Despite FIFA ban, Iranian fans display pre-revolutionary flags at WC …

Los Angeles [US], June 16 (ANI): Iran supporters in the ongoing World Cup defied FIFA’s ban by displaying the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Ahead of Iran’s tournament opener against the New Zealand national football team on Monday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the stadium to protest against the Iranian government, as per the New York Post website. moryak.biz

Inside the venue, the pre-revolutionary flag was visible throughout the crowd, with fans displaying it on banners, flags and T-shirts despite FIFA’s ruling.

FIFA stated the pre-revolutionary flag displays appeared to violate FIFA’s code of conduct, which states that “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are political, offensive and/or discriminatory in nature" are prohibited at tournament venues under regulations announced in May.

Security at SoFi Stadium was visibly stringent, with spectators required to pass through metal detectors and bag inspections before entering.

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The security personnel asked one group of fans wearing T-shirts featuring the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag to remove them. When the supporters said they had no alternative clothing, they were instructed to turn the shirts inside out.

Despite those measures, enforcement appeared limited once fans entered the stadium. The pre-revolutionary flag remained widely visible throughout the stands, displayed on flags, banners and clothing during the match.

Some Iranian fans also turned their backs to the field when the national anthem was played. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

A brief moment during Türkiye’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match has struck a chord with viewers online. As the players walked onto the field in Vancouver, Canada, several Sikh boys wearing patkas were seen serving as official player escorts, proudly accompanying the team onto football’s biggest stage.

The scene lasted only a few seconds, but it quickly caught the attention of social media users. For members of the Sikh community, it was indeed a proud moment, as the young children were seen confidently embracing their identity on a global stage.

Sikh boys wearing patkas were among the official FIFA player escorts as Türkiye walked onto the pitch for their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match in Vancouver, Canada.

A small moment that many viewers may have missed, but a powerful one nonetheless.

As Türkiye returned to the… pic.twitter.com/Bxe9WDsXj9

— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) June 15, 2026

If there is one player that India must be dearly missing in this Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, it has to be fast-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar. She is one of those, who can actually bat as good as they can bowl. Yes, she has been out since the 2024 edition, and India won the 50-over World Cup in her absence, but nobody can discount on her importance in the side.

Shoulder surgery keeps Pooja Vastrakar out of Indian team

For the unversed, who don’t really know, as to why she isn’t in the team — Pooja Vastrakar underwent a shoulder surgery, that took her longer-than-expected time to recover. Finally, on the sidelines of the Madhya Pradesh Women’s T20 League, she opened up her struggles with injuries, and how chats with best pacer in the world, Jasprit Bumrah helped her.

“We had planned the surgery in a way that I would have had eight months to recover, but that didn’t happen because even after eight months, I hadn’t got my range back,” Vastrakar told ESPNcricinfo. “After being in these situations so many times, it doesn’t bother you anymore. You know how to deal with it.“

Help came from the best in business

But then, the long wait of the injury, recovery from surgery can take a huge toll on the player mentally. And that is when colleagues play a huge part. She revealed, how being at the BCCI CoE meant, help was always available.

“When you are at a place like the CoE, there are world-class bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, highly qualified doctors, physiotherapists and trainers. When you converse with them, you learn a lot and mature. They tell us that bowling isn’t even made for the human body. You transfer three or four times your body weight onto your left leg.

“I had a lot of conversations with Boom bhai [Bumrah] during that period. He explained, ‘If I look at my career, many similar things happened to me too. For a long time I have also been out, doing rehab for six months. Then I had surgery, so a year-and-a-half went into all this.’ He basically just said these things will keep happening; all you can do is focus on your process and whatever is in your control.

“It’s true that during such phases, we either dwell on the past or worry about the future. We forget to enjoy the present. And the present is what’s in our hands, the process is in our hands. And that very process becomes a huge part of success.”

The post Jasprit Bumrah had a role to play in Pooja Vastrakar’s rehab at BCCI’s CoE, reveals pacer appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Mehrajuddin Wadoo will continue as coach of the Mohammedan Sporting club for the next season. Mehraj, who is pre-occupied with commentary stint for the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 will join the training session from June 27. The players will undergo a 10-day camp in Kalyani as part of pre-season preparations for upcoming Kolkata League and Durand Cup. The century-old club saw new management taking over recently with Humayun Kabir appointed as President and Wasim Akram named as secretary.

“Our league campaign begins around the end of June, and our first match is scheduled for the 3rd or 4th of July. We have already received official communication regarding the schedule. We are organising a residential training camp in Kalyani starting on the 20th.

“Before that, on the 19th, we will hold a meet-and-greet with the entire football team, coaching staff, and officials at a five-star hotel over dinner. The purpose is to motivate everyone and introduce them to the new management,” said Wasim Akram to Revsportz.

Mehrajuddin has already referred a couple of names to the club management for the role of assistant coach. The first week of the residential camp will be dedicated to fitness practice. The club has an outstanding of INR 15 crores and is also serving a transfer ban.

According to Akram, “Our primary objective will be to play in the top tier league i.e., ISL. There are many technical aspects involved, and it would not be right for me to discuss them publicly right now.

“Even before my official announcement today, I had informal discussions with several key people in the federation. I don’t want to name them, but they are among the most influential figures there. They told me there are pathways through which participation may still be possible. Nobody can guarantee it 100%, but there is a strong possibility.”

On being asked about the FIFA transfer ban, Mr Akram said, “Yes, the FIFA ban is a major issue. The first step is straightforward: we must clear the outstanding payments. Once the payment is made, the concerned parties will provide an NOC. We will submit and verify it, and then the ban will be lifted.

“However, even if we pay tomorrow, we still cannot register new players until the transfer window opens. Since the league starts at the end of June, we may have to play for a month without newly signed players. Foreign players are not allowed in the Calcutta League, but even for local signings, we may have to wait until the registration window opens.”

Follow REVSPORTZ for more updates.

The post Mehrajuddin to continue as coach of Mohammedan Sporting, confirms new club secretary Wasim Akram appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.