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British driver Lando Norris led Australian teammate Oscar Piastri in second practice on Friday as McLaren turned up the heat in their bid to secure the constructors’ title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had topped the opening practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of Norris and Lewis Hamilton, but the Monegasque driver was then penalised for taking a new battery pack on his car.Leclerc’s 10-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race compromises the Italian team’s bid to capture a first constructors’ title since 2008.“We’ve got to do something special and to overperform,” said Leclerc, having conceded that McLaren’s pace was exceptional.Ferrari need to overturn a 21-point deficit on leaders McLaren, who last won the constructors’ title in 1998, this weekend.Norris clocked one minute and 23.517 seconds to beat Piastri by two-tenths of a second, ahead of third-placed Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.“We still have a tough fight tomorrow. It probably looks better than it is for us,” said Norris.“We’ve continued with the good pace we had from Qatar and it feels strong, but the others haven’t turned up their engines yet.”Norris added: “We’re still trying to find the balance. It’s nothing huge. Small things to get the balance between being quicker and saving the tyres, especially on the longer runs.”Carlos Sainz was fourth fastest in the second Ferrari followed by seven-time champion Hamilton, the British driver in his last race weekend with Mercedes.Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda.Leclerc, who was accompanied by his brother Arthur, an F1 rookie, in opening practice, was forced to take a new battery pack, his third of the season for which only two units are allocated in the regulations.Williams duo Albon and Franco Colapinto face five-place penalties for exceeding gearbox components usage.‘It’s tricky’The feuding pair George Russell of Mercedes and Red Bull’s newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen struggled to find the pace and wound up 13th and 17th, respectively, in a largely uneventful twilight session.“Not good,” said Verstappen, who had announced earlier that he is to become a father for the first time with his partner Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson Piquet.“The balance is off and there is no connection in mid-corner so it is difficult to push and we need to work it overnight,” said the Dutch driver.“I’m sure we can do better, but maybe not to the McLaren level. If we can get into the top six, that would be a great recovery.”His team-mate Sergio Perez, under pressure to save his seat, agreed.“It’s tricky,” he said. “Especially on one lap. We have some work to do on the long runs. It isn’t coming together.”The second session began in cooling conditions after a hot day as the sun set in Abu Dhabi, RB’s Liam Lawson setting the early pace in 1:25.537, before Leclerc took over and then Norris.Hamilton slotted into second to repeat the top three from opening practice.Verstappen, complaining about his front axle performance, had sat out the earlier run as his baby news was confirmed in a social media post.“The understeer is ridiculous,” reported the Dutchman on team radio, while Russell, with whom he has fallen out in spectacular, acrimonious fashion, said his “cockpit is still reasonably toasty”, referring to the temperature of 27C (80.6F).Between the sessions, Red Bull’s chief Christian Horner had hit back at Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s description of him as a “yapping little terrier” for interfering in the Verstappen-Russell feud by describing the Mercedes driver as “hysterical”.“I love terriers,” said Horner. “I think they’re great dogs. I’ve had four. I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf.”

Arne Slot expects a hostile atmosphere when Everton host Liverpool for the final Merseyside derby in the Premier League at Goodison Park today, but will only savour his first experience of the fixture with a victory.Despite failing to win for just the third time in Slot’s 21 matches in charge in a 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday, Liverpool enjoy a seven-point lead at the top of the table.Everton, by contrast, are focused on survival to begin life in their new 53,000 capacity stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock next season in the top flight.But the Toffees thrashed Wolves 4-0 in midweek to move five points clear of the relegation zone and would love to dent their local rivals’ title aspirations. Goodison, which has been Everton’s home since 1892, was one of the venues where Liverpool’s challenge unravelled last season towards the end of Jurgen Klopp’s time in charge.A 2-0 defeat for the Reds in April was the first time Everton had won a Merseyside derby at home since 2010. “I think it’s going to be special for everyone – for all the fans that are involved, for all the players that are involved and as well for the managers,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference. “To be part of this game is already special and to be part of the last one at Goodison Park probably makes it even more special. But it’s only a nice experience if the result goes your way.”Slot is aware of the cauldron his side is likely to face but is keen to learn from the lessons of Liverpool’s rare defeat the last time the sides met. “You need to be aggressive if you go over there because they will be aggressive as well but you need to be aggressive in a smart way,” added the Dutchman.“Last season we were very aggressive when we went there because I watched the game back on Friday, but after half an hour I was a bit surprised because Liverpool had the ball most of the time and there were 10 fouls made by Liverpool players and only one by an Everton player. So we have to be aggressive but in a smart way, especially because they are a big threat from set-pieces so every time we give away an unnecessary free-kick that is not smart.”Liverpool will be without suspended midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, while Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Federico Chiesa remain out injured.‘New Stoke’ Arsenal aiming to be ‘kings of everything’, says ArtetaArsenal boss Mikel Arteta said his side want to be “the best in the world” in every aspect after receiving plaudits for the Gunners’ prowess from set-pieces. Two goals from corners were enough to reignite Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge with a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday.That took the tally of goals scored by Arteta’s men from corners since the beginning of the 2023/24 season to 22 - five more than any other side in Europe’s top five leagues.“Arsenal are the new Stoke City – depending on set-pieces to give them the win,” said former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov in his post-match punditry after Arsenal’s win against his old club.Stoke excelled from set pieces during a 10-year spell in the Premier League between 2008 and 2018. “I understood very well what Dimitar Berbatov said, it was in the best possible way. We take it as a big compliment,” said Arteta.“We want to be the kings of everything. On set pieces, the best in the world, on high press the best in the world, attacking in open spaces, the best in the world. Best atmosphere and stadium, the best at everything. Before it was we didn’t score enough, we didn’t challenge, we didn’t win big games for 20 years. We want to be the best at everything.”Arsenal’s return to form with four consecutive victories in all competitions has propelled them back to within seven points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.Next up they travel to Fulham tomorrow and could have defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori back fit after they missed the clash against United.Fixtures (all times GMT)Saturday: Everton v Liverpool (1230), Aston Villa v Southampton, Brentford v Newcastle, Crystal Palace v Manchester City (all 1500), Manchester United v Nottingham Forest (1730)Sunday: Fulham v Arsenal, Ipswich v Bournemouth, Leicester v Brighton (all 1400), Tottenham v Chelsea (1630)Monday: West Ham v Wolves (2000)

