Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

Armchair detectives mark Sherlock Holmes Day

AP SCHATTENHALB (US), May 22: Armchair detectives worldwide are marking International Sherlock Holmes Day on Friday, celebrating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. The day falls on Conan Doyle’s birthday and highlights the lasting global impact of the Holmes stories on detective fiction and popular culture.

Celebrations began earlier this month with a reenactment by members of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London at Switzerland’s Reichenbach Falls, the dramatic site of Holmes’ apparent death in “The Final Problem.” Participants dressed in Victorian-style costumes, including deerstalker hats, cloaks, and period gowns, to recreate the confrontation between Holmes and his arch-enemy Professor James Moriarty. riarty plunge over the waterfall, leading readers to believe the detective had died. The episode triggered widespread public reaction, with fans mourning Holmes, cancelling magazine subscriptions, and wearing black armbands. Conan Doyle later revived the character in “The Adventure of the Empty House,” revealing that Holmes had survived by faking his death.

The Sherlock Holmes stories, written between 1887 and 1927, include four novels and 56 short stories. They are widely credited with shaping modern detective fiction by introducing methods such as forensic deduction, logical reasoning, and careful observation, which later became standard in crime writing.

Holmes has since been portrayed in numerous adaptations across film, television, and stage. Notable actors include Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Christopher Lee, Robert Downey Jr., and Benedict Cumberbatch. More recently, “Young Sherlock,” a prequel series starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin and created by Guy Ritchie for Amazon Prime Video, continues the character’s screen legacy, with a second season in development.

At 221B Baker Street in London, the Sherlock Holmes Museum remains a major attraction. Although the address was fictional in Conan Doyle’s original works, it has become an officially recognised museum site featuring Holmes-related exhibits and memorabilia.

Members of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, founded in 1951, continue to visit locations connected to the stories, including pilgrimages to Reichenbach Falls. For fans, these journeys reflect the enduring appeal of Holmes’ world of mystery, deduction, and adventure.

===AUTHOR===

(Agencies)

NEW YORK, May 22: Former United States defender Alexi Lalas has criticised American players for talking about pressure ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying the squad should embrace expectations while playing at home.

Speaking at a Fox event promoting World Cup coverage, Lalas described the players as “whiners” over discussions surrounding pressure and said the current generation had been provided with every possible resource and opportunity.Top American star Christian Pulisic had earlier admitted that pressure existed ahead of the tournament but insisted he was ready to handle it collectively with the team.Lalas also questioned Pulisic’s leadership qualities, saying the AC Milan forward may never become the leader many expect, though he still believed the 27-year-old could emerge as one of the greatest American footballers in history.

The former defender backed the United States to progress beyond the group stage and reach at least the round of 16 in the tournament, which the country will co-host alongside Canada and Mexico.

Lalas also jokingly remarked that he would support “anybody but England” to win the World Cup, while retired Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović urged pundits to show more belief in the United States’ chances of lifting the trophy.

(Agencies)

WOLFSBURG, May 22: Christian Eriksen is one game away from Bundesliga relegation with Wolfsburg after a scoreless draw with second-division Paderborn in the first leg of their playoff on Thursday.

Eriksen, who signed a two-year deal when he joined Wolfsburg in September, likely didn’t imagine he’d find himself on the verge of demotion to Germany’s second division at the end of his first season.

But if Paderborn wins the second leg of their promo-tion/relegation playoff at home on Monday, Wolfs-burg – the 2009 Bundesliga champion – would drop a division for the first time since it was promoted to the top tier in 1997.

Paderborn is bidding to return to the Bundesliga after it was relegated in 2020 after one season in the top flight.

The end-of-season play-off pits the team that finishes third from bottom in the Bundesliga against the third-place finisher in the second division to determine which will play in the top division the following season.

