.

It had a low stance and seating position, which felt like it was completely glued to the road, and it gave me a feeling of sitting in a go-kart vehicle.

The car was picking up speed at a good pace, and it was very planted with no sort of vibrations, air & tyre sounds. It was like riding in a superior car.

Years passed

One of my friends had purchased a Polo GT TSI recently, a used car, and I wondered why he was buying it, thinking of the maintenance it requires.

I drove it a couple of times for a very short spin within the town, and my original impressions continued of being cramped with no space, no creature comforts etc.

After a few days, I got an opportunity to travel for about 350 km solo in his Polo. Though I initially felt it was not an opportunity but a necessity.

It was a rainy day, and I started my journey, which completely changed my opinion of the car.

The following are the three driving chapters that I have experienced that made me completely fall in love with the car.

First chapter

I was driving on the single-lane village roads beside farms before getting onto the highway. It was rainy and in some spots on the road, the water was clogged.

Usually, while driving, I prefer not to drive in the water as I have the impression that the car loses its control and stability.

That particular day, since I was solo and bored, an instant thought came into my mind to just splash the water aside by going through it as there were no people beside, and I was also driving slowly.

In my first attempt, I made the left side of the car (the left front and rear tyres) go into the water to splash and kept the right side of the car on the tarmac. Apart from visualizing the splashing of the water, I immediately realized how stable the car was despite being thrown into a considerable water pit. The car did not shake even a little bit, and it was very much in control.

I was fascinated by the way it drove and handled the water pit.

I was still in a dilemma, doubting the capability of the car, presuming that the first pit might be very small, and thus, like any other car, the Polo also performed well. To test my perception of the car, I once again made the car go into the water pit, which is slightly bigger this time.

This time, no words, no thoughts inside my mind, but just a natural smile came on my face.

I completely agreed with the capabilities of the car and never doubted it again.

Now, a younger version of me has been awoken, who wants to experience the same joy of splashing the water again and again, as the car can handle it with utmost confidence.

I repeated it for the next few water pits, and it was a thorough joy, which totally satisfied the inner soul in my heart, who has a true passion towards cars.

I wish that day I had more water pits to have more fun.

The fun, though initially expected from the splashing of the water, has come, but the real and true fun part is driving the Polo through the water.

The fun and joy came to an end as the road ended, and I had to take the highway.

Second chapter

After a few kilometres of highway driving, I was supposed to drive through a city in between, and was slowly moving with the city traffic.

I approached a small junction which is neither big enough to have a traffic signal nor small enough to be left without a policeman. It is just in between.

It is a four-lane road with a divider in between, and I was driving in the left lane on my side of the road. The vehicles that need to take a turn are driving on the right lane on my side.

All of a sudden, the vehicle in front of me stopped due to some forward traffic in our lane, and immediately, I looked to my right, checking for any vehicles beside me. Next, I checked the right side rear view mirror for any vehicle behind me in the right lane.

After having a proper clearance check, I immediately turned towards the right, changed my lane, and overtook the vehicle in front of me in the left lane.

Though this might appear to take a lot of time in action, in reality, it was so quick as it is a 2-5 second decision & execution process, and what was even quicker & faster is the way the car turned its direction towards the steering input.

I was just astonished as the directional change was so smooth and easy, and by the time I was overtaking the vehicle in the left lane, I started to realize and appreciate its agility.

Every car turns quickly, no wonder in it.

But it is the precision with which it turns that matters.

I have driven many cars and handled many traffic situations as described above, but I had never gotten this feeling, and I had never remembered these many days, the way Polo changed its lane that day, which is still unforgettable.

Third chapter

Finally, I reached the outskirts of the destination and was travelling on the Outer Ring Road (ORR). There were some expansion joints and rumble strips in between on the ORR to slow down the fast-moving vehicles.

It was almost 6 hours of driving to ORR. I was a bit tired, and my focus then was only reaching the destination quickly. As part of the usual driving, I slowed down a bit when the expansion joint came and drove across it.

