Browsing: Sports
Bangladesh will request their matches at next month’s T20 World Cup be played in Sri Lanka, after India forced a Bangladeshi player to quit the Indian Premier League.”We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances,” said Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Adviser in the interim government, in a statement carried by the state-run BSS news agency Sunday.Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was on Saturday released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after the IPL team were “advised” by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to do so, following tensions between the neighbouring nations.”I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches should be held in Sri Lanka.” The T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their four group matches in India. Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.On Friday, the BCB announced that India would go to Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September. Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12. Source link
Italian singer and songwriter Laura Pausini will be among the headline performers at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, organisers said .Pausini, one of Italy’s most internationally acclaimed artists, is credited with helping to bring the country’s music to a global audience.She has won a Grammy, five Latin Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination during a career spanning more than three decades.The Milano Cortina Games opening ceremony will take place on February 6 at Milan’s San Siro Stadium.Created and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, the event will feature performances by international artists like American pop superstar Mariah Carey alongside elements celebrating Italian culture and innovation.Pausini “embodies the concept of Harmony”, the central theme of the ceremony, and her music represents a meeting point between tradition and modernity, between Italian roots and an international outlook, organisers said in a statement.The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged across northern Italy, with events hosted in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and other venues in Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige.The Games will run from February 6 to 22. Source link
Saud al-Marri, runner-up in the first and second rounds, emerged as the winner of the third and penultimate round of Qatar Freestyle Championship.Rashed al-Banna secured his first podium finish of the season by taking second place, while Abdullah al-Qahtani, winner of the previous two rounds, settled for third place in this round. Ahmed al-Musned, who had finished third in the previous two rounds, missed out on the podium this time after finishing fourth, while fifth place went to competitor Ahmed al-Banna.The third and penultimate round of championship, held under the patronage of chairman of Qatar Racing Club (QRC) His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani, witnessed intense competition amid a large crowd that filled the grandstands. Registration and technical inspection were conducted last Thursday to ensure the cars’ readiness to compete in accordance with a number of criteria and conditions adopted by the championship’s organizing committee, which all competitors are required to meet. These included vehicle-related requirements such as equipping the car with a roll cage, securely fixing the battery, and having an effective safety belt, among other points, as well as competitor-related requirements centered on safety elements such as racing attire, helmet, and the like.According to the competition format, each competitor is given a single opportunity to enter the track and perform exhibition maneuvers, including drifting, reverse driving, the knot maneuver, and the “rios” maneuver, within a total time not exceeding four minutes. There is also a dedicated score for the overall style of the competitor’s performance.The championship will now enter a relatively long break before returning for its final round at the end of next April. Related Story Source link
Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano won the CSI4 Faults & Time (1.45m) on Vasco 118. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly continued his dominant run at the inaugural HH The Father Amir’s Prix, adding two more victories Saturday after claiming two wins on the opening day, including the feature event at Al Shaqab. Alsharbatly secured top honours in the CSI4 Jump-Off (1.50m), delivering a faultless double-clear round aboard Boeckmanns Lord Pezi Junio. He topped a field of 33 starters, stopping the clock at 39.95 seconds in the jump-off to pocket the winner’s prize of €26,500. Austria’s Max Kuhner finished second on Eic Quantum Robin V after another clear jump-off in 40.73 seconds, earning €21,200, while Britain’s Sienna Charles completed the podium in third place aboard Stardust with a clear round in 41.04 seconds to take home €15,900. Britain’s Millie Allen topped the CSI2 Faults & Time (1.45m) on Quick…
Dacia Sandriders’ Qatari driver Nasser al-Attiyah and his Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin compete in the prologue stage of the 48th Dakar Rally in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.…
James Doyle rides Intisar De Monlau to a thrilling victory in the HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Cup at Al Rayyan Racecourse Saturday. Intisar De Monlau produced a thrilling finish to capture the Group 2 Purebred Arabian feature as Wathnan Racing bagged major victories on HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy Day at Al Rayyan Racecourse Saturday. The five-year-old bay mare burst to the front in the blink of an eye under James Doyle, surging late to snatch victory by a neck for trainer Alban de Mieulle, capturing the HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Cup. Doyle bagged four victories on the eventful meeting. In another feature race on one of the biggest meetings of Qatar Racing and Equestrian (QREC)’s racing calendar, Arman won the Local Purebred Arabians securing another major trophy for Wathnan Racing. Under the supervision of De Mieulle and the guidance of jockey Doyle, the six-year-old delivered a powerful performance, asserting his authority in the closing stages and drawing clear to score decisively by one and a quarter lengths. Arman finished runner-up in the same race last year by the narrowest of margins.…
