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Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha addresses a press conference on the eve of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against Netherlands, at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground…
As the Professional Fighters League (PFL) accelerates its global expansion, the Middle East continues to play a central role in the organization’s long-term vision, driven by strong infrastructure, youth engagement in combat sports, and growing fan demand across the Gulf. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Road to Dubai event at Coca-Cola Arena on February 7, John Martin, CEO of the Professional Fighters League, emphasized that the PFL views the region as a collective ecosystem — with Qatar identified as an important and promising market within that strategy. “This region has tremendous momentum,” Martin said. “There is strong interest across the Gulf, and Qatar is a market we respect and are very interested in. It fits naturally into our broader Middle East vision.” Dubai as a Proven Host, the Region as a Whole the Priority Saturday’s event marks the third major PFL card staged in Dubai, reflecting the city’s established role as a host destination. Martin credited the UAE’s infrastructure and partnerships for supporting large-scale international events, while stressing that the PFL’s focus extends well beyond any single market. “In many respects, Dubai has become a home for us operationally,” he said. “But our ambition is regional. We look at the Middle East as a whole, and Qatar is very much part of that conversation.” Qatar’s Alignment With MMA’s Growth Martin noted that the Middle East is experiencing a rapid discovery phase for mixed martial arts, particularly among younger audiences — a trend that aligns closely with Qatar’s investment in sport, youth development, and global events. “MMA is being discovered very quickly here,” he explained. “There’s a real emphasis on young people training in MMA and jiu-jitsu. Markets like Qatar, with a strong sporting culture and vision for growth, are well positioned within that evolution.” Rather than rushing expansion, Martin said the PFL is focused on entering markets thoughtfully and sustainably.“We want to grow the right way,” he said. “That means working with markets that understand sport, value long-term development, and share our commitment to excellence.” Long-Term Commitment to the Region The PFL’s regional engagement goes beyond headline fight nights. Through PFL MENA, the organization has invested in developing local talent and building MMA from the ground up, hosting four events in 2025 and continuing that commitment in 2026. “That’s how we approach this region,” Martin said. “Not just coming in for one event, but building something meaningful over time.” A Fighter-First Philosophy Central to the PFL’s global strategy is its positioning as a fighter-first organization — offering opportunity, transparency, and respect. “I want the PFL to be a place where fighters from all over the world, including this region, feel they can build a career,” Martin said. “A place where they can rise up, get paid, and be treated with respect.” Looking Ahead With strong momentum in the UAE, successful events across Europe, and growing interest throughout the Gulf — including Qatar — Martin believes the PFL is well positioned for its next phase of expansion. “I want fans across the Middle East to recognize that PFL is committed to this region,” he said. “We believe in its future, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.” Source link
All-rounder Will Jacks said yesterday that under-fire England T20 World Cup captain Harry Brook had “100 percent” support from the players after going through a “tough time”. The 26-year-old Brook, in charge at a global tournament for the first time, has recently been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He last month had to apologise for being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during England’s white ball tour of New Zealand last year, something that had been a “terrible mistake”. Jacks has been close to Brook since they were room-mates with England Under-19s. “Obviously, it’s been a tough time and that’s been well documented in the media,” Jacks told reporters ahead of team training in Mumbai on the eve of the tournament.“I wasn’t actually in New Zealand, so I didn’t know anything about it. “He’s obviously made the wrong decision, but he’s accepted that. He’s obviously making amends on the pitch, and we all back him 100 percent.” Brook, a richly gifted run-scorer, has an early chance to shift the focus back on to his batting in England’s opening match against Nepal in Mumbai tomorrow. “He wants his cricket to do the talking,” said Jacks. England come into the World Cup in form and heartened by a 3-0 T20 series win in Sri Lanka this week. In the preceding ODI series against the same opposition, the explosive Brook bludgeoned 136 off just 66 balls. ‘Team unity strong’ “It’s not so much we are taking momentum from that, but team unity, feeling strong within ourselves,” said Jacks. “We have been performing well over the last 12 months, since Harry’s become captain, and we’re very happy with that. What we did in the last few weeks in Sri Lanka is another stepping stone. “We come into here full of confidence and belief that we can go a long way in this tournament. “India, on home soil, I think everyone knows who’s favourites.”England are expected to make the Super Eight stage from a Group C that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy and Scotland. Related Story Source link