After a few months off, Cameron Young was pleasantly surprised to come out to the Bahamas and shoot an 8-under-par 64 at Albany Golf Club for the first-round lead on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge.A field of 20 players is in Albany for the exclusive exhibition event hosted by Tiger Woods. Young has a two-shot lead on Justin Thomas after Day 1.“Yeah, kind of (surprised). I didn’t play great (Wednesday),” Young said. “You always feel like you can shoot a number like that, but I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.“Yeah, really happy with it. I feel like with the driver I was just really comfortable and that’s a huge key out here.”Young spread eight birdies across his card without recording a bogey. His 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 second hole set the tone for his round, and his last birdie was a 14 1/2-footer at another par-3, the 17th.“I’m sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position,” Young said. “Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par 5s and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.”Young, 27, is one of the highest-ranked players in the world who’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. If he were to win the Hero, it would not count as an official tour victory nor gain him any FedEx Cup points, but Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer this week.Thomas shot a blazing 6-under 30 on the back nine after posting one bogey and one birdie through nine holes. He rolled in four birdies in a row at Nos 14-17.“It was nice to make that birdie on 7,” Thomas said, “and had good chances there on 8 and 9, but then once 10, 11 happened I felt like I got in a nice rhythm there on the back nine.”Tied for third at 5-under 67 are World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala.Scheffler, the defending champion, made a change to his putting grip and rolled in six birdies with one bogey on Thursday.“You know, this year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said, ‘Let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it,’” Scheffler said. “Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.”

Youssef Abdulrahman al-Muftah won the Amateur class during the seventh round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour at Al Shaqab on Friday. Al-Muftah claimed victory in a time of 15.87 seconds on Croat. Second place went to Mohammed Faisal al-Marri, who clocked 16.43 seconds on Dusty, while Alqaqaa bin Tamim al-Thani secured third place in 16.91 seconds on Bon Suela. The winners were crowned by Abdullahal-Qashouti, Head of the Media and Live Broadcasting Committee for Hathab; and Mohammed Saleh al-Marri, Deputy Head of the Infrastructure and Logistics Services Committee. The Future Riders Level 2 was won by Khalifa bin Joaan al-Thani in a time of 58 seconds on Zion. Ali Khalid al-Obaidli was second as he clocked 57.75 seconds on Geodzanot. Abdullah Saleh al-Obaidly secured third place in 57.72 seconds on Mani. In the Future Riders Level 1, Fahad bin Nasser al-Thani took first place with the best time of 58.03 seconds on Coco Chanel. He was followed by Nasser bin Hamad al-Thani in second place, clocking 57.91 seconds on Sita. Jassim Saud al-Fakhroo took third place in 58.15 seconds on Cascade. Omar al-Buainain, Director of Support Services at the Qatar Equestrian Federation, presented the trophies to the winners.

British driver Lando Norris led Australian teammate Oscar Piastri in second practice on Friday as McLaren turned up the heat in their bid to secure the constructors’ title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had topped the opening practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of Norris and Lewis Hamilton, but the Monegasque driver was then penalised for taking a new battery pack on his car.Leclerc’s 10-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race compromises the Italian team’s bid to capture a first constructors’ title since 2008.“We’ve got to do something special and to overperform,” said Leclerc, having conceded that McLaren’s pace was exceptional.Ferrari need to overturn a 21-point deficit on leaders McLaren, who last won the constructors’ title in 1998, this weekend.Norris clocked one minute and 23.517 seconds to beat Piastri by two-tenths of a second, ahead of third-placed Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.“We still have a tough fight tomorrow. It probably looks better than it is for us,” said Norris.“We’ve continued with the good pace we had from Qatar and it feels strong, but the others haven’t turned up their engines yet.”Norris added: “We’re still trying to find the balance. It’s nothing huge. Small things to get the balance between being quicker and saving the tyres, especially on the longer runs.”Carlos Sainz was fourth fastest in the second Ferrari followed by seven-time champion Hamilton, the British driver in his last race weekend with Mercedes.Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda.Leclerc, who was accompanied by his brother Arthur, an F1 rookie, in opening practice, was forced to take a new battery pack, his third of the season for which only two units are allocated in the regulations.Williams duo Albon and Franco Colapinto face five-place penalties for exceeding gearbox components usage.‘It’s tricky’The feuding pair George Russell of Mercedes and Red Bull’s newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen struggled to find the pace and wound up 13th and 17th, respectively, in a largely uneventful twilight session.“Not good,” said Verstappen, who had announced earlier that he is to become a father for the first time with his partner Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson Piquet.“The balance is off and there is no connection in mid-corner so it is difficult to push and we need to work it overnight,” said the Dutch driver.“I’m sure we can do better, but maybe not to the McLaren level. If we can get into the top six, that would be a great recovery.”His team-mate Sergio Perez, under pressure to save his seat, agreed.“It’s tricky,” he said. “Especially on one lap. We have some work to do on the long runs. It isn’t coming together.”The second session began in cooling conditions after a hot day as the sun set in Abu Dhabi, RB’s Liam Lawson setting the early pace in 1:25.537, before Leclerc took over and then Norris.Hamilton slotted into second to repeat the top three from opening practice.Verstappen, complaining about his front axle performance, had sat out the earlier run as his baby news was confirmed in a social media post.“The understeer is ridiculous,” reported the Dutchman on team radio, while Russell, with whom he has fallen out in spectacular, acrimonious fashion, said his “cockpit is still reasonably toasty”, referring to the temperature of 27C (80.6F).Between the sessions, Red Bull’s chief Christian Horner had hit back at Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s description of him as a “yapping little terrier” for interfering in the Verstappen-Russell feud by describing the Mercedes driver as “hysterical”.“I love terriers,” said Horner. “I think they’re great dogs. I’ve had four. I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf.”

