GROS-ISLET, Saint Lucia: West Indies thrashed Afghanistan by 104 runs in the final group stage game of the T20 World Cup on Monday.
Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 98 off 53 balls (six fours, eight sixes) highlighted a dominant batting effort by West Indies as they piled up 218 for five after being put in as the two Super Eight qualifiers sparred in advance of the next phase of the tournament starting on Wednesday.
Afghanistan were bundled out for 114 off 16.2 overs in reply.
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West Indies thrash Afghanistan in final T20 World Cup group game
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West Indies thrash Afghanistan in final T20 World Cup group game
- Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 98 off 53 balls highlighted a dominant batting effort by West Indies
Phil Foden leaves England’s Euro 2024 camp for ‘pressing family matter’
- English soccer’s governing body did not elaborate further on the reason for Foden’s departure
DUESSELDORF, Germany: Phil Foden has temporarily left England’s Euro 2024 base and returned to Britain for a “pressing family matter,” the Football Association said Wednesday.
English soccer’s governing body did not elaborate further on the reason for Foden’s departure.
The Manchester City forward played in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia.
England have advanced to the round of 16 and play their next match on Sunday. It is not known how long Foden will be away from the team’s base in Blankenhain, or if he will be available to play in that match.
The English Footballer of the Year started all three of the games in the group stage of the Euros and was expected to be in the starting lineup for the round of 16.
Esports World Cup ticket holders offered electronic visas
- Organizers work with Kingdom’s authorities to ease access for foreign visitors
- Riyadh to host $60m, eight-week event for first time
RIYADH: Ticket holders for the Esports World Cup, which opens next week at Boulevard Riyadh City, will be able to apply for electronic visas to enter the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The Esports World Cup Foundation said it had been working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Tourism to help streamline access to the event, which is being held in the Kingdom for the first time.
The eight-week competition will see more than 1,500 players from 500 clubs around the world competing in 22 tournaments for a total prize pot of more than $60 million — the highest ever in the history of esports.
Hosting the event aligns with the Kingdom’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The EWC aims to bolster the nation’s global standing as a premier gaming and esports destination.
As well as watching the action, visitors to the tournament will be able to take part in a range of activities that combine sports, entertainment, education, culture and creativity.
World Cup ticket holders can apply for a 90-day, single entry visa at ksavisa.sa/visa/tourism/esport/apply.
More information about the competition is available from the EWC’s website at esportsworldcup.com.
Saudi national taekwondo team attend training camp in Turkey ahead of 2024 Olympics
- Squad will then compete at 2024 Chuncheon Korea Open, before Olympic qualifier Donia Abu Taleb heads to Paris
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s national taekwondo team has arrived in the Turkish city of Antalya for their latest training camp ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, which will begin in Paris on July 26.
The male and female team members include Donia Abu Taleb, the sole Saudi to have secured automatic qualification for the Olympics, Riyad Hamdi, Yousef Jaar, Abdullah Al-Mushrif, Abdulrahman Al-Shamrani, Zakria Ghali and Ahmed bin Qasim.
The Saudi Arabian Taekwondo Federation recently hired Russian coach Kurban Bogdaev, who guided Tunisian athlete Mohammed Jendoubi to silver in the sport at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, to take charge of the national team.
The training camp in Turkey will continue until July 7 and then the team will head to South Korea for the Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships. After that they will return to the Kingdom, while Abu Taleb completes her individual training program for the Olympics.
The director of the national team, Nasser Al-Qahtani, said all team members had reached the required levels of fitness and technical prowess.
“Donia Abu Taleb will be going through a different program to prepare her for the big event, the Paris Olympics,” he added.
Abu Taleb, the first Saudi woman to secure direct qualification for the Olympics, recently reached another historic milestone when she broke into the top five in the official world rankings for her under-53-kilogram weight category. She recently won gold at the Asian Games and is now ranked fourth in the world, the first martial artist from the Kingdom to reach such a level.
During a recent training session in Abha, organized by the Saudi Taekwondo Federation, the Saudi team took to the mats against athletes from Russia, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Kazakhstan and Gabon.
Varga back in Hungary 2 days after surgery on facial fractures following collision at Euro 2024
- His club Ferencváros posted a picture of Varga on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: “Barnabás is back at home”
- The injury occurred midway through the second half of Sunday’s match against Scotland when Varga collided with goalkeeper Angus Gunn
WEILER-SIMMERBERG, Germany: Hungary forward Barnabás Varga has been released from hospital and is already back in his home country, two days after undergoing surgery on facial fractures he sustained in a collision at the European Championship.
Varga returned to Hungary on Wednesday as his teammates waited in Germany to find out if they have reached the round of 16 as one of the four best third-place teams.
His club Ferencváros posted a picture of Varga on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: “Barnabás is back at home!”
The injury occurred midway through the second half of Sunday’s match against Scotland when Varga collided with goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Hungary went on to win 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time goal from substitute Kevin Csoboth.
In concerning scenes, the match was halted for nearly 10 minutes so that Varga could get treatment. Several teammates appeared to be in tears and they held up blankets to shield the stricken forward as medical staff tended to him.
The 29-year-old Varga was taken straight to hospital in Stuttgart and had surgery on Monday after breaking several bones in his face.
Hungary coach Marco Rossi and some of his staff, as well as Ferencváros teammate Endre Botka — representing the national side — visited Varga in hospital on Tuesday.
Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein signs new contract
- Hein joined Arsenal from Estonian side Nomme United in 2018 and has progressed through the club’s academy
- “I’m delighted to extend my contract and continue my journey in this amazing club after six years,” Hein said on his new contract
Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein has signed a new contract with the club.
The 22-year-old’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of this month. However, as reported in DealSheet, Arsenal was able to convince the Estonia international to stay at the Emirates beyond this summer.
Hein is relatively inexperienced at club level, with a loan move seen as the next step in his development.
“I’m delighted to extend my contract and continue my journey in this amazing club after six years,” Hein said on his new contract. Hopefully, there will be even more good memories and successes for the club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta added: “Karl has continued to impress us with his attitude and commitment to getting better every day.”
“We value being part of his continued development and I want to congratulate him on earning a new deal with the club.”
Hein joined Arsenal from Estonian side Nomme United in 2018 and has progressed through the club’s academy. He had a short loan spell at Reading in 2022, where he made five appearances.
Hein was an unused substitute in the Premier League five times last season and has made just one senior appearance for Arsenal against Brighton Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup in 2022.
Hein has, though, made 30 appearances for Estonia after making his senior debut in 2020.
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