James Bell is the first to admit he rode his luck to reach the top of the rugby league world, and that makes the in-form St Helens forward all the more determined to make the most of his time in the spotlight.

The 29-year-old New Zealander has been one of the stand-out performers in the first month of the new Betfred Super League season, emerging off the bench to help wrestle games against the likes of Leigh and Leeds back in Saints’ favour.

Bell’s battle to become an intregral part of Paul Wellens’ new-look Saints squad is the latest triumph on an improbable career path, which began when he seized an unlikely chance with his beloved Auckland Warriors a decade ago.

“I remember sitting on the sidelines at a Warriors game telling my dad that one day that’s what I want to do, but the journey wasn’t easy and it only happened by luck and coincidence,” Bell told the PA news agency.

“I went to watch my mate play in a trial for the junior Warriors but the team they were playing didn’t have enough numbers so they went round the pitch asking for anyone who had their boots and was under the age of 20.

“I was 19 years old and I’d never even made a representative team in my life. Initially I said no, but my friend told me to jump on the field and I scored a couple of tries and had the best game of my career.

“At the end of the game, New Zealand legend Stacey Jones came up to me and said ‘what’s your name and where the hell have you been this whole time?’ I went from nothing to training with the Warriors the next Monday.”

Bell, the fourth oldest of six brothers and one sister who grew up in the Auckland suburb of Papakura – “probably the biggest games I’ve played were in my back yard against my brothers” – went on to make his NRL debut for the Warriors in 2017.

But while his friend at the trial match, Jazz Tevaga, went on make over 100 appearances for the club, Bell was deemed surplus to requirements after just two games, and when his contract expired in 2019 he looked to Europe for the chance to extend his career.

A Scotland international by virtue of his paternal grandfather, Bell first landed at Toulouse after impressing head coach Sylvain Houles in a 2018 international, then moved on to make his Super League debut with Leigh in 2021.

“When I was coming off my contract with the Warriors I was almost begging them to find me something,” added Bell. “There have been a lot of stages in my career where I’ve felt at a standstill with no opportunity.

“But I always knew I loved the game and that I wanted to stick around and keep chipping away and finding opportunities to test my limits. So much of it has been down to chance, that being where I am today feels a bit surreal.”

Bell moved on to Saints later in 2021, initially struggling to force his way into a competitive first-team structure.

But Bell’s persistence, allied with what Wellens calls his “infectious” enthusiasm for the game, saw his opportunities increase, culminating in being part of Saints’ heroic 2023 World Club Challenge win over NRL champions Penrith.

“I’ve had the best pre-season since I came to the club and I think that’s stood me in good stead,” said Bell, who will next feature in Saints’ return trip to Headingley on Friday in the last 16 of the Betfred Challenge Cup.

“I’ve come into an environment where I’m feeling valued, and I think I’ve probably proven to myself now that I am good enough to be here and I do deserve it. It’s given me a vision of where I want to go, and I won’t need to be so reliant on luck.”

Castleford head coach Craig Lingard will take the Super League strugglers to his old club Batley in the sixth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.

Lingard, who lamented his side’s “embarrassing” display in Friday’s 50-8 home mauling by Huddersfield, left the Championship outfit to take over at Wheldon Road last year.

And he will be all too aware of the potential to be on the wrong end of another night to forget on the famous sloping pitch at Mount Pleasant.

Elsewhere, Wigan host Sheffield Eagles in a repeat of the 1998 final which saw the Eagles record one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 17-8 win.

Super League giants Leeds and St Helens will clash at Headingley, while holders Leigh start their defence against Championship Featherstone.

Last year’s losing finalists Hull KR play Salford, Warrington meet London Broncos, Huddersfield take on Hull FC and the fourth surviving second-tier side, Halifax, are at home to Catalans Dragons.

Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans won Great Britain’s first-ever gold medal at the Winter Paralympics on this day in 2014 with victory in the women’s visually impaired Super-G in Sochi.

The duo had experienced disappointment days earlier in the downhill event where they were five seconds off the pace and finished last.