A few kilometers later, another expansion joint came suddenly, which I initially missed to slow down the vehicle, and I approached it with the same speed I was cruising. I was expecting that there would be a considerable movement and unsettledness after gliding through it.

To my surprise, there was no movement at all, either upwards or sideways, and it was the same planted drive making me feel as if the car had not gone through any expansion joint.

Now, I waited for another expansion joint, and I consciously did not decrease the speed and went through it. The same planted feeling repeated with no sort of loss of confidence. From then I was waiting for the expansion joints where all other cars were pressing their brake pedals, for which stop lights were visible at the rear, whereas I cruised through the expansion joints at the same pace with so ease and enthusiasm.

I felt like the VIP on the road with escort vehicles following, as all others were slowing down at these expansion joints, which was not a slowing point for me. The Polo made me feel like the boss of the road.

The same is the case with the rumble strips, where the car felt utmost composed, and nothing was felt inside.

Conclusion: The love realised after the drive

All three chapters mentioned above, though, were experienced while driving; the real love started only after returning the car to my friend.

I went home, had dinner, and was in bed to sleep. Then, these feelings mentioned in the chapters above started to run through my heart, coupled with the experiences picturing in my mind. The real love started then, and the real potential of the Polo was understood then.

This nostalgia continues to date.

I felt that the real fun is not in driving the car at higher speeds, but it is in understanding the true potential of the car and experiencing its abilities. At present, whenever I see a Polo on the roads, I feel jealous of the driver for the reason that he has a good-handling car.

Even today, I feel it’s a high-maintenance car, as my friend also spent a considerable amount on repairs, but if he were the first owner who had taken care of the car very well, then the maintenance cost would be nominal.

Being a lover of the Polo, did I purchase it later? Or just lived through the dreams of purchasing it. A story that will be shared in the future.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.





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Lady Trojans reveal 2025 volleyball schedule

Brynn Emeyabbi (7) serves the ball during the Lady Trojans’ Bi-District Playoff game against Fruitvale last season. The Cumby Lady Trojans have released their 2025 volleyball schedule, consisting of nine home games, seven road games and three tournaments. Staff Photo by DJ Spencer Brynn Emeyabbi (7) serves the ball during the Lady Trojans’ Bi-District Playoff […]

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  • Brynn Emeyabbi (7) serves the ball during the Lady Trojans' Bi-District Playoff game against Fruitvale last season. The Cumby Lady Trojans have released their 2025 volleyball schedule, consisting of nine home games, seven road games and three tournaments. Staff Photo by DJ Spencer

    Brynn Emeyabbi (7) serves the ball during the Lady Trojans’ Bi-District Playoff game against Fruitvale last season. The Cumby Lady Trojans have released their 2025 volleyball schedule, consisting of nine home games, seven road games and three tournaments. Staff Photo by DJ Spencer

    Brynn Emeyabbi (7) serves the ball during the Lady Trojans’ Bi-District Playoff game against Fruitvale last season. The Cumby Lady Trojans have released their 2025 volleyball schedule, consisting of nine home games, seven road games and three tournaments. Staff Photo by DJ Spencer

  • Lady Trojans reveal 2025 volleyball schedule

    Lady Trojans reveal 2025 volleyball schedule

    Lady Trojans reveal 2025 volleyball schedule

CUMBY — The Cumby Lady Trojans have released their volleyball schedule for the 2025 season. This will be their second season under Head Coach Savannah Kurn and the Lady Trojans will be looking for their second consecutive playoff appearance.Last season, the Lady Trojans went just 11-23 in the regular season, but posted a respectable 9-3 district record, placing second in District 11-2A…

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Greece Tips Australia, U.S. Eases into Semis

Women’s Water Polo World Championships: Greece Tips Australia, U.S. Eases into Semis Greece pulled out a close game against Australia, and the U.S. routed Japan in the quarterfinals of the women’s water polo World Championships in Singapore on Saturday. The four semifinalists are the same as at the 2024 women’s water polo World Championships in […]

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Women’s Water Polo World Championships: Greece Tips Australia, U.S. Eases into Semis

Greece pulled out a close game against Australia, and the U.S. routed Japan in the quarterfinals of the women’s water polo World Championships in Singapore on Saturday.

