Sports

Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history on Sunday when he sold for a record $3.2mn, as teams splashed out on world-class cricketers for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.A total of 577 players are up for grabs at the two-day auction in Jeddah, with Pant, England veteran James Anderson and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra among the top names.The 2023 record of 247.5mn rupees Kolkata paid to Australian Mitchell Starc was first breached by Punjab Kings, who the IPL said snapped up Shreyas Iyer for a “handsome” 267.5mn rupees ($3.17mn).Iyer, 29, captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL crown this year.New Punjab coach Ricky Ponting, who left Delhi Capitals after this season, said they will make Shreyas captain if he agrees.“I have worked with him three or four years at Delhi and obviously he is a championship winning captain from last season,” Ponting said.“We have got someone there that can do the job if that’s the way we decide to go, so I am delighted to have him back.”Shreyas’ record rapidly tumbled on Sunday.The IPL reported Lucknow Super Giants paid a “gigantic” 270mn rupees for 27-year-old star keeper Pant.“Rishabh’s history in the IPL and in the sport of cricket is unparalleled in terms of his skill, what he brings to the table,” Lucknow owner Shashwat Goenka, said of the record buy.“I think he came at what we had anticipated for him. We are very excited to have him as part of the squad.”Pant made an impressive return to competitive cricket in this year’s IPL after a serious car crash in December 2022.He came in as captain of Delhi Capitals but he and the team parted ways.Later on day one Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer hit the jackpot when he went to Kolkata for a whopping $2.81mn after a fierce bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Venkatesh, a left-hand batter and right-arm medium pace bowler who was released by Kolkata only to be bought back, became the third-highest buy of the day.Sizzling startThe auction started on a sizzling note when Indian quick Arshdeep Singh began a bidding war, which ended with Punjab getting the left-arm pace bowler for $2.13mn.This year, Australian left-arm quick Starc was not retained by Kolkata – and went to Delhi for $1.39mn. Fellow quick Josh Hazlewood went for $1.48mn to Bengaluru, while England fast bowler Jofra Archer cost the same amount for the Rajasthan Royals.New Zealand quick Trent Boult returned to five-time winners Mumbai Indians for $1.48mn.Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad had a big pay day as he went to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings for $1.18mn.Buttler goes to TitansGujarat Titans paid $1.87mn for England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler, while India pace bowler Mohammed Shami went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.18mn.Australian David Warner and England’s Jonny Bairstow went unsold, but could be brought back later in the auction.The IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) into one of the richest governing bodies in sport. In June 2022 it sold the broadcast rights for five IPL seasons to global media giants for $6.2bn.The BCCI has sought to broaden the tournament’s profile by staging the auction abroad.Last year it was held in Dubai, a regular host for international cricket tournaments.Like Saudi Arabia, it has a large base of prospective fans among its migrant worker population.Putting the auction on in Jeddah is seen as a win-win for a tournament expanding its global reach and a kingdom using sports to improve its image.The IPL is a huge earner for Indian cricket and the tournament makes more than $11bn for the economy each year.The pioneering IPL helped make Twenty20 cricket hugely popular, spawning copycat events worldwide. Dates for next year’s IPL have not been released but seasons usually run from March to May.

India’s Perth Test hero Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit a stunning century on Sunday, rose to stardom from being homeless and selling snacks on the streets to finance his cricketing ambitions.The 22-year-old opening batsman turned an overnight 90 into 161 on day three in the opening match of the five-Test series against Australia.It was his fourth ton in his 15th Test.He hit 171 last year on his debut against the West Indies, off a gruelling 387 deliveries over more than eight hours at the crease in Dominica.He smacked two double centuries against visiting England earlier this year.The attacking left-handed batsman burst into the consciousness of cricket-mad India with a stellar showing in the Indian Premier League last year.He was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 IPL auction and last season made one half of a fearsome opening pair with England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, amassing 625 runs with a strike rate of more than 163.After his latest heroics, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said it was all the more special because he had “come the hard way”. The batting great called Jaiswal a “wonderful role model for those who come from the villages to the cities”, showing how if “you work hard, you’re dedicated, you have a dream, you can fulfil it”.“This boy is a man,” Gavaskar said in his commentary show.English commentator Mark Nicholas said: “This innings will announce him as a star is really born.”Jaiswal dreamed of playing for India and moved to the financial capital Mumbai at just 11 years old, leaving his parents back home in their village.“I used to sleep in a dairy and then stayed at my uncle’s place, but it wasn’t big enough and he asked me to find a different place,” Jaiswal told AFP in an interview in 2020.“I then started to stay in a tent near Azad Maidan” – a field considered the birthplace of cricket in India – “and would play cricket there during the day”.In between he sold popular street snacks to make enough money to pay for his own meals, supplementing a side hustle in cricket scoring and ball fetching in club games.Jaiswal eventually won a place in the Mumbai state team in 2019 and became the youngest batsman, at 17 years and 292 days, to score a domestic one-day double century.

Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by 80 runs in a rain-shortened one-day international at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday.The home team scored 205 all out after 40.2 overs thanks mainly to a 62-run eighth-wicket stand between Richard Ngarava (48) and Sikandar Raza (39).Pakistan, reeling from a 3-0 ODI series loss to Australia this week, were struggling at 60-6 after 21 overs when torrential rain, thunder and lightning halted play in the southern city.After a delay of several hours, the match was called off and the Duckworth Lewis Stern method applied, giving Zimbabwe a convincing victory on home soil.The teams meet again tomorrow and Thursday before playing a three Twenty20 internationals. Pakistan then travel to South Africa for an all-format tour.Brief scoresZimbabwe 205 in 40.2 overs (R. Ngarava 48, S. Raza 39, T. Marumani 29; F. Akram 3-24, S. Ali Agha 3-42) v Pakistan 60-6 in 21 overs (M. Rizwan 19 not out; B. Muzarabani 2-9, S. Williams 2-12)Result: Zimbabwe won by 80 runs (DLS method)Series: Zimbabwe lead 1-0 in three match seriesToss: Pakistan

