Sports
Barcelona's €44m DR Congo sponsorship


Barcelona have agreed a kit sponsorship deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Sports and Leisure.
The sponsorship ensures the central African nation’s logo of “DRC, coeur de l’Afrique” (DRC, the heart of Africa) will appear on the back of all of Barca’s professional team’s training kits.
Advertisement
Club sources indicate the total package for the deal, which is a four-year agreement, is worth €44million ($50.5m) to the Catalan club, with the first annual instalment in excess of €10m already paid.
As part of the agreement, Barcelona say their revamped Camp Nou stadium will be home to the House of the DRC, an exhibition which “will highlight the richness and diversity of Congolese cultural and sporting heritage through interactive exhibitions”, according to the club statement.
Barca added the agreement will see a program of sports camps and clinics for children in the area that will focus on football, basketball, handball, futsal, and roller hockey.
The agreement will help Barcelona in their attempts to ease their deep financial problems and La Liga’s strict salary cap rules, which have created complications for registering new signings.
Growing the club’s income and adding sponsorship agreements are crucial to the club’s plans to incorporate new signings this summer, having added goalkeeper Joan Garcia and young forward Roony Bardghji on permanent deals, in addition to the loan addition of Marcus Rashford.
In June, Monaco and Milan also struck agreements with DR Congo’s Ministry of Sports and Leisure.
The Monaco deal sees “DRC, coeur de l’Afrique” appear on the sleeve of Monaco’s first-team kit, which will feature in the 2025-26 Champions League, and will also appear as a front-of-kit sponsor on the club’s academy teams. The Ligue 1 side say the association “aims to contribute to the development of Congolese football and boost the country’s international profile”.
Monaco’s CEO Thiago Scuro said the deal means the club can help “to contribute to the country’s reputation and support efforts to structure and develop local football”.
Milan said their deal “will be at the heart of an international platform aimed at supporting the socioeconomic development of the African nation” and “will support the DR Congo’s strategy to boost international tourism.”
What is the situation in DR Congo?
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) detailed “a deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation” in DR Congo. HRW said president Felix Tshisekedi oversaw a “crackdown on opposition members, civil society activists, critics, and journalists throughout 2024”.
Monusco, the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo, has condemned attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — which it describes as an “Islamic State-affiliated insurgent group” — this month. An attack over the night of July 26 to 27 saw at least 49 civilians killed, with many worshippers attending a night vigil in the Ituri province, Monusco reported. Earlier this month, an attack in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces saw 82 civilians killed.
In June, DR Congo and its eastern neighbour Rwanda signed a peace deal in Washington D.C. aimed at ending decades of conflict between the nations, asking for “a negotiated, political resolution — rather than a military solution”.
The deal demanded the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in eastern DR Congo. However, former DR Congo president Joseph Kabila, said it was “nothing more than a trade agreement”.
Advertisement
Conflict in the mineral-rich region has intensified this year, but the area has endured more than three decades of conflict since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The war is primarily between the Rwandan-backed March 23 Movement (M23) paramilitary group and DR Congo’s army. M23 is backed by Rwanda, the DRC’s much smaller neighbour whose troops have trained, armed and embedded with the rebels, according to the United Nations. Rwanda has acknowledged that its troops are in the DRC but denied controlling M23.
In 2024, a group of UN experts said that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the rebels. They also said the Rwandan army was in “de facto control of M23 operations”.
DR Congo, the United States, the United Kingdom and France also say Rwanda is supporting the M23. The UK government suspended aid to Rwanda in February over its support for the M23 rebel group in DR Congo.
War in eastern DR Congo has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of people since fighting surged this year.
In February, Amnesty International wrote to the European Union to say that “urgent action is required” on the “escalating human rights crisis” in the east of DR Congo.
DR Congo follows Rwanda approach
Rwanda’s tourist board also holds sponsorship agreements in European football.
