Deepti Sharma enters history books, becomes the leading wicket-taker …

My first memory of the Asian Games is an elephant called Appu and a television called Apsara. It was 1982. I was 13, in Class 8 at Don Bosco, Park Circus, Calcutta, and the Asian Games in Delhi seemed to have suddenly taken over India. Appu was based on a real elephant called Kuttinarayanan, which I found out much later.

I didn’t know that Appu was also the first mascot in Asian Games history. Or that Delhi 1982 would mark another historic transition, with China topping the medal table for the first time and ending Japan’s dominance.
Forty-four years later, with the Asian Games heading to Aichi-Nagoya in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026, it is worth dipping into the Asiad’s wonderful book of trivia.

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951, with just 11 participating countries, 489 athletes and six sports. Japan finished comfortably on top of the medal table.

Hangzhou 2022, eventually staged in 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, brought together more than 12,000 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees. The Asian Games had become bigger than the Olympics in terms of participating athletes.

Another interesting aspect is that the Thai capital, Bangkok, has hosted the Games four times — in 1966, 1970, 1978 and 1998. The 1970 Games were originally scheduled to be held in Seoul, but South Korea withdrew because of financial and security concerns. Bangkok stepped in, having hosted the Games just four years earlier.

Sport has never existed entirely outside politics, and Asian Games history reflects Asia’s complicated geopolitical journey. Israel, for example, participated in the Asian Games during its early decades and won medals, including football gold in 1974. It subsequently ceased participating in the Games and eventually became part of the European sporting structure.

The Asiad has also been willing to embrace sports that reflect the continent rather than simply replicate the Olympic programme. So we have had kabaddi from South Asia, sepak takraw from Southeast Asia, wushu from China, kurash from Central Asia and pencak silat from Indonesia and the wider Southeast Asian region.

You can win an Asian Games medal without running anywhere. The Asian Games have had a wonderfully elastic interpretation of sport. Chess, bridge and xiangqi — Chinese chess — have all featured. Bridge was included at Jakarta 2018, producing one of the more unusual sights at a major multi-sport event: athletes sitting calmly at card tables while, elsewhere in the city, marathon runners were discovering entirely different definitions of suffering.

Cricket was remarkably late to the party.
For a continent containing India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, cricket’s Asian Games history is surprisingly brief. It first appeared at Guangzhou 2010. Cricket then disappeared from Jakarta 2018 before returning at Hangzhou, when India finally entered and promptly won both the men’s and women’s gold medals.

For decades, the idea of India winning 100 medals at a single Asian Games seemed fanciful.

At Jakarta 2018, India won 69 medals. Then came Hangzhou, where India finished with a record 107 medals — 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze.

For someone whose first Asian Games memories involved Appu appearing through occasional static on Apsara, 107 Indian medals feels like another age entirely.

And so to Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The Games will feature 43 sports, ranging from athletics, swimming and gymnastics to kabaddi, kurash, wushu, cricket and esports. And in a sign of how the definition of competitive sport continues to evolve, padel and teqball are also on the programme.

Somewhere over its 75-year journey, the Asian Games have developed a brand proposition that no other major sporting event can quite replicate.

The Olympics is the world’s greatest celebration of sport. The Asian Games need not try to be a smaller version of it. Its strength lies precisely in being different.
Its cultural diversity makes it truly an event that showcases a thousand ways to play.

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The post The Asian Games Brand : A thousand ways to play! appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Lionel Messi leads the charts for the most key passes made by players since 2009. He has recorded 1,686 key passes in his career. This is the highest total in modern football. The data comes from Opta Sports, which began tracking key passes in the 2009-10 season.

A key pass is defined as the final pass that leads to a shot attempt. If the shot does not score, it is a key pass. If the shot scores, it becomes an assist.

Messi’s total of 1,686 key passes sets the benchmark for modern chance creation. He is well ahead of other playmakers. Kevin De Bruyne is second with over 1,545 key passes. Mesut Özil has over 1,000. Dimitri Payet also crossed the 1,000 mark. Messi’s lead is built on his longevity and consistent performance over more than a decade.