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) hosted the 2024 Sports Excellence Awards Sunday under the patronage of its President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani. The event took place at the Qatar National Convention Centre.Also in attendance were HE Mohammed bin Yousef al-Mana, the First Vice President of the QOC, HE Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, the Second Vice President of the QOC, HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, the Secretary General of the QOC as well as the presidents of Qatar’s sports federations and several prominent sports figures.The ceremony honoured outstanding athletes, administrators, sports personalities and institutions that have supported sports in Qatar.“It is truly an honor to gather once again at this annual celebration, which has become a valued tradition for honoring Qatari champions and athletes with outstanding achievements, as well as our partners and sponsors from government and private sectors who play a vital role in supporting sports and the Olympic movement in our country,” said al-Buenain.“We take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for his unwavering and profound support of Qatari sports, which has been instrumental in driving achievements across all levels. We also offer our sincere thanks to His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his boundless support and guidance, which have significantly advanced the development of sports in Qatar,” he added.Reflecting on the accomplishments of the past season, al-Buenain noted: “This season has been extraordinary for Qatari sports. Our participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games saw our athletes continuing their successes on the international stage. Notably, our world champion Mutaz Barshim earned a bronze medal in the high jump, becoming the first athlete to win four Olympic medals in this event.”Looking ahead, al-Buenain concluded: “The challenges of the next phase are substantial, requiring everyone in the sports sector to intensify their efforts to realize even greater accomplishments for Qatari sports.”Sheikh Joaan presented the awards to the honorees of the 2024 Sports Excellence Awards. Qatar Foundation received the award for Distinguished Organization in Supporting the Olympic Movement, while the Ministry of Education and Higher Education was honoured with the award for Distinguished Organization in Supporting Sports Community Events. Alkass Sports Channels was recognized with the award for Media Partner.HE Sheikh Saud bin Ali al-Thani received the Recognition Award for Personalities That Served Sports in Qatar. Masraf Al Rayan, Aamal QPSC and Ibn Ajayan Projects were honored with the Team Qatar Official Supporter Award.The Qatar Handball Association was honoured with the Golden Federation Award for Team Sports, while the Qatar Athletics Federation won the Golden Federation Award for Individual Sports. The Men’s Team of the Season Award went to Team Qatar’s beach volleyball team.Mutaz Barshim was named Male Athlete of the Season, while Amal Mohammed Mahmoud was awarded Female Athlete of the Season. Ismail Dawood Abakar received the Promising Male Athlete of the Season Award, and Noor Nizar Abdulqader Mohammed was recognized as the Promising Female Athlete of the Season.Hendrik Jacobus Kotze was named Coach of the Season. Ali Radi Arshid won the Male Para-Athlete of the Season Award, and Sara Hamdi Masoud received the Female Para-Athlete of the Season Award. Khalifa Yousuf Abdulmalik was awarded Male Administrator of the Season, while Amal Mohammed Awad was recognized as Female Administrator of the Season.The Male Referee of the Season Award was presented to Abdulrahman Ibrahim al-Jassim, Talib Salim Al Marri, Saoud Ahmed al-Maqaleh, Abdullah Ali al-Marri, and Abdullah Ali al-Hammadi for their contributions to officiating in men’s sports.In camel racing, Jaber Salim Jaber Ali Faran received the award for Camel Trainer of the Season (Open Races), while Abdulhadi Khalil al-Shahwani al-Hajri was named Camel Owner of the Season (Public Races).In equestrian sports, Khalifa Sheail al-Kuwari was awarded Horse Owner of the Season, Faleh Nasser Saleh Salem Bougneim received the Best Jockey Award, and Mohammed Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah was recognized as the Best Qatari Horse Trainer.The Best Personal Sports Achievement Award was jointly awarded to Ali al-Obaidli.The ceremony recognized the Local Organizing Committees for their success in hosting major events: The World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 and The World Judo Championships – Doha 2023.