The four semifinalists are the same as at the 2024 women’s water polo World Championships in Doha, with Hungary and Spain also advancing in tight games over European opposition. Spain, the reigning Olympic champion, and the reigning World Champion Americans are on opposite sides of the draw.

The U.S. had no trouble with Japan in 26-8 decision. The Americans scored 11 times in the first quarter on 12 shots. The Americans shot 76 percent (26-for-34) for the game.

Ryann Neushul scored twice in the first quarter. She shot 3-for-3 for the game and added three assists. Emily Ausmus shot 4-for-4. Anna Pearson led the attack with five goals, and Jenna Flynn added four. Amanda Longan (eight saves) and Isabel Williams (six saves) kept Japan’s attack at bay.

The U.S. is chasing its ninth world title.

“There’s always a little pressure just representing Team USA, but this is a different group than before and we’re really excited,” Pearson said. “We want to create our own story but obviously, it’s amazing following the past world championships. In the semifinals, we just have to stick to our game plan, execute what we talked about before and make it happen in the pool.”

The day started with a dramatic 8-7 win over Greece over Australia. Danijela Jackovich tied the game for Australia with 47 seconds left in regulation. But Maria Myriokefalitaki scored on a fast break with two seconds remaining to send the Greeks through.

Myriokefalitaki dedicated the goal to her late aunt.

“I was so emotional,” she said. “This goal, I think somebody from heaven helped to make it go in. This is where I want to dedicate this goal. Before the world championships, I lost a very special person for me. That’s why I got so emotional after that goal.

“It was my aunt, and I was really sad. But this is how life works. We have to keep pushing and continue. I dedicate this goal to her. It was a little bit of help from heaven.”

Eleftheria Plevritou set up the goal and added two of her own. Stefania Stampa also scored twice. Ioanna Stamatopoulou stopped six shots. Greece came up with seven blocks and seven steals.

Charlize Andrews and Abby Andrews scored twice each for Australia. Gabriella Palm made 12 saves.

Hungary steadily pulled away from Italy for a 12-9 win. Rita Keszthelyi scored two of her four goals in the third quarter. She added two assists.

“We were just in the flow today,” Keszthelyi said. “We were not thinking about the result or what’s happening in the water. We were just doing our thing and concentrating on our defense. If it was a goal, then OK. If not, no problem, we just keep going. In crucial moments, we could find players that could help us go over the line when we were stuck, so I’m very proud of each one of us. We have a lot of young players who are in their first world championships and this is their first world quarterfinal. We learnt a lot from this and I hope we can still improve and show that we earned our spot in the top four.”

Dora Leimeter and Krisztina Garda contributed two goals and two assists each. Boglarka Neszmely came up with nine saves.

Chiara Ranalli scored four goals, and Sofia Giustini added three for Italy. Aurora Condorelli stopped 10 shots. Hungary limited Roberta Bianconi, Dafne Bettini and Agnese Cocchiere to a combined 2-for-16 shooting.

Spain outlasted the Dutch, 15-13, in a shootout. It’s a repeat of the Olympics, where Spain beat the Dutch, 19-18, in a shootout in the semifinals on the way to gold.

Two unanswered goals by the Netherlands’ Lieke Rogge, the last with 45 seconds left, helped the Dutch rally to reach the shootout. Rogge then made her first attempt in the shootout, but Bente Rogge’s attempt in the second round missed to give Spain the early advantage. Martina Terre consolidated the lead by denying Maartje Keuning in the fourth round. That allowed Ariadna Ruiz to win it in the next round.

Ruiz scored three goals, as did Paula Crespi. Bea Ortiz led the attack with four goals, albeit on 4-for-10 shooting. Terre stopped seven shots in goal.

Lieke Rogge kept the Dutch alive with seven goals on 11 shots. Kitty-Lynn Joustra shot 3-for-3 on the field. Spain’s defense limited Simone van de Kraats and Sabrina van der Sloot to a combined 1-for-9 shooting.

