CAIRO: A group of Egyptian soccer players have formed a team for one-legged players, hoping to start league for disabled players in the country.
“The Miracle Team,” consists of twenty-five players from across Egypt who meet twice a week to train on a pitch in Cairo. While the team began training in freestyle soccer — a non-competitive art where players perform tricks with a ball — they soon decided to aim higher.
“I started bringing the people in and coach Yousry, the team coach, called me to start training me on freestyle football,” team captain Mahmoud Ibrahim Tawfik, who lost a leg in a road accident more than 20 years ago, told Reuters.
“I told him I have another dream of becoming a real life soccer player not just a freestyle footballer who has skills.”
The team hope to inspire other disabled Egyptians to take up the sport and eventually establish a federation which could regulate a domestic league for the disabled.
“In each governorate we are asking the players to form a team to spread the game,” said team coach Yousry Mohamed Ibrahim.
Despite their enthusiasm, the team faces a raft of challenges: a lack of funding, a paucity of special playing crutches and difficulties finding a regular pitch for training.
Amputee Football has special rules: seven leg-amputee players play on each opposing team, and the goalkeepers must have one arm. Crutches are not allowed to touch the ball and there is no offside rule or limits to substitutions.
There are 42 nations who now have national amputee football federations, according to the World Amputee Football Federation. The next amputee football World Cup is being held in Mexico later this year
One-legged Egyptian soccer players aim for a league of their own
One-legged Egyptian soccer players aim for a league of their own
Yamamoto outduels Darvish as Dodgers drop Padres 2-0 to advance in MLB playoffs
- Two days after fending off elimination, the Dodgers completed a 3-2 victory over the Padres in the best-of-five National League division series
- The victory means Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani will have a chance to battle for a World Series berth
LOS ANGELES: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five brilliant innings and Los Angeles homered twice in a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday that propelled the Dodgers into the National League Championship Series.
Two days after fending off elimination, the Dodgers completed a 3-2 victory over the Padres in the best-of-five National League division series and will host the New York Mets in game one of the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday.
Yamamoto came out on top in a historic duel with San Diego hurler Yu Darvish — the first Major League Baseball post-season matchup between two Japanese-born starting pitchers.
“I think in Japan, a lot of fans were looking forward to today’s matchup,” said Yamamoto, who added that he was determined to improve on a lackluster performance in the Dodgers’ Game 1 win.
“The last outing, I didn’t do my job well,” he said.
“I was just trying to focus on getting myself ready, preparing more meticulously... I think my mechanics was locked in today,” said the pitcher, who gave up two hits over five innings with one walk and two strikeouts, throwing 63 pitches — 39 of them strikes.
“He set the tone,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, adding that he was confident Yamamoto would rise to the occasion based on his past performances — including for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
“He’s pitched in big ball games,” Roberts said. “And I believed in him. I knew he was going to rise to the occasion.
“And he was outstanding tonight. And I knew he wasn’t going to run from this spot. I’m looking forward to riding him through the World Series.”
Yamamoto allowed back-to-back singles to Kyle Higashioka and Luis Arraez in the third inning. But he induced Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit into an inning-ending double play and retired the last seven batters he faced before turning it over to the Dodgers relievers — who closed it out without allowing a hit over four innings.
Darvish pitched 6 2/3 impressive innings, but he gave up solo home runs to Enrique Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez, and that was all the Dodgers needed.
Puerto Rican slugger Hernandez crushed a solo shot to left field to put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the second inning, pouncing on a first-pitch fastball from Darvish, who had walked Max Muncy to open the inning before Will Smith hit into a double play.
It was the 14th post-season homer for 33-year-old Hernandez.
Darvish retired 14 straight batters before Teoscar Hernandez made it 2-0 in the seventh, launching a 420-foot blast into the left field seats.
When the Dominican slugger tossed his bat away to round the bases Dodger Stadium erupted.
“This is my first time in this kind of atmosphere,” Hernandez, who inked a one-year, $23.5-million deal with the Dodgers in January, told broadcaster Fox. “But I love this. This is why I came here.”
Padres manager Mike Shildt could find little to fault in Darvish’s performance.
“I thought Yu was magnificent again,” Shildt said. “Had them off balance. Couple of swings got him. Other than that, he was really good.”
But San Diego’s vaunted hitters — three-time batting champion Arraez, Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado, combined to go 1-for-14 at the plate in Game 5.
The Padres failed to score a run in the last 24 innings of the series.
“I think ‘stunning’ is appropriate,” Shildt said of the drought.
The Dodgers, the 2020 World Series champions, are back in the league championship series for the first time since 2021 after division series defeats the past two seasons.
The victory means Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani will have a chance to battle for a World Series berth.
Ohtani earned two American League Most Valuable Player awards in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels but is in the playoffs for the first time after jumping to the Dodgers in December in a record 10-year, $700 million deal.
