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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.

Wheelchair pickleball glory: Andy McErlean wins national doubles title
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.

WHY LAURA WOODS FELT FORCED TO SPEAK OUT ON BOXING GENDER ROW

TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods risked career "cancellation" to speak out on the Imane Khelif boxing row, saying she felt a deep "injustice" over the debate.

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Laura Woods Felt "Injustice" Over the Imane Khelif Controversy

Laura Woods recently opened up about her worries about potential backlash after sharing her views on the gender debate that surrounded the 2024 Olympic Games. The heart of the issue was Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's participation and her gold medal in the women's welterweight division at the Paris Olympics.

A year prior, Khelif and China's Lin Yu-ting were barred from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA). This organization, backed by Russia and not well-regarded, claimed blood tests proved Khelif wasn't eligible to compete against women.

The IBA didn't give any real proof to back up their claims. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) didn't think the tests were believable. They let both athletes compete in the Games.

Woods, a TNT Sports presenter, publicly supported a Telegraph article that said the IOC's choice to let Khelif (who had been incorrectly called transgender) and Lin compete put female athletes at risk.

Woods told the newspaper that she feared speaking out could have gotten her canceled. Woods, 38, said she felt like there was a big injustice happening.

She was angry that anyone who wanted to talk about it was made to feel like they were wrong.

She added that it still bothers her because Khelif got a lot of sympathy, but the women around her didn't.

She was shocked that even questioning it could have led to being canceled. After beating Yang Liu in last year's final, Khelif plans to compete at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

This is in response to President Donald Trump's plan to ban biological men from women's sports and his false statement that Khelif was born male. The boxer addressed these claims earlier this year.

Khelif told ITV Sport that she is not transgender. This does not concern her, and it does not intimidate her.

She said the scrutiny she faced last year really hurt her mental and emotional well-being. She felt discouraged, but she knew what was going on.

During the Paris Olympics, she had a team of doctors who supported her. Without them, she might have become depressed.

After Khelif's second-round win over Italy's Angela Carini, she received lots of backlash. She beat Carini in just 46 seconds, and Carini reportedly said, "It's not fair," after Khelif punched her.

FELONY CHARGES: SHERRONE MOORE SCANDAL FORCES KEY RECRUITS TO ABANDON MICHIGAN

The fallout from Sherrone Moore's firing and felony charges deepens: four-star TE Matt Ludwig and OL Bear McWhorter have both decommitted from Michigan.

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Assault Allegations & Recruits Backing Out Rock Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines are dealing with more fallout after the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore.

Moore was dismissed on Wednesday for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and later detained for an alleged assault in Ann Arbor.

Following the scandal, two football recruits have backed out of their commitments to Michigan.

Matt Ludwig, a highly rated four-star recruit, was released from his national letter of intent after Moore's firing.

Ludwig, a tight end from Billings West High School in Montana, had planned to start at Michigan in January.

But after Moore's firing, he was allowed to back out of his agreement.

Ludwig's high school coach told USA Today that he was really devastated and shocked—all the emotions—by the news.

Ludwig has since committed to Texas Tech and will join the Red Raiders in January.

Also, offensive lineman Bear McWhorter announced on Friday that he is backing out of his commitment to the Wolverines.

McWhorter, a three-star prospect, committed to Michigan in February and signed with the school last week.

He called it a difficult decision in a post on X, adding that he is grateful to the staff at U-M for everything they've done.

The university started an investigation after getting a tip about Moore's relationship with a staff member.

The initial inquiry found no evidence of a relationship, as both Moore and the woman denied the claim.

Moore, 39, allegedly threatened to kill himself and make a woman watch after breaking into his assistant's apartment after his fired from Michigan.

Moore and his wife, Kelli, have been married since 2015 and have three daughters.

The school hired an outside law firm for more information. The Wall Street Journal reported that the woman contacted the firm on Wednesday to change her story, saying she and Moore had been involved for two years until 2024.

The school fired Moore on Wednesday, according to the Journal, which did not name the woman.

On Friday, Moore was charged with breaking, home invasion, and stalking after allegedly entering his assistant's apartment, terrorising a woman, and threatening to harm himself.

Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said Moore and the woman had been in an intimate relationship for years. Magistrate Odetalla M. Odetalla forbade the court from identifying the alleged victim. The 911 call that led to Moore's arrest was made from an apartment belonging to his executive assistant, Paige Shiver.

Police and prosecutors said Moore entered a residence unarmed through an unlocked door and engaged in a verbal argument with the victim that escalated. He then allegedly grabbed knives and scissors and threatened to harm himself.

"I'm going to kill myself," Moore told the woman, according to prosecutor Kati Rezmierski on Friday. I'm going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life.

Moore allegedly left before police arrived. He was arrested on Wednesday evening at a church parking lot. He has since been released on bond, according to court records.

If convicted, Moore could face up to six and a half years in jail and $3,500 in fines, according to the county's statement on Friday.

He was granted a $25,000 bond and ordered to wear a GPS device while continuing mental health treatment. His next court appearance is January 22.

Defence attorney Joe Simon said there is no evidence to suggest that his client is a threat to the public while out on bond.

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