Yet visually impaired Gallagher and guide Evans turned around their fortunes, with a time of one minute and 28.72 seconds enough to secure the Super-G title ahead of Russian world champion Aleksandra Frantceva.

Evans had been emotional after a sixth-placed finish in the downhill, but vowed they would “come back fighting” and proved true to her word.

The first of the six pairs to take on the course, Gallagher and Evans navigated the track impressively to set what would prove a winning time.

Russia’s Frantceva and guide Pavel Zabotin clocked one minute and 28.94 seconds, but it was not enough to deny Gallagher and Evans gold and they were joined on the podium by compatriots Jade Etherington and guide Caroline Powell, who claimed third (1:29.76) to follow their silver in the downhill.

“It was really hard work coming from downhill into Super-G because they are similar speed events. We were told by our sports psychologist to put it away, it’s one result. It’s so easy to say, so hard to do,” Gallagher explained.

“I lost all of my faith in myself, in Charlotte, in our processes, in what we were doing and I was like, ‘I only have a couple of hours to put this together, because we’re going to be back on snow and we’ve got to race’.

“We wouldn’t have got here if it wasn’t for Charlotte. When I haven’t believed in myself, she has believed in us and believed in herself.”

Wigan head coach Matt Peet promised more nights to match their nerve-shredding World Club Challenge win over triple NRL champions Penrith at a sold-out DW Stadium.

The hosts clung on for a record-equalling fifth triumph – to emulate Super League rivals St Helens – with a 16-12 victory in a thrilling game in which the lead swung five times and Penrith came within inches of levelling on the hooter.

Peet told the BBC: “Nights like this are the ones we crave and we’re going to have plenty more.

“It was a fantastic game between two outstanding teams and you could see all the way through what a fantastic team Penrith are.

“You play Penrith on another night and they beat any team, they never give in, but tonight we wanted it a bit more.

“It was going to take a special effort to get over against us tonight, we just wanted it so much.”

Tries from Abbas Miski, Kruise Leeming and Jake Wardle ensured the hosts matched their illustrious opponents who pressed valiantly with Taylan May denied a match-levelling try on the final hooter following a video replay.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the players, I love them to bits and everyone in the organisation deserves tonight,” added Peet.

“I thought the players were very brave with the ball in the second half, they kept playing and playing and obviously with our defence, it was a game we won by never giving in.”

Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary conceded the gap between the NRL and Super League was beginning to narrow after a second-consecutive northern hemisphere triumph for the first time in 16 years.

“Absolutely,” accepted Cleary on Sky Sports. “I think that’s the thing about this particular competition, we get to see the best teams together and Wigan were too good tonight.

“I guess we didn’t execute as well as they did. They had three opportunities and scored three tries and that was the difference. They executed better than us and maybe that was enough.”

Wigan clinched the World Club Challenge for a record-equalling fifth time after surviving last-gasp video drama to confirm a 16-12 victory over triple defending NRL champions Penrith Panthers at a sold-out DW Stadium.

Tries from Abbas Miski, Kruise Leeming and Jake Wardle, plus four points from the boot of Harry Smith, ensured Matt Peet’s men emulated Super League rivals St Helens, who edged the same team in Sydney one year ago.

Yet in an absorbing clash in which the lead swung in a different direction five times, Wigan were forced into an agonising wait for confirmation of their victory after Taylan May crashed over on the final hooter – only for replays to determine he had been bundled into touch.

As Wigan celebrated the big-screen verdict, the agony was evident on the face of Penrith’s resident superstar Nathan Cleary, who could not prevent his side, all-but three of whom also started in the golden point loss to Saints, failing in their quest to land the trophy for the first time.

It was a night for Wigan to add to their list of previous title wins – the most recent of which came in 2017 – and all of which were recalled in a pre-match presentation which saw representatives of all four of those illustrious sides parading their silverware.

Yet Wigan’s glory night began in ignominious fashion when Willie Isa spilled the ball on the edge of his own 10 in the opening set, but with inexperienced Penrith half-back Jack Cole still finding his feet, the hosts survived the early onslaught.

