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England Captain Kane Sets Sights on Ronaldo's Enduring Career

England's striker #20 Harry Kane applauds the fans following the International friendly football match between England and Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on June 3, 2024. England won the match 3-0. (AFP)
England's striker #20 Harry Kane applauds the fans following the International friendly football match between England and Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on June 3, 2024. England won the match 3-0. (AFP)
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England Captain Kane Sets Sights on Ronaldo's Enduring Career

England's striker #20 Harry Kane applauds the fans following the International friendly football match between England and Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on June 3, 2024. England won the match 3-0. (AFP)
England's striker #20 Harry Kane applauds the fans following the International friendly football match between England and Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on June 3, 2024. England won the match 3-0. (AFP)

England captain Harry Kane plans to follow Cristiano Ronaldo's example by extending his career as long as possible.
Portugal striker Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his remarkable career in a Nations League victory over Croatia on Thursday.
It was the 39-year-old's 213th appearance for his country and the achievement has provided Bayern Munich forward Kane with an incentive as he approaches the latter stages of his own career.
Kane endured a difficult Euro 2024 as Gareth Southgate's side were beaten 2-1 in the final by Spain after a spluttering campaign.
But the 31-year-old is keen to follow in the footsteps of former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ronaldo as he prepares for England's Nations League opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
"Cristiano is the benchmark, not only being one of the best footballers ever to play, but also the benchmark of how long you can play for at a higher level," Kane told reporters on Friday.
"I think sometimes in football and maybe in sport in general, there's a perception that when you get to your thirties it's time to start slowing down, playing fewer games and not playing to the high level.
"Cristiano is just showing that every week, every time he plays, every time he scores, so from my point of view, that's the aim.
"I want to play as long as possible for England and it's great to see other athletes doing it in front of me. It shows that it's possible, and it's just about how you feel yourself.
"I feel in a really good place, both physically and mentally and whatever noise there is around, as long as you keep performing and keep doing what you know you can, that's all you can do."
Kane is in line to win his 99th cap against Ireland after another draining summer, with little time to rest after the Euros before returning to action.
While acknowledging the physical demands of ever-longer seasons, the former Tottenham striker said the increasing pressure is something players simply have to get used to.
"There was a lot of talk during the Euros about me and my condition, but like I said then, I felt in good shape," he said.
"Did the games go the way I wanted? No. Not really. But there were a lot of us who felt below par in terms of individual performances and we did extremely well to get to where we got to, which was down to our team spirit and cohesion we created over the years.
"But sometimes when it does not go the way you wanted it to go, there is always something to look for and someone to blame. But I feel good, I have come back in a good place and I have started the season well."

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Imane Khelif's Olympic Gold Inspires Algerian Girls to Take Up Boxing

FILE - Girls train at Ahmed Qayed school, where Olympic boxer Imane Khelif trained as a youngster, in Tiaret, Algeria, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul, File)
FILE - Girls train at Ahmed Qayed school, where Olympic boxer Imane Khelif trained as a youngster, in Tiaret, Algeria, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul, File)
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Imane Khelif's Olympic Gold Inspires Algerian Girls to Take Up Boxing

FILE - Girls train at Ahmed Qayed school, where Olympic boxer Imane Khelif trained as a youngster, in Tiaret, Algeria, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul, File)
FILE - Girls train at Ahmed Qayed school, where Olympic boxer Imane Khelif trained as a youngster, in Tiaret, Algeria, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul, File)

In the weeks since Algeria's Imane Khelif won an Olympic gold medal in women's boxing, athletes and coaches in the North African nation say national enthusiasm is inspiring newfound interest in the sport, particularly among women.
Khelif's image is practically everywhere, featured in advertisements at airports, on highway billboards and in boxing gyms, The Associated Press reported. The 25-year-old welterweight's success in Paris has vaulted her to national hero status, especially after Algerians rallied behind her in the face of uninformed speculation about her gender and eligibility to compete.
Amateur boxer Zougar Amina, a medical student who's been practicing for a year, called Khelif an idol and role model.
“Since I’ve been boxing, my personality has changed: I’m more confident, less stressed," she said, describing the sport as “therapy to fight shyness, to learn to defend myself, to gain self-confidence.”
In Ain Taya, the seaside town east of Algiers where Amina boxes, what local media have termed “Khelifmania” is on full display.
Behind a door wallpapered with a large photograph of the gold medalist, punching bags hang from the ceiling of the local gym, and young girls warm up near a boxing ring surrounded by shelves of masks, gloves and mouth guards.
The 23 young women and girls who train at the gym — an old converted church — all dream of becoming the next Khelif, their coach Malika Abassi said.
Abassi said the women imitate Khelif's post-win celebrations, hopping around the boxing ring and saluting fans. She's worried that the interest in boxing will grow so rapidly that her gym won't be able to handle it.
“We’re getting calls from parents wanting to sign up their daughters," she said. "I’m the only coach and our gym is small.”
Algerians from all walks of life flocked to squares in the country's major cities to watch Khelif's matches broadcast on projectors. Noureddine Bouteldja, a former amateur boxer and sports journalist, said Khelif has transcended boxing and become a “social phenomenon” throughout Algeria thanks to her personal story and the scrutiny she faced from famous people around the world who — unlike Algerians — saw her advancing in the Olympics as part of the culture war over sex, gender and sport.
Algerians rallied behind Khelif in the face of criticism from Donald Trump, Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling and others who falsely claimed she was transgender. They largely interpreted attacks on her as attacks on their nation itself. And unlike much of the international community that coalesced behind Khelif, on social media most couldn't register the thought of a transgender athlete from Algeria.
“It’s the victory of a woman who has shown extraordinary resilience and phenomenal strength of character in the face of the campaign to denigrate her gender," Bouteldja said.
Boxing coaches and administrators said Khelif's rise from a poor child in rural central Algeria to worldwide fame has made her an inspirational figure. Mourad Meziane, head of the Algerian Boxing League, expects a huge spike in registration among young women at the start of this school year in mid-September.
Algeria currently has 30 regional boxing leagues and 10,000 athletes participating nationwide, he said.
“The impact is inevitable and will only be very positive for women’s boxing in Algeria," Meziane said.