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London, Aug 7 (IANS) Sunderland continues to strengthen its squad on the club’s return to the Premier League with the signing of former FC Barcelona striker Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea for the 2025-2026 season.

The 19-year-old made 16 appearances for Chelsea last season, netting six goals, but the club has sent him on loan to gain more top-flight experience with the club that returned to the top-flight after winning last season’s play-off from the Championship.

Sunderland has spent big since assuring promotion, spending well over 100 million pounds on signings such as Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, and Granit Xhaka, with the Swiss international returning to the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen reprorts Xinhua.

“I’m feeling great and really looking forward to the season ahead,” said Guiu, who in 2023 briefly became the youngest Barcelona player to score a goal in La Liga.

“I see myself as a powerful striker, who can make a difference on and off the ball, and I pride myself on being a natural goalscorer.”

“This year is a huge opportunity for me to help take this team where it truly deserves to be, and I can’t wait to get started,” he said on the Sunderland website.

Sunderland’s Director of Football, Kristjaan Speakman also welcomes Guiu’s arrival.

“The competition for his signature was significant, and he had many high-quality options this summer, so we are delighted he’s joined Sunderland. Marc’s a progressive striker who has key attributes that align with the role in our team. In addition to providing a threat in the final third, we believe there are many other ways he can impact games,” he said.

Guiu rose to prominence after progressing through FC Barcelona’s renowned youth academy, La Masia, which has cultivated numerous exceptional talents from Andrés Iniesta and Xavi to Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.

He made his senior debut against Athletic Bilbao in October 2023 and scored after just 23 seconds to become the youngest and fastest debutant to ever net for Barcelona in La Liga, aged 17 years and 291 days.

After making seven senior appearances for Barca, including two in the UEFA Champions League, Guiu moved to Stamford Bridge last summer and enjoyed a successful debut campaign in England, as Chelsea won the UEFA Conference League and became champions of the world.

–IANS

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Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (IANS) Adani Sportsline on Friday announced the third edition of the 3×3 Hoopers League, scheduled to be held on December 20 and 21, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the grassroots basketball ecosystem through structured and competitive platforms.

The upcoming edition will feature Under-12, Under-15, Under-18 and Under-23 categories for both boys and girls, along with Open categories for men and women, creating participation opportunities across age groups and experience levels. Registrations for the tournament closed on December 17.

All matches will be conducted in line with federation regulations, and the tournament has been approved by the Gujarat Basketball Federation, ensuring adherence to recognised competitive standards and fair play.

The 3×3 Hoopers League has continued to grow with each edition. The second edition saw participation from 80 teams across Gujarat, reflecting the rising popularity of the fast-paced 3×3 format and growing engagement from players and basketball communities across the state.

The tournament follows the internationally recognised 3×3 basketball format, with each team comprising four players. Teams will compete in league-stage matches before progressing to the knockout rounds. Each match will be played for 10 minutes or until a team reaches 21 points, delivering high-intensity action and quick-paced competition.

Through initiatives such as the 3×3 Hoopers League, Adani Sportsline continues to focus on nurturing sporting talent and expanding access to organised competition, contributing to the long-term development of basketball at the grassroots level.

Adani Sportsline is the sports arm of the diversified Adani Group, which has a presence in ports, logistics, energy, utility, infrastructure, electric power generation and transmission, mining, airport operations, natural gas, and food processing.

Formed in 2019, Adani Sportsline has an overarching philosophy to inculcate a culture of sports at the grassroots level and create globally competitive opportunities for future champions in India. In line with the group’s vision of nation-building, the company aims to build a world-class ecosystem that nurtures sporting talent, accelerates the sports economy, and plays the role of an enabler in India’s journey to become a leading sporting nation.

–IANS

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