In their first foray forward after 10 minutes, Jai Field took advantage of a repeat set to jink inside the visitors’ danger zone and the ball was dispatched out to the right when Bevan French sent Miski over in the corner.

With Cole’s confidence growing in only his second top-level start, the triple NRL champions responded with more pressure, Brian To’o held up inches from the line on the last, and Moses Leota fumbling another fine opportunity.

Penrith’s leveller arrived just before the half-hour mark through Cleary, whose initial kick was flapped at by Miski, allowing Cole to feed the experienced scrum-half to dart over and subsequently convert to give the Australian side a 6-4 lead.

Just as Penrith’s speed and pressure seemed to be making a difference, Wigan dredged up another response, again down the right flank where Adam Keighran found Miski and he sent the ball in-field through Isa for Leeming to touch down.

Smith’s conversion from under the posts gave Wigan a four-point lead but their opponents responded on the stroke of half-time when lively full-back Dylan Edwards flopped over in a repeat set, Cleary having the last say of the first half to boot his side into a two-point interval lead.

Cleary continued to orchestrate Penrith’s assault at the start of the second half, his cleverness almost sending Sunia Turuva in the corner, but again Wigan withstood a tough spell and came back firing as Wardle twisted over to restore Wigan’s slender lead after 55 minutes.

Smith’s second-successful conversion put Wigan back four points in the clear and there were signs of frustration creeping into the Penrith ranks as Cleary, of all people, fumbled an opportunity after Isaah Yeo broke the Wigan line.

The hosts clung on as the clock ticked down, Field racing over for a stunning last-ditch tackle that dumped May into touch after the Penrith centre burst clear and looked a near certainty to level the scores.

French thought he had all-but won it when he raced onto a Smith kick with eight minutes left on the clock, only for Wigan’s celebrations to be cut short by an offside call.

The home side were forced to live on their nerves in the final moments as Cole barged close then May crashed over in the corner as the hooter sounded, forcing Wigan into an agonising wait until their famous victory was secured.

Laura Muir will snub home comforts to ensure she is in the right frame of mind to win gold at the World Indoor Championships.

The 30-year-old claimed the 3000m title at the UKA Indoor Championships on Sunday after running eight minutes 58.80 seconds to seal victory in Birmingham.

Muir is planning her assault on the 3000m at  the World Indoors in Glasgow next month, with the British squad announced on Monday.

The Scot, who is based in Glasgow, will race at her home track but intends to remain with the team rather than stay at home during the Championships.

Muir, who won 1500m and 3000m gold at the European Indoors in Glasgow in 2019, said: “I’m going to stay in the team hotel. I think it’d be hard to get myself in the mindset that I’m going to compete at a World Championships final.

“It’s better when it’s a straight final to not be coming from my sofa. So I’m going to go into the team hotel.

“I never really took it in because I didn’t know if I was definitely going quite yet.  I don’t want to do anything until I’m definitely going but it’s really nice.

“I’ve got a lot of fond memories from that track from competing there before. So I’m just going to go there and I’m going to enjoy it and that’s the most important thing for me.”

Katarina Johnson-Thompson threw 13.29m to come ninth in the shot put, won by Amelia Campbell, as she continues her Olympic preparations.

The world heptathlon champion is focusing on this summer’s Paris Games and will not be at the World Indoors.

She said: “I am gutted because I did European indoors in Glasgow in 2018 and I’ve got really good memories of it. The whole family came to watch me. It’s just a decision to throw everything into Paris.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve had a great time since Budapest, everything’s been going really well. So I feel good. I’m feeling in a strong position but I’m just taking it week by week.

“The plan was just some competition practice. Training has been going really well so I wanted to come out and see where I am under competition conditions.

“Of course these specialist athletes throw much further and it is tough not to have a reference to where you’re throwing – with the first line set at 16m – which is way further than I am throwing. But on the other hand I can gain some knowledge and learn from the specialists so it is always beneficial.

“I am confident now I have found a good training set-up so I am very happy with my training so far and I am enjoying my preparations going towards Paris this year. ”

Jemma Reekie won in the 800m as she looks for a maiden senior title in Glasgow next month.

Dwain Chambers has left the door open to speak to British athletics stars about the dangers of doping.

