Longoria bids farewell with silver in Chengdu

▲ The Mexican racquetball player fell to her archrival, Argentine María José Vargas. Photo @paolalongoria

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. 9

In her farewell to the World Games, Mexican racquetball player Paola Longoria fell one step short of winning her fourth championship after losing yesterday in the individual final of her discipline at the current edition of the competition, held in Chengdu, China.

In the close final duel, the federal deputy and Army lieutenant lost 3-1 to one of her greatest rivals, Argentine María José Vargas, currently ranked first in the Women's Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and with whom she has engaged in intense duels for medals in various international tournaments, for which she took home the silver medal.

The 36-year-old native of San Luis Potosí, who received the National Sports Award twice, in 2010 and 2014, won the first set 11-6; however, her opponent was undeterred and won the second (11-8) and third (12-10).

In the fourth set, the player considered the best racquetball player in the world in recent years, during which she remained the number one for more than a decade, hoped to tie the game by taking the lead on several occasions; however, the Argentine managed to take the set 11-9 to claim the gold.

In this way, the tricolor team has won a total of four medals at the event: one silver and three gold, which it won in Kaohsiung 2009, Cali 2013, and Birmingham 2022.

The president of the Chamber of Deputies' Sports Commission also advanced to the final after Bolivian Angélica Barrios was unable to continue due to injury, when the score was tied at two sets and her opponent was up 9-8 in the fifth and decisive set.

Although she hasn't yet decided whether 2025 will be her retirement year, Longoria, who dropped to second place in the world with this defeat, could now bid farewell to racquetball as one of the sport's greatest exponents.

In addition to her four World Games medals, she has also won 11 Pan American Games gold medals, five Central American and Caribbean Games championships, and more than 100 LPRT titles.

In the men's racquetball category, Eduardo Portillo won the bronze medal after defeating Guatemalan Edwin Galicia 19-17, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11 and 11-9 in the third-place match.

Meanwhile, in the mixed duathlon relay final, Mexicans Anahí Álvarez and David Núñez finished fourth, just one second away from the podium, while Selene Martínez and Eduardo Núñez finished sixth.

▲ Runners Mayra González Bautista and Gloria Quintero Hernández finished first and second in the 5,000-meter race at the 2025 Masters Indigenous Games in Ottawa yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Mexican Embassy in Canada.

Jesus Estrada

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a10

Chihuahua, Chih., Rarámuri athletes who have been participating for three days in the 2025 Masters Indigenous Games (MIG) in Ottawa, Canada, honored Mexico's name after yesterday's victory in the 5,000-meter dash, taking first and second places in a competition that took place on the track of Terry Fox Stadium.

Sierra Tarahumara runners Aristeo Cubesari Murillo and Juan Carlos Borja Carichi took first and second place on the podium, respectively, while Mayra González Bautista dominated with first place, Gloria Quintero Hernández came in second, and Isidora Rodríguez González third.

The medal harvest continued this Saturday, as on Friday, the Mexican indigenous athletes also won medals, nine gold and the same number of silver in the 800, 1,500, and 3,000-meter track events, in the junior and senior categories, both men and women.

Mayra González dominated with gold in all three races, followed by Gloria Quintero, who earned three silver medals, both in the junior category (19-39 years old); in the senior category (over 40 years old), Rarámuri Isidora Rodríguez won the top three places in all three events.

Likewise, in the senior men's category, veteran Alfonso González Rodríguez won three gold medals in the 800, 1,500, and 3,000 meters.

In the competitive women's basketball tournament, the Rarámuri team Mukí Sematí (which means "beautiful woman" in their language) lost their first match, falling 41-56 to the Canadian team Mikmaki, but won their second match 62-47 over the Lady Rez Cougars.

The Mukí Sematí players, from the Tarahumara community of Choguita, in the municipality of Bocoyna, Chihuahua, are the first Mexican indigenous women's team to compete internationally in the 2025 MIGs, in commemoration of the Year of the Indigenous Woman, the Mexican Embassy in Canada reported.

The Raramuris played in the tournament semifinal yesterday and will be looking for a medal this Sunday.

Another gold medal for the Mexican delegation in Ottawa was achieved in Arctic sports, with Gerardo Uvando Acero, from the state of Puebla, crowned champion in the Head Pull final, winning in our country's first participation in this discipline.

▲ The Mexican baseball players celebrate their 11-5 comeback win over the Puerto Rican team. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a10

The Mexican national team defeated Puerto Rico 11-5 in a thrilling comeback in the Little League World Series held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Now, the tricolors will face Panama this Sunday.

