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                        <title>Latest Sports News &amp; Updates | The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <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>Iran head coach says team was ordered to leave US just after World Cup opener</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613453/iran-head-coach-says-team-was-ordered-to-leave-us-just-after-world-cup-opener</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613453/iran-head-coach-says-team-was-ordered-to-leave-us-just-after-world-cup-opener#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 09:40:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613453</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Iranian national team head coach says his team is 'most repressed team in the whole World Cup']]>
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				<![CDATA[Iranian National Football Team manager Amir Ghalenoei called his squad the &quot;most repressed team in the whole World Cup,&quot; saying they were ordered to leave Los Angeles for their training base in Mexico, shortly after their Monday night opening match against New Zealand.

Ghalenoei said the team had expected to remain in the California metropolis overnight and carry out a recovery session the next day, but were instead told immediately after the final whistle that they must return.

&quot;We spent so much time in the air commuting, they didn&#39;t even give us time to recover,&quot; he said through an interpreter, according to US sports outlet ESPN. &quot;After the game today, they said to us: &#39;You have to leave immediately.&#39;&quot;

Read: Iran team arrive in US for World Cup opener as the two nations reach peace deal

Ghalenoei did not say who had instructed the team to leave Monday night, although Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the team in the locker room after Monday&#39;s game.

&quot;For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it&#39;s about other things, too. Everyone knows it,&quot; Taremi stated, in an apparent reference to long-standing tensions between the US and Iran, even as the over 100-day war between the two is set to end with a peace deal this week.

&quot;I don&#39;t need to mention that because you know where we are,&quot; he added.

The Iranian national squad was initially set to be based in Tucson, in the US State of Arizona, for the duration of the World Cup, but moved their camp to Tijuana, Mexico, in late May after facing logistical and visa issues.]]>
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			<title>Spain held by tiny Cape Verde</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613325/spain-held-by-tiny-cape-verde</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613325/spain-held-by-tiny-cape-verde#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 18:30:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613325</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 2010 world champions were unable to find a breakthrough against the underdogs]]>
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				<![CDATA[European champions Spain were held to a shock 0-0 draw by tiny World Cup debutants Cape Verde on Monday as Iran prepared to make their long-awaited entrance at the tournament after a build-up engulfed by uncertainty.

Spain, regarded as one of the strong pre-tournament favourites, had been expected to cruise past Cape Verde in their Group H opener in Atlanta.

But despite enjoying 74 percent possession and laying siege to the Cape Verde goal, the 2010 world champions were unable to find a breakthrough against the underdogs from the volcanic archipelago of just 525,000 people, who are ranked as 2000-1 outsiders to win the World Cup by several betting websites.

Not even the introduction off the bench of Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal could engineer a goal for Luis de la Fuente&#39;s men.

Cape Verde&#39;s players and supporters meanwhile celebrated wildly after securing an improbable point in what was their first ever World Cup match.

The underdogs, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, had never qualified for the World Cup, but were boosted in their bid to qualify for the finals after FIFA&#39;s expansion of the tournament to 48 teams.

In other games on Monday, Saudi Arabia face Uruguay in Group H in Miami, while Belgium face Mohamed Salah&#39;s Egypt in a Group G game in Seattle.

Iran protests planned&nbsp;

In Los Angeles all eyes will turn to Iran&#39;s opening game of the tournament, where they take on New Zealand in Group G at the SoFi Stadium.

The match follows a chaotic period of preparations for Iran following the US-Israeli led military strikes on their country earlier this year.

Iran were initially to be based in Tucson, Arizona for the tournament, but switched their training base to Tijuana in Mexico at the 11th hour as a result of ongoing tensions with World Cup co-hosts the United States over visa issues.

US authorities have refused to grant visas for several members of the Iranian delegation.

Protests are planned outside the stadium by members of the Iranian diaspora opposed to the nation&#39;s hardline regime, and there have been threats that the Iran team could walk off the pitch if anti-government banners are displayed during the game.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Sunday, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said he hoped his team&#39;s performances at the World Cup could unite all Iranians at home and overseas.

&quot;We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don&#39;t pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us,&quot; Ghalenoei said in response to a question from AFP.

&quot;Naturally, all teams have their own problems, and in many countries, many things happen that have nothing to do with football.&quot;

The coach said his team are at the World Cup to &quot;represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.&quot;

&quot;We are not political people... football is separate from politics,&quot; said Ghalenoei.

Iran&#39;s World Cup debut comes just a day after Washington and Tehran announced a permanent deal to end their conflict.]]>
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			<title>Ghana coach enters record books at his fifth World Cup in row</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613308/ghana-coach-enters-record-books-at-his-fifth-world-cup-in-row</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613308/ghana-coach-enters-record-books-at-his-fifth-world-cup-in-row#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:23:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[REUTERS]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613308</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Queiroz is hailed in his native Portugal as a trendsetter]]>
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				<![CDATA[Carlos Queiroz is still one tournament short of matching the record for coaching at the World Cup but the 73-year-old will still enter the record books this week.

Queiroz takes charge of Ghana as they begin their Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday and &zwnj;continues a run that began with Portugal in 2010 and saw him also coach Iran at three successive World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

The run matches the record five tournaments in a row that Bora Milutinović set from 1986 to 2002 when he was at the helm of five different national teams.

Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira has the record number of World Cup appearances as a coach with ⁠six, but not successively.

Queiroz was not scheduled to go to the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States until April when Ghana appointed him in place of Otto Addo, fired in March after a series of disappointing friendly results.

Before the sudden call from the Ghanaians, it looked as if his long career, including coaching Real Madrid and working as Alex Ferguson&rsquo;s assistant at Manchester United, had ended, with his last job having been in Oman, the eighth different country whose national team he had taken charge of.

His cerebral and technical approach contrasts with a bellicose demeanour on the side of the pitch, where he can sometimes look like a pantomime &zwnj;villain, although ⁠others have found him uninspiring. &quot;I felt he had the personality of a dead fly when I worked with him,&rdquo; said former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

Queiroz is hailed in his native Portugal as a trendsetter, laying the foundation for their prodigious youth output.

&quot;In a country where greatness is so often measured by the result of the next match, Queiroz deserves to ⁠be remembered for something deeper - the construction of a culture that still endures of bringing the knowledge of universities to the pitch and, thus, contributing to Portugal being recognised as a training ground for elite footballers,&quot; the daily sports newspaper A&rsquo;Bola ⁠commented last month

He made his name when leading Portugal to back-to-back U-20 World Cup titles in 1989 and 1991, and bringing on a generation of outstanding footballers like Lu&iacute;s Figo, Paulo Sousa, and Jo&atilde;o Pinto, and ⁠is now looking to crown a storied career by taking Ghana as far as he can at the World Cup.

&quot;I am prepared for this,&quot; he said when he accepted the job. &quot;I bring 40 years of experience to every decision that will be made.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Iran team arrive in US for World Cup opener as the two nations reach peace deal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613307/iran-team-arrive-in-us-for-world-cup-opener-as-the-two-nations-reach-peace-deal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613307/iran-team-arrive-in-us-for-world-cup-opener-as-the-two-nations-reach-peace-deal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:15:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613307</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Coach says team hopes to bring joy to Iranians everywhere]]>
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				<![CDATA[Iran&#39;s soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport and holding a press conference on the same day that &zwnj;a peace deal between the two nations was announced.

The Iran squad arrived after a short flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where they left their base camp earlier to a rousing sendoff ahead of their opening game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday.

&quot;I am very happy to be representing the great, proud and strong nation of Iran,&quot; Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said through a translator in a press conference at the stadium.

&quot;I hope that football will bring about joy and enjoyment, and bring closer the cultures and countries.&quot;

The squad&#39;s Group G fixture against New Zealand will be played against the backdrop of the U.S. war with Iran and the newly-announced peace deal, adding a charged atmosphere to a contest between two nations who have never ⁠met at a World Cup.

Iran moved their World Cup base camp from a sports complex in Arizona to Mexico late last month after the U.S. and Israel conducted joint strikes on Iran beginning in late February.

Iran will now have to make the trip from Mexico to the U.S. for each of their three group matches and Ghalenoei said the travel and the denial of visas into the U.S. for some members of their soccer federation had negatively affected the squad.

The U.S.-Iran deal to end the war will be signed during an official ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media on Sunday.

&#39;BRING AN END TO THIS REGIME&#39;

While the squad flew to LA, a group of protesters calling for democracy in Iran and denouncing its government rallied near Los Angeles Stadium.

&quot;No Shah - No Mullah in Iran - Regime Change by Iranians,&quot; said placards. Pictures and posters of athletes who protesters said had died after being arrested by the Iranian government lined a busy street corner in Inglewood.

The January crackdown on protests in Iran, which rights groups and activists say killed thousands - and possibly tens of thousands - was &zwnj;a particular ⁠outrage to Mojgan Ramezani, 56, an Iranian American at the rally.

&quot;They&#39;re holding hostage their own people,&quot; said Ramezani

Hassan Haddadi, 70, said he was frustrated that most of the world&#39;s governments had done little to support change in Iran.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re hoping to bring awareness to the western world, to somehow do something beyond just condemning, to bring an end to this regime,&quot; said Haddadi.

Ghalenoei said the squad&#39;s players and coaches were &quot;not political people.&quot;

&quot;We are here to play football and represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.&quot;

&#39;MEXICO STANDS WITH YOU&#39;

Earlier in Tijuana, supporters lining five-deep on a packed sidewalk outside Iran&#39;s hotel ⁠chanted &quot;Team Melli&quot; &mdash; Persian for &quot;national team&quot; &mdash; as the Iranian players emerged from the hotel and walked towards the waiting bus.

Many of the players waved and smiled at those who had gathered while some members of the delegation took video of the scene with their phones.

One supporter held a yellow sign with black lettering reading: &quot;Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico stands with you.&quot;

A young boy perched on someone&#39;s shoulders clutched the official Panini ⁠FIFA World Cup 2026 sticker album, open to the Iran squad page.

At one point, the crowd sang in Spanish, &quot;Iran, brother, you are Mexican now.&quot;

Iranian soccer federation President Mehdi Taj stood outside the hotel as the players left with many of the supporters following the bus down the street as it drove away.

The&nbsp;Iranian community in Tijuana&nbsp;is tiny - around 20 people - and much smaller than that ⁠of Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran.

Tens of thousands of Iranian Americans live in Los Angeles, where a&nbsp;distinct diaspora&nbsp;often referred to as &quot;Tehrangeles&quot; has taken root.

This is the first World Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation has received a country it is at war with.]]>
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			<title>Blood sport at the White House</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613305/blood-sport-at-the-white-house</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613305/blood-sport-at-the-white-house#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:06:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613305</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Justin Gaethje stunned Ilia Topuria to take the lightweight championship]]>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a brutal display of political machismo Sunday, turning White House lawn into an arena for a bloody evening of cage fights.

In unprecedented scenes in the revered seat of American democracy, Trump sat with thousands of cheering fans as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) combatants beat each other to a pulp.

Fighters for the evening&#39;s top-billed bout emerged from the Oval Office, where just hours earlier Trump had sealed a long-awaited peace deal with Iran, to walk out to the cage.

US fighter Justin&nbsp;Gaethje&nbsp;stunned Spanish-Georgian Ilia&nbsp;Topuriato take the lightweight championship in the main event.&nbsp;Gaethjewas declared the winner after&nbsp;Topuria&#39;s&nbsp;face was so badly beaten that he could not continue.

Afterwards, Trump and First Lady&nbsp;Melania&nbsp;entered the blood-spattered &quot;Octagon&quot; cage to congratulate a jubilant&nbsp;Gaethje, who wished the president a happy birthday.

&quot;Beyond anything you could imagine,&quot; Trump, who is due to head straight to the G7 summit in France, told reporters when asked how the evening went.

Critics have derided the UFC fight as a tacky debasement of the White House by a former reality TV show host who has repeatedly shattered norms during his time as president.

At the event, fighter Josh&nbsp;Hokit&nbsp;launched into an astonishing attack on a former first lady, shouting into the microphone in front of Trump: &quot;Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?&quot;

A series of UFC combatants paid tribute to the president after winning, in the style of Roman gladiators, with two of them hailing him for having the &quot;balls&quot; to stage the fight.

There has also been criticism of the commercialization of the event, which was plastered with logos for products including Bud Light beer and betting firm&nbsp;Polymarket, in which Trump&#39;s son Don Jr. has a stake.

&#39;Bit of selfishness&#39;&nbsp;

Trump, a long-time mixed martial arts fan, walked out of the Oval Office and along the famed West Wing colonnade alongside UFC boss Dana White at the start of the evening.

The pair stood on the Truman balcony for the national anthem and a flyover by 12 military jets.

The fighting itself took place in a giant arena dubbed &quot;The Claw&quot;, standing taller than the White House itself, with Trump and the first lady sitting&nbsp;cageside. It ended with a giant fireworks display.

The &quot;UFC Freedom 250&quot; event is supposed to kick off this year&#39;s festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence.

It also happens to fall not only on the US public holiday of Flag Day, but on the same day that Trump enters his ninth decade.

The billionaire president has also faced criticism for staging the event as US consumers are still struggling to deal with the economic fallout from the Iran war.

Fans among the thousands of people gathered to watch the violent extravaganza on a giant screen on the Ellipse outside the White House defended the event.

&quot;I do think maybe it&#39;s like a little bit of selfishness, but he is the leader, so he has a say,&quot;&nbsp;Nyles&nbsp;Rife, a 35-year-old sports performance coach from Virginia, told AFP.

Health issues&nbsp;

Mark&nbsp;Toone, a 50-year-old US Marine Corps veteran, said the fight was &quot;totally emblematic and representative of American culture.&quot;

The White House says the UFC is bearing the entire $60 million cost of the event.

Trump, who has deep ties with a sport whose young male fans reflect his own political base, has touted the UFC event as a unique spectacle.

Celebrations over the Iran deal appeared to be underway, with US Vice President JD Vance, who played a key role in negotiations, embracing Trump&#39;s Middle East envoy Steve&nbsp;Witkoff&nbsp;in the crowd.

Trump was seen talking to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, while Paramount boss and Trump ally David Ellison&#39;s presence reflected how his media empire gained exclusive rights to broadcast the event.

The spectacle has meanwhile distracted from questions about Trump&#39;s health as he ages.

Trump loves to compare his virility to Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, who also turned 80 in office, but was forced to drop his bid for a second term after a disastrous debate with the Republican.

But from bruised hands to a vein condition in his legs and apparent sleepiness in meetings, Trump has also had a number of issues, even though his doctor says he&#39;s in excellent health.&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Sweden demolish Tunisia 5-1</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613298/sweden-demolish-tunisia-5-1</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613298/sweden-demolish-tunisia-5-1#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:57:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Graham Potter's men took the lead in Guadalupe in the seventh minute]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sweden crushed Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday to leave the North African nation&#39;s defensive reputation in tatters and seize control of World Cup Group F.

Graham Potter&#39;s men took the lead in Guadalupe in the seventh minute courtesy of Brighton midfielder&nbsp;Yasin&nbsp;Ayari&#39;sthunderbolt from outside the box, following a mix-up at the back.

The celebrations of&nbsp;Ayari, who is of Moroccan and Tunisian descent, were muted despite his fine finish.

Sweden doubled their lead on half an hour after a rapid break freed Alexander&nbsp;Isak&nbsp;on the left.

The Liverpool forward raced forward and cut inside before unleashing a shot, which goalkeeper&nbsp;Mouhib&nbsp;Chamakh&nbsp;failed to keep out, even though he got a hand to the ball.

Tunisia did not concede a single goal in qualifying, becoming the first side to achieve that feat, subsequently matched by Ivory Coast and England.

Sweden threatened to overwhelm their opponents but the match changed complexion minutes before half-time when Omar Rekik headed home Hannibal&nbsp;Mejbri&#39;s&nbsp;teasing cross.

However, the Scandinavian nation restored their two-goal cushion in the 59th minute after another defensive calamity for Tunisia.

Midfielder&nbsp;Ellyes&nbsp;Skhiri&nbsp;was caught in possession on the edge of the box by&nbsp;Isak, who fed Viktor&nbsp;Gyokeres&nbsp;and the Arsenal man fired home.

Substitute&nbsp;Mattias&nbsp;Svanberg&nbsp;made it 4-1 late on after VAR ruled he was onside.

And there was still time for another stunning goal from&nbsp;Ayarifrom outside the penalty box.

Sweden reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not qualify for the tournament in Qatar four years later.

Tunisia were the first African team to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico in 1978, but they have never progressed beyond the group stages.