The sprinter, who failed to reach the 60m final at the UKA Indoor Championships on Saturday, is eager to help.

Chambers, who was banned for two years for a positive drugs test in 2003, clocked 6.89s to reach the semi-final as the slowest qualifier before coming last in his semi Birmingham.

UKA interim head coach Paula Dunn refused to rule out using Chambers as an advisor to the squad and the 45-year-old would like to explore the option.

He said: “I want to be able to contribute in any way I can and I would never turn down the opportunity. It is a case of a conversation that needs to be had as and when the time permits.

“It is nobody else’s responsibility but mine. Yes I was young, but at the same time, I had a decision or choice to make and I chose to look at what other people were doing, and spend very little time looking at what I could improve.

“As a result of that, I chose to follow the crowd and it was costly to me. With the way things are with other people, doubting themselves, I chose to use what I’ve gone through as an example of review yourself first and then make a decision.

“I love inspiring people and I especially like showing that you don’t need to stop when you get to a certain age. You may not be on the global stage but you can still be positive and compete, enjoy and inspire.”

Jeremiah Azu won the British 60m title on Saturday, while Amy Hunt took the women’s crown at the Championships, which double as the trials for next month’s World Indoors in Glasgow.

Jemma Reekie won her 800m heat to make it into Sunday’s final as she looks for a maiden major title in Glasgow next month.

“I’m aiming for that medal in Glasgow and I want the win in Glasgow, it would be the perfect start to the year,” said the Scot, who came fourth in the 800m at the Tokyo Olympics.

“It would be amazing and push me forward to the summer. It’s been a long time coming, I’ve had to wait a while but it would be really special if I could get one at my home track.

“As a junior I’ve always stood on the track to win and I’ve always been happy to say that. I’ve done it as a junior but fallen short as a senior.

“I’m ready for that win now. Patience has taught me a lot, I’m not a patient person, and everything happens for a reason. My time will come.”

PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS

Michael Jordan (basketball) – American superstar widely considered the sport’s greatest player, born 1963.

Tony Underwood (rugby union) – former England winger, born 1969.

Julian Golding (athletics) – Britain’s former Commonwealth 200 metres champion, born 1975.

Adriano (soccer) – former Brazil and Inter Milan striker, born 1982.

AB De Villiers (cricket) – former South Africa batter, scorer of the fastest ODI century, born 1984.

Adil Rashid (cricket) – England and Yorkshire leg-spinner, born 1988.

Rebecca Adlington (swimming) – Britain’s double gold medal winner from the Beijing Olympics, born 1989.

Marc Marquez (motorcycling) – Spain’s six-time MotoGP World Championship winner, born 1993.

Madison Keys (tennis) – American finalist at the 2017 US Open, born 1995.

ON THIS DAY IN SPORT

1968: Jean-Claude Killy of France, one of the greatest skiers of all time, won his third gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Victorious in the downhill, the giant slalom and the slalom, he equalled Toni Sailer’s record of winning three gold medals at one Games.

1993: David Platt scored four goals in England’s World Cup qualifying win against San Marino and missed a penalty that would have given him a share in the England record of five.

1999: Fulham boss Kevin Keegan agreed to take charge of the England team for four games. He eventually became manager on a permanent basis.

2008: Andy Murray claimed his fifth ATP Tour title, beating Croatia’s Mario Ancic 6-3 6-4 in the Open 13 final in Marseille.

2012: Portsmouth were placed into administration for a second time in two years. The south-coast club exited administration in April 2013 and announced they were debt-free in September 2014, 18 months after the Pompey Supporters’ Trust took charge.

2012: Mervyn Westfield, the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing, was sentenced to four months in prison.

2014: Great Britain and England rugby league international Sam Burgess agreed to join Aviva Premiership side Bath on a three-year deal.

2018: Lizzy Yarnold won Great Britain’s only gold medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics when she successfully defended her skeleton title, with Laura Deas taking bronze in the same event.

2022: Michael Masi, the man accused of robbing Lewis Hamilton of an eighth world championship, was dropped as Formula One race director.