The T20 World Cup begins today in India and Sri Lanka, with a chance for fresh faces to shine in the global spotlight. AFP Sport looks at five young players who could make a big impact over the month-long, 20-team tournament: Cooper Connolly (Australia) A batting all-rounder who bowls left-arm spin, he made his international debut in 2024. Last year against South Africa Connolly became the youngest Australian, at 22 years and two days, to take an ODI five-wicket haul. Connolly, named Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year last month, could make his T20 World Cup debut in Australia’s opening match against Ireland in Colombo next Wednesday. Jacob Bethell (England) The left-handed Bethell comes into the T20 World Cup with huge expectations, thanks to his fluent batting, tidy part-time spin bowling and electric fielding.Born in Barbados, Bethell became England’s youngest captain at 21 years and 329 days when he led the T20 team in Ireland, last September.Bethell, 22, has established himself as an all-format player and struck a coming-of-age Test century against Australia in Sydney last month. As if to prove his all-round credentials on the eve of the tournament, Bethell took four wickets to spin England to a 3-0 T20 warm-up series triumph over Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Kwena Maphaka (S Africa) The teenage left-arm quick seems ready to fire at the T20 World Cup, having added muscle to South Africa’s battery of pace bowlers alongside Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi. Maphaka, 19, made his T20 debut against the West Indies in 2024 and five months later became the youngest Test debutant for South Africa at 18 years and 270 days. His T20 best of 4-20 last year against Australia in Darwin showcased his skills. Coach Shukri Conrad said Maphaka has the “X-factor” in T20 cricket, citing his age-defying pace and skill. Tilak Varma (India) Fearless and fiery, the 23-year-old left-hander has nailed down a spot in a competitive Indian batting line-up after averaging 49.29 in his 40 T20 internationals to date, with two centuries. He missed the recent 4-1 T20 series win over New Zealand with an injury, but played a warm-up this week but should return for India’s opening match against the United States today. Varma, who has a T20 international best of 120 not out, made his debut against the West Indies in 2023 after impressing in the Indian Premier League. Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) The 21-year-old, part of a world-class Afghan spin attack led by captain Rashid Khan, has travelled the globe to ply his trade in T20 leagues. The left-arm wrist spinner is set for his third appearance at a cricket World Cup. As a teenager he enjoyed a breakthrough 2023 IPL season with Gujarat Titans where he was paired alongside Rashid. In 2025, five-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings splashed $1.19mn on Ahmad, who will be able to draw on his experience of playing in India. Related Story Source link
HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, attended the welcome dinner hosted yesterday by Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Milan, on the sidelines of the 145th IOC session. The session was held in the city of Milan and brought together presidents of national Olympic committees, members of IOC, and presidents of international sports federations. The dinner provided an opportunity to exchange views on a number of issues related to Olympic affairs, within the framework of the side meetings accompanying the IOC session, which contribute to strengthening communication and co-ordination among sports leaders at the international level. The dinner was also attended by HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani,Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Foundation and a member of the IOC Education Commission. Source link
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, yesterday. (AFP) US pop diva Mariah Carey helped to get the party started yesterday as the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics staged a unique opening ceremony combining elements from the co-hosts, seeking to reflect both city and mountain life. Carey performed the 1950s Italian song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” (“In the blue, painted in blue”) with its famous “Volare” (“To fly”) refrain to cheers in Milan’s San Siro stadium. Italian President Sergio Mattarella was introduced to the fans via a recorded video clip in which the 84-year-old was seen travelling through the city on one of Milan’s historic trams. The opening stages also included a tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who made Milan his base and died last September. Co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo had its own supporting role in the celebrations from more than 400km (250 miles) away in the mountains, in a spectacle entitled “Armonia” (Harmony) expected to draw a huge global audience on television and online. There was some confusion over access in Cortina. Loredana Vido, from Padova, owner of a second home in Cortina, was blocked at the start of Corso Italia, the town’s main street, and said: “We were not told that everything would be closed off. We were told it was free entry.” Athletes were also parading in the mountain venues of Livigno and Predazzo, in a Games spread over 22,000 square kilometres. The ceremony celebrated the diversity of Italian life, from fashionable Milan to the smaller mountain towns in the Alps that host the outdoor events at the Games, which run until February 22.Some in Cortina were pleased to get a slice of the action without having to trek to Milan and back. For the first time, two Olympic cauldrons, one of the symbols of the Games, will be lit simultaneously and burn throughout the Games – one at Milan’s Arco della Pace (Peace Arch) and the other in Cortina’s Piazza Dibona. Milan enjoyed a sunny afternoon and the mood outside the stadium was festive as crowds built up. …