Al Duhail scored a convincing 5-0 win over Al Arabi to regain a three-point lead at the top of Qatar Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.Homam al-Ameen netted a brace (fifth and 16th minutes), while Lucas Verissimo (ninth minute), Benjamin Bourigeaud (26th minute) and Luis Alberto (65th minute) chipped in with a goal each as Duhail extended their lead to 25 points – three ahead of Al Sadd. Al Arabi, meanwhile, are just above the relegation zone in 10th place with 10 points.Al Duhail almost took the lead within 30 seconds of the opening whistle when Alberto saw his right-footed shot from the centre of the box blocked. From thereon, it was one-way traffic, with coach Christophe Galtier’s men dominating and dictating the proceedings from all angles of the field. It was soon a matter of when and not if the goals would come and the first answer came in the fifth minute, with Homam banging home a long-range left-footer from an acutely-tight angle to open the door for the goal rain.Four minutes later, Verissimo doubled the lead for the visiting team with a glancing header from Bourigeaud’s corner kick.By the 16th minute, any hope of Al Arabi taking anything away from the game was extinguished as Homam hit his brace of the night with a low-driven but powerful left-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.Al Arabi were lucky not to concede the fourth goal in the 21st minute when Veríssimo’s shot from more than 35 yards, following a Karim Boudiaf assist, was almost finding the target only to be off by just a few inches.Al Duhail were only delayed, but not denied as their fourth of the night came five minutes later through Bourigeaud, who perfectly finished a sublime assist by Ismail Mohammed with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.Al Duhail’s fifth goal came in the 65th minute, with Almoez Ali helping Alberto as the Spanish attacking midfielder banged in a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.A desperate Al Arabi were reduced to 10 men with six minutes to the end of regulation time in the encounter after Yousef Msakni got the marching orders for a dangerous play with his initial yellow card upgraded to red after a VAR review.Meanwhile, Al Ahli climbed back to third place in the table after a 3-0 win over Umm Salal at Grand Hamad Stadium. The victorious team got all their goals in the first half through Erik Expisito (29th minute) and Idrissa Doumbia (36th minute) after Antonio Mance had scored an own goal in the 10th minute. The result extended Al Ahli’s points tally to 21, while Umm Salal are eighth on 11 points.Al Ahli got off to a dream start with Umm Salal’s Mance unwittingly giving them the lead when he mistakenly turned a header into his own net following a set piece by Driss Fettouhi in the 10th minute.The Orange Fortress fought like a warrior from thereon with the hope of equalising but tried as much as they attempted; it was the Brigadiers who added to their tally in the 29th minute, with an unmarked Exposito having all the time in the world to nod home from the center of the box an inch-perfect cross by Islam Yaseen to the consternation of the hosts.With a possibility of an embarrassing defeat staring them in the face, Umm Salal made a substitution in the 35th minute in order to shore up their defence with full back Omar Yahya coming in for Ali Said, but the efforts appeared to have been fruitless as Al Ahli got their third of the match almost immediately, with Doumbia registering his name on the scorers sheet in the 36th minute after outwitting two Umm Salal’s defender before slotting home a left-shooted shot from the centre of the box that left Umm Salal’s goalkeeper Landing Badji stunned.Oussama Tannane came very close to reducing the deficit for Umm Salal in the 67th minute, but his power-packed left-footed shot from a set piece just outside of the box disappointingly rattled the bar on its way out.After several efforts, a resolute Umm Salal appeared to have gotten one back through Victor Lekhal, who nodded home from a corner kick by Tannane, two minutes to the end of regulation time. But a lengthy VAR review, however, put paid to that with the referee signalling an infringement against Al Ahli’s goalkeeper Marwan Badreldin prior to the goal as Al Ahli’s three-goal lead remained untouched, to the disappointment of Umm Salal’s fans and bench as the match came to an end.In the other match of the day, two stoppage-time goals saw Al Shahania beat Qatar SC 3-1 at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. Pelle van Amersfoort (22nd minute and 90+3 minute) and Lotfi Majder (90+10 minute) scored for the winners while Qatar SC’s only goal came from Sebastian Soria in the 70th minute.The result saw Al Shahania leapfrog to four places to 11th spot with 11 points, ahead of Umm Salal on goal difference. Qatar SC slid a rung to 11th place with 10 points to their credit.

Manchester City collapsed to their fifth straight defeat on Saturday, hammered 4-0 by Tottenham in another huge blow to their Premier League title hopes as Arsenal got their challenge back on track.The rout at the Etihad ends City’s 52-game unbeaten home run and leaves manager Pep Guardiola scrambling for answers just two days after he signed a contract extension. Before the start of the match, City staged a spectacular tribute to the injured Rodri, who showcased the Ballon d’Or trophy he won last month.But the feel-good spirit did not last long as Spurs showed the home team how much they are missing the Spain midfielder, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. James Maddison scored twice in the opening 20 minutes and Pedro Porro extended the away side’s lead early in the second half.Spurs completed their crushing win in stoppage time when Timo Werner raced down the left, squaring for Brennan Johnson to slide home.The home side, who have lost their past three Premier League matches and their last five in all competitions, remain five points behind leaders Liverpool, who play their game in hand against Southampton on Sunday. The four-time defending Premier League champions travel to Anfield next weekend, where defeat would leave their title hopes in tatters.Arsenal earlier crushed Nottingham Forest 3-0 to pull level on 22 points with third-placed Chelsea, who saw off Leicester in the early kick-off. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were expected to be contenders to take City’s crown after finishing second in each of the past two seasons. But they had failed to win in their previous four league games. Martin Odegaard’s return from a long injury lay-off is a major boost to Arsenal’s hopes of a first title in more than 20 years and he teed up Bukayo Saka to blast home the opener on 15 minutes. Saka turned provider for another special strike, this time by Thomas Partey early in the second period.Teenager Ethan Nwaneri then came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal. “I think we started really well,” Arteta said. “The sense I was getting in the last 48 hours after the international break, the boys coming together and were all at it.”Speaking about Odegaard, who returned to action at Inter Milan earlier this month, he said: “It’s not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when he is playing.”Chelsea remain ahead of Arsenal on goals scored after a 2-1 win on manager Enzo Maresca’s return to Leicester. Nicolas Jackson scored the opener but Chelsea struggled to make their dominance count until Enzo Fernandez headed home, before a late consolation goal from the penalty spot for Jordan Ayew.Aston Villa are now winless in six games in all competition and had to twice come from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace. Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny twice put the Eagles in front either side of Ollie Watkins’ leveller before half-time.Villa also had Youri Tielemans’ first-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson but the Belgian midfielder made amends with the delivery for Ross Barkley’s header to secure a point. Brighton’s incredible start under 31-year-old boss Fabian Hurzeler continued with a 2-1 win at Bournemouth to climb up to fifth.Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma were on target for the Seagulls, who survived playing the final half hour down to 10 men after Carlos Baleba saw red. Wolves are out of the bottom three thanks to a stunning 4-1 win at Fulham, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice.Everton failed to take advantage of an early red card for Brentford’s Christian Norgaard in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park. Ruben Amorim takes charge of Manchester United for the first time in the pick of Sunday’s action when the Red Devils visit Ipswich.