PA SPORT SELECTIVE TV GUIDE

Today (Saturday, February 17)

FOOTBALL: Premier League, Brentford v Liverpool – TNT Sports 1 1100; Manchester City v Chelsea – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1700; Women’s Super League, Arsenal v Manchester United – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1130; Championship, Plymouth v Leeds – Sky Sports Football 1200; National League, Aldershot v Altrincham – TNT Sports 2 1700; Serie A, Hellas Verona v Juventus – TNT Sports 1 1715; Atalanta v Sassuolo – TNT Sports 1 1930; Bundesliga, RB Leipzig v Borussia Monchengladbach – Sky Sports Football 1730; Ligue 1, Nantes v Paris St Germain – TNT Sports 2 1945; LaLiga, Celta Vigo v Barcelona – Viaplay 1725.

CRICKET: Third Test, India v England – TNT Sports 1 0330 (Sun); T20, Sri Lanka v Afghanistan – TNT Sports 4 1345; Women’s Test, Australia v South Africa – TNT Sports 4 0300 (Sun).

RUGBY LEAGUE: Super League, Castleford v Wigan – Sky Sports Action 1725; Catalans v Warrington – Sky Sports Arena 1725.

RUGBY UNION: Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final, Gloucester v Exeter – TNT Sports 1 1500; United Rugby Championship, Cardiff v Connacht – S4C 1700; Glasgow v Dragons – S4C 1930.

HORSE RACING: Live from Ascot – ITV1, STV North, STV Central – 1330.

GOLF: Ladies European Tour, The 2024 Aramco Saudi Ladies International – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1030; PGA Tour, The Genesis Invitational – Sky Sports Golf 1500, Sky Sports Main Event 2030.

TENNIS: WTA, The Qatar TotalEnergies Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Tennis 1430; ATP, ABN AMRO Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1700; The Delray Beach Open – Sky Sports Tennis 2030, Sky Sports Main Event 0100 (Sun).

SNOOKER: The Welsh Open – BBC Two Wales 1900, Eurosport 1 1245 and 1845.

MMA: UFC, Alexander Volkanovski v Ilia Topuria – TNT Sports 2 0300 (Sun).

Tomorrow (Sunday, February 18)

FOOTBALL: Premier League, Sheffield United v Brighton – Sky Sports Premier League 1300, Sky Sports Main Event 1400; Luton v Manchester United – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1600; Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone v Rangers – Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event 1100; Serie A, Lazio v Bologna – TNT Sports 4 1130; Empoli v Fiorentina – TNT Sports 2 1400, Udinese v Cagliari TNT Sports 4 1400; Frosinone v AS Roma – TNT Sports 2 1700; Monza v AC Milan – TNT Sports 1 1930; Bundesliga, SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt – Sky Sports Football 1430; Bochum v Bayern Munich – Sky Sports Football 1630; Ligue 1, Brest v Marseille – TNT Sports 2 1930.

CRICKET: Third Test, India v England – TNT Sports 1 0330 (Mon).

RUGBY UNION: Premiership Rugby Cup, Ealing Trailfinders v Leicester – TNT Sports 1 1430;

GOLF: Ladies European Tour, The 2024 Aramco Saudi Ladies International – Sky Sports Golf 0930; PGA Tour, The Genesis Invitational – Sky Sports Golf 1430, Sky Sports Main Event 1900.

TENNIS: WTA, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Tennis 0700; ATP, ABN AMRO Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1430; The Delray Beach Open – Sky Sports Tennis 2100, Sky Sports Main Event 0000 (Mon); IEB+ Argentina Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1900.

BASKETBALL: NBA, All-Star Game – TNT Sports 2 0100 (Mon).

SNOOKER: The Welsh Open – BBC Two Wales 1900, Eurosport 1 1245 and 1845.

PA SPORT QUIZ
1. In which year did Tiger Woods win his first major?

