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This handout photo taken on September 9, 2026 and received from Shizuoka prefecture on September 10, 2026 shows vehicles buried by mud and debris after a…
Argentina icon Lionel Messi has agreed to take over Spanish club Eldense, the second division side confirmed on Thursday. Eldense, based just in-land from Alicante, will become the former Barcelona attacker’s second venture into Spanish football ownership having bought fourth-tier Cornella in April. The 39-year-old plays for Inter Miami and retired from international duty after Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final this summer. “CD Eldense can confirm that Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle with the club’s current owners to acquire the shares currently held by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the majority shareholder of CD Eldense,” they told AFP. “At this time, the transaction is pending completion of the final legal and contractual procedures, including the due diligence process, as well as the required authorisation from the Spanish Sports Council (CSD).”For now, the club is unable to provide details on the financial terms of the transaction or set a definitive date for its completion, as the process has not yet been finalised. “Once the relevant procedures have been completed and the necessary authorizations obtained, CD Eldense will officially report any developments in this regard,” the club founded in 1921 added.bur-iwd/bsp Related Story Source link
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu told AFP she ‘will not let go’ of the chance to round off a glittering career with an elusive Asian Games medal, saying her goal feels ‘so close’. The 32-year-old may be tiny in stature but she is a big star back home after adding a third Commonwealth Games gold in July to a bulging medal collection that includes a world gold nine years ago and a Tokyo Olympics silver. The 150cm (4ft 11in) Chanu has had no respite since her golden exploits in Glasgow, where she won the women's 48kg class by hoisting a Commonwealth Games record 190kg.She skipped a trip back home to the northeastern Manipur state and went straight back into training camp in New Delhi. After sweating and grunting through a gruelling session, she told AFP she was confident of finally standing on an Asian Games podium at her third attempt. ‘It's so close,’ said Chanu, who was ninth in Incheon in 2014 and an agonising fourth three years ago in Hangzhou on her previous Asian Games appearances.’I strongly feel that I will not let go of this chance,’ said Chanu, who will take part in the 49kg class on September 23 at the Nagoya-Aichi Games. ‘Since I started weightlifting my aim has been to win an Asian Games medal,’ added Chanu, who is ‘riding on confidence’ after the Commonwealth Games.North Korea and China traditionally dominate women's weightlifting and Chanu admitted it was going to be hard to break their podium stranglehold.’It is a strong field at weightlifting in the Asian Games but my preparation is good and I feel confident,’ she said. Chanu, the youngest of six siblings, grew up in a Manipur village. Her father, mother and two brothers played football and encouraged her to pursue sport despite the family's financial struggles.’I am lucky to have come out of a sports family and my mother always encouraged me to take up sports as a career,’ said Chanu. – Village to podium – She chose weightlifting at 13 and has never looked back.’People seldom come out of villages and make a career in sports.’People in the village raised eyebrows at a girl going to a city and pursuing sport but I wanted to change this perception,’ she said.’Tokyo 2020 changed everything and I became a known face in the village and in India. It is a huge thing,’ she said of winning Olympic silver.Manipur weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist, was Chanu's inspiration. ‘I was clueless as to what sport I should pick but everyone knew about Kunjarani's story, of her struggles, of coming from a village to get many medals for India,’ said Chanu.’I saw her on TV and started weightlifting but it was not easy with my mother being a housewife and father having a small government job.’The journey was tough. Food was a particular challenge, in a sport where women lift more than double their bodyweight.’It was tough bringing up six children with limited resources. ‘There were a lot of problems but my mother supported me at every step, from making me train to providing nutrition,’ said Chanu.’I had milk just two times a week, but that did not deter me — I wanted to prove that a girl hailing from a village can succeed.’ – 'Ideal student' -India's national weightlifting coach Vijay Sharma has worked with Chanu since 2014 and played a central role in her success.Together they have celebrated the 2017 world title, Olympic silver and Commonwealth Games golds in 2018, 2022 and 2026.’Training with him, I saw instant improvement in my technique and output,’ said Chanu, saying he had supported her ‘even in my lowest moments, like coming home broken without a medal’.Sharma called her his ‘ideal student’. ‘I always tell my other students to be like her, in terms of discipline and hard work,’ Sharma told AFP.In a sport often hit by doping scandals, Chanu has never failed a drug test.’Some athletes do take shortcuts to success but I advise youngsters to put in more work to get results,’ said Chanu.’Doping gives a bad name to weightlifting and India.’fk/pjm/dh/pst Source link
