Homegrown Kelowna athlete Andrew Becker hopes to trade in his Regina Rams’ university jersey for a professional one.

As Johor Darul Ta'zim ascend to the throne as the new Kings of Malaysian football, Pahang are emerging as the anointed challenger to the champions.

SHOWS:

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE - JULY 11, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

1. STILL PHOTO SHOWING ANDRES INIESTA SCORING THE WINNING GOAL IN THE FINAL OF THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP AS SPAIN BEAT THE NETHERLANDS 1-0

2. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA CELEBRATING AFTER SCORING

3. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA CELEBRATING AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE AS SPAIN WERE CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS

4. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA HOLDING THE WORLD CUP TROPHY ALOFT WITH HIS TEAMMATES

5. STILL PHOTO SHOWING HOLDING THE WORLD CUP TROPHY ALOFT AMONGST PHOTOGRAPHERS

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - JULY 12, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. INIESTA (RED HAT) NEXT TO XABI ALONSO ON OPEN TOP BUS PARADE AFTER SPAIN RETURNED HOME FROM THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP AS CHAMPIONS

7. BUS DRIVING PAST AS FANS CELEBRATE

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - JULY 14, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

8. THEN SPANISH PRIME MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO INTRODUCTING INIESTA AS SQUAD AND FANS START CHEERING HIS NAME

9. SQUAD AND FANS CHEERING INIESTA'S NAME

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA (FILE - JUNE 10, 2008) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

10. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA IN GROUP D ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA AT EURO 2008, WHICH SPAIN WON

KIEV, UKRAINE (FILE - JULY 1, 2012) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

11. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA IN ACTION DURING THE EURO 2012 FINAL AGAINST ITALY WHICH SPAIN WON

NICE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 16, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. INIESTA JOGGING DURING TRAINING

SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 24, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

13. INIESTA PASSING THE BALL DURING TRAINING

14. INIESTA DRIBBLING WITH BALL

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - MARCH 26, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

15. INIESTA BEING HELPED UP AND WARMING UP DURING TRAINING

16. INIESTA JOGGING

SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 23, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

17. INIESTA GREETING HIS WIFE

18. INIESTA HOLDING HIS CHILD

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - MAY 27, 2011) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

19. INIESTA TRAINING WITH BARCELONA INSIDE WEMBLEY STADIUM AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL WHICH THEY WON AFTER BEATING MANCHESTER UNITED

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 29, 2011) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

20. INIESTA AND LIONEL MESSI POSING WITH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - JUNE 7, 2015)

21. INIESTA ON OPEN TOP BUS WITH TEAMMATES CELEBRATING WINNING THE TREBLE DURING PARADE

22. TROPHIES AND INIESTA CELEBRATING

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 15, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

23. INIESTA ON OPEN TOP BUS DURING PARADE CELEBRATING BARCELONA WINNING LA LIGA

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 19, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

24. INIESTA PASSING BALL IN CIRCLE DURING TRAINING

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

25. INIESTA JOGGING DURING TRAINING SESSION

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MARCH 18, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

26. INIESTA WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING

27. INIESTA WARMING UP

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 20, 2018) (MEDIAPRO - ACCESS ALL)

28. VARIOUS OF INIESTA WAVING TO BARCELONA FANS DURING FAREWELL CEREMONY

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - DECEMBER 18, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

29. INIESTA RECEIVING SPAIN NATIONAL TEAM MVP AWARD AT AN AWARDS CEREMONY ORGANISED BY MARCA SPORTS NEWSPAPER

TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - MAY 24, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

30. INIESTA ARRIVING ON STAGE FOR SIGNING CEREMONY WITH VISSEL KOBE CHAIRMAN HIROSHI MIKITANI

31. INIESTA AND MIKITANI POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH VISSEL KOBE SHIRT

32. INIESTA'S NUMBER 8 VISSEL KOBE SHIRT

33. INIESTA AND MIKITANI

STORY: A shy village boy who could not bear to leave his parents' bed, Andres Iniesta may have seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of the best footballers of all time, but anyone who saw him play rarely had serious doubts.

Iniesta, who turns 36 on Monday (May 11), weaved his magic for Barcelona for 16 years and was one of the architects of the club's greatest era, playing a defining role as they won 32 trophies including nine Spanish titles and four Champions League crowns.

"This kid is going to retire us all," said Pep Guardiola when he first watched a teenage Iniesta in action while Spain coach Luis Enrique describes the diminutive midfielder as "Harry Potter, waving his wand".

Iniesta conducted an equally mesmerising orchestra for Spain and clinched his country's finest sporting achievement when his extra-time goal against the Netherlands sealed victory in the 2010 World Cup final.

