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WHEELCHAIR PICKLEBALL GLORY: ANDY MCERLEAN WINS NATIONAL DOUBLES TITLE

Andy McErlean won wheelchair pickleball doubles gold at the 2025 Knotty's English Nationals with partner Simon Heaps, despite only teaming up a week before the tournament. The pair triumphed in the final to secure the title.

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Andy McErlean shines - COURTESY/PHOTO

At the 2025 Knotty's English Nationals, Andy McErlean won wheelchair pickleball doubles gold despite only playing with his partner for a week.

At the 2025 Knotty's English Nationals, Andy McErlean won wheelchair pickleball doubles gold despite only playing with his partner for a week. The 56-year-old Portsmouth native defeated Craig Nicholson and Geoffrey Perkins 15-13 and 11-3 in the final to win the title with former table tennis world champion Simon Heaps.

It meant McErlean added gold in doubles to his earlier-year solo win. Heaps, who is based in Christchurch, stated, "Andy is the closest player to me since we chatted in May because he is in Portsmouth."

"Unfortunately, he was not feeling well when I went to his club, but we decided to work together at the nationals, and that is how it happened." Last week, he visited my club, where we practiced for a few hours before we were destroyed at Nationals. Even if you win as a pair and lose as a pair, he is a really talented player, and we got along great.

In the fifth year of the prestigious tournament, McErlean was one of more than 1300 competitors in 57 age and skill groups. Originally a backyard sport in Washington, pickleball takes its name from the pickle boat, a rowing sport in which a crew of unused rowers from several teams competes.

Because it is played on a badminton doubles-sized court and incorporates playing techniques from table tennis and tennis, the sport has borrowed from other racquet sports, as evidenced by its name. Players can only score points on their serve in this game, which is played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball.

Over the past few decades, pickleball has gained popularity in the US and has since flourished globally, with over 15,000 registered members as of right now. "It is amazing, our first tournament together, and it was quite pleasurable," McErlean remarked.

"Simon has been really consistent, makes beautiful photos, and we work well together. It was enjoyable to play with him.

LECLERC REFLECTS ON PROGRESS, CONCEDES HAMILTON REMAINS BENCHMARK FOR GREATNESS

Charles Leclerc admits he must "win additional titles" to be on the same level as Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque has outperformed his 7-time champion Ferrari teammate so far in the 2025 F1 season.

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Honest Leclerc! “I’m not on Hamilton’s level yet,” he admits -

During the 2025 F1 season, Charles Leclerc is outperforming Lewis Hamilton in every facet of the rivalry between teammates at Ferrari, but the Monegasque has pointed out one area in which he is still "on the same level" with Hamilton.

When it was revealed that Hamilton would join Leclerc at Ferrari for the 2025 Formula One season, the team completed its ideal driver lineup.

After learning that the legendary racing team wanted to sign the seven-time world champion, Leclerc urged Ferrari to pursue Hamilton. He was excited about the chance to compete against one of the most accomplished drivers in Formula One.

The 28-year-old has so far outperformed his more seasoned teammate in every aspect of the classic teammate rivalry, but Leclerc has made it apparent that he still lacks one quality that distinguishes Hamilton from the other drivers on the grid.

Charles Leclerc acknowledges that to be "on the same level" as Lewis Hamilton, he must win F1 championships.


The famous Ferrari pair was invited to read aloud some kind remarks that supporters had sent for them in a promotional film posted on Shell Motorsport's official Instagram page.

Hamilton read out a letter that stated, "I am proud of you two and whatever you accomplish," after remarking on how lovely the letters were during the work. Many of us find inspiration in you two. Thank you.

"We will try to continue to be," Leclerc said, touched by the kind remarks, "but I still need to win additional titles before being on the same level as LH."

The remark demonstrates the obvious level of respect the Monegasque driver has for his teammate, who is also his fiercest opponent at every race weekend in the Formula 1 world.

Leclerc has praised Hamilton's skills during their first season together as Ferrari teammates.


The eight-time Grand Prix winner emphasised that he has not been taken aback by the British driver's abilities because he was aware of Hamilton's magic long before they were teammates at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari has not entirely pleased Charles Leclerc.
After going through the typical aches and pains of changing constructors, Hamilton has recovered this season and is now more at ease with the driving style required by the SF-25.

Hamilton's change in form has impressed Leclerc, who is keeping the team in mind as he looks to the future. He might end up struggling if Hamilton struggles.

Simon Lazenby, a Sky Sports F1 presenter, claims that Leclerc is "not a happy camper" at Ferrari because he is not getting the attention he deserves.

The Brit was the preferred number one driver for the majority of his time at the Scuderia, so his arrival at the squad was a bit of a wrench in the works.

Given Hamilton's extensive experience and understanding of the requirements for winning numerous world championships, the move away from Ferrari makes sense.

AARON RAMSEY’S SUDDEN MEXICO DEPARTURE RAISES CONCERNS OVER PERSONAL WELLBEING

Aaron Ramsey has left Mexican club Pumas and returned to the UK, terminating his contract after a traumatic period involving an injury and the devastating disappearance of his family dog, Halo. His future is now uncertain.

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Ramsey departs Mexico abruptly following distressing personal circumstances, club confirms - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Aaron Ramsey is back in the UK and has left Mexico with immediate effect.

The Wales international, who has been devastated by the loss of his family dog, Halo, has had a rough few weeks before receiving the shocking news. After joining the Mexican team Pumas, the pet was dropped off at a ranch close to Ramsey's residence, but it has been gone for more than three weeks.

After a search for the missing 10-year-old dog failed despite a sizable reward being given, the 34-year-old and his wife, Colleen, publicly said they had been deceived, leaving them distraught by the strange turn of events.

Following Ramsey's injury in late September, which forced him to miss Wales' World Cup qualifying match against Belgium, a challenging personal situation developed.

Since then, he has missed Pumas' training sessions, which has led to speculation that he may be about to leave Mexico after making an unexpected move in the summer.

According to a number of reports, Ramsey is once again a free agent after amicably terminating his contract.

After serving as Cardiff City's temporary manager for a short time while still a player, he departed Wales for Mexico. However, the disastrous move has come to an end less than six months later, and Ramsey's plans are still up in the air.

When the midfielder's beloved beagle was last spotted in San Miguel de Allende, in the Guanajuato region of Mexico, he offered $20,000 (£15,000) to anyone who could help locate it.

After suffering a hamstring injury in a 4-1 loss to America at the end of September, the 34-year-old has not featured for his new team since.

In addition to missing the most recent Wales international camp due to that injury, he has also avoided his club because of the hunt for his dog.

Ramsey has owned Halo for more than ten years, and in recent weeks, there has been a lot of speculation about what happened to the dog. Recently, Ramsey's wife, Colleen, suggested that Halo might have been abducted after being left at a nearby shelter.

"We have stayed quiet, trying to grasp how you can leave your puppy on a ranch and never see her again," Ramsey said on social media last week.

"Without a reason? There were a lot of lies, no sightings, no body, no cameras were filming, and a tracked person was unable to locate her.

When asked about Ramsey's condition following Sunday's draw with Leon, manager Efraín Juárez responded, "We are keeping an eye on it." I made that statement on Wednesday; we will see what transpires over the next few days.

"He is coping with his dog-related predicament, which we are all aware of. Before he went during the FIFA break, there was also a problem. We will therefore need to wait and observe what transpires over the next days.

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