In Monday’s semifinals, Greece will take on the U.S. in the first semifinal. Hungary and Spain square off in the second semi. Quarterfinal losers head into the 5-8 placement.



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Spring Sports All-Aurora 2025: Full Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Boys Volleyball Team

AURORA | The full 2025 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Boys Volleyball teams and honorable mention selections. Read about the first team selections, here: Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports 2025 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-AURORA BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM FIRST TEAM Setter: 
Devan Hall, jr., Grandview. 
Hitters/middles: Connor Deickman, soph., Grandview; Matthew Dye, […]

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AURORA | The full 2025 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Boys Volleyball teams and honorable mention selections. Read about the first team selections, here:

Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports

2025 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-AURORA BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Setter: 
Devan Hall, jr., Grandview. 
Hitters/middles: Connor Deickman, soph., Grandview; Matthew Dye, sr., Eaglecrest; Alex Garcia, soph., Grandview; Tristan Rowley, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Jackson Shaw, sr., Eaglecrest
. Libero/defensive specialist: Max Chen, jr., Eaglecrest; Clayton Kollmeyer, jr., Regis Jesuit. Utility: Jaeden Barnes, sr., Cherokee Trail; Callen Wolf, sr., Regis Jesuit

SECOND TEAM

Setter: Chase Cabuag, jr., Cherokee Trail. Hitters/middles: Ashton Bond, jr., Eaglecrest; Ethan Carroll, sr., Grandview; Jackson Feik, fr., Regis Jesuit; Vincent Johnson, sr., Overland; Meryk Wright, sr., Gateway. Libero/defensive specialist: Adrian Arrelano, sr., Aurora West College Prep Academy; Trevor O’Shea, sr., Overland. Utility: Will George, soph., Eaglecrest; Luis Rangel Cepeda, sr., Hinkley

HONORABLE MENTION

Dillan Ancheta, jr., Eaglecrest; Ein Bamba, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Johnathan Broderick, sr., Rangeview; Justin Cabalo, sr., Overland; Ellis Cook, jr., Vista PEAK Prep; Oscar Mejia De Haro, jr., Gateway (MH); Erick Delgado Diaz, soph., AWCPA; Ethan Do, sr., Overland; Jesse Dominguez Parra, sr., AWCPA; Jayden Dotson, soph., Hinkley; Michael Garcia, jr., Gateway; Aidan Johnson, sr., Rangeview; Ethan Levakin, sr., Eaglecrest; Carlos Macias Mejia, sr., Gateway; Nathan Padilla, soph., AWCPA; Hayden Parmelee, jr., Cherokee Trail; Davone Phanthavong, jr., Vista PEAK Prep; Nick Safray, sr., Grandview; Prahlad Shultz, sr., Gateway; Jeran Smith, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Aaron Solorzono, soph., AWCPA; Julian Stevenson, sr., Overland; Arpan Subedi, jr., Gateway; Quinn Trusler, soph., Cherokee Trail; Erick Uriarte, jr., AWCPA; Davier Whitlow, jr., Gateway; Aaron Williams, jr., Vista PEAK Prep



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Sports log

Women’s rugby — International Fixture: U.S. vs. Fiji, Washington, 11 a.m., CBS; NRL: Sydney at Brisbane, 8:40 p.m., FS2 Sailing — SailGP: Event 7 – Day 1, Portsmouth, England, 8 a.m., CBSSN Men’s soccer — USL Championship: Hartford at Rhode Island, 1 p.m., CBS Women’s soccer — UEFA Euro 2025 Championship: France vs. Germany, Quarterfinal, […]

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Women’s rugby — International Fixture: U.S. vs. Fiji, Washington, 11 a.m., CBS; NRL: Sydney at Brisbane, 8:40 p.m., FS2