Arsenal’s Visit Rwanda shirt sleeve sponsorship for the men’s and women’s teams began in 2018, initially on a three-year deal which was extended in 2021.
As reported in the club’s accounts for 2023-24, the sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda brought in £10million ($13.4m) as part of an overall commercial income of £218.3m.
Visit Rwanda also holds a deal with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich — Rwandan president Paul Kagame attended the Champions League match between the two clubs at the Emirates Stadium in April 2024 — and with Paris Saint-Germain.
(Top image: Stuart Franklin – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Sports
Isaiah Cadengo Posts Pair of Top 10 Marks as Vikings Close Season-Opening Silver & Blue Invitational
RENO, Nev. — Isaiah Cadengo sat and watched as two of his teammates set top 10 marks on the first day of the Silver & Blue Invitational Friday. Saturday, Cadengo ran like a man eager to put his own name in the record books as the freshman sprinter posted a pair of top 10 marks to lead the Vikings on the second day of the meet at Reno Sparks Convention Center.
Cadengo opened the day in the men’s 400 meters where he placed second overall in 48.56 seconds. The time set a freshman record and moved him up to No. 2 overall in the indoor 400 meters at Portland State, all in his first-ever race as a Viking. Freshman Zach Payne followed at fourth in 49.80 seconds, moving him up to fifth in the freshman top 10.
Cadengo wasn’t done, however. He returned to the track for the 200 meters later in the day, and finished fifth in the event in 21.91 seconds. The time moved him up to second in the freshman rankings and fourth overall at Portland State.
Fellow freshman Jack Macdonald – one of the two stars for the Vikings Friday alongside Emma Stolte – nearly bettered Cadengo in the 200. Running in a later heat, Macdonald finished in 21.95 seconds, putting him third in the freshman rankings and fifth overall. Macdonald may have been able to push for a faster time but won his heat by more than half a second.
It was the second top 10 mark of the weekend for Macdonald. He got his first with a time of 6.93 seconds in the 60 meters Friday, moving him up to second in the freshman rankings and sixth overall.
Payne, meanwhile, followed his classmates with a time of 22.38 seconds in the 200 meters, earning him a second freshman top 10 of the day. Payne now ranks sixth in the 200 in the freshman record book.
Stolte, like Macdonald, followed a top 10 mark Friday with another Saturday. Fifth all-time in the mile after Friday, Stolte moved up to second all-time in the 800 meters with her finish in 2:11.99.
Stolte came within 0.34 seconds of the school record that Katie Camarena set at 2:11.65 in 2022. Camarena set seven school records that season, none of which have fallen since. Stolte came as close as anyone has to bettering one of Camarena’s records Saturday, however.
The Vikings also got a pair of event wins out of their field athletes Saturday. One didn’t come with much suspense as Edward Niyongere was the only athlete in the men’s triple jump after another athlete scratched. Even still, Niyongere jumped 46-07.50 (14.21m) on his second attempt, a mark that would have put him in the top 10 if he wasn’t already ranked sixth all-time.
Freshman Natalie Fisher, meanwhile, had a more dramatic win in the women’s shot put. She passed Nevada’s Johanna Haas on her final attempt with a personal-best throw of 40-00.00 (12.19m). Fisher, who improved on all six attempts during the competition, added close to 15 inches to her overall best in the shot put with the winning mark.
The winning throw also moved Fisher up to third in the freshman rankings in the shot put. She entered the freshman top 10 in the weight throw Friday, moving up to eighth with a throw of 38-04.00 (11.68m).
A number of other Vikings competing Saturday showed improvement over their season openers a year ago. That group included all four Vikings competing in the women’s 200 meters. Tori Forst and Sienna Rosario led that group at third and fourth overall, respectively, while finishing in 25.36 and 25.66 seconds. Forst’s time was better than her first two 200-meter times last season. Rosario’s, meanwhile, was close to two seconds faster than their season opener a year ago.
