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Champions League Final Four – five talking points

FTC’s jubilant squad celebrate lifting the Champions League trophy with their fans in Malta. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi 1. FTC-Telekom managed to complete the hardest job – retain the Champions League title – which most people probably expected them to do in Malta at the weekend. But, as FTC coach Balazs Nyeki commented in his post-game […]

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FTC’s jubilant squad celebrate lifting the Champions League trophy with their fans in Malta. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

1. FTC-Telekom managed to complete the hardest job – retain the Champions League title – which most people probably expected them to do in Malta at the weekend. But, as FTC coach Balazs Nyeki commented in his post-game interview, several great teams have failed to achieve that feat in the past, and even if Fradi’s dominance looks even more overwhelming, their moment of triumph only arrived after two hard-fought matches.

Earlier this year, the Hungarian giants were making their games look easy, as they demolished their respective rivals in the first three rounds of the Quarter Final Stage, including a 18-10 thrashing of Barceloneta and a 17-9 rout in Savona.

However, they couldn’t maintain that high level in the spring, as they suffered their first defeat on Day 4 in Barcelona, though only in a shootout, and they had to overcome some minor headaches in a couple of matches. But those experiences only helped them to get ready for the ultimate showdown in Malta.

A year ago, they downed Novi Beograd in a shootout and edged out title-holders Pro Recco in a thrilling final.

This time, they managed to beat CN Marseille and VK Novi Beograd in a way that the last few minutes didn’t offer much drama, as both of their rivals were clearly beaten by the closing stages.

However, both challengers made them suffer. Some in the Budapest camp recalled Hungary’s quarter-final against France at the Doha World Championships, when the Magyars led 8-4 at half-time, just like here, but they went on to miss a series of chances, while the French came back and with Thomas Vernoux’s blasts they caused the biggest upset of the event.

Now, after some rockets by Vernoux – where FTC goalkeeper Soma Vogel looked just as helpless as in February 2024 – the match was becoming very similar, but only until 10-10.

Fradi then stepped up a gear and proved that this team is different, and after making two from eight in man-ups in the second half, they went four from four in the last six minutes to close down the contest.

Then, in the final, after a gruelling battle in the first half that saw five goals apiece, FTC managed to speed up their game – while NBG appeared a little worn out – and a mighty 4-0 rush was too much for the Serbs to handle.

In the end, both teams hit double digits once again (13-11 this time), just like they have done in all their previous five clashes.

The win secured Fradi’s title-defence – the first-ever by a Hungarian side – and they also became the first Magyar club to lift the trophy three times, surpassing Vasas and OSC, which had two titles apiece from the Seventies and Eighties.

Fradi’s last two seasons have been a demonstration of absolute power – last season they went 40-1 across all competitions, and this time they finished with 48-1, so combined that adds up to a staggering 88-2 win-loss total in 90 matches, and they clinched seven trophies along the way.

Back in April, they lost to Barceloneta on penalties, which means they haven’t been defeated in regular time since August 2023, as only Olympiacos could upend them in 32 minutes, in April 2024. So, one loss in four quarters in 90 matches, which is simply astonishing.

FTC’s Hungarian star Krisztian Manhercz was in fine form, scoring six goals in the final and was awarded the MVP trophy. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

2. Krisztian Manhercz’s story doesn’t lack twists, and becoming the MVP this year was the ultimate redemption for Fradi’s powerful forward, who scored six goals in the gold medal match.

Eight years ago, when he was classed as one of the most talented youngsters in Hungarian water polo, he joined Fradi, but it was a complete failure.

He found life under coach Zsolt Varga extremely difficult, and after a while he wasn’t even being named in the match-day squads, so he kind of escaped at the end of the season to find shelter at OSC.

There he matured and became a brilliant player, but however strong the team was that had been built around him, they were unable to win anything.

After losing in successive finals, he joined Marseille last season, where he finally tasted winning on the domestic scene, but the French side fell short in the Champions League.

In the meantime, Zsolt Varga was appointed the head coach of the national team in 2022, and their first job was to sit down and put behind them everything which had ruined their relationship years earlier.

It went so well that, this year, Varga even nominated Manhercz as the new captain of the national team, and Krisztian – or as everyone calls him, ‘Mano’ – also returned home to take a second shot at playing for Fradi.

A totally different chapter started for him in the autumn, as his transition phase was almost invisible – he came up with smooth performances early on and it was like he had been part of the illustrious FTC set-up for years.

Still, Manhercz saved his best displays for the end of the season, and his six goals on Sunday night lifted Fradi when Novi were pushing them really hard.

His no-look strike from an-almost impossible angle appeared to crush Milan Glusac’s confidence. The young NBG goalkeeper had done really well until that point, but he was nowhere near as solid in the remaining time and Fradi hit three more goals in two and a half minutes, which proved decisive.

