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                        <title>Latest Sports News &amp; Updates | The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <link>https://tribune.com.pk</link>
                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Sri Lanka's players arrive in Pakistan ahead of T20I series</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632977/Sri-Lanka%27s-players-arrive-in-Pakistan-ahead-of-T20I-series</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632977/Sri-Lanka%27s-players-arrive-in-Pakistan-ahead-of-T20I-series#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 18:47:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632977</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka among eight players to reach Islamabad]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sri Lanka&#39;s first contingent arrived in Islamabad on Sunday ahead of a three-match Twenty20 International Series against Pakistan, with the visitors set to complete their preparations for the opening game on Friday.

The 13-member group included eight players from Sri Lanka&#39;s T20 squad and five team management officials. The T20 captain Kusal Mendis, former captain Dasun Shanaka, spinner Maheesh Theekshana and fast bowler Eshan Malinga were among the players who arrived, along with Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Dunith Wellalage.

Sri Lanka&#39;s head coach, two players and two other officials are due to arrive on Monday, while the remaining five members of the T20 squad are expected to reach Islamabad on Tuesday.

The three-match T20 series will be played entirely at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the first match on October 9, the second on October 11 and the third on October 13.

The T20 series is the first part of Sri Lanka&#39;s multi-format tour of Pakistan. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England will then compete in a three-nation ODI series, with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka on October 18 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan playing England on October 20 in Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka meeting England on October 22 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan taking on England on October 25 in Lahore, Pakistan playing Sri Lanka on October 27 in Lahore and Sri Lanka facing England on October 29 in Lahore. The tri-series final is scheduled for October 31 in Lahore.

Sri Lanka will then play a three-day match in Islamabad from November 4 to 6 before facing Pakistan in a two-Test series. The first Test is scheduled for November 9-13 in Rawalpindi and the second for November 17-21 in Lahore. The Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

T20 squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena,&nbsp; Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Asian Games set to close after records, rancour and rain</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632926/asian-games-set-to-close-after-records-rancour-and-rain</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632926/asian-games-set-to-close-after-records-rancour-and-rain#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:51:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632926</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[China top the medal table with 169 golds, while hosts Japan finish second with 83]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Asian Games in Japan will close later Sunday after a fortnight of record-smashing displays from young stars, but marred by mix-ups, patchy crowds and accusations of mismanagement.

More than 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics, descended on Nagoya and Aichi prefecture for the continent&#39;s premier sporting spectacular.

Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, just 13, stole the show in the pool with three gold medals, all in Games-record times.

She looks set to be a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP on Sunday to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double.

But for that all that, the shy teenager said: &quot;I don&#39;t think I am what people describe as a prodigy.&quot;

Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, himself only 17, smashed the men&#39;s 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd.

In athletics, where rain tumbled down over several days, Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson did the 100m-200m double and was named men&#39;s MVP.

&quot;This time there were a lot of global athletes at this event, so the MVP gives me a lot of confidence that I can make the podium in LA,&quot; the 20-year-old said.

&#39;Failure grade&#39;

With the hours ticking down to the closing ceremony, when Japan will hand over the baton to Doha, top officials were on the defensive.

Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said &quot;numbers are facts&quot;, pointing to 50 world records broken at the Games since they opened on September 19.

&quot;The athletes cannot perform if they don&#39;t sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don&#39;t have good transportation,&quot; he said.

This 20th edition of the Games, which were first contested in 1951, did not have a traditional athletes&#39; village in a bid to save money.

Instead, participants were housed in wooden temporary units, on a cruise ship and in hotels.

Organisers said this was a template for future multi-sports events.

But it came with issues, with some teams complaining the units were too cramped and the beds too short.

More than that, the ballooning numbers of athletes and officials meant there were not enough beds for everyone.

One Thai Olympic official told AFP it was &quot;like musical chairs&quot;.

The sport, including a blockbuster cricket final won by India against arch-rivals Pakistan, did sometimes shine through.

North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum, a 140cm (4ft 7in) pocket powerhouse, set three new world marks in one day for gold.

But problems kept coming too, including organisers playing North Korea&#39;s national anthem for the South Korean hockey team.

There were athletes&#39; buses that did not turn up when they should, or did not arrive at all.

Two teams were sent to the wrong venue, delaying a volleyball match.

&quot;If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F,&quot; Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, said.

Games organisers were on the back foot as well over attendances, with the opening ceremony taking place in front of thousands of empty seats.

At the women&#39;s football semi-final between hosts Japan and South Korea there were 998 spectators in a 50,000 stadium.

Boy history-maker

Japanese Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto admitted that &quot;there were many problems&quot;, but said the country wants to host more international events in future.

She said bad weather had turned some spectators off, but was eager to point out that some sports were well attended.

About 30,000 saw South Korea beat Japan 1-0 to clinch men&#39;s football gold, although the occasion was tarnished somewhat when the South Korean flag failed to go up in the victory ceremony.

The hosts finished with 83 golds, a distant second in the medals table behind China with 169.

Japan&#39;s tally included gold for Yuki Kurihara, who won an eSports competition aged 11, believed to make him the youngest Games champion in history.

Several sports with ambitions of making the Olympics made their debut, including padel, MMA and virtual taekwondo.]]>
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			<title>Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632947/verstappen-wins-bahrain-grand-prix-in-malaysia</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632947/verstappen-wins-bahrain-grand-prix-in-malaysia#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 12:33:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632947</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He finishes 2.307 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli]]>
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				<![CDATA[Four-time world champion Max Verstappen secured his and Red Bull&#39;s first win this year with an imperious drive Sunday in chaotic conditions in a storm-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Nine years after winning the last F1 race at the Sepang International Circuit, the 29-year-old Dutchman came through a wild afternoon of accidents and incidents for his 72nd victory and first since Abu Dhabi last year.

In a race of shifting tyre strategies, he came home 2.307 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton who took third after a thrilling recovery drive.&nbsp;

His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was fourth, having fallen to last place in the early laps, ahead of Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull, McLaren&#39;s Oscar Piastri and the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson.&nbsp;

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso finished a season-best eighth for Aston Martin ahead of world champion Lando Norris and Racing Bull rookie Arvid Lindblad.

The result extended Antonelli&#39;s lead to 84 points ahead of teammate George Russell, who retired after a late power failure under a safety car.&nbsp;

&quot;It is really nice to win after the year we&#39;ve had and all the progression we&#39;ve made,&quot; said a delighted Verstappen.

&quot;It is super-nice to win here. It was very hectic with a lot of different things, but we made the right call with the inters (intermediate tyres).&quot;

Antonelli congratulated him and added: &quot;It was the maximum we could have done. We struggled, but I am happy to come away with P2.&quot;

&#39;Tough race&#39;

Hamilton was greeted by a roar from the big crowd.&nbsp;

&quot;What a tough race that was,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;I was more than a minute back after we made the wrong call on tyres at the start and everyone was pulling away.&quot;

The race had followed a protracted 100-minute delay following a tropical rainstorm, and began with half the field on intermediate tyres.&nbsp;

Both Mercedes promptly swamped Verstappen, Antonelli taking the lead in turn one, followed by Russell.&nbsp;

Hamilton, on soft slicks, had no grip and tumbled down the order from second on the grid as it became clear that the conditions remained treacherous.

It all changed on lap nine when Valtteri Bottas slid off into the gravel and the safety car was deployed, bringing nearly everyone in for dry tyres with Antonelli taking mediums and Verstappen softs.&nbsp;

Hamilton stayed out and upon the resumption Verstappen pounced to sweep round Antonelli and regain a lead he would not relinquish.&nbsp;

Hamilton continued his recovery, slicing through the field and by lap 23 had dispensed with Lawson to take fifth.

He closed up within six seconds of the Frenchman before the pair pitted on lap 31. &quot;This tyre feels terrible,&quot; said Hamilton of his new mediums.

A late virtual and then full safety car saw everyone pit for fresh softs.&nbsp;

Russell&#39;s retirement enabled Hamilton to get on to the podium when he passed Hadjar in the final four-lap dash to the chequered flag.]]>
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			<title>Alcaraz through to Japan Open semis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632950/alcaraz-through-to-japan-open-semis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632950/alcaraz-through-to-japan-open-semis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 12:41:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Spaniard reaches the last four after Shapovalov retires at 7-6 (7/3), 2-1]]>
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				<![CDATA[Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the semi-finals of the Japan Open on Sunday after an ailing Denis Shapovalov retired to hand the world number three a 7-6 (7/3), 2-1 victory.

His Canadian opponent was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury to his upper right thigh in the first game of the second set.

Defending champion Alcaraz will play fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar for a place in the final after the world number 64 ended the impressive run of 86th-ranked Kyrian Jacquet of France.

The match was hard-fought until Shapovalov&#39;s retirement, with Alcaraz troubled by the variety of his game as the world number 46 mixed deep shots with drop shots, and power with spin.

Alcaraz, who saved four set points against Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday, salvaged another here at 5-4 down and went on to seal the tie-break with a passing shot before Shapovalov&#39;s injury.

The Australian Open champion is playing only his third event since returning from a months-long wrist injury, having reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last month.

Later on Sunday, Valentin Vacherot upset France&#39;s Arthur Fils 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a semi-final against Jiri Lehecka.

Fils seemed to be making short work of the big-serving world number 18 when he earned two set points at 5-3.

But he then caved in, losing the next four games to hand Vacherot the opener on a superb down-the-line return.

Fils forced a deciding set after an intense battle, pumping his fist and rallying the crowd, but eventually succumbed in a tight two-hour, 20-minute match.

Lehecka, the Czech world number 23, breezed into the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Paraguay&#39;s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, wrapping up the win in under an hour.]]>
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			<title>Sri Lanka announce squad for Tri-Series in Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632924/sri-lanka-announce-squad-for-tri-series-in-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632924/sri-lanka-announce-squad-for-tri-series-in-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:41:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632924</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nissanka’s travel hinges on medical clearance as 16-member squad prepares to face Pakistan and England]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sri Lanka have named a 16-member squad led by Kusal Mendis for the one-day international tri-series in Pakistan beginning on October 18, with opening batsman Pathum Nissanka&rsquo;s travel subject to medical clearance.

The tournament, which also features England, forms part of Sri Lanka&rsquo;s preparations for the 2027 World Cup as they look to settle their core combination.

Nissanka was included in the squad announced by Sri Lanka Cricket&rsquo;s selection committee but will travel with the team only if declared medically fit.

Sri Lanka will switch to the 50-over format after a three-match Twenty20 international series against hosts Pakistan.

The squad combines experienced internationals with emerging players, with Avishka Fernando, Kamil Mishara and Pavan Rathnayake among the top-order options alongside Mendis and Nissanka.

Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage offer middle-order choices, while former captain Dasun Shanaka and spin-bowling all-rounder Dunith Wellalage provide additional balance.

Maheesh Theekshana and wrist-spinner Sachindu Colombage feature in the spin attack alongside Wellalage.

Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga make up the pace contingent.

Squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), Sahan Arachchige, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage.]]>
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			<title>Kainat Imtiaz retires from international cricket</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632902/kainat-imtiaz-retires-from-international-cricket</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632902/kainat-imtiaz-retires-from-international-cricket#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 06:36:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bowler ends international career after playing 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan fast bowler Kainat Imtiaz has announced her retirement from international cricket after a 13-year career in which she represented the women&#39;s team at the 2017 World Cup and won two Asian Games gold medals.

The right-arm pacer played 19 One-Day Internationals and 21 Twenty20 Internationals for Pakistan after making her T20I debut against South Africa in Potchefstroom in October 2010. She made her ODI debut against Ireland in Fatullah, Bangladesh.

Imtiaz, 34, was part of Pakistan&#39;s squads that won gold at the 2010 Asian Games in China and the 2014 edition in South Korea. She also represented Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

She played four matches at the 2017 Women&#39;s Cricket World Cup and made her final ODI appearance against Australia at the Gabba in January 2023. Her last T20I came against Thailand in Sylhet in October 2022.

Imtiaz began her cricket journey with the Karachi Schools Under-17 team in the PCB National Schools Under-17 Women&#39;s Championship in 2007 before making her domestic List A debut in 2008.

She has already begun the next phase of her career, serving as a match referee at the PCB National Women&#39;s Under-19 T20 Tournament in August and September.

Cricket runs in the family. Imtiaz&#39;s mother, Saleema Imtiaz, became Pakistan&#39;s first woman umpire on the International Cricket Council&#39;s International Development Panel in 2024. She has since officiated nine women&#39;s ODIs and 69 women&#39;s T20 internationals.]]>
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			<title>Gill flags India’s flaws despite series win</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632922/gill-flags-indias-flaws-despite-series-win</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632922/gill-flags-indias-flaws-despite-series-win#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:36:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Captain calls for clearer death-bowling plans and sharper fielding as time runs short to settle World Cup combination]]>
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				<![CDATA[India captain Shubman Gill urged his team to improve their death bowling and fielding ahead of the 2027 World Cup after a record run-chase by West Indies took the gloss off a 2-1 one-day international series victory.

Shai Hope&rsquo;s unbeaten 162 powered the visitors to victory in the third ODI in Mullanpur, where Gill questioned India&rsquo;s bowling plans in the closing overs and rued missed chances in the field.

&ldquo;I feel sometimes we are not really clear whether we are attacking or we are defending, especially while bowling during death overs,&rdquo; Gill said.

While reasonably pleased with India&rsquo;s progress, Gill said dropped catches had disrupted the team&rsquo;s momentum and made the bowlers&rsquo; task harder on a surface offering little assistance.

