Browsing: Sports
Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui consoles captain Hassan al-haydos after their loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle. (Reuters) Twelve days ago, Qatar were celebrating a historic milestone. A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Switzerland had secured the Asian champions their first-ever FIFA World Cup point and kept alive hopes of reaching the knockout rounds in what would have been one of the greatest achievements in the nation’s football history. That optimism now feels a distant memory. Two defeats later, Qatar’s World Cup campaign is over after a humiliating 6-0 loss to co-hosts Canada in Vancouver which was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on Wednesday. From Left: Qatar’s Mohamed Mannai, Issa Laye,…
Players of Switzerland applaud fans after their 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Cup Group B match against Canada at BC Place Vancouver Stadium in Vancouver.…
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry and Chair of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission Pau Gasol Saez address a press conference after IOC’s Extraordinary Session in Ecublens,…
Aryna Sabalenka eyeing maiden Wimbledon title. (Reuters) Aryna Sabalenka will carry the aftershocks of yet another Grand Slam meltdown into Wimbledon as the world number one comes under heightened scrutiny to show her nerve holds when the pressure spikes on the sport’s biggest stage.The 28-year-old Belarusian was two points from a place in the French Open semi-finals this month, before collapsing to a defeat by Russian outsider Diana Shnaider and later saying that she had descended into a “deep, dark hole” mentally.The loss came a year after her runner-up finish at Roland Garros, where she let the title slip away, and again cast the spotlight on her 2022 decision to move on from a psychologist, though she has since revisited that step.”I called my psychologist … it felt like I needed to talk through everything I’ve been going through in the last, I don’t know how many years,” Sabalenka told tennis website Bounces during her run to the Berlin semi-finals this month.”It was really helpful. I changed a lot of things and I’m trying a lot of new things now. I feel like I need to figure out what’s happening, sometimes, in those matches to (be able to) move on and to avoid these situations happening.” MENTAL ENERGYWimbledon now presents a fresh test on grasscourts, where four-times major champion Sabalenka’s raw power remains a major weapon, but her nerve will come under focus as pressure moments arrive more quickly on the sport’s fastest surface.Gustavo Granitto, an International Tennis Federation coach, said Sabalenka’s competitive drive sometimes blurred her decision-making and sustaining a high level in pursuit of a Grand Slam demanded significant mental energy.”Aryna is, first and foremost, a human being like any of us, yet also a competitive machine,” Granitto, who is certified in the Gazing Red2Blue mindset framework used by some athletes, told Reuters.”Perhaps her immense ambition to win, which is largely what makes her number one, combined with the intensity with which she ‘lives’ the match on court, can slightly distract her focus and judgment when making decisions.” ‘SLIPPERY SLOPE’Former player and sports psychologist Jeff Greenwald said being as intense and emotionally wired as Sabalenka means there is often only one gear.”This can become a slippery slope at the highest level as pressure increases, because if errors start mounting, it’s hard to put the horse back in the barn,” Greenwald added.”It’s not a regression but players do sometimes experience ‘monkey on the back’ syndrome if they can’t secure a major for a long period, but that’s not what’s happened with her.”She has had a great deal of success in the past few years to build on. Her turnaround was remarkable but again, when she focuses all of that intensity in a certain direction, she’s likely to succeed.” HOW WILL SABALENKA BOUNCE BACK?Sabalenka’s last two defeats, at Roland Garros and Berlin, both ended in 6-0 deciding sets, pointing to an abrupt drop-off that has invited scrutiny of how her level holds up when matches slip from her grasp.”I’m a little concerned about Sabalenka,” ESPN commentator and former world number four Mary Joe Fernandez said.”Her game translates to all surfaces. It should translate to grass with how powerful she hits the ball. She’s got a weapon in the serve, weapon in the returns.”What happened in Paris, she fell apart. The conditions got to her again … she still struggles with it. Let’s see how she bounces back.”To me she’s still the favourite to win Wimbledon, but not as clear of a favourite as a month ago.” Related Story Source link
England’s Ben Stokes during practice ahead of the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham, Britain. (Reuters) England’s returning captain Ben Stokes said his focus is solely on winning the series-deciding Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge after a tumultuous fortnight in which he was left out after he and bowler Gus Atkinson broke a team curfew. Stokes was cleared to resume in his role on Sunday following investigations by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Regulator into an incident in a nightclub on June 8 after England beat New Zealand at Lord’s to go 1-0 ahead. In his absence England suffered a heavy defeat at The Oval with batsman and former skipper Joe Root as stand-in captain. Addressing the media ahead of the third Test, Stokes said he was concentrating on securing a series win, and played down any cooling of his relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum.”There’s been a lot going on, there’s no hiding away from that,” Stokes, who took over from Root as captain in 2022, said.”This has been something that has happened and has obviously taken a lot of attention away from the series. But I want to make sure that my focus is where it needs to be.”I’m here as captain of this team and all I’m trying to do is get a team focused on winning the series this week.” APOLOGIES CONVEYEDStokes said he had apologised to his team mates for the distractions the investigation had