2. Kylian Mbappe joined Paris St Germain from which team?

3. In which US city would you find the following sports teams: Capitals, Wizards, Commanders and Nationals?

4. How many Wimbledon singles titles did Billie Jean King win?

5. In which city will the 2024 Tour de France begin?

6. Who did Michael van Gerwen beat in the final on Thursday night to go top of the Premier League Darts table?

7. Where will the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup be held?

8. Mike Eccles is the head coach of which Betfred Super League side?

9. Who are the reigning Netball Super League champions?

10. Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas race for which Formula 1 team?

ANSWERS: 1. 1997; 2. Monaco; 3. Washington; 4. Six; 5. Florence; 6. Luke Humphries; 7. India; 8. London Broncos; 9. Loughborough Lightning; 10. Kick Sauber.

Jenny Jones secured Great Britain’s first Winter Olympic medal on snow on this day in 2014 with bronze in the snowboard slopestyle event in Sochi.

Jones, aged 33, was the oldest entrant in the final by more than six years but her experience showed with her best run of the week on her last attempt.

Her score of 87.25 briefly put her top of the standings, but she was overtaken by American Jamie Anderson and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi and had to settle for third.

Jones said: “I feel absolutely ecstatic, I’m so chuffed to have made it onto that podium.

“It feels ridiculous, I still can’t actually believe it. I just thought, ‘oh my goodness, it’s gone my way today’, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Her success was made all the more remarkable by the fact she was out of action for nearly a month after suffering a concussion in mid-December 2013 following a crash in training in Austria.

“(It) was a bit of a tough time for me,” she said.

“I had to stay at home and not be on the snow, if you ask any athlete it’s just tough sitting and waiting. But I got through it and am genuinely very proud.”

Team GB chef de mission Mike Hay said: “This is a fantastic accomplishment for Jenny and a great moment for our entire delegation.

“Jenny will go down in the record books as the first-ever member of Team GB to win an Olympic medal in a snow sport.

“There is a strong spirit of camaraderie and support across our entire delegation and I know every member of Team GB is proud of Jenny and delighted to see her have this special moment.”

British duo Tom Daley and Noah Williams secured spots at the Paris Olympics with silver in the men’s 10-metre synchro at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

They earned 84.48 points in their first international competition as a pair and sealed a quota spot for this year’s Olympic Games in the process.

China’s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao took gold in the event, while Oleksii Sereda and Kirill Boliukh of Ukraine finished third.

Daley and Williams’ silver medal also set a new British diving record, becoming Britain’s seventh of the championships, beating a previous best of six earned in Budapest in 2022 and Daley insisted that the “real work” starts now in the build-up to Paris.

“I was terrified when I woke up this morning, terrified eating breakfast, and at lunch!” Daley said.

“But once I got into the competition, and being with Noah, I kind of relaxed and was like, ‘ah, this is what it feels like’.

“We knew that we had to try to qualify for a spot at the Olympics, which we succeeded in – but I think we went into it more fighting for the medals rather than thinking about the spots.

“Today was what it all came down to, whether I was going to be able to be fit enough to dive with Noah in the first place, and then be able to actually come in the top qualifying spots.

“That’s mission accomplished so far, and now it’s about staying fit and healthy to get to the start line (in Paris), so now the real work starts.”

For Williams, it was a second silver World Championship men’s 10m synchro medal having earned his first in 2022 at Budapest and he hopes to push for gold alongside Daley.

He said: “We came into today’s competition just trying to get an Olympic spot, and we did that and got a medal as well, so we’re very happy with the performance.

“We obviously haven’t trained too much together, but I think it has come pretty naturally to both of us.

“Tom said about seeing if he’s fit enough to dive with me, it’s definitely the other way around! I just try to do my best next to him, he’s obviously a great diver, so the better I dive, we’ll hopefully be able to be pushing for gold.”

New Masters champion Stephen Bunting has opened up on his battles with mental health and revealed how a hypnotist has helped turn his career around.

The 38-year-old won his first televised PDC major title on Sunday when he outclassed Michael van Gerwen in the final in Milton Keynes just a few years after nearly walking away from the game.

Bunting, who is a former BDO world champion, made the switch to the PDC circuit a decade ago and threatened to make waves before he hit a dip that left him depressed.

The Liverpudlian said he felt like a laughing stock and turned to a hypnotist and sports psychologist to get over his demons.