Earlier in Group F, Japan scored late to draw 2-2 against the Netherlands.&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Bellingham can be England's World Cup 'X factor': Henderson</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613301/bellingham-can-be-englands-world-cup-x-factor-henderson</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613301/bellingham-can-be-englands-world-cup-x-factor-henderson#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:59:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613301</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Three Lions are among the favourites for the tournament]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Jude Bellingham can be England&#39;s &quot;X factor&quot; at the World Cup as Thomas&nbsp;Tuchel&#39;s&nbsp;men chase a first major trophy for 60 years, Jordan Henderson said on Sunday.

England are among the&nbsp;favourites&nbsp;for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a string of near-misses at recent European Championships and World Cups.

Henderson, speaking at England&#39;s Kansas City base, tipped fellow midfielder Bellingham, 22, to have a &quot;big impact&quot; over the next few weeks despite an injury-hit season.

The former Liverpool captain said the Real Madrid star had made huge progress since his international debut as a 17-year-old in 2020.

&quot;How much he&#39;s grown as a player and as a person since then is incredible, really,&quot; said Henderson.

&quot;I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training and the way he was. But what he&#39;s done so far at such a young age, I think everybody forgets how young he is, even me really sometimes.&quot;

The&nbsp;Brentford&nbsp;player added: &quot;I honestly couldn&#39;t speak highly enough of him. I know a lot gets written in the media. I find it hard to read sometimes, really, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field.

&quot;And what he gives us is just something really special, really. I think he really gives us the X factor in our team.

&quot;He&#39;s had big moments in his career. He&#39;s a big-game player. He&#39;s got experience in tournaments. So he&#39;s a huge, huge player for us in this tournament.&quot;

Tuchel&nbsp;praise

Henderson, speaking a day after England arrived at their World Cup base in the Midwest, also spoke highly of&nbsp;Tuchel.

The German, who has managed a string of top clubs including Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, took charge at the beginning of last year with a brief to win England&#39;s first World Cup since 1966.

&quot;I feel as though in the space of maybe just over a year, year-and-a-half he&#39;s changed quite a bit to be honest and created a really good environment, really good culture with the group,&quot; said Henderson.

&quot;But then it&#39;s up to the players to then lead that and take that forward, which I feel as though we have done and it&#39;s just about building that now.

&quot;We&#39;ve got a lot in the bank, how well we&#39;ve worked over the past year or so to get to this point.&quot;

England face a stiff test against Croatia in their Group L opener in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday, before matches against Ghana and Panama.

Henderson, 35, picked out the threat of fellow veteran Luka&nbsp;Modric, who is 40.

&quot;For me, he&#39;s probably the best I&#39;ve played against in my career midfield-wise,&quot; he said of the AC Milan man. &quot;I think his career speaks for itself.

&quot;I think he&#39;s a top world-class player, so hard to play against... I&#39;m a big, big fan of his and hopefully he doesn&#39;t perform as wellas we know he can against us.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Diallo stars as Ivory Coast stun Ecuador</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613296/diallo-stars-as-ivory-coast-stun-ecuador</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:52:15 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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				<![CDATA[He scored the only goal of the match which came in the 90thminute]]>
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				<![CDATA[Manchester United&#39;s&nbsp;Amad&nbsp;Diallo struck in the 90th minute as Ivory Coast stunned Ecuador and their huge support to edge a tight affair 1-0 in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

The Group E encounter had looked set to finish 0-0, hardly a surprise given Ecuador&#39;s incredible defensive record during qualifying, and that result may well have suited both teams.

But the 23-year-old Diallo, who had been introduced in place of&nbsp;Bazoumana&nbsp;Toure&nbsp;shortly before the hour mark, had other ideas as he finished first-time from a right-wing cross right just as the game was heading for injury time.

It is Ivory Coast&#39;s first win at a World Cup in exactly 12 years, since they beat Japan in Brazil in 2014, and they can now be confident of making the knockout phase at the tournament for the first time.

It was a disappointing way to start for Ecuador, who had the majority of the 68,274 crowd at the packed Philadelphia stadium kitted out in yellow and backing them.

They hit the bar twice in the first half, through John&nbsp;Yeboah&nbsp;and Alan&nbsp;Minda, while&nbsp;Elye&nbsp;Wahi&nbsp;struck the same crossbar for the&nbsp;Ivorians&nbsp;after half-time.

Ivory Coast, African champions in 2024, will now hope to build on this when they play Germany in their next game in Group E in Toronto on Saturday.

The Ecuadorians will look to bounce back when they head to Kansas City the same day to play Curacao, the debutant minnows who were hammered 7-1 by Germany earlier in Houston.

Ecuador, coached by Argentinian Sebastian&nbsp;Beccacece, had a remarkable record in South American qualifying as they finished second behind Argentina.

With a&nbsp;defence&nbsp;marshalled by Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s&nbsp;WillianPacho&nbsp;and Chelsea&#39;s Moises&nbsp;Caicedo&nbsp;patrolling the midfield, they conceded a miserly five goals in 18 qualifying games, but scored only 14.

Remarkably, eight of their 18 matches ended in 0-0 draws, and six featured a single goal.

Jay-Z in attendance&nbsp;

Ivory Coast were nevertheless confident of causing their opponents problems with exciting young RB Leipzig winger Yan&nbsp;Diomande&nbsp;a danger on the flanks and recent French-born recruit&nbsp;Wahi&nbsp;leading the line.

A match watched by US rap mogul Jay-Z was cagey at times but came to life midway through the first half as the frame of the goal was rattled for the first time.

Yeboah, the former German youth international who plays in Italy&#39;s&nbsp;Serie&nbsp;B for&nbsp;Venezia, pounced on uncertain defending at the edge of the box and crashed a shot off&nbsp;Yahia&nbsp;Fofana&#39;s&nbsp;bar.

The Ivory Coast goal was living a charmed life as Ecuador struck the woodwork again on the half-hour mark, Pedro&nbsp;Viteslipping in&nbsp;Minda&nbsp;to be denied this time.

Emerse&nbsp;Fae&#39;s&nbsp;Ivorians&nbsp;looked dangerous intermittently, notably when Nicolas Pepe was denied by a last-ditch challenge after&nbsp;Diomande&nbsp;had raced away from&nbsp;Piero&nbsp;Hincapie.

The Elephants had never reached the World Cup knockout phase in their three previous appearances but surely knew a win here would practically secure their passage to the next round.

Wahi, who finished the club season at Nice in France, turned a&nbsp;Diomande&nbsp;cross from the right onto the bar shortly after the restart.

Seko&nbsp;Fofana&nbsp;forced a save from Hernan&nbsp;Galindez&nbsp;in the Ecuador goal, but the match seemed to be petering out to a goalless conclusion until the late drama.

Wilfried&nbsp;Singo&nbsp;went on a rampaging run from&nbsp;defence&nbsp;down the Ivorian right, before delivering a low&nbsp;centre&nbsp;for Diallo to score with a&nbsp;sidefoot&nbsp;finish, and silence the Ecuador support.]]>
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			<title>PCB changes salary grades under new format-specific contracts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613267/pcb-changes-salary-grades-under-new-format-specific-contracts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613267/pcb-changes-salary-grades-under-new-format-specific-contracts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 10:10:24 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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				<![CDATA[Naqvi says new model should not be confused with artificial intelligence; instead, it should be appreciated]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday&nbsp;announced major changes to its players&rsquo; central contracts system, introducing a new format-specific structure after abandoning the &lsquo;one system for all&rsquo; policy.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the board was moving towards a more data-driven central contracts system, with fitness, domestic performance and format-specific requirements forming the basis of player assessment.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the selection committee had &ldquo;a lot of work to do&rdquo; as the board looks to improve Pakistan cricket and bring greater transparency to player contracts.

He said he was unaware if the previous system had been followed for decades, adding that the board was now looking closely at recent performances.

&ldquo;If this work had been going on for 70 years, then it was not in my knowledge,&rdquo; he said.

Naqvi said the PCB was reviewing which players had played Test and domestic cricket over the past five years, as part of its effort to make the contracts process more balanced.



PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi&#39;s press conference alongside Aqib Javed, Mike Hesson and senior PCB officials.

📺 Watch here ➡️ https://t.co/EaGK5N4jMs#PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/VrFPEiv19O
&mdash; Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 15, 2026



The PCB chairman said the new model should not be confused with artificial intelligence; instead, it should be appreciated.

He said the PCB had a responsibility to improve cricket in the country and acknowledged that Pakistan&rsquo;s performances in tournaments remained a concern.

&ldquo;It is absolutely our responsibility to improve cricket.&nbsp;Our cricket team&rsquo;s performance is better in series, but in tournaments, our team collapses. Work is now being done on this,&rdquo; he added.

Naqvi said he remained in contact with former cricketers and would seek input from all stakeholders for the betterment of the game.

He said the board was also in touch with Younis Khan and other former players.

Naqvi said central contracts had often led to debate in the past, with questions raised over why one player was placed in Category B and another in Category C.

&ldquo;Earlier, there used to be debate on central contracts over why someone got B and why someone got C,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Now, 85% of the central contract has gone into the hands of the computer.&rdquo;

He said domestic cricket data was being included in the system to make contract decisions more transparent and performance-based.



کرکٹرز کے سینٹرل کانٹریکٹس میں انقلابی تبدیلیوں کا اعلان

چیئرمین سید محسن نقوی کی زیر قیادت پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ نے اپنے کھلاڑیوں کے سینٹرل کانٹریکٹس سسٹم میں اہم تبدیلیوں کرتے ہوئے ایک نیا اور منفرد سٹرکچر متعارف کرانے کا اعلان کیا ہے۔

عالمی کرکٹ کے مسلسل ارتقا کے ساتھ یہ محسوس&hellip;
&mdash; PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) June 15, 2026


A&nbsp;statement by PCB stated, &quot;Under the leadership of Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB has announced the introduction of a new and unique structure by making significant changes to its players&#39; central contracts system.&quot;

The board said the move reflected&nbsp;the changing demands of international cricket, where Test and T20 players can no longer be evaluated under the same criteria.

According to the PCB, the previous &ldquo;one system for all&rdquo; approach no longer fits the realities of the modern game, where each format requires a different skill set, workload, career pathway and professional focus.

The new model is aimed at recognising the separate identity and importance of each format, while also protecting the specific needs of players who specialise in Test cricket, T20 cricket or other formats.

&quot;While most cricket boards around the world still place all players in the same categorisation and pit a Test specialist against a T20 franchise player for the same grade, the PCB, under the oversight of Chairman Naqvi, has decided to introduce a model that acknowledges the distinct identity and priorities of each format,&quot; said the statement.]]>
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			<title>Japan fight back in Dutch thriller</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613156/japan-fight-back-in-dutch-thriller</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613156/japan-fight-back-in-dutch-thriller#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 26 22:06:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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				<![CDATA[Samurai Blue scored an 88th-minute equaliser to clinch a 2-2 draw]]>
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				<![CDATA[Japan scored an 88th-minute equaliser as they twice fought back to rescue a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in front of 69,285 in Texas on Sunday to open their World Cup campaigns.

A match that had bubbled away in the first period sparked into life in the second half.

Netherlands skipper Virgil van Dijk scored with a fine header, only for Keito Nakamura to quickly level, before winger Crysencio Summerville&#39;s delicious curled finish into the bottom corner just after the hour.

The Dutch looked like they would hold on, but Japan levelled at the death with Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada credited with the goal after a deflection.

Sweden face Tunisia in a competitive-looking Group F later Sunday.

Japan and the Netherlands are in North America missing key players through injury, but on paper this was still one of the more attractive fixtures in the group stage.

Both have been touted as dark horses capable of going far at the tournament -- the Dutch have been runners-up three times whereas Japan have never gone beyond the last 16.

The Netherlands made a confident start and nearly took the lead after three minutes, Donyell Malen allowed to swivel inside the box and forcing a smart save from Zion Suzuki.

The impressive air-conditioned arena is usually home to the Dallas Cowboys, and at the hydration break the NFL team&#39;s cheerleaders were shown on the massive screen hanging over the pitch performing one of their routines.

The stoppage seemed to help Ronald Koeman&#39;s side and Roma forward Malen again worked Suzuki with a header from a corner, then Cody Gakpo fired wildly over the bar.

Japan&#39;s fans, who had hardly stopped singing and outnumbered the Dutch contingent, were briefly silenced.

The first real chance for Hajime Moriyasu&#39;s team came a few minutes before the break when a cross evaded the backtracking Summerville but Nakamura pulled his low effort wide.

The Dutch had looked most threatening in the air, so it was no surprise when Liverpool talisman Van Dijk rose to plant a well-placed header into the bottom corner after a pinpoint cross from club team-mate Ryan Gravenberch on 51 minutes.

The lead lasted just six minutes, Nakamura wriggling free and firing low past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, the ball taking a small deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

In a madcap period of play, the Dutch forged ahead once more on 64 minutes when West Ham&#39;s Summerville beat his man on the right wing and curled into Suzuki&#39;s bottom-right corner with his left foot.

Both teams rang the changes and had chances to score again, before Kamada&#39;s chaotic leveller from a corner.]]>
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			<title>India rout Pakistan at women's T20 World Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613136/india-rout-pakistan-at-womens-t20-world-cup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613136/india-rout-pakistan-at-womens-t20-world-cup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 26 15:23:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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				<![CDATA[The women in blue registered a comprehensive 64-run victory]]>
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				<![CDATA[India made the perfect start to their women&#39;s T20 World Cup campaign with a 64-run win against arch rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

Harmanpreet Kaur&#39;s side dominated from start to finish in their opening group game of the tournament at Edgbaston.

After India elected to bat first, opener Smriti Mandhana was the catalyst for the victory as she survived two drops to hit 68 from 44 balls.

Mandhana blasted nine fours and two sixes, while Kaur notched four fours in her innings of 36.

Wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh kept the pressure on Pakistan&#39;s overwhelmed bowlers with a quick-fire 34 featuring five fours and a six.

Pakistan&#39;s run chase looked a daunting task and so it proved as they crumbled against India&#39;s spinners.

All-rounder Deepti Sharma finished with impressive figures of 5-10.

She pushed Pakistan towards defeat by running out opener Muneeba Ali, who top scored for Pakistan with 41.

Sharma also dismissed Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar to leave Pakistan in disarray before leg-spinner Sree Charani turned the screw with three wickets.

Pakistan slumped from 75-3 to 79-6 and Sharma delivered the knockout blow when she removed Nashra Sundhu and Tasmia Rubab.

&quot;Thank you so much to all the fans who came out to support us today, we are so grateful. Whenever we need a performance, Smriti and Deepti are always there for us to push us forward,&quot; Kaur said.

&quot;It was a good pitch. We were under pressure in the Powerplay but my partnership with Smriti got us back in control.

&quot;Every game is important. We are very happy with this start. We know that net run rate might help us towards the end of the group games.&quot;

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana added: &quot;We are very disappointed with the batting performance. We&#39;ve got to improve quickly because there is still a long way to go in the tournament.

&quot;We are a young team, we are getting used to these situations.

&quot;Catches win matches. Unfortunately it was senior players dropping catches and we need to get better. That cost us the match.&quot;

The latest showdown between the bitter neighbours set a new attendance record for a group stage match at the women&#39;s T20 World Cup.

A crowd of 18,814 surpassed the previous record of 15,935, set during India&#39;s clash with Pakistan in Dubai in 2024.

In Sunday&#39;s other match, Bangladesh survived a scare from the Netherlands in a six-wicket win at Edgbaston.

The Dutch were held to 139-8, with captain Babette de Leede top scoring on 50.

Bangladesh openers Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter Dola (26) put on 67 to kick-start the chase and, although a collapse left them in trouble at 85-4, the victory was sealed off the first ball of the final over.]]>
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			<title>Dominant Australia beat South Africa in Women's T20 World Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613073/dominant-australia-beat-south-africa-in-womens-t20-world-cup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613073/dominant-australia-beat-south-africa-in-womens-t20-world-cup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 22:58:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[They cruised to a 65-run win at Old Trafford]]>
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				<![CDATA[Australia cruised to a 65-run win against South Africa in their opening Women&#39;s T20 World Cup match on Saturday.

Phoebe Litchfield&#39;s 24-ball half-century and big-hitting innings from Ellyse Perry (36) and Georgia Wareham (32) lifted Australia to 172-8 at Old Trafford.

Looking to pull off the highest run chase in a Women&#39;s T20 World Cup match, 2024 runners-up South Africa found themselves in trouble at 7-2 in the second over after Sune Luus and Annerie Dercksen were dismissed.

