Capri Sports launches Nova Sports, a girls-only football pathway to r…

A new chapter for girls’ football in India began today as Capri Sports officially launched Nova Sports, its girls-only football development initiative, designed to create a structured pathway from grassroots participation to elite football. The initiative aims to provide girls aged 8–18 with a structured pathway that combines quality coaching, meaningful competition and long-term player development through an integrated football ecosystem. tbzikra.org

The initiative will begin with the SuperNova Football Championship, a 7-a-side schools tournament across the U13, U15 and U17 age groups, to be held on September 5 and 6 at Depot18, Bengaluru. Bringing together almost 50 teams from across the city, the Championship has been designed as more than just a football tournament – it is a celebration of the sport, offering a professional matchday experience for players, schools, families and coaches. From competitive football and engagement zones to recognition awards, interactive brand experiences and shareable content moments, the Championship aims to create a memorable platform that inspires greater participation in girls’ football. Students will also have the opportunity to register for the Nova Football Academy, a grassroots football programme, creating a structured system to identify, nurture and develop young footballers through consistent coaching and competitive opportunities.

Built around the philosophy of “Girls first. Always.”, Nova Sports has been designed exclusively for girls and not adapted from an existing boys’ programme. Every aspect of the initiative, from its internationally benchmarked coaching methodologies and girl-centred curriculum to its safeguarding standards, technology platform and competitive structure, has been intentionally created around the needs and aspirations of Indian girls. By bringing together school football, academy training and structured competition, Nova Sports seeks to bridge the gap between grassroots participation and elite performance, creating a clear pathway for girls from their first experience of the game to the highest levels of the sport.

To deliver and scale the initiative, Capri Sports has partnered with India On Track (IOT) as the execution partner for Nova Sports. One of India’s leading grassroots sports development organisations, IOT has extensive experience in designing and delivering grassroots initiatives, having worked with prominent Global & Indian rights holders & Brands like the NBA, Premier League, LaLiga, MLB, Gujarat Titans, Apollo Tyres, Coke & Heineken to name a few.

Over the next decade, Capri Sports envisions scaling the initiative from a single city to a national footprint, with the goal of reaching more than 1.5 million girls through this initiative. This vision will be driven by two interconnected pathways – a full development pipeline and a structured competitive pathway. While the development pipeline will focus on grassroots academies, coach education and internationally benchmarked training standards, the competitive pathway will provide regular match exposure ensuring every girl has a clear pathway to progress in the sport.

Speaking on the launch, Jinisha Sharma, Director & Promoter, Capri Sports, said, “Building the future of Indian sport starts with investing in strong grassroots ecosystems and creating opportunities early. At Capri Sports, we’ve chosen to focus much of that investment on women’s sport because we believe it represents one of India’s greatest opportunities for growth. Nova Sports is another step in that journey, helping more girls access the coaching, competition and support they need to fulfil their potential.”

Apurv Gupta, Director, Contact Sports, Capri Sports, added, “Our vision is to build a cohesive and interconnected football pathway for girls at every stage of their journey. Guided by our principle, ‘Girls First. Always.’, every decision we make is viewed through the lens of what will best support their development, ambitions and wellbeing. By creating a system that combines structured development, sustained support and a high-performance environment, we want every girl – regardless of her previous experience – to have the opportunity to play, progress and realise her potential. Ultimately, we hope the impact of Nova Sports extends far beyond the football field, shaping confidence, resilience and opportunity for every athlete who joins us.”

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Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are hunting for a new head coach with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming ending his association with the team after 17 years in charge. Fleming has been appointed new head coach of England cricket team and will be taking charge of the team later in the year.

MS Dhoni’s CSK have failed to win the IPL title since their record-equalling triumph in 2023 season. The Chennai franchise are now looking to finalise on a new head coach ahead IPL 2027 season before they consider another major move – trading Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians.

According to a report in Cricbuzz website, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan and whole-time director Rupa Gurunath will take a decision on the new head coach in discussion with former captain MS Dhoni and current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. “We have not started applying our minds on this. First, we will have a coach. We have got calls from many interested candidates. We will sit and finalise,” Viswanathan said about Hardik Pandya trade to Cricbuzz website.

Leo is just bored!
Remember, not everything needs decoding#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/3MYcuOVeLF

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 11, 2026

One name who could come into consideration is former England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was part of the CSK franchise in IPL 2014 and 2015 season. Former New Zealand captain had scored 405 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2014 with 3 fifties and then 436 runs in 14 matches with 1 century and 2 fifties.

McCullum had to join Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017 as CSK were banned for a couple of years due to spot fixing allegations. He ended his career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2018 edition.

The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had replace Jacques Kallis as Kolkata Knight Riders head coach in August 2019 and was part of the franchise for a couple of seasons – leading them to the IPL 2021 final, where they lost to Dhoni’s CSK.