The Chihuahua Swing Perfecto League, the Mexican representative, was losing 4-0 to Puerto Rico, but in the fifth inning they came back thanks to a home run by Gregorio Madrid that first tied the score and another home run by Iker Castañeda that put the score at 4-6 for the tricolors.

In the sixth inning, Evan Levario and Ian Cano each drove in a run, but another Madrid home run provided the three runs that gave them the final 11-5 victory, as the Puerto Ricans still managed to score one more.

The first three innings were tense, as the pitchers' work remained intact. Both teams performed impeccably on defense. But the Puerto Ricans' first run and a fielding error in center field opened the scoring for their cause.

The first run was scored, sending the Mexicans into a frenzy. On a hit to left field, the Mexican outfielder made an error trying to recover the ball, resulting in the second run against them, and two more on a home run by Puerto Rican Azariel Alvarado.

But the Mexican baseball players managed to regain their momentum despite the disadvantage halfway through the game and began working hard to achieve this resounding victory. Everything went in favor of the Tricolores when the little Madrid hit with a perfect swing , as if he were a professional in a crucial Major League game, the ball soaring through center field to drive in the first four valuable runs that brought the Mexican team back into the game. The player walked around the bases, raising his arms to tell his team they were back, that they had to go all out.

Madrid was inspired and on fire, as he later produced three more to become the character of the game.

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a10

Cincinnati. Italian tennis world number one Jannik Sinner defeated Frenchman Térence Atmane yesterday to advance to the final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz, world number two, in another thrilling duel.

Sinner celebrated his 24th birthday with a hard-fought victory over Atmane (136) in the first semifinal by 7-6 (7/4) and 6-2.

Under a powerful sun, Sinner needed all his energy to face the challenge posed by Atmane, the revelation of a tournament in which he competed in the qualifying phase and eliminated two members of the top 10, Taylor Fritz (4) and Holger Rune (9).

“It's a very tough challenge every time you play someone completely new. And playing with these guys in the later rounds is even tougher; the pressure is higher,” acknowledged Sinner, who reached his 26th consecutive victory in matches played on hard courts, giving him 200 in his career.

Winner of two Grand Slam crowns this year, the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Sinner now has the opportunity to open his Masters 1000 showcase in a season in which he was suspended for three months for his double positive doping tests in 2024.

The Italian did his part in the dangerous duel against Atmane, but suffered at times as he showed signs of frustration, glancing at his bench, when the Frenchman took a 6-5 lead and forced him to win the set in a tiebreak.

However, Sinner managed to handle the pressure and remained calm until the end, forcing errors from his inexperienced opponent. In the second set, Atmane gradually lost his level and energy, eventually surrendering his serve for the first time, allowing Sinner to take a definitive 4-1 lead.

On the other hand, Alcaraz easily defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3, in a duel completely dominated by the Spaniard.

The German tennis player left to applause, while the Murcian will face the Italian again tomorrow in a final round and will have the opportunity to win his first Cincinnati title.

This year, the only player who has managed to stop Sinner on the big stage is Alcaraz, who defeated him in the finals of the Rome Masters 1000 and Roland Garros, while the world number one prevailed in their most recent meeting, in July at Wimbledon.

▲ Carlos Rodríguez scored a stunning scissor kick to pave the way for La Máquina's 3-2 victory over Santos. Photo @CruzAzul

Alberto Aceves

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a11

Cruz Azul struggles to keep a clean sheet. They're not the team that used to play with their goalkeeper all the way to midfield, the one that held records for most clean sheets, or the one that competed even with a man down. The revamped version of La Máquina doesn't adhere to any old script; they compete with the same strength and aggression, but in decisive moments, they raise doubts with their defensive errors. The hard-fought 3-2 win over Santos, which saw Ramiro Sordo sent off in the 40th minute, corroborated this theory.

Rarely has a host team that dominates its rival so much, pressures it, and makes it look so inferior, said goodbye to its stadium to the murmur of its fans. While La Máquina attacked Carlos Acevedo's penalty area 10 times, the La Laguna team did so less than half that number. The difference was that Santos, last place last season, converted most of their attacks into goals. Bruno Barticciotto anticipated Erik Lira and Kevin Mier (32) in the 1-1 draw, while Cristian Dájome, behind Willer Ditta (47), tied the score for the second time.