Sailing — SailGP: Event 7 – Day 1, Portsmouth, England, 8 a.m., CBSSN

Men’s soccer — USL Championship: Hartford at Rhode Island, 1 p.m., CBS

Women’s soccer — UEFA Euro 2025 Championship: France vs. Germany, Quarterfinal, Basel, Switzerland, noon, FOX; Conmebol Copa America Group Stage: Venezuela vs. Bolivia, Group B, Quito, Ecuador, FS2, 1:50 p.m.; Conmebol Copa America Group Stage: Colombia vs. Paraguay, Group B, Quito, Ecuador, 4:55 p.m., FS1

Tennis — Hopman Cup: Canada v. Greece; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Iasi-WTA Semifinals, 2 a.m., TENNIS; Hopman Cup: Canada v. Greece; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Iasi-WTA Semifinals, 3 a.m., TENNIS; Los Cabos-ATP Final, 7 p.m., TENNIS

WNBA — 2025 All-Star Game: Team Collier vs. Team Clark, Indianapolis, 5:30 p.m., ABC

SUNDAY

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

Lewis-Clark Cubs at Districts, TBD

Lewis-Clark Bucs at Districts, TBD

Moscow Blue Devils at Districts, TBD

SPORTS ON RADIO

Houston at Seattle, 1:10 p.m., KOZE-AM (950), KHTR-FM (104.3), KLER-AM (1300)

SPORTS ON TV

Auto racing — FIM MotoGP: The Czechia Grand Prix, Ostrovacice, Czechia, 4:30 a.m., FS2; NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, Streets of Toronto, Toronto, 5:30 a.m., FS1; NTT IndyCar Series: The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, Streets of Toronto, Toronto, 9 a.m., FOX; NASCAR Cup Series: The Challenge Round 4 – AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Dover Motor Speedway, Dover, Del., 11 a.m., TNT/TRUTV; NHRA: Qualifying, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Wash. (Taped), 11:30 a.m., FS1; NHRA: The Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Wash., 1:30 p.m., FOX

Basketball — The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 9:30 a.m., FS1; The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 11:30 a.m., FOX; The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 2 p.m., FS1; The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 4 p.m., FS1/FS2; The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 6 p.m., FS1/FS2; The Basketball Tournament: TBD, Round of 32, 8 p.m., FS2

Beach volleyball — AVP: Week 6 – Day 2, New York, 9 a.m., CBS; AVP: Week 6 – Day 2, New York, 11 a.m., CBSSN

BIG3 basketball — Week 6: LA Riot vs. Chicago Triplets, Dallas Power vs. Miami 305, DMV Trilogy vs. Detroit Amps, Houston Rig Hands vs. Boston Ball Hogs, Detroit, noon, CBS

Cycling — UCI: The Tour de France, Stage 15, Muret / Carcassonne, France, 3:30 a.m., PEACOCK; UCI: The Tour de France, Stage 15, Muret / Carcassonne, France (Taped), 11 a.m., NBC

Boy’s flag football — 2025 NFL Flag Championships: Semifinal, Canton, Ohio, 9 a.m., ESPN; 2025 NFL Flag Championships: TBD, Semifinal, Canton, Ohio, 10 a.m., ESPN; 2025 NFL Flag Championships: TBD, Championship, Canton, Ohio, 1 p.m., ABC

Girl’s flag football — 2025 NFL Flag Championships: Semifinal, Canton, Ohio, 11 a.m., ESPN; 2025 NFL Flag Championships: Semifinal, Canton, Ohio, noon, ESPN; 2025 NFL Flag Championships: TBD, Championship, Canton, Ohio, 2 p.m., ABC

Golf — DP World/PGA Tour: The Open Championship, Final Round, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Ireland, 1 a.m., USA; DP World/PGA Tour: The Open Championship, Final Round, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Ireland, 4 a.m., NBC; DP World/PGA Tour: The Barracuda Championship, Final Round, Tahoe Mountain Club, Truckee, Calif., 3 p.m., GOLF

Gymnastics — USAG: The U.S. Classic, Hoffman Estates, Ill. (Taped), 1 p.m., NBC

Horse racing — NYRA: Saratoga Live, 10 a.m., FS2

MLB — Detroit at Texas, 4 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2 (StatCast); Houston at Seattle, 1:10 p.m., ROOT

