Tennis star Coco Gauff has thanked American sprinter Noah Lyles for “assembling the Avengers” – in other words, inspiring USA Basketball to put together its most lethal squad for this summer’s Olympic Games.
Lyles infamously questioned the NBA for calling its title winners “world champions”, explaining how the term is inaccurate for a North American league that only includes teams based in the USA and Canada.
The track star, who won gold in the 100m and 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, faced a great deal of criticism from NBA playersfor those comments, with many dismissing his rationale by saying the NBA features the very best basketball players in the world.
Team USA then underperformed at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, placing fourth after losing to Germany in the semi-finals and Canada in the bronze-medal match, but have since assembled a super-squad for the Paris Olympics that features the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard.
Gauff is in awe of the star power on USA’s men’s basketball team, which is Abu Dhabi-bound this July to take part in two exhibition games ahead of the Olympics.
“I’m super stoked for the Olympics – our squad is unbelievable,” said Gauff, the reigning US Open women's champion and a serious medal contender in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Paris this summer.
“If we lose man … if we lose, I don’t know, the world has stopped rotating. With that squad, I don’t know how many Hall-of-Famers are on that squad.
“Noah Lyles, I haven’t met him, but people like to say that he kind of started that super squad because of his comment about NBA [champions] being world champions. So, thank you, Noah Lyles for assembling the Avengers,” she added with a laugh.
Ranked No 3 in the world and in Madrid this week for the WTA 1000 tournament, Gauff has developed a strong and outspoken voice from a young age. Whether it’s speaking up about social injustice, educating the public about Black history, or taking a stand for gender equality in sport, the 20-year-old is unwavering in her convictions and it seems she’s getting ready to take that to the next level.
After Serena Williams recently told CNN she was interested in becoming an owner of a WNBA team, Gauff was asked if she too would consider investing in women’s sport.
“It's definitely something I have talked to my dad about that I want to do. I don’t have Serena pockets yet, but maybe like a small stake I mean she could afford to own the whole team,” said Gauff.
“But you know, maybe like a small percentage. That is something that I really want to do, whether it’s in the WNBA or women’s soccer. Just to invest and promote it.
“I’m just really happy, this whole, I guess, last two years, of seeing the boom of that has inspired me to do that. I honestly always felt like I should do stuff later in life because I am so youn, g but I’m like, why not take the opportunity now? So eventually one day. But Serena, she’s got it.”
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGuillermo%20del%20Toro%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tim%20Blake%20Nelson%2C%20Sebastian%20Roche%2C%20Elpidia%20Carrillo%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