The Asian Games began in Japan on Thursday with Qatar beating Iran in men’s basketball, the first action in the continental multi-sport showpiece that has more participants than the Olympics.Over 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in 43 sports at the Nagoya-Aichi Games — which do not officially start until the opening ceremony on September 19 and will run until October 4.Several events such as basketball, football, cricket, hockey and modern pentathlon will get under way before the opening ceremony. Qatar held off a comeback from Iran to win their Group B encounter 59-35 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya in the first match of a men’s basketball competition that will hold medal finals on September 20, the day after the opening ceremony. “We know we need to win at least one game so we can qualify for the next round,” said Qatar’s Michael Lewis, the United States-born player who scored a game-high 21 points.”Feels good to get some team camaraderie back, and now we have got to keep going.”Later in Group B, Taiwan beat Jordan 83-80.Los Angeles 2028 Olympics qualifying spots are up for grabs in several sports at the Asian Games, which are returning to Japan for the first time since 1994. Organisers hope the athletes will have a “unique experience” staying in accommodation ranging from a cruise liner and wooden containers to standard hotel rooms.Officials are confident that the plan will not be affected by Japan’s typhoon season, which is usually in full swing in September-October.Weather has already caused disruptions, with record rainfall on Tuesday forcing hundreds of athletes briefly to evacuate their accommodation. Rainwater also leaked into some competition venues, with more wet weather forecast for the coming days. Among those in action at the Games will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of world-class teenage talents in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi. Source link
Pakistan said on Thursday that there were no discussions about a military reaction from Islamabad under the Makkah agreement in response to the Houthis’ attacks on Saudi Arabia, but added that Pakistan will “act” when the “time comes”.The comments by Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson came in response to a question on how Islamabad plans to fulfill its obligations under a joint defence accord it signed with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.The joint defence agreement signed last month stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all of them.”There is no such thing under discussion right now … When time comes (we) will act under the agreement,” foreign ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at a weekly media briefing.There are also no plans to expand the Mecca alliance at this moment, Khan added. Source link
The Saudi Civil Defence announced on Thursday that the danger has passed in the Khamis Mushait area, located in southern Saudi Arabia, after an early warning was issued earlier today.In a statement posted on X platform, the Saudi Civil Defence urged citizens to follow instructions and to completely avoid gathering in groups and taking photographs in order to ensure their safety. Related Story Source link
Mitchell Santner has declined a lucrative Big Bash League contract to prioritize playing for New Zealand’s national team. New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner said he turned down a lucrative offer from the Big Bash League to focus on the international schedule.”The offer was good, I’m not going to lie,” the 34-year-old told the New Zealand Herald. “They knew it would have to be a good offer for me to entertain it with contracting and what would come up.”I did entertain the thought of it, but coming back to what we’ve got coming up, even if I’m not going to play every game of Test cricket I still feel like there’s a role for me.”New Zealand have home white-ball and Test series against India and a Test tour of Australia coming up this year.Santner said he also had to consider how playing in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition would have impacted his role as captain of New Zealand’s white-ball sides.”I don’t want to give up captaincy,” he said. “If that was part of the deal, it was a no-brainer for me.”There were chats that it could have worked. But for me, sitting without a central contract and trying to captain, I don’t know if that would sit right at this stage.”We’ve got a World Cup next year, a T20 World Cup in New Zealand the year after. That’s something I still want to be part of. And if I’m still leading the team then, awesome.”Other players, including Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson, have opted to go on casual contracts with New Zealand Cricket, allowing them to take part in franchise leagues while remaining available for international duty.”There’s no judgment with guys taking casual deals,” Santner said. “We aren’t going to keep up with the money for some of these other opportunities going around.”If it is a casual contract, that’s the way to keep guys invested and playing for New Zealand; that’s what we want.” Related Story Source link
Frances Tiafoe of the United States celebrates after defeating compatriot Alex Michelsen in their US Open quarter-final at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on…