Savannah Beasley placed 14th in the women’s 200 meters in 26.76 seconds, setting a personal best by 1.7 seconds. Ashley Peterson placed 16th in 26.90 seconds, eleven-hundredths of a second faster than her season opener in 2025.
Dillon Brost did the same thing on the men’s side of the 200 meters. The sophomore placed 17th overall in 22.98 seconds, not a personal best but two and a half seconds better than his season opener as a freshman.
Aidan Sweeney set an overall personal best with his 200-meter finish in 23.71 seconds.
Freshman Farhan Ibrahim shaved close to eight seconds off his indoor best in the 3k while finishing second in the event in 8:56.79. Luke Gillingham followed at fourth in 9:03.13, shaving 13 seconds off his best in the 3k.
The Vikings will be back in action next week when they head to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Preview next Friday and Saturday.
Silver & Blue Invitational
Reno Sparks Convention Center
Reno, Nev.
Jan. 9-10, 2026
Women’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 3. Tori Forst, 7.74; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.94; 11. Aida Wheat, 8.14. 60m (Final): 2. Tori Forst, 7.67; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.92. 200m: 3. Tori Forst, 25.36; 4. Sienna Rosario, 25.66; 14. Savannah Beasley, 26.76; 16. Ashley Peterson, 26.90. 400m: 4. Ashley Peterson, 1:00.85. 600m: 6. Hannah Butterfield, DQ. 800m: 2. Emma Stolte, 2:11.99. 1,000m: 1. Hannah Butterfield, 3:07.26. Mile: 1. Emma Stolte, 4:54.25; 9. Sam Sharp, 5:33.24; 11. Libby Fox, 5:45.67. 3,000m: 7. Sam Sharp, 10:59.76; 10. Libby Fox, 11:26.42. 60H (Prelims): 15. Savannah Beasley, 9.66. Shot Put: 1. Natalie Fisher, 40-00.00 (12.19m). Weight Throw: 3. Natalie Fisher, 38-04.00 (11.68m).
Men’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.99; 16. Dillon Brost, 7.25. 60m (Final): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.93. 200m: 5. Isaiah Cadengo, 21.91; 7. Jack Macdonald, 21.95; 9. Zach Payne, 22.38; 17. Dillon Brost, 22.98; 21. Aidan Sweeney, 23.71; Preston Jones, DNF. 400m: 2. Isaiah Cadengo, 48.56; 4. Zach Payne, 49.80; 5. Preston Jones, 51.36. 1,000m: 1. Amir Ahmed, 2:41.49. Mile: 5. Luke Gillingham, 4:29.48; 6. Farhan Ibrahim, 4:31.46. 3,000m: 2. Farhan Ibrahim, 8:56.79; 4. Luke Gillingham, 9:03.13. 60H (Prelims): 4. Aidan Sweeney, 8.66; 5. Deghlan Johnson, 8.68. 60H (Final): 4. Deghlan Johnson, 8.60; 5. Aidan Sweeney, 8.68. Triple Jump: 1. Edward Niyongere, 46-07.50 (14.21m). Weight Throw: 1. Daniel Coppedge, 50-10.75 (15.51m); 3. Carter Green, 36-05.75 (11.12m).
Sports
Meet The Journal’s high school girls volleyball All-State teams
Jan. 11, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2025 All-State Girls Volleyball first and second teams. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determines the first- and second-team members.
2025 Providence Journal All-State Girls Volleyball Team
First Team
Lyla Auth, Westerly
Senior, Outside hitter
Auth steered Westerly to its second girls volleyball championship as the best player in Division II. The Manhattan University commit finished with 268 kills and a 49.8 kill percentage this fall. The Bulldogs finished the year undefeated and Auth’s near-perfect play on the outside was the biggest reason.
Sports
Virat Kohli Creates History at 38, Smashes Three World Records in First ODI Against New Zealand
With this feat, Kohli surpassed the record of legendary Sachin Tendulkar by becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the landmark in just 624 innings. In comparison, Sachin Tendulkar took 644 innings, while Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara reached the mark in 666 innings.