Manhercz’s feat was even more remarkable as this was his first ever Champions League Final Four, unlike his childhood friend Soma Vogel, who was playing in his sixth Final 8/4. Still, with the skills and the experience he has, this performance was anything but surprising.

Novi Beograd battled hard but had to settle for the silver once again. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

3. Novi Beograd reached their third final in four years, but once again they failed to get their hands on the famous trophy. This time it wasn’t Pro Recco – like in 2022 and 2023 – who denied them, instead it was this season’s favourites, Ferencvaros.

Their unreal march to the final looked very much like the Serbian national team’s incredible run in Paris. At last summer’s Olympics, few people – if anyone – thought before the start that the Serbs would stand a chance, but they ended up on the top of the podium.

Somewhat similarly, NBG had recently lost a lot of key players (in the summer), including their Spanish scoring machine Alvaro Granados, and the freshly-crowned Olympic champion Nikola Jaksic.

They admittedly only dreamt of making the Final Four in the autumn, however, they showed tremendous strength and fighting spirit during the season – which is anything but surprising from a Serbian team.

Zivko Gocic, who captained the 2016 Olympic winning team in Rio, has already proven that he’s just as influential as a coach as he was as a player.

The NBG mastermind has managed to build a team that has the finest blend of experienced veterans and extremely talented youngsters.

Team effort prevailed in the Quarter Final Stage against classy rivals like Olympiacos, Marseille and Jadran and was enough to upset Barceloneta and land a place in the final.

And while they could keep up their tough, aggressive defending and precise execution in offence, they were on equal terms with FTC.

However, after 20 minutes or so, they began to run out of steam, and Nikola Lukic, who scored six goals just like Manhercz, started missing his shots, but first and foremost they were unable to slow Fradi down.

And it was clear that once the Magyars were gearing up, the game would shift to their favourite territory – and their 0-4 rush brutally demonstrated that.

While in the previous three years, the Novi players (a totally different line-up) might have been disappointed to fall short again and again, this year’s silver should be seen as a tremendous feat.

It’s not a big consolation, but a telling fact that this was their fourth appearance in the F8/4 and they lost to the eventual champions every time (a year ago, Fradi beat them in the semis). So, one may put this into a different perspective – you have to beat Novi Beograd to lift the trophy.

The CNAB squad celebrate collecting their bronze medals. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

4. Zodiac CNAB took home the bronze for the fifth time in their history. They may have thrashed Marseille 19-9 on the last day, and showed their better face once more, but they were anything but satisfied.

Losing to Novi Beograd in the semis was a very bitter pill to swallow, as they were unable to perform at the level they hit in the spring, which saw them become the only team in the whole season to force a draw against the mighty Ferencvaros and then beat them in the shootout.

The Spanish side have also had a tremendous run this season, losing just one single match in regular time across all competitions (in Budapest, to Fradi), and only a saved penalty denied them a coveted place in the final in Malta (NBG won the shootout 5-4).

Another grand battle with Fradi would have been a worthy ending for this team, which is likely to be transformed once again this summer. And CNAB are the prime example that in the gruelling world of the Champions League, even a near-perfect season from a brilliant team cannot guarantee a (really) happy ending.

CN Marseille’s bench could only look on as CNAB dominated the bronze medal game throughout. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

5. Marseille’s first appearance on the grand stage landed them in fourth place. In recent years, it has become a rarity that a team could achieve something big during their first try (Fradi did manage to win in 2019 on their debut). Still, their relentless fighting spirit forced a balanced match against FTC in the semis – now they really need to work on their away-game performances.

Reaching the finals relied mostly on their fine home wins. Away from Marseille, they were 2-4 in the two stages combined, so add the results of the Final Four and you are at 2-6 – which is a sharp contrast to their 5-1 run in front of their loud and passionate fans in the south of France.

The playing area will be reduced from next season. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi

6. OK, let us add a quick bonus talking point – as we witnessed history in another aspect at the weekend, as when the final concluded, a century-old era came to an end too.

The game between FTC and Novi was the last one played on a field 30m long. The new rules – already applied at the recent World Cup matches – curtailed the men’s playing field to 25m.

Once water polo moved to pools from lakes (where the ball had to be placed on top of boats to score), the field’s length was set at 30m and that has been in use ever since.

A new chapter begins now, and we have seen several changes to the rules over the past decades, with many being real game-changers, like introducing quarters instead of halves, abandoning the so-called standing rule, switching from a leather ball to a rubber one, creating possession and exclusion time, offering time-outs and so on – but the field’s measurements had never been touched (in the men’s game).

Now that will change too – and time will tell how we’ll remember the last game played in a 30m field.

Watch water polo action live on www.euroaquaticstv.com and stay up-to-date with live results/tables and real-time updates through the European Aquatics App. Download it here: Google Play.

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics



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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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