Nadine de Klerk (25) helped build some momentum alongside captain Laura Wolvaardt to reach 72 for three after 10 overs.

But once Wolvaardt (44) had holed out to Wareham at cover, South Africa&#39;s hopes faded as they were bowled out for 107 in 16.4 overs.

Wareham was the pick of Australia&#39;s dominant attack, with impressive figures of 3-13.

It was the perfect start to the tournament for Australia, who are in a tough group featuring title rivals India.

Shemaine Campbelle starred as West Indies timed their run chase perfectly to beat New Zealand by seven wickets in Southampton.

Aaliyah Alleyne took four wickets, including top scorers Brooke Halliday (40) and Izzy Gaze (39) as New Zealand were held to 162-6 from their 20 overs.

Wicket-keeper Campbelle was the driving force in the West Indies&#39; reply with a brilliant 90 not out from 62 balls, featuring seven fours and three sixes.

Captain Hayley Matthews chipped in with 48 from 37 balls as the West Indies reached 163-3 with one ball to spare.

Sisters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce shone as Scotland opened their campaign with a 40-run win over Ireland at Old Trafford.

Kathryn top-scored with 60 from 39 balls and Sarah weighed in with 49.

The pair put on 106 for the third wicket as the Scots made 161-5 from their 20 overs.

Kathryn then took 2-19, including the match-clinching wicket of Aimee Maguire, as Ireland were bowled out for 121.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan to face India in ICC Women's T20 World Cup opener</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612969/pakistan-to-face-india-in-icc-womens-t20-world-cup-opener</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612969/pakistan-to-face-india-in-icc-womens-t20-world-cup-opener#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 11:40:50 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The match will be played at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan will open their ICC Women&#39;s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against arch-rivals India on Sunday, 14 June at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham.

The 10th edition of the tournament, hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board from 12 June to 5 July, marks the biggest Women&#39;s T20 World Cup in history, with the field expanding from 10 to 12 teams.

A total of 33 matches will be played across seven venues, with the final scheduled for the iconic Lord&#39;s Cricket Ground in London on 5 July.

Pakistan have been placed in Group 1 alongside record six-time champions Australia, India, South Africa, Bangladesh and Netherlands, who will be making their first appearance at the tournament.

Group 2 features defending champions New Zealand, hosts England, 2016 winners West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Scotland. The top two sides from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for 30 June and 2 July.

Captain Fatima Sana takes charge of the side for the second successive T20 World Cup after having led the team in the 2024 edition held in the UAE. The 24-year-old all-rounder enters the tournament in extraordinary form, having set the world record for the fastest half-century in Women&#39;s T20Is during Pakistan&#39;s 3-0 series sweep over Zimbabwe in Karachi last month, reaching 50 off just 15 balls and breaking a record that had previously been jointly held at 18 balls.

Eyman Fatima, Rameen Shamim and Saira Jabeen are set to make their ICC Women&#39;s T20 World Cup debut, while wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, opening batter Gull Feroza and seasoned campaigners Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan are among those expected to play key roles. Iram Javed and Ayesha Zafar complete the 15-member squad.

Natalia Parvaiz and Tasmia Rubab were unused members of Pakistan&rsquo;s 2018 and 2024 T20 World Cup squads, respectively.

Among the current squad, wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali Siddiqui is Pakistan&#39;s leading run-scorer at the ICC Women&#39;s T20 World Cup with 247 runs in 17 innings, including a highest score of 102 against Ireland in 2023 &mdash; the first century for Pakistan women in T20 Internationals. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu tops the bowling chart among the group with 16 wickets in as many appearances, with best figures of 4 for 18, also against Ireland in the 2023 edition.

Pakistan&#39;s preparations have featured bilateral away T20I series against South Africa, at home against Zimbabwe along with training camps and a Women&#39;s T20I tri-series in Ireland against the hosts and West Indies from 28 May to 4 June, followed by two warm-up fixtures in Derby against Sri Lanka on 6 June and Scotland on 9 June.

Following their tournament opener against India, Pakistan will remain at Edgbaston to face South Africa on Wednesday, 17 June, before travelling to the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton to take on Bangladesh on Saturday, 20 June. Their fourth fixture is against Australia at Headingley in Leeds on Tuesday, 23 June and the group stage concludes against Netherlands at the Bristol County Ground on Saturday, 27 June.

Speaking to PCB Digital, Pakistan women&#39;s team mentor Wahab Riaz said: &quot;We have worked hard over the past few months, playing a series against Zimbabwe and facing Ireland and West Indies. This is a young and energetic group that can rise to the occasion at the World Cup.

You prepare your entire life to play in a World Cup and it is an opportunity everyone looks forward to. Our focus is on playing a fearless and positive brand of cricket. We need to believe in our hard work and the results will follow.&quot;

Speaking about Pakistan&#39;s group and goals, Wahab added: &quot;Our group has some of the finest sides in the tournament and this is a good opportunity for us to start on the right track, with things getting easier as the event progresses. We have a combination of youngsters and senior players and I am confident that, given the hard work these players have put in, if they play to their potential they will deliver a top-four finish.&quot;

Pakistan&#39;s fixtures at ICC Women&#39;s T20 World Cup 2026:

14 June v India, Edgbaston, Birmingham &ndash; 6.30pm PKT | 2.30pm local time

17 June v South Africa, Edgbaston, Birmingham &ndash; 10.30pm PKT | 6.30pm local time

20 June v Bangladesh, Hampshire Bowl, Southampton &ndash; 6.30pm PKT | 2.30pm local time

23 June v Australia, Headingley, Leeds &ndash; 10.30pm PKT | 6.30pm local time

27 June v Netherlands, Bristol County Ground, Bristol &ndash; 2.30pm PKT | 10.30am local time.]]>
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			<title>Who Will Handle Younis Khan?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612962/who-will-handle-younis-khan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612962/who-will-handle-younis-khan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 10:44:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Saleem Khaliq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The former captain is favourite to join the Pakistan team in a major role]]>
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				<![CDATA[A peon entered the room and told Shaharyar Khan, &ldquo;Sir, Younis Khan is here to meet you.&rdquo; The PCB chairman was busy in another meeting at the time, so he replied, &ldquo;Ask him to wait for five minutes, I&rsquo;ll call him in.&rdquo;

When this message was conveyed to Younis Khan, he became furious. &ldquo;I am the captain of the Pakistan team and they&rsquo;re asking me to wait?&rdquo; At that moment, media representatives were also present on the ground floor of Gaddafi Stadium. In front of them, Younis Khan announced that he was stepping down as captain. The board, in a last-minute decision, handed over the captaincy to Mohammad Yousuf for the 2006 Champions Trophy. Shaharyar Khan also resigned after some time.

Despite winning the T20 World Cup, there was a rebellion among teammates due to his harsh attitude. After returning to the team in 2015, he suddenly announced retirement from ODIs after playing just one match in a series. He quit a coaching course after objecting to being given Mudassar Nazar&rsquo;s room at the academy. When he wasn&rsquo;t placed in Category A of the central contract, he made the famous remark, &ldquo;Should I shoot myself?&rdquo; He resigned as batting coach, had a fight with Hasan Ali, and these are just a few examples.

Younis Khan has as many controversies attached to him as he has achievements for Pakistan cricket. Many former PCB chiefs have said, &ldquo;It is very difficult to deal with Younis Khan.&rdquo; Now that the board is once again considering giving him a role, the question arises: who will handle him? If he gets upset and walks away, who will bring him back?

One solution could be to appoint the person advocating for his inclusion as team manager, so they can act as a bridge between the board and Younis. However, players might not be happy with that. Let&rsquo;s see what decision the authorities make.

Some people have the problem of considering themselves the smartest, most honest, and most authoritative individuals. They believe they know everything better than others and give little importance to anyone else. They are slaves to their ego. In such cases, you never know when something might offend them and provoke a strong reaction.

There is no doubt that Younis Khan is among Pakistan cricket&rsquo;s greatest stars, but his personality has earned him few friends. At times, the entire board would be searching for him while he had his phone switched off and was out fishing.

In such a situation, the board must think things through beforehand. His experience can certainly benefit young cricketers, but before assigning him a role, it should be clearly defined what his domain will be, who he will report to, which room he will get at the Lahore academy, and so on.

Among the public, Younis Khan has a very positive image. He maintained a clean career, staying away from corruption. Fans want him to be associated with the national team, but for that, he must also change himself leave his ego at home and come to Lahore focused solely on improving Pakistan cricket. There may be unpleasant moments along the way, but he must learn to overlook them.

The PCB should also use him carefully. Perhaps he can bring improvement to the team&rsquo;s performance. Reports suggest he may be appointed as Test coach. If he gets this role, he will need to adopt a friendly approach with players, as excessive strictness can damage relationships.

Similarly, talks are ongoing about bringing Mohammad Hafeez into the board. After stepping down as team director following a change in chairman a few years ago, he openly criticized the authorities. Gradually, he became isolated, but with the help of a friend, matters have now improved.

Hafeez understands cricket well, but being repeatedly called &ldquo;Professor&rdquo; seems to have made him believe that no one understands matters better than he does. He is bold and capable of making decisions others might hesitate over like changing batting orders in the past.

Even now, he can contribute significantly to Pakistan cricket, but he too must work within his defined limits. There is no doubt that both Younis and Hafeez are sincere and want to do good for the country. However, they must avoid repeating past mistakes and start a new chapter.

The board wants to assign responsibilities to former cricketers with good reputations so they can put Pakistan cricket back on track. Now it is the responsibility of these former stars to not only look at their paychecks but also play a meaningful role in improving team performance.

Unfortunately, many former players have contributed little to the country. If they get a job in the board, everything is fine; if not, they criticize. Even when Pakistan defeated Australia, critics didn&rsquo;t stay silent.

When India banned Pakistani commentators from the IPL, some lost tours and dollar earnings. Later, when Pakistani YouTube channels were restricted, some former cricketers lost their platforms entirely. Earlier, they used to promote Kohli and Rohit; now they are struggling to stay relevant.

However, Younis and Hafeez have stayed away from such matters. Since everyone else has been tried, perhaps it&rsquo;s time to give them a chance as well.]]>
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			<title>Spain held by tiny Cape Verde</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613325/spain-held-by-tiny-cape-verde</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613325/spain-held-by-tiny-cape-verde#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 18:30:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613325</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 2010 world champions were unable to find a breakthrough against the underdogs]]>
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				<![CDATA[European champions Spain were held to a shock 0-0 draw by tiny World Cup debutants Cape Verde on Monday as Iran prepared to make their long-awaited entrance at the tournament after a build-up engulfed by uncertainty.

Spain, regarded as one of the strong pre-tournament favourites, had been expected to cruise past Cape Verde in their Group H opener in Atlanta.

But despite enjoying 74 percent possession and laying siege to the Cape Verde goal, the 2010 world champions were unable to find a breakthrough against the underdogs from the volcanic archipelago of just 525,000 people, who are ranked as 2000-1 outsiders to win the World Cup by several betting websites.

Not even the introduction off the bench of Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal could engineer a goal for Luis de la Fuente&#39;s men.

Cape Verde&#39;s players and supporters meanwhile celebrated wildly after securing an improbable point in what was their first ever World Cup match.

The underdogs, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, had never qualified for the World Cup, but were boosted in their bid to qualify for the finals after FIFA&#39;s expansion of the tournament to 48 teams.

In other games on Monday, Saudi Arabia face Uruguay in Group H in Miami, while Belgium face Mohamed Salah&#39;s Egypt in a Group G game in Seattle.

Iran protests planned&nbsp;

In Los Angeles all eyes will turn to Iran&#39;s opening game of the tournament, where they take on New Zealand in Group G at the SoFi Stadium.

The match follows a chaotic period of preparations for Iran following the US-Israeli led military strikes on their country earlier this year.

Iran were initially to be based in Tucson, Arizona for the tournament, but switched their training base to Tijuana in Mexico at the 11th hour as a result of ongoing tensions with World Cup co-hosts the United States over visa issues.

US authorities have refused to grant visas for several members of the Iranian delegation.

Protests are planned outside the stadium by members of the Iranian diaspora opposed to the nation&#39;s hardline regime, and there have been threats that the Iran team could walk off the pitch if anti-government banners are displayed during the game.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Sunday, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said he hoped his team&#39;s performances at the World Cup could unite all Iranians at home and overseas.

&quot;We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don&#39;t pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us,&quot; Ghalenoei said in response to a question from AFP.

&quot;Naturally, all teams have their own problems, and in many countries, many things happen that have nothing to do with football.&quot;

The coach said his team are at the World Cup to &quot;represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.&quot;

&quot;We are not political people... football is separate from politics,&quot; said Ghalenoei.

Iran&#39;s World Cup debut comes just a day after Washington and Tehran announced a permanent deal to end their conflict.]]>
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			<title>Ghana coach enters record books at his fifth World Cup in row</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613308/ghana-coach-enters-record-books-at-his-fifth-world-cup-in-row</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613308/ghana-coach-enters-record-books-at-his-fifth-world-cup-in-row#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:23:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[REUTERS]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613308</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Queiroz is hailed in his native Portugal as a trendsetter]]>
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				<![CDATA[Carlos Queiroz is still one tournament short of matching the record for coaching at the World Cup but the 73-year-old will still enter the record books this week.

Queiroz takes charge of Ghana as they begin their Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday and &zwnj;continues a run that began with Portugal in 2010 and saw him also coach Iran at three successive World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

The run matches the record five tournaments in a row that Bora Milutinović set from 1986 to 2002 when he was at the helm of five different national teams.

Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira has the record number of World Cup appearances as a coach with ⁠six, but not successively.

Queiroz was not scheduled to go to the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States until April when Ghana appointed him in place of Otto Addo, fired in March after a series of disappointing friendly results.

Before the sudden call from the Ghanaians, it looked as if his long career, including coaching Real Madrid and working as Alex Ferguson&rsquo;s assistant at Manchester United, had ended, with his last job having been in Oman, the eighth different country whose national team he had taken charge of.

His cerebral and technical approach contrasts with a bellicose demeanour on the side of the pitch, where he can sometimes look like a pantomime &zwnj;villain, although ⁠others have found him uninspiring. &quot;I felt he had the personality of a dead fly when I worked with him,&rdquo; said former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

Queiroz is hailed in his native Portugal as a trendsetter, laying the foundation for their prodigious youth output.

&quot;In a country where greatness is so often measured by the result of the next match, Queiroz deserves to ⁠be remembered for something deeper - the construction of a culture that still endures of bringing the knowledge of universities to the pitch and, thus, contributing to Portugal being recognised as a training ground for elite footballers,&quot; the daily sports newspaper A&rsquo;Bola ⁠commented last month

He made his name when leading Portugal to back-to-back U-20 World Cup titles in 1989 and 1991, and bringing on a generation of outstanding footballers like Lu&iacute;s Figo, Paulo Sousa, and Jo&atilde;o Pinto, and ⁠is now looking to crown a storied career by taking Ghana as far as he can at the World Cup.

&quot;I am prepared for this,&quot; he said when he accepted the job. &quot;I bring 40 years of experience to every decision that will be made.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Iran team arrive in US for World Cup opener as the two nations reach peace deal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613307/iran-team-arrive-in-us-for-world-cup-opener-as-the-two-nations-reach-peace-deal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613307/iran-team-arrive-in-us-for-world-cup-opener-as-the-two-nations-reach-peace-deal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:15:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613307</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Coach says team hopes to bring joy to Iranians everywhere]]>
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				<![CDATA[Iran&#39;s soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport and holding a press conference on the same day that &zwnj;a peace deal between the two nations was announced.

The Iran squad arrived after a short flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where they left their base camp earlier to a rousing sendoff ahead of their opening game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday.

&quot;I am very happy to be representing the great, proud and strong nation of Iran,&quot; Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said through a translator in a press conference at the stadium.

&quot;I hope that football will bring about joy and enjoyment, and bring closer the cultures and countries.&quot;

The squad&#39;s Group G fixture against New Zealand will be played against the backdrop of the U.S. war with Iran and the newly-announced peace deal, adding a charged atmosphere to a contest between two nations who have never ⁠met at a World Cup.

Iran moved their World Cup base camp from a sports complex in Arizona to Mexico late last month after the U.S. and Israel conducted joint strikes on Iran beginning in late February.

Iran will now have to make the trip from Mexico to the U.S. for each of their three group matches and Ghalenoei said the travel and the denial of visas into the U.S. for some members of their soccer federation had negatively affected the squad.