Mohammed Khalifa al-Baker stole the spotlight in the sixth round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour, winning the Big Tour class with an impressive time of 29.41 seconds on Lisbon. At the Longines Arena in Al Shaqab, Khaled Abdulaziz al-Eid secured second place on Q-Line with a time of 30.71 seconds, while Andre Sakakini finished third in 31.49 seconds on Heavens. The trophies were presented to the winners by Ahmed Jaber al-Mulla, a board member of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.In the Open Class, Khaled Mohammed al-Emadi emerged triumphant astride Meera in 27.98 seconds. Fahad bin Jassim al-Thani took second place on Kiara Lu, finishing in 29.75 seconds, and Thorsten Wittenberg came in third, clocking 33 seconds on Damon.In the Future Riders 60cm event, Khalifa bin Joaan al-Thani secured first place in 50.01 seconds on Ardvreck Apollo, followed closely by Salman Faisal al-Marri in second place with 50.09 seconds on Saeeda. Hissa Ali al-Jabir finished third, recording 49.77 seconds on Tinkerbell.In the 80cm category, Abdulaziz Abdullah al-Abri took first place with a time of 49.95 seconds on Any Way, followed by Mohammed Faisal al-Marri in second on Soul Rebel with 50.08 seconds. Tamim bin Joaan al-Thani came in third, finishing in 50.28 seconds on Fallon Nevada. The winners in both events were awarded by Badr bin Mohammed al-Darwish, President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.Commenting on the competition, Abdullah al-Qashouti, Head of Media and Live Broadcasting for Hathab, emphasised that the tournament continues to provide numerous benefits, including improving riders’ readiness and fitness, raising the level of competition, and offering them the opportunity to vie for titles at various levels.He highlighted that the Doha International Equestrian Rounds will commence in a few weeks, a prestigious event featuring top riders from around the world.

The impact of the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was one of the highlights of this year’s MISK Global Forum 2024, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently.Coinciding with the tournament’s two year anniversary, Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser al-Khater took to the stage to reflect on the success of Qatar 2022 and the impact it had on the youth of the Arab world.The discussion saw al-Khater and Hammad Albalawi, Head of the Saudi 2034 World Cup Bid Unit, engage in a fireside chat to highlight the role of mega sporting events in driving positive change in the Middle East and Arab World.Al-Khater spoke about the importance of youth at every stage of Qatar 2022, from planning and execution to post-event initiatives.He praised the thousands of young volunteers, professionals, and entrepreneurs from across the Arab world who contributed to the event’s success, creating pathways for young people in sports management, technology, hospitality, and cultural diplomacy.He said: “The World Cup was such an important moment for Qatar. It was more than just an event, it was a matter of national pride for our country and our region. The opportunity to deliver this tournament was inspirational for a young team and organisation that grew into the challenge. We hope it inspires the next generation of people in our region who want to achieve what others say is impossible.”Two years after welcoming 1.4mn visitors to Qatar for the tournament, the legacy of 2022 continues to be felt across the Middle East and Arab world. From 11-18 December, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2024 will be held in Stadium 974 and Lusail Stadium – culminating in a Final featuring Real Madrid on the two year anniversary of the FWC Final.With a final decision set to be made on Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World 2034, Hammad Albalawi admitted his team have looked to Qatar 2022 as a foundation to galvanise regional solidarity and youth empowerment.He said: “Qatar really set the standard by hosting the best FIFA World Cup of all time. As we have navigated our own bid, we have learned from Qatar and asked questions of the 2022 team. They have been through it all and delivered on their promises for the region. We are a young team looking to achieveThe MISK Global Forum 2024 invites all aspiring changemakers, educators, policymakers, and thought leaders to join the discussion and be part of this ongoing movement toward regional and global progress.Participants at this year’s event included Prince Turki bin Talal al-Saud, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

RB Leipzig continued to lose ground on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a 4-3 defeat at lowly Hoffenheim yesterday, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen registered big wins.Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalise three times and took the lead with four minutes remaining in a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer. Equal on points with Bayern just three matchdays ago, Leipzig have since lost two and drawn one. They now sit eight points behind the league leaders after falling to third third as a result of Eintracht Frankfurt’s home win over Werder Bremen in the late game.Hoffenheim’s Adam Hlozek collected a brace while Tom Bischof scored a clever free-kick and Jacob Bruun Larsen was responsible for the winner in the 86th minute. Leipzig’s efforts came through Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa and an own goal from Hoffenheim’s Stanley N’Soki. The team from eastern Germany had only conceded five goals in the league season before yesterday’s defeat.Mario Goetze, the hero of Germany’s 2014 World Cup win, scored in his 100th Frankfurt game as his side beat Bremen 1-0 to continue their impressive league form this season.Goetze’s 45th-minute goal, blasted in from near the penalty spot, was set up by a a delicate pass from French striker Hugo Ekitike, his sixth assist of the league campaign.Dortmund beat Freiburg 4-0 thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens, while the visitors finished with nine men. Under fire and sitting outside the European spots coming into the match, Dortmund’s one saving grace this league campaign has been their home form, with five wins from five.Defending champions Leverkusen came from two goals down to win 5-2 at home against Heidenheim thanks to a hat-trick from Patrik Schick. Heidenheim, who host Chelsea in the Conference League on Thursday, were two goals up within 21 minutes, with Niklas Dorsch and Mathias Honsak taking advantage of some sleepy defending.Argentine World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios pulled one back on the half-hour mark before Schick scored three unanswered goals to wrestle back control of the match, before Granit Xhaka added a fifth.Last season’s runners-up Stuttgart scored two second-half goals through Chris Fuehrich and Justin Diehl to win 2-0 at home over bottom club Bochum, who have just two points from 11 games this season.Elsewhere, Ridle Baku scored the only goal as Wolfsburg defeated Union Berlin 1-0 at home.