Kohli reached the milestone with a boundary, needing just 25 runs before the match to complete 28,000 international runs. Earlier, only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara had entered this elite club.
The New Zealand ODI also saw Kohli become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history. By scoring 42 runs in the match, he overtook Kumar Sangakkara, who has 28,016 international runs to his name. Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top of the list.
In Test cricket, Virat Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches, while in T20 Internationals he has amassed 4,188 runs across 125 matches. Before the New Zealand series, Kohli had played 556 international matches, scoring 27,975 runs in 623 innings at an impressive average of 52.58, including 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries.
Adding to his rich vein of form, Kohli has registered two centuries and three half-centuries in his last five matches, underlining his consistency and match-winning ability.
Virat Kohli’s latest achievement not only reinforces his place among the greatest cricketers of all time but also highlights his unmatched longevity and hunger for excellence on the international stage.
Sports
Long Beach State vs. McKendree, Men’s Volleyball – The562.org
Rasheed, also known as Casper, is a sports photographer who interned for The562 throughout his senior year of high school and is currently attending CSULB while continuing to freelance. To access his work, you can check his Instagram and site below:
Instagram: @visuals.casper
https://casper-visuals.com/
Sports
No. 3 Long Beach State Sweeps McKendree to Close Opening Weekend – The562.org
The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
The No. 3 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team didn’t need to drop a set on opening weekend to shake off any early-season jitters.
The defending national champions opened the season at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid with a pair of sweeps, dispatching Lindenwood on Friday before closing the weekend with a straight-set win over McKendree on Saturday night. While the Beach never dropped a set, Saturday’s match provided a sterner test, highlighted by a thrilling second set in a 25–22, 35–33, 25–16 victory.
“We’re proud of how our guys responded after last night,” head coach Nick MacRae said. “Tonight we played a good McKendree team, who we could very well see later in the season. We say in our locker room that we can learn as much from a win as we can from a loss. Last night was halftime, and we got our third-quarter response today.”
The Beach trailed by their largest margin of the night at three points during the second set and went on to fight off a preposterous eight McKendree set points. First-year setter Jake Pazanti led a balanced attack during that stretch and nailed an ace to give the Beach their final set point, followed by a McKendree hitting error that secured a two-set lead.
“It’s good for us long term,” said standout senior Skyler Varga of the second-set rally. “I think we needed to go through that, and even if we didn’t pull out the win in that set, I think it still would’ve been good for us to show that we can come back after being down. It definitely shows our team values, and we really need to go through those moments to be a national championship–level team this year.”
Varga had himself a match, finishing with nine kills on a team-high .368 hitting percentage along with five assists and 11 digs. Perhaps the most impressive stat came from behind the service line, where Varga accounted for seven of the Beach’s 10 aces with just one service error.
The senior outside hitter is coming off a stint as the youngest member of Team Canada in the Volleyball Nations League this past summer, where he emerged as one of the go-to options and capped the season with a 24-kill performance. Varga spoke about his experience and how it has prepared him for his future in the sport.
“Things are faster in international volleyball, and people are consistently hitting harder and making fewer errors,” he said. “It’s forced me to focus more on error management and helped me read the game better. No disrespect to NCAA volleyball, but it’s a little slower, which has made it easier for me to read.”
Opening weekend also gave the Beach a chance to flex some of its depth at opposite, where freshman Wojciech Gajek made his home debut on Friday before Daniil Hershtynovich got the start on Saturday night. Hershtynovich is coming off an injury last season and had a productive night, finishing with a game-high 12 kills.
“We flex our depth yet again, and you’re going to constantly see that,” MacRae said. “[Hershtynovich] got 30 swings and hit nearly .400—that’s a shoutout to him. Maybe early on he wasn’t able to find his serve, but that was part of the process tonight of building him up and letting him be himself, knowing that he’s been in those moments again and again. He was very physical tonight, and that’s exactly what this team needs him to be, and we’re very proud of him.”
