Sports

LONDON: India’s Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday, bringing the curtain down on a career highlighted by his leadership during a remarkable 2021 Test series victory in Australia. The middle-order batsman played 85 Tests, 90 one-day internationals and 20 Twenty20 matches, but fell out of favourwith selectors after a drop in form and last played … Read more

MIAMI: Lionel Messi returned to training with his US club side Inter Miami on Wednesday, 10 days after losing the World Cup final with Argentina. The superstar forward was shown stepping onto the training field alongside his Miami teammate Luis Suarez in a video posted to social media by the Major League Soccer club. Since … Read more

Pakistan clinched the CAVA Men’s Volleyball Championship 2026 title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Bangladesh in the final, securing their third Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) crown. The tournament was held from July 22 to July 29 at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad, where Pakistan remained one of the standout teams throughout the competition. … Read more

West Indies bowler Jayden Seales (L) celebrates after dismissing Mohammad Abbas of Pakistan to end the first Test. Photo: AFP TAROUBA: Pakistan crumbled for the second consecutive day to the West Indies pace attack, losing the first Test of a two-match series by 90 runs on the fourth day in Trinidad on Tuesday. Set a … Read more

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed renowned Dutch coach Richard de Snijjer as the head coach of the Pakistan women’s national hockey team as part of its long-term strategy to revive and strengthen women’s hockey in the country. According to a PHF press release issued on Tuesday, De Snijjer brings more than two decades of … Read more

LONDON: CONCACAF followed UEFA on Wednesday by criticisingFIFA’s controversial plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a semi-private subsidiary. World football’s governing body said Tuesday it would retain a majority share in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) but hoped to raise $4.2 billion … Read more

Hardik Singh (left) trains with the India squad in Bengaluru. “Every nation has a time and I believe India has arrived,” says the 27-year-old. Photo: AFP INDIA: Under the gaze of men’s coach Craig Fulton, India’s hockey players run, dribble and sweat buckets at an intense training camp in Bengaluru. Once the undisputed kings of … Read more

Roberto Mancini had been coaching Qatari club Al-Sadd. Photo: AFP/File MILAN: Roberto Mancini has been named the head coach of Italy’s national team for a second time, tasked with revitalising the Azzurri who have missed out on the last three World Cups, FIGC president Giovanni Malago said Tuesday. Technical director Paolo Maldini, who reportedly threatened to resign if Mancini was … Read more

Joao Pedro impressed new Chelsea manager XabiAlonso with a hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers. Photo: AFP LONDON: Chelsea’s Brazilian striker Joao Pedro is “very hungry” after his World Cup snub, with a quick-fire hat-trick in the team’s opening pre-season game impressing new manager Xabi Alonso. The 24-year-old was snapped up from Brighton a year ago and scored … Read more

Temwa Chawinga scored twice for Malawi in a stunning WAFCON victory over Nigeria. Photo: AFP JOHANNESBURG: Sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga starred as rank outsiders Malawi stunned defending champions Nigeria 3-2 on Tuesday in a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group C match in Morocco. Temwa, who plays for United States club Kansas City Current, scored twice and … Read more