NBA — Summer League Tournament: TBD, Championship, Las Vegas, 7 p.m., ESPN

Women’s rugby — NRL: New Zealand at Newcastle, 1:10 a.m., FS2

Sailing — SailGP: Event 7 – Day 2, Portsmouth, England, 8 a.m., CBSSN; SailGP: Event 7 – Day 2, Portsmouth, England, 11 a.m., CBS

Tennis — Gstaad-ATP Final, 2:30 a.m., TENNIS; Gstaad-ATP Final, 3 a.m., TENNIS; Hopman Cup Final; Bastad-ATP, Iasi-WTA Finals; Kitzbuhel-ATP, Umag-ATP Early Rounds, 5 a.m., TENNIS; Kitzbuhel-ATP, Prague-WTA Early Rounds 2 a.m. (Monday), TENNIS; Kitzbuhel-ATP, Prague-WTA Early Rounds, 3 a.m. (Monday), TENNIS



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Sports on the Air for Saturday, July 19: TV, radio schedule in Wichita

Saturday’s TV / radio AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL AFL: Melbourne at Carlton, 4:30 a.m., FS1 AFL: Fremantle at Collingwood, 11:59 p.m., FS2 BASKETBALL The Basketball Tournament: The Ville vs. Boston v Cancer, round of 64, at Louisville, Ky., 11:30 a.m., FOX The Basketball Tournament: Purple Reign vs. The Shine, round of 64, at Kansas City, Mo., […]

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Saturday’s TV / radio

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL

  • AFL: Melbourne at Carlton, 4:30 a.m., FS1

  • AFL: Fremantle at Collingwood, 11:59 p.m., FS2

BASKETBALL

  • The Basketball Tournament: The Ville vs. Boston v Cancer, round of 64, at Louisville, Ky., 11:30 a.m., FOX

  • The Basketball Tournament: Purple Reign vs. The Shine, round of 64, at Kansas City, Mo., 1 p.m., Youtube (online)

  • The Basketball Tournament: Assembly Ball vs. Fail Harder, round of 64, at Indianapolis, 3 p.m., FS1

  • The Basketball Tournament: JHX Hoops vs. OffDaHook, round of 64, at Kansas City, Mo., 3 p.m., Youtube (online)

  • The Basketball Tournament: Boeheim’s Army vs. Herkimer Originals, round of 64, at Syracuse, N.Y., 5 p.m., FS1

  • The Basketball Tournament: DaGuys STL vs. Sheffield Sharks, round of 64, at Kansas City, Mo., 5 p.m., Youtube (online)

  • The Basketball Tournament: Stars of Storrs vs. Brown Ballers, round of 64, at Syracuse, N.Y., 7 p.m., FS2

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

  • AVP Pro Tour: week 6, day 1, at New York, 7 p.m., CW

BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

  • EYBL Peach Jam: teams TBA, at Augusta, S.C., 8 a.m., NBA

CYCLING

  • UCI: The Tour de France, stage 14, Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres, France, 5:30 a.m., Peacock (streaming)

FLAG FOOTBALL

  • 2025 NFL Flag Championships: girls quarterfinals, teams TBA, at Canton, Ohio, 9 a.m., 10 a.m., NFL; 11 a.m., noon, ESPN

  • 2025 NFL Flag Championships: boys quarterfinals, teams TBA, at Canton, Ohio, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., ESPN

FOOTBALL

  • Canadian Football League: Saskatchewan at BC, 6 p.m., CBSSN

GOLF

  • DP World Tour/PGA Tour: The 2025 Open Championship, third round, at Portrush, Ireland, 4 a.m., USA; 6 a.m., NBC

  • DP World Tour/PGA Tour: The Barracuda Championship, third round, at Truckee, Calif., 5 p.m., GOLF

  • DP World Tour/PGA Tour: The 2025 Open Championship, final round, at Portrush, Ireland, 3 a.m. (Sunday), USA

