Tearful Evenepoel set to win Vuelta after protecting lead

Belgian Remco Evenepoel of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, red shirt leader of La Vuelta, reacts at the end of the 20th stage of the Vuelta cycling race between Moralzalzar to Puerto Navacerrada, Spain. (AP)
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Updated 11 September 2022
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Tearful Evenepoel set to win Vuelta after protecting lead

  • Evenepoel is set to become the first Belgian to win a Grand Tour since 1978 when Johan De Muynck won the Giro d’Italia

PUERTO DE NAVACERRADA, Spain: Remco Evenepoel all but clinched his first Grand Tour title on Saturday after the 22-year-old Belgian protected his lead in the Spanish Vuelta on the three-week race’s final competitive stage.

Well-supported by his Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team, Evenepoel had little trouble ensuring that Enric Mas and the Spaniard’s Movistar team were never able to challenge the two-minute lead he took into the 20th stage in mountains just north of Madrid, where the race ends on Sunday.

Evenepoel burst into tears on crossing the finish line, where he was embraced by his teammates. He is set to become the first Belgian to win a Grand Tour since 1978 when Johan De Muynck won the Giro d’Italia.

The final stage is a flat 97-kilometer (60-mile) ride from Las Rozas to a finish in Spain’s capital when custom dictates that no rider challenges the pacesetter. While the team leaders will use it to enjoy the end of the grueling event, the sprinters will vie for the stage win.

Evenepoel said that he had finally “delivered” after previous disappointment.

“I don’t know what’s going through my head and my body right now. It’s amazing. All the critics and the bad comments I received after last year, I think I finally delivered and answered with my pedals,” Evenepoel said. “I’ve been working so hard to come here in the best shape possible. To now win this Vuelta is just amazing. It’s actually the first Grand Tour I start healthy.

“(This is) for Belgium, for my teammates, my family, my fiancee… I have been away so many weeks and months, it is for them.”

Evenepoel had a difficult 2021, abandoning the Giro d’Italia after a crash in the 17th stage, and facing criticism from Eddy Merckx over what the Belgian great said was his unwillingness to ride for the team. But Evenepoel has rebounded this year, also winning the San Sebastián Classic for a second time in June. His first race win as a professional came at age 19 when he won the single-day race in northern Spain.

Richard Carapaz won the 181-kilometer (112-mile) stage from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada that included three category-one climbs in 4 hours, 41 minutes. It was the third stage win of this Vuelta for Carapaz. The Olympic gold medalist and the 2019 Giro winner also won the 12th and 14th stages.

Evenepoel has held the red jersey since taking the lead in the sixth stage. His most dangerous challenger was three-time defending champion Primoz Roglic, who was gaining ground until he crashed earlier this week and had to withdraw from the race.

That left Mas as his only real threat over the final days, but the Spaniard was unable to close the gap.

Mas made his last attempt to break Evenepoel on the fourth climb up the category-one Puerta de la Morcuera after Movistar had set a hard pace and shed Evenepoel of his teammates. But Evenepoel latched onto his wheel and that was the end of Mas’ hopes. The Spaniard only shaved two seconds off Evenepoel’s advantage, which stands at 2 minutes, 5 seconds.

Mas is set to finish second in the overall classification with Juan Ayuso, a 19-year-old rider of UAE Team Emirates, completing the podium.

“Today I responded with the legs. I didn’t think about winning the stage, I just wanted to win the general classification,” Evenepoel said. “I only had to follow, to control and believe in my power. In the end the race was super hard but we did really well. It’s the most beautiful day of my life.”


ES Tunis claim 1-0 win, eliminating LAFC from Club World Cup

Updated 9 sec ago
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ES Tunis claim 1-0 win, eliminating LAFC from Club World Cup

The victory takes ES Tunis (1-1-0, 3 points) level with Chelsea in Group D
The winner of ES Tunis’ meeting with Chelsea on Tuesday in Philadelphia will move on to the knockout phase

LOS ANGELES: Youcef Belaïli scored in the 70th minute, goalkeeper Ben Said saved a penalty deep in second-half stoppage time and Esperance Sportive de Tunis defeated Los Angeles FC 1-0 to keep their FIFA Club World Cup hopes alive in a dramatic contest Friday in Nashville, Tennessee

The victory takes ES Tunis (1-1-0, 3 points) level with Chelsea in Group D, after the English side lost 3-1 to Brazil’s Flamengo earlier on Friday.