New South Wales has criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to proceed with private investment in the Big Bash Leagues for men and women. Cricket New South Wales criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to proceed with private investment in the Big Bash leagues on Wednesday, warning that the move could reduce funding for grassroots cricket and weaken the sport’s long-term development.Cricket Australia announced on Tuesday that private investors would be introduced into the Big Bash League (BBL) from the 2027-28 season, beginning with the sale of the Melbourne Renegades Twenty20 franchise.While backing the continued growth of both the men’s and women’s BBL competitions, Cricket NSW said diverting profits to external investors risked reducing funds available for community cricket.”This decision risks leaving cricket in NSW and Australia strategically and financially worse off, with direct consequences for our ability to invest in grassroots cricket,” Cricket NSW said in a statement.Cricket NSW said profits generated by its Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder franchises were reinvested into participation programmes, contributing to an 80% increase in participation among children aged five to 12 over the past four years.It added that one-third of Australia’s contracted players came from NSW.”The redistribution of profits to external investors reduces our ability to invest in community cricket, creating long-term impacts at all levels,” it said.Cricket NSW also expressed disappointment with the process leading to the decision, saying it had raised concerns with Cricket Australia.The board added that four conditions agreed by state association chairs in June before any sale process was undertaken had not been met.Despite its opposition, the organisation said it would continue working with Cricket Australia and other stakeholders to ensure the game’s future.”We are proud to be part of an Australian cricket system that is the envy of the world. Cricket NSW will continue working with Cricket Australia… to ensure our game continues to thrive,” it added. Related Story Source…
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina reacts after defeating China’s Zheng Qinwen in the US Open quarter-final in New York on September 9, 2026. (AFP) Elena Rybakina ensured a rise to the world number one ranking for the first time in her career by defeating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in Wednesday’s US Open quarter-finals. The 27-year-old Kazakh star rallied to defeat China’s Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 after two hours and 14 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium, ensuring she will replace Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus atop next week’s rankings.”It’s just a number right now,” Rybakina said after the match. “Of course I’m in the semis. It’s an amazing achievement (but) during the match I feel like I just need to focus on my game.”Rybakina advanced to a Thursday semi-final against the later winner between fourth-ranked American Coco Gauff, twice a major champion, and Russian 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the fifth-ranked reigning French Open champion from Russia.In becoming the first Kazakh player to reach number one, Rybakina becomes the 30th woman to reach the world number one spot. “It’s something for which you’re going to be very proud when you finish at the end of the year,” Rybakina said. “No matter how long you’re going to stay it’s an achievement and I feel very proud.”Rybakina, who had been 0-6 in prior US Open matches after dropping the first set, seeks her third Grand Slam title after winning at Wimbledon in 2022 and at this year’s Australian Open. “It’s tough to find words. It was a difficult match… I didn’t start that well, I was too much negative,” said Rybakina, who had played all of her prior matches at night. “It has been an early match. In my head I was complaining about the shadow … I’m glad I pushed all the negative thoughts away. I just kept telling myself: ‘Keep fighting’.” Rybakina, the second seed, was among four women with a chance to leave Flushing Meadows as world number one, but her victory ended the top spot hopes of Sabalenka, Gauff and third-ranked American Jessica Pegula. Reigning Olympic champion Zheng, 23, missed out on her first US Open semi-final. She lost at the 2024 Australian Open in her only Grand Slam final appearance. “Maybe when she serve second serve, I could be more aggressive sometimes and make a bit less mistake in the return,” Zheng said. “Today is just few points makes the difference.”Rybakina, who has shown no sign of the foot injury that hindered her US Open preparations, improved to 5-1 all-time over Zheng with her third triumph of the year. Zheng, ranked 121 after missing about eight months due to elbow surgery, went through qualifying and won seven matches in New York, ensuring her a top-60 ranking next week.”I got a lot of chances in the third set, but I didn’t take them,” Zheng said. “That was a bit pity for me to lose this match, but obviously I can take positive things from the US Open this year.” Zheng grabbed the first break chances of the match in the eighth game and seized a 5-3 lead when Rybakina netted a forehand.The ninth game was a 14-minute fight with Zheng saving five break points, firing an ace, backhand winner down the line and service winner then taking the others on errant Rybakina backhand service returns.Zheng capitalized on her fourth set point when Rybakina sent a forehand service return long.”It was very tough. I didn’t start my best,” Rybakina said. “I was struggling a little bit. We got into long rallies and I made mistakes. I was trying to be more aggressive because I feel like I wasn’t pushing enough.”Rybakina began the second set with back-to-back aces and held, then broke Zheng on a forehand winner for a 2-0 lead and saved a break point on a forehand winner in holding to a 4-1 advantage.Rybakina broke with a forehand winner to seize a 5-1 lead and held to force a third set. In the decider, Zheng saved a break point in the fifth game and Rybakina saved one in the eighth game as both players held to 4-4. Zheng surrendered a break with a double fault in the ninth game and Rybakina held for the victory. Related Story Source…