Long Beach State also showed its depth on the outside, where Alex Kandev got the start and finished with seven kills. Connor Bloom entered the match permanently while the Beach trailed midway through the second set and chipped in a pair of kills.
At the net, the Beach totaled just 6.5 blocks after recording 12 on Friday night, but Saturday provided the middle blockers opportunities to make an impact elsewhere. Ben Braun had a solid night with seven kills on .500 hitting, while freshman Jackson Cryst finished with four kills on .500 hitting.
“They’re in charge of our entire unit at the net,” MacRae said. “Just because we don’t have the block stat, it’s about being on the other side of the net as much as possible. It was a good response by McKendree, so instead of saying we have to get 20 blocks, it’s about saying, ‘Ok, we had six blocks, but how many balls did we dig?’ It’s a credit to them. They did their job getting across the net.”
Long Beach State will now go on the road next to Ohio, where they’ll face a trio of games next week. That trip will conclude with a match at Ohio State on Saturday, before the Beach returns home to host Fort Valley State on Jan. 23.
Sports
Beach Earn Back-to-Back Home Wins with Sweep of McKendree
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State continued its strong start to the 2026 season Saturday night, earning a straight-set victory over McKendree inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. The win gave the Beach back-to-back home victories before heading on the road next week for a three-match stretch away from Long Beach.
Long Beach State 3, McKendree 0
(25-22, 35-33, 25-16)
The Beach opened the match with aggressive serving and balanced offense in the first set. After early exchanges between the two teams, Long Beach State used a five-point scoring run to create separation, highlighted by back-to-back aces and steady play in transition. McKendree trimmed the deficit late, but the Beach remained composed, closing the set with an ace to secure a 25-22 win.
Set two turned into a marathon battle, featuring numerous ties and momentum swings. Neither team was able to pull away as both sides traded sideouts deep into the set. Long Beach State fought off multiple set points behind timely kills and disciplined defense. A late service ace helped shift momentum, and the Beach eventually claimed the extended frame, 35-33, on a McKendree attacking error to take a 2-0 match lead.
Long Beach State carried that momentum into the third set, quickly establishing control with strong serving pressure and consistent defensive play. The Beach put together a five-point run midway through the set to open up a lead and never looked back. Solid net play and clean sideout execution allowed Long Beach State to close out the match with a 25-16 victory.
Skyler Varga led the Beach with nine kills and a match-high seven aces, while Daniil Hershtynovich added a team-high 12 kills. Ben Braun contributed seven kills on .500 hitting, and Jake Pazanti directed the offense with 34 assists. Defensively, Long Beach State recorded 48 digs in the three-set match, an impressive effort that fueled transition scoring throughout the night. At the net, the Beach finished with 6.5 team blocks.
Long Beach State will return to action next week when the Beach hit the road for three matches as the 2026 season continues.
-
Sports3 weeks agoBadgers news: Wisconsin lands 2nd commitment from transfer portal
-
Rec Sports1 week agoFive Youth Sports Trends We’re Watching in 2026
-
Sports2 weeks agoKentucky VB adds an All-American honorable mention, loses Brooke Bultema to portal
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoDr. Patrick Staropoli Lands Full-Time O’Reilly Ride with Big Machine Racing
-
Motorsports2 weeks agoBangShift.com IHRA Acquires Historic Memphis Motorsports Park In Millington Tennessee. Big Race Weekend’s Planned For 2026!
-
NIL2 weeks ago
Fifty years after IU’s undefeated champs … a Rose Bowl
-
Sports2 weeks ago2025 Volleyball Player of the Year: Witherow makes big impact on Central program | Nvdaily
-
Sports2 weeks agoH.S. INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: GLOW region athletes face off at Nazareth University | Sports
-
Sports2 weeks agoTexas A&M volleyball’s sweep of Kentucky attracts record viewership
-
Sports2 weeks agoColorado volleyball poised to repeat success