Patrick Reed continued his impressive start to the season by claiming the solo lead at the halfway stage of the Qatar Masters yesterday. At Doha Golf Club, Reed carded a four-under-par 67, finishing his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th to move to 12 under for the tournament. The American holds a one-shot advantage over Joakim Lagergren after the Swede produced a flawless 66 without dropping a shot. Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren is one shot behind the leader after round two. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil Reed, who announced on January 28 that he will leave LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour in 2027, admitted the round was not without its challenges. “Honestly, today was a little frustrating, especially early,” said Reed, whose only bogey came at the 15th hole. “My ball-striking wasn’t quite as sharp as it was yesterday, but I missed in the right spots and that allowed me to still get balls on the greens. Going round this place and feeling like you didn’t hit it quite as well as you wanted to, and hit 17 greens is always a positive,” the 2018 Masters winner said. USA’s Patrick Reed carded a four-under 67 in the…
Jweihan and Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah take leads in MERC2 and MERC4 respectively after opening leg Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Candido Carrera were firmly in command of the Qatar International Rally after six special stages to the north of Doha yesterday. The duo, behind the wheels of Autotek Skoda Fabia RS, won five of the gravel speed tests and headed into the night halt with a comfortable advantage of 92 seconds over Abdulaziz al-Kuwari and his brother Nasser in a Sarrazin Skoda. Al-Attiyah said: “Today we had some slow punctures and we tried to manage. I think in this kind of race you need to be careful and not have a crazy speed. We did a good job and have a decent lead. This is a good gap but tomorrow we need to be strong. The suspension was much better this afternoon. We stiffened it a bit.” Al-Kuwari added: “Sometimes to be behind Nasser you are like the winner of the rally. It’s not bad. I am missing some mileage but I am happy. We didn’t push like hell. We will try and improve a little tomorrow.”Mohammed al-Marri belied his lack of Rally2 experience to mix it with his more experienced rivals from the outset. The young Qatari teamed up with Frenchman Pierre Delorme to drive a Citroen C3 for the first time and held a strong third place. Al-Marri said: “We will try to hold our gap to at least make it a top three on the podium for Qatari guys. I don’t have the seat time in the car but I am trying to do my best.” Stopping to change a flat tyre on the opening stage cost Hamza Bakhashab and Lorcan Moore over three minutes in their Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, but the Saudi found a good pace from then on and climbed back to fifth at the midday point. He was then able to pass Nasser Khalifa al-Atya and Ziad Chehab over the afternoon’s stages and settled into fourth place. Al-Atya continued to lead the FIA Master Driver category in his Ford Fiesta. Bakhashab said: “The second loop was way better than the first one. It was cleaner and faster. Still a lot of catching up to do after the puncture.” Al-Atya added: “I enjoyed the second loop. I pushed more and improved my times. We need to keep calm like that and finish the rally. We need to be clever tomorrow.” A double puncture on the second stage ruined Abdullah al-Rawahi’s challenge for a maiden win in Qatar and the Omani was forced to stop and change one tyre with the loss of over five minutes. He and Jordanian co-driver Ata al-Hmoud persevered with their battle-worn Skoda, only to get another flat tyre on the last stage of the day. They slipped back to seventh. Shaker Jweihan was the class act in the FIA MERC2 category with Mustafa Juma in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. He won all but one of the stages on his way to sixth overall and an overnight advantage of 2min 24.5sec over 12th-placed Sami Fleifel and Yazan Juma. A handful of seconds separated Rashid al-Muhannadi, Nouef al-Sowaidi and Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah at the midday regroup in the battle for FIA MERC4 honours. The three Peugeot 208 drivers became embroiled in a gripping contest for supremacy over the afternoon’s loop of stages. Al-Attiyah and Laos Savvas managed to sneak in front of al-Muhannadi and Gary McElhinney on the final stage to hold eighth overall and a 3.2-second lead. Al-Sowaidi and Aisvydas Paliukenas were just 2.1 seconds further adrift and Ahmad Shaheen al-Muhannadi and Taha