GYMNASTICS

  • USAG: The U.S. Classic, at Hoffman Estates, Ill., 7 p.m., CNBC (taped)

HORSE RACING

  • NYRA: Saratoga Live, 11:30 a.m., FS1; 1:30 p.m., FS2

  • Saratoga Saturday: The Coaching Club American Oaks Stakes, 4 p.m., FOX

  • Breeders Cup Challenge Series: The Haskell Stakes, at Oceanport, N.J., 4 p.m., NBC

LACROSSE

  • PLL: Boston vs. Denver, at Fairfield, Conn., 2 p.m., ABC

MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL

  • Texas League: Wichita Wind Surge at Springfield, 6:30 p.m., Bally Sports Live (streaming); MiLB.tv (online); 92.3-FM

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

  • UFC 318 Early Prelims: undercard bouts, at New Orleans, 5 p.m., ESPN2

  • UFC 318 Prelims: undercard bouts, at New Orleans, 7 p.m., ESPN

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MLB

  • Kansas City at Miami, 3 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Kansas, 1240-AM, 97.5-FM; MLB (out-of-market only)

  • Cincinnati at NY Mets, 3 p.m., MLB

  • Boston at Chicago Cubs, 6 p.m., FOX

  • Houston at Seattle, 8:30 p.m., MLB

MOTOR SPORTS

  • FIM MotoGP: The Czechia Grand Prix, sprint race, at Brno Circuit, 7:55 a.m., FS1

  • NTT IndyCar Series: Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, practice, 9:30 a.m., FS1

  • NASCAR Xfinity Series: BetRivers 200, practice and qualifying, 10 a.m., CW App (streaming)

  • NASCAR Cup Series: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, practice and qualifying, 12:30 p.m., truTV

  • NTT IndyCar Series: Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, qualifying, 1:30 p.m., FS1

  • Pro Motocross Championship: round 25, at Washougal, Wash., 2 p.m., NBC

  • NASCAR Xfinity Series: The BetRivers 200, at Dover Motor Speedway, 3:30 p.m., CW

  • NHRA: Northwest Nationals, qualifying, 9 p.m., FS1 (taped)

NBA

  • Summer League Tournament: New York vs. Washington, consolation game, at Las Vegas, 2:30 p.m., NBA

  • Summer League Tournament: Sacramento vs. Toronto, semifinal, at Las Vegas, 3 p.m., ESPN

  • Summer League Tournament: Houston vs. Minnesota, consolation game, at Las Vegas, 4:30 p.m., NBA

  • Summer League Tournament: Charlotte vs. Oklahoma City, semifinal, at Las Vegas, 5 p.m., ESPN

  • Summer League Tournament: Cleveland vs. Golden State, consolation game, at Las Vegas, 6:30 p.m., NBA

  • Summer League Tournament: Portland vs. Phoenix, consolation game, at Las Vegas, 8:30 p.m., NBA

RUGBY

  • International Union: Australia vs. British & Irish Lions, at Brisbane, Australia, 5 a.m., CBSSN

  • Women’s International Fixture: United States vs. Fiji, at Washington, 1 p.m., CBS

  • International Union: United States vs. England, at Washington, 4 p.m., CBSSN

  • NRL Women’s: Sydney at Brisbane, 10:40 p.m., FS2

  • NRL Women’s: New Zealand at Newcastle, 3:10 a.m. (Sunday), FS2

SAILING

  • SailGP: Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, day 1, at Portsmouth, England, 10 a.m., CBSSN

SOCCER

  • UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Championship: Germany vs. France, quarterfinal, at Basel, Switzerland, 1:45 p.m., FOX

  • USL Championship: Hartford at Rhode Island, 3 p.m., CBS

  • Copa América Femenina Group Stage: Venezuela vs. Bolivia, group B, at Quito, Ecuador, 3:50 p.m., FS2

  • Copa América Femenina Group Stage: Colombia vs. Paraguay, group B, at Quito, Ecuador, 6:55 p.m., FS1