Inter Milan moved top of Serie A on Saturday after a first-half blitz led to the Italian champions sweeping sorry Verona aside 5-0 and going two points clear, while AC Milan played out an uneventful goal-less draw with Juventus. Simone Inzaghi’s side are provisionally ahead of Napoli after netting all five of their goals in the opening 45 minutes at the Stadio Bentegodi through a Marcus Thuram brace and further strikes from Joaquin Correa, Stefan de Vrij and Yann Bisseck. Atalanta will claim top spot with a win over promoted Parma in late match, while on Sunday Napoli host Roma on Claudio Ranieri’s return to top-flight management. Correa’s opener in the 17th minute, a delightful dink after smart interplay with Thuram, didn’t just spark a rout, it was also the Argentinian’s first Serie A goal in over two years. Out-of-favour Correa had only played 38 minutes this season before this weekend but was excellent in place of captain and star striker Lautaro Martinez who was sent home early on Saturday with the flu. Correa, 30, hit the woodwork twice and also laid on Thuram for the first of his two near-identical goals, which were netted within the space of three minutes and came after the France forward skipped around Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo. By the time defenders De Vrij and Bisseck - with another strike set up by Correa - lashed in unlikely finishes Verona were submerged in boos and whistles from the home support. Verona have lost nine of their 13 league matches this season and sit 14th, just three points above the relegation zone. Inter now host Leipzig on Tuesday as they push for direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, having thumped Verona with a clutch of starters either injured or rested. As well as Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco and Benjamin Pavard missed Saturday’s match after a busy period on international duty. Juve trail Inter by three points in sixth place after offering little to shout about at the San Siro. Ravaged by injuries, including to starting centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, coach Thiago Motta was forced into an experimental line-up featuring midfielder Teun Koopmeiners up front. Despite the depleted line-up Juve had more shots on target - two to one - in a hugely disappointing contest in front of a crowd of more than 75,000. “I’m pleased with our performance, especially defensively against a team which created very little,” Motta said. “All in all we played well, I think a point right now keeps us going. I’m happy to see that we’re well-organised and are capable of playing like a big team should.” Milan, who started with former Juve forward Alvaro Morata leading the line, were unable to break down Juve and are seventh, nine points behind their league-leading local rivals with a game in hand. Paulo Fonseca’s side failed to trouble Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio until stoppage time with a weak header from Theo Hernandez, which was followed shortly afterwards by a hail of whistles from annoyed home fans.

By Sports ReporterDohaAl Shaqab Racing’s homebred Al Dafnah, on perfect debut, landed the Local Thoroughbred Guineas race in Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (Guineas &Barzan Cups Day – Division 2 on turf at the Al Uqda Racecourse on Saturday.Under Faleh Bughanaim’s well-timed riding, the Jean de Mieulle-trained bay filly came with a sweep from outside in the last 200m to take the lead and land the spoils in the 1400m contest for three-year-olds, completing a quick-fire double for Bughanaim.Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, presented the trophies to the winners.Earlier, the Osama Omer E al-Dafea-owned-and-trained Taxiwala (IRE) won the Thoroughbred Open 1200m Race for three-year-old+ under Faleh Bughanaim, winning by one and a half length.Pearling Path (FR), owned by Mohammed Abdulhadi S al-Hajri and trained by Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki excelled with jockey Alberto Sanna to claim the Thoroughbred Handicap (75-95) for three-year-old+ 1400m race winning by a length and quarter.It was Sanna’s third win of the day after he rode Tareq (FR), owned by Al Rufaa Racing and trained by Jassim Ghazali, to victory in the 2100m Purebred Arabian Novice Plate for four-year-olds.In the day’s opening race, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Rashid AM al-Thani’s Gulf Legend (FR), trained by Jassim Ghazali won the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate, 3YOs over 2100m under Sanna, winning by a length.

The seventh round of the 2024 Qatar Off-Road Championship (Moto) concluded at the Sealine Region on Saturday, with South Africa’s Michael Anderson finishing ahead of Championship leader Mohammed al-Balooshi. Anderson claimed the overall victory, completing 16 laps in 1:24:28, while UAE’s al-Balooshi finished second with a time of 1:25:15. Al-Balooshi’s brother, Sultan secured the third place at 1:27:26. Heat 1 at the 6.1 kilometre track saw Mohammed leading with a time of 32:47.0 in a six-lap event, but Anderson dominated Heat 2, completing 10 laps in 51:41.0. UAE’s Mansoor al-Suwaidi won the quad category, followed by his compatriots Abdulaziz Ahli and Abdullah Alfalasi, who took second and third places, respectively. The eighth and final round of the Championship takes place on December 6-7.

Novak Djokovic announced on Saturday that his retired long-time rival Andy Murray is joining the 24-time Grand Slam-winning player’s coaching team, starting at the Australian Open in January.“I’m thrilled to have one of my biggest rivals on the same side of the net with me, this time as my coach. I look forward to starting the season with Andy and having him by my side in Melbourne, where we’ve shared many exceptional moments throughout our careers,” Djokovic said in a statement.Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion who retired from competitive tennis at the Olympics in August, said: “I am very excited about this and look forward to being on the same side of the net for a change.“I’m also grateful for the opportunity to help him achieve his goals for the upcoming year.”Djokovic posted a video on X of him and Murray during the Scotsman’s playing career, jokingly titled: “He never liked retirement anyway.”The 37-year-old Serb has won the Australian Open a record 10 times, defeating Murray in four Melbourne finals.Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam in 2024 and has slipped to seventh in the world, although he did land the Olympic singles title in Paris, a victory he described as his “greatest achievement”.Jannik Sinner, who will finish the year as the runaway world number one, beat him in the Australian Open semi-finals and Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the Wimbledon final. He is level with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles by any player and would dearly love to overtake the Australian in Melbourne.Djokovic and Murray faced each other 36 times in their careers with the Serb winning 25 times. Nineteen of those clashes came in finals, including seven at the Slams. For Murray, two of those major championship duels were significant. He captured his maiden Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over his rival at the 2012 US Open while, a year later, he famously became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years courtesy of a straight sets victory in the final at the All England Club.“We played each other since we were boys – 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport,” added Djokovic on Saturday.“They called us gamechangers, risk takers, history makers. I thought our story may be over. Turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”Djokovic ended his coaching partnership with Goran Ivanisevic in March despite winning 12 Slams together. Former Wimbledon winner Ivanisevic had admitted Djokovic is “not an easy guy” such is his intensity to make history in the sport.“Especially when something’s not going his way. Sometimes it’s very complicated,” said Ivanisevic after Djokovic had claimed the 2023 French Open.