The U.S.-Iran deal to end the war will be signed during an official ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media on Sunday.

&#39;BRING AN END TO THIS REGIME&#39;

While the squad flew to LA, a group of protesters calling for democracy in Iran and denouncing its government rallied near Los Angeles Stadium.

&quot;No Shah - No Mullah in Iran - Regime Change by Iranians,&quot; said placards. Pictures and posters of athletes who protesters said had died after being arrested by the Iranian government lined a busy street corner in Inglewood.

The January crackdown on protests in Iran, which rights groups and activists say killed thousands - and possibly tens of thousands - was &zwnj;a particular ⁠outrage to Mojgan Ramezani, 56, an Iranian American at the rally.

&quot;They&#39;re holding hostage their own people,&quot; said Ramezani

Hassan Haddadi, 70, said he was frustrated that most of the world&#39;s governments had done little to support change in Iran.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re hoping to bring awareness to the western world, to somehow do something beyond just condemning, to bring an end to this regime,&quot; said Haddadi.

Ghalenoei said the squad&#39;s players and coaches were &quot;not political people.&quot;

&quot;We are here to play football and represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.&quot;

&#39;MEXICO STANDS WITH YOU&#39;

Earlier in Tijuana, supporters lining five-deep on a packed sidewalk outside Iran&#39;s hotel ⁠chanted &quot;Team Melli&quot; &mdash; Persian for &quot;national team&quot; &mdash; as the Iranian players emerged from the hotel and walked towards the waiting bus.

Many of the players waved and smiled at those who had gathered while some members of the delegation took video of the scene with their phones.

One supporter held a yellow sign with black lettering reading: &quot;Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico stands with you.&quot;

A young boy perched on someone&#39;s shoulders clutched the official Panini ⁠FIFA World Cup 2026 sticker album, open to the Iran squad page.

At one point, the crowd sang in Spanish, &quot;Iran, brother, you are Mexican now.&quot;

Iranian soccer federation President Mehdi Taj stood outside the hotel as the players left with many of the supporters following the bus down the street as it drove away.

The&nbsp;Iranian community in Tijuana&nbsp;is tiny - around 20 people - and much smaller than that ⁠of Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran.

Tens of thousands of Iranian Americans live in Los Angeles, where a&nbsp;distinct diaspora&nbsp;often referred to as &quot;Tehrangeles&quot; has taken root.

This is the first World Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation has received a country it is at war with.]]>
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			<title>Sweden demolish Tunisia 5-1</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613298/sweden-demolish-tunisia-5-1</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613298/sweden-demolish-tunisia-5-1#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:57:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613298</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Graham Potter's men took the lead in Guadalupe in the seventh minute]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Sweden crushed Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday to leave the North African nation&#39;s defensive reputation in tatters and seize control of World Cup Group F.

Graham Potter&#39;s men took the lead in Guadalupe in the seventh minute courtesy of Brighton midfielder&nbsp;Yasin&nbsp;Ayari&#39;sthunderbolt from outside the box, following a mix-up at the back.

The celebrations of&nbsp;Ayari, who is of Moroccan and Tunisian descent, were muted despite his fine finish.

Sweden doubled their lead on half an hour after a rapid break freed Alexander&nbsp;Isak&nbsp;on the left.

The Liverpool forward raced forward and cut inside before unleashing a shot, which goalkeeper&nbsp;Mouhib&nbsp;Chamakh&nbsp;failed to keep out, even though he got a hand to the ball.

Tunisia did not concede a single goal in qualifying, becoming the first side to achieve that feat, subsequently matched by Ivory Coast and England.

Sweden threatened to overwhelm their opponents but the match changed complexion minutes before half-time when Omar Rekik headed home Hannibal&nbsp;Mejbri&#39;s&nbsp;teasing cross.

However, the Scandinavian nation restored their two-goal cushion in the 59th minute after another defensive calamity for Tunisia.

Midfielder&nbsp;Ellyes&nbsp;Skhiri&nbsp;was caught in possession on the edge of the box by&nbsp;Isak, who fed Viktor&nbsp;Gyokeres&nbsp;and the Arsenal man fired home.

Substitute&nbsp;Mattias&nbsp;Svanberg&nbsp;made it 4-1 late on after VAR ruled he was onside.

And there was still time for another stunning goal from&nbsp;Ayarifrom outside the penalty box.

Sweden reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not qualify for the tournament in Qatar four years later.

Tunisia were the first African team to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico in 1978, but they have never progressed beyond the group stages.

Earlier in Group F, Japan scored late to draw 2-2 against the Netherlands.&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Pakistan storm into U18 Asia Cup semis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611273/pakistan-storm-into-u18-asia-cup-semis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611273/pakistan-storm-into-u18-asia-cup-semis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 26 15:01:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Zulfiqar Baig]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611273</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Green shirts set up India clash after crushing Bangladesh 5-2]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals after defeating Bangladesh 5-2 in a thrilling contest.

Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in the semi-final on June 5th.

​Kakamigahara, Japan: In an exciting match of the Under-18 Asia Cup 2026&mdash;organized by the Asian Hockey Federation and being played from May 29 to June 6 in Kakamigahara, Japan&mdash;Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 5 goals to 2.

​Pakistan opened the scoring early in the game, with Abdullah netting two goals, starting in the 3rd minute. Adeel, Asam, and Yahya chipped in with one goal each. For Bangladesh, Tarikul Islam and Manna Islam scored the goals, Pakistan&#39;s Muhammad Yahya was named the Player of the Match.

​Throughout the game, Pakistan&#39;s forwards capitalized effectively on scoring opportunities, while the midfield and defensive lines maintained firm control for most of the match. With this spectacular victory, Pakistan has asserted its ambitions as a strong contender for the championship trophy.

​President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani congratulated the players and team management on this magnificent achievement, praising the team&#39;s discipline, determination, and performance. He stated that this success is the result of the tireless efforts of the players, coaches, and support staff, who are striving to restore Pakistan hockey&#39;s lost glory on the international stage.

​He added that the junior team&#39;s advancement to the semi-finals is a significant milestone that will further boost the development of junior hockey in the country. The national team will now prepare for the semi-final clash, aiming to maintain their winning momentum and step closer to the final and the championship title.]]>
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			<title>DHA Hockey Academy a landmark initiative for revival of Pakistan hockey</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2607491/dha-hockey-academy-a-landmark-initiative-for-revival-of-pakistan-hockey</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2607491/dha-hockey-academy-a-landmark-initiative-for-revival-of-pakistan-hockey#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 26 10:52:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Riaz Ahmad]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2607491</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PSWF president urges young players to restore national game’s lost glory through hard work]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[President of the Pakistan Sports Writers Federation and Secretary General of AIPS Asia, Amjad Aziz Malik, has termed the DHA Hockey Academy, Lahore a major step towards the revival of Pakistan hockey, urging young players to dedicate themselves to restoring the country&rsquo;s lost glory in the national game.

He expressed these views while addressing under-30 players participating in training sessions at the DHA Hockey Academy at Manzoorul Hassan Hockey Stadium. Former Olympian Manzoorul Hassan and ex-World Cup player Colonel Saeed Khan were also present on the occasion.

Malik received a warm welcome upon his arrival at the stadium, where he was introduced to the young players. Addressing the participants, he described hockey as a symbol of Pakistan&rsquo;s identity, national pride and glorious sporting traditions. He stressed that the younger generation must work with commitment, discipline and patriotic spirit to bring Pakistan back among the leading nations in world hockey.

Recalling Pakistan&rsquo;s historic achievements, he said the country had earned global recognition by winning Olympic gold medals, World Cups, Champions Trophy titles and Asian Games championships. He paid tribute to the legendary hockey players who brought fame to Pakistan through their outstanding performances on the international stage.

He advised the young athletes to focus not only on sports but also on education, physical fitness, discipline and character building. According to him, these players have the potential to represent Pakistan at the international level and carry the national flag with pride in future competitions.

Highlighting the significance of the DHA Hockey Academy, he said such initiatives were vital for nurturing fresh talent and strengthening the future of Pakistan hockey. He remarked that success in sports could only be achieved through continuous hard work, sacrifice and determination rather than talent alone.

Encouraging the players to remain focused on their dreams, he urged them to move forward with confidence and national spirit so that Pakistan could once again reclaim its former stature in world hockey.

On the occasion, Malik also paid rich tribute to Manzoorul Hassan, who is currently serving as head coach of the Pakistan Hockey Federation. He presented the latest edition of the AIPS Asia magazine to the Olympian in recognition of his services to the sport.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan launches school-based plan to revive national hockey</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2596858/pakistan-launches-school-based-plan-to-revive-national-hockey</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2596858/pakistan-launches-school-based-plan-to-revive-national-hockey#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 26 13:22:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sports Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2596858</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The meeting was attended by directors of physical education from educational boards as well]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Officials in Pakistan have unveiled a new strategy aimed at reviving the country&rsquo;s national sport by strengthening hockey at school and education-board level.

The initiative was discussed during a meeting of the National Education&ndash;Hockey Coordination Committee hosted by the Inter Boards Coordination Commission at its secretariat in Islamabad on 10 March.

The meeting, focused on rebuilding Pakistan&rsquo;s hockey talent pipeline through the education system, was co-chaired by Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah and Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani.

During the session, the Federal Secretary for the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division presented the IBCC&ndash;PHF School and Inter-Board Hockey Revival Programme (2026&ndash;2029).

The programme &mdash; developed in collaboration with the Pakistan Hockey Federation &mdash; outlines a roadmap to rebuild Pakistan hockey by expanding the sport across schools and educational boards.

Officials said the initiative will focus on increasing participation in school hockey in Pakistan, organising inter-board hockey tournaments, and establishing a structured pathway for talented players to progress from grassroots level to the Pakistan men&#39;s national field hockey team.

The meeting was attended by directors of physical education from educational boards as well as former Olympians including Hassan Sardar, Islahuddin Siddique and Khwaja Junaid.

Participants welcomed the proposed strategy and expressed support for reviving Pakistan hockey through collaboration between sports authorities and the education sector.

A joint steering committee &mdash; which will include former Olympians and representatives from education boards &mdash; will oversee the implementation of the Pakistan school hockey revival programme and monitor its progress over the coming years.

Pakistan remains one of the most successful nations in the history of international hockey, but officials believe rebuilding the sport at grassroots level will be key to restoring its competitiveness on the global stage.]]>
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			<title>Refusing to collapse: How Pakistan hockey fought its way back to the World Cup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2596298/refusing-to-collapse-how-pakistan-hockey-fought-its-way-back-to-the-world-cup</link>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 26 10:30:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Nabil Tahir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2596298</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Green Shirts beat Japan 4-3 to reach the World Cup after eight years]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Instead of celebrating wildly after the final whistle, several Pakistan players dropped to the turf in relief.

For a team that had spent months navigating administrative turmoil, travel controversies and uncertainty around their own federation, the victory over Japan felt less like a single match and more like an emotional release and a return to the Hockey World Cup after eight years.

Having covered Pakistan hockey for more than a decade, I have learned that the sport rarely moves in straight lines. Even the moments that look simple from the outside often carry their own complications, and victories in Pakistan hockey rarely arrive without a story behind them. Pakistan&rsquo;s dramatic 4&ndash;3 win over Japan in the World Cup qualifiers semi-final in Ismailia was one of those moments.

On paper, it will be remembered as a thrilling comeback. Pakistan opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Japan fought back to take a commanding 3&ndash;1 lead. For long stretches of the match, the Japanese side appeared in control.

But between the 52nd and 57th minute, Pakistan scored three goals in the space of five minutes to turn the match around and secure qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup after eight years.

The speed of that turnaround was remarkable. Yet what stood out even more was the manner in which the players carried themselves when the match seemed to be slipping away.

At 3-1 down, Pakistan even missed a penalty corner opportunity that could have brought them back into the contest earlier. In many matches, that moment can drain a team&rsquo;s belief. Instead, the reaction was the opposite.

The players remained composed. There was urgency, but not the panic that often creeps into a team chasing the game. The team continued to push forward, trusting that another opportunity would come.

On the sidelines, head coach Khawaja Junaid was equally animated, often standing on the edge of the technical area directing players until the final whistle. It was a small detail, but one that reflected a team that refused to mentally step out of the contest.

The players arrived at this tournament after months of uncertainty surrounding the sport. Administrative disputes, funding questions and management changes had once again placed Pakistan hockey under uncomfortable scrutiny. Even the team captain, Ammad Butt, found himself under pressure after being banned by the previous federation leadership before the decision was later reversed.

Such situations often divide teams. In this case, it appears to have had the opposite effect. Throughout the qualifiers, Pakistan remained unbeaten, and Butt continued to lead the side despite everything happening around the team. For a captain to carry that kind of pressure while keeping the squad united says much about the trust the players place in him.

The semi-final victory over Japan ultimately reflected that collective belief. For long stretches, there were no visible signs of a team weighed down by the off-field turbulence that has followed Pakistan hockey for years. Instead, there was a group of players determined to control the only part of the story they could, their performance on the pitch.

Qualification for the World Cup after eight years is significant for a sport that once defined Pakistan&rsquo;s sporting identity. But it would be misleading to describe this moment as a full revival.

The deeper structural problems surrounding hockey in the country have not disappeared overnight.

What the victory in Ismailia does show, however, is something equally important. Even within an imperfect system, the players have demonstrated that the competitive spirit of Pakistan hockey still survives.

Even in the final moments, that resolve was tested once more. With less than a minute remaining, Japan earned a penalty stroke that could have forced the match into a shootout. Goalkeeper Ali Raza stepped up and saved it, holding Pakistan&rsquo;s lead and effectively securing their place at the World Cup. In many ways, the moment captured the evening itself, a team refusing to let the opportunity slip away.

Pakistan hockey may still be struggling to rebuild its structure. But on the field, the fight is clearly still alive.]]>
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			<title>Raducanu to face Vekic in Queen's Club final</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613056/raducanu-to-face-vekic-in-queens-club-final</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613056/raducanu-to-face-vekic-in-queens-club-final#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 22:18:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[She reached the first grass-court final of her career]]>
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				<![CDATA[Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu said that she is back to her best after the British star won twice in the space of just six hours to earn a Queen&#39;s Club final clash with Croatia&#39;s Donna Vekic.

Raducanu reached the first grass-court final of her career by thrashing American sixth seed Iva Jovic 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London on Saturday.

The 23-year-old had already defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5 in the quarter-finals earlier, in a match briefly halted by the deafening noise caused by aeroplanes taking part in the royal &#39;Trooping the Colour&#39; flyover in the capital.

A slip in the second set of that quarter-final had sparked concern about Raducanu&#39;s fitness after she emerged from a medical break with her left thigh wrapped in heavy tape.

But the world number 42 played the semi-final with a smaller patch in the same location and moved comfortably enough to demolish the 18-year-old Jovic.

Raducanu has not dropped a set on route to the final, beating two players ranked in the world&#39;s top 20.

&quot;It means everything to be doing this here at Queen&#39;s. The whole day has been electric,&quot; Raducanu said.

&quot;This week has been incredible, I really enjoy playing here and that shows in my tennis.

&quot;Ask any British player and they would love to lift the title here. We&#39;ve been through some tough moments in the last few months but have been putting in the hard work and I want to thank my team for helping me get into the final.&quot;

Raducanu is one win away from her first title since lifting the US Open trophy after her stunning triumph as a qualifier in 2021.

She has appeared revitalised since her decision last month to rehire Andrew Richardson, the man who coached her to that historic title in New York five years ago.

&nbsp;

&#39;New Emma&#39; 

After first parting company with Richardson, Raducanu had cycled through a host of coaches without success in a bid to recapture the glory of her run at the US Open.

Raducanu has not reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam since her US Open victory.

She has been hampered by fitness issues for several years and arrived at Queen&#39;s with only one win in her previous seven matches.

Raducanu reached the final at the Transylvania Open in February, losing to Sorana Cirstea, whom she defeated in the last 16 at Queen&#39;s earlier this week.

After beating Jovic, Raducanu was asked if the &quot;old Emma&quot; had returned.

&quot;I wouldn&#39;t say it&#39;s necessarily the old Emma, I think it&#39;s the new Emma,&quot; she said ahead of Sunday&#39;s final.

&quot;Because if you take all the lessons and experience, all the different ups and downs, you understand a lot more what&#39;s going on and what works for you.