Wolfsburg clinched its place in the playoff in the final round of the Bundesliga with a win over St. Pauli, sending the Hamburg-based side down to the second division, while Paderborn earned its shot at promo-tion by beating Darmstadt and capitalizing on dropped points from Hannover.

Santiago Castaneda had an early chance for Pader-born, but otherwise Wolfs-burg created more in the first half with Paderborn goalkeeper Dennis Seimen denying Adam Daghim in a one-on-one.

Nerves played a role as the game progressed, how-ever. Paderborn’s Filip Bil-bija had an effort cleared off the line late on. Paderborn defender Jonah Sticker will miss the second leg after being sent off with two book-ings in as many minutes in stoppage time.

Paderborn, a city to the east of Dortmund in the Rhine-Westphalia, is taking part in the playoff for the first time, while Wolfsburg is navigating the showdown for the third time after wins over Eintracht Braunschweig in 2017 and Holstein Kiel the following year.

With everything now set to be decided in Monday’s return leg, the pressure has shifted squarely onto VfL Wolfsburg, a club that only a few years ago was compet-ing regularly in European competitions and boasting ambitions of challenging Germany’s elite.

The prospect of relegation represents not just a sport-ing setback but a potentially massive blow to the club’s financial stability, reputa-tion and long-term project, particularly after investing in experienced internation-als like Christian Eriksen to guide the team forward.

For Eriksen himself, whose career has already witnessed extraordinary highs and dramatic personal challenges, the possibility of ending his first season in Germany with relegation would be a cruel twist in an otherwise remarkable foot-ball journey.

Yet Wolfsburg can take some encouragement from their playoff experience and the fact that they managed to avoid conceding an away goal despite visible nerves during the opening leg.

Paderborn, meanwhile, will sense a historic oppor-tunity to complete a fairytale return to the Bundesliga in front of their home supporters after years of rebuilding fol-lowing relegation in 2020.

With emotions, financial stakes and top-flight status all hanging in the balance, Monday’s decisive clash promises to be a tense and fiercely contested encoun-ter where one moment of brilliance — or one costly mistake — could define the future of both clubs for years to come.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: East Khasi Hills stamped their authority on the State Level Inter-School Athletics Meet 2026, clinching the overall championship after a string of impressive performances across categories at the SAI STC Shillong, NEHU Campus on Friday.

Organised by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs in collaboration with the Meghalaya Athletics Association, the meet witnessed intense competition among young athletes from across the state, with several emerging talents making their mark on the track and field.East Khasi Hills also dominated the team events, securing the Best Boys Team and Best Girls Team titles. North Garo Hills finished runners-up in the boys’ section, while West Jaintia Hills claimed the runners-up spot in the girls’ category.

The meet also highlighted the growing standards of athletics in Meghalaya, with athletes from different districts producing commendable performances and challenging the traditional dominance of East Khasi Hills.Among the standout individual performers, Ewandame Mark Syiemlieh of East Khasi Hills was adjudged Best Athlete in the Under-14 Boys category following his high jump exploits, while Lamsaka Dkhar of East Jaintia Hills secured the Under-14 Girls honour for long jump.

In the Under-16 division, Highbornson Muksor of East Jaintia Hills emerged as the Best Athlete in the boys’ category, while Amandy Rumnong of East Khasi Hills bagged the girls’ title.

North Garo Hills athlete Cherim Ch Sangma was declared Best Athlete in the Under-18 Boys category, while Tusame N Marak of East Khasi Hills clinched the girls’ award.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: Nongkseh SSCC and Shillong Lajong FC grabbed the two semifinal spots from Group A in the 5th Meghalaya State League by winning their respective quarterfinal league stage matches on Friday.

While Nongkseh comfortably beat bottom side Rangdajied United 4-1, the second fixture of the day involving Lajong and Mawlai SC was far more enthralling. Lajong’s 1-0 win thanks to a 72nd minute strike by Fridison Wannianng not only secured their berth in the semis but also ensured that reigning champions Mawlai would not be able to progress.