That cold-blooded strike in Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium forever endeared Iniesta to Spaniards no matter their allegiances, earning him standing ovations even when playing away to Barca's sworn enemies Real Madrid and Espanyol.

Most touching, though, was how he celebrated that career-defining goal -- ripping off his shirt to pay tribute to his late friend and fellow footballer Dani Jarque who died the previous year.

Jarque's sudden death and a series of injuries had led Iniesta into a severe bout of depression, things getting so bad that he asked to sleep in his parents' bed, just as he had done as a 10-year-old when home from Barcelona's academy.

He conquered his demons with the help of a psychologist and a supportive coach in Guardiola, who had never forgotten how Iniesta backed him when he got off to a rocky start in his first season at Barca.

That campaign ended with Barcelona winning the Champions League, helped by Iniesta's stoppage-time goal against Chelsea to reach the final, sparking a 50% surge in the birth rate in Barcelona.

Last week, he honoured the anniversary of the "Iniestazo" by calling up some of the children his goal had given life to.

"Iniesta is the boyfriend every mother would want for her daughter," said his former Spain team mate Sergio Ramos, summing up the player's universal appeal.

Iniesta called time on his magnificent spells with Spain and Barcelona in 2018 to see out his career in Japan with Vissel Kobe, where he is a role model for the club's future generations.

The only major thing missing from Iniesta's honours list is the prestigious Ballon d'Or, and when he announced he was leaving Barca, organisers France Football felt a pang of guilt for not giving him the award for best player in the world.

"Forgive us, Andres," said their editorial.

"Of all the absences on the list of Ballon d'Or winners, his is particularly painful."

(Production: Stefan Haskins)

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has compared the uncertain feeling during football's coronavirus shutdown to that of retirement.

Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has backed Dani Ceballos to play a key part for the Gunners in their push for Europe if the football season resumes.

German football's restart plans have suffered a setback after second-tier outfit Dynamo Dresden were forced to quarantine their entire squad following two positive coronavirus tests.

Jordan would hit .202 that season in Class AA Birmingham with 114 strikeouts (most on the team), 51 RBIs (fourth) and 30 stolen bases (second). But former colleagues are still in awe when reminiscing about MJ’s competitive spirit and stage presence.

The opening night of South Korea’s K-League presented a rare-treat for football fans starved of action, with reigning champions Jeonbuk Motors facing cup champions Suwon Bluewings.

Teams will be allowed to make five substitutions per match after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) made a temporary amendment to football’s laws to cope with returning from the coronavirus-enforced break.

A frustrated Sebastian Vettel said brake failure cost him victory in the Australian Grand Prix

Marta was right when saying Formiga will retire eventually but PSG’s record-breaking midfielder is preparing for a seventh Olympic Games next summer

When England stepped out at Meadow Lane in October 2018, having qualified unbeaten for the Women’s World Cup, all eyes were on one opponent: Brazil’s six-times Ballon d’Or winner, Marta. Necks prepared to strain for a glimpse of the ageing giant of women’s football. It may have been a friendly but at 34 the Brazilian’s career clock was ticking. For most, it would be the only time to see her in the flesh.

When Marta limped off after 22 minutes the disappointment of the crowd was palpable. The Brazil performance matched Marta’s lacklustre mood but in the then 40-year-old Formiga they had a player who would not subscribe to her teammates’ indifference – with the young winger Ludmila the exception alongside her.

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Ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh sees a problem in Shane Warne's suggestion of manufacturing balls with one side heavier than the other in the wake of sweat or saliva not being allowed on the ball to make it swing.

"With a one-sided heavy ball, the bowler and batsman will not be able tell how much it will swing. It could go awry. And what happens to the skill aspect of getting the ball to swing? Where will we see bowlers like Richard Hadlee and Wasim Akram," wondered Harbhajan.

The Turbanator (tag given to him by the Australians who he demolished in the 2001 series at home) advocated a solution to be used on the ball after a decided amount of overs. "Teams can nominate two players to apply the substance with the fielding captain in attendance, supervised by the umpires," said Harbhajan, who wanted to see the ball changed after every 45 overs. He also pointed out that the weighted ball could be a disadvantage to fielders aiming to take high catches as the ball could swing in the air and mislead the fielder.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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The International Maritime Organization has confirmed that 47 countries have now ratified the Ballast Water Management Convention – more than the 30 required – but these countries' combined fleets comprise 34.35 percent of global tonnage, below the level required for the Convention to enter into force.

Former head of UK Sport has set sights on winning the World Cup

There are not many easily falsifiable theories in macroeconomics, so some prefer the micro side

Jurgen Klopp sat in the dugout at several big showdowns between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke. He will be a lot farther away for Saturday's fixture but his interest will be keener than ever.