&ldquo;We dropped around 3-4 catches, which breaks the momentum of the team,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Fielding hasn&rsquo;t been up to the mark, we were sloppy on the field, these are the areas we need to get better leading to the World Cup.&rdquo;

India tested their squad depth throughout the batting-friendly series but were unable to field their preferred combination, with Jasprit Bumrah on Asian Games duty and all-rounder Hardik Pandya still recovering from injury.

Mohammed Siraj played only one of the three matches, leaving India heavily reliant on their reserve bowling options.

Gill said there was little time left to experiment before the World Cup and hoped to have his preferred line-up available for India&rsquo;s next assignment.

&ldquo;Hopefully the combination that we want to play (for the World Cup) is available for the next series,&rdquo; he said.

Debutant Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and off-spinner Naman Dhir handled the final 10 overs in Mullanpur as India assessed their options under pressure.

Gill identified Kamboj and Auqib Nabi as candidates for the number eight position, stressing the need for a bowler who could also contribute with the bat.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know who will be fit at the World Cup, we wanted someone who can bowl and bat a bit at 8, Anshul can do the job even Auqib (Nabi) can do the job,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We wanted to see which players can deliver under pressure and if they can get some experience.&rdquo;

Ravindra Jadeja was rested to give other players opportunities, with Gill saying the choice of all-rounders would depend on how their skills suited South African conditions.

&ldquo;Keeping the World Cup and its conditions in mind, whoever offers the most value with their skillsets will make the squad,&rdquo; he said. India&rsquo;s next ODI assignment is a five-match series against New Zealand.]]>
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			<title>Sabalenka swept out of China Open in third round</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632921/sabalenka-swept-out-of-china-open-in-third-round</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632921/sabalenka-swept-out-of-china-open-in-third-round#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:34:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Bartunkova stuns the second seed 6-4, 6-3 to reach the last 16]]>
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				<![CDATA[Aryna Sabalenka was swatted aside in straight sets by 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova in the third round of the China Open on Sunday, leaving the event without its top two seeds.

Czech player Bartunkova, 20, sent down four aces to beat the former world number one 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes.

&quot;I focused on myself, to be calm,&quot; Bartunkova said.

&quot;She&#39;s a legend... so I&#39;m really happy that I won the match,&quot; she said of the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Bartunkova next faces Austria&#39;s Sinja Kraus in the round of 16.

Second-seeded Sabalenka squandered five chances to break serve in the sixth game of the first set, with Bartunkova strong on defence and firing deep.

The 28-year-old from Belarus threw on a cap for the eighth game of the first set as the women switched between playing in the shade and the sun, but it did not turn the tide in her favour.

A frustrated Sabalenka tossed her racquet at a break down in the fourth game of the second set, and lost on the first match point when she returned into the net.

Top seed Elena Rybakina -- who weeks earlier replaced Sabalenka as World No. 1 -- was ousted by Alina Charaeva in the second round on Saturday.

Top seed Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play Novak Djokovic later on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the men&#39;s 500-level event also taking place.

The 39-year-old Serbian great enters the match with an extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing, but Zverev -- last month&#39;s US Open champion -- is in the running for the top men&#39;s ranking.]]>
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			<title>World records prove Asian Games were a hit, says top official</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632916/world-records-prove-asian-games-were-a-hit-says-top-official</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632916/world-records-prove-asian-games-were-a-hit-says-top-official#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:26:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Al-Musallam highlights a haul of world records amid criticism over Games organisation]]>
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				<![CDATA[An Asian Olympic chief said Sunday that more than 50 world records at the Games in Japan proved the event was a success, despite numerous complaints from disgruntled teams.

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw a catalogue of mishaps, from athletes bussed to the wrong venues to the North Korean national anthem played for the South Korean hockey team.

There were not enough beds for the over 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics.

Countries also complained of being stranded for up to six hours at the airport on arrival.

The Games produced some elite performances, although sometimes in front of rows of empty seats.

World records were broken in sports including swimming, shooting and weightlifting.

Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said &quot;numbers are facts&quot; as he launched an impassioned defence of the Games ahead of the closing ceremony.

&quot;This achievement does not come without the best environment that the organising committee created for the athletes,&quot; he said.

&quot;The athletes cannot perform if they don&#39;t sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don&#39;t have good transportation.

&quot;We are here to present to you the evidence,&quot; he added.

To save money there was no athletes&#39; village at the Games, organisers instead putting competitors in hotels, temporary wooden huts and on a cruise ship.

Some teams complained about the quality of the accommodation, including that the beds were too short in the huts.

Al-Musallam said the accommodation was &quot;very well received by the athletes&quot; and provided a sustainable model for future Games.

&quot;We are happy to see that there is no financial burden for the organising committee and there is no white elephant staying in Nagoya,&quot; he said.]]>
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			<title>Fernandes hails Portugal's 'greatest symbol' Ronaldo</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632914/fernandes-hails-portugals-greatest-symbol-ronaldo</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632914/fernandes-hails-portugals-greatest-symbol-ronaldo#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 07:11:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The situation has cast uncertainty over Ronaldo’s future with the national team]]>
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				<![CDATA[Portugal playmaker Bruno Fernandes said Cristiano Ronaldo remains the country&#39;s greatest footballing icon despite walking out on the squad this week after finding out he would not start a match.

The 41-year-old superstar said Wednesday he had left the team after coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo would not start against Denmark in the Nations League, a match Portugal won 4-2 without him.

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Ronaldo&#39;s future with the national team, for whom he is the leading goalscorer and most capped player, is in doubt after his walk out.

&quot;Regarding Cristiano, I had a conversation with him, and what I told him, and what I repeat here, is this -- the most important thing is that, regardless of what happens, Cristiano Ronaldo will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, of our football, and of the country, for what he has done not only in Portugal but throughout the world,&quot; Fernandes told reporters Saturday.

Manchester United midfielder Fernandes called for unity after a tumultuous few days in which Portugal fans&#39; opinions have been split over Ronaldo&#39;s decision.

&quot;He has a reserved place not only among the best of all time, but also in the hearts of all Portuguese people, and the most important thing is that we stop dividing things,&quot; said Fernandes.

&quot;There are no divisions in the national team, it is one and will remain so, despite any noise that may come from outside...

&quot;We are outside of this controversy, but what I ask is that the country does not divide itself, does not make choices, that it respects all sides, but, at the same time, Cris is and will be the biggest icon of our national team, he deserves everyone&#39;s respect, regardless of who likes him more or (who likes him) less.&quot;

Portugal beat Norway and Denmark away from home without Ronaldo starting and face Norway again on Sunday.

Coach Jesus said Ronaldo was a &quot;symbol of Portugal&quot; and said there would be time to speak about him after Sunday&#39;s game in Porto.

&quot;I&#39;m going to focus on the team, on the opponent which is Norway, one of the five best teams in Europe. That&#39;s the problem right now,&quot; said the 72-year-old coach.]]>
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			<title>Sri Lanka's players arrive in Pakistan ahead of T20I series</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632977/Sri-Lanka%27s-players-arrive-in-Pakistan-ahead-of-T20I-series</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632977/Sri-Lanka%27s-players-arrive-in-Pakistan-ahead-of-T20I-series#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 26 18:47:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632977</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka among eight players to reach Islamabad]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sri Lanka&#39;s first contingent arrived in Islamabad on Sunday ahead of a three-match Twenty20 International Series against Pakistan, with the visitors set to complete their preparations for the opening game on Friday.

The 13-member group included eight players from Sri Lanka&#39;s T20 squad and five team management officials. The T20 captain Kusal Mendis, former captain Dasun Shanaka, spinner Maheesh Theekshana and fast bowler Eshan Malinga were among the players who arrived, along with Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Dunith Wellalage.

Sri Lanka&#39;s head coach, two players and two other officials are due to arrive on Monday, while the remaining five members of the T20 squad are expected to reach Islamabad on Tuesday.

The three-match T20 series will be played entirely at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the first match on October 9, the second on October 11 and the third on October 13.

The T20 series is the first part of Sri Lanka&#39;s multi-format tour of Pakistan. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England will then compete in a three-nation ODI series, with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka on October 18 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan playing England on October 20 in Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka meeting England on October 22 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan taking on England on October 25 in Lahore, Pakistan playing Sri Lanka on October 27 in Lahore and Sri Lanka facing England on October 29 in Lahore. The tri-series final is scheduled for October 31 in Lahore.

Sri Lanka will then play a three-day match in Islamabad from November 4 to 6 before facing Pakistan in a two-Test series. The first Test is scheduled for November 9-13 in Rawalpindi and the second for November 17-21 in Lahore. The Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

T20 squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena,&nbsp; Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Hasan Nawaz’s 96 goes in vain as India beat Pakistan to claim Asian Games gold</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632740/india-hammer-211-6-to-set-pakistan-daunting-asian-games-final-chase</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632740/india-hammer-211-6-to-set-pakistan-daunting-asian-games-final-chase#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 06:08:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632740</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chasing 212, India restrict the Green-shirts to 192-6 to retain the title]]>
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				<![CDATA[India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final of the 2026 Asian Games men&#39;s cricket competition on Saturday to claim the gold medal after Pakistan fell short despite a superb unbeaten 96 from Hasan Nawaz.

Chasing 212 for victory at Korogi Sports Park, Pakistan finished on 192-6 after a promising start gave way to a middle-order collapse.

Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat put Pakistan on course with an opening stand of 33 before India&#39;s spin attack struck in successive overs.

Washington Sundar dismissed Pakistan captain Farhan for 10 from 11 balls, with the opener hitting one boundary, before Axar Patel removed wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan for three from six deliveries.

Pakistan were 36-2 after 4.5 overs and Axar struck again soon afterwards, dismissing Maaz for a valuable 23 from 18 balls. The left-hander hit three boundaries as Pakistan slipped to 39-3 after 6.1 overs.

Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz then launched Pakistan&#39;s recovery, putting together an 87-run fourth-wicket partnership that revived their hopes of chasing down India&#39;s imposing total.

Nawaz continued his impressive tournament with another aggressive innings and reached his third T20I half-century.

But India&#39;s bowlers regained control when Shivam Dube dismissed Saim for 29 from 22 balls. His innings included two fours and a six.

Pakistan were five down when Sundar claimed his second wicket, removing Abdul Samad for nine from 12 balls, leaving the score at 162-5 after 17.3 overs.

Pakistan required 33 runs from the final over, leaving them with a difficult task, and could manage only 192-6 at the end of their 20 overs.

Nawaz remained unbeaten on a magnificent 96 from 51 balls, striking five fours and seven sixes, but his effort was not enough to deny India the gold medal.

Saad Masood finished unbeaten on 12.

For India, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube took two wickets each to restrict Pakistan and secure the 19-run victory.

Earlier, India opted to bat first and made a fast start as openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma attacked Pakistan&#39;s bowlers from the outset.

Saim Ayub provided Pakistan with an early breakthrough when he dismissed Sooryavanshi with the first delivery of the third over, ending a 28-run opening stand. Sooryavanshi scored 15 from nine balls, including two boundaries.

Abhishek continued his aggressive assault, helping India race past 50 in the fourth over before Pakistan struck again.

Ahmed Daniyal removed Sanju Samson for two from four balls, leaving India 51-2 after 3.5 overs.

The left-hander remained undeterred and brought up his 13th T20I half-century in emphatic fashion before Arafat Minhas finally ended his charge.

Abhishek was dismissed for a blistering 61 from just 28 balls, with his innings featuring three fours and seven sixes.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan then rebuilt the innings, adding 35 for the fourth wicket as India moved beyond the 100-run mark.

Minhas broke the partnership by dismissing Kishan for 20 from 18 balls, including three boundaries, leaving India 128-4 after 13.1 overs.

Pakistan then claimed the important wicket of India captain Iyer, with Abrar Ahmed removing him for 21 from 24 deliveries. Iyer struck two boundaries.

Shivam Dube provided the next burst of acceleration, hitting two boundaries as India moved beyond 150 in the 17th over.

Tilak Varma then took control of the closing overs, smashing consecutive sixes against Sufiyan Muqeem in the 18th over before continuing his assault.

Daniyal struck with the first delivery of the final over to dismiss Dube for 27 from 15 balls, including two fours and two sixes.

But Varma finished strongly, hitting another six to take India past 200 before completing his half-century with another maximum.

He remained unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls, with three fours and four sixes, as India closed on 211-6.

Daniyal and Minhas claimed two wickets each for Pakistan, while Abrar and Saim took one apiece.]]>
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			<title>Pretorius blasts past Gayle with record-breaking 188</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632753/pretorius-blasts-past-gayle-with-record-breaking-188</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632753/pretorius-blasts-past-gayle-with-record-breaking-188#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 08:23:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632753</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[South African youngster rewrites T20 record book as Titans crush Knights by 124 runs]]>
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				<![CDATA[South Africa&rsquo;s Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed the highest individual score in men&rsquo;s Twenty20 cricket on Saturday, powering the Titans to a 124-run victory over the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge.

The 20-year-old opener struck an unbeaten 188 from just 79 deliveries, launching 13 sixes and 15 fours as the Titans piled up 267-3 at Mangaung Oval.

Pretorius surpassed the previous record of 175 set by West Indies great Chris Gayle for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 Indian Premier League.

His remarkable innings featured relentless acceleration. Pretorius reached his half-century from 24 balls before needing only another 16 deliveries to bring up his century. He raced to 150 in just 58 balls and finished with a staggering strike rate of 237.97.

The performance was another landmark for a player who has already represented South Africa in 17 T20 internationals, three one-day internationals and two Tests.

With Pretorius setting the platform, the Titans produced an imposing total before their bowlers completed the rout. The Knights were dismissed for 143, leaving the hosts with a comprehensive victory.