Mitchell Starc was a menace with the pink ball and claimed a career-best six for 48 as Australia bundled out India for 180 inside two sessions of the day-night second Test in Adelaide on Friday.The hosts finished day one on 86-1, looking on course for a first-innings lead as they seek to bounce back in the five-Test series.Opener Nathan McSweeney was batting on 38 with Marnus Labuschagne on 20 at the other end.Earlier, armed with the brand new pink ball, Starc set the tone by dismissing Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw with the first ball of the match.The left-arm quick let out a roar that showed how much Australia prized the wicket of the dangerous Jaiswal, who smashed a rapid 161 in the series opener in Perth.Shubman Gill (31), who missed the Perth Test with a thumb injury, played a couple of gorgeous drives but KL Rahul, at the other end, retreated into a defensive shell.Retained as an opener after his patient half-century in Perth, Rahul needed 21 balls to get off the mark and got two reprieves in Scott Boland’s first over.Boland, replacing an injured Josh Hazlewood, first had Rahul caught-behind off a no-ball and suffered more agony four balls later when Usman Khawaja spilled an edge from the batter at first slip.Starc returned to end the 69-run stand when Rahul (37) guided the ball to McSweeney at gully, looking in two minds whether to play or leave.In his next over, Starc dismissed Virat Kohli for seven in similar fashion with the batter, who struck a hundred in Perth, attempting to withdraw his bat when it was too late.Boland cut short Gill’s fluent knock by trapping him lbw in the penultimate over before the dinner break.India kept losing wickets when play resumed.Rohit, who missed India’s victory in Perth and batted in the middle order, was trapped lbw for three by Boland, while Rishabh Pant (21) was done in by the extra bounce generated by Australia captain Pat Cummins. Starc dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin for 22 and bowled Harshit Rana in the same over to complete his five-wicket haul.Nitish Kumar Reddy (42) decided to fight fire with fire and clobbered three sixes, including an audacious reverse scoop against Boland, but India fell short of the 200 mark.McSweeney had his share of good fortune when Australia came out to bat. The opener edged Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper Pant dived but could not grab the ball, which otherwise would have been a simple catch for Rohit at first slip.Bumrah could not be denied for long though and Usman Khawaja fell for 13 edging the bowler to Rohit in the slips.Labuschagne and McSweeney treated Bumrah with caution and looked unperturbed against the other seamers.The opening day drew more than 50,000 fans making it the fourth highest attendance ever for a day of test cricket at the Adelaide Oval.BRIEF SCORES (Adelaide Test, Day 1)Australia 86 for 1 (McSweeney 38*, Labuschagne 20*, Bumrah1-13) trail India 180 (Reddy 42, Rahul 37 Starc 6-48, Cummins 2-41) by 94 runs

England took charge of the second Test against New Zealand on Friday as Harry Brook’s second century of the series drove them to 280 before they reduced the hosts to 86 for five at the close of the opening day on Friday.In an echo of last week’s first Test which England won by eight wickets, Brook and Ollie Pope resurrected the innings from 43-4 with a fifth-wicket partnership of 174 after the top order had crumbled again in Wellington.Brook was dismissed in farcical circumstances when he was run out for 123 to bring up tea but he still took his tally in his four Tests in New Zealand to three centuries and 613 runs at an average of 122.6.“I think that might be my favourite hundred so far,” said Brook, who has scored eight over his 23-Test career.“I enjoyed that a lot. It was seaming and swinging and I’m just glad I put my attacking mode on and really took it to them and put them under pressure.”England folded fairly quickly after the second break but with ball in hand quickly removed Devon Conway, Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra cheaply.Kane Williamson had survived a big scare on 20 when he was bowled by Brydon Carse off a no-ball but the big seamer made no mistake in the last 20 minutes of play when he had the master batsman caught behind for 37.Carse still had time to do the same to send back Daryl Mitchell for six with a delivery down the leg side, taking the 15th and final wicket of an eventful day. Nightwatchman Will O’Rourke, who had yet to score, and Tom Blundell, unbeaten on seven, made it to stumps with New Zealand 194 runs in arrears.England had earlier looked in just as deep trouble when seamer Matt Henry removed openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in a brilliant early spell of four maidens.Nathan Smith chipped in with the wickets of Joe Root (3) and Jacob Bethell (16) from the other end to put England firmly on the ropes.Brook scored an entertaining 171 last week in Christchurch and he and Pope put on 151 runs for the fifth wicket as England recovered from 71-4 to post a score of 499.They bettered it at the Basin Reserve, frustrating the New Zealand bowlers with confident, aggressive batting until O’Rourke separated them by dismissing Pope off a leading edge for 66.Smith (4-86) returned and ran out Brook before removing Gus Atkinson and Carse to prevent the England tail from wagging as hard as it did in Christchurch.The 26-year-old all-rounder, playing on his home ground his second test, suggested the batters might have another tricky day today. “Today had a little bit more pace in it than normal on day one,” he said. “Tomorrow, again, I think there will probably still be a bit there for the seamers. And then maybe day three and four, it’ll flatten out like it normally does here.”BRIEF SCORES (Wellington Test, Day 1)New Zealand 86 for 5 (Carse 2-28) trail England 280 (Brook 123, Pope 66, Smith 4-86, O’Rourke 3-49) by 194 runs