Some of the world’s top cricketers will be among 574 players seeking an Indian Premier League (IPL) payday when the lucrative T20 tournament begins its annual auction today. AFP Sport looks at five stars up for grabs during the two-day bidding frenzy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The season is likely to start in March.James Anderson (England): The England Test great wants to add a final chapter to his storied career and is seeking an IPL berth for the first time, entering the auction at a base price of $148,115. The 42-year-old fast bowler retired from Tests earlier this year after 704 wickets, the third-highest in five-day history after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and Australian spin king Shane Warne. He has limited experience in 20-over matches, playing 19 internationals for England with his last 15 years ago. But Anderson has said he isn’t ready to call time on his career, prompting West Indies great Viv Richards to liken his longevity to LeBron James.Mitchell Starc (Australia): The 34-year-old smashed the IPL auction record last year when Kolkata Knight Riders netted his services for $2.98mn. The left-arm quick and handy lower-order slugger was instrumental in their run to the title, including taking 2-14 in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kolkata nevertheless opted not to retain him. “It is what it is, that’s franchise cricket,” Starc said. With 193 wickets in 142 T20 matches, the imposing Starc - he is 1.96 metres (6 feet 4 inches) tall - enters the auction at the top base price bracket of $237,000.Rishabh Pant (India): Pant, 27, was forced out of competitive cricket for more than a year after a serious car crash in December 2022 but returned to captain the Delhi Capitals this year. India’s top wicketkeeper-batsman and the franchise parted ways after their disappointing sixth-placed finish and Pant will also enter the auction at a $237,000 base price. With his sharp glovework and knack of taking on bowlers with attacking and unconventional batting, pundits believe he is in the running to secure a record payday. “Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger,” former India quick Irfan Pathan said on social media.David Miller (South Africa): Known as “Killer Miller” for his destructive batting, the South African has a T20 international strike rate of close to 140. The 35-year-old is also looking for a new home after playing with Gujarat Titans since the team’s inception in 2022, smashing 210 runs in nine matches in this year’s season. India’s dismissal of Miller in this year’s T20 World Cup final in Barbados was a key moment in the match and the Proteas went on to lose. He is likely to set off a bidding war after registering for the auction at a base price of $178,000.Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand): Ravindra made an instant impact in his IPL debut this year, smashing 222 runs at a punishing strike rate above 161 for Chennai Super Kings. The left-hander’s ability to play spin with aplomb on subcontinent pitches saw him fare well during last year’s ODI World Cup and in New Zealand’s recent 3-0 Test whitewash in India. The Wellington-born Ravindra’s parents hail from Bengaluru and hopes abound there that he will join the city’s franchise, which also features fan favourite Virat Kohli. The 25-year-old’s first name reflects his father’s love of India’s cricket greats - “Ra” from Rahul Dravid and “chin” from Sachin Tendulkar. Ravindra enters the auction at a $178,000 base price.

Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a composed unbeaten 90 and K L Rahul a stylish 62 on Saturday as India built an ominous 218-run lead over Australia to take a stranglehold on the opening Test in Perth.A determined and gritty effort by both men against a world-class attack put the visitors in the driving seat as they look to draw first blood in the five-match series.Jaiswal faced 193 balls while Rahul fended off 153 to steer India to 172 without loss at the close on day two. India have won their last two Border-Gavaskar trophy series in Australia but came into the Perth Stadium clash after a devastating 3-0 home loss to New Zealand.After making a miserly 150 on a lively pitch in their first innings, the pressure was again on. But their response proved admirable.They took a 46-run advantage into the second innings after dismissing the hosts for a meagre 104 at lunch. Dynamic skipper Jasprit Bumrah blitzed 5-30 and Harshit Rana grabbed 3-48.“When Bumrah took wickets I was also desperate to do well,” said Rana, who is making his debut.“He sets the tone for us and I delivered.”Young gun Jaiswal, just 22 and in his 15th Test, failed to score in his first knock and began tentatively before a boundary off Mitchell Starc settled him.Batting alongside the more experienced Rahul, who was playing in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, they were resolute against the new ball on a pitch more placid than the treacherous one that greeted the players on Friday. Both ran well between the wicket and cracked anything loose to the boundary, playing their shots as their confidence grew. With the ball not moving nearly as much, Australia were in dire need of some inspiration, but it failed to come as the partnership flourished. Left-hander Jaiswal brought up his ninth Test half-century off 123 balls, slapping Nathan Lyon for a single.He had a let-off on 52 when attempting a drive off Starc, with the ball flying to Usman Khawaja at second slip, but he failed to take a difficult chance.The elegant Rahul also had a scare, surviving a run-out on 42.He regrouped to reach his 16th half-century in his 54th Test, taking one more ball than Jaiswal, and with those landmarks reached they began playing more freely.“I think the wicket has changed considerably,” said Australia coach Andrew McDonald.“The seam and swing was down compared to on Saturday, but KL and Jaiswal played extremely well.“We have some problems to solve ahead of us, there’s no doubt,” he added. “We’re clearly well behind the game at this point. “But that’s not to say that tomorrow can’t change very quickly, Test cricket ebbs and flows.”After an astonishing 17 wickets fell on a chaotic opening day, Australia resumed on 67-7 and put on 37 thanks to a dogged last wicket holdout. They reached three figures courtesy of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with their 25-run stand the longest of the Australian innings.Bumrah was India’s chief destroyer with his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests. Home hopes rested on Alex Carey as he began on 19, but after nudging two from Rana he came up against an irrepressible Bumrah. Coming round the wicket, the Indian captain made Carey play and he nicked to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.Lyon (5) did well to hang around for 16 fiery balls before gloving a short one from Rana to Rahul in the slips. That brought Hazlewood to the crease and it seemed only a matter of time before India were batting again. But he and Starc gamely stuck around, bringing up the 100 to huge cheers from the crowd. It was an intelligent innings by Starc, who doggedly faced 112 balls and protected Hazlewood to add crucial extra runs before holing out Rana to Pant on 26.BRIEF SCORESIndia 150 and 172 for 0 (Jaiswal 90*, Rahul 62*) lead Australia 104 (Bumrah 5-30, Rana 3-48) by 218 runs.