Pretorius&rsquo;s innings not only secured the Titans a commanding win but also placed his name at the top of the men&rsquo;s T20 individual scoring list, eclipsing a record that had stood for more than a decade.]]>
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			<title>Broadcasting rights for Pakistan’s home matches sold for Rs350 million</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632739/broadcasting-rights-for-pakistans-home-matches-sold-for-rs350-million</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632739/broadcasting-rights-for-pakistans-home-matches-sold-for-rs350-million#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 05:58:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Saleem Khaliq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632739</guid>
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				<![CDATA[The latest agreement includes 25 matches – five Tests, 14 ODIs and six T20Is]]>
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				<![CDATA[The broadcasting rights for Pakistan&rsquo;s home matches have been sold for Rs350 million, with only bidder state broadcaster emerging as the successful. The reserve price had been set at Rs600 million, while the latest agreement covers 25 matches.

According to details, the PCB had issued a tender a few days ago for the broadcasting rights to its home matches, with a reserve price of Rs600 million. PTV, the sole bidder, has now acquired the rights. At present, three major broadcasters have significant outstanding payments owed to the cricket board. Although they were not barred from participating in the bidding process, they chose not to take part. A company that has acquired most of Pakistan cricket&rsquo;s rights in the past also showed no interest.

The national team&rsquo;s recent poor performances, along with limited public interest in the matches against Ireland and Sri Lanka, were among the reasons for the lack of participation in the bidding process. This time, the PCB also did not allow consortiums to participate. A similar restriction has already been imposed in the Pakistan Super League.

The latest agreement includes 25 matches: five Tests, 14 ODIs and six T20Is. Pakistan are scheduled to play three T20Is against Sri Lanka this month, followed by a seven-match triangular ODI series involving England. Two Tests against Sri Lanka are scheduled for next month.

In January 2027, Pakistan are scheduled to play three T20Is against Ireland, followed by another seven-match triangular ODI series involving Zimbabwe. In February, Pakistan are due to play a one-off Test against Ireland. In February and March, New Zealand are scheduled to play two Test matches in Pakistan.

According to some reports, Zimbabwe have declined to tour Pakistan for commercial reasons, meaning the triangular ODI series may not take place. Similarly, the one-off Test against Ireland may also be cancelled. However, the PCB has yet to officially confirm these developments.]]>
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			<title>Football finally comes home for one Indian fan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632770/football-finally-comes-home-for-one-indian-fan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632770/football-finally-comes-home-for-one-indian-fan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 10:46:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632770</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[India host star-studded Brazil for the first time in Kolkata]]>
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				<![CDATA[From Diego Maradona&#39;s infamous &quot;Hand of God&quot; to Zinedine Zidane&#39;s headbutt, Indian football fan Dipak Nandy has witnessed some of the World Cup&#39;s defining moments from the stands.

But on Saturday, the 77-year-old will savour a rare sporting occasion from the comfort of his hometown Kolkata, where Brazil take on his home country in their first-ever international friendly.

Nandy, who has travelled far and wide to attend 11 World Cups, will take in this particular match in front of the television.

Aside from the novelty of welcoming the Selecao to town, he has fond memories of Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil coach whom he watched as a player for Italy.

Nandy&#39;s love affair with the game started in 1966, when Indian former footballer and coach Amal Dutta brought video reels of the World Cup back to Kolkata from England.

&quot;I was sitting in one of the screenings and got bitten by the bug -- and promised myself that one day I will go watch the World Cup,&quot; he said.

That remained a distant dream until a friend invited him to Mexico, which hosted the tournament in 1986.

&quot;At that time a passport needed four to five months for processing -- but somehow I got it made in 15 days, and I went for my first World Cup,&quot; Nandy said.

He has been to every tournament since, including this year&#39;s edition co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

No regrets

Among Nandy&#39;s cherished memories are the seven matches involving Argentine legend Diego Maradona, whom he described as a once-in-a-lifetime player.

&quot;He played unbelievable football and played a lone hand in making Argentina champions,&quot; he told AFP, his eyes glittering.

&quot;There will be none like him. I walk out of the room when people compare Pele and Maradona.&quot;

He was in the crowd when Maradona single-handedly defeated England with two goals in 1986 -- one a blatant handball, the other a glorious run from inside his own half.

Other recollections include the 2006 final in Germany, when France captain Zidane was notoriously sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi of Italy, who went on to win on penalties.

&quot;I will go to every World Cup till I die -- health and money permitting,&quot; said Nandy.

&quot;The amount of money I spent on watching football live, I could have built a huge building, but I don&#39;t regret it. Rather, I am proud of it.&quot;

Nandy has his own theories about why India, the world&#39;s most populous nation, fares so poorly in the sport.

They have never qualified for a World Cup and have only made four appearances at the Olympics, finishing fourth out of 11 teams in 1956.

&quot;The countries that have peaked in football have one single culture with good weather,&quot; Nandy said, grumbling about the sport&#39;s &quot;weak organisation&quot; and the popularity of cricket.

&quot;India have different religions, food and cultures, and hot and humid weather, which doesn&#39;t help the cause.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Court detains Turkey football ref chief</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632756/court-detains-turkey-football-ref-chief</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632756/court-detains-turkey-football-ref-chief#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 08:55:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632756</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Ferhat Gundogdu and six others appear before a judge in graft case]]>
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				<![CDATA[The head of Turkey&#39;s football refereeing body and four others were placed in pre-trial detention by a court as part of a graft investigation, state news agency Anadolu said Saturday.

Ferhat Gundogdu, head of the Central Referees Committee (MHK), and six others appeared before a judge on Friday over allegations of manipulation of the referee administration process.

They appeared before a judge at Istanbul&#39;s Caglayan courthouse on several charges, including &quot;official document forgery&quot;, &quot;breach of trust&quot; and &quot;illegal acquisition of personal data&quot;.

The judge remanded five in custody and granted the other two conditional release, Anadolu said.

It was the latest scandal to shake football in Turkey, coming exactly a year after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees on charges of illegal betting.

On Thursday night, police from the illegal betting and sports crime unit also detained Yasin Kol, a referee from Turkey&#39;s top-flight Super Lig, as well as an assistant referee, media reports said.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek has said prosecutors are examining claims about &quot;interference in the processes of referee classification, assignments, scoring and appointments, as well as the exams on rules&quot;.

During Tuesday&#39;s raids, police searched the VAR room at TFF&#39;s headquarters in Istanbul, with observers saying the investigation was likely linked to last year&#39;s betting scandal and would have implications for the federation.

&quot;It does seem to be a continuation of 2025, and it looks like it will continue further,&quot; sports journalist Ayhan Sensoy told AFP.

Sensoy, who wrote a 2024 book on the issue called &quot;The Gambling Pit&quot;, said it was unlikely federation bosses &quot;have any chance of staying in office&quot;.

So far, the TFF has not directly addressed the arrests with its top officials due to fly home on Saturday after attending Friday night&#39;s Belgium-Turkey UEFA Nations League clash in Liege, which Turkey lost 3-0.]]>
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			<title>France held by Italy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632738/france-held-by-italy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632738/france-held-by-italy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 05:56:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632738</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Olise scores a stunning goal from a free-kick to give home side the lead]]>
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				<![CDATA[Michael Olise scored another superb goal but France were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy on Friday in Zinedine Zidane&#39;s first home game since being appointed coach of Les Bleus.

Four days after coming off the bench to score a stunning solo effort to give France a 1-0 win in Belgium, Bayern Munich star Olise again showcased his spectacular talent by smashing a shot in off the crossbar from a free-kick early in the second half.

However, Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni equalised for Italy midway through the second half to prevent Zidane from making it three wins out of three in charge of his country.

France, who had defender Dayot Upamecano sent off late on, lead UEFA Nations League Group A1 with seven points, with Belgium just behind on six points after a 3-0 win over Turkey.

France and Belgium meet on Monday in their last match of this two-week long international window. Italy have four points before hosting Turkey next.

Zidane was the focus of attention as his home debut, before a packed crowd of 77,118 at the Stade de France just outside Paris, came against the same opponents as in his final game as a player.

The now 54-year-old icon and former Ballon d&#39;Or winner never played again after being sent off for an infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, which Italy won on penalties.

It was a first appearance for the former Real Madrid playmaker at France&#39;s national stadium since he played in a friendly against Mexico in May 2006, winning his 100th cap in the process.

&quot;It was magnificent. We would have liked to win for our fans tonight but I was obviously really touched and delighted to be back at the Stade de France,&quot; he said.

Beyond the spotlight on his past, Zidane is trying to stamp his mark on the France team in this Nations League campaign, with one eye on the next major tournament, Euro 2028.

&quot;I am happy with the performance albeit not with the result. We had chances to score a second goal and we didn&#39;t do it. But I am really proud of my players.&quot;

He was again without captain Kylian Mbappe here with the Real striker having returned to his club after suffering a knee injury while scoring the winner in Turkey last week.

&nbsp;

Donnarumma on form

Olise returned to the starting line-up in one of six changes from the Belgium game, but new faces Jeremy Jacquet, the Liverpool defender, and Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha again played.

Italy are rebuilding under Roberto Mancini, who has returned for a second spell as coach of a nation who have failed to qualify for the last three World Cups.

They will be the happier of the two teams with the draw in this game, although they had goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Donnarumma to thank for keeping them in it with a host of saves in the second half.

&quot;I think this was a great performance tonight against one of the best teams in the world, with very positive aspects to it,&quot; said Mancini.

&quot;We are on the right road, and we need to keep playing this way.&quot;

Moise Kean should actually have given Italy an early lead after a sweeping move, only for his disappointing finish to be saved by Mike Maigan.

Davide Frattesi also came close in the first half while Kean had a goal disallowed for offside, as an Olise cross which landed on the bar was as close as France came.

The hosts turned up the volume after the break and Donnarumma saved from Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Olise before the latter crashed in the opener on 55 minutes when Rayan Cherki laid off a dead ball.

However, Bastoni caught Da Cunha in possession just outside the France box and was left with an easy finish to pull the visitors level.

Donnarumma, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, then produced more magic to save from Adrien Rabiot and twice from Eduardo Camavinga, before Upamecano walked for a second yellow on 85 minutes.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan must raise fitness levels after Vietnam defeat</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632624/pakistan-must-raise-fitness-levels-after-vietnam-defeat</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632624/pakistan-must-raise-fitness-levels-after-vietnam-defeat#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 26 14:06:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Head coach says fatigue and defensive lapses cost Shaheens as Vietnam fight back for 4-2 win]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan head coach Nolberto Solano said fitness and a loss of defensive shape proved decisive as his side suffered a 4-2 defeat by Vietnam to finish bottom of Division I Group B in their maiden FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign on Friday.

Pakistan took a deserved lead through Mohibullah Afridi in the 31st minute after dominating much of the opening half at Jakarta&#39;s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

But Vietnam responded strongly after the interval, scoring three times before Pakistan pulled one back through veteran Kaleemullah Khan in the 88th minute. Hoang Minh Williams then sealed the victory with Vietnam&#39;s fourth goal in the closing moments.

Solano said Pakistan&#39;s inability to maintain the intensity of their first-half performance was a major factor in the defeat.

&quot;Honestly, it will be very important for us, a great experience for everyone, and of course disappointed with the result,&quot; Solano told reporters after the match.

&quot;We started very well in the first half of the game. We know our issues, we know our problems and unfortunately, fitness at this kind of level is different.&quot;

Pakistan, ranked 99 places below Vietnam, had impressed before the break, pressing effectively and restricting their opponents while creating several opportunities.

Mohibullah capitalised on a defensive error to put the Shaheens ahead, but Vietnam levelled through Long Hai Nguyen five minutes after half-time before Duc Hoang Nguyen completed the turnaround in the 57th minute.

Bac Dinh Nguyen extended Vietnam&#39;s lead in the 80th minute, before Kaleemullah gave Pakistan hope with a late finish. Williams, however, ended those hopes shortly afterwards.

Solano said his side&#39;s pressing became less effective as fatigue set in.

&quot;In general, what I saw today in the second half, we were not able to build the same pressure as we did in the first half,&quot; he said.

&quot;As all good teams press together, we had a line in the back that was a bit tired. That is why we dropped deeper and deeper.&quot;

Despite the defeat, Solano said Pakistan had benefited from playing against stronger opposition and expressed hope for more international opportunities.

&quot;Apart from that, we participated in the tournament; we did quite well. It was a great experience,&quot; he said.

&quot;Hopefully, we get these kinds of games in the future.&quot;

Pakistan opened their campaign with a 4-0 defeat by Thailand before recovering from two goals down to draw 2-2 with the Philippines.

The defeat by Vietnam left Pakistan with one point from three matches, while Vietnam finished second behind Thailand.

Solano said the team would now turn its attention to preparations for its next assignment in Bangladesh next month.

&quot;Now we need to prepare in Bangladesh next month,&quot; he said.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan rally to hockey bronze</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632764/pakistan-rally-to-hockey-bronze</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632764/pakistan-rally-to-hockey-bronze#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 09:36:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632764</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Green-shirts score four unanswered goals after halftime to beat South Korea 5-3]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan clinched the men&rsquo;s hockey bronze medal with a 5-3 victory over South Korea at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday, staging a remarkable comeback after trailing by two goals at halftime.

The Green-shirts had fallen 3-1 behind at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium but produced a four-goal second-half fightback, keeping South Korea scoreless after the interval.

Sufyan Khan opened the scoring by converting a penalty corner in the first quarter, but Lee Gangsan quickly restored parity for South Korea.