TENNIS

  • Hopman Cup: Canada vs. Greece; ATP: Gstaad and Bastad, semifinals; WTA: Hamburg and Iasi, semifinals, 4 a.m., TENNIS

  • ATP: Los Cabos, singles final, 9 p.m., TENNIS

WNBA

  • 2025 All-Star Game: Team Collier vs. Team Caitlin, at Indianapolis, 7:30 p.m., ABC



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Yohan Chang: Canadian taekwondo coach, athlete and stunt double at Rhine-Ruhr 2025

Written by Sophie Wisely, FISU Young Reporter, Australia Most kids dream of being a stunt double in blockbuster movies. For Canadian Yohan Chang, that’s his reality. Holding double duties at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games as both coach and competitor, the 24-year-old is the epitome of taekwondo mental fortitude. A graduate of one […]

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Written by Sophie Wisely, FISU Young Reporter, Australia

Most kids dream of being a stunt double in blockbuster movies. For Canadian Yohan Chang, that’s his reality.

Holding double duties at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games as both coach and competitor, the 24-year-old is the epitome of taekwondo mental fortitude.

A graduate of one of Canada’s top business schools at York University, Chang has coached the national taekwondo team since 2022, mentoring his students at international tournaments while carving out an extraordinarily exciting career in the film industry.

And that’s just the beginning.

“Taekwondo is actually a family business for me,” he said.

“I started when I was two, just kicking (and) punching with my dad and eventually, I transitioned into competing when I was around 12.

“Ever since then, it’s just been my entire life.”

Living the Hollywood dream

Chang is no stranger to the international stage, using his unique taekwondo skills to develop a niche job path in TV and movie stunts.

“My dad also does the film industry aspect. So being a younger kid with this skill set of martial arts; being able to fall, being able to spin, kick, and jump is somewhat uncommon,” he said.

“So they need kids all the time to do all those small stunts. That’s how I slowly got into it, and then… into coaching, training (and) competing.”

Chang has credits in over 13 different entertainment series, with some jobs amassing nearly 800 million minutes viewed at peak streaming.

“The biggest (job) that I’ve worked on is Umbrella Academy. It’s a Netflix show with people with superpowers. I stunt double the Asian actor Justin H. Min. So I was stunt doubling him in season (two and three).

“Obviously, it’s been a blast being on that side of (the industry).”

The Torontonian said there isn’t much difference between his on-screen persona and the competitive taekwondo mindset.

“I would say that the main similarity (between the both) is the pressure of being on camera and also performing. You have that same pressure where you can’t really afford to fail.”

Coaching Team Canada on Saturday, 19 July, while also representing his country in the men’s 64kg division the following Tuesday, Chang has unprecedented insight into being a student-athlete. 

“I’m towards the end of my career, so it’s quite a rare opportunity for me to compete at an international level like this. The stunt jobs and those things, they’ll always be there, especially as I get older,” he admitted.

“This is my first University Games as an athlete… I just wanted to see what it was like being at a multi-sport game, working with other individuals outside of taekwondo and seeing what the atmosphere was like and seeing if anything was different.” 

Chang’s mental fortitude, developed over years of competition, allowed the Schulich School of Business student to balance elite sports and academics.

Canada is no stranger to sporting prowess, but for niche disciplines such as taekwondo, structural boundaries still present themselves.

“It’s quite difficult to get into the sport, because in order for you to compete at a high performance level, you have to get your black belt first. Which makes it a little bit more difficult for people who just want to try it out,” he said.

This is something Chang is working to change, training with his student-athletes regularly to create a supportive and tight-knit environment. On Saturday, his mentoring paid off in a big way as his pupil and teammate Nithan Brindamohan captured gold with a 2-1 win over Ethan Youngsuk of the United States.

Other gold medallists on day three of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 taekwondo competition included Thailand’s Bunlung Tubtimdang (men’s 68kg), Brazil’s Maria Pacheco (women’s 57kg) as well as Yunseo Kim from the Republic of Korea (women’s 46kg).   

The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.



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