Injury-hit Australia thrash ‘embarrassing’ Pakistan at Women’s T20 World Cup
- Spinner Ashleigh Gardner finished with figures of 4-21 in Dubai as six-time winners Australia bundled out Pakistan for 82 — the lowest team total in this edition
- Australia have been clinical in their three matches in Group A to extend their victory run in the tournament since 2020
DUBAI: Defending champions Australia hammered “embarrassing” Pakistan by nine wickets to extend their winning streak to 14 in the Women’s T20 World Cup and close in on a semifinal spot on Friday.
Spinner Ashleigh Gardner finished with figures of 4-21 in Dubai as six-time winners Australia bundled out Pakistan for 82 — the lowest team total in this edition.
Skipper Alyssa Healy hit 37 before retiring hurt as Australia romped home in 11 overs to stay unbeaten against Pakistan in the format.
Healy injured her leg while going for a second run and she walked off in pain, becoming the second player injured after quick bowler Tayla Vlaeminck dislocated her shoulder while fielding in the first over of the match.
“Alyssa sustained an acute right foot injury while running between wickets,” said a Cricket Australia statement.
“Once we have more information based on her assessment and scans tomorrow, her availability for the remainder of the tournament will be clearer.”
Vice-captain Tahlia McGrath said: “It has been a big day for us and heartbroken for the two girls. We will find out in a few days.”
“The thing about this Australian side is how much depth we have got, captaincy-wise and wicketkeeper-wise, yeah, time to use it.”
Australia have been clinical in their three matches in Group A to extend their victory run in the tournament since 2020.
Pakistan, whose semifinal hopes have been seriously hit with their second loss in three matches, suffered a big blow when captain Fatima Sana flew back home ahead of the match after the death of her father.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Muneeba Ali took charge.
Invited to bat first, Pakistan lost regular wickets after left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux dismissed Ali, for seven, and pace bowler Megan Schutt had Sadaf Shamas caught behind for three.
Middle-order batter Aliya Riaz offered some resistance with her 26 but fell to Gardner as Pakistan’s innings ended in 19.5 overs.
“We are not up to the mark in batting. That’s not how you approach T20 cricket, it’s embarrassing and we need to change that and win games for Pakistan,” said Ali.
“Everybody needs to step up and we need to have the confidence to win the last game.”
Australia started strongly with Beth Mooney hitting Sadia Iqbal for three boundaries in the third over before the bowler had revenge in the next.
Mooney was caught out for 15 but Healy took charge before being retired hurt.
Ellyze Perry, on 22, and player of the match Gardner, on seven, took the team home.
Australia next take on India in a much-awaited clash on Sunday in Sharjah.
New Zealand will face Sri Lanka on Saturday in a key Group A clash as they and India could be one of the two teams from this group to move into the semifinals.
Undav scores twice for Germany in Nations League and Hungary hold Dutch to draw
- In the absence of several stalwarts, the Germans played with confidence, developed complex attacking moves and gave the impression of enjoying themselves
- Georgia’s unbeaten record was ended by Ukraine in Group B1
LONDON: Germany’s rebuilding appears to be on the right track.
Denis Undav scored twice and the four-time World Cup winners extended their unbeaten record in the Nations League to three matches after a convincing 2-1 win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.
Reduced to 10 men, the Netherlands managed a 1-1 draw in Hungary.
Following the retirements of Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos, Germany started a new cycle and their clean and fluid display against a spirited Bosnia side bodes well for the future.
The Germans top their group after also thrashing Hungary 5-0 and drawing in the Netherlands 2-2.
In the absence of several stalwarts, the Germans played with confidence, developed complex attacking moves and gave the impression of enjoying themselves. They had plenty of chances to score more and had a couple of goals disallowed for offside.
“I knew that Bosnia and Herzegovina are good defensively but you have to keep in mind that we had many chances,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. “That’s why Bosnia and Herzegovina stayed in the game.”
The only downside was the defensive lapse when Hungary’s Edin Dzeko pulled one back 20 minutes from time.
The visitors took the lead in the 30th minute at the conclusion of a move that showcased Florian Wirtz’s cleverness. The unmarked midfielder collected a lofted pass in the box and, instead of trying his luck, cut an unexpected back pass to Undav, who calmly finished the move.
Undav, who marked his first start for Germany with a goal against the Netherlands, was clinical on Friday.
His Stuttgart clubmate Maximilian Mittelstadt was the provider six minutes later with an excellent cross, and Undav doubled Germany’s lead with a clean tap-in from close range.
Bosnia’s Ermedin Demirovic, another Stuttgart player, hit the woodwork in the 35th, but Dzeko scored in the 70th with a header from a corner, his 67th goal for the national team.
Hungary hold the Netherlands
The Dutch’s unbeaten run was almost stopped at Puskas Arena.
The Netherlands won all nine previous meetings with Hungary and enjoyed most of the possession in the first half. But it could not find an edge to get past the staunch Hungarian defense. Roland Sallai put the hosts in the driver’s seat in the 32nd with a close-range finish from Zsolt Nagy’s cross.