The Koreans then took control in the second quarter. Kim YongBok put South Korea ahead before Yang Jihun converted another penalty corner to give his side a 3-1 lead at halftime.

Pakistan returned from the break with greater urgency and began to turn the contest around. Abdul Rehman pulled one back in the third quarter, reducing the deficit to 3-2 while South Korea struggled to create clear chances.

The decisive turnaround came in the final quarter. Waheed Rana scored twice, including a penalty-corner conversion, to put Pakistan ahead. Hannan Shahid then added another goal as the Green-shirts extended their advantage to 5-3.

South Korea were unable to respond in the closing stages, allowing Pakistan to see out the victory and secure the bronze medal.

Pakistan finished with 57 per cent possession and earned nine penalty corners, compared with five for South Korea.]]>
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			<title>Malaysia break Pakistan’s unbeaten run</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631504/malaysia-end-pakistans-unbeaten-run</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631504/malaysia-end-pakistans-unbeaten-run#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 26 07:39:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2631504</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Green-shirts face 5-4 defeat despite Sufyan Khan’s four goals in Pool B hockey thriller]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s unbeaten run ended with a 5-4 defeat by Malaysia on Saturday in their Group B match of the men&rsquo;s hockey competitions of the 20th Asian Games.

In a fast-paced game Pakistan took the lead in the third minute through Sufyan Khan who hit from the spot .

However two minutes latter Malaysia leveled when Shello Silverius needed a well-controlled field goal.

Malaysia kept the pressure and it paid dividends when they struck through Saari Faizal in the 23rd minute who hit it from short corner to take 2-1 advantage.

However it did not deter the Green-shirts and they staged a superb fight-back when Sufyan struck two back-to-back goals through penalty corner in the 39th and 43rd minute to put the Green-shirts 3-2 ahead.

Two minutes latter Malaysia brought the parity through a strike from Fitri Saari.

However a minute latter Sufyan landed his fourth goal to once again put Pakistan 4-3 ahead.

And it seemed that Pakistan would be able to keep the upper hand but Malaysia had thought otherwise.

Shello Silverius struck in the 56th minute via short corner before Azari Abu Kamal landed the winner in the 57th minute to seal a thrilling win for Malaysia.

This was the fourth straight win for Malaysia and it took them to 12 points at the summit.

The loss left Pakistan on the second spot of the group with nine points.

Sufyan&rsquo;s four goals also propelled him to the summit with nine goals, all coming through penalty corners.

India&rsquo;s Dilpreet Singh follows also with nine goals.

Pakistan will now face Oman while Malaysia will meet China in their group final matches on Monday.

Two teams from this group will make it to the semi-finals. China trail third with six points from three matches.

India lead Group A with nine points, followed by Japan also with nine points.]]>
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			<title>Bob Veldhof targets Pakistan hockey revival</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2630189/bob-veldhof-targets-pakistan-hockey-revival</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2630189/bob-veldhof-targets-pakistan-hockey-revival#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 19 Sep 26 08:21:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2630189</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dutch coach says rebuilding is his passion, confirms one-year PHF contract with option to extend]]>
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				<![CDATA[KARACHI: Pakistan hockey coach Bob Veldhof has said that rebuilding the national team is his passion and he wants the country to return to the top of the world hockey within two to three years, insisting that becoming head coach was never his primary objective.

&ldquo;And it&#39;s not my goal to be head coach; I am there because we need to bring Pakistan back to the top in two to three years,&rdquo; Bob told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

The Dutch coach will not accompany Pakistan during the Asian Games, with Herman Kruis set to act as head coach in his absence. Bob&#39;s name had initially been included in the squad&#39;s list for the Games.

After several weeks of intensive training in Islamabad, Bob handled the Green-shirts at the FIH World Cup in Amstelveen where Pakistan finished 11th.

Bob, who also has business commitments in Europe, said his schedule made it difficult for him to remain with the team for extended periods.

&ldquo;I was not asked to go to Japan first and in my schedule it was difficult and they have now made another choice,&rdquo; Bob said.

&ldquo;It was impossible for me to go with the team to Korea. Japan was possible but without schedule I cannot manage things upfront,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;I will come back but we still have to discuss,&rdquo; Bob was quick to add.

Despite his absence from the Asian Games, Bob said he remained committed to Pakistan hockey and praised the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for what he described as positive recent steps towards developing the sport.

&ldquo;PHF is on the track I believe,&rdquo; Bob said.

&ldquo;The changes done in two months are bigger than I saw before and that&#39;s a good step,&rdquo; he added.

Bob also expressed confidence that Pakistan could qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, although he acknowledged that rebuilding the team would take time.

&ldquo;I think that can happen,&rdquo; Bob said.

&ldquo;But I have good relations with the PHF chief Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani and all want us to win the World Cup.&rdquo;

The Dutch coach said Pakistan needed patience as it worked to rebuild its squad and broaden its options.

&ldquo;Nothing can happen overnight and time will tell how we get more selection options and how we strengthen the team. I am hopeful that hockey in Pakistan can grow and regain its top status in the world in the next few years,&rdquo; Bob said.

Bob also clarified the length of his agreement with the PHF, saying he had signed a one-year contract that could be extended.

&ldquo;I have an agreement for one year which can be extended. PHF wanted two years but I wanted one year and so it happened,&rdquo; Bob said, dispelling an impression that he had been hired only for four months.

The coach&#39;s immediate absence from the Asian Games is therefore not being presented as an end to his association with Pakistan hockey. Instead, Bob said he expected to return, although the schedule and terms of his future involvement still need to be discussed.

For a Pakistan team seeking to rebuild its international standing, Bob&#39;s stated objective is longer term; developing greater depth, expanding selection options and creating a side capable of competing at the highest level again within the next few years.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan requests relocation of Asian Champions Trophy from India</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629693/pakistan-requests-relocation-of-asian-champions-trophy-from-india</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629693/pakistan-requests-relocation-of-asian-champions-trophy-from-india#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 26 16:20:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) cites security concerns amid sensitive bilateral tension]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan has formally&nbsp;called for a&nbsp;neutral venue for&nbsp;the 2026 Men&rsquo;s&nbsp;Hockey Asian Champions Trophy, citing security concerns&nbsp;amid heightened tensions&nbsp;with India, while&nbsp;reaffirming its commitment&nbsp;to competing against&nbsp;all teams.

In an official statement, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani stated the PHF has formally requested the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) to relocate the Men&#39;s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 tournament or shift all of Pakistan&#39;s matches to a neutral venue.

&ldquo;This decision has been made in light of the current sensitive bilateral situation and security conditions between Pakistan and India, ensuring a safe, dignified, and conducive environment for our national players and officials.&rdquo;

The PHF statement said Pakistan remains fully committed to the Asian Champions Trophy and the global promotion of hockey.

&ldquo;We are prepared to play against all FIH member nations, including India, and stand firmly by the principle of keeping sports separate from politics,&rdquo; the PHF chief said.

&ldquo;We strongly hope that the Asian Hockey Federation will favorably consider our honorable proposal for a neutral venue to ensure Pakistan&#39;s uninterrupted and full participation.&rdquo;

The other day India&rsquo;s Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Pakistan would be among six top Asian teams taking part in the tournament, alongside hosts India, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.

The tournament will be played from October 27 to November 5 in Jalandhar and Mohali, with the final scheduled for November 5, according to details announced at the event&#39;s logo and schedule unveiling in Mohali.

Bangladesh and Oman have been listed as reserve teams in case any of the participating sides withdraw, organisers said.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Djokovic grinds out opening-round win at China Open</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632394/djokovic-grinds-out-opening-round-win-at-china-open</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632394/djokovic-grinds-out-opening-round-win-at-china-open#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 26 05:45:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Serbian battles through a tight second set to beat Borges 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in his Beijing return]]>
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				<![CDATA[Novak Djokovic held his nerve during a tense tie-break to beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) at the China Open on Wednesday and extend his extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing.

The 39-year-old Serbian was struggling physically but pushed through the second-set decider for his first win at any event since Wimbledon in July.

The former world number one is set to meet wildcard Bu Yunchaokete of China in the second round.

Fans packed the stands in Beijing to watch Djokovic, a firm favourite in China who has never lost in Beijing in 30 matches -- although this was his first match at the event since 2015.

He delighted the crowd with an ace to end the first game and saved two break points after a pair of double-faults to win the first set.

Djokovic has had health issues in recent months and struggled to pick up points at the start of the second set, using his racquet to stretch his back between games and needing a medical timeout as a trainer worked on his right shoulder.

But he forced a path to victory in one hour and 50 minutes, clinching it when Borges, the world number 49 from Portugal, returned into the net.

It preserved Djokovic&#39;s winning streak in Beijing, where he has won six titles.

Earlier, Karen Khachanov swept aside second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in their first-round meeting.

Khachanov, the world number 26, won three straight games, taking the first set in 31 minutes.

The 30-year-old then kept his cool to break Auger-Aliassime on the first match point, wrapping things up in one hour and 11 minutes.

He faces either Arthur Rinderknech of France or qualifier Alex Molcan of Slovakia in the round of 16.

Khachanov brushed off suggestions he had Auger-Aliassime&#39;s card marked following his second statement win over the Canadian world number five in a matter of weeks.

&quot;It was a tough match,&quot; the Russian, who triumphed at the US Open, said.

&quot;When you approach this match you are thinking it&#39;s a completely new match, completely different. In China, in Beijing. Different court, different balls.

&quot;You just focus again from zero. You know that what you did well... and you just try to keep the momentum going. There is not much secret about it.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Czech Republic beat Ukraine to win BJK Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631830/czech-republic-beat-ukraine-to-win-bjk-cup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631830/czech-republic-beat-ukraine-to-win-bjk-cup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 26 05:07:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Muchova and Noskova complete a 2-0 win with straight-set victories]]>
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				<![CDATA[Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova delivered a first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2018 for the Czech Republic with victories over Ukraine in the final in Shenzhen on Sunday.

The top-10 duo made history for their nation earlier this year when they squared off in an unprecedented all-Czech final at Wimbledon and have now added to their growing list of achievements by clinching the Czech Republic&#39;s 12th BJK Cup trophy.

Noskova sealed the 2-0 victory with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) win over world number seven Elina Svitolina after Muchova had put the Czechs in front with a 6-2, 6-3 rout of Anhelina Kalinina.

Czech captain Barbora Strycova is a six-time champion and was a player on the team that beat the USA in the final in 2018.

She has become just the fourth woman to win the BJK Cup as both a player and a captain &ndash;- joining Margaret Court, Chris Evert and King herself.

Ukraine were competing in their first-ever BJK Cup final after they knocked out two-time defending champions Italy in the previous round.]]>
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			<title>Alcaraz helps Team Europe take 3-1 Laver Cup lead</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631523/alcaraz-helps-team-europe-take-3-1-laver-cup-lead</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631523/alcaraz-helps-team-europe-take-3-1-laver-cup-lead#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 26 10:46:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[REUTERS]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2631523</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[World No. 3 is competing in his second tournament after the US Open]]>
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				<![CDATA[Team Europe took a 3-1 lead over defending champions Team World ​on the opening day of the Laver Cup on Friday, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik closing out &zwnj;the night with a straight sets doubles victory at The O2.

World No. 3 Alcaraz, competing in his second tournament after the US Open following a four-month injury layoff, joined Mensik to beat Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4.

The Spaniard and Czech, who also partnered at last year&#39;s Laver Cup in San Francisco, fended off ​three early break points before Alcaraz found his range and fired an overhead smash to secure the first break.

They ​broke again early in the second set and held firm from there, with Mensik serving out the ⁠match, with Alcaraz sealing victory at the net.

&quot;I&#39;m just trying to have fun in every place that I go and on every court ​that I play on,&quot; Alcaraz said.

&quot;I don&#39;t usually play doubles ... I just try to enjoy and be better at things. I use ​doubles to try and improve my tennis, a couple of adjustments. Having a partner like Jakub, it&#39;s really easy to have fun on the court.&quot;

The victory gave Europe three points from Friday&#39;s four matches, after Norwegian Casper Ruud got them off to a winning start by edging Francisco Cerundolo 6-7(4) 6-4 ​10-8.

Brandon Nakashima levelled the contest for Team World by beating Mensik 6-1 3-6 10-7, before Rafael Jodar restored Europe&#39;s lead with ​a commanding 6-2 6-3 victory over Alexander Bublik in the Spaniard&#39;s Laver Cup debut.

Jodar, who was watched from the stands by Roger Federer and John &zwnj;McEnroe, ⁠said he was thrilled to have the tennis greats at his first appearance in the competition.

&quot;It&#39;s a pleasure that they are in the stands watching me,&quot; Jodar said. &quot;It&#39;s a pleasure to see them watching these types of matches.&quot;

&nbsp;

Opening strikes

Earlier on Friday, Ruud and Cerundolo were locked in a tight opening set, with neither player able to break before the Argentine edged the tiebreak 7-4.

Ruud responded by breaking for a ​5-4 lead in the second ​set which he claimed before forcing the ⁠match tiebreak, where the Norwegian held his nerve after the players traded points until 8-8.

&quot;I have to thank my team and my bench. They pushed me all the way. They kept me in ​it, really ... Europe can build on this,&quot; Ruud said.

Nakashima then produced a composed performance on his ​Laver Cup debut, ⁠racing to a 5-0 lead against Mensik before the Czech fought back to take the second set, leaving the American to wrap up victory in the match tiebreak.

&quot;This guy... I&#39;m not convinced he&#39;s real. I think he&#39;s AI,&quot; Team World captain Andre Agassi said, praising Nakashima&#39;s ability ⁠to stay ​calm under pressure. &quot;He just goes about his business point after point after point.&quot;

The ​three-day Laver Cup pits six players from Europe against six from the rest of the world, with victories worth one point on Friday, two on Saturday and three ​on Sunday.