caused.”You need to be big enough and man enough to take that upon your shoulders, and look everyone who it has affected in the eye and apologise the way you need to apologise,” he said.”That is something that I did. It affects more than just myself. It affects a lot of people. It affected Joe Root, the squad, the people outside the playing environment. It no doubt had an effect on lads who were making their debut.”Stokes and Atkinson were both given written warnings over their conduct after being found to have breached ‘contractual obligations’ although both were found blameless in a nightclub incident involving a Saracens rugby player.Much has been made of Stokes’s relationship with McCullum. BAZBALL STYLE SINCE 2022 The pair have been responsible for England’s attacking so-called “Bazball” style since 2022, although results have deteriorated with England losing six of their last eight Tests.”There’s been a big misconception around this with me and Brendon,” Stokes said, denying suggestions they had drifted apart. “Obviously we have a professional relationship in terms of Brendon being head coach and me being captain, but then away from that we genuinely are very good mates.”We’ve built a rapport and a relationship and we’ve been through some testing times, we’ve been through some great times and do we agree on everything? Absolutely not. Do we have discussions around things? Absolutely.”Not agreeing on everything shouldn’t be seen as a divide between Brendon and me.” SYMPATHY FOR ROOTStokes also expressed sympathy for Root after some of his tactics were criticised in the 253-run loss in the second Test.”To see him stand up and take that responsibility on last week, showed a lot about his character,” Stokes said.”For me as his friend, it was hard to see the reaction that he got and for me that’s something that hurt.”Stokes, along with the also-recalled Atkinson, will now aim to get England back on track at Trent Bridge.”Right now my focus is on the team and on the series. We are one-all in a three-match series, this week is massive for this team regardless of what’s going on,” he said. Related Story…
England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts during the FIFA World Cup Group L match against Ghana at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2026. (AFP)…
Known as “Pecco”, Bagnaia’s final appearance for Ducati will be at the Valencia Grand Prix, scheduled from November 27 to 29. Ducati have signed Pedro Acosta for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons, the Italian manufacturer said on Wednesday, hours after confirming that two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia will leave the team at the end of 2026. The 22-year-old Spaniard will form a headline partnership with seven-time world champion Marc Marquez, whose contract was extended until 2028 earlier this week. Bagnaia’s departure will bring down the curtain on an eight-year stint with the team, during which he delivered their first riders’ title in 15 years in 2022 and became their most successful rider with 31 victories, 62 podiums and 28 pole positions. Acosta, regarded as one of the sport’s brightest talents, won Moto3 and Moto2 world titles within three years of his championship debut. He impressed in MotoGP as well, claiming Rookie of the Year honours in 2024 and finishing fourth overall in 2025 with KTM, with 13 podiums. He currently sits sixth in the standings this season, 48 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi. BAGNAIA’S DEPARTUREKnown as “Pecco”, Bagnaia’s final appearance for the team will be at the Valencia Grand Prix, scheduled from November 27 to 29. “We’ve grown together, we’ve weathered every kind of situation together without ever giving up and we’ve always spurred each other on to give our all,” Bagnaia said in a post on Instagram. “I feel the need to start afresh with a new challenge, but I’ll never forget what we’ve been. You’re part of me, and you always will be.” Bagnaia, who joined Ducati as a rookie in 2019, has faced a challenging period over the past 18 months, where he has been overshadowed by Marquez since the Spaniard joined the factory team in 2025. Marquez dominated last season en route to securing a seventh title, while Bagnaia finished fifth, trailing his teammate by 257 points, after previously being Ducati’s leading rider. “Sporting results tell only part of Pecco’s value: his clean and elegant riding style (I like to call him ‘Il Pinturicchio’ – the little painter) together with his great fairness on track – combined with remarkable determination when overtaking – made Ducatisti fall in love with him,” Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali said in a statement. “On top of that, he is a great professional and a great person away from racing.” Bagnaia will arrive at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after claiming his first win of the season in the Czech Grand Prix sprint last week. He was unable to secure a double, however, as he was overtaken late in Sunday’s race by Marquez and pole-sitter Ai Ogura, eventually finishing third after leading for several laps. He heads into the next round trailing championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by 53 points. Related Story Source link
Ante Budimir of Croatia celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Group L match against Panama at Toronto Stadium in Toronto…