The Dutch looked set for a dreadful evening when defender Virgil van Dijk was sent off for a second yellow card but Denzel Dumfries earned a point for the visitors with a header from Cody Gakpo’s curled free kick in the 83rd.
“Even with 10 men, we tried to put pressure forward,” Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said. “I did have the idea: we’re going to score. If you have a man less, you are relieved that you still (finish) 1-1.”
Germany opened a two-point lead over the Netherlands at the top of the A3 Group. Hungary were third ahead of Bosnia.
Ukraine down Georgia 1-0
Georgia’s unbeaten record was ended by Ukraine in Group B1.
Georgia, the surprise of this year’s European Championship, won their first two games and remained at the top of the group despite the loss. Mykhailo Mudryk scored the winner for Ukraine, earning the war-torn country its first points in the tournament.
The Czech Republic won against Albania 2-0.
Other results
Iceland erased a two-goal deficit to draw with Wales 2-2. Brennan Johnson scored in a seventh consecutive game for club and country as the Tottenham winger put Wales ahead with the opener. Turkiye defeated Montenegro 1-0 in the other Group B4 game. In League C, Estonia won against Azerbaijan 3-1 while Sweden drew at Slovakia 2-2.
Rugby and judo take center stage in latest Saudi Games action
RIYADH: The rugby competitions of the Saudi Games concluded on Friday at the Riyadh Club, with 82 players from six clubs participating.
The Saudi Warriors team secured first place and the gold medal, while Jeddah's team earned the silver, and the Riyadh Falcons took the bronze. The winners were presented with their medals by Ali Al-Dajani, chairman of the Saudi Rugby Federation.
In the judo competitions, both men’s and women’s winners were awarded their prizes by Abdulaziz Al-Bassam, president of the Saudi Judo Federation.
In the men’s -81 kg weight category, Abdullah Hammad from Al-Ula clinched gold, while his teammate Suleiman Hammad won silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Abdulilah Al-Bali (Al-Ula) and Mohammed Al-Harbi (Al-Ittihad).
In the +81 kg weight category, Mohammed Al-Hajri (Al-Qadisiyah) took home the gold, with Naif Mazyou (Al-Ula) earning silver. Rakan Zaidan (Al-Tai) and Rakan Al-Dosari (Al-Qadisiyah) secured bronze.
In the 66 kg category, Abdulaziz Al-Bishi (Al-Ula) claimed the top spot with gold, while Issa Majrashi (Al-Ula) took silver, and Abdullah Al-Faraidhi (Al-Shabab) along with Abdulmajeed Khurrd (Al-Bajadiyah) received bronze.
For the women’s 63 kg category, Ghada Al-Otaibi (Al-Qadisiyah) emerged victorious with the gold medal, while Karen Shamas (Al-Ula) took silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Sandance Al-Sharif (Al-Bajadiyah) and Raghad Al-Zahrani (Al-Qadisiyah).
There was also action in handball, volleyball, equestrian, weightlifting, golf, gymnastics, rock climbing and triathlon.
‘Sure bet’ Zubimendi can replace injured Rodri: Spain coach
- “If Rodri is the best player then Zubimendi is the second best in this position,” De la Fuente told a news conference
- “He’s got experience under his belt, he oozes security through every pore of his skin”
MADRID: Spain coach Luis de la Fuente backed midfielder Martin Zubimendi on Friday to deputise for injured star Rodri Hernandez in the months ahead.
Manchester City’s Rodri, a key player for his country, suffered a severe knee injury in September and will be out for the rest of the season.
Rodri was vital in holding midfield as Spain clinched Euro 2024 victory this summer but Real Sociedad midfielder Zubimendi, 25, also made a big impact in the final.
Zubimendi replaced the injured Rodri at half-time against England in the Berlin final as La Roja triumphed 2-1 with two goals after the break.
“Zubimendi has been playing (brilliant) games for a long time, if Rodri is the best player then Zubimendi is the second best in this position,” De la Fuente told a news conference.
“He’s got experience under his belt, he oozes security through every pore of his skin.
“Martin doesn’t get nervous... he’s a very mature player, so calm... Zubi is a sure bet, who never fails.”
Nations League champions Spain, second in group A4, host leaders Denmark on Saturday in Murcia, before welcoming Serbia to Cordoba on Tuesday.
They are also without Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal, who is also set to miss the season with a knee injury, and explosive winger Nico Williams with a minor knock, among others.
“We’re not going to cry, we’re not going to make excuses about missing players, the ones who are here are very good too, also the best (players in the world) for me,” continued the coach.
“Whoever is playing tomorrow in the place of Nico, or Rodri, or Dani, are absolutely great... they will give us more tactical richness.
“We’re not going to change anything in terms of our plan or our idea of football... the idea is very clear.”
De la Fuente said injuries were the “ugliest” part of football, but they also created opportunities.
“Nobody is irreplacable... those who get the chance, albeit for unfortunate reasons, it’s the time to take advantage of it,” added De la Fuente.