McCullum became England head coach in 2022 before being removed as England Test coach last month. He is still the head coach of England’s white-ball teams but with England and Wales Cricket Board allowing coaches to take up IPL stints during off-season, McCullum is in contention to replace Fleming at CSK.

Another name in race of become CSK head coach could be former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel, who had taken charge of Texas Super Kings and Joburg Super Kings sides in MLC and SA20 leagues. CSK are believed to be considering only ‘overseas experts’ as their new head coach.

Washington DC [US], August 11 (ANI): US President Donald Trump said that it would be a “terrible mistake" to replace Gianni Infantino as the FIFA president, pointing out the success of the recently concluded, expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 to state that the sport would “never be as successful or profitable" if he is gone.

Trouble has been looming over Infantino’s presidency ever since he announced the FIFA Forward Enterprise, which aimed at bringing private involvement/investment in FIFA-related competitions, particularly the FIFA World Cup. The move invited a lot of wrath and concern from football associations across the world, notably UEFA, CONCACAF, FA, Asian Football Confederation (AFC), among others. While the plan was withdrawn following the backlash and numerous member associations have extended their support to Infantino, it is safe to say that the FIFA president’s popularity and trust have taken a massive dent.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT".

After the withdrawal of FIFA Forward Enterprise, in another statement, Infantino and FIFA General Secretary Mattias Grafstrom apologised for the errors and pledged that they would not be repeated, that a review would be done, and findings would be submitted to the FIFA Council during the next meeting. But despite all this, Infantino battles to retain his spot ahead of the presidential elections next year in March.

UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a joint statement on Monday, calling out the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, for “breaking trust through deception" as he tried to go ahead with his ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ and how the governing body failed to recognise the idea of selling a stake in the FIFA World Cup as a “profound failure of judgment."

The three governing bodies called the growth in sport during the last decade something real, but said that it was “never the work of one individual" and rather a “shared achievement".

“It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game. The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together," said the statement.

Calling out Infantino, they said that football leadership is “not a possession" but a “duty of service" to the football family.

“Football leadership is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it," said the statement.

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned," continued the statement.

On the FIFA Forward Enterprise, the three governing bodies said that what football witnessed was a “failure of judgement".

“A proposal advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed toward a deadline before Member Associations could properly review its terms is not the product of an oversight — it is the product of a design intended to limit scrutiny," the statement said.

“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment — not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve," the statement continued.

They also called on FIFA and President Infantino for “silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness."

These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve. Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it," the statement said. (ANI)

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Madrid [Spain], August 11 (ANI): Spain and Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella has backed his team to have a great year under manager Jose Mourinho, who made a return to the club for a second stint after his first stint from 2010-13.

The Spanish international and FIFA World Cup winner has already been impressed by the impact Mourinho has had on the team during their initial pre-season training sessions. Speaking on Real Madrid TV after his first day at training with the team, Cucurella was very positive about his impression of the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss.

On what he had brought to the training ahead of the season since his arrival, Cucurella said about Mourinho, as quoted by Goal.com, “A lot of confidence and naturalness. We have to do what we know out on the field, and above all, enjoy ourselves. I think what we all want is to win and to have a great year."

Despite being a part of FC Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy growing up, Cucurella admitted that a deal with the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners was too strong to ignore and described the club as the sport’s pinnacle. The chance to join a Mourinho-led side and play for what he considers “Europe’s biggest club" was crucial in his return to Spain after a four-year Premier League stint with Brighton and Chelsea.

“As a kid starting out playing football, then having the opportunity to play for a club like this, it is very hard to turn down," Cucurella said. “When the opportunity came, I did not hesitate for a second. As a spectator, I have seen all those magical nights, those comebacks at the Bernabeu, all the Champions League titles the have lifted. Having the chance to experience it first-hand and be a part of it is a huge responsibility, but also a very beautiful and important challenge," he added.

The 28-year-old was associated with Chelsea from 2022-26 and played a crucial role in them winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. He made 163 appearances for The Blues. He is now a part of the star-studded line-up of signings that Real Madrid has made after yet another trophyless season, under the presidency of Florentino Perez, with Mourinho making a comeback to Spain and signing top-class names like Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, and Denzel Dumfries.

Cucurella is aware of the standards that await him at the club and views this move as a validation of his hard work over the years, including at Getafe and Eibar before he moved to England.

“It is an honour. Not many people can say they have worn this jersey. We have seen great legends here, it is a club with a lot of history, the biggest in Europe. Being here today is a privilege, an honour, and above all, a reward for all the effort I have put into my career," he added.’

Madrid is set to face Deportivo de A Coruna and Schalke in pre-season friendlies before competitive action begins with the La Liga clash against Espanyol away from home on August 22. (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.)