The inaugural HH The Father Amir Prix got under way at Al Shaqab yesterday, marking a strong start to the four-leg international showjumping series. The opening tour brought together leading international and regional riders across the CSI1*, CSI2* and CSI4* categories, with a total prize fund of €538,000. Across the full series, prize money exceeds €3.3mn.Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly delivered an outstanding opening-day performance, claiming victory in the CSI4* 1.45m Faults and Time class aboard Boeckmanns Lord Pezi Junior after a clear round in 57.93 seconds. Italian rider Emanuele Gaudiano finished second in 59.04 seconds on Vasco, followed by Syria’s Ahmed Saber Hamsho in third on Frenchy in 59.42 seconds.Alsharbatly also topped the CSI2* 1.30m Special Two-Phase event with Dr Scarpo, producing another faultless ride. Egypt’s Mohamed El-Shenawy placed second on Camila in 38.49 seconds, while compatriot Abdullah Haitham finished third on Consagros in 38.65 seconds.“I’m pleased with how Boeckmanns Lord Pezi Junior performed today,” Alsharbatly said. “It was a smooth round and a positive start to the competition. We’ll take it step by step and stay focused for the rest of the tour.”Germany’s Janne F. Meyer-Zimmermann secured the CSI4* 1.40m Two-Phase title with My Lady Lavista after clear rounds in both phases. Qatar’s Rashid Tuwaim al-Marri placed second on Navarone in 27.78 seconds, while Italy’s Roberto Previtali finished third on Qashqai in 28.83 seconds. “It was a good day for us,” Meyer-Zimmermann said. “My Lady Lavista jumped very well, and we’re delighted to open Tour 1 with a win.”Gaudiano claimed the CSI2* 1.40m Two-Phase class aboard Diarouge Blue PS and also finished second with Aquino. Denmark’s Caroline Rehoff took third place on Polinis in 31.59 seconds. “Today was a positive start,” Gaudiano said. “Diarouge Blue PS felt focused and responsive, and we maintained a good rhythm in the second phase.”The CSI2* 1.25m Faults and Time event ended in a joint victory, with Jordan’s Ibrahim Hani Bisharat on El Nino Bull’s Eye Z and Egypt’s Yassin Khalifa on Camelija both posting clear rounds in identical times. Saudi Arabia’s Fahad al-Jaid finished third on Fatina in 60.80 seconds.In the CSI1* events, Saudi rider Hasan Alhadi won the 1.10m Special Two-Phase class with DSP Cessy. Egypt’s Abdelrahman Hussein placed second on Cox in 28.52 seconds, while Syria’s Sarah Al Masri finished third on Mazeltov in 29.30 seconds.Egypt’s Youssef Nassar topped the CSI1* 1.20m Faults and Time class aboard Orestes van het Tolhuis. Qatari rider Yaqoub Nasser Almas finished second on Hammond in 55.62 seconds, followed closely by compatriot Ibrahim Khalid Al Kuwari on Just in Time in 55.69 seconds.An opening ceremony marked the start of the event, featuring artistic performances under the theme “Where Nations Gather”, alongside a drone and light show and equestrian-themed activities across the venue.Competition resumes today with seven classes across the one-star to four-star categories. The first class begins at 9:15am, while the final CSI4* class, featuring 1.50m jumps and a jump-off, will take place at 5:45pm.The championship comprises four international rounds across one-star to five-star categories, in addition to events for junior and youth riders. The rounds will be held from January 2-4, January 8-10, January 22-24 and January 29-31, with the latter three also featuring qualifiers for the FEI Group VII Finals. Source link
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the opening day of the inaugural HH The Father Amir Prix at Al Shaqab yesterday. HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, were also present on the occasion. Held over four rounds, the opening leg features CSI1*, CSI2* and CSI4* categories, offering €538,000 in prize money, and opened to a full house at Al Shaqab on its inaugural day. Source link
Usman Khawaja said Friday he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes clash against England, leaving a legacy as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer while lashing out at perceived “racial stereotyping” during his 15-year career.The 39-year-old will pad up for the last time, should he be selected, when the Test gets under way in Sydney on Sunday, ending months of speculation about his future.It would be an 88th Test for the classy left-hander, culminating a career where it began after making his debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2011, also against England.”The number one emotion is contentment. I’m very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have,” Khawaja said. “I hope I have inspired people along the way.”I’m a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now, and you can do the same,” he added.Khawaja immigrated to Australia from Islamabad as a child, battling the odds to become the country’s first Pakistan-born, and first Muslim, national player.At one point, he was the only Asian first-class player in Australia and is credited as a role model who opened doors for others.”Usman has made a huge contribution to Australian cricket both through his outstanding achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters since his Test debut 15 years ago, and off field, particularly through the Usman Khawaja Foundation,” said Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg.”On behalf of Australian cricket I would like to thank and congratulate Usman for all he has achieved.”Khawaja’s foundation helps youths from refugee, immigrant, Indigenous, and poor socioeconomic backgrounds through introductory cricket programs and educational support.