Referee Espen Eskas awarded a very late spot kick following a video review, ruling Khalil Guenichi had felled Marlon in the area.

But Denis Bouanga drove his ensuing penalty kick into the dive of Ben Said, the final salvo in a result that eliminated LAFC (0-2-0, 0 points) from tournament contention.

The winner of ES Tunis’ meeting with Chelsea on Tuesday in Philadelphia will move on to the knockout phase, with Chelsea advancing on a draw based on superior goal differential.

The Tunisians also had an earlier penalty decision go against them 20 minutes before Belailis opener, when the Algerian attacker believed he had earned a spot kick after driving past Bouanga on the dribble.

But Eskas was summoned to the monitor, and after consulting replays, ruled Bouanga wasn’t guilty of a foul, and booked Belaili for simulation.

That failed to halt the match momentum for Tunis, however, who were superior for most of the encounter and didn’t allow LAFC to record a shot on target until second-half stoppage time.

They were eventually rewarded when Amine Ben Hamida made a marauding run from the left flank near the midfield stripe into the penalty area.

He was halted by an LAFC defender’s challenge. But Belaili was first to the loose ball, and he drove his finish low and hard through LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

It appeared LAFC’s fading tournament hopes would be given a lifeline after Eskas’ second pivotal penalty decision, with the Gabon international Bouanga stepping forward.

But Said dove to his left, and with Bouanga’s placement very poor, the Tunisian ‘keeper kicked the ball wide of danger with his trailing leg.

Kenyan referee suspended over protest violence allegation

Updated 41 min 32 sec ago
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Kenyan referee suspended over protest violence allegation

  • Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) county sub-branch chairman Bernard Omondi confirmed they had “launched an investigation” against a referee
  • “He will not be allowed to referee,” Omondi said

NAIROBI: Kenya’s football association confirmed Saturday it had suspended one of its referees over social media clips appearing to show the official harassing protesters in the capital.

Tensions have risen in the east African country ahead of the anniversary of last year’s massive Gen Z-led demonstrations, with small rallies breaking out in Nairobi this week.

Demonstrators were attacked by armed thugs known as “goons” during anti-police brutality protests in the city on Tuesday. The scenes, widely recorded and shared on social media, have provoked fury in Kenya.

Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) county sub-branch chairman Bernard Omondi confirmed to AFP they had “launched an investigation” against one of their Nairobi-based referees.

The individual, who AFP is not naming but who adjudicates lower league matches, was investigated “after video footage, which was widely circulated on social media, identified his participation in the aggression against the protesting youth and the police on Tuesday,” Omondi said.

“He will not be allowed to referee any matches,” Omondi said, adding that he would appear before the body’s disciplinary committee.

“Further action will be taken against him after a hearing,” he added.

Kenyan football has long been mired in corruption and match-fixing scandals, with players and officials suspended over the years.

In 2021, the government disbanded the national football federation over corruption allegations and sought to prosecute its officials.


NBA superstar Kevin Durant partners with QSI and European champions Paris Saint-German

Updated 21 June 2025
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NBA superstar Kevin Durant partners with QSI and European champions Paris Saint-German

  • The collaborations will focus on merchandise, media content, community programs and potential basketball expansion

PARIS: Qatar Sports Investments, majority owner of UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, has signed an investment and strategic partnership agreement with Kevin Durant, one of the US’s most decorated basketball players and a leading investor in sports and entertainment properties.

The deal will see Durant, via his media and investment arm Boardroom with entrepreneur and long-time business partner Rich Kleiman, acquire a direct minority stake in the football club. The share purchase and strategic partnership agreement were signed earlier this week.

In August 2024, Durant — the two-time National Basketball Association champion, four-time Olympic gold medalist, Most Valued Player and 15-time NBA All-Star — partnered with Paris Saint-Germain through Arctos Partners, a minority shareholder in the club.

Durant said: “It is an honor to partner with QSI and be a shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain — a club and a city that is so close to my heart. This club has big plans ahead, and I can’t wait to be a part of the next phase of growth, and to explore new investment opportunities with QSI.”