&quot;So I&#39;d say that I&#39;m back and better.&quot;

Croatian world number 76 Vekic beat Britain&#39;s Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-3 in the other semi-final, extending her unexpected run at a tournament she only entered as a &#39;lucky loser&#39; when another player pulled out.]]>
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			<title>Serena's tennis comeback over</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612637/serenas-tennis-comeback-over</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612637/serenas-tennis-comeback-over#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 26 15:16:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612637</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Her partner Mboko withdrew from the Queen following an injury]]>
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				<![CDATA[Serena Williams&#39; bid to win the Queen&#39;s Club doubles title on her return to tennis came to a premature end on Thursday after the American legend&#39;s partner Victoria&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;was forced to withdraw from the tournament.

Williams sensationally returned to action on Tuesday for the first time in four years, partnering with&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;for a straight sets victory over Nicole&nbsp;Melichar-Martinez and Erin&nbsp;Routliffe&nbsp;in the first round.

The pair were due to play&nbsp;Leylah&nbsp;Fernandez and Laura&nbsp;Siegemund&nbsp;in the quarter-finals of the grass-court event in west London on Thursday.

But&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;pulled out just hours before the last eight clash after failing to recover from a left knee injury suffered in the second set of her singles match against Karolina&nbsp;Pliskova&nbsp;on Wednesday.

World number nine&nbsp;Mboko, who was injured after slipping on the court, was unable to finish that match.

The 19-year-old Canadian was visibly upset following her injury, which effectively forced her into the splits, and was heard telling physios &quot;there is no stability right now&quot;.

Mboko&nbsp;opted not to risk aggravating the injury by playing in the doubles with Williams.

Tournament&nbsp;organisers&nbsp;confirmed&nbsp;Mboko&#39;s&nbsp;withdrawal from the doubles, leaving Williams to wait to continue her comeback in the Berlin Open doubles next week.

Williams is reportedly set to play alongside Karolina&nbsp;Muchovain Berlin, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion still pondering whether to take her comeback tour to Wimbledon.

Captured the imagination&nbsp;

She is yet to reveal if she will play any singles events during her shock return to action, but told reporters at Queen&#39;s earlier this week that she hadn&#39;t ruled out featuring in the Wimbledon doubles.

Williams would need a wildcard from Wimbledon chiefs to feature at the All England Club since she is not ranked high enough to earn automatic entry into the tournament.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion also clinched six doubles titles alongside her sister Venus at the grass-court Grand Slam.

&quot;They have been great about giving me that space and time to decide,&quot; she said on Tuesday about potentially playing at Wimbledon.

Williams&#39; return for her first match in 1,375 days had captured the imagination of the sporting world after four years in retirement.

She said her comeback was inspired by a desire to play in front of her young daughters Olympia and&nbsp;Adira, who were courtside to witness their mother&#39;s winning return on Tuesday.

Her decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to&nbsp;Ajla&nbsp;Tomljanovic&nbsp;at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of the move.

But it was like she had never been away in Tuesday&#39;s doubles as Williams produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd.

However, she wasn&#39;t completely satisfied with her first victory since beating then world number two&nbsp;Anett&nbsp;Kontaveit&nbsp;in the 2022 US Open second round.

&quot;Oh my god! What do you think? A C minus?&quot; she said when asked to rate her performance.

&quot;All the elements, considering coming back on grass is probably not the easiest surface. On the grass, four years...&nbsp;Overall I think it was decent.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Wimbledon prize money pot increased to £64.2 million</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612636/wimbledon-prize-money-pot-increased-to-642-million</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612636/wimbledon-prize-money-pot-increased-to-642-million#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 26 15:11:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612636</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[All England Club chiefs revealed the substantial cash boost for players]]>
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				<![CDATA[Wimbledon&#39;s prize money pot has been increased by 20 percent to a tournament-record figure of &pound;64.2 million ($85.7 million).

All England Club chiefs revealed the substantial cash boost for players during a pre-tournament press conference on Thursday.

The Wimbledon singles&#39; champions will now pocket &pound;3.6million each.

Italy&#39;s&nbsp;Jannik&nbsp;Sinner is the reigning men&#39;s champion, while Poland&#39;s&nbsp;Iga&nbsp;Swiatek&nbsp;won the women&#39;s event last year.

Even first round losers will be richly compensated at Wimbledon this year, with &pound;80,000 allocated to players beaten at that stage.

The Wimbledon raise comes after several of the world&#39;s top players staged a protest prior to the recent the French Open by limiting media activities to 15 minutes.

The players were frustrated that prize money at Roland&nbsp;Garrosonly increased by 9.5 percent from 2025 and stayed at around 15 percent of the revenue generated from the clay-court tournament.

It is believed the players want the prize fund to be closer to 22 percent of the tournament&#39;s revenue.

Wimbledon&#39;s increase is from &pound;53.5 million last year to &pound;64.2 million for this year&#39;s event, which starts in south-west London on June 29.

&quot;I&nbsp;recognise&nbsp;there is one topic you are most interested in hearing about this morning and that&#39;s prize money,&quot; Wimbledon chair Debbie&nbsp;Jevans&nbsp;told reporters on Thursday.

&quot;For 2026 the prize money fund will be &pound;64.2 million, that is a 20 percent increase on last year and &pound;10.7 million uplift which allows players to continue to share in our success.

&quot;Our support for players is distributed throughout the draw. Gentleman and Ladies singles&#39; champions will each receive &pound;3.6 million and first-round prize money is set at &pound;80,000, so players that lose in the first round will share more than &pound;5 million in prize money.

&quot;These figures represent a substantial increase in prize money.&quot;

Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton met with the players&#39; representative Larry Scott at Roland&nbsp;Garros&nbsp;last month to discuss the prize money issue.

&quot;There has been no dialogue with the players direct but we have had dialogue with Larry Scott, who has been appointed by some of players to represent them,&quot;&nbsp;Jevans&nbsp;said.

&quot;We have had dialogue, email exchanges and a meeting in Paris. After Paris you have all read the 22 percent and &pound;70 million, what we have done is right and appropriate.

&quot;We begin looking at prize money in January. We looked at investment in facilities, in grassroots and player prize money. I would hope&nbsp;the players would welcome it.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Serena makes triumphant return</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612442/serena-makes-triumphant-return</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612442/serena-makes-triumphant-return#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 26 14:39:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[She returned to tennis in the Queen's Club doubles tournament]]>
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				<![CDATA[Serena&nbsp;Williams said she had &quot;so much fun&quot; as the American legend rolled back the years in her triumphant return to tennis in the Queen&#39;s Club doubles on Tuesday.

Four years after appearing to end her glittering career, Williams and Canadian teenager Victoria&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;powered to a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win over third seeds Erin&nbsp;Routliffe&nbsp;and Nicole&nbsp;Melichar-Martinez in the first round of the grass-court tournament.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, stunned the sporting world a week ago with her shock announcement that she would compete in the Queen&#39;s Club doubles.

The 44-year-old relished every minute of her remarkable return -- after conquering a pre-match bout of nerves.

&quot;I got nervous like, maybe 30 minutes before, and then I just&nbsp;justlet it go,&quot; she said.

&quot;I didn&#39;t really think about being nervous, I thought about having fun, which I did.

&quot;It was so fun. I had so much fun playing with Victoria.

&quot;I never got to play here before, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.&quot;

Williams&#39; decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to&nbsp;Ajla&nbsp;Tomljanovic&nbsp;at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of her move.

It was like she had never been away as Williams produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd.

But Williams wasn&#39;t completely satisfied with her first victory since beating then world number two&nbsp;Anett&nbsp;Kontaveit&nbsp;in the 2022 US Open second round.

&quot;Oh my god! What do you think? A C&nbsp;minus?,&quot; she said when asked to rate her performance.

&quot;All the elements, considering coming back on grass is probably not the easiest surface. On the grass, four years... Overall I think it was decent.&quot;

&#39;She&#39;s got it&#39;&nbsp;

Williams has said her return was inspired by a desire to play in front of her children.

Her two young daughters Olympia and&nbsp;Adira&nbsp;and husband Alexis Ohanian were all courtside in west London to witness a typically combative display from one of the sport&#39;s all-time greats.

But Williams revealed the victory couldn&#39;t distract her children from more pressing matters.

&quot;Adira&nbsp;wanted to go to the toy store, and Olympia wanted to know what was for dinner,&quot; she said.

Williams and&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;will play&nbsp;Leylah&nbsp;Fernandez and Laura&nbsp;Siegemund&nbsp;in the quarter-finals.

The American is also scheduled to play doubles at the Berlin Open next week.

But it is the possibility of taking her unexpected comeback to Wimbledon that has her fans eagerly awaiting an update.

Williams played down the prospect of featuring in the singles at Wimbledon -- where she had won the title seven times -- when she faced the media on Sunday.

Pressed on Tuesday about featuring in the Wimbledon doubles, said: &quot;Yeah, like I said the other day, it&#39;s just a day at a time.

&quot;I still have a little time to decide, and they (Wimbledon officials) have been great about giving me that space and time to decide.&quot;

When&nbsp;Mboko&nbsp;was born in 2006, Williams had already won seven Grand Slam singles titles.

The 19-year-old has called Williams as her &quot;idol&quot; and she said it was a memorable experience to play alongside her.

&quot;Of course even knowing I could play with Serena with me, I&#39;m so grateful, first of all,&quot; she said.

&quot;I don&#39;t play that much doubles, but I think sharing the court, I think I can learn a lot, even though we&#39;re still competing. I just had so much fun today.&quot;

And&nbsp;Mboko, ninth in the singles rankings, has no doubts Williams will quickly get back to her best.

&quot;I thought she was doing great. I understand it felt far from her level but it&#39;s great to have that much room for improvement and have the motivation to get better,&quot; she said.

&quot;Overall I thought it was pretty good. There was one shot where I thought &#39;oh my gosh she&#39;s got it&#39;.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Pricey World Cup keeps football fans away, hits US hotels and airlines</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612621/pricey-world-cup-keeps-football-fans-away-hits-us-hotels-airlines</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612621/pricey-world-cup-keeps-football-fans-away-hits-us-hotels-airlines#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 26 13:01:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hotels cut rates as fans stay away; soaring flight and match ticket prices have dampened World Cup demand]]>
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				<![CDATA[Hours before the World Cup kickoff, the boost to travel and tourism expected from this year&rsquo;s biggest sporting event has yet to ​materialise.

For years, the tournament was expected to deliver a windfall for America&#39;s travel industry, now grappling with declining international visitors amid what rights groups describe as a climate of fear.

The swarms &zwnj;of fans that hotels had counted on have yet to arrive, forcing many to cut rates. Flight bookings have slumped as ticket prices have skyrocketed. Expensive match tickets have further stymied demand, and industry analysts say excitement has been muted compared with past World Cups.

The weak start suggests the traditional World Cup travel playbook &mdash; typically dependent on international fans willing to travel long distances and spend heavily to follow their teams &mdash; is faltering. Instead, the costs, visa hurdles and the logistics of attending matches across 16 host ​cities in three countries have proved a deterrent.

US travellers, in a country where football is less popular than in Europe, are not filling the gap.

It is &quot;overall a disappointment. There&#39;s no other word that ​I can say&quot;, said Vijay Dandapani, CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City. The association has cut its forecast for hotel room revenue tied to ⁠the World Cup by 60% to roughly $60 million, he said.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last minute demand yet to materialise 

Flight bookings from Europe into most host cities for ​June and July are down 3.8% on average year-over-year, according to Cirium, even after Europeans had already pulled back from travel to the US last year. Bookings from Europe into New York, host of the July 19 final, ​have plunged 15.8%, Cirium said.

FIFA had projected 1.2 million fans would descend on the city, but Dandapani said the New York hotel association is only expecting half a million.

Read More: FIFA greed cup

Dandapani said there has been a small uptick in bookings from UK and Norway fans recently, which he called a &quot;positive sign&quot;.

Hotels are hoping for a last-minute surge after the group stage concludes, despite early data that is discouraging. Average bookings across host cities are up just 0.5% from a year earlier, according to analytics firm CoStar.



Bar chart depicts average year-on-year percentage change of hotel bookings in World Cup host cities on match days

Several New York ​hotels are offering discounted hotel rooms, said Dandapani, including the New York Hilton Midtown, the city&#39;s largest hotel, which has slashed rates for the tournament in half to $415 per night, compared to the advertised rates in December, he said.

Hilton in April said it was seeing strong bookings, driven by New York. The following month, Marriott said, &quot;There obviously is still a lot left to book given that the exact matchups for the latter half of the competition have not yet &zwnj;been decided.&quot;

Hilton declined ⁠to comment, while Marriott did not immediately respond to a comment request.

&quot;Some fans are skipping the World Cup altogether,&quot; said Andy Milne, England superfan and author of the book &quot;That World Cup Guy&quot;. &quot;Friends of mine are heading to Ibiza to watch every match on TV for a fraction of the price. Others are going to Vegas. It&#39;ll still cost money, but far less than tickets, travel, hotels and transport to the stadiums.&quot;

Even affluent fans, who have buoyed the performance of US travel companies, are waiting for matchups to crystallise or for their teams to advance before committing to travel, luxury sports travel company Roadtrips said.



Map of North America that uses arrows to depict rise or fall in yoy traffic to World Cup host city airports

High ticket costs, visas deter visitors 

Fans from more than half the ​qualified countries need visas to enter the United States, ​adding cost and uncertainty for travellers already wary ⁠of stricter border enforcement. The Trump administration denied a Somali referee entry over alleged links to &quot;suspected members of terror organisations&quot;.

FIFA&#39;s ticketing practices have also soured some fans. Organisers introduced record-high base prices and, for the first time, dynamic pricing that raised costs as the tournament neared. FIFA&rsquo;s decision to allow uncapped resale pricing inflated costs further and drew ​regulatory scrutiny.

The cheapest ticket in host cities like New York and Miami now approaches $1,000, according to TicketData.

Even if ticket prices halve closer to key matches, last-minute ​demand may remain muted, as ⁠overseas fans still face the cost and complexity of booking travel and securing visas on short notice, said Dana Lattouf, CEO of Tickitto, a UK ticket distributor.

Vacation rentals, which allow groups to split costs, are a rare bright spot. Airbnb told investors in May that the World Cup was on track to be its largest event ever. Data from short-term rental analytics firm AirDNA shows bookings, particularly for budget and economy rentals, are tracking higher in host cities ⁠, including Boston ​and Los Angeles.

Booked average daily rates for rentals across host cities were $218, while travellers looking now would pay about $335 as of June ​8, AirDNA said, as hosts raise prices to capture last-minute demand.

&ldquo;There is way more leisure demand in all these cities because of the World Cup. That is unmistakable,&rdquo; said Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA.



Bar charts shows percentage change in vacation rental bookings across World Cup host cities]]>
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			<title>As Chacha Cricket retires, Pakistan bids farewell to its most devoted fan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611251/as-chacha-cricket-retires-pakistan-bids-farewell-to-its-most-devoted-fan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611251/as-chacha-cricket-retires-pakistan-bids-farewell-to-its-most-devoted-fan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 26 12:00:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Life And Style Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[For nearly six decades, Abdul Jalil stood as a symbol of unwavering support for Pakistan cricket]]>
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				<![CDATA[For nearly six decades, one man held the unofficial role of Pakistan&#39;s emotional anchor. While captains came and went and cricket administrators changed with regularity, Abdul Jalil &mdash; known around the world as Chacha Cricket &mdash; remained a constant presence in the stands, rallying support for the national team through every triumph and setback.

But on a bittersweet evening at Lahore&#39;s Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, the 77-year-old superfan brought an extraordinary chapter to a close, quietly announcing his retirement during Pakistan&#39;s One-Day International against Australia.



Last night at Qaddafi Stadium as A Special Guest of PCB. Thankful to PCB for arranging such memorable Farewell Ceremony including Cake Cutting, Victory Lap of Qaddafi and Team Signed Shirt from the ODI Skipper Shaheen Afridi. Thank you Fans, Media and sponsors. Pakistan Zindabad pic.twitter.com/bZTeb4ThZC
&mdash; Chacha Cricket (@chachacricketpk) June 3, 2026


For generations of cricket fans, Chacha&#39;s trademark slogan &mdash; &quot;Hota hai bhai hota hai, khel mein aisa hota hai&quot; (&quot;It happens, brothers, it happens; such things happen in sport&quot;) &mdash; served as a form of collective therapy, helping supporters navigate the emotional swings that have long defined Pakistan cricket.

It was a reminder that victory and defeat are both part of the game.

As Pakistan suffered another defeat during his farewell appearance, however, the familiar words carried a different weight. The nation&#39;s most enduring optimist admitted that years of disappointing performances and heartbreaking losses had taken a heavy emotional toll.

