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When the world’s best track and field athletes lace up their spikes to compete at the World Athletics Championship, it’s more than just another event on a calendar. A win here carries as much weight as a gold medal at the Olympics for title-hungry stars of the sport.

2023’s edition in Budapest, Hungary, proved why this event is so special. From jaw-dropping triumphs to unfortunate downfalls, the event was a rollercoaster of emotions.

Athletes race, jump, throw, and run to claim titles in the nine individual events. The sprints are pure adrenaline, with the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 100m and lung-busting 400m events showcasing athletes’ raw speed. The middle and long distances test an athlete’s endurance over several laps of the stadium. Combined events like the heptathlon for women or the decathlon for men are true tests of all-round prowess, as competitors take on seven or ten track and field disciplines.

The relays highlight the importance of teamwork at such an explosive sport, with smooth and synchronised transfers of the baton over three exchanges while running at speeds exceeding 20mph proving pivotal in who wins. And the spectacular jumps – high, long, and triple – showcase an athletes’ incredible ability to propel themselves through the air. The IAAF is the worldwide governing body for the sport of track and field, bringing together the world’s most dynamic athletes from more than 200 countries and territories through its federations, clubs, and national governing bodies. Its main aims are to establish friendly cooperation among its members; eliminate hindrance to participation in international meetings on racial, religious, or political grounds; and to ratify official world records for all athletics competitions.

Esports tournament news – the latest from the world of competitive video gaming.

Esports or electronic sports is organized professional gaming, and a soon-to-be $1 billion industry. Its championships are watched by tens of millions and a potential Olympic debut is on the horizon. This modern day gold rush is attracting major media networks, traditional sports leagues, owners of NBA and NFL teams, and even high schools are adding varsity esports teams.

While new titles like Marvel Rivals and Apex Legends spur excitement, some older games continue to maintain strong audiences. For example, Fighting game Frosty Faustings saw a large audience for an event featuring old favorites like Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Meanwhile, racing game Rennsport has a unique team composition — alongside traditional esports orgs you can find automobile brand-sponsored teams.

While Hong Kong lags behind other cities in Asia as an esports hub, it does have its own unique advantage – it’s home to an incredible number of gamers with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds. And while Hong Kong may not be the biggest gaming city in the world, it still has a slice of the rapidly growing US$5.39 billion market to claim. From nostalgic gaming throwbacks to hands-on anime fun, this week’s esports tournament news has it all.

Fans are a powerful force in football. They helped to bring down Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, led the march against their club’s owner at Chelsea and have pushed back against plans to commercialize the sport. They also caused clubs to change their mind over the coronavirus pandemic and protested at a plan to increase the most expensive ticket at Anfield.

The fight against discrimination against Les Hijabeuses shows that fan activism is far from a fad and has a deep and long history in the game. It is a fight that should not be ignored.

As the story of Tottenham Hotspur’s takeover demonstrates, fans can play an important role in the governance of their clubs and can influence their direction. But if they are to do so, they must find ways to speak out without inflaming the authorities or alienating their own supporters.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans used their fandom as a political weapon to protest segregated seating and discrimination at their local sports arenas. They held boycotts, plastered their communities with signs and hung banners at stadiums. They were supported by Black sportswriters, such as Jim Hall, who kept fans up to date on the latest boycotts and encouraged them to make their voices heard.

Gender equality in sports can be seen by the increased participation of women in sport and by the rise of female role models, including coaches. However, gender inequality is still prevalent when it comes to the way athletes are treated and how they are represented.

When a convicted rapist represents his country in Paris, or the BBC hires a pundit who has shared posts by misogynist Andrew Tate, it is clear that not only are these individuals far from being role models for young girls but also show the level of tolerance for abuse and harassment against women in sport. These incidents undermine the commitment of the IOC, national selection committees and the media to creating safe and abuse-free sporting environments.

There are significant gains to be celebrated, such as the fact that women now make up more than half of the world’s professional footballers and that there is now a push for more female leadership roles in coaching and management in all sports. A growing number of organisations now pay their male and female players the same and the 2023 Women’s World Cup was watched by over a billion people.

Ultimately, however, it will take more than just changing pay and increasing visibility to achieve true gender equality in sport. Educating men on why they should support women in sports, challenging norms around household responsibilities and unpaid care work (which is three times more than for men) and giving equal priority to sport for all will be key to breaking down the barriers that prevent women from getting involved.

Rare is the major tournament that does not have a few aggrieved teams wondering what might have been. The 2025 World Test Championship final, staged at Lord’s, was no different.

South Africa’s win, capped off by a Temba Bavuma century, ended 27 years of tournament heartache for the Proteas and was celebrated as a victory for cricket’s “smaller” teams, those outside the so-called Big Three of England, India and Australia. That’s probably a fair assessment.

But the fact that the tournament is an absolute mess, a sticking-plaster that has undermined the credibility of its biannual showpiece, and appears rankly unfair — particularly to teams that play more test cricket and regularly face stronger opponents — makes it hard for any champion to emerge from this mess. That is why Wisden’s Almanack recently excoriated the ICC for what it called a ‘shambles masquerading as a showpiece’.

The problem stems from the way in which the ICC ranks its teams. Under the current system, each team gets 12 points for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw. Richer nations such as Australia, England and India, who often play five-Test series, can find themselves at a disadvantage because those matches are likely to be more high-quality, exciting and profitable.

Other issues include the exclusion of cricket’s full member nations Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, and proposals to add divisions with relegation and promotion. Those proposals were discussed at a recent ICC meeting but no changes have been made.