The first team to reach 13 points wins the title.]]>
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			<title>Zverev, Shelton back for Davis Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629614/zverev-shelton-back-for-davis-cup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629614/zverev-shelton-back-for-davis-cup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 26 07:31:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fresh from US Open, stars ignite Davis Cup finals chase]]>
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				<![CDATA[Newly-crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev makes a quick return to action this weekend as he bids to help Germany reach the Davis Cup Finals, while American Ben Shelton hopes to put his Flushing Meadows final defeat behind him.

World number two Zverev downed Shelton in four sets on Sunday to continue a dream season after ending his long wait to win a Grand Slam title at the French Open in June.

Leading Germany to a first Davis Cup crown since 1993 would cap off his year in style.

But to reach November&#39;s eight-team Finals, the Germans must first get through a second-round qualifying tie against Croatia in Halle on Saturday and Sunday.

The seven qualifiers will be decided this week, joining hosts and three-time defending champions Italy in Bologna in two months&#39; time.

Zverev admitted that his coaching staff were not keen on him being back on court so quickly.

&quot;I really, really would like to play in the Davis Cup. Everyone around me is trying to talk me out of it,&quot; he said after lifting the US Open trophy, which he initially did not realise he had won after match point.

Michael Kohlmann&#39;s Germany will be strong favourites to get the better of a Croatia team including 37-year-old Marin Cilic and youngster Dino Prizmic.

The Croatians have not reached the Finals since a group-stage exit in 2023, when there were still 16 teams taking part.

&quot;Now the goal is to stand our ground against a strong opponent, together with the team and the fans,&quot; Zverev said last month.

&quot;We want to experience a fantastic weekend of tennis together and qualify for the Finals once again.&quot;

Germany came up just short in the Finals last year, as Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz suffered only their second defeat in 24 Davis Cup matches together in a deciding doubles rubber against Spain in the semi-finals.

The United States, record 32-time winners of the competition, face a serious test in their bid to end a 19-year wait for a 33rd title when they take on a strong Czech Republic side in Prague on Friday and Saturday.

There will be even more pressure on Shelton to deliver after world number 10 Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul both withdrew from the American team.

Rising star Learner Tien and world number 104 Martin Damm were named as their replacements. Damm shares his name with his Czech-born father, a 2006 US Open men&#39;s doubles champion.

French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik, 24th-ranked Jiri Lehecka, Tomas Machac and Vit Kopriva make up the home outfit, captained by Tomas Berdych.

It will be a rematch of the second-round qualifying tie from last year, when Mensik beat Frances Tiafoe in a deciding singles rubber to give the Czechs a surprise 3-2 victory in Delray Beach.

USA skipper Bob Bryan, who was in the team the last time they won the trophy in 2007, will need Shelton at his best, despite the new world number four admitting he was &quot;tired before I took the court&quot; for the US Open final.

The winners of the contest between South Korea and India in Seoul will become the first Asian country to reach the quarter-finals since Kazakhstan in 2021.

The Koreans have included Kwon Soon-woo and Chung Hyeon, a former Australian Open semi-finalist now ranked 549th in the world, in their team.

Rafael Jodar, who turns 20 on Thursday, will make his Davis Cup debut for Spain as they continue their tilt at a seventh title against Chile in Santiago.

&quot;It&#39;s so exciting to be able to represent Spain for the first time,&quot; said the world number 14.

&quot;I was a hitting partner two years ago in Valencia and it was an incredible experience. I can&#39;t imagine what it&#39;s like as a player.&quot;

Britain, featuring surprise Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery, welcome Ecuador to London, while Austria take on Belgium, for whom Alexander Blockx withdrew following his run to the US Open quarters.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Arthur Fils are slated to go head-to-head as Canada face France in Quebec City.]]>
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			<title>GM Bashir makes strong start in Asian Games shooting</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632226/gm-bashir-makes-strong-start-in-asian-games-shooting</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632226/gm-bashir-makes-strong-start-in-asian-games-shooting#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 26 07:34:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632226</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Olympian fires 289-8x to finish eighth in stage 1 of the 25m rapid fire pistol, with stage second set for Thursday]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s ace-shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir had a solid start in his men&rsquo;s 25 metre rapid fire pistol event of the 20th Asian Games at the Aichi Perfecture General Shooting Gallery in Japan on Wednesday.

Competing in stage 1, the 2022 World Championship bronze medallist and Olympian Bashir finished eighth among 28 shooters with a score of 289-8x.

He will now compete in the second stage on Thursday and it is highly expected that the veteran shooter will be able to qualify for the finals also to be held on the same day.

Bashir&rsquo;s performance placed him ahead of several experienced competitors and kept him within reach of the leading positions. China&rsquo;s Su Lianbofan topped the stage 1 standings with 297-12x, followed by South Korea&rsquo;s Yoon Seoyeong with 293-9x and Lee Gunhyeok with 292-8x.

Bashir&rsquo;s 289 points also put him just one point behind Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Nikita Chiryukin, who occupied seventh place. His result was particularly encouraging given the closely packed standings, where only a few points separated many of the competitors.

Initially Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Shabbir were also scheduled to feature in this event but they could not proceed.

&ldquo;I think Bashir has started well,&rdquo; a senior official of National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) Razi Ahmed Khan told The Express Tribune.

Razi, who is also a senior coach, hoped that Bashir will be able to advance to the finals.

&ldquo;I think he is in the best position to proceed. The second stage is more important. The pressure is really on top two shooters and if Bashir keeps his focus he can qualify and even win a medal,&rdquo; Razi said.

Only two shooters have made it to the Asian Games because of NOC issue. The other is Rabia Kabir who has completed her competition in the 25m pistol, having failed to do better.

Besides Farooq and Shabbir, Farrukh Nadeem, who won Asian shotgun gold, prolific Usman Chand, Imam Haroon and Kishmala Talat were the others who could not proceed due to NOC matter.

&ldquo;NOCs had been issued but they were late and when you miss a flight then you need at least one week to manage ammunition transportation and that is why they could not proceed,&rdquo; Razi said.

He specifically mentioned Kishmala, saying she was in fine touch and could win another medal.

&ldquo;Kishmala had secured historic bronze last time in the 2023 Hanzghou Asian Games and again she could lift a medal as she was in great form but unfortunately the same matter ended her chance,&rdquo; Razi said.

Kishmala became the first Pakistani shooter who won a medal in Hanzghou in Pakistan&rsquo;s Asian games shooting history.]]>
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			<title>Usman’s horse Eden Du Veret makes historic Asian Games landing</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629836/usmans-horse-eden-du-veret-makes-historic-asian-games-landing</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2629836/usmans-horse-eden-du-veret-makes-historic-asian-games-landing#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 26 09:18:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2629836</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The premier eventer and his horse will start their Asian Games journey on September 20]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s star eventer Usman Khan and his horse Eden Du Veret have landed in Narita, Japan, safely to feature in the 20th Asian Games eventing event.

This is the fourth successive time that Usman has qualified for the quadrennial event. However on previous three occasions he could not proceed due to financial issues.

&ldquo;Yes, we have safely landed and will begin our journey on September 20,&rdquo; Usman told this correspondent.

Usman and his horse underwent a 70-day quarantine, 60 days in France and last ten-day pre-export mandatory quarantine in Germany before they flew to Japan.

Eden Du Veret is the FEI name of Usman&rsquo;s horse while his EFP name is Mirage, the horse which had also been used in the 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifiers.



Mirage was transported via Lufthansa flight while Usman proceeded through Etihad Airways. The 200 kilogramme of equipment was loaded separately on Qatar Airways.
Besides this a 100kg of feed had been taken on a flight a week earlier.

However some equipment of National Federations have not yet reached Japan. The agents, handling such matter, have updated the national federations about the situation.

The federations have been told that not all horse equipment and veterinary kits were delivered to the venue last night.
An additional 4,900 kilogramme over and above the quantities originally booked by national federations (NFs) was delivered to Li&egrave;ge. However, agents said, that due to payload restrictions, they were unable to accommodate all the cargo on the flight.

&ldquo;Once delivered to Li&egrave;ge, all the equipment formed part of one consolidated consignment. We therefore had no option to identify and unload the equipment of individual NFs whose quantities exceeded their original bookings.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We immediately began exploring every possible solution to expedite the shipment of the equipment from Europe to Japan, and arrangements were made for it to arrive in Narita this evening.&rdquo;

&ldquo;However, I have just been advised that QR806 departed Doha with only 19 pieces on board. The remaining pieces are now scheduled to travel on QR806 tomorrow,&rdquo;

Usman has also asked the agents about his equipment, adding if the NOC equipment arrives tonight, they can arrange a training session later this evening.

Usman told the agent if it does not arrive until tomorrow then it would be a big issue for Pakistan in the crucial lead-up to the Games.

It would be a testing time for Usman to deliver at the continental stage. He has a massive experience of playing at the highest level.

Usman&rsquo;s eventing journey is too long, having spent around two decades in this field, first by backing himself in Australia and now doing his best in France, his new abode.
Usman specifically had moved to France from Australia in order to prepare for the Paris Olympics qualifiers at a zone hardly at 45 kilometre drive from the Paris Olympics playing zone.

He qualified but could not maintain his ranking after missing a few events especially the one in South Africa which dropped him to the reserves list. He still could compete provided a rider would drop but he decided not to opt for that as his horse was too young and inexperienced.

Usman, who basically belongs to Lahore, had qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but his horse Azad Kashmir died. He then revised his qualification process and when he was near the finish line in the qualifiers in Australia his horse Kasheer fell and died on the spot. Usman was left critically injured. Following a few months of top treatment in Australia Usman recovered and took a big time before deciding to return to the international circuit.]]>
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			<title>Razaullah’s rocket rise</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628733/razaullahs-rocket-rise</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628733/razaullahs-rocket-rise#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 26 10:00:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2628733</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Mardan’s pacer hard work, raw pace and persistence earn Pakistan call-up]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Razaullah Khan Mashwani&rsquo;s rise to Pakistan&rsquo;s Test team did not begin under bright stadium lights or in a high-profile academy.

It began with tape-ball cricket in Mardan.

The fast bowler, who made a sensational international debut against England, was born into a family from Nehag Dara in Upper Dir. When he was about hardly two years old, his family moved to Mardan, the second-largest city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he began building the career that would eventually take him to Pakistan&rsquo;s national team.

For years, Razaullah&rsquo;s progress was powered less by recognition than by persistence.

&ldquo;He is a very good boy and his main focus is on his game only,&rdquo; said Akmal Khan, one of the coaches who has worked with him and runs the Akmal Khan Cricket Academy in Mardan.



Akmal, a former first-class batting all-rounder and qualified coach, has watched Razaullah develop from a promising youngster into one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most exciting fast-bowling prospects.

&ldquo;He is a nice guy and is passionate about his bowling,&rdquo; Akmal told The Express Tribune.

Razaullah is also a capable batsman, Akmal said, a part of his game that he believes will become more apparent as his career develops.

But it is his pace that has made him stand out.

Razaullah started with tape-ball cricket before making the transition to hard-ball cricket. His father, now elderly and no longer working, encouraged him to stay focused on the sport, while his five brothers supported him throughout the journey.

&ldquo;Razaullah came to Mardan in 2007,&rdquo; Akmal said. &ldquo;His father has always encouraged him to focus on cricket and work hard. All of his brothers have also supported him throughout his journey.&rdquo;

The progression was gradual but relentless.

Razaullah joined the Akmal Khan Cricket Academy during the 2022-23 season. In 2023, he played Under-19 cricket at the inter-district level before being selected for the Abbottabad Region Under-19 team.



His first opportunity at the national Under-19 level immediately caught attention.

&ldquo;In his first appearance at the national Under-19 level, he was one of the best-performing players,&rdquo; Akmal said.

Akmal was part of the coaching staff for the regional Under-19 team, working alongside head coach Arun Lal, who also backed the young fast bowler.

Razaullah continued to impress at a tournament in Quetta before moving into senior cricket with the Mardan district team. His progress, however, was interrupted by an elbow injury after his second match.

The setback did not derail him.

MIT Solutions gave him an opportunity to play in 2024, and he responded by taking 28 wickets. He returned for another season with the team and claimed 27 wickets, helping it reach the final against Sahir Associates.

Although Sahir Associates won the final and earned promotion to first-class cricket, Razaullah&#39;s performance strengthened his reputation.

He was later included among the 30 players selected for the Abbottabad Region, but opportunities remained limited.

Then came another break.

Rafatullah, the Peshawar Region coach, gave Razaullah a chance to play as a guest player for the region. He showed that his value extended beyond the ball, scoring a century and a half-century.

Sahir Associates subsequently offered him a contract for the 2025-26 first-class season.

In five matches, he took 25 wickets.

That brought another step up: the Pakistan Super League.

Rawalpindiz selected Razaullah, and although he played only two matches, he made an impression with his pace, reaching 148 kph.

His performances continued to accumulate.

Razaullah represented Abbottabad Region in the National T20 competition, where the team became champions in 2026. He was then called up to a white-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy.

The next opportunity was the Champions Cup, where he was selected for Pakistan Gold.

He seized it.

Razaullah&#39;s performances drew attention around the country and helped Pakistan Gold win the tournament. Soon afterward, he returned to the National Cricket Academy for a fast-bowling camp, where he was named player of the camp.

Then, late one night, the call came.

Razaullah was at home when the National Cricket Academy asked him to report.