“I was ready for walking away,” he said. “It was awful, I was walking into events and I felt like everyone was laughing at me.

“I felt like no matter what I was doing everything was going wrong. I was taking it out on my family and locking myself away.

“I was depressed, it was an awful place to be. Thankfully the psychologist and hypnotist over the last few years have helped.

“I was against it at first but I thought I needed to do something and that was probably the last step that I could take and I went.

“He taught me how to think not just about darts, there’s other things than darts, your family, your home life.

“I know they say in Peter Pan you think about happy stuff and you can fly but it is the same sort of logic in darts. If you turn up and are feeling happy and good then you can win anything.

“The hypnotist helped me with my sleep. That’s the biggest thing for me, a one-hour session with a hypnotist is a four-hour REM state so it helps you to focus, it helps you look at all the positives and stop looking at the negatives.

“Your mind is 95 per cent negative so sometimes every one of us will be in the negative side of the brain without even knowing it.

“I don’t think there are many players who have dipped into that side so to have that extra one or two per cent that helps. As you can see I am a champion now, so I’m just happy.”

Bunting, who channelled his inner Lionel Messi by sleeping alongside his trophy on Sunday night, has been waiting a long time to get his hands on some silverware.

But he said he would consider giving it back if it meant Jurgen Klopp decided to stay at his beloved Liverpool.

“I might give my trophy, but I wouldn’t give my title back,” he quipped.

“I actually felt like I lost a family member. I was away in Ireland when I heard the news and I was absolutely devastated. I don’t think there is a manager in the world that could take his place.

“Such a fantastic manager, what he has done for the club, a special, special man. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Liverpool. Even the Premier League will miss him.

“I am going to go to the cup final, I have got a ticket for the last game of the season, so I will be able to pay my respects and see him off. It is emotional for any Liverpool fan.”

Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles said she was sexually abused by Team USA’s former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, on this day in 2018.

Nassar was already serving 60 years in prison for having child sex abuse images on his computer and awaiting sentence after admitting assaulting female gymnasts.

Biles, who won team, all-around, vault and floor exercise gold medals at Rio 2016, said she was “one of the many survivors”.

“Most of you know me as a happy, giggly, and energetic girl,” the then 20-year-old wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

“But lately… I’ve felt a bit broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head the louder it screams.

“I am not afraid to tell my story anymore. I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar.”

Three former US Olympians – Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney – had already accused Nassar of sexual abuse.

Nassar, who was aged 54 in January 2018, was involved with America’s world-beating gymnastics programme from the 1980s until July 2015, when the sport’s national governing body sacked him.

At the time of Biles’ statement, more than 130 women had filed civil lawsuits against him alleging abuse.

Nassar was later sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison for abusing athletes in his care after testimony from nearly 160 of his victims.

Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in history, went on to win bronze in the balance beam and silver in the team competition at Tokyo 2020 but withdrew from five of her six finals in Japan to focus on her mental health.

Ronnie O’Sullivan stormed into a 14th Masters final with a 6-2 win over Shaun Murphy and then called on snooker’s young pretenders to up their game.

The 48-year-old moved one victory away from becoming the oldest winner of this Triple Crown event with four half-century breaks enough to down old rival Murphy in their first meeting for five years.

Murphy reeled off two superb three-figure breaks, including 131 in the third frame, but O’Sullivan’s cavalier approach paid dividends with reds aplenty potted in this semi-final to delight a packed Alexandra Palace crowd.

“I don’t feel that old,” O’Sullivan, the youngest ever Masters winner, told BBC.

“I know my age but I feel young in my mind and I feel young when I am around the table.

“I feel a lot younger round the table than I do when I play these young players. They look old! Their brains are quite slow so for me, I feel like my brain is pretty quick around the snooker table, which is enough.

“Yeah, they need to get their act together because I am going blind, I have a dodgy arm and bad knees. And they still can’t beat me!”

Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole more than a decade after he killed his girlfriend.

An announcement from South Africa’s Department of Corrections on Friday morning indicated corrections officials had released the double-amputee Olympic and paralympic athlete from the Atteridgeville correctional centre in the capital Pretoria in the early hours.