Pathum Nissanka made 89 to lead a strong Sri Lankan batting effort on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Friday.Sri Lanka were 242-3 at the close in reply to South Africa’s first innings of 358.Opening batsman Nissanka seemed set for his third Test century before he charged down the wicket against left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, missed an attempted big hit and was bowled.Until then, Nissanka’s only blemish was a missed chance to David Bedingham at first slip off Kagiso Rabada when the batsman had 22. Nissanka faced 157 balls and hit 11 fours and a six.“Pathum was so good to watch but he will blame himself for the manner he got out,” said Sri Lankan batting coach Thilina Kandamby.“The bowlers were tired, the wicket was flat and he missed out. Even I could not believe it, but clearly there was a lapse of concentration.“Pathum works very hard on his game. He has improved his strike rate in white ball cricket and when he came back to the Test side he wanted to know what to do to play long innings. He did well today but that last shot was a disappointment.”Nissanka shared stands of 41 with Dimuth Karunaratne (20), 109 with Dinesh Chandimal (44) and 49 with Angelo Mathews, who finished the day on 40 not out.Kamindu Mendis joined Mathews after Nissanka was dismissed and batted brightly to make 30 not out in an unbeaten partnership of 43.Friday’s performance was in stark contrast to Sri Lanka’s collapse to a record low of 42 all out in the first Test in Durban, which South Africa won by 233 runs.“We all knew where we went wrong in Durban in the first innings. We went after a lot of balls wide outside off stump. These things happen in Test cricket. The boys were up for the challenge,” said Kandamby.Kandamby added that the match was evenly poised but that Sri Lanka had an opportunity to take charge by securing a big first innings lead.South Africa earlier added 89 for the loss of their last three wickets after resuming on 269-7. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne needed just 49 balls to go from his overnight 48 not out to 105 not out.Last man outVerreynne and Rabada (23) put on 56 for the ninth wicket and last man Dane Paterson (9) helped Verreynne add 33 before he was last man out, caught off an attempted slog against Lahiru Kumara.“It’s very even at the moment,” said Verreynne. “After what happened in the first Test it was easy to think that we could have potentially blown them away after the way we batted.“But they have come out and played really nicely and the pitch looks like it’s getting better and better to bat on.“If we can get two or three early wickets in the morning I think it will be in our favour.“But I think both teams will think tonight that they’ve got a fair shout.”BRIEF SCORES (Gqberha Test, Day 2)Sri Lanka 242 for 3 (Nissanka 89, Mathews 40*) trail South Africa 358 (Verreynne 105*, Rickelton 101, Bavuma 78, Kumara 4-79) by 116 runs

HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani has been re-elected as President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) for the new Olympic term (2024–2028). The announcement was made during the 38th QOC General Assembly, held on Thursday at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha under the chairmanship of HE Sheikh Joaan. The meeting was attended by the QOC Board Members and presidents of Qatar’s national sports federations and committees. During the meeting, Mohammed bin Yousef al-Mana was elected as First Vice-President of the QOC, Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari as Second Vice-President, and Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain as Secretary-General. In his remarks, HE Sheikh Joaan expressed gratitude to the national federations and sports committees for their dedication and applauded the exceptional achievements of Qatar’s athletes and teams throughout the year. Key highlights included Mutaz Barshim’s bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and winning the titles of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship. HE Sheikh Joaan encouraged all federations to sustain their efforts in preparation for upcoming international challenges. The General Assembly began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, held in February 2023, and reviewed the QOC’s accomplishments for 2023–2024 sports season. The attendees also discussed the preparations for the upcoming major events to be held in Qatar, including the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, the 4th Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Games in 2026, and the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The assembly also highlighted several multi-sport events scheduled for the next year including the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China (February 2025), West Asian Youth Games in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2025), GCC Beach Games in Oman (April 2025), Asian Youth Games in Bahrain (September 2025) and the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (November 2025). The meeting also reviewed a report from the Technical Committee on preparations for the 21st Asian Games, set to be held in Doha in 2030, and the QOC’s budget for the 2024–2025 fiscal years.

Russian Grandmaster Andrey Esipenko on Thursday beat Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly for his third successive win on day three of the Qatar Masters.Esipenko, a European giant who is only 22 years of age, now has a tally of three points at the FIDE tournament that ends on December 12 at Aspire Zone Hall.On Thursday, top seed Arjun Erigaisi of India regained a bit of momentum he had lost on Wednesday with a draw. Erigaisi, keen to win the Doha event, on Thursday beat Saidakbar Saydaliev of Uzbekistan.“It’s great to be back at the Qatar Masters” said India’s top-ranked player Erigaisi. “The tournament is really well-organised, and the atmosphere is fantastic. I’m feeling good and aiming to win the title, but I know it won’t be easy. There are a lot of strong players here, both established and up-and-coming individuals,” he added.Erigaisi is one of 14 players with a tally of 2.5 points. One in a group of four with three points, Esipenko on Thursday was joined at the top of the rankings by Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan who beat India’s Adhiban Baskaran, Arkadij Naiditsch of Bulgaria who edged Russia’s Polina Shuvalova, and Iranian GM Pouya Idani who outclassed Iranian IM Arash Tahbaz. Iran’s Reza Mahdavi, the hero of the first two rounds, slipped a little on Thursday when he was held to a draw by compatriot Bardiya Daneshvar.Also on Thursday, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdustarov, ranked sixth in the world and runner-up in Doha last year, beat Poland’s Alicja Sliwicka. Uzbek Grandmaster Shamsiddin Vokhidov meanwhile drew with Indian’s IM Dhingra Aaditya.Alexei Kuzmin, the Technical Director of the national teams, on Thursday was all praise for the Qatar Chess Association (QCA) for hosting the popular FIDE tournament for the fourth time.Kuzmin underlined the significance of hosting international tournaments for male and female players, asserting that they provide invaluable opportunities for Qatar players in gaining experience and competing against emerging talents.The Russian highlighted the strong performances of many tournament participants at major international events.From a technical perspective, Qatar’s goal is to elevate the players’ skill levels and learning from past mistakes.The QCA’s overarching objective, he explained, is to expand the player base and cultivate a Qatari team capable of achieving notable success in regional and continental competitions. Kuzmin concluded by discussing the team’s participation in the International B tournament, saying he was impressed with what he saw from young players.“The Qatar Masters is one of the top open tournaments in the world,” Kuzmin said on Thursday. “It’s a great opportunity for our Qatari players to compete against the best and learn from their experiences. We’re working hard to build a strong national team that can compete at the highest level,” he added.Top results Russia GM Andrey Esipenko beat Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly; Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan beat India’s Adhiban Baskaran; Arkadij Naiditsch of Bulgaria beat Polina Shuvalova of Russia; Iranian GM Pouya Idani beat Iranian IM Arash Tahbaz; Iran’s Reza Mahdavi drew with compatriot Bardiya Daneshvar; Top seed India’s Arjun Erigaisi beat Saidakbar Saydaliev

Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan secured their spot in the semi-finals of the Beach Pro Tour Finals Doha 2024 after an impeccable performance in Pool A, where they recorded four consecutive victories.The Qatari duo showcased exceptional skill at the Aspire Zone, defeating formidable opponents, including Olympic silver medallists and reigning world champions, to earn their place among the tournament’s top four teams.On Thursday, Younousse and Ahmed maintained their unbeaten run, beginning with a thrilling three-set triumph over Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallists Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler of Germany. After losing the opening set 21-16, the Qataris bounced back to claim the next two sets 21-17 and 15-13, overcoming the World No.3 pair in a pulsating encounter.Later, they continued their dominance with their first straight-set victory of the tournament, edging past the Netherlands’ Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot in another nail-biting clash, 23-21, 22-20.On the opening day, Younousse and Ahmed had defeated 10th-seeded world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner of Czechia, rallying to win 2-1 (20-22, 22-20, 15-9). They also came from behind to outclass eighth-seeded Italians Samuele Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai, securing a 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 15-9) victory.Joining the Qataris in the semi-finals are Sweden’s Olympic champions and FIVB World Ranking leaders David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, who finished at the top of Pool B.On the women’s side, Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, along with compatriots Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, as well as Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands, advanced to the Doha Finals play-offs.Their progression to the semi-finals or quarter-finals, as well as the other teams advancing to the next stage, will be determined in the final round of pool matches scheduled for today.Eighth-seeded Cannon & Kraft achieved their third victory in Pool A, but this time they were pushed to a tie-breaker by fifth-seeded Xue Chen & Xia Xinyi of China. In an even game and despite an impressive 27-point match high from Xia, the US duo emerged with a 2-1 (21-15, 14-21, 15-12) win. Cannon & Kraft stand on top of the Pool A standings as the only team to have collected three victories so far.Xue & Xia are second on a 2-1 win-loss record. Earlier, the Chinese pair played another three-set match, but this time came out on top 2-1 (22-20, 15-21, 15-13) against Italian’s Valentina Gottardi & Reka Orsi Toth.

Saint-Etienne and Marseille face off in Ligue 1 this weekend as two of French football’s most storied clubs prepare to meet twice in the space of a fortnight. Les Verts, whose 10 French titles is second only to Paris Saint-Germain, were also drawn to face Marseille in the last 64 of the French Cup just before Christmas.Back in the top flight after two seasons in the second division, Saint-Etienne have relied heavily on their home form to stay afloat this term. Saint-Etienne have won four of their last five at their Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, where they have collected all but one of their 13 points so far.Last weekend they crashed to a 5-0 loss at Rennes after being reduced to 10 men before half-time. “There will be other obstacles, and big ones. We have a very tough season ahead, we know that,” said coach Olivier Dall’Oglio in the wake of that defeat.“When there are challenges of that type, we’re going to need to overcome them and not collapse like I saw the team collapse.”Marseille, conversely, have thrived on their travels and have the league’s best away record with six wins from seven matches. Roberto De Zerbi’s side climbed above Monaco into second place with a 2-1 win last Sunday and sit seven points back of leaders PSG.Luis Enrique’s side face another critical juncture in their season, travelling to Auxerre on Friday before a trip to Salzburg next week in the Champions League. PSG are unbeaten in their last 30 away games in Ligue 1 but were held at home by a struggling Nantes team last weekend.With just one win in five in Europe, PSG find themselves outside the 24 qualifying spots for the knockout stages. “We’ve made mistakes in terms of our performances in the Champions League but it’s a good season,” the Spaniard. “Our problems are good ones because we can push past them. These results don’t reflect what I’ve seen on the pitch.”Luis Enrique also moved to quash talk of dressing room discord, dismissing claims of tensions between himself and some players, notably Ousmane Dembele. “I’m not going to respond to rumours and lies,” he said. “The team is wonderful and I have nothing to add. I’m not going waste my energy with what’s said in the media. You’ll hardly hear me say bad things about a player in public.”Lille and Brest, both of whom are well positioned to advance in the Champions League, meet on Fridaybefore Monaco – who also have 10 points from five games in Europe – host Toulouse on Saturday.Fixtures (all times GMT)Friday: Lille v Brest (1800), Auxerre v Paris Saint-Germain (2000)Saturday: Monaco v Toulouse (1600), Nice v Le Havre (1800), Angers v Lyon (2000)Sunday: Lens v Montpellier (1400), Nantes v Rennes, Strasbourg v Reims (both 1600), Saint-Etienne v Marseille (1945)

Liverpool’s Premier League lead was cut to seven points by Arsenal and Chelsea after the Reds conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday. Chelsea thrashed 10-man Southampton 5-1 to go second on goal difference ahead of Arsenal, who beat Manchester United 2-0. Manchester City snapped their seven-game winless run by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 to go fourth.Mohamed Salah’s second-half double was not enough to extend Liverpool’s seven-game winning run in all competitions as they failed to win for just the third time in 21 games under Arne Slot. Twice the league leaders were forced to come from behind at St James’ Park as Alexander Isak blasted Newcastle into a 1-0 half-time lead.Curtis Jones levelled before Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle’s lead. Salah twice converted Trent Alexander-Arnold assists to turn the game around, taking his tally for the season to 15 goals.However, there was a late sting in the tale as a rare error from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Fabian Schar to squeeze in a late equaliser for the Magpies. “He has done remarkably well for us and even today he was good. Unfortunately, he misjudged the situation,” Liverpool boss Slot said of Kelleher’s blunder.Arsenal took full advantage by inflicting Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United boss. Once again the Gunners were able to rely on their prowess from set-pieces to get the job done. Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock, heading in Declan Rice’s corner nine minutes into the second half.William Saliba did not know much about the second, as he diverted in Thomas Partey’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner, but the Frenchman did not care as Arsenal had the breathing space they craved. A fourth consecutive win in all competitions confirmed Arsenal’s return to form and applied a little pressure on Liverpool.Chelsea put bottom-of-the-table Southampton to the sword at St Mary’s even before the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair. Axel Disasi’s early opener for the Blues was cancelled out by Joe Aribo. But Christopher Nkunku pounced on sloppy Southampton passing from the back to make it 2-1 before Noni Madueke added a third. Stephens then saw red in a bizarre incident as he jostled with Cucurella from a Saints corner. Cole Palmer made sure he got in on the act with Chelsea’s fourth before Jadon Sancho’s first goal since his loan move from Manchester United rounded off the scoring.City bounced back from their barren run thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting line-up for the first time in nearly three months. The Belgian teed up Bernardo Silva for the opening goal before firing in the second himself. Jeremy Doku sealed a much-needed three points for Pep Guardiola’s men, who are now nine off the top.Aston Villa ended their eight-game run without a win with a dominant first-half display to beat Brentford 3-1. Morgan Rogers’ wonder strike, Ollie Watkins’ penalty and Matty Cash’s effort made it 3-0 inside 34 minutes before Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard got one back.Everton thrashed Wolves 4-0 thanks to two Craig Dawson own goals in a huge clash at the bottom of the table. Ashley Young and Orel Mangala put the Toffees 2-0 up at half-time, before Dawson’s goals twice rubbed salt in Wolves’ wounds after the break. Victory lifts Everton five points clear of the relegation zone, while Wolves sink to 19th.

Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn on Thursday with Juventus, Wydad AC and Al Ain in Group G for next year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.Lionel Messi and Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami are in Group A and will face Al Ahly in the opening match of the expanded 32-team tournament before games against Porto and Palmeiras.The tournament, featuring top teams from around the world, will be held in 12 stadiums around the country from June 15-July 13 and serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada. Manchester City won the most recent Club World Cup in 2023 under the old format and sit fourth in the Premier League after being hit hard by injuries to key players such as Spanish midfielder and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.City, who this year won an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title, will face Wydad AC in their opening match and Al Ain before closing out the group stage against Juventus. Miami were the penultimate team added to the tournament after winning the “Supporters’ Shield” for finishing top of the MLS standings in the regular season before losing in the first round of the MLS playoffs last month.European champions Real Madrid will face Al-Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg in Group H while Bayern Munich were placed in Group C along with Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica. Three-times European champions Inter Milan landed in Group E along with River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey while Paris St Germain, who this year won a third consecutive French top-flight title, are in Group B with Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders.Brazilian side Botafogo only secured the final spot in the tournament last week by winning their first Copa Libertadores title. Chelsea will begin Group D play against Leon before facing Flamengo and Esperance, while Group F is made up of Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns.The draw, conducted by Italian World Cup winner and former Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero, included a recorded message from US President-elect Donald Trump in which he complimented FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “The event is going to be incredible. I will try and be there. If I can I would, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But I just want to say you’re led by a man named Gianni. I just know him as Gianni and he’s a winner and he’s the president, and I’m the president.“We’ve known each other a long time, and I’m so honoured to have this kind of a relationship because soccer is going through the roof. As everybody knows, it’s been doing fantastically well ... and it really is taking over the United States in terms of the sport.”FIFA Club World Cup drawGroup A: Palmeiras (BRA); Porto (POR); Al Ahly (EGY); Inter Miami (USA)Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA); Atletico Madrid (ESP); Botafogo (BRA); Seattle Sounders (USA)Group C: Bayern Munich (GER); Auckland City FC (NZL); Boca Juniors (ARG); Benfica (POR)Group D: Flamengo (BRA); Esperance (TUN); Chelsea (ENG); Club Leon (MEX)Group E: River Plate (ARG); Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN); Monterrey (MEX); Inter Milan (ITA)Group F: Fluminense (BRA); Borussia Dortmund (GER); Ulsan HD FC (KOR); Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)Group G: Manchester City (ENG); Wydad (MAR); Al Ain (UAE); Juventus (ITA)Group H: Real Madrid (ESP); Al Hilal (KSA); Pachuca (MEX); RB Salzburg (AUT)

Kylian Mbappe said he will take full responsibility for a “big mistake” after the striker missed another penalty in champions Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Wednesday. A week after the French superstar failed from the spot in the Champions League against Liverpool, he endured further misery from 12 yards as Los Blancos allowed league leaders Barcelona to retain their four-point advantage.Alejandro Berenguer fired Bilbao ahead early in the second half, with Jude Bellingham levelling for Madrid after Mbappe’s penalty miss.However, substitute Gorka Guruzeta snatched fourth-place Athletic victory in the 80th minute after a Fede Valverde error. The defeat and Mbappe’s penalty miss will heap further pressure on to the former Paris Saint-Germain striker’s shoulders after plenty of criticism in recent weeks.“A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it,” said Mbappe in a post on social media network Instagram. “A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said the forward was downhearted after goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved his penalty. “Obviously (Mbappe) is sad, disappointed, but he has to continue,” the Italian said.Mbappe has scored 10 goals in his first 20 games for Madrid across all competitions but is struggling for consistency. “He’s not at his best level but we have to give him time to adapt, he’s scored 10 goals, he can do better and he’s working to do that,” said Ancelotti.Madrid were hoping to build on three consecutive wins in La Liga, despite missing Vinicius Junior and other injured stars, with Ancelotti bringing French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni back into the starting line-up. Thibaut Courtois made an important early intervention to deny Spain winger Nico Williams, with his brother Inaki Williams lurking dangerously. It was a first half of few clear chances, but one played with intensity in front of a packed San Mames stadium. Mbappe found the net but the goal was ruled out for offside and the referee reviewed a Rodrygo penalty appeal but decided the Brazilian winger went down too easily.At the other end, Berenguer should have put the hosts ahead but blasted high over the bar after Inaki Williams’ clever backheel teed him up. The forward made amends early in the second half by bundling home from close range after Courtois could only palm an Inaki Williams cross into his path.Mbappe had the chance to level for Madrid from the spot when Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala barrelled into Antonio Rudiger. After missing his penalty against Liverpool, Mbappe agreed to let Bellingham take one against Getafe on Sunday. However this time the French forward stepped up himself but his weak effort, again to the goalkeeper’s left, was at a comfortable height for Agirrezabala to parry.Mbappe did play a part in Madrid’s equaliser, though, with a vicious drive from distance that the stopper could only push out into the path of Bellingham, who finished tidily for his fourth goal in his last four league games.Madrid were only level for two minutes before Bilbao regained the lead through Guruzeta, who stole the ball as Valverde prepared to pass and fired low past Courtois. Mbappe cut a deflated figure in the final stages, with one attempt to break in down the left quickly shut down by the Bilbao defence to raucous cheers from their jubilant supporters.