That call ultimately led to his selection for Pakistan&#39;s Test squad.

For a young cricketer whose journey began with a tape-ball in Mardan, the rise has been remarkably quick.

But those who have followed him closely say it was not accidental.

&ldquo;Razaullah is a very talented and hardworking young man,&rdquo; Akmal said. &ldquo;He strongly believes in hard work and has always trusted his own efforts. He has never believed in taking shortcuts.&rdquo;



His journey, Akmal said, is the product of &ldquo;dedication, determination and continuous hard work.&rdquo;

Mukhtiar Hussain, a former manager of Abbottabad Region, reached a similar conclusion after working with the fast bowler.

&ldquo;He is a hard-working player and the best thing in him is that he focuses on his job,&rdquo; Mukhtiar told this correspondent.

For now, Razaullah remains connected to the places that helped shape him. One of his brothers still lives in Nehag Dara in Upper Dir, while Razaullah himself lives in Mansab, near New Sabzi Mandi in Mardan.

At the Akmal Khan Cricket Academy, where part of his journey took shape, there is already anticipation for his return.

Akmal said the academy and Shaheen Club, which he represents, will welcome him warmly.

For a player who spent years chasing opportunities from the margins of Pakistan&#39;s cricket system, the welcome will mark another milestone in a journey that has gone from tape-ball cricket in Mardan to the country&#39;s Test team, powered, above all, by pace, patience and persistence.

Pakistan also has a solid batsman Kamran Ghulam who belongs to Dir Upper.]]>
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			<title>Rs5.7 billion approved for SAG infrastructure development</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628489/rs57-billion-approved-for-sag-infrastructure-development</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628489/rs57-billion-approved-for-sag-infrastructure-development#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 26 06:46:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Zulfiqar Baig]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2628489</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Investment exposes scale of work needed before biennial event to held in April 2027]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan has approved a Rs5.7 billion package to upgrade sports infrastructure ahead of the South Asian Games, with authorities seeking to ensure venues are ready to host the regional multi-sport event.

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, reviewed and approved the development package at a meeting on Wednesday.

The projects include extensive upgrades to facilities at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad, as well as improvements to sports infrastructure in other cities.

Officials said the work is intended to improve the quality, functionality and operational readiness of venues required for the Games, which will bring athletes and teams from across South Asia to Pakistan.

The approval represents a significant allocation of public funds to sports infrastructure as Pakistan prepares to host the regional competition. The investment also reflects the scale of rehabilitation and development work considered necessary to bring existing facilities up to the required standard.

Secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani welcomed the decision, describing it as a major achievement for the country&#39;s sports sector.

Wani credited the prime minister and the Planning Commission with supporting efforts to strengthen sports infrastructure and said the investment would serve purposes beyond the Games themselves.

&ldquo;The approval of the Rs. 5.7 billion infrastructure package is a major step forward for the successful hosting of the SAG,&rdquo; Wani said.

He said the planned upgrades to the Pakistan Sports Complex and other facilities would provide athletes and visiting teams with improved venues while creating a longer-term benefit for Pakistani sport.

The government has increasingly focused on improving sporting infrastructure as Pakistan prepares to host major regional competitions. For the SAG venue readiness will be critical to the smooth conduct of events and the experience of participating teams.

The approved programme covers both the capital&#39;s main sports complex and facilities elsewhere, indicating that preparations extend beyond a single host venue.

Wani said the IPC ministry would coordinate with the Planning Commission and other relevant stakeholders to implement the projects and complete them on time.

The authorities will have to ensure that construction, rehabilitation and procurement work progresses in accordance with the operational requirements of the Games.

The investment is expected to leave Pakistan with upgraded sports facilities after the competition, although the immediate priority for officials will be completing the works before athletes arrive.

The SAG will be held in Pakistan from April 3-11 at different venues.]]>
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			<title>Arshad Nadeem faces Budapest test</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628308/arshad-nadeem-faces-budapest-test</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628308/arshad-nadeem-faces-budapest-test#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 26 08:44:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2628308</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Olympic champion heads to Hungary capital for World Athletics Ultimate Championship]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&#39;s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem travelled to Budapest on Wednesday to compete in the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, seeking a return to form after a disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games.

The 29-year-old premier athlete was on his way to Hungary, his manager Awais Tahir told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

The men&#39;s javelin final is scheduled for September 13, with Arshad set to face a strong field that includes Sri Lanka&#39;s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Grenada&#39;s Anderson Peters, Germany&#39;s Julian Weber, American Curtis Thompson, Trinidad and Tobago&#39;s Keshorn Walcott, Kenya&#39;s Julius Yego and Poland&#39;s Dawid Wegner.

The competition is being held for the first time, adding another major international stage for Arshad as he looks to rebuild momentum ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Arshad&#39;s latest outing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow ended in disappointment. He finished ninth in the 12-man final after three throws in the opening phase and was thus dethroned as he had won crown at Birmingham in 2022 with a Games record throw of 90.18 metres.

His return to Budapest, however, carries a degree of familiarity and significance.

Hungary was the scene of Arshad&rsquo;s breakthrough on the global stage when he won silver at the 2023 World Championships. A year later, he produced the defining performance of his career at the Paris Olympics, winning gold with a throw of 92.97 metres which is also Olympics record.

His manager said the athlete&#39;s preparation is focused on long-term development.

&quot;As for the training, it takes time to achieve better results. Our main focus is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, so we&#39;re working with a long-term plan,&quot; Tahir said.

Arshad trained under South African coach Terseus Liebenberg, who also played an important role in preparing him for his Olympic triumph in Paris.

The coach has urged the athlete to reset after reaching the pinnacle of his career.

&quot;After such an incredible feat it is just natural that he had to once again reset, refocus, set new goals and regain his hunger for success at the highest level,&quot; Liebenberg had told this correspondent a few days ago.

He described Arshad as an athlete with an exceptionally strong mindset and expressed confidence that he could rediscover his best form.

The Budapest field presents a formidable challenge.

Pathirage, Sri Lanka&#39;s leading javelin thrower, enters the competition with considerable momentum after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games and recently claiming a Diamond League title. His consistency in recent months has made him one of the leading contenders.

Peters, a two-time former world champion, brings extensive experience, while Weber, Thompson, Walcott, Yego and Wegner add further depth to the field.

India&#39;s Neeraj Chopra, one of Arshad&#39;s biggest rivals in recent years, will not compete in Budapest after an injury ruled him out. Chopra is also set to miss this month&#39;s Asian Games in Japan.

For Arshad, the Budapest contest represents an opportunity to measure himself against some of the world&#39;s leading throwers.

After the championship, he will return to Pakistan on September 15 before travelling to Japan for the Asian Games, where he will attempt to add to his medal tally.

Arshad won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta but missed the 2022 edition, which was held in Hangzhou in 2023 due to injury.

His immediate priority, however, is Budapest, where the Olympic champion will be looking to put his recent struggles behind him and demonstrate that his best throwing remains ahead of him.]]>
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			<title>Marquez wins Japanese GP sprint</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632769/marquez-wins-japanese-gp-sprint</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632769/marquez-wins-japanese-gp-sprint#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 10:44:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632769</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He moves seven points behind leader Jorge Martin]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Ducati&#39;s Marc Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix sprint on Saturday to shave five points off Aprilia rider Jorge Martin&#39;s lead in the MotoGP championship standings.

Marquez made a scorching start ​and held the inside line on the first turn of the &zwnj;opening lap to surge past Martin, who had set a lap record at the Motegi circuit earlier on Saturday to grab pole position.

Reigning champion Marquez maintained his lead and coasted to victory, moving him to ​306 points - seven behind Martin (313), ahead of Sunday&#39;s race.

&quot;The target was ​front row in the qualifying. Starting on first or second was ⁠the best place to do a great sprint race,&quot; seven-times world champion Marquez ​said.

&quot;We did a small modification for the sprint race, and I felt much better ​on the bike.&quot;

Aprilia&#39;s Martin finished second, but was demoted to third behind LCR Honda&#39;s Diogo Moreira.

The Spaniard had found it hard going towards the end of the sprint as he was put ​under pressure by Tech3&#39;s Enea Bastianini, with the thrilling duel leading both riders ​to stray outside the track.

&quot;I tried in the last lap to do everything I could &zwnj;to keep ⁠Enea behind. I achieved that,&quot; Martin said.

&quot;I don&#39;t know exactly where I touched (the outside), because I was really focused on not doing it. So, big mistake.&quot;

Brazilian Moreira earned his first sprint podium. It was also the first sprint podium for ​satellite team LCR since ​2023.

&quot;Today was the ⁠day. We saw the crash and I said, &#39;OK, today I will try to push to see&#39;. At the end, lap ​by lap, I was feeling more comfortable with the bike,&quot; ​the 22-year-old ⁠said.

KTM&#39;s Pedro Acosta, fresh off the first MotoGP victory of his career , started in the front row but quickly found himself in the gravel after being involved in a ⁠three-rider ​crash along with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di ​Giannantonio.

Japan&#39;s Ai Ogura (Trackhouse) finished fifth, ahead of Martin&#39;s Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi, whose outside bid for the ​championship was dealt another blow.]]>
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			<title>Verstappen claims first pole of season</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632767/verstappen-claims-first-pole-of-season</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632767/verstappen-claims-first-pole-of-season#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 10:37:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632767</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He clocks 1 minute 35.130 seconds to edge out Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Red Bull&#39;s Max ​Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia &zwnj;on Saturday, proving he remains the master of Sepang&#39;s challenging circuit nine years after his last victory there.

Verstappen clocked 1 minute 35.130 seconds to edge out Ferrari&#39;s Lewis Hamilton, who snatched second place in the dying moments of qualifying despite struggling with tyre degradation in the brutal Malaysian heat.

Verstappen&#39;s ​team mate Isack Hadjar was third fastest but will start eighth due to a five-place grid penalty, with championship leader Kimi ​Antonelli moved up to third for Mercedes alongside Ferrari&#39;s Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen was the last driver to win a ⁠Grand Prix in Malaysia in 2017, in what was his second career victory, before the race was taken off the calendar ​after the government said it could not justify the costs.

Nine years and four championships later, the Dutchman became the first driver this ​season to put a car without a Mercedes engine on pole.

&quot;It&#39;s fantastic, we&#39;ve been trying for many Grands Prix to get more, sometimes a bit closer to the others,&quot; said Verstappen as he eyes his first win of the season.

&quot;But to finally get it from where we started the ​season, pretty incredible.&quot;

Ferrari find &#39;sweet spot&#39;

Hamilton, who also has one victory in Sepang, struggled with tyre degradation in practice sessions but ​the veteran Briton said they had now found the right setup.

&quot;It&#39;s so hot here, I keep saying it. But that&#39;s made it a massive challenge &zwnj;for ⁠the tyres, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage,&quot; Hamilton said.

&quot;We made so many changes through all these practice sessions because the cars are sliding, these tyres are overheating. It was really, really hard to find a good balance.

&quot;We made one last change going into qualifying and I think we hit the sweet spot.&quot;

Hadjar sounded frustrated on the team radio despite finishing ​third fastest and later said he ​expected to go second ⁠quickest to limit the grid penalty as much as possible.

&quot;It&#39;s a bit unfortunate we take the penalty on a track that fast,&quot; Hadjar said. &quot;But you know, from P8, I&#39;m confident we can ​go through the field and come back for a good result.&quot;

Mercedes disappointed

Mercedes endured a disappointing ​qualifying session despite ⁠bringing an upgrade package to Malaysia. Antonelli had his first Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits, prompting a surprised radio exchange.

&quot;Wait, what? Are we sure about the track limits,&quot; he asked before recovering to go second-fastest in the session on fresh soft tyres.

However, he ⁠could barely ​squeeze anything more out of the car in Q3, while teammate George ​Russell - second in the championship - could only manage eighth.

McLaren&#39;s reigning champion Lando Norris and team mate Oscar Piastri will start on the third row, and Alpine&#39;s ​Pierre Gasly and Audi&#39;s Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan whip China to end 64-year medal wait</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632760/pakistan-whip-china-to-claim-volleyball-bronze</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632760/pakistan-whip-china-to-claim-volleyball-bronze#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 09:00:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[National volleyballers seal historic victory to secure first bronze in Asian Games since 1962]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan secured the men&rsquo;s volleyball bronze medal with a commanding 3-0 victory over China at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday.

Pakistan controlled the bronze-medal contest from the opening serve at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, winning 25-18, 25-16, 25-18 in a match that lasted one hour and seven minutes.

China struggled to match Pakistan&rsquo;s attacking efficiency, while Pakistan maintained pressure throughout all three sets. The winners finished with 75 total points compared with China&rsquo;s 52 and also benefited from 20 Chinese errors.

Pakistan&rsquo;s attack proved particularly effective. They converted 46 of 72 spike attempts for a 64 per cent success rate, while China managed 27 successful spikes from 70 attempts, a 39 per cent rate.

Pakistan also dominated at the net, producing 13 block points compared with China&rsquo;s two. Their defence was similarly stronger, with Pakistan recording 13 digs to China&rsquo;s nine.

China made 13 opponent errors that contributed to Pakistan&rsquo;s score, while Pakistan committed 20 errors in the contest.

The first set was closely contested in its early stages before Pakistan established control and closed it out 25-18. They carried that momentum into the second set, opening a decisive advantage and winning 25-16.

China attempted to respond in the third, but Pakistan remained composed and completed the straight-sets victory 25-18.

Pakistan had last time won bronze in the 1962 Asian Games held in Indonesia.

Pakistan had lost their semi-finals against Iran.

In the quarters Pakistan had defeated India 3-0.