&nbsp;



Chacha Cricket has been a Pakistan Cricket icon. Deserves a statue. I have been lucky enough to watch many matches at his side. This is one of my favourite moments. pic.twitter.com/61U6xZlk2n
&mdash; Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) June 2, 2026


Chacha&#39;s journey began in the late 1960s at Lahore Stadium, but his legend was cemented in Sharjah during the 1980s and 1990s. While working in Abu Dhabi, he would reportedly take multiple buses to ensure he reached the stadium in time to support Pakistan, proudly waving the national flag from the stands.

He was there when Javed Miandad struck his iconic last-ball six against India in 1986 &mdash; one of the defining moments in Pakistan cricket history &mdash; and remained a fixture at major matches for decades afterward.

Yet the final years of his journey proved especially challenging. According to those close to him, repeated disappointments, particularly Pakistan&#39;s defeats to India in major tournaments, left him increasingly disheartened.

&nbsp;



Shaheen Afridi presented a signed jersey to Chacha Cricket for his contribution to Pakistan cricket. 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/RhfnTp5RbX
&mdash; Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) June 2, 2026


Before his final appearance, Shaheen Afridi honoured Chacha with a commemorative jersey and a retirement cake, recognising his decades of unwavering support.

Fans inside the stadium and across social media responded with an outpouring of affection, gratitude and respect for a man who had become synonymous with Pakistan&nbsp;cricket itself.



The PCB honoured Chacha Cricket for his years of unwavering loyalty and support 🇵🇰🎂 pic.twitter.com/EIZ6U6CCB8
&mdash; CricFollow (@CricFollow56) June 2, 2026


His retirement marks the end of an era in the country&#39;s sporting culture.

As Chacha Cricket prepares for a quieter life on the outskirts of Sialkot, where he hopes to establish a museum showcasing a lifetime of cricket memorabilia, he leaves behind more than an empty seat in the stands.

He leaves behind a legacy of loyalty, optimism and devotion that few figures in Pakistan&#39;s sporting history can match.]]>
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			<title>Martin wins US MotoGP sprint</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599946/martin-wins-us-motogp-sprint</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599946/martin-wins-us-motogp-sprint#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 26 12:43:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599946</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He overtook Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jorge Martin won the U.S. MotoGP sprint in Austin on Saturday while Aprilia Racing teammate and championship leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed and failed to finish &zwnj;a sprint for the second time this season.

Martin overtook Francesco Bagnaia during the final lap at the Circuit of the Americas where he made a move at turn 12 before crossing the line in 20 minutes 19.546 seconds, winning by 0.755 seconds.

&quot;I never thought, when I was starting the season in ⁠Thailand, that after three rounds I would be winning races again. So it&#39;s unbelievable,&quot; Martin said after a record-extending 17th sprint win, but his first with Aprilia.

&quot;I&#39;m so thankful to Aprilia. They are helping a lot to raise my level. And yeah, I did it already. I mean, I feel a better rider than I was in the past.&quot;

Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had finished third but after the race received an eight-second penalty due to low tyre pressure, a move &zwnj;that ⁠dropped him to eighth place and promoted Enea Bastianini to the podium.

After securing the win, Martin, who took the lead in the standings by one point over Bezzecchi, crashed on the cool-down lap while doing a wheelie but escaped without injury.

&quot;I think a lot of riders ⁠can win but not a lot of riders can nearly crash on the way back to the pits,&quot; Martin joked. &quot;Luckily I&#39;m okay, the bike isn&#39;t really damaged.&quot;

The race unfolded under intense pressure at the Circuit of the Americas, with multiple incidents shaping the outcome and testing riders&rsquo; composure. Martin&rsquo;s decisive move highlighted his growing confidence with Aprilia, while his ability to recover from earlier setbacks this season underlined his championship credentials.

Bezzecchi suffered a shocking ⁠start as he quickly dropped from second to seventh but he worked his way back before crashing out of a late second place after pressure from Martin.

Defending ⁠champion Marc Marquez was briefly up to second on the opening lap but eventually crashed and took pole-sitter Fabio di Giannantonio down with him, resulting in a long-lap penalty for Sunday&#39;s Grand Prix .]]>
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			<title>PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi announces jobs, medical support for national hockey team</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2597078/naqvi-announces-jobs-medical-support-for-national-hockey-team</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2597078/naqvi-announces-jobs-medical-support-for-national-hockey-team#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 26 15:48:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2597078</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PCB chairman meets national hockey team, congratulates them on qualifying for Hockey World Cup 2026]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday announced employment opportunities and medical support for members of the national hockey team, saying the board would bear treatment expenses for injured players, according to an official statement.

He said steps would be taken to provide employment opportunities to hockey players who are currently without jobs, adding that the PCB would also bear the medical expenses of injured players. He made the announcement during a meeting with players of the national side led by captain Imad Butt.

&ldquo;Hockey players will be provided full support in terms of fitness and medical facilities,&rdquo; Naqvi said, adding that the PCB would continue its cooperation with the national hockey team as it had done in the past.



لاہور۔ چئیرمین پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ محسن نقوی سے قومی ہاکی ٹیم کے کپتان عماد بٹ کی قیادت میں کھلاڑیوں کی ملاقات

چئیرمین پی سی بی محسن نقوی نے 8 برس بعد ورلڈ کپ کے لئے کوالیفائی کرنے پر کھلاڑیوں کو مبارکباد دی

چئیرمین پی سی بی محسن نقوی نے ورلڈ کپ کوالیفائر ٹورنامنٹ میں بہترین&hellip; pic.twitter.com/GQ9rnZn9j4
&mdash; PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) March 11, 2026



He further said the board would always play its role in providing maximum facilities to the players and expressed hope that Pakistan would deliver an impressive performance in the upcoming Hockey World Cup.

The PCB chairman also congratulated the team for qualifying for the Hockey World Cup 2026 after eight years and praised the players for their dedication and hard work during the World Cup qualifying tournament, the statement added.

Read: Bangladesh crush Pakistan in ODI series opener

Meanwhile, the national team coach Khawaja Junaid thanked the PCB chairman for his support, saying it had boosted the morale of the players and helped the team during difficult times.



قومی ہاکی ٹیم کی چیئرمین پی سی بی محسن نقوی سے قذافی سٹیڈیم میں ملاقات

ملاقات کے بعد ہیڈ کوچ خواجہ جنید اور کپتان عماد بٹ کی پی سی بی ڈیجیٹل سے خصوصی گفتگو

ماہِ رمضان میں قوم کی دعاؤں سے ٹیم ورلڈ کپ کھیلنے کی اہل ہوئی، خواجہ جنید، ہیڈ کوچ پاکستان ہاکی ٹیم

ٹیم کی سب سے بڑی طاقت&hellip; pic.twitter.com/PqqcxwAogs
&mdash; Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 11, 2026



Pakistan qualified for the Hockey World Cup 2026 after defeating Japan in the semi-final of the qualifying tournament last week. The event is scheduled to begin on August 14 this year in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Pakistan had failed to qualify for the previous edition of the World Cup and last secured a place in the tournament in 2018.

This was the second meeting between the PCB chairman and the national team within a month. Last month, Naqvi met the players after Tariq Bugti, former head of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, stepped down following complaints by national players during their tour of Australia.

During that meeting, the players informed Naqvi about unpleasant incidents they had encountered during the league. He expressed regret over the mistreatment of hockey players and assured them that measures would be taken to ensure better treatment in the future.]]>
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			<title>How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals after New Zealand loss?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2594936/how-pakistan-can-qualify-for-t20-world-cup-semi-finals-after-new-zealand-loss</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2594936/how-pakistan-can-qualify-for-t20-world-cup-semi-finals-after-new-zealand-loss#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 26 18:13:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2594936</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A win over Sri Lanka would tie Pakistan with New Zealand on points, with net run rate deciding semi-final progression]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup remain alive following New Zealand&rsquo;s defeat against England in the Super Eight stage.

England beat New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling encounter in Colombo, denying the Kiwis a guaranteed place in the semi-finals while keeping Pakistan&rsquo;s slender chances intact.

England, having already qualified for the semi-finals, sit at the top of the table with six points from three wins, whereas New Zealand are second with three points.



A nail-biter sees England hold their nerve to edge past New Zealand in their final #T20WorldCup Super 8 fixture 🔥

📝: https://t.co/SPOfO9xhOb pic.twitter.com/Khi40f6hbx
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) February 27, 2026


Pakistan, who lost their crucial Super Eight match against England, are third with one point, earned from a washed-out match against New Zealand. Co-hosts Sri Lanka, having lost both of their opening Super Eight matches, are already out of contention for the final four.

Pakistan&rsquo;s semi-final fate now rests on their match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for tomorrow at Pallekele. A win would level Pakistan and New Zealand on points, leaving net run rate as the deciding factor for progression.

However, the path to qualification is far from straightforward. Pakistan will need to secure a convincing victory over the hosts or chase their target rapidly to overcome New Zealand&rsquo;s net run rate advantage, following the Kiwis&rsquo; comprehensive win against Sri Lanka.

If batting first, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or more to improve their net run rate sufficiently. Alternatively, if chasing, they must reach the target within 13.1 overs to ensure a semi-final berth.]]>
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			<title>Blood sport at the White House</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613305/blood-sport-at-the-white-house</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613305/blood-sport-at-the-white-house#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:06:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613305</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Justin Gaethje stunned Ilia Topuria to take the lightweight championship]]>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a brutal display of political machismo Sunday, turning White House lawn into an arena for a bloody evening of cage fights.

In unprecedented scenes in the revered seat of American democracy, Trump sat with thousands of cheering fans as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) combatants beat each other to a pulp.

Fighters for the evening&#39;s top-billed bout emerged from the Oval Office, where just hours earlier Trump had sealed a long-awaited peace deal with Iran, to walk out to the cage.

US fighter Justin&nbsp;Gaethje&nbsp;stunned Spanish-Georgian Ilia&nbsp;Topuriato take the lightweight championship in the main event.&nbsp;Gaethjewas declared the winner after&nbsp;Topuria&#39;s&nbsp;face was so badly beaten that he could not continue.

Afterwards, Trump and First Lady&nbsp;Melania&nbsp;entered the blood-spattered &quot;Octagon&quot; cage to congratulate a jubilant&nbsp;Gaethje, who wished the president a happy birthday.

&quot;Beyond anything you could imagine,&quot; Trump, who is due to head straight to the G7 summit in France, told reporters when asked how the evening went.

Critics have derided the UFC fight as a tacky debasement of the White House by a former reality TV show host who has repeatedly shattered norms during his time as president.

At the event, fighter Josh&nbsp;Hokit&nbsp;launched into an astonishing attack on a former first lady, shouting into the microphone in front of Trump: &quot;Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?&quot;

A series of UFC combatants paid tribute to the president after winning, in the style of Roman gladiators, with two of them hailing him for having the &quot;balls&quot; to stage the fight.

There has also been criticism of the commercialization of the event, which was plastered with logos for products including Bud Light beer and betting firm&nbsp;Polymarket, in which Trump&#39;s son Don Jr. has a stake.

&#39;Bit of selfishness&#39;&nbsp;

Trump, a long-time mixed martial arts fan, walked out of the Oval Office and along the famed West Wing colonnade alongside UFC boss Dana White at the start of the evening.

The pair stood on the Truman balcony for the national anthem and a flyover by 12 military jets.

The fighting itself took place in a giant arena dubbed &quot;The Claw&quot;, standing taller than the White House itself, with Trump and the first lady sitting&nbsp;cageside. It ended with a giant fireworks display.

The &quot;UFC Freedom 250&quot; event is supposed to kick off this year&#39;s festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence.

It also happens to fall not only on the US public holiday of Flag Day, but on the same day that Trump enters his ninth decade.

The billionaire president has also faced criticism for staging the event as US consumers are still struggling to deal with the economic fallout from the Iran war.

Fans among the thousands of people gathered to watch the violent extravaganza on a giant screen on the Ellipse outside the White House defended the event.

&quot;I do think maybe it&#39;s like a little bit of selfishness, but he is the leader, so he has a say,&quot;&nbsp;Nyles&nbsp;Rife, a 35-year-old sports performance coach from Virginia, told AFP.

Health issues&nbsp;

Mark&nbsp;Toone, a 50-year-old US Marine Corps veteran, said the fight was &quot;totally emblematic and representative of American culture.&quot;

The White House says the UFC is bearing the entire $60 million cost of the event.

Trump, who has deep ties with a sport whose young male fans reflect his own political base, has touted the UFC event as a unique spectacle.

Celebrations over the Iran deal appeared to be underway, with US Vice President JD Vance, who played a key role in negotiations, embracing Trump&#39;s Middle East envoy Steve&nbsp;Witkoff&nbsp;in the crowd.

Trump was seen talking to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, while Paramount boss and Trump ally David Ellison&#39;s presence reflected how his media empire gained exclusive rights to broadcast the event.

The spectacle has meanwhile distracted from questions about Trump&#39;s health as he ages.

Trump loves to compare his virility to Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, who also turned 80 in office, but was forced to drop his bid for a second term after a disastrous debate with the Republican.

But from bruised hands to a vein condition in his legs and apparent sleepiness in meetings, Trump has also had a number of issues, even though his doctor says he&#39;s in excellent health.&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Hamilton claims his first Ferrari win</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613083/hamilton-claims-his-first-ferrari-win</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613083/hamilton-claims-his-first-ferrari-win#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 26 00:32:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613083</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory for Ferrari on Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix, ending championship leader Kimi Antonelli&#39;s five-race winning streak.

The seven-time world champion finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, while Antonelli was forced to abandon in the final stages because of a technical problem.

Hamilton, 41, cut down Antonelli&#39;s title lead to 41 points by triumphing on a Sunday nearly two years after he last won a race.

&quot;It&#39;s not over, that&#39;s for sure,&quot; said Hamilton of the championship race.

Mercedes polesitter Russell came in 19 seconds behind Hamilton, with Norris completing an all-British podium, the first since the 1968 United States Grand Prix.

&quot;You have helped me so much to achieve this dream, I cannot thank you enough,&quot; said Hamilton over team radio.

&quot;To the fans, thank you for reminding me who I am. I couldn&#39;t have done this without you.&quot;

Russell, pre-season favourite for the championship, arrived in Barcelona bemoaning bad luck for his recent struggles but after team-mate Antonelli edged in front of him late on he had some good fortune to cut the gap on the teenager to 53 points after the Italian abandoned.

&quot;Good to be back on the podium and have a clean race, but Ferrari were mighty today so we need to keep pushing,&quot; said Russell.

&quot;The last stints were difficult, but it&#39;s good to be back here. The pace today was insane from Lewis, they are coming I think.&quot;

With track temperatures up at 51 degrees Celsius, Hamilton opted for a three pit-stop strategy and it worked to perfection, with the third of those fortuitously coming while the virtual safety car was deployed.

Ferrari&#39;s heavily upgraded car may well have been fast enough for Hamilton to triumph anyway, as he recorded the 106th victory of his career.

Red Bull&#39;s Max Verstappen came in fourth, ahead of McLaren&#39;s Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar in the other Red Bull.

Russell got off to the perfect start from pole, holding off Hamilton on softs, with the Ferrari driver cutting off Antonelli.

Hadjar, who started in position six, was slow off the line and overtaken by eight cars.

Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, admitted he was &quot;ashamed&quot; by his crash in qualifying which left him starting in 10th but expertly weaved his way up to sixth, although he was later forced to retire.

Early stop

Hamilton took an early pit stop on lap 12 to swap his softs for hards, with Mercedes responding on the following lap with hards for Russell.

Russell was worried his stop &quot;exposed&quot; him to Antonelli but retook the lead from Hamilton with his teenage team-mate back in third after his own stop to bolt on the hards.

With Hamilton 2.3 seconds behind Russell he said &quot;we are on Plan C&quot; over team radio.

The seven-time champion pitted for the second time in the 28th lap, indicating a three-stop strategy, with Mercedes deciding not to follow suit because of the threat of 2025 champion Lando Norris, who was on a two-stop plan.

Antonelli moved right behind Russell, who was forced to fend off his team-mate.

Russell was called in for fresh hards before Antonelli followed suit, allowing Hamilton into the lead, with Ferrari telling the Briton this was the &quot;critical time&quot; for his race.

Home favourite Alonso, in what he said was probably his final appearance in Barcelona, was forced to retire because of a suspected battery issue. It brought out a yellow flag with the virtual safety car deployed, offering Hamilton an ideal chance for a cheap stop.