Although the final story was different, the Warriors' game always revolved around an insecure, distrustful team, almost always linked to the conflict. The more than 15,000 fans who attended the Estadio Olímpico Universitario went from praising the hiring of coach Nicolás Larcamón to criticizing tactical matters, the poor play, and the lack of skill in some players, including the Polish Mateus Bogusz and the Colombian Ditta. Nothing seemed to satisfy La Máquina's level, except for the goals from Carlos Rodríguez (16), captain Ignacio Rivero (34), and Gabriel Toro Fernández (82), with which they achieved their third consecutive victory and second place in the standings.

Building on the foundations of the teams he managed before—aggressive, with personality, but accustomed to achieving miraculous results—Larcamón is leading the way for this Cruz Azul team. The start of his career has shown not only what he has, but also what's needed, such as making his goal as difficult to beat as before. Only in the first matchday draw against Mazatlán (0-0) did Colombian Kevin Mier, named one of the best goalkeepers of the previous tournament, return home without clearing a single ball.

Another red and white disappointment

In Guadalajara, Chivas made scolding and insults a new habit. Their fans turned out in droves at the Akron stadium, as if the match would determine their qualification to the playoffs, but the outcome was the same. From a festive atmosphere where the red and white flags waved, the Rebaño ended up with another disappointment, losing 2-1 to Bravos de Juárez. There were whistles and serious criticism of Argentine coach Gabriel Milito, who has only won once at the helm of the team after three defeats, including yesterday's.

Bravos' counterattacks shattered the Rojiblancos' usual order, confidence, and game plan. Óscar Estupiñán, from a penalty, opened the scoring before halftime (41) and upon his return Jairo Torres was in charge of sealing the upset (56). Only the young Santiago Sandoval, recently introduced into attack (84), responded to the tasks that neither Roberto Alvarado nor Armando González could resolve. With only three points out of a possible 12, Chivas is now in second-to-last place in the League.

In other results, América remains unbeaten, beating Tigres 3-1 away with a double from Erick Sánchez at the Volcán stadium . Meanwhile, Pachuca's Tuzos pulled off a surprise defeat against a 10-man Tijuana side that handed them their first defeat of the tournament, 2-0 at the Hidalgo Stadium.

▲ Barcelona's youth star, Lamine Yamal, started the tournament with a good rhythm and contributed a goal in the Catalans' 3-0 rout of the Mallorcan team. Photo @FCBarcelona

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a11

Madrid. Barcelona began their defense of their Spanish league title with a comfortable 3-0 victory in Mallorca, after scoring early and taking advantage of two red cards for the home side in the first half.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who spearheaded Barcelona's prolific attack last season, needed just seven minutes to impress again. Yamal found Raphinha with a curling cross near the far post, and the Brazilian striker headed in from just wide.

Ferran Torres' shot from outside the area in the 23rd minute led to a goal that prompted complaints from Mallorca because one of their players was on the ground after being hit in the head by the ball in the previous play.

Some Mallorca players stopped playing after their teammate Antonio Raíllo went down, but referee José Luis Munuera Montero allowed the match to continue. Mallorca complained immediately after Ferran scored.

“The ball hits my head, and 10 seconds have passed. I'm a little dizzy because my first two steps are to get up, and I can't, so I think there's more than enough time to stop it,” Raillo said. “Let him explain. Other plays are stopped in a second, and this one takes 10.”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said he understood why Mallorca was upset with the way the goal came about.

"I can understand Mallorca's displeasure. If the referee doesn't stop the game, I tell the players they have to keep playing."

According to Raíllo, Torres said he only shot because he thought the game was being stopped. Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate pointed out that it should be standard practice to immediately stop play if someone is hit in the head, as Raíllo was.

“The fourth official told Munuera Montero in front of me to stop, that it was a blow to the head. I thought he had blown the whistle, but then I realized he hadn't,” the coach explained. “I was a little freaked out. In the talks, they say you have to be careful with blows to the head. It shocked me a lot. When the ball hits your head, you sometimes feel dizzy. I couldn't believe it when I saw him going towards midfield.”

In German football, Colombian Luis Díaz scored and won a title on his debut for Bayern Munich after a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart in the German Super Cup.

Harry Kane also scored for the Bundesliga champions, who began the campaign by winning the lower-tier trophy. The Briton opened the scoring in the 18th minute when the ball fell kindly to him and he fired inside the left post.

“Starting with a trophy is the most important thing,” Kane said after winning just his second career title. The Bundesliga trophy in May was his first.

In English football, Mexican Raúl Jiménez played 65 minutes in his team's 1-1 draw with Brighton, while his compatriot Édson Álvarez was left on the bench for his club, West Ham,'s 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.