Imal Liyanage’s blistering knock of 86 powered Qatar to a 48-run win over Cambodia, securing their third consecutive victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Sub Regional Qualifier B on Saturday. Liyanage hammered eight sixes and three boundaries in his 54-ball innings, steering Qatar to 170-7 after they elected to bat first at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground.The left-hander forged a pivotal 98-run opening stand in 10.1 overs with Saqlain Arshad, who contributed a quickfire 38 off 24 balls. Their partnership laid a solid foundation as the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with only Muhammad Tanveer (19) managing double figures.On debut, 41-year-old Mohammed Aslam spearheaded Qatar’s bowling attack, claiming 3-20 as Cambodia were restricted to 122-8. Arumugaganesh Nagarajan bagged two wickets while Owais Ahmed and Ikramullah Khan picked up one apiece. Cambodia’s Lakshit Gupta top-scored with 49.Qatar are set to face Bahrain tomorrow. In other matches, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continued their dominant run, thrashing Thailand by 155 runs at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. Meanwhile, Bahrain crushed Bhutan by 90 runs at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium. UAE lead the standings with eight points from four matches, while Qatar remain in contention for a top-two finish with six points from three games. Bahrain and Thailand are tied on four points, followed by Saudi Arabia (2 points).Cambodia and Bhutan are yet to register a win. The top two teams will qualify for the Regional Final, joining Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea.

Three-time champion Max Verstappen criticised his Red Bull team but added it was a “nice surprise” to have qualified ahead of title rival Lando Norris for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.The 27-year-old Dutch driver, who leads Norris by 62 points with three races remaining, said Red Bull had “thrown away two race weekends” by failing to have a dedicated low-downforce rear wing for circuits with high-speed straights such as Monza and Las Vegas.The pair qualified fifth and sixth and will share the third row of the grid for Saturday night’s ‘Sin City’ race in which Verstappen can seal a fourth consecutive drivers’ crown by beating his friend and nearest rival.He said he had not expected to be faster than the British McLaren driver in a session topped by George Russell of Mercedes, who claimed his fourth career pole.“We are in front of McLaren and that’s a nice surprise for me,” said Verstappen.Norris was despondent about his chances, saying he felt “top four was out of reach” for him.“Mercedes have been easily quickest,” added Norris.“I was struggling in corners and could not find the balance. It was too much of a challenge.“But I will do all I can in the race to do what I need. I will keep going to the end and will do my best in every race whether I am fighting for the championship or not.”Verstappen, though, was unhappy with his team for not updating their rear wing.“We opted not to make one,” he said of Red Bull’s lack of a circuit specific rear wing.“We don’t have one. This is from 2022. I think we thought we would never run it that low and then, with the budget cap, it stayed like that.“But I think it is a decision that needs revising.“With the budget cap, you choose your priorities and we shifted on that.“It feels like we throw away two race weekends like this because you lose too much on the straights.”He added he felt that despite trimming their rear wing in Las Vegas, it remained “a bit of a handicap”.“We knew it and that’s something that we have to deal with on a track like this and like Monza,” he said.“I think we did the best we could with what we had.“We got a bit lucky with Lewis (Hamilton) not putting a lap in otherwise I would have been sixth. But I feel happy with my laps.”