Simmering bad blood between Formula One rivals Max Verstappen and George Russell exploded into open accusations of bullying and lying at of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday.Verstappen said in Qatar last weekend that he had lost all respect for Russell after stewards stripped Red Bull’s quadruple champion of pole position and promoted his Mercedes rival to the top slot. The Dutch driver expressed no regret for the comments in a news conference at Yas Marina on Thursday, accusing Russell of lying to secure an advantage.Dutch reporters said Verstappen, who ultimately won Sunday’s race with Russell fourth, also referred to the Briton as a ‘loser’.Russell responded in an extraordinary session with reporters inside the Mercedes hospitality, with team boss Toto Wolff standing at his side and throwing his own barbs at Red Bull boss Christian Horner.The angry Mercedes driver accused Verstappen of threatening behaviour and said it was time to set the record straight.“I’ve known Max for a long time and I know what he’s capable of,” said Russell. “He said to me he’s going to purposely go out of his way to crash into me.”Russell said he had thought it was a heat of the moment thing but the next day felt Verstappen meant it when he saw “the fire in his eyes. “I never had the intention of throwing Max under the bus like this until he comes out and slams me so personally,” he said.“For a world champion to be coming out and saying he’s going to go out of his way to crash into someone and put them on their effing heads, that is not the sort of role models we should be.”Russell said seven times title-winning teammate Lewis Hamilton, who lost out on an eighth crown to Verstappen in Abu Dhabi in a controversial 2021 finale, was the kind of champion he aspiredto be.He suggested former FIA race director Michael Masi, who lost his job after changing the safety car procedure at the 2021 race, would have feared for his life had Verstappen not won. “I’m not questioning his driving abilities one single bit. But the second, he does not have the fastest car – let’s take Budapest as an example. He crashes into Lewis, he slams his whole team and he loses the plot.”Verstappen said Russell’s behaviour in the stewards’ room had shocked him. “I just never expected someone to really try and actively get someone a penalty that badly, and lying about why I was doing what I was doing,” he said.Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested after the race that Russell was behaving hysterically – a comment that fired up Wolff, who had earlier this season been singing Verstappen’s praises and trying to sign him.“Why does he (Horner) feel entitled to comment about my driver?” he asked on Thursday. “I spent 90 seconds to think about it. Yapping little terrier. Always something to say.”Russell said Verstappen was angry before he’d even spoken to the stewards. “At the end of the day, there’s nothing to lie about. The facts were the facts. he was going too slow,” he said. “As drivers you fight hard on track. You fight hard in the stewards.”

Wathnan Racing, trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey James Doyle were not content with just two wins on the day, as they secured a third in the day’s feature, with Supercooled winning the Thoroughbred Derby Trial on his Qatar debut.On Thursday, at the Al Uqda Racecourse, under a brilliant ride by Doyle, the four-year-old colt of Lope De Vega, made his challenge in the final few strides, in what seemed like an impossible task, and got the better of his nearest rival to win by a head in a thrilling finish. Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners.Earlier in the day, the trio of owner, trainer and jockey won the back to back races. First, War Boy maintained the good impression, following his placed debut two weeks ago. The three-year-old colt made it in the final stages of the 1400m Local Thoroughbred Trial and landed the spoils comfortably albeit the strong challenge of his rivals.Wathnan Racing along with trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey Doyle were quickly back in the winners’ enclosure, having recorded a quick-fire double with Divana Chica winning the Purebred Arabian Oaks Trial. The four-year-old filly showed impressive determination in the final strides of the 2100m contest and prevailed comfortably.The colours of Wathnan Racing along with trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey James Doyle were quickly back in the winners’ enclosure, having recorded a quick-fire double with Divana Chica (Majd Al Arab) winning the Purebred Arabian Oaks Trial.The four-year-old filly showed impressive determination in the final strides of the 2100m contest and prevailed cosily. Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners. In the penultimate race of the day, Al Shaqab Racing’s homebred Afjan took the Purebred Arabian Derby Trial, getting the better of his stablemate and half-brother Al Zwair by a neck.Jockey Faleh Bughanaim timed his challenge to perfection, guiding his mount to come fast and pip his rivals in the final strides, and giving the Al Shaqab Racing and trainer Jean de Mieulle a one-two in the 2100m race.His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s homebred Aneed Al Shahania remained unbeaten on his second career start. The four-year-old son of Azadi travelled smoothly under a well-timed ride by Lukas Delozier and showed an impressive turn of foot in the final 100m to overtake the long-time leader and kick clear winning the 2100m National Derby Trial for Local Purebred Arabians by 2½ lengths for trainer Rudy Nerbonne.Warming broke her maiden in style, capturing a major victory in the Thoroughbred Oaks Trial for owner Khalid bin Ghanem M al-Kuwari and trainer Hamad al-Jehani.Jockey Szczepan Mazur grabbed his 2nd win on the day as he steered the three-year-old filly to a dominant win by almost three lengths.RESULTS11th Al Rayyan Race Meeting - Trials DayWINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)1 - Thoroughbred Derby Trial (3yo only) (Class 2)Supercooled, Alban De Mieulle, James Doyle2 - Purebred Arabian Derby Trial (4yo only) (Class 2)Afjan, Jean de Mieulle, Faleh Bughanaim3 - National Derby Trial - Local Purebred Arabian (4yo only) (Class 2)Aneed Al Shahania, Rudy Andre Nerbonne, Lukas Delozier4 - Thoroughbred Oaks Trial (3yo Fillies only) (Class 2)Warming, Hamad al-Jehani, Szczepan Mazur5 - Purebred Arabian Oaks Trial (4yo Fillies only) (Class 2)Divana Chica, Alban de Mieulle, James Doyle6 - Local Thoroughbred Trial (3yo only) (Class 2)War Boy, Alban dDe Mieulle, James Doyle7 - Local Purebred Arabian Oaks Trial (4yo Fillies only) (Class 2)AJS Najma, M H K al-Attiyah, Szczepan Mazur8 - Thoroughbred Open Race (2yo only) (Class 2)Glitterati, Wasim al-Sahn, Jefferson Smith