In the league stage Pakistan had defeated Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before losing to Japan to finish second in their group.]]>
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			<title>Wrestlers Inayat, Gulzar eliminate at Asian Games</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632761/wrestlers-inayat-gulzar-eliminate-at-asian-games</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632761/wrestlers-inayat-gulzar-eliminate-at-asian-games#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 26 09:07:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632761</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Inayat loses to Nurkozha of Kazakhstan; Gulzar suffers defeats in both fights]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan ended their wrestling journey in the Asian Games on a disappointing note when their remaining two wrestlers also exited without giving any breakthrough.

Former Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayat Ullah crashed out of the men&rsquo;s freestyle 74kg competition after suffering a 12-2 defeat against Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Nurkozha Kaipanov in the round of 16 in Nagoya.

Inayat showed resistance early but the 2024 Tirana World Championship gold medallist Kaipanov steadily took control, winning the opening period 6-2 before completing the bout with another six points in the second. The Kazakh wrestler secured victory by technical superiority, ending Pakistan&rsquo;s campaign in the weight category.

Meanwhile Muhammad Gulzar suffered a one-sided defeat against Iran&rsquo;s Amirali Azarpira in the men&rsquo;s freestyle 97kg round of 16.

Azarpira dominated from the outset, winning the opening period 6-0 before adding four more points in the second to complete a 10-0 victory by technical superiority.

Gulzar struggled to create scoring opportunities throughout the bout. The Iranian wrestler maintained control and sealed his place in the quarter-finals without conceding a single point.

Gulzar was then given a repechage fight where he ended with a heavy defeat against Turkmenistan&rsquo;s Shatlyk Hemelyayev.

Gulzar struggled to find a way into the contest as Hemelyayev dominated from the opening exchanges. The Turkmen wrestler collected 12 unanswered points to secure a victory by technical superiority, with Gulzar unable to register a point.

&ldquo;You know we need more exposure for mat- wrestling development,&rdquo; Pakistan Wrestling Federation&rsquo;s (PWF) president Arshad Sattar told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Our grapplers are product of mud-wrestling which is their key source of income and you know mat-wrestling is something different and this needs a huge push with the massive assistance of the state. If sate backs us so I hope we will start lifting medals even at the Olympics in the next few years,&rdquo; Arshad said.

Mohammad Abdullah and Noman Zaka were the other wrestlers who also failed to click on Friday.

Meanwhile Pakistan&rsquo;s key taekwondo fighter Hamzah Omar Saeed bowed out of the men&rsquo;s +80kg taekwondo competition after losing 2-0 to Thailand&rsquo;s Jack Mercer at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday.

Mercer won the opening round 4-2 before extending his advantage in the second, winning 7-5 to secure victory on the final score.

Saeed managed two body-punch points and three points from body kicks, while Mercer also landed a head kick worth three points. The Thai fighter maintained control through the contest

With no Gam-jeom penalties recorded for either athlete, Mercer advanced to the quarter-finals.

Shahzaib Khan had eliminated on Friday.]]>
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			<title>Iran knock Pakistan out of title contention</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632603/iran-knock-pakistan-out-of-title-contention</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632603/iran-knock-pakistan-out-of-title-contention#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 26 11:56:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632603</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Green-shirts suffer straight-sets defeat in Asian Games volleyball semis]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s hopes of reaching the Asian Games men&rsquo;s volleyball final ended after they suffered a straight-sets defeat against Iran in the semi-finals in Okazaki, Japan, on Friday.

Iran proved too strong for the Green-shirts, completing a commanding 3-0 victory with scores of 25-13, 25-15 and 25-11 at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium.

Pakistan struggled to find their rhythm from the outset as Iran dominated the opening set 25-13 before maintaining their grip on the contest with a 25-15 win in the second.

There was no turnaround for Pakistan in the third set as well, with Iran racing away to a 25-11 victory to wrap up the match in exactly one hour and seal their place in the final.

Iran enjoyed a clear advantage in attack, recording a 64 per cent success rate on spikes compared with Pakistan&rsquo;s 34 per cent. The Iranians also dominated at the net, registering a 32 per cent success rate in blocks against Pakistan&rsquo;s four per cent.

Iran finished with 75 total points, while Pakistan managed 39.

Usman Faryad Ali was Pakistan&rsquo;s leading scorer with 11 points, all of them coming from spikes. Murad Khan followed with nine points, including eight from spikes and one block.

Afaq Khan contributed three points, while Jabran and Musawer Khan scored two apiece. Hamid Yazman and Murad Jehan added one point each.

Iran also held the edge from the service line, recording four service points compared with Pakistan&rsquo;s two.

Pakistan the other day floored India 3-0 to reach the semi-finals.

Pakistan will now meet in the bronze medal match on Saturday with the winners of the second semi-final between Japan and China which is scheduled on Friday.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan claim silver in squash team event</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632600/malaysia-shatter-pakistans-squash-gold-dream</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632600/malaysia-shatter-pakistans-squash-gold-dream#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 26 11:53:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Green-shirts settle for silver after 2-0 defeat in Asian Games men’s team final]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s bid for Asian Games squash gold ended in disappointment as Malaysia powered to a 2-0 victory in the men&rsquo;s team final at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena in Japan on Friday.

The Green-shirts, who had produced an impressive run to reach the title clash, were unable to overcome a strong Malaysian side and had to settle for the silver medal.

Malaysia drew first blood through Ameeshenraj Chandaran, who recovered from losing the opening game to defeat Pakistan&rsquo;s Nasir Iqbal 3-1 in 41 minutes.

Iqbal made a flying start, taking the opening game 11-8, but Chandaran quickly turned the contest around. The Malaysian dominated the second game 11-3 before taking a closely fought third 11-6.

Chandaran maintained his momentum in the fourth game and closed out the contest 11-4 to put Malaysia ahead in the tie.

With Pakistan needing a victory in the second match to keep their gold-medal hopes alive.

Noor Zaman at one stage was leading 2-1. However, Yow Eain NG fought back strongly and lifted the fourth and fifth sets 11-4, 11-5 to seal much-needed victory for his side.

Earlier, Yow took a good start by winning the first game 11-8. However, Noor recovered immediately and won the next two games 11-6, 11-6 to get a lead.

Pakistan had entered the final hoping to cap their campaign with the top prize after progressing through the earlier stages of the team competition.

Meanwhile Malaysia also clinched the women&rsquo;s squash team gold medal after defeating Hong Kong, China, 2-1 in the final.

Aifa Azman gave Malaysia a strong start, sweeping Tze Lok Ho 3-0 in the opening match.

Azman prevailed 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 in 36 minutes to put Malaysia 1-0 ahead in the gold-medal contest.

Hong Kong fought back to level the tie by winning the second match, forcing the title showdown into a decisive third encounter.

Malaysia held their nerve in the decider to seal a 2-1 victory and secure the gold medal.]]>
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			<title>Bashir fires Pakistan to shooting bronze at Asian Games</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632414/bashir-fires-pakistan-to-shooting-bronze-at-asian-games</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632414/bashir-fires-pakistan-to-shooting-bronze-at-asian-games#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 26 07:50:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2632414</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Olympian also becomes the first Pakistan's male shooter to win a medal at this stage]]>
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				<![CDATA[Ghulam Mustafa Bashir won bronze medal in the men&rsquo;s 25 metres rapid-fire pistol at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, producing a strong performance in a tense eight-man final.

Bashir finished third with a score of 22, securing Pakistan a place on the podium at the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting Gallery.

This is the first medal from Bashir in his Asian Games career and the second for Pakistan in the continental event history. Kishmala Talat had won bronze in the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

South Korea&rsquo;s Lee Gunhyeok claimed the gold medal after scoring 32, edging China&rsquo;s Su Lianbofan in the shoot-off. Su also finished on 32 but took silver after the tie-break.

Vietnam&rsquo;s Pham Quang Huy finished fourth with 20 points, while Indonesia&rsquo;s Suteja Dewa Putu Yadi placed fifth on 18.

South Korea&rsquo;s Yoon Seoyeong was sixth with 12, followed by India&rsquo;s Anish on 11 and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Nikita Chiryukin on seven.

Bashir had entered the final after finishing sixth in the second stage also on Thursday with 578 points, including 19 inner tens.

He was among the eight shooters who advanced from the qualifying round.

Lee&rsquo;s victory also saw him equal the Asian record of 32 in the final, while the competition featured several of Asia&rsquo;s leading rapid-fire pistol shooters. Bashir had finished eighth in the first stage on Wednesday.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan secure eSports bronze at Asian Games</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632053/pakistan-secure-esports-bronze-at-asian-games</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632053/pakistan-secure-esports-bronze-at-asian-games#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 26 09:43:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Thailand take gold and China secure silver in the battle royale event]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan secured the bronze medal in the battle royale event of the eSports Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday.

Thailand won gold, while China took silver after the 12-match competition concluded at Aichi Sky Expo Hall D.

As many as 12 teams from Asia took part in the competitions.

Pakistan was represented by Mohammad Huzaifa, Shayan Asad, Falak Sher Memon, Hasnain Rahman and Syed Sameer in event held at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall.

This is the fifth bronze from Pakistan. They have already claimed two bronze in men&rsquo;s singles squash through Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan, a bronze through women cricket and a bronze via MMA fighter Mohammad Asim Khan.

Meanwhile Pakistan women lost their squash fixture 3-0 to South Korea.

South Korea&rsquo;s Hwayeong Eum defeated Mahnoor Ali 11&ndash;2, 11&ndash;4, 11&ndash;7 Inside 18 minutes at Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.

Minggyeong Heo then defeated Sana Bahadar 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 to take 2-0 lead.

Dami Kim then completed the rout when she downed Mehwish Ali 11-3, 11-8, 11-5.

In the women&rsquo;s team stage 1 round robin Mahnoor went 3-0 down to Macao&rsquo;s Yeung Wai Leng with the game score being 11-9, 11-3, 12-10. The show lasted for 25 minutes.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan win gold at Chess Olympiad category D</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631858/pakistan-win-gold-at-chess-olympiad-category-d</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631858/pakistan-win-gold-at-chess-olympiad-category-d#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 26 09:42:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The biennial Olympiad is one of the largest events in the sport's calendar]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan have won a gold medal in category D at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in one of the country&#39;s most notable achievements in international chess.

The biennial Olympiad is one of the largest events in the sport&#39;s calendar, with teams from nearly 200 countries taking part in 2026.

The Pakistan delegation raised the national flag, the Green Crescent, at the tournament as the result was confirmed. Officials described it as a showcase of the strength and talent of Pakistani chess on the global stage.

Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, president of the Chess Federation of Pakistan, was in Samarkand throughout the campaign, supporting the national players.

After the result, he congratulated the team and praised their hard work, determination and fighting spirit.

He said the players had brought great pride to Pakistan by demonstrating their skills at international level, and urged them to keep working hard and represent the country with the same passion in future competitions.

Federation vice-president Malik Rehan Azam and secretary general Raja Gauhar Iqbal were also at the Olympiad, carrying out their duties alongside the rest of the delegation.

The success is likely to be welcomed by players and supporters at home, where chess has long had a dedicated following but a far smaller international profile than in many other countries. Officials hope the result will encourage more young players to take up the game.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan whip Uzbekistan to reach quarters</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631839/Pakistan-whip-Uzbekistan-to-reach-quarters</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631839/Pakistan-whip-Uzbekistan-to-reach-quarters#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 26 07:10:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Alam Zeb Safi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[National volleyballers dominate Uzbeks to record 3-0 win at Asian Games]]>
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				<![CDATA[KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday blasted their way into the quarter-finals when they whipped Uzbekistan 3-0 in their Group A second round game of the volleyball event of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

Pakistan sealed 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 victory, their second which put them in the last eight.

At the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium Pakistan controlled the contest from the opening set, establishing an early advantage and maintaining enough pressure to prevent Uzbekistan from mounting a sustained comeback.

Pakistan took the first set 25-18, building a seven-point cushion. Uzbekistan struggled to close the gap as Pakistan kept control of the exchanges and moved in front in the match.

The second set followed a similar pattern. Pakistan again reached 25 points while limiting Uzbekistan to 18, putting the match within reach of a straight-sets victory.

Uzbekistan showed greater resistance in the third set, but Pakistan remained in control and managed it 25-20 to complete the sweep.

Pakistan manager Naseer Ahmad was happy with the outcome.

&ldquo;Today we played well,&rdquo; Naseer told The Express Tribune from Japan.

&ldquo;We could win 3-0 even against Kazakhstan but you know it was the first game and boys needed some adjustment,&rdquo; said Naseer, also a former Pakistan captain.&nbsp;However he was hopeful that they would also be able to beat tough Japan.

&ldquo;Our charges have the capability to beat Japan and you know how tough team Japan is but we will try our level best to beat them,&rdquo; said Naseer, who has massive experience of playing professional leagues.

The Pakistani lineup included setter Abu Bakar Siddique, outside hitters Afaq Khan and captain Murad Jehan, opposites Muhammad Yahya, Murad Khan and Fahad Raza, setters Hamid Yazman and Siddique, middle blockers Jabran, Muhammad Hamad and Musawer Khan, and libero Khizar Hayat.

Usman Faryad Ali also featured among Pakistan&#39;s outside hitters.

Hong Kong&#39;s Leung Yin Yan served as first referee and Qatar&#39;s Fahad Mohammed I A Alawadhi as second referee.&nbsp;Pakistan will now meet hosts Japan in their last group show on Tuesday.

