Sport
‘Wemby’: How the NBA is being altered before our eyes
Some say all good things come in threes, yet for Victor Wembanyama they come in fives, as he became the youngest player ever to log a ‘5×5’ statline in the NBA on Saturday night. The 20 year old recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, alongside 5 steals and blocks apiece. Achieving this feat alone is remarkable; only 15 players have ever notched such a performance – it just reinforces the overwhelming voices that have lauded the Frenchman as the most exciting NBA prospect since LeBron James. Usually it’s the newcomer given the baptism of fire, yet thus far, the world is being shown that it’s Victor’s world, and we’re mere spectators.
‘Wemby’ stands at a freakish height of 7 foot 4 inches. Seven. Foot. Four. It’s the sort of characteristic you apply to your alter-ego basketball player on a video game, to make them as dominant as possible. I mean, just under twenty three Victor Wembanyamas with outstretched arms would reach the length of a football pitch. Yet not only is he very much a reality, but Victor’s qualities go far beyond his height. He’s a never-before-seen archetype of a player with devastating talent, hence why so many predict this basketballing prophet to tyrannise the association over the years to come.
Elite rebounding IQ, a slick handle, a first-class pull-up jumpshot, and an overwhelming presence under the rim – Victor’s got a deep bag of tricks. He’s magic. LeBron James noted the influence of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on player development and how that promises to aid the 2023 number 1 pick to become “better, better, and better”. Popovich has a history of nurturing the young talent of the league’s development into superstars; take David Robinson and Tim Duncan for example. It can only benefit the Frenchman to have an encyclopaedic basketball mind shepherding his every move.
“That kid is SPECIAL!!”
Lebron james (@kingjames via x)
Victor got drafted to San Antonio in the past summer, the Spurs reaping the rewards of their lacklustre 2022-23 campaign. Their star rookie immediately brings noteworthy impact onto the court for his team – the Spurs’ defensive rating with Wembanyama on the floor is 118, yet it balloons to 127 when he takes to the bench. That means the the Texas outfit would theoretically allow 9 points fewer, if Wembanyama were to play the entire game. Many stat junkies hone in on Victor’s lack of average efficiency on scoring the ball, yet turn a blind eye to reality. Only three players have ever averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in their rookie year. Make that four.
So far, it kind of just sounds like a description of an above average basketballing talent, whose abilities are inflated due to the lack of ‘talent’ around him. So what? The ‘what’, in this case, is that he remains just 20. I mean, he still can’t legally purchase alcohol in the USA! Basketball players tend to naturally peak between 27 and 30, and many, such as the aforementioned James, remain in or around that level as late as 39 years old. Wembanyama is looking at a two decade career in the NBA, with potentially one of those in his sporting prime. He is already performing at such a level that he could be playing for a championship ring in one or two years – if he were to follow the trend of European superstars remaining one-franchise-players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nikola Jokic – Victor could initiate a commanding dynasty in San Antonio, and this is the problem.
Parity is crucial for every sport in the world; complete domination is generally frowned upon. If his rise can sustain this momentum over the next few years, the idea of parity would certainly be unlikely. Whilst the competitive future of the NBA seems bleak, the French freak of nature is unquestionably a fun watch on the court; even for a non-basketball fan. He’ll make your jaw drop, and your measuring tape come out of the kitchen drawer. Everyone expected him to be good. Perhaps not quite this good, however. And this is the ‘worst’ that he’ll ever be.
Wycombe Wanderers made a dramatic comeback with two goals from Meira Ashby, the second of which put her side ahead in the 63rd minute.
Winchester’s Chelsie Hay opened the scoring in the 16th minute and doubled the lead shortly after, giving the flayers a comfortable 2-0 lead and the hope of being able to equal in points with the opponents in the league table.
HT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 0 Wycombe Wanderers
A first goal for the visiting team came in the 57th minute through Kayla Potter, giving the Wanderers a renewed belief in being able to win the game. Just minutes later, Meira Ashby struck twice, in the 61st and 63rd minutes, completing the turnaround and securing the comebackthat keeps the Wanderers comfortably at the top of the table.
FT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 3 Wycombe Wanderers
The Winchester Flyers take the loss and remain behind Wycombe Wanderers in the league standings, meanwhilethe wanderers stay in first place for yet another week. The result adds pressure on Winchester to keep pace, while it further strengthens Wycombe’s position as title contenders.
Next up for Winchester is another home fixture, this time against Southampton Women’s FC
Waycombe Wanderers will face Abingdon United FC in their next match.
Both teams head into their upcoming fixtures with very different momentum. Winchester will be looking to regroup and be able to keep their first-half performance into the full 90 minutes, while Wycombe will aim to keep building on what they have been doing and maintain their place at the top of the table
Boxing might look aggressive from the outside, making it easy to overlook the discipline, technique, and community that actually define the sport.
Walking into a boxing gym for the first time can feel intimidating, but most beginners are surprised by how structured and supportive the environment is.
At Winchester Boxing Club, head coach Filip Duda says the fundamental key of boxing for beginners is footwork, “get that right”, he explains, “then everything else comes quite naturally”. This is a reminder that the sport isn’t just about throwing punches, but about learning how to move, balance and stay in control.
For beginners, that means starting with the basics: understanding your stance, keeping your guard up, and building confidence through repetition.
Another coach at the club emphasised the importance of mastering the fundamentals not only physically but also mentally. “Understanding that you are not always going to win and that you most likely will lose your first fight”, she says, is just as important as the physical part of the sport.
Boxing is also often viewed as a male-dominated sport. Some of the women training in Winchester admitted that it is challenging at times to be in such a male-dominated sport; however, she said it has been amazing and empowering to join this sport.
While every boxer’s journey starts differently, the message across the club is the same: anyone is welcome to give the sport a try.
From building fitness to gaining confidence, boxing offers something valuable to everyone who walks through the door.
The Olympics are the biggest sporting stage in the world, the place every athlete dreams of reaching one day.
For squash players, however, that dream has been out of reach.
That will finally change at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where Squash is set to make its long awaited Olympic debut as one of five sports added to this edition of the Games.
Squash was invented in England during the 19th century, and since then it has grown into a global sport, played in more than 180 countries.
Squash is a fast-paced racket sport played indoors in a four-walled court. Players rally a small rubber ball against the walls, using speed, precision and placement to make it as difficult as possible for their opponent to return the shot.
Despite its worldwide reach and its presence in other major multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the World Games, squash has never been part of the Olympic Games program. The closest it has been to appearing in the games before was at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, where it appeared as a demonstration sport.
Over the years, the sport has made several bids for inclusion; London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but each attempt was unsuccessful. After decades of campaigning, the sport has finally earned a spot in the competition.
A key factor in squash’s inclusion can be attributed to the evolution of its facilities. The modern glass courts allow spectators to see the action of the game from every angle, making the sport more accessible for fans and broadcasters. These innovations have made squash a more television-friendly event, and this is one of the factors that helped it secure its spot on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
This Olympic recognition is expected to boost the popularity of the sport worldwide, increasing participation, investment in the sport and visibility, helping squash grow and establish itself as a major sport.
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