The HH The Amir Cup Bowling 2024, organised by the Qatar Bowling Federation got underway at the Qatar International Bowling Center on Thursday. The tournament which runs till December 12 will see singles and mixed singles competitions with a large participation of Qatari and top players from various countries around the world.The first day’s competitions witnessed five attempts, with the participation of 23 players from Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, including 16 players from the Qatari national team and a number of players who have previously participated in several previous versions of the tournament, such as Prince Mohammed al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, Qatar’s Jassim al-Muraikhi, Mansour al-Hajri, Mosaed al-Muraikhi, Mohammed al-Muraikhi, and Ibrahim Sattam al-Muraikhi, Kuwait’s Ali Haidar, Egypt’s Abdullah Abdul Salam, and Bahrain’s Youssef Falah.Qatari players achieved good results on the first day, and perhaps the most prominent of which was in the first attempt where Khaled al-Dosari topped with a total of 678 points, while Mosaed al-Muraikhi came in second place with 209.67 points, and Jassim al-Muraikhi finished third with 209.67 points. Qatari’s Fahad al-Emadi stood first place in the second attempt with a total score of 694 points, while Malaysian Nora Norkam was second with 685 points, and Saudi Prince Mohammed al-Saud third with 684 points.The tournament competitions will continue tomorrow and for the second day with 5 attempts as well, followed by 4 attempts over 3 days, December 6, 7 and 8, then 5 attempts on December 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the first stages. The final stages of the tournament will begin on the penultimate day, for which 36 players will qualify to compete to win the title in five stages.The Qatar Bowling Federation has announced a total prize-money of $110,000 with the winner receiving $25,000 and the runner-up $16,000, the third-place winner receiving $12,000, fourth-place winner receiving $8,000, the fifth-place winner receiving $6,000, while the winners from sixth to ninth place will receive $3,000 each, from 10th to 13th place winners will receive $2,000 each, from 14th to 16th place winners will receive $1,500, from 17th to 20th place winners will receive $1,100, from 21st to 24th place winners will receive $900, and finally, each winner from 25th to 36th place will receive $800.Swede Kim Bolleby had won the title last year defeating Emirati Naif Aqab 257-226 in the final. Abdullah Haroun al-Jassiman, head of the tournament’s technical committee, expressed his happiness with the exciting start of the competitions, noting that the HH The Amir Bowling Cup is one of the largest tournaments in the region.

Australia head into the second Test against India in Adelaide fired up by pride, captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday, as his team seek to bounce back from a crushing loss in Perth. The hosts crumbled to a 295-run defeat in the first Test but go into the day-night clash starting today buoyed by a formidable record at the Adelaide Oval.They have won all seven pink-ball Tests they have played there, including against India in 2020-21 when the visitors were bundled out for 36. Josh Hazlewood was chief destroyer, taking 5-8, but a side strain has ruled him out this time, with seamer Scott Boland replacing him. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh was declared fit to bowl after pulling up with back stiffness in Perth in an otherwise unchanged team.Cummins admitted the pressure was on, but said they were used to it. “Any Test match there is pressure,” he said.“When you’re down there’s a little bit more, especially when you are at home. But we have been in similar situations in World Cups or other series... we love playing here, we know we weren’t at our best last week and we have got a few things to work on.“Everyone has got a lot of personal pride, professional pride. So there’s pressure on you anytime you play, let alone with the scoreboard being down 1-0.”Boland will play his first Test in almost 18 months, with Cummins expecting the 35-year-old to be an asset on a pitch set to suit him.“There’s normally a little bit of nip, which suits Scotty quite well,” he said. “His prep has been really good. He’s happy with how his rhythm is. As a captain, it’s pretty awesome to have Scotty come straight in, who can bowl a huge amount of overs if you need, is super consistent and has performed at this level.”Cummins added that he was “pretty confident” Hazlewood would be back for the third Test in Brisbane next week.The uncapped Beau Webster was called up to Australia’s squad as a precaution in case Marsh was not fit, but Australia’s T20 skipper has been deemed ready to go despite not turning his arm in the nets this week. “We made the call with the medical team over the last couple of days to give him a couple of days off bowling but expect him to warm up, and if required, will bowl,” Cummins said.“Guessing he would be required at some point.”Australia: Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

Rohit Sharma will bat down the order in the pink-ball second Test against Australia in Adelaide, with India’s returning skipper on Thursday saying KL Rahul had earned his place as an opener.Rohit, who usually opens, missed their 295-run first Test victory in Perth last week for the birth of his second child.In his place, Rahul scored a patient 26 in the first innings then a solid 77 in a crucial 201-run opening stand with century-maker Yashasvi Jaiswal. “KL will open. The way he batted and his partnership with Jaiswal was instrumental in that first Test win,” said Rohit ahead of the game starting on Friday.“The way he has batted outside India, he deserves it. I will bat somewhere in the middle. It was a fairly simple decision. Personally, it wasn’t easy, but for the team, it was an easy decision to make.”Rohit would not reveal India’s starting XI, nor where exactly he will bat. But with regular number three Shubman Gill set to return from a thumb injury, he will probably come in at five, after Virat Kohli and before Rishabh Pant.Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel appear likely to make way.Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja were both overlooked for Perth and it remains unclear whether they will play.But Rohit said they remained integral to the five-Test series.“Unfortunately I wasn’t there to break the news to them that they won’t be playing that first game,” he said. “It’s always hard to leave experienced players like them out. But I think the decision was made for what was best for the team at that particular time... and that is I think what we will throughout the series look to do. “But I certainly see them playing a huge role in the rest of the series because what they bring to the table can never be written off. They are quality players.”Despite brimming with confidence after their victory in Perth, Rohit admitted that playing under lights with a pink ball at Adelaide Oval would be challenging.Australia have won all seven of its day-night Tests at the venue including an eight-wicket win over India in 2020 when they were all out for 36 in their second innings. “You are so used to playing with a red ball and the pink ball certainly does a little bit more than the red ball,” Rohit said.“At the same time we have been training here for the past three days and I certainly felt that the more time you spend playing the pink ball, it gets a little easier.“The pink ball will have its challenges under lights, during the day as well – you just have to find your own way of dealing with it.”