Pakistan had defeated Kazakhstan 3-1 in their opener on Sunday. Top two teams from each four groups progress to the quarter-finals.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>USA captures 11th consecutive Presidents Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631826/usa-captures-11th-consecutive-presidents-cup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631826/usa-captures-11th-consecutive-presidents-cup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 26 04:49:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bridgeman sinks a four-foot par putt on 18 to seal a 1-up win over Min Woo Lee]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States made a stunning rally to capture an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup on Sunday, defeating the Internationals 17-13 in a victory dedicated to US President Donald Trump.

Jacob Bridgeman secured the clinching point at Medinah Country Club by sinking a four-foot par putt at the 18th hole to defeat Australian Min Woo Lee 1-up.

&quot;I&#39;m just so damn proud of this team,&quot; US captain Brandt Snedeker said. &quot;All these guys, they fought for each other. They fought for this country. They fought for this team.&quot;

Snedeker said Trump -- who visited the Chicago-area course for Sunday&#39;s final day -- should take credit for the win.

&quot;He told me (he) was going to bring some energy today for you guys. You guys need it,&quot; Snedeker said. &quot;And I told him if we did this, he gets all the credit. So thank you, President Trump.&quot;

The Americans improved to 14-1-1 in the biennial rivalry after trailing 10.5-7.5 entering 12 concluding singles matches, the Internationals poised to end a 28-year win drought but failing.

&quot;It was on a knife edge all day,&quot; Internationals captain Geoff Ogilvy of Australia said. &quot;It&#39;s a very difficult thing to beat the US in singles in the US. They all played great.&quot;

The Americans had nine wins and a draw on the final day.

&quot;I don&#39;t think I&#39;d do anything differently,&quot; Ogilvy said. &quot;It sort of drifted the wrong way all day.&quot;

The non-European side&#39;s lone win was in 1998 at Australia with a shared trophy at South Africa in 2003.

The Americans, boasting eight of the world&#39;s 11 top-ranked golfers, won on the same suburban Chicago layout where Europe took the 2012 Ryder Cup with the famed &quot;Miracle at Medinah&quot; fightback.

&quot;These guys never lost faith,&quot; Snedeker said. &quot;I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah&#39;s got a history of funny things happening, and sure enough, they went out there and played their asses off. I&#39;m so damn proud of those guys.&quot;

Drama built with every match and ended with Bridgeman, who won his second PGA Tour title last week, falling behind for the first time with a bogey at 15 only to win 16 and 18 with pars.

&quot;It was the coolest moment,&quot; he said. &quot;I felt like I held in my emotions all day. To let it out on the last hole is pretty sweet.&quot;

Cameron Young secured the first US point, beating Japan&#39;s Ryo Hisatsune 3&amp;2. He won holes 11-13 for his first lead and made a 32-foot birdie putt at 16 to win.

Justin Thomas, 0-3 in Cup singles, won the first four holes and never trailed in beating Canada&#39;s Corey Conners 5&amp;3, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at 15 to win.

South Korea&#39;s Tom Kim answered with a 3&amp;2 victory over reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark.

&quot;I was second off. I really felt it was a responsibility to put a point up,&quot; said Kim, who will fly to Japan for the Asian Games.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, 3-1 this week, birdied five of the first 10 holes and never trailed in beating Colombian Nico Echavarria 2&amp;1.

South Korean Im Sung-jae rattled in birdies on four of the last six holes to beat Sam Burns 3&amp;1, while Chris Gotterup beat South Africa&#39;s Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1-up.

The Americans seized a 13.5-12.5 lead when Patrick Cantlay edged Australian Adam Scott 2&amp;1 and moments later Collin Morikawa beat Japan&#39;s Hideki Matsuyama 1-up.

Cantlay was never behind but needed a 57-foot birdie putt at 16 and a seven-foot par putt at 17 to win.

Morikawa tied his match at 15 on a 30-foot birdie putt and won when Matsuyama missed a 15-foot par putt at 18.

&quot;I&#39;m happy about that closing point,&quot; Morikawa said. &quot;That was huge.&quot;

Jackson Koivun, a 21-year-old rookie, beat South Korean 2-up.

Canada&#39;s Nick Taylor tied Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele edged New Zealand&#39;s Ryan Fox 2&amp;1 after the Cup was decided.]]>
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			<title>Russell seals eighth F1 win in Baku</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631653/russell-seals-eighth-f1-win-in-baku</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631653/russell-seals-eighth-f1-win-in-baku#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 26 06:17:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[The Mercedes driver finishes 0.196 seconds ahead of Verstappen]]>
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				<![CDATA[George Russell resisted a late charge from Max Verstappen to claim his first lights-to-flag victory with a composed drive for Mercedes in Saturday&#39;s thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Briton came home just 0.196 seconds ahead of the four-time champion with his Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar third on his return after a broken wrist in a race punctuated by two safety cars.

It was Russell&#39;s first win on the fast, challenging streets of Baku, his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June,and the eighth of his career. It trimmed team-mate Kimi Antonelli&#39;s lead in the drivers&#39; championship to 66 points.&nbsp;

Antonelli finished fifth behind Ferrari&#39;s Charles Leclerc after slicing through the field from 16th on the grid. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the second Ferrari.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s amazing to be back on the top step so I want to say a big thank you to the team for helping me through a tough moment,&quot; said Russell.

&quot;The first half of the race felt pretty plain sailing, getting the gap, but after the safety car I saw Max behind me and I knew it wasn&#39;t going to be easy.

&quot;When the yellow flag came out, I lifted off the power and when I came back I had no turbo and Max nearly got me on the line.&quot;

Verstappen was philosophical.

&quot;We had a good race,&quot; he said. &quot;In the final lap, George lost a bit of boost so that&#39;s why I caught up quite a bit. It got close, but it wasn&#39;t enough.&quot;

Hadjar drove in pain.

&quot;It&#39;s been a very long six weeks since I injured myself, but it felt like the right moment to come back. I felt strong and this is my first proper podium finish on pure pace so I am delighted.&quot;

Racing Bulls&#39; rookie Arvid Lindblad was seventh, Esteban Ocon eighth ahead of his Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman and Williams&#39; Carlos Sainz.&nbsp;

Russell made a near-perfect start from his 12th pole position to draw clear while, behind him, Oscar Piastri took advantage of a slow-starting Leclerc to take second. Antonelli dropped from 16th to 17th.&nbsp;

Verstappen also enjoyed the opening lap and passed both Alpines before powering past Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc and finally team-mate Hadjar to rise to third.

The Dutchman was grumbling about his tyres, but Russell on the same medium compound was already five seconds ahead of Piastri on softs.&nbsp;

By mid-distance, Russell led by 10 seconds, but grazed the wall at Turn 15.&nbsp;

&#39;Oh my God! Oh my God!&#39;

Team-mate Antonelli was up to ninth as the Red Bulls scrapped for third, making life easy for Piastri in second.

The processional action ended on lap 30 when Williams&#39; Alex Albon crashed at Turn Five, triggering a Safety Car deployment during which the leaders all pitted.&nbsp;

After five laps, the race resumed with the Dutchman passing Piastri at Turn One .

Behind him Franco Colapinto lunged up the inside but ran out of space entering the next corner. He locked up and went sideways pushing Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly into Lando Norris in a McLaren. The three went off the track in a synchronised slide.

Both drivers for the struggling French team were in position for top-10 finishes.&nbsp;

&quot;Oh my God! Oh my God! I don&#39;t believe it,&quot; said Gasly on team radio adding a swear word. &quot;So many points gone.&quot;&nbsp;

A second safety car came out for three laps. After the restart Piastri locked-up,dropping to 14th and gifting Hadjar third.&nbsp;

Antonelli passed Hamilton with 10 laps to go to take fifth.]]>
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			<title>Shajar fails to deliver in 200m semis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631531/shajar-fails-to-deliver-in-200m-semis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631531/shajar-fails-to-deliver-in-200m-semis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 26 12:32:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan sprinter clocks 21.30 seconds in Asian Games semi-final to face exit]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s Shajar Abbas, who had qualified for the men&rsquo;s 200m semi-finals with a time of 21.23 seconds earlier on Saturday, finished 17th overall in the semi-final at the Asian Games in Nagoya.

Abbas clocked 21.30 seconds in heat 3 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, finishing eighth and missing out on a place in the final.

Thailand&rsquo;s Puripol Boonson won the heat in 20.10 seconds, while Japan&rsquo;s Soshi Mizukubo finished second in 20.37. China&rsquo;s Huang Youwen was third in 20.42.

The top eight athletes from the heat advanced.

Abbas had entered the semi-finals after running 21.23 seconds in the morning session. His 21.30 in the evening was therefore slower by 0.07 seconds.

Meanwhile Khoula Omer Khan finished 23rd out of 26 contestants in the women&rsquo;s 200m first round heats, clocking 26.53 seconds.]]>
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			<title>Japan organisers 'not satisfied' as empty seats blight Asian Games</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631524/japan-organisers-not-satisfied-as-empty-seats-blight-asian-games</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631524/japan-organisers-not-satisfied-as-empty-seats-blight-asian-games#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 26 10:54:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2631524</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 100m sprints are one of the highlights of any Games]]>
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				<![CDATA[Asian Games organisers admitted on Saturday they were &quot;not satisfied&quot; with ticket sales after swathes of empty seats were seen at the main stadium and other venues in Japan.

The 100m sprints are one of the highlights of any Games, but the 30,000-capacity Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium appeared to be only about one-quarter full on Friday night for the blue-riband events.

Even the prospect of a women&#39;s pole vault gold for Japan&#39;s Misaki Morota could not pull in the home punters in big numbers at the start of the weekend.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games said that less than 60 percent of tickets had been snapped up for eight sports, including football, with a similar amount unsold for the closing ceremony in eight days&#39; time.

&quot;We are not satisfied,&quot; said Satoshi Murate, secretary-general of the Games organising committee in response to a question from AFP.

&quot;We will keep aiming for full stadiums, keep selling tickets and work to make sure people who have secured seats actually come.&quot;

He said more than 90 percent of tickets were sold for the opening ceremony a week ago, but blamed no-shows for large sections of empty seats greeting the parading athletes and lighting of the Games torch.

&quot;Overall I think sales are strong,&quot; he said.

&quot;But it has been pointed out that there are noticeable empty seats at some competitions.

&quot;There are several reasons. First, some sessions include several matches in one day. Everyone focuses on the headline match.&quot;

He said tickets that had been given away to Games stakeholders, such as sponsors, were not always used.

&quot;Seats have been allocated but some people can&#39;t come.

&quot;As a result, some competitions do have noticeable empty seats, and we find that regrettable.&quot;

Apology for mix-ups

Murate also apologised for mix-ups with accommodation and transport.

Several teams have rounded on the organisers with Thailand likening it to a &quot;chaotic&quot; game of &quot;musical chairs&quot; and South Korea saying &quot;they deserve a failing grade.&quot;

The biggest issue has been a shortage of rooms for the 17,000 participants, a problem compounded by delays at airports and hours-long waits to board a cruise ship acting as a floating hotel.

No traditional athletes&#39; village has been built, as a cost-cutting measure.

Teams have instead been staying in temporary container-style huts, hotels and the Costa Serena cruise ship.

Erratic transport services have seen competitors&#39; buses to training and venues turning up late or, in some cases, not at all.

&quot;There have been mistakes in accommodation and transport, for various reasons,&quot; admitted Murate.

&quot;Whatever the cause, AINAGOC (the organising committee) is responsible for providing the service and I sincerely apologise for the mistakes.

&quot;Our staff work every day to identify the causes of each mistake and make sure they don&#39;t happen again.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Pakistan boxing ends on a frustrating note as Fatima Zehra bows out</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631516/pakistan-boxing-ends-on-a-frustrating-note-as-fatima-zehra-bows-out</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631516/pakistan-boxing-ends-on-a-frustrating-note-as-fatima-zehra-bows-out#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 26 09:11:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova beats Pakistan’s last boxer 5-0 in women’s 60kg preliminaries]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan ended their boxing journey on a frustrating note when their last boxer and a slim hope Fatima Zehra also went down in her preliminary bout at the 20th Asian Games on Saturday.

Zehra was beaten 5-0 by Tajikistan&rsquo;s Mijgona Samadova in the women&rsquo;s 60kg round of 16 at Nishio Gymnasium, bringing Pakistan&rsquo;s boxing campaign to an end without a medal.

Samadova dominated the three-round contest, winning all five judges&rsquo; scorecards by margins of 30-25, 30-24, 30-26, 30-25 and 30-24.

Zehra, who had won bronze in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games recently, struggled to match the Tajik boxer&rsquo;s pace and pressure, with Samadova establishing a clear advantage from the opening round. The Pakistani was also knocked down once during the bout, according to the official scoring record.

Earlier South Korea&#39;s Kim Gichae knocked out Pakistan debutant Irfan Khan in the men&#39;s 90kg.

Kim won the round-of-16 bout at Nishio Gymnasium when the referee stopped the contest in the second round.

Irfan, making his debut at the event, was knocked down twice before the contest was halted. The judges scored the opening round in Kim&#39;s favour, with four judges giving the South Korean a 10-9 advantage and one scoring it 10-8.

Kim also scored an additional knockdown in the second round before the stoppage.

Pakistan coach Tariq Sidiqui was happy despite Irfan&rsquo;s loss.

&ldquo;To be honest Irfan boxed extremely well. His opponent got tired but in the second round a long swinging punch hit him on his chin and he fell,&rdquo; Tariq said.

&ldquo;It was the first international fight from Irfan but he has shown his guts. He can turn out to be a very good boxer as he is bold and don&rsquo;t afraid. The Korean had got tired in the second round,&rdquo; said Tariq.

Maria Rind and Sumama Rehman were the other boxers who faced first round exits.]]>
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