As part of the relationship, Boardroom and Qatar Sports Investments will partner on a variety of commercial, investment and content initiatives. Durant will also support the club in its diversification and growth, including co-developing merchandise and original media content, advising on US and international market strategy, supporting PSG for Communities — the club’s charitable foundation and fundraising arm — and consulting on PSG’s multi-sport strategy including potential plans for basketball.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of QSI, said: “QSI is pleased to welcome Kevin Durant as a direct shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain and strategic partner of our group. We continually seek to elevate the club and our broader portfolio through high-impact partnerships that bring strategic value, innovation and global perspective. Together with Kevin, we look forward to developing ambitious initiatives that will drive the continued global growth of Paris Saint-Germain and QSI.”


Nour Al-Fliti looking to hand Hattan Alsaif first MMA loss

Updated 21 June 2025
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Nour Al-Fliti looking to hand Hattan Alsaif first MMA loss

  • Rising Lebanese star will take on the unbeaten Saudi fighter at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh this summer

RIYADH: One of Saudi Arabia’s biggest mixed martial arts stars, Hattan Alsaif, will make her highly anticipated return to the Professional Fighters League SmartCage at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh on July 4.

And while all eyes will be on the hometown hero, who is aiming for her third straight amateur MMA win, a rising star from Lebanon is preparing to step into enemy territory and hoping to steal the spotlight.

Standing across from Alsaif will be Nour Al-Fliti, a multiple Lebanese MMA champion and International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Asian Championship silver medalist who currently holds a 1-1 amateur record.

Before MMA, however, Al-Fliti lived a completely different life.

“Before MMA, I worked in the hospitality field as an operations manager,” she revealed. “I studied that field and I worked in it since 2019. I enjoyed it, but I felt that something was missing. If I hadn’t found MMA, I think I’d still be searching for that something to ignite the fire in me.”

With MMA, Al-Fliti discovered the outlet she had been searching for. Judging by her growing list of accomplishments, it has been a successful transition.

“I got into MMA because I felt a powerful energy inside me — it was something I needed to express,” Al-Fliti said. “I’ve always had a fighter’s spirit, but I didn’t know where it belonged until I stepped into the cage.”

MMA provided more than just competition, she added: “From my very first fight, I felt a deep connection. It wasn’t just about competition … it was about purpose. That moment made me realize this is where I’m meant to be.”

Al-Fliti believes her greatest achievement in MMA goes beyond medals and accolades — it is the personal transformation she has undergone.

“My biggest achievement so far is finding myself through this sport,” she explained. “Every fight, every camp, every challenge has shaped me, not just as a fighter, but as a person. Of course, winning and improving technically are important, but the real win is the growth I’ve experienced mentally and spiritually.”

While she acknowledges the support of her team and loved ones, Al-Fliti is clear about where her ultimate source of strength lies.

“My biggest supporter is Allah first,” she exclaimed. “I truly believe that my path is written, and I draw strength from that.

“And I’m also deeply grateful to my family and my team — the people who believe in me, push me, and never let me forget who I am, even during the toughest moments.”

On paper, it may seem like Al-Fliti has the odds stacked against her. Alsaif has more experience and will be fighting in front of a home crowd. Al-Fliti, however, doesn’t see it that way.

“Hattan is a determined fighter with her own style, and I respect anyone who steps into the cage, but I never see myself as the underdog,” she said. “I trust in my preparation, in my skills and, most importantly, in my belief in myself and in Allah. I’ve prepared with focus, discipline and a clear mindset.”

On July 4, Al-Fliti does not plan to simply walk into the SmartCage — she will make her presence felt: “I’m not just showing up — I’m coming to make a statement, inshallah.”

Tickets for PFL MENA 2 can be purchased at webook.com.


Pakistan to face New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final today

Updated 21 June 2025
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Pakistan to face New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final today

  • Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts in the semifinal
  • Pakistani goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face New Zealand today, Saturday, in the final of the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Spirited Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts to qualify for the Nations Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium on Friday.

Goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances, while Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid and Afraz struck for Pakistan to clinch a highly-rewarding victory.

“Heartiest congratulations to our Green Shirts on reaching the Nations Cup final,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X.

“The team turned the match around with courage, skill and determination — a proud moment for the entire nation.”

Hockey is Pakistan’s national sport. The national team boasts a proud legacy with three Olympic gold medals in 1960, 1968 and 1984, along with four World Cup titles in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

But the sport has faced a sharp decline in Pakistan in recent decades due to administrative challenges, underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure. Renewed efforts are underway to revive the game with increased

government support, youth development initiatives and greater international engagement aimed at restoring Pakistan’s former glory in the sport.

The winner of Saturday’s final will earn promotion to the elite FIH Hockey Pro League 2025–26 season.