That worked brilliantly for Hamilton who emerged from his third stop with fresh rubber 2.6s ahead of Russell with 24 laps remaining.

With clean air Hamilton was able to stretch his lead comfortably to triumph in style.

The victory was sweetened further by late drama as Antonelli retired from second place in the 62nd lap to blow open the championship.]]>
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			<title>K-P juniors capture seven medals at National Tennis Championship</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613116/k-p-juniors-capture-seven-medals-at-national-tennis-championship</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613116/k-p-juniors-capture-seven-medals-at-national-tennis-championship#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 26 11:27:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Riaz Ahmad]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613116</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Faizan Afridi, Shayan Afridi lead province’s medal charge as officials call for greater support]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa junior tennis team delivered a remarkable performance at the National Junior Tennis Championship held in Sahiwal from June 2 to 7, winning a total of seven medals and establishing itself among the tournament&rsquo;s top-performing contingents.

The K-P side secured three gold medals and four silver medals during the week-long event, reflecting the province&rsquo;s growing strength in junior tennis and the success of efforts aimed at developing young sporting talent.



Among the standout performers was 11-year-old M Faizan Afridi, who claimed one gold and one silver medal through a series of impressive performances. M Shayan Afridi also enjoyed an outstanding campaign, winning one gold and one silver medal while displaying dominant form in both the Under-14 and Under-18 categories, where he advanced to the finals. Salar Khalil added another gold medal to the province&rsquo;s tally, while Riyan Umar Khalil secured a silver medal.

The championship featured several notable all-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa encounters. In the Boys&rsquo; Doubles event, an all-K-P final saw the pair of Riyan Umar and M Danyal compete against Salaar Khan and M Faizan. In another notable contest, Faizan Afridi overcame M Danyal in an all-K-P quarter-final clash in the Boys&rsquo; Under-12 category.

The impressive medal haul has further strengthened Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s reputation as a leading force in junior tennis and highlighted the potential of its emerging athletes on the national stage.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Senior Vice President of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association Omar Ayaz Khalil praised the young players for their achievements. He noted that five players from the province, accompanied by their coach, participated in the championship.

&ldquo;We are very thankful to the Punjab Tennis Association&rsquo;s Rashid Malik and the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Sargodha for organising the event and inviting our team,&rdquo; he said, adding that the players were provided free accommodation and meals throughout the competition.

Khalil, however, pointed to financial constraints as a major challenge for the development of tennis in the province. He revealed that the association had recently been invited to send players to a championship in Karachi but was unable to participate due to a lack of funding.

The championship brought together some of the country&rsquo;s most promising young players, providing a valuable platform for competitive exposure and talent development. Sports enthusiasts and officials congratulated the medal winners and expressed confidence that the young athletes would continue to excel in future national events and eventually represent Pakistan with distinction on the international stage.]]>
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			<title>USGA aims to keep control as US Open returns to Shinnecock</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612970/usga-aims-to-keep-control-as-us-open-returns-to-shinnecock</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612970/usga-aims-to-keep-control-as-us-open-returns-to-shinnecock#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 11:52:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612970</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shinnecock Hills will play host to the US Open for the sixth time]]>
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				<![CDATA[After organizers &quot;lost the course&quot; and desperately watered greens between groups in the past two US Opens at Shinnecock, there&#39;s hope for improvement when the 126th US Open begins Thursday.

Shinnecock Hills will play host to the US Open for the sixth time and try to learn from stumbles in 2004 and 2018, the most recent times the Long Island layout has staged the event.

&quot;There&#39;s never guarantees about anything. This is Shinnecock. Things change here quickly,&quot; Jeff Hall, US Golf Association (USGA) manager of rules and open championships, told Golf Channel.

&quot;But we are acutely aware of it and we believe we are taking the necessary steps to manage against that.&quot;

It&#39;s an ignoble history seared in the minds of players who suffered through rounds on Shinnecock&#39;s wind-dried greens, where putts veered down slopes or into collection areas.

In 2004, several greens were watered between groups -- notably the par-three seventh -- to try and have balls hold the green rather than roll off the sloped putting surfaces.

It meant later starters faced easier conditions than earlier ones, the last 10 players going nearly three strokes below the field average as high winds, sloped greens and dry conditions shattered the course.

South Africa&#39;s Retief Goosen won the title after Phil Mickelson three-putted from five feet on 17 for double bogey and lost by two strokes.

The US Open remains the only major Mickelson has never won, taking the runner-up spot six times.

In 2018, Brooks Koepka won, but it was notably the third round where winds dried out the course while some pins were near slopes, the 13th and 15th holes especially difficult.

&quot;They&#39;ve lost the golf course,&quot; two-time major winner Zach Johnson said at the time. &quot;When you have a championship that comes down to sheer luck, that&#39;s not right.&quot;

&quot;They lost the golf course, certainly on the back nine,&quot; said Sweden&#39;s Henrik Stenson, the 2016 British Open winner.

Then-USGA chief executive officer Mike Davis admitted at the time, &quot;There were some aspects where well-executed shots were not rewarded. We missed it with the wind. We don&#39;t want that. The firmness was OK but it was too much with the wind we had. It was probably too tough this afternoon.&quot;

Even with that history, Hall says the USGA will not reduce the severity of what is traditionally golf&#39;s toughest test.

&quot;We understand what the US Open is all about, the DNA of the US Open,&quot; Hall said. &quot;We could be extremely conservative, put the hole in the middle of the green and slow the greens down, but that&#39;s not what the US Open at Shinnecock is supposed to be.

&quot;One of the great things about Shinnecock is where it&#39;s located. We&#39;ve got the wind freshening here and this golf course will test the best players in the world.

&quot;Mother Nature gets a seat at the table out here and will have a meaningful impact on the outcome of the championship.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Norris pips Russell in Barca practice</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612964/norris-pips-russell-in-barca-practice</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612964/norris-pips-russell-in-barca-practice#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 10:59:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612964</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kimi Antonelli leads the championship race]]>
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				<![CDATA[Lando Norris edged fellow Briton George Russell by 0.009 seconds to top second practice on Friday for the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix.

Reigning world champion Norris, who sat out the opening session, and his team-mate Oscar Piastri sandwiched the Mercedes driver for the top three, with the Australian coming in 0.057s off the top time.

Italian teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship after five straight triumphs in the other Mercedes, came in fifth, over half a second behind Norris, with Charles Leclerc fourth in his upgraded Ferrari.

Norris, who did not finish the previous two GPs in Canada and Monaco, claimed top spot with a blistering 1:15.426 as McLaren showed their battle with Mercedes this weekend will be one to watch.

&quot;I think (it was) a reasonable Friday. I think still a good amount of things to improve,&quot; said Norris.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t like I felt amazing or happy, but it&#39;s hot so I don&#39;t think anyone will be that happy out there. It&#39;s difficult with the wind and the conditions.&quot;

Norris said he was pleased that the car is improving after his recent struggles.

&quot;We are up there with the people we want to be,&quot; he added.

&quot;We are just happy we are heading in the right direction from the last couple of weeks.&quot;

&nbsp;

Russell sharp

Piastri, who came second in the opening practice and triumphed in Barcelona last year, set an early time to beat of 1:15.724, already ahead of the best morning time as McLaren flexed their muscles.

Russell, who was quickest in the opening session on a hot, sunny day in Barcelona, with track temperatures up at 50 degrees centigrade, was soon on his tail, two 10ths of a second behind.

The 28-year-old is competing in his 100th Grand Prix for the Silver Arrows and two strong practice sessions are encouraging after his troubled start to the season.

Racing Bulls&#39; Liam Lawson pulled up in the pit exit lane after losing power because of a suspected gearbox issue, with the virtual safety car deployed.

Several teams used that time to bolt on the soft tyres, including Mercedes, and midway through the session Russell zipped into the lead by 0.289 seconds, with Antonelli half a second behind.

However, Norris was quickest in the end, suggesting Antonelli and Russell have a fight on their hands at Montmelo.

&quot;Brake pedal feels horrible,&quot; Antonelli told his pit wall, while his front left tyre was also worn down.

Ferrari&#39;s Lewis Hamilton, who was ninth quickest, also noted how degraded the tyres were, which could be a big factor this weekend in the heat.

&quot;The tyres are overheating quite a lot. We&#39;re just trying to find the best balance,&quot; said Antonelli.

&quot;I think overall there&#39;s still quite a bit of work to do, but I&#39;m quite confident ahead of tomorrow.&quot;

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was sixth, while Racing Bulls&#39; Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto in an Audi came in seventh and eighth respectively.

Isack Hadjar was 10th and unimpressed with Sergio Perez, who forced him into the grass to avoid contact, resulting in a warning for the Mexican.

In the opening session several regulars gave up their seats for rookies, with Leo Fornaroli and Paul Aron impressing.

Alpine&#39;s Pierre Gasly was boosted by the news that his third place finish in Monaco had been reinstated but struggled in 17th on the timesheet in the morning, only improving to 16th later on.

Home favourite and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who said he is probably racing in Barcelona for the last time, was 21st in his Aston Martin in the afternoon.]]>
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			<title>UFC marches into mainstream</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612843/ufc-marches-into-mainstream</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612843/ufc-marches-into-mainstream#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 26 15:43:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612843</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The UFC 250 will take place in the White House]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As workers put final touches to a massive arena for Sunday&#39;s &quot;cage fight&quot; on the White House South Lawn, a few miles away, a professional pianist is learning how to choke someone unconscious.

Across the same mat, an immunologist-by-day is teaching students how to pin a struggling opponent.

They represent the grassroots of a US martial arts phenomenon that has brought the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from what was once derided as &quot;human cockfighting&quot; to the cultural mainstream -- and now the White House.

&quot;The rise of the UFC has been a stunning thing to watch,&quot; said UFC fighter Ryan Hall, owner and head trainer at Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy, where the men were training.

&quot;A UFC event on the White House lawn -- tell me that 10 years ago and I&#39;d laugh at you!&quot; he told AFP.

The fighters performing in front of President Donald Trump will blend punching, kicking, grappling, choking and joint locks in contests that frequently leave the mats streaked in blood.

Despite -- or because of -- the extreme violence, UFC fights have graduated from obscure, pay-per-view TV spectacles in the 1990s to billion-dollar broadcast deals.

But for fans like immunologist Josh&nbsp;Terao, 30, that fighting culture is integral to life on and off the mat.

&quot;I was never a great student growing up, but I found martial arts really gave me the drive to persevere and do hard things,&quot;&nbsp;Teraosaid.

Proof of concept: he&#39;s a black belt in judo and&nbsp;jiujitsu&nbsp;-- and also working on a PhD.

Likewise, soft-spoken pianist John Chen, 32, says martial arts have helped him calm nerves before big concerts, including at the prestigious Kennedy Center.

&quot;I watched the UFCs and stuff, and I thought it was really cool, and so... I decided to try jujitsu,&quot; he said. &quot;As tacky as it sounds, it gives me more confidence in life.&quot;

&#39;Human cockfighting&#39;&nbsp;

The UFC began with a fight in Denver in November 1993.

The event &quot;was so low-profile that neither the Denver Post nor Rocky Mountain News even bothered to send a reporter,&quot; noted Brian&nbsp;Trembath&nbsp;in a Denver Public Library blog.

One fighter broke an arm, another had to be given supplemental oxygen, and a sumo wrestler had two teeth knocked out -- all on television.

Brazilian&nbsp;jiujitsu&nbsp;master Royce Gracie won, but the real winners were the event&#39;s producers, who convinced some 86,000 people, according to data on industry site&nbsp;Tapology, to fork over $14.95 (about $34 today) to watch the event on pay-per-view.

By UFC 5 that customer base tripled -- and alarm was growing.

Then Republican senator John McCain labeled the fights &quot;human cockfighting.&quot;

&quot;You can understand why he said it,&quot; Hall said. But violence is &quot;part of the magic,&quot; he said. &quot;I think that&#39;s why it speaks to people on such a primal level.&quot;

A UFC match in March of this year had almost 2.5 million viewers, according to Sports Business Journal, on major free-to-air US network CBS -- a broadcast made possible by a seven-year $7.7 billion deal.

Brand politics&nbsp;

Sunday&#39;s fights -- officially to celebrate America&#39;s 250th anniversary but also falling on Trump&#39;s 80th birthday -- are a unique marketing opportunity both for the UFC and the self-styled political bruiser.

&quot;The UFC spotlights victory and Trump likes winners,&quot; Charles&nbsp;Skuba, a Georgetown University professor of marketing told AFP.

&quot;Trump is hoping that UFC fans, especially its young fans, will be appreciative of his support.&quot;

Not everyone in the wider UFC world is convinced about mixing martial arts and politics.

Podcaster Joe Rogan, an influential Trump backer, called it &quot;odd&quot; before later cheering it.

UFC&#39;s current middleweight champion, Sean Strickland, claimed to have been disinvited over remarks about Trump and Israel. Another fighter, Bryce Mitchell, said the government was &quot;desecrating its role in society.&quot;

But&nbsp;Skuba&nbsp;reckons the South Lawn event is &quot;a true coup for the UFC.&quot;

&quot;People will politicize everything,&quot; Chen, the pianist,&nbsp;said.&quot;I&nbsp;just watch it for the fights.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Danish Sikandar: From spectator to provincial champion</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612840/danish-sikandar-from-spectator-to-provincial-champion</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612840/danish-sikandar-from-spectator-to-provincial-champion#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 26 15:30:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Riaz Ahmad]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612840</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bannu boy overcomes poverty, lack of facilities to become K-P’s top-ranked junior squash player]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Fourteen-year-old Danish Sikandar, a Class 9 student from the backward village of Mandan in Bannu district, has emerged as the number one ranked junior squash player in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the Under-15 category, a remarkable journey marked by financial hardship, determination and unwavering support from his coach.



Danish&rsquo;s squash story began in December 2021 after his father, a PESCO employee, was transferred to Peshawar. With no prior exposure to the sport in Bannu, where no squash facilities exist, the family relied on encouragement from Danish&rsquo;s relative and senior coach Tahir Iqbal, who urged them to bring the boy to the Peshawar Sports Complex.

&ldquo;I had no money to buy even a racket,&rdquo; Danish told The Express Tribune. &ldquo;My trainer Tahir Iqbal gave me one. For the first six or seven months, I just sat in the squash court and watched other players before I started playing myself.&rdquo;

His persistence paid off. Danish lost his first match at the Qamar Zaman Squash Complex but steadily improved. In 2023, he won the K-P Junior Championship. He followed it up with the Under-13 title in Karachi and the Under-15 Championship in 2025.

Yet success has come at a steep personal and financial cost. Travelling to Karachi for national events is particularly burdensome. &ldquo;A bus ticket costs Rs8,000 one way and accommodation and food are also expensive,&rdquo; he said. Prize money offers little relief. While winners are officially entitled to Rs100,000, the amount is shared among players, leaving Danish with just Rs25,000. Those eliminated in the first round receive a meagre Rs1,200, a sum that discourages many talented players from poor families.



&ldquo;So far I have won two golds, three silvers and eight bronze medals,&rdquo; Danish said, adding that he currently owns just two rackets, one of which is broken. He spends Rs15,000 monthly on transport via the BRT service and recently purchased a racket for Rs35,000. A good professional-grade racket costs around Rs55,000.

Coach Tahir Iqbal, who has closely guided Danish, highlighted the boy&rsquo;s discipline and character. &ldquo;We often talk about talent, but punctuality, hard work and the willingness to accept challenges are equally important. Without these, talent is nothing,&rdquo; Iqbal said.

He noted that Danish remains exceptionally punctual despite severe resource constraints. To help monitor the young player&rsquo;s progress, Iqbal obtained Fitbit smartwatches from friends in the United States. &ldquo;I was shocked one day to discover that he walked 35,000 steps during a fitness session,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;Now I can track his sleep, running, walking and entire daily routine through GPS.&rdquo;

Iqbal also pointed to systemic challenges at the Qamar Zaman Squash Complex. &ldquo;Currently we have 300 students and only three squash courts, which is simply overcrowding. Ideally, you need one court for every 10 players and each player should have two rackets,&rdquo; he added.

Despite the odds, Danish&rsquo;s story stands as an inspiring example of raw talent nurtured through sheer grit in a resource-scarce environment.

Iqbal lauded the provincial government for its sports friendly policies but said that the province itself was facing economic hardship and private organizations and sponsors are non-existent.

