Pope Leo recently met with a delegation of Italian Olympic and Paralympic athletes who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

The meeting took place at the Vatican as part of a gesture to recognize their achievements and highlight the values of sport.  During the event and related messages around the Games, Pope Leo XIV encouraged athletes to practice fair play and respect for opponents. Inspire young people through their discipline and commitment. Use sports as a way to build unity and hope in a world facing conflicts.

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The Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) will continue the free summer football skills course as the second batch in five cities starting from 20 April.
Under the theme “Learn, Play, Enjoy”, MFF conducted the first batch from 9 March to 8 April, and now the second batch has also been planned to continue from 20 April to 20 May in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Pathein and Mawlamyine.
The completion ceremony of the first batch of the free football training course, which aims to help students to spend the summer holidays usefully and encourage young football players of the next generation to appear, was held on 8 April at the Academy Artificial Turf in Yangon.
In the first batch, about 1700 students aged between 10 and 15 years – 500 from Yangon, plus 200 futsal trainees, 400 from Taunggyi and 200 from Pathein and Mawlamyine – were taught basic football techniques and were given free training uniforms. Completion certificates were also awarded at the ceremony. — MT/ZS/Ed

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The first-ever Myanmar Sepak Takraw League (MSL 2026) concluded in Yangon at the Thuwunna Sepak Takraw Stadium on Sunday.

The event was organized by the Myanmar Sepak Takraw Federation in collaboration with the Department of Sports and Physical Education, Club Development Committee, and Shwe Than Lwin Media.

During the prize-giving ceremony, awards were presented to the winning teams  for Women's Triplet, Men's Triplet and Men's Quartet. Teams competed from March 14 to April 5 in round-robin style matches, with 5 women's teams and 10 men's teams participating. Each winning team received trophies, certificates, and cash prizes.

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The finals of the inaugural Myanmar Sepak Takraw League 2026 (MSL 2026), jointly organized by the Department of Sports and Physical Education, the Myanmar Sepak Takraw Federation, the Club Development Committee and Shwe Thanlwin Media, took place yesterday afternoon at Thuwunna Sepak Takraw Indoor Stadium in Thingangyun Township, Yangon.
The event saw Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein, members of the regional government, officials and invited guests.
In the finals, Youth Camp defeated YRG in the women’s event with scores of 15-8, 12-15 and 15-6. In the men’s three-player event, YRG beat Shwe Kyun Thar 6-15, 15-10 and 15-5. In the men’s quadrant event, A Dark Horse defeated YRG 9-15, 17-15 and 15-9.
After the matches, an award ceremony was held, where individual medals, cash awards and trophies were presented to outstanding male and female youth players as well as first, second and third prize-winning teams by regional government officials and responsible persons.
Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein presented medals, cash awards and the championship trophy to A Dark Horse, winners of the men’s quadrant event.
The competition featured five teams in the women’s regu event and 10 teams in the men’s event, competing in men’s regu and men’s quadrant categories under a round-robin format from 14 March to 5 April. — Bala/KZL

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The Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) has announced that, in addition to providing footballs through the FIFA Football for Schools programme, FIFA Arena football fields are being constructed for basic education schools. Currently, Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw have each been allocated one mini-pitch.
Under the current collaboration between FIFA and the Ministry of Education, Myanmar will construct mini-pitches at No 1 Basic Education Middle School (East Dagon) in Yangon and No 6 Basic Education High School in Nay Pyi Taw. Construction of the field at East Dagon BEMS 1 is nearly complete and is expected to be ready for use soon.
This project is part of a global initiative set by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to build over 1,000 high-quality mini-pitch football fields worldwide by 2031.
The primary goal is to provide a safe playing environment for children in schools and communities that lack infrastructure. FIFA directly provides approximately US$70,000 per field for the artificial turf and related equipment. To ensure world-class quality, construction is handled by FIFA’s official partner, Hubei Citygreen Sports Industry Co Ltd, while the Ministry of Education is responsible for the foundation work of the fields.
“These small pitches will undoubtedly become vital training grounds, not only for the next generation who will become the talented players of the future but also for the physical and mental development of our youth,” the MFF stated.
The MFF added that they will continue to strive for more FIFA Arena fields across the country so that students nationwide can play football systematically. — MT/ZN

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Cambridge makes four wins in a row as they defeated Oxford in the 171st University Boat Race on London's River Thames. The race was the 171st Men’s Boat Race, held on 4 April. The competition took place in very windy and rough conditions on the Thames, making the water “sea-like” for the crews. Despite the difficult weather, Cambridge took control in the second half of the race and pulled away from Oxford.

It is Cambridge's seventh win in the last eight years of a rowing race between England's two oldest universities first staged in 1829. Cambridge captain said "these were really the worst conditions they have had in years on the Tideway so really special to be part of that and to get the job done on a day like this".

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The annual World Marbles Championship in West Sussex of United Kingdoms had taken place every Friday at the Greyhound pub since 1932 and follows in the tradition of the game dating back to the 16th Century.

The game works with 49 target marbles grouped closely together in a 6ft raised concrete ring covered with sand. In the competition, two teams of six players have to take turns using the tip of the finger to aim and project a larger marble to drive the other marbles out of the ring. The first team to knock 25 marbles out of the ring is the winner.

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Italy FA president Gabriele Gravina has stepped down following the men’s national team’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-off final. Gianluigi Buffon, former goalkeeper and delegation head, announced his resignation as well, citing responsibility after the setback.

Gravina, who oversaw Italy’s Euro 2020 victory and managed coaching appointments, will be succeeded following a FIGC election on June 22, with Giovanni Malago as a leading candidate.

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The Myanmar national futsal team will compete in the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship to be hosted by Thailand, and will open their campaign against Vietnam.
The tournament will be held from 6 to 12 April in Nakhon Ratchasima. Group A comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Timor-Leste, while Group B includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Brunei. Group matches will take place from 6 to 9 April. Myanmar will play Vietnam on 6 April, Thailand on 7 April, and Timor-Leste on 9 April.
As part of preparations, Myanmar began training in Bangkok on 29 March and has been playing friendly matches. The team travelled with 17 players and will finalize a 14-player squad after the friendlies, then depart for Nakhon Ratchasima on 5 April. — Ko Nyi Lay/KZL

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Khaby Lame, the world’s most-followed TikToker, has been named ambassador for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in the Senegalese capital. The Games are scheduled from 31 October to 13 November 2026 and will feature around 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under. Competitions will take place across three host sites:  Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

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