Pistorius has served nearly nine years of his 13 years and five months murder sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The 37-year-old was approved for parole in November.

Serious offenders in South Africa are eligible for parole after serving at least half their sentence.

Pistorius is expected to initially live at his uncle’s mansion in the upscale Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof, where he lived during his murder trial and where he was held on house arrest for a period in 2015-2016.

Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, said in a statement she had accepted Pistorius’ parole as part of South African law.

She said: “Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back.

“We who remain behind are the ones serving a life sentence.

“With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, my only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva’s legacy.”

Pistorius will live under strict conditions until the remainder of his sentence expires in December 2029, the Department of Corrections said.

It emphasised that the multiple Paralympic champion’s release — like every other offender on parole — does not mean that he has served his time.

Some of Pistorius’ parole conditions include restrictions on when he is allowed to leave his home, a ban on consuming alcohol and orders that he must attend programmes on anger management and on violence against women. He will have to perform community service.

Pistorius will also have to regularly meet with parole officials at his home and at correctional services offices, and will be subjected to unannounced visits by authorities.

He is not allowed to leave the Waterkloof district without permission and is banned from speaking to the media until the end of his sentence.

He could be sent back to jail if he is in breach of any of his parole conditions.

South Africa does not use tags or bracelets on paroled offenders so Pistorius will not wear any monitoring device, Department of Corrections officials said.

He will be constantly monitored by a department official and will have to inform the official of any major changes in his life, such as if he wants to get a job or move to another house.

Pistorius has maintained that he shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, by mistake.

He testified that he believed Steenkamp was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom and shot through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol in self-defence.

Prosecutors said he killed his girlfriend intentionally during a late-night argument.

Pistorius was first convicted of culpable homicide — a charge comparable to manslaughter — and sentenced to five years in prison for killing Steenkamp.

After appeals by prosecutors, he was ultimately found guilty of murder and had his sentence increased, although that judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal still did not definitively rule that he knew it was Steenkamp behind the toilet door.

Pistorius, known as the ‘Blade Runner’ due to his carbon fibre prosthetic running blades, was a figurehead of Paralympic sport, having won six gold medals across three Games.

He became the first amputee runner to compete in an Olympics at London 2012, when he made the semi-final of the 400 metres.

Sir Ben Ainslie has announced his decision to step down as driver of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team.

Double Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup team-mate Giles Scott MBE will assume the role as driver but Ainslie, 46, will remain as CEO of the side.

Ainslie, who is the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, insisted he would take the step away from his role as driver to make way for the next generation.

Speaking about the decision, Ainslie – who won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including four golds – said: “It’s probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my sporting career.

“Like any big decision, there’s plenty that goes into it and a lot of factors at play.

“As the CEO of both Emirates GBR and the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup Team, and most importantly a husband and father, at some point you’ve got to realise that you can’t do everything.

“I’m coming to that point where it’s time to let the next generation come through and have their opportunity.

“We’ve got a huge talent in Giles Scott. He’s one of the best in the sport and he will suit this style of racing perfectly.

“He’s an incredible sailor, one of the best I’ve ever raced with, but he’s also a very mature, level-headed person and that’s why I think he will do a fantastic job in SailGP.

“I’ve loved every minute of sailing in the league. We’ve had some great moments and some challenging moments, but I’ve just loved it.

“It’s the best sailing I’ve ever done in my career, it’s so much fun. We’ve got a great team at Emirates GBR that has a really exciting future and I’m still going to be part of it for many years to come.”

Scott admitted he had some big shoes to fill, saying: “I’ve got some catching up to do, but the Emirates GBR Team is a great squad. Everybody involved is hugely experienced and top-quality sailors.

“I’ve got to step up to the mark and do the best job I can to fill those big old boots that Ben’s left behind.”

Scott takes the driver position, alongside Hannah Mills OBE as strategist, Iain Jensen as wing trimmer, Luke Parkinson as flight controller, Matt Gotrel MBE, Neil Hunter and Nick Hutton as grinders and Hannah Diamond as reserve sailor.