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Rayo Vallecano are finally in a position to dream of La Liga survival. Photograph: Javier Etxezarreta/EPA In the middle of Rayo Vallecano's dark days, when they'd been beaten 15 times in 20 games and the goals were flying in; when they'd let in five from Atlético Madrid, five from Málaga, five from Villarreal, four from Espanyol, four from Sevilla, four from Barcelona, three from Madrid, three from Osasuna, and three from Valladolid; when they plummeted to 19th and stayed there for 11 long weeks; when the only reason they didn't fall further was that Betis were even worse; when even a glimmer of hope, a 4-1 win over Málaga, immediately gave way to a six-goal hammering; and when relegation wasn't an "if" but a "when"; there was a phrase that got repeated over and over: Paco Jémez will die with his ideas. Paco Jémez, though, had other ideas. Not because Rayo's coach was going to back down on his principles - "any club that signs me knows what it's getting," he insisted - but because he didn't have any intention of dying at all. Even when Rayo were a disaster, Jémez had his defenders. Off the pitch, that is. Last season, only two teams in Europe had the ball more than Rayo did: Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Early this season, when Rayo played Barcelona, they had more possession than them, the first team to manage it in 316 games. They threw men into attack, they were fun to watch, and parading the touchline in a dizzying array of multicoloured elbow patches and waistcoats, pink shirts and purple ties, Jémez urged them forward, always. In a country that values the aesthetic, or in which some do, he was eulogised for the way his teams played de tú a tú: as equals. Rayo didn't simply defend - sometimes they didn't defend at all - but instead they went for it. And, mostly, they lost. Rayo took the ball off Barcelona and Jémez declared himself "very proud". But they were beaten 4-0. They went to the Camp Nou where they were praised by Barcelona's

Rafael Nadal is struggling with his fitness, as he continues to participate in the ATP Finals, in London. However, he suffered a shocker, as he was defeated by Alexander Zverev. Meanwhile, as he prepares to take on Daniil Medvedev, he has given an update on his current fitness, which has been shaky.

Joe Calzaghe achieved one of his dreams by comprehensively beating Roy Jones Jr last night at Madison Square Gardens, his 46th straight win as a professional boxer. In the past he suggested that he woudl retire if he did. So should he?

Dale Steyn will lead South Africa's World T20 assault, subject to his recapturing full wellness. Steyn sat out six of South Africa's eight Tests this late spring and separated in the two that he played, first with a crotch harm and after that a shoulder niggle from which he is as yet recuperating. he has not had influence in the progressing ODI arrangement against England and won't play the T20 arrangement either, yet ought to return for the T20 arrangement against Australia in the development to the competition.

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav turned 31 today. He has been in tHe mix since many years now in tHe top level. THe Vidarbha pacer may not feature consistently as He would have liked, but He has always put in a shift. THe hard working pacer is an example for budding cricketers. Here's more.

Indian opener Rohit Shama is the latest Indian cricketer to be associated with football, as he has been named India's brand ambassador for La Liga. While he becomes the first-ever non-footballer brand ambassador, he revealed which Indian cricketer from the current team is the best footballer.

Indian opener KL Rahul's hard work in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 paid off, as he sealed a spot in the squad for the ICC World Cup 2019. However, he is not expected to get game time, as India have a settled top-order. As he prepares for his maiden World Cup stint, Rahul talked about his World Cup dream. here's more.

Mark has a vast knowledge of fitness training & as a personal fitness trainer. He offers customized exercise programs to suit customer's specific needs. He provides specialized workout programs for his customers, ranging from weight loss programs, enhancing sports performance to overall Health improvement.

It seems that Andy Murray is planing to get some hard gym work while he is still in the French Open tennis. Is it normal for tennis pros to work so hard during grand slams, or is this a tacit admission that he can't win it?

Kobe Bryant said that the 1st time he saw his USA Men's Basketball uniform he "laid it down across my bed" and just looked at it, "humbled". "I had goosebumps", Kobe continued. Arguably the best basketball player of our generation...was emotionally affected by a simple (albeit nice) basketball uniform. What up with that?

In this article the author provides a short biography of Tom Brady, the star quarterback of the New England Patriots. here he provides more than a list of his accomplishments. he tried to provide some insight into how Tom Brady has achieved such enormous success, and from this hopefully understand what is possible for all of us, whatever our goals and aspirations may be.

AFC Leopards have been fined Sh500,000 after the club fans caused the abandonment of their Kenyan Premier League game against Thika United a fortnight ago. The KPL Leagues and Competitions Committee also awarded two goals and three points to Thika United for the match that was abandoned in the 83rd minute. Thika were leading by a solitary goal by the time of abandonment. (READ: Fans disrupt AFC, Thika United league match) According to KPL Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda, the committee found Leopards guilty of causing the abandonment of the game after their fans invaded the pitch before the end of the match. Referee Nassur Doka tried to restore normalcy but when it became clear it was becoming a security risk, he decided to call off the game. The chaotic Leopards fans engaged the police in running battles in and out of the Nyayo Stadium causing damage to private and public property. "The verdict is out and Leopards will have to pay Sh500,000 and forfeit the match. Thika United have been awarded the three points and a 2-0 win margin," said Oguda. The decision means Leopards remain 12th on the 16-team KPL log with 14 points from 13 matches after the league body opted not to dock the 13-time Kenyan champions points. Last week, Leopards Secretary General George Aladwa demanded that KPL awards the club three points claiming that Thika United, being the home team, failed to ensure there was enough security during the game. "Thika United were the home team, they should have provided enough security. Their players also refused to return to the field of play even after calm had been restored," said Aladwa. "We therefore demand that AFC Leopards be awarded the three points," he added.

Here is a good slow motion video of Michael Thompson. You can learn a lot by watching his golf swing. Notice how well He swings tHe club on plane. Swinging tHe club on plane is a key to hitting tHe ball solid and maintaining a consistent ball flight. Also, watch how tHe golf shaft bisects through his right forearm as He swings up and also wHen He swings down. Not much can go wrong wHen tHe club bisects through tHe forearm on tHe way back down. Also, notice how He has good hip rotation while tHe club stays on plane. This is a very nice swing to try to copy.

MS Dhoni says that he will think about retirement at the right time but still focus on India tour of Australia series.

Michael Phelps is widely expected to try and equal or better Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals (all of which he also broke a world record in). If Phelps can win 7 golds in Beijng it would represent a greater achievement than that of Spitz - even if he doesn't get the world records to match...

Brendon McCullum would have liked to see his name being picked by a franchise in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 Auction. But that did not happen. McCullum was one of the many high-profile players that went unsold. he has now hinted that he may retire from cricket.

Robin Singh is always remembered for his dedication and zeal on the field. The ex-Indian cricketer was a handy all-rounder. During his heydays, he took the Indian fielding to the next level. he was an inspiration to several youngsters. Born on September 14, 1963, Robin has turned 55 today.

Cricketer Hardik Pandya apologized for the comments he made on chat show 'Koffee With Karan' where he made his debut with friend and colleague KL Rahul. The episode which was aired on Sunday sparked outrage on social media for the way Pandya spoke about women and black culture. here's more on this.

Pep Guardiola is one of the most decorated managers in European football. he has managed successful clubs in his glittering career so far. The Manchester City boss was earlier the coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. he has left several imprints in the game and is regarded highly. here we look at some of the interesting records held by Pep.

Kapil Dev has resigned as the chief of the BCCI's CAC. His resignation comes following Shanta Rangaswamy's decision to step down from the three-member CAC committee. While Dev has not given the reason as to why he was stepping down, he did write an e-mail to the CoA on the same. here's more.