Akran Afif scored a brace and provided an assist as Al Sadd rallied from being two goals down to beat Al Khor 5-2 in Qatar Stars League match played at the Al Khor Stadium on Friday.While Al Khor struck through Ruben Semedo (3rd minute) and Sofiane Hanni (8th minute), Al Sadd hit back with goals from Ahmed Suhail (10th minute), Romain Saiss (27th minute), Akram Afif (48th and 54th minutes) and Cristo Gonzalez (68th minute). The hard-fought win saw Al Sadd move within a point of leaders Al Duhail (on 22 points) while Al Khor, who still remain winless in the league, stay in last and 12th place with four points.Al Khor’s position notwithstanding they came out with a strong show against the defending champions and kept challenging them till the very end. Al Sadd, woken up by the two-goals alarm, were admirably guided by their mercurial winger and captain Akram Afif, who not only initiated most of the potential moves but was also instrumental in providing one clear assist besides scoring a brace.Al Khor had caught Al Sadd napping when Semedo converted a corner kick with a clear strike and five minutes later when Hanni moved into the striking zone, following an Al Sadd long kick which couldn’t be checked by the defending line, to double their lead. A rattled but determined Al Sadd hit back within minutes as Suhail made a superb header from the left after a cross from Gonzalez (1-2).Al Sadd fetched the equaliser in fine fashion from a set piece as Afif chose to move the ball to his left to Moustafa Tarek who moved it to Yusuf Abdurisag to make a back flip before Saiss ran in to put the ball into the net from near the right post (2-2).Al Sadd struck again in the 38th minute after an Afif strike was deflected by the goalkeeper but he regained possession to feed Mohamed Camara who battled past Semedo to provide an assist for Giovani Henrique to score, but a VAR check saw referee rule a foul against Camara and the goal being disallowed.Both teams went into the breather at 2-2. Al Sadd returned and gained the lead soon with Afif grabbing a long ball to go on and strike even while being chased by Abdulrahman Juma (3-2).Six minutes later Afif was back in action making a sprint to forcefully score past a hapless goalkeeper (4-2). At the hour mark, and Al Sadd attempt saw Yusuf Abdurisag hit the left post.Al Sadd kept their charge on and soon Afif sent in a beautiful through pass from Gonzalez to do the rest (5-2). Creditably, Al Khor kept attacking and also came close to being successful but Al Sadd goalkeeper Yousef Abdullah Balideh defied three Yohan Boli attempts including two kicks in front of the goal.Gharafa climb to third place after win over WakrahLater, Al Gharafa came back a goal down to beat Al Wakrah 3-1 at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium. While Al Wakrah took the lead through a penalty kick in the 20th minute scored by Ricardo Gomes, Al Gharafa hit back with goals from Ahmed Al Ganehi (45+2 minute), Joselu (60th minute) and an Own Goal from Lucas Mendes (75th minute).The win pitchforked Al Gharafa into the top the top three of the rankings with a tally of 18 points, ahead of Al Ahli in 4th on goal difference, whereas Al Wakrah remain in 5th spot with 14 points.Despite gaining an early advantage, Al Wakrah also suffered from many of their own mistakes as Al Gharafa gained ground to make amends. Al Wakrah won the penalty after Ayoub Assal was brought down inside the box by Seydou Sano and Gomes stepped up to score.Both teams then had equal share of exchanges until the added time of the opening half when Ferjani Sassi made a fine lob from the midfield for an unmarked Ganehi to run in and beat a challenging Mendes to get the equalizer.Al Gharafa then moved into the lead with their star player Yacine Brahimi dribbling his way past Al Wakrah’s Yousef Tarek al-Khatib to provide the ball for Joselu to score.Minutes later, Al Wakrah’s Hamdy Fathy, when being face to face with Al Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar, made the mistake of playing the ball to his left and thereby missing out on a striking chance.Al Gharafa hit back as Brahimi forced his way into the danger area. He was tackled by Alexander Scholz but despite falling down, Brahimi was back up and went on to beat a charging goalkeeper Mohammed Albakri. The Algerian’s kick found Mendes in the way, who in the scramble deflected it into his own goal.Three minutes later, Al Wakrah’s Jacinto Dala made a diagonal strike but the ball hit the bottom of the left post much to their dismay.Meanwhile, a stoppage-time strike saw from Younes Belhanda saw Al Shamal sink Al Rayyan 2-1 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. The closely-contested match saw Al Rayyan move into the lead in added time of the opening half through Roger Guedes (45+2’) but Al Shamal kept challenging and were rewarded with two late goals as Mohammed Khaled al-Nuami (83rd minute), and Younes Belhanda (90+7 minute) struck to shock their rivals.The thrilling win also moved Al Shamal into sixth place in the rankings with 13 points while Al Rayyan remain in eighth spot with 10 points.

New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said he is the right man to revive the ailing English giants’ fortunes ahead of his debut against Ipswich on Sunday.Amorim was hired from Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag, who was sacked after a dismal start to the season left United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League.The 39-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe after leading Sporting to a pair of Portugese titles during his four years in Lisbon. But United have won just four of their 11 league games this term, extending a malaise that has set in since they last won the Premier League in Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge 11 years ago.Asked if he believes he can eventually restore United to the summit of English football, Amorim told reporters: “I’m a little bit of a dreamer, I believe in myself. I believe in the club, we have the same mindset. I truly believe in the players, I know you don’t believe a lot but I do. I want to try new things. You guys don’t think it’s possible, I do.”After arriving in Manchester during the international break, Amorim will finally get his first taste of the Premier League when United travel to struggling Ipswich this weekend. He is trying to succeed where David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag all failed by bringing the title back to Old Trafford.The Portuguese boss is adamant reviving United is not an impossible job, despite a difficult combination of high expectations and under performing squad. “Call me naive, but I truly believe that I’m the right guy in the right moment,” he added.Amorim was speaking to the media for the first time since taking charge on November 11. The packed press conference room at United’s Carrington training ground underlined what Amorim has already started to realise about the size and global reach of the 20-time English champions. “It’s bigger than I imagined. There’s a lot of departments, it’s so much different than Sporting, and Sporting is a big club in Portugal,” he said. “This you feel is a global club, so you have so much to do.”Amorim’s rise has been compared to the early success enjoyed by compatriot Mourinho at Porto. Mourinho took English football by storm when appointed Chelsea boss in 2004, shortly after guiding Porto to Champions League glory. “He sent me a message saying it’s a big club with lovely people, and he’s correct, it still is,” Amorim said of Mourinho. “With all the Portuguese coaches, we’ve shown that we can be the best in the world. I’m different from Mourinho. He was a European champion, I am not. Football is different nowadays, I think I am the right person for this moment. I am a young guy and I try to use this to help my players.”Amorim’s confidence extends to his tactics and he is ready to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 system despite players who might not be suited to the formation. “I prefer to risk a little bit,” he said. “We will adapt some players because we don’t have the right profile. This team was built for a different system. It’s not evolution or revolution, it’s a change in the way we play football.”Acknowledging United’s numerous flaws, Amorim knows he faces a massive task to catch up the likes of rivals Manchester City and Liverpool. “We have space to grow as a team. We have to improve in a lot of areas,” he said. “If you want to speak about the team and the way we play, we lose the ball too often. We have to be better at running back and we have to be very good in the details. We have to change the physical aspect of the team. I don’t know how long it will take. We have to improve a lot to try to win the title.”