In the standings, Nongkseh lead the group with 11 points to Lajong’s 10 and Mawlai’s 7. RUFC have 0. Although there is still a round remaining, losing twice to Lajong means that Mawlai, based on head-to-head, cannot hope to reach the Top 2 even if they beat Nongkseh on Monday and SLFC lose to Rangdajied.

Mawlai lacked composure in defence during the first half but still managed to hold on, though rather desperately. Their custodian, Lambhamiki Lamare, was made to work overtime, from the very first minute in fact, when Deibormame Tongper tested him with a powerful shot on target. Fridison would do the same in the 20th minute but Mawlai also had their chances, with Fairming Suting rattling the woodwork in the 12th minute. Both teams were somewhat understrength due to suspensions of key players but Lajong did not let that stop them. Coach Bobby L Nongbet brought on Emanbha Marbaniang in the second half and practically his first touch of the game was to set up Fridison’s thundering left-footer. Earlier, Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw (30′) scored his first goal of the tournament but Nongkseh had to wait until the second half to stamp their authority on the game.

PTI

KARACHI, May 22: Pakistani hockey players’ financial woes continued as they are yet to receive pending dues from the national federation (PHF) and their daily training camp allowance has also been reduced ahead of the FIH World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium in August this year.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) interim set-up announced that players and officials of the national team will now receive a daily allowance of USD 110 on foreign tours. But the players have complained that their training camp allowance has been reduced from USD 11 (3000 rupees) to USD 3.5 (1000 rupees).

According to a reliable source close to the PHF, the senior players had asked the PHF to confirm about how much allowance they would get for the training camp duration.

Pakistan on Thursday named their 20-member squad for next month’s FIH Pro League matches in Belgium and England but didn’t name the captain, a move that didn’t go down well with the players.

Shakeel Ammad Butt has been leading Pakistan since early last year.

“They have announced we will get USD 110 daily allowance for foreign tours, including the World Cup qualifying event we had played in Egypt but we will only believe it unless we are paid that amount,” one player said on condition of anonymity.

He said in the past also the PHF officials had made similar promises but never fulfilled that.

“Right now we just want to know whether it is true they will pay us just 1000 rupees daily for the camp duration. This amount is an insult to national players,” another player said.

The third leg of the FIH Pro League is scheduled from June 13 to 27 with Pakistan playing Belgium, Spain, England and arch-rivals India. Pakistan will then participate in the FIH World Cup.

(AP)

MANCHESTER, May 22: Pep Guardiola confirmed what Manchester City fans had been fearing. The club’s most successful manager is leaving, bringing to a close a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as one of major forces in Europe and changed the face of English soccer.

Guardiola, who had a further year left on his City contract, will take charge of his final game against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said. “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.” City said Guardiola would take up a role as global ambassador.

Enzo Maresca – the for-mer Chelsea manager who was previously assistant to Guardiola at City – is the favorite to take on the daunt-ing task of filling Guardiola’s shoes after a decade of un-precedented dominance.

Since joining City in the summer of 2016, Guardiola led the Abu Dhabi-backed team to six Premier League titles and the Champions League for the first time in 2023.

He won 17 major trophies in all, including a domestic double this season of the English League Cup and the FA Cup. He has won 35 ma-jor titles across his coaching career including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Mu-nich. Guardiola’s departure marks the end of one of the most transformative eras not only in the history of Manchester City but also in modern English football it-self. During his decade-long reign, the Spaniard revolu-tionised the club’s identity with a fearless attacking phi-losophy, relentless pursuit of perfection and a style of football that set new bench-marks across Europe.

From turning City into serial Premier League cham-pions to finally delivering the elusive UEFA Champions League crown, Guardiola leaves behind a legacy built on consistency, innovation and sustained excellence rarely witnessed in the mod-ern game.

===AUTHOR_DETAILS===

===AUTHOR'S NAME AND AFFILIATION===