– ‘Attacked me’ –Khawaja, a qualified pilot, has plundered 6,206 runs in Test cricket with 16 centuries, averaging 43.39.He smashed a career-high 232 against Sri Lanka a year ago, but has not made three figures since.The current Ashes series has been a rollercoaster ride, with the veteran batsman coming under scrutiny.He injured his back in the first Test in Perth and was replaced as opener in the second innings by Travis Head who blasted a match-winning century.Khawaja did not feature in the next match at Brisbane and was omitted from the team for the third Test in Adelaide, only to get a lifeline when Steve Smith dropped out ill just before the toss.He came in at number four and hit 82 and 40 before making 29 and 0 in the fourth Test at Melbourne.”I’m glad I get to leave on amy own terms, with a little bit of dignity, and go out at the SCG where I love,” he said, while expressing frustration at how he was treated.”When I did my back (in Perth), I hurt my back and had back spasms and it was something I couldn’t control.”The way the media and past players came out and attacked me. I could have copped it for a couple of days but it went on for five days.”The way everyone came out at me about my preparation, ‘he’s not committed to the team. Only worried about himself. Playing a golf competition. He’s selfish, he didn’t train hard enough. He’s lazy’.”These are the same racial stereotypes (I thought we had moved past).”But obviously we haven’t fully moved past that. I haven’t seen anyone treated like that in the Australian cricket team before.”He nevertheless admitted the writing was on the wall during the current Ashes series.”Going into Adelaide and then not being picked initially for that game was probably a sign for me to say ‘all right, it’s time to move on’,” he said.Khawaja also played 40 one-dayers and nine Twenty20 internationals. Source link
Qatari rally star Nasser al-Attiyah, a five-time Dakar Rally winner with three different manufacturers, has not claimed victory since 2023 but remains determined to fight for the top of the standings as the two-week grueling event kicks off in Saudi Arabia today.Partnered with new co-pilot Fabian Lurquin in one of the four Dacia Sandriders, al-Attiyah is unfazed by the strength of the competition. The annual endurance challenge, now in its seventh consecutive year in Saudi Arabia, spans 13 grueling stages and roughly 8,000km.The rally opens with a short prologue around Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, followed by a 305km special stage tomorrow. Competitors will face a mix of terrain, including towering sand dunes, canyons, and vast desert expanses, with stage six marking the longest stretch at 920km.On the eve of the event, al-Attiyah expressed confidence and excitement for the challenge ahead. “We’ve spent one week in the bivouac, testing our car, seeing old friends. I have a good feeling and I’m ready. It is also my dream to win with Fabien because we are prepared and we’ll do our best to win this race. The competition is high and we are happy to have this challenge,” he said yesterday.“Our sport is becoming very strong with a lot of constructors, which is also a big point. We are ready and we’ve been driving together for a long time now since Morocco: we did the Qatar Rally in an SSV and won the race. It’s going really very well and we’re trying to do our best. I feel more experienced and I feel calmer. I’m still good on this kind of sandy and rocky terrain. This year, if you look at the two marathon stages, it’s not easy. The second marathon is a long stage with plenty of hours in the car. On some sides, some people think it’s just four hundred kilometres on a marathon day but if you go deep it’s a change in mindset, you need to see how the organisers read it, it’s different from before,” al-Attiyah added.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s first winner Yazheed al-Rajhi will try to defend his Dakar Rally, with Toyota’s 2025 runner-up Henk Lategan predicting the closest battle yet.Toyota have won three of the last four Dakars in the top T1+ car category, last year with al-Rajhi in the customer Overdrive team, but face a tough challenge from Ford and Dacia’s array of champions in what is also the first round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) season.Al-Attiyah is with nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, Brazil’s W2RC champion Lucas Moraes and Spaniard Cristina Gutierrez in the Dacia Sandriders team.Loeb, whose world rally title record was equalled by fellow Frenchman Sebastien Ogier last season, is chasing his first Dakar win at the 10th attempt and this time has Al-Attiyah’s former co-driver Edouard Boulanger alongside.Spain’s four-times winner Carlos Sainz, 63, and compatriot Nani Roma, a winner on two wheels and four, are driving Ford Raptors along with former German Touring Cars (DTM) champion Mattias Ekstroem.French veteran Stephane Peterhansel, the 60-year-old winner of a record 14 Dakars on two wheels and four, returns with debutants Defender in the Stock production category.”I think there’s some very, very strong teams and everybody’s starting to get their cars settled now. A lot of the teams are getting to the end of the development cycle of some of the cars,” Lategan said.”The rules are written quite well, so I think this is probably the closest field of cars you’ll ever see in the Dakar. Also, one of the biggest fields you’ll ever see, so definitely there’s massive competition. There’s a lot of guys that can win and can fight for the podium. So, I’m expecting a really good battle.”The Dakar always claims some big names early on and al-Rajhi may want to show patience at the start after breaking two vertebrae last April in an incident that kept him out of competition until September.”Our target is to win again, that’s most important. We’ll see how it is but sure the speed is there,” he said.In the motorcycle category, Red Bull KTM rider Daniel Sanders will seek to become the first Australian to win back-to-back titles.In a field of more than 100 bikes, Spaniard Tosha Schareina — last year’s runner-up — could still be Sanders’ biggest rival while two-times winner Ricky Brabec of the United States is also back on a Honda.The Dakar began in 1978 as a race from Paris across the Sahara to the Senegalese capital but switched to South America in 2009 for security reasons. It moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020. Source link