Several dozen gathered at the intersection of 62nd Street and Michigan Road in Indianapolis on Saturday, where a police officer fatally shot Dreasjon 'Sean' Reed, 21, on Wednesday.

Mary Pratt (pictured), who played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League teams, The Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets in the 1940s, died Wednesday.

Martin Kemp has harpooned hopes for a Spandau Ballet reunion in the near future and revealed he still hasn't spoken to ex frontman Tony Hadley.

It comes a day after France's PSA announced it would be temporarily mothballing Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port and Luton sites. Car manufacturers are reeling from a slump in demand.

Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill showed on Thursday that she has one or two extra bows to her sporting string other than the seven disciplines she competes in during the heptathlon.

Barcelona's vice-president Jordi Cardoner confirmed that many teams will partake in swap deals this summer with several having big squads and high earners they need to get off the books.

Moncks comes from the folk behind nearby Park Chinois, that rather fabulous folly of Cantonese deluxe. But here the kitchen struggles to match the splendour of the decor

More than 1,200 supporters were surveyed to mark the launch of a partnership between the Football Supporters' Association and GambleAware's 'Bet Regret' campaign.

MARTIN KEOWN: Club football is finally about to return after a two-week international break but there were still plenty of talking points. MARTIN KEOWN discusses what he made of England.

Steve Bruce says Andy Robertson is among his best ever buys - but he will never forget the day he gave him a rollicking for bringing beer on to the team bus. The pair will be reunited at Anfield.

MATT HUGHES - AHEAD OF THE GAME: Sportsmail rounds up some of the hidden stories behind game. The EFL are set for a crackdown on clubs exploiting a Financial Fair Play loophole.

Owen has revealed that his 13-year-old son, James, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease several years ago, which means his retina will slowly degenerate, causing a loss of vision.

A task force had been commissioned to consider a revamped three-division system following the cancellation of the 2019/20 season at Championship level and below, but was disbanded.

Barcelona's vice-president Jordi Cardoner confirmed that many teams will partake in swap deals this summer with several having big squads and high earners they need to get off the books.

Leyton Orient captain Jobi McAnuff fears black footballers are at an increased risk of dying if the season is resumed amid the coronavirus crisis.

Fresh evidence that Russian footballers were helped to cheat during their nation's state-sponsored doping scandal will arrive at FIFA within weeks.

Jurgen Klopp sat in the dugout at several big showdowns between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke. He will be a lot farther away for Saturday's fixture but his interest will be keener than ever.

The Bundesliga's restart plans were thrown into fresh doubt on Saturday night when the second tier team Dynamo Dresden were placed into two weeks of quarantine.

SAMI MOKBEL: Premier League stars will launch on Wednesday the #footballunited campaign as England's elite footballers combine to fight against coronavirus.

Steve Parish has defended attempts to get the season back up and running amid the coronavirus pandemic, stressing not doing so would be a major financial blow to taxpayers and the football community.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has proposed radical changes in the LBW laws, stating that a batsman should be given out leg before as long as the ball is hitting the stumps irrespective of the spot of its landing and impact. Chappell also said captains should agree on one way of working up the ball which will encourage swing bowling, even as the ICC is considering the use of artificial substances to shine the ball instead of sweat and saliva in post COVID-19 scenario. "The new lbw law should simply say: 'Any delivery that strikes the pad without first hitting the bat and, in the umpire's opinion, would go on to hit the stumps is out regardless of whether or not a shot is attempted'," he wrote in a column for ESPNcricinfo. "Forget where the ball pitches and whether it strikes the pad outside the line or not; if it's going to hit the stumps, it's out." The 76-year-old said the change in lbw law would attract expected criticism from the batsmen but it would make the game more ...

Women in India have continually faced restrictions on how they dress, whether it is on wearing jeans to college or sports gear on the fields. Shoma Chatterji looks at this persistent trend of sartorial repression and urges women to reject such diktats.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has proposed radical changes in the LBW laws, stating that a batsman should be given out leg before as long as the ball is hitting the stumps irrespective of the spot of its landing and impact.

Washington, May 4: Hundreds of people are rolling up their sleeves in countries across the world to be injected with experimental vaccines that might stop COVID-19, spurring hope - maybe unrealistic - that an end to the pandemic may arrive sooner

The production-spec Royal Enfield Meteor has been spotted testing earlier on the Indian Roads. Recently, more images of the Royal Enfield Meteor have been leaked online and the motorcycle has been codenamed the Meteor 350 Fireball. The motorcycle is also expected to launch by the end of 2020.

A shy village boy who could not bear to leave his parents' bed, Andres Iniesta may have seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of the best footballers of all time, but anyone who saw him play rarely had serious doubts.

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