Messi relies heavily on short-range passes in the attacking third. He produces 1,253 short key passes compared to just 141 long ones. He also creates most of his chances from open play. Only 162 of his key passes come from set pieces. His signature pass is a diagonal lofted ball from the right half-space. He also leads in through-ball key passes, with about 200 more than any other player.

His career shows a clear evolution. In his early years, he created chances from the right wing. Later, he moved to a central false-nine role. In his later years, he produced his highest single-season key pass totals. He recorded 131 in 2014-15, 125 in 2011-12, and 119 in 2018-19.

Other elite creators have different styles. Kevin De Bruyne relies on high-velocity crosses and early passes from the right half-space. Mesut Özil was a classic number ten who created chances through timing. Dimitri Payet’s totals were boosted by taking set pieces. Thomas Müller creates chances through movement and quick lay-offs.

Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals, Powers Inter Miami to Record Win

Lionel Messi scored four goals to lead Inter Miami to a record 7-1 win over CF Montréal. It was the most goals Miami has scored in a single game. The victory snapped the team’s winless run in style.

Messi opened his account with a deflected free kick in the 40th minute. He added a second after a stunning solo run in the 52nd minute. He then provided an assist for Luis Suárez before completing his hat trick with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper in the 83rd minute. He was not finished. Deep into stoppage time, he lined up another free kick and dispatched it with trademark precision into the side of the net. It was his eighth career game with four or more goals. His last four-goal match was for Barcelona in February 2020.

Messi is now the fastest player in MLS history to reach 20 multi-goal games in the regular season. He has done so in just 72 appearances. He also leads the league in scoring this season with 18 goals in 19 games. He is two ahead of FC Dallas’s Petar Musa.

Inter Miami’s interim coach Guillermo Hoyos was suspended for the match and watched from the stands. The club named Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez as his permanent successor, but he is still waiting for his work permits. Assistant coach Rafael Pérez led the team on the day.

Brazil international Casemiro opened the scoring with his first goal for Miami since his summer arrival. Eighteen-year-old Alexander Shaw also scored in the 89th minute. The victory was Miami’s first in MLS play since July 25. It ended a run of five games without a win in all competitions.

Miami midfielder Casemiro said the team has to enjoy these moments. He called Messi the best and said they are so much stronger with him. Hoyos said there are no words to describe such footballing beauty. He said Messi is constantly looking for that goal, that play, that pass.

The victory keeps Miami second in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 10 points behind leaders Nashville SC. Montreal remains 14th in the conference. The win was a huge boost for the team. It showed what they are capable of with Messi in the lineup. They will hope to build on this performance and push for the top spot. For now, they can enjoy a historic night.

FAQs

Q. Who has the most key passes since 2009?

A. Lionel Messi leads with 1,686 key passes.

Q. What is a key pass?

A. It is the final pass before a shot attempt.

Q. Who ranks second behind Messi?

A. Kevin De Bruyne ranks second with over 1,545 key passes.

Q. How does Messi create most of his chances?

A. Messi mainly creates chances through short passes in open play.

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On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gagged its players from speaking about Imran Khan. Hours later, following another humiliating Test defeat, it pressed the panic button.

Pakistan lost the second Test against England at Lord’s by 194 runs, following their innings defeat in the first Test at Headingley. Now, according to sources, the PCB has asked Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Mike Hesson, to take charge of the red-ball team for the final Test of the series as well. The final Test will be played at Edgbaston from September 9, with Hesson set to take over from incumbent Pakistan Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed.

In addition, six players, including Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas, have reportedly been called up to reinforce the squad for the final Test. Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq have been sent back, with form and fitness respectively cited as the reasons.

Imam, after being ruled out of the second Test with an injury, came in for criticism from several quarters. He was even accused of faking his injury. On Day 4, after the batter was seen doing some knocking on the sidelines with tape over his left calf, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad let it rip.

“That’s all for show. He has got a bit of stick from the media and maybe his team-mates. Whatever. You can do that inside the indoor school without anyone seeing, don’t have to come wearing shorts and tape and hobble around like that. I am not impressed with that. Sorry,” Broad said on Sky Sports.

Pakistan cricket has long been associated with controversies and drama. But even by their standards, a mid-series change of head coach is unprecedented. According to sources, Hesson was asked to check in at Lord’s even before the second Test was over.

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