Ferrari team-members celebrate Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Barcelona Grand Prix on June14. (AFP) Formula One could take another twist in Austria this weekend after Lewis Hamilton ended Mercedes’ dominant run with his breakthrough first win for Ferrari in Spain.The scenic Spielberg circuit hosts the eighth round of the season with Mercedes the favourites on paper after six wins – five in a row for Italian teenager and championship leader Kimi Antonelli – and seven pole positions so far.Mercedes boast a good record at Spielberg and George Russell won there in 2024 but seven-time champion Hamilton has now had two second places and a win from his last three starts and is gathering momentum. McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris won from pole last year, with Australian teammate Oscar Piastri setting the fastest lap, and the team is the most successful constructor at the track with seven wins.A first win of 2026 would send McLaren to their home British Grand Prix at Silverstone next week with an added spring in their step.Red Bull’s Max Verstappen meanwhile has a record four wins at his team’s home track while Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc is also a past winner at Spielberg (2022), and was third last year, and is as keen as anyone to get back on top of the podium.Throw in Antonelli’s response to being sidelined by mechanical failure at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, and Russell’s eagerness to close the gap on his teammate, and Sunday’s race has all the makings of an epic tussle.”It’s not going to be straightforward but I’m already looking forward to the next one because I really want to go back to where we left (off), from where we were finishing before,” said Antonelli after his Spanish blow.The 19-year-old is 41 points ahead of closest rival Hamilton, whose teammate Leclerc also failed to score in Barcelona through no fault of his own and needs to close a widening gap to the Briton. Another win for either Hamilton or Leclerc would be Ferrari’s 250th in Formula One.Mercedes have recognised the Ferrari threat, with team boss Toto Wolff calling Barcelona a reality check and acknowledging that the team may have to change their approach in future amid ongoing reliability concerns.”Others have gained ground quickly and we need to respond,” said the Austrian, whose team will bring some updates to Austria with a focus on performance and reliability.”We are in a fight for both championships but must improve if we want to come out on top come the end of the season. Our Achilles heel so far has been reliability.”Wolff said in Barcelona there would also be discussions with the drivers about handling “a situation where we risk holding each other up. I think it’s not going to be a problem. It’s just maybe we need to recalibrate.”Champions McLaren will be bringing an experimental rear wing for Friday practice, with otherwise minor updates.Norris took his first F1 podium in Austria in 2020 and, after looking like Mercedes’ closest challengers in Miami last month when he and Piastri finished one-two in a Saturday sprint, could pose more of a threat again in Spielberg.”While we take nothing for granted in such a tight field, we are optimistic that the car and driver characteristics will again suit the circuit, putting us in the fight at the front,” said McLaren’s applied engineering technical director Neil Houldey. Related Story Source link
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) celebrated Olympic Day 2026 on Tuesday by organizing a boxing championship for junior, youth, and senior categories (Knockout) at Oasis of Mall of Qatar. The event formed part of the QOC’s ongoing commitment to promoting Olympic values and principles, encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles, and raising awareness of sport as a powerful tool for human development and community building.Held in cooperation with the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, the championship featured competitions across three age categories. Junior boxers competed in the 46kg, 50kg, 57kg, and over-80kg divisions, while youth athletes contested the 55kg, 56kg, 70kg, 80kg, and over-90kg categories. Senior boxers competed in the 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, and 70kg weight classes.The event also included an interactive segment featuring sports and entertainment quizzes for children and young people, adding excitement and engagement to the celebration. The championship was attended by QOC staff members, representatives of the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, and visitors and shoppers at Mall of Qatar, who enjoyed the vibrant sporting atmosphere.Olympic Day was first introduced in 1948 by the International Olympic Committee to commemorate the founding of the modern Olympic Movement by Baron Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894.Celebrated annually on 23 June, Olympic Day aims to promote sport and physical activity for all while highlighting the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect. It also seeks to strengthen solidarity and mutual understanding among peoples through sport and to emphasize the educational and social role of the Olympic Movement.On this occasion, H.E. Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani, President of the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, said that the boxing event reflects the federation’s strong belief in creating a lasting sporting legacy through meaningful initiatives that leave a positive impact on society and support the continued development of sport in Qatar.He added that the event serves as a platform to inspire young people and strengthen their connection with the noble art of boxing, highlighting its important role in improving physical fitness, developing life skills, and instilling values such as strength, discipline, and mental balance among future generations.Sheikh Fahad concluded by emphasizing that the championship provides an important preparation opportunity for club and national team athletes by enhancing self-confidence, improving focus, and developing physical fitness and combat skills ahead of major upcoming events, including the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games and the Doha 2030 Asian Games.For his part, Abdulla Faraj Al Sultan, Event Director, stressed that the QOC uses Olympic Day celebrations to strengthen a sustainable sporting foundation that helps identify and nurture promising talent, particularly in boxing. He noted that such events play a key role in developing the skills of young athletes and preparing them to compete at the highest levels, thereby enhancing Qatar’s representation in continental and international competitions.At the conclusion of the event, Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani and Mr. Abdulaziz Ghanem, Head of Sport Activities section at the QOC crowned the winners and honored sponsors, partners, and volunteers for their valuable contributions. Related Story Source link