al-Zadjali were in touching distance in fourth in MERC4 and 11th overall. Behind Fleifel, the Lebanese duo of Charbel Chebly and Carlos Hanna were 13th overall and third in MERC2, just five seconds behind the Jordanians, until they suffered electrical issues before the start of stage six and retired. Oman’s Zakariya al-Aamri and Mohamed al-Mazrui moved up to third in the class. Nineteen of the original 23 starters completed the leg. Six further special stages are planned for today before the rally reaches a conclusion with the ceremonial finish at Lusail. An opening run through the slightly modified Umm Birka special (22.98km) gets the day’s action underway and is followed by the first passes through Ras Laffan (16.73km) and a revised Al Thakhira (15.28km) speed test.Another return to the service park in Lusail precedes the repeat runs of the three specials. The second pass through Al Thakhira will also act as the Power Stage, with additional bonus points available for the five fastest drivers. Source link
Fourteen-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi hammered a stunning 175 from just 80 balls as India thumped England by 100 runs in the Under-19 ODI World Cup final in Harare yesterday. Suryavanshi, who has already made history by becoming the youngest player to post a century in the Indian Premier League, lashed 15 fours and 15 sixes in his innings which saw him score his last 151 runs from just 56 balls. The left-handed opener was finally caught behind by England captain Thomas Rew off Manny Lumsden to leave India on 251-3 in the 26th over. They closed their 50 overs on 411-9. England launched a spirited attempt at making the runs with opener Ben Dawkins making 66 and middle-order batter Caleb Falconer striking a sublime 115 from 67 balls. Falconer was last man out, superbly caught by Khilan Patel, with England all out for 311 in 40.2 overs and India winning the title for the sixth time. “I had faith in my skills that I can contribute in big games and today it happened,” said Suryavanshi who was named player of the match and player of the tournament, having finished with 439 runs in seven innings at 62.71. Suryavanshi launched himself on to the international scene in 2024 as a 13-year-old with a 58-ball century against Australia in his Under-19 debut. Picked up by Rajasthan Royals, Suryavanshi then announced himself on the world stage by belting his first ball fearlessly for six on his IPL debut. Nine days later, he clubbed the Gujarat Titans bowlers to all parts as he scored the second fastest hundred in tournament history. The teenager brought up his century off 35 balls with 11 sixes and seven fours to stand behind only West Indies great Chris Gayle, who took 30 balls to make a ton in 2013. Source link
Pakistan captain Salman Agha shares a light moment with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza on the eve of the T20 World Cup in Colombo yesterday ‘It’s sad Bangladesh are not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully they will support us’ Pakistan will seek advice from their government if they reach the knockout phase of the T20 World Cup and meet arch-rivals India, captain Salman Agha said yesterday. The tournament has been marred by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh were kicked out and Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A match. However, a semi-final or final showdown between the uneasy South Asian neighbours is still a possibility. “The India game is not in our control. It was the government’s decision and if we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them and act on their advice,” Agha told reporters in Colombo. Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing security concerns, as relations soured and were kicked out of Group C by the International Cricket Council, to be replaced by Scotland. Pakistan backed Bangladesh’s plea to have their games moved to Sri Lanka. The government in Islamabad cleared the national team to take part but ordered them not to play in the marquee group match against India on February 15. “It’s sad Bangladesh are not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully they will support us,” Agha said. Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in multinational events. They will face Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States in the group stage. “We’re excited to play in this tournament. We lost to USA in the last World Cup and we are determined to put that disappointment behind us and put a few things right,” Agha said. Pakistan will not only lose two points for forfeiting their India match but will also take a big hit to their net run rate. Even losing one of their group games to bad weather could make it difficult for Pakistan to qualify. “We know the margin for error is small, but we can’t control the weather. We are here to play good cricket and we’re not bothered about the conditions,” Agha said. Pakistan, the 2009 champions, arrive after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home. “We’ve been playing really good cricket. We haven’t lost a series since the Asia Cup last year. Everything is coming along nicely and we’re confident of doing well,” Agha said. All of Pakistan’s games will be played in Sri Lanka, where they toured in January.“Very happy to play in Sri Lanka – it’s a second home for me. This is my sixth visit, we know the conditions and we get a lot of support,” Agha said. Source link