Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion in Formula 1 car racing, visited the Rafah land crossing to inspect Egyptian efforts to deliver humanitarian and relief aid to the Gaza Strip.
Major General Khaled Mujawar, Governor of North Sinai, received the British driver at Al-Arish Airport before heading to the Rafah crossing and the Egyptian Red Crescent’s logistical aid warehouses in Al-Arish.
The governorate's Facebook page said that the Ferrari driver's visit to Al-Arish aims to learn about the mechanisms for preparing and coordinating humanitarian and relief aid in preparation for its entry into the Gaza Strip.
Hamilton, who ran his 400th race in the Formula 1 World Championship in Sao Paulo last Sunday, is famous for his support of charitable and humanitarian work, as in 2021 he founded the “Mission 44” Foundation to support youth and provide education and work opportunities.
Hamilton, a Ferrari driver, is ranked fourth in the drivers' championship standings, which was decided by Italian Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes driver, with three races remaining before the end of the season.
Job Bellingham may not be the best in his family, at least if a mathematical theory that gives younger siblings a greater chance of outperforming their older siblings is true. With Job being called up for the first time to the England national team, an interesting hypothesis arises: Can the Borussia Dortmund player surpass the career of his older brother?
Although calling a 21-year-old player to the England national team is a remarkable achievement, Job Bellingham's case seems a little different, due to the constant comparisons with his brother Jude, who preceded him into the limelight and achieved great successes at an early age.
Judd made his international debut when he was 17 years old, and by the time he reached Job's current age, he had already played two caps for England. Therefore, expectations surrounding Job do not seem as high, despite his potential.
But Job relies on a remarkable sporting advantage, which is that he is the younger brother. Sports studies and experiments indicate that younger siblings have greater chances of achieving more successful professional careers than their older brothers, when both parties practice the same sport.
According to a report published by the British newspaper The Telegraph, about two-thirds of the cases in which two brothers played professionally in the same sport ended with the younger brother excelling in terms of achievements and professional career. This phenomenon is not limited to football; Rather, it appeared in different sports and in multiple countries.
A study of male and female athletes in 33 sports in Australia and Canada showed that athletes who reached elite levels, including international competition and the Olympic Games, had on average 1.04 older siblings, compared to 0.61 among athletes who did not reach the same level.
In the American Professional Baseball League, a study that included 700 pairs of siblings who played in the competition revealed that the younger sibling had a better batting average in about 70 percent of the cases. The results also showed that younger siblings tend to stay on the playground for longer periods.
The picture is repeated in cricket; A study of more than 60 pairs of siblings who played international test matches indicates that the younger sibling excels in about two-thirds of the cases. The brothers Sam and Tom Curran stand out as a recent example, after Sam became the closest to succeeding Ben Stokes in the England national team, while the chances of his brother Tom returning to playing test matches seem limited.
In football, the list of stars who belong to sports families includes younger brothers who have achieved exceptional success, including Lionel Messi, who has two older brothers, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the youngest of four sons in his family, in addition to Harry Kane, recently crowned Ballon d'Or, who has an older brother who works as his agent.
If Job plays against Croatia on Thursday, he and Jude will become the twenty-second duo of siblings to represent the England national team. The list includes prominent names, including brothers Bobby and Jack Charlton, who participated in England winning the World Cup in 1966. Bobby was about two and a half years younger than Jack, but played 71 more international matches than him, and achieved a more successful football career.
Sports scientists explain this advantage by several factors, the most prominent of which is that the younger brother begins to be involved in sports at an early age, as a result of watching his older brother and trying to keep up with him, and the desire to outperform him enhances his competitive spirit.
Sports scientist Joe Baker, from the University of Toronto, says that playing with older siblings may contribute to faster skill development, due to the additional challenge faced by the younger player. Playing against a competitor who is physically superior to him also pushes him to develop his technical and creative abilities, his tactical intelligence, and his mental strength.
Sisters Serena and Venus Williams provide a clear example of this; Serena, who is 15 months younger than Venus, used to face her older sister on the tennis courts during their childhood. Despite her repeated losses in these confrontations, she benefited from them in developing her level, before becoming one of the greatest tennis players in history, achieving 23 titles in the four major tournaments.
This theory is based on the concept of the “optimum challenge point,” developed by scientists Mark Guadagnoli and Tim Lee, and indicates that athletes learn faster when they face challenges that push them to fail repeatedly, and then try to correct their mistakes and improve.
For Job, his career so far reflects part of this experience; He followed in Judd's footsteps by joining the Birmingham City academy, before later moving to Borussia Dortmund, the club where his older brother preceded him.
This does not necessarily mean that Job will achieve achievements beyond what Jude has achieved, but the presence of an older brother who went through the same experience and succeeded in reaching the summit gives him an opportunity to learn from his steps and mistakes. In the world of sports, the desire to catch up with your big brother, and then surpass him, may be one of the strongest drivers of success.
Frenkie de Jong, the Dutch national football team midfielder, confirmed that his long-term future lies in the midfield, not in the defensive line.
The Spanish Barcelona star touched on his temporary experience playing as a right-back with the Catalan team, commenting on the coaches’ requests for him to close defensive gaps.
De Jong made it clear his preferred position upon his return to the Dutch national team. In statements to ESPN, ahead of the Orange team's next two matches in the European Nations League against Greece and Germany, the player recalled his recent surprising experience playing in the right-back position with Barcelona, under the leadership of German coach Hansi Flick, during the confrontation with Atletico Madrid, the day before yesterday, Sunday, in the Spanish League championship.
Despite De Jong's constant willingness to sacrifice for the team in emergency situations, he stressed that defensive tasks remain a purely temporary measure, knowing that both Flick, and former coaches Ronald Koeman and Xavi, had previously relied on him at the heart of the defense, during matches that required urgent tactical adjustments.
Speaking to reporters in Zeist, De Jong smiled when asked if he expected to participate in the defensive line with the Dutch national team, categorically denying this possibility.
De Jong said: “If the coach asks me to play in defence, I will do so, but this will not be the case in the long term, as everyone knows that I am a midfielder.”
Referring to his short participation at right back at the beginning of the week, De Jong added: “The coach came to me before the restart of play and asked me: Can you, or do you mind, playing at right back for 15 minutes?” Then it returns to the midfield. “It was acceptable. Everyone is fully aware that I am a midfielder and not a defender.”
De Jong pointed out that playing in the back line is not something new in his career, as he had previously been asked to occupy the center back position by several prominent coaches at both Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona.
De Jong recalled, saying: “It happened with other coaches as well, at Ajax sometimes, and at Barcelona as well, and with Koeman at that time, and with Xavi on some occasions.”
He continued: “These were exceptional cases or situations that required us to strive to win. So, yes, there are coaches who have hired me in this position, and I think I can do the job well.”
Having completely overcome the obstacles of injuries and the dramatic events of the summer, De Jong feels strong and motivated, with full focus on leading the game from his preferred position in midfield.
Although he is still in the process of regaining his full rhythm to play a 90-minute match, the playmaker appears to be in strong physical condition and ready to be the main pillar of the Dutch national team.
The Dutch team will rely on its calmness and technical skills in the midfield, especially in light of the decisive tests awaiting the team against Greece and Germany.
The Dutch team is at the top of the standings of Group Two in the first level of the continental competition, equal with 8 points with its closest competitor, the Greek team.
The Dutch national team will host its Greek counterpart next Friday, before hosting the German national team next Monday, in the last two rounds of the group, in which the leader and runner-up qualify for the knockout rounds of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held next March.