&ldquo;Provincial government is trying to establish sports infrastructure in all the districts of the province which is really encouraging,&rdquo; he added.]]>
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			<title>Canada ready to embrace World Cup pressure</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612839/canada-ready-to-embrace-world-cup-pressure</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612839/canada-ready-to-embrace-world-cup-pressure#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 26 15:23:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612839</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[They will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opener]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jesse&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;has a simple message for anyone wondering whether his Canada side are ready for the weight of a home World Cup: they are not just ready for it, they want it.

Canada will arrive at Toronto Stadium on Friday for their first World Cup game on home soil carrying the weight of a nation after a build-up that has been defined as much by the treatment room as the training pitch, but&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;is undaunted.

&quot;If you do this for a living, this is where you want to be,&quot;&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;said on Thursday ahead of the Group B opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

&quot;I came to Canada to be the coach because I liked these guys and I believed they could fit the way I wanted to play, but&nbsp;⁠I came here to lead them in the World Cup&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;in the home World Cup. I wanted this responsibility.&quot;

The biggest injury concern remains captain Alphonso Davies, who will miss Friday&#39;s match with a hamstring injury suffered during Bayern Munich&#39;s Champions League semi-final last month. But&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;said an MRI on Wednesday brought encouraging signs.

&quot;We&#39;re getting ready to ramp things up,&quot; the American said.

&quot;He will not be available for tomorrow, but he&#39;s showing, like he always has, a&nbsp;real&nbsp;good ability to recover from muscle injuries. We&#39;re really hopeful that over the next days and weeks we can accelerate things and give him a chance to contribute here soon.&quot;

Midfielder Ismael&nbsp;Kone&nbsp;sent a scare through the camp when he left training early on Wednesday before it had even properly begun, but&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;was quick to put those fears to rest &mdash; with a touch of exasperation.

&quot;He just felt a little sick, so we sent him home because we were&nbsp;⁠doing nothing on the day, and it was like a five-star red alert,&quot;&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;said. &quot;Ismael trained today, he&#39;s totally fine, he&#39;s ready to go.&quot;

Even defender&nbsp;Moise&nbsp;Bombito, whose recovery from a broken leg appeared to stall after lasting just 30 minutes in a warm-up match against Uzbekistan, will be ready if called upon.

&quot;He&#39;s not fully at 100%, but he&#39;s reached his top speed,&quot;&nbsp;Marschsaid. &quot;I don&#39;t see any reason that a week from now he&#39;s not ready to even be considered as a starter.&quot;

&#39;Ready to make our country proud&#39;

Discipline&nbsp;⁠will also be on&nbsp;Marsch&#39;s&nbsp;mind. Canada have collected a handful of red cards in their last 11 games, and with the adrenaline of a home opener in the air,&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;was clear-eyed about the risk.

&quot;Certainly one of the best ways to derail a tournament for any team is red cards,&quot; he said.

&quot;We do need to be aggressive and&nbsp;⁠play our way with speed and power, but we also need to make sure that we keep our heads and don&#39;t have any reckless tackles, extracurricular situations, or emotional reactions that get us in any kind of trouble with cards.&quot;

Canada have made significant strides since&nbsp;Marsch&nbsp;took over in 2024, notably reaching the Copa&nbsp;⁠America semi-finals that year. This is also the first time Canada have appeared at back-to-back World Cups, and they are still searching for their maiden point after six defeats across the 1986 and 2022 tournaments.

Marsch&nbsp;declared his team ready. &quot;We are ready to play some big games,&quot; said&nbsp;Marsch. &quot;We are ready to make our country proud, make our fans proud. We are ready to&nbsp;go after this.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Antonelli seeks sixth straight win</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612634/antonelli-seeks-sixth-straight-win</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612634/antonelli-seeks-sixth-straight-win#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 26 15:06:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 19-year-old is currently the youngest championship leader in F1 history]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Ten years after Max Verstappen announced his arrival by winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, his apparent heir Mercedes&#39; teenage ace&nbsp;Kimi&nbsp;Antonelli, will on Sunday seek a crushing sixth consecutive victory.

The 19-year-old Italian, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, delivered a supreme demonstration of icy control and pure speed in Monaco last weekend &ndash; following a stunning pole lap with a masterful lights-to-flag triumph.

This week he could become only the sixth driver to claim six straight wins and so equal pre-season&nbsp;favourite&nbsp;and team-mate George Russell&#39;s career total.

That would be another tough setback for the Briton as he bids to rebuild his season in the best car and engine package in a scrap with a precocious unfazed speedster who seems to be devoid of nerves.

A decade ago, while very different, the scenario threw up a race full of parallels that, if repeated on Sunday at the Circuit de&nbsp;Catalunya, might see another teenage triumph or Verstappen emerging again with a smile and Red Bull rejoicing.

For that to happen, however, the Milton Keynes-based team will need to recover from the power unit failure that ended Verstappen&#39;s race on the grid&nbsp;In&nbsp;Monte Carlo and regain the speed shown in Montreal where the four-time champion finished third.

Ten years ago, Mercedes, as now, arrived in&nbsp;Catalunya&nbsp;as the team to beat only for their&nbsp;duelling&nbsp;title protagonists Lewis Hamilton, now a seven-time champion, and Nico&nbsp;Rosberg, who took the 2016 title and promptly retired, to collide and exit on the first lap.

That gifted the 18-year-old Red Bull debutant a memorable first win with the two Ferraris driven by 2007 champion&nbsp;KimiRaikkonen&nbsp;and four-time champion&nbsp;Sebastain&nbsp;Vettel second and third.

Something similar &mdash; the Mercedes&#39; drivers clashed in Canada &mdash; is not impossible.

Valtteri&nbsp;Bottas, back to nurse Cadillac through a maiden F1 season, was fifth for Williams, one of seven current drivers (including Hamilton, two-time champion Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Carlos&nbsp;Sainz&nbsp;and Nico&nbsp;Hulkenberg) in the race on that day.

Verstappen, twice, and Vettel once, reeled off six wins in a row, a feat Ferrari great seven-time champion Michael Schumacher achieved three times. The others were 1992 champion Nigel Mansell, two-time champion Jim Clark, three-time champion Jack&nbsp;Brabham,&nbsp;Rosberg&nbsp;and the only Italian Alberto&nbsp;Ascari, the 1952 and 1953 champion, whose feats are being&nbsp;equalled&nbsp;this year.

Hamilton twice claimed five consecutive wins, but not a sixth &ndash; proving perhaps that&nbsp;Antonelli&nbsp;is on the cusp of entry to an exalted club. Three-time champion&nbsp;Ayrton&nbsp;Senna reached four, twice, and four-time champion Alain Prost, once.

Antonelli&#39;s&nbsp;astonishing rise has given him a 66-points lead ahead of a revived Hamilton, who is chasing a first win for Ferrari after two seconds in Canada and Monaco. He shares the record of six wins at the Barcelona track with Schumacher and has every reason to hope for a seventh.

Russell, is third on 68 points and bewildered by his slump in fortunes, as demonstrated by the fiasco of speeding penalties and pit-stop bungles in Monte Carlo. &quot;I&#39;m in a very weird state of mind,&quot; he said. &quot;I&rsquo;ve never had a run like this...&quot;

His fragile confidence will welcome Mercedes&#39; support as team chief Toto Wolff confirmed. &quot;It hasn&rsquo;t gone George&#39;s way, but he is strong mentally and we know the level he can deliver&hellip; The objective is simple &ndash; reset, focus and perform.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Knicks one win away from NBA title</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612632/knicks-one-win-away-from-nba-title</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612632/knicks-one-win-away-from-nba-title#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 26 14:59:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[They staged a historic comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs107-106]]>
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				<![CDATA[The New York Knicks staged the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday as they erased a 29-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 and now need one more win to seal the title.

OG&nbsp;Anunoby&#39;s&nbsp;soft-as-silk tip-in basket with 1.2 seconds left sealed the thrilling victory to give the Knicks a 3-1 stranglehold on the best-of-seven championship series, which shifts back to San Antonio for game five on Saturday.

Jalen Brunson scored 36 points and&nbsp;Anunoby&nbsp;added 33 for New York, putting in the game-winner off Brunson&#39;s three-point attempt that struck the rim.

&quot;Just do whatever it takes to win,&quot;&nbsp;Anunoby&nbsp;said of the basket that sent a star-studded crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy as it put the Knicks on the brink of their first title since 1973.

&quot;I inbounded the ball to Jalen. He got a pretty good look and I just went and crashed. The ball went over my head, so I couldn&#39;t really dunk it. So I tried to tip it in softly and it went in.&quot;

Spurs star Victor&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;scored 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.

Dylan Harper added 21 points and&nbsp;De&#39;Aaron&nbsp;Fox and Devin&nbsp;Vassell&nbsp;had 18 apiece for San Antonio, who set a Finals record with 14 three-pointers in the first half but couldn&#39;t make their massive lead stick.

Brunson put New York in front for the first time with a floater that made it 105-104 with 1:22 remaining.

San Antonio&#39;s Stephon Castle made a pair of free throws but the Knicks came through,&nbsp;Anunoby&nbsp;rising highest from a scrum of Spurs defenders to clinch the win.

The previous biggest comeback in the Finals was 24 points, by the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.

&quot;I can&#39;t really explain it right now,&quot;&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;said of the Spurs collapse after their own epic start.

&quot;I don&#39;t know. I think it&#39;s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren&#39;t the&nbsp;most hungry&nbsp;in the second half.&quot;

The Spurs, who dropped the first two games at home but then ended the Knicks&#39; 13-game winning streak on Monday, came out swinging, connecting on 15 of 23 shots on the way to 41 points in the first quarter.

New York made just 29.4 percent of their shots in a first period that saw Karl-Anthony Towns pick up two early fouls and reserve Mitchell Robinson called for a flagrant foul after a frustrated forearm to&nbsp;Wembanyama&#39;s&nbsp;throat.

Brunson, hounded mercilessly by the Spurs, didn&#39;t make a basket until the second quarter.

The Spurs pushed their lead to 29 points before taking a 76-49 lead into half-time.

Their 27-point half-time lead was the largest for a road team in Finals history, but San Antonio scored just 30 points in the second half.

&quot;It was an ugly, ugly game,&quot; Towns said.

He paid tribute to fans who stayed the course and kept cheering.

&quot;We didn&#39;t bring it in the first half. But they stuck with us,&quot; he said.

Wembanyama&nbsp;was assessed a flagrant foul after catching Towns with an elbow to the face early in the third quarter.

- Total team effort -

That left&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;one flagrant foul away from an automatic suspension and the Knicks seized upon the moment of Spurs hesitation to mount a 13-0 scoring run.

The Spurs connected on just four of 20 shots in the third and coughed up five turnovers after having just two in the first half.

The Knicks still trailed 90-75 heading into the fourth, but they chipped away against the bewildered Spurs and their determination paid off.

Towns drove for a tough basket over&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;to pull the Knicks back to 97-88.

After Brunson gave the Knicks their first lead with 82 seconds remaining and&nbsp;Anunoby&#39;s&nbsp;go-ahead basket, the Spurs wouldn&#39;t get another shot off.

&quot;You talk about a total team effort when we hit adversity,&quot; Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

&quot;Our guys showed their resiliency and showed they&#39;re connected enough&nbsp;to handle a moment like that.&quot;&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>National Junior Championship opens in Peshawar with grand ceremony</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612057/national-junior-championship-opens-in-peshawar-with-grand-ceremony</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612057/national-junior-championship-opens-in-peshawar-with-grand-ceremony#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 26 11:31:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Riaz Ahmad]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612057</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Over 1,000 young athletes from across Pakistan gather for multi-sport event]]>
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				<![CDATA[The National Junior Championship kicked off on Sunday evening with a vibrant and colorful opening ceremony at the Peshawar Sports Complex, organized by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports.

The event was formally inaugurated by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Minister for Information Shafiullah Jan and Advisor on Sports and Youth Affairs Taj Muhammad Tarand.

Provincial Special Assistant Humayun Khan, Member of the Provincial Assembly Mian Sharafat, Secretary Sports Asif Khan, Director General Sports Tashfeen Haider, and other dignitaries were also present.



Teams from all four provinces, Islamabad, and various departments presented an impressive march-past, while spectators enjoyed a dazzling fireworks display during the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Information Minister Shafiullah Jan welcomed athletes and officials from across the country and expressed hope that the championship would showcase high-standard competitions.

&ldquo;Sports teach our youth sportsmanship, discipline, and perseverance,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Winning and losing are part of the game; true success lies in learning from your mistakes and moving forward.&rdquo;

Jan highlighted the provincial government&rsquo;s efforts to provide equal opportunities to male and female athletes and said multiple projects were underway for the promotion of sports in the province. He then formally declared the National Junior Championship open.

Advisor for Sports and Youth Affairs Taj Muhammad Tarand, in his address, said that such national events bring young people from different regions closer together and promote national unity. He assured that the government would continue organizing such competitions to provide more opportunities for young talent to shine.



Tarand noted that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, under Chief Sohail Afridi and in line with the vision of PTI founder Imran Khan, was giving special attention to sports development. He cited the recent successful holding of the Under-21 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Games, which saw participation from over 8,000 athletes, along with other events for orphans, persons with disabilities, minorities, transgender individuals, madrassa students, and special Ramazan sports competitions. He also mentioned the successful Ice Hockey event held in Chitral.

Tarand assured athletes and officials that they were guests of the province and that his office doors would remain open to address any issues they might face. He urged participants to compete with full enthusiasm, hard work, and adherence to the spirit of sports to make the event memorable.]]>
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			<title>Antonelli takes pole for Monaco Grand Prix</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611903/antonelli-takes-pole-for-monaco-grand-prix</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611903/antonelli-takes-pole-for-monaco-grand-prix#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 26 14:48:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611903</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Italian clocked one minute and 12.051 seconds to beat Verstappen]]>
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				<![CDATA[World championship leading teenager Kimi Antonelli continued his remarkable run of successes on Saturday by claiming pole position for Mercedes ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull for Sunday&#39;s Monaco Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian clocked one minute and 12.051 seconds to beat the Dutchman by 0.043 seconds in the final minute of a thrilling qualifying session that left both Ferraris on the second row of the grid.

After four wins, Antonelli will be seeking to become the first Italian to win five consecutive races since Alberto Ascari achieved the feat for Ferrari in 1952 after extending Mercedes&#39; run to six successive poles this year.

Antonelli said he had produced &quot;a magic lap&quot;.

&quot;It was so close with Max!&quot; he said after securing his fourth pole of the season.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was third ahead of Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and Mercedes&#39; George Russell, who is 43 points behind Antonelli in the drivers&#39; title race.

McLaren&#39;s Oscar Piastri outpaced team-mate and world champion Lando Norris to qualifying seventh.&nbsp;

Antonelli&#39;s pole was the first by a Mercedes driver since Hamilton in 2019 and he became the first Italian to take pole in Monaco since Jarno Trulli in 2004.&nbsp;

The session began in warm sunshine with a long queue weaving out of the pits to warm their tyres in preparation for a flying lap, albeit in heavy traffic.

An early radio call from Hamilton to complain Leclerc was &quot;backing into me&quot; reflected the tension in the cockpits before Hadjar vented to his frustrations.&nbsp;

Leclerc topped the early runs ahead of Norris and Hamilton while Russell toiled for a clean lap before Gabriel Bortoleto clipped a barrier at the chicane and came to a halt, causing a six-minute red flag stoppage.&nbsp;

This left most drivers chasing a lap in the final seconds of Q1 while the main contenders stayed in the pits.&nbsp;

Leclerc led the way into Q2 ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli while a lap from Sainz, in the added time, saw him claim 10th and avoid an early exit.

Alonso outburst

Out instead went the two Cadillacs, both Haas drivers and both Aston Martins, with two-time champion Fernando Alonso, 21st, making clear his distaste for the new &#39;hybrid era&#39; cars.

&quot;The worst generation of cars I have driven in Monaco,&quot;he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Hybrid cars should not be racing. Simple as that.&quot;

After 21 previous appearances, including two wins and two poles, Alonso, at 44, is the most experienced Monaco driver on the grid.&nbsp;

Verstappen led out for Q2, narrowly avoiding a pit-lane clash with Sainz before the precocious Antonelli set the pace in 1:12.778 ahead of Verstappen until Leclerc moved within 0.070 seconds of him.

It was tight and changeable at the top as Red Bull burst into the frame, Verstappen going fastest in 1:12.499 to beat Antonelli by 0.205 with Hadjar third 0.223 adrift ahead of the Ferraris and McLarens.

This time, both Williams and both Audis were eliminated along with Alpine&#39;s Franco Colapinto Racing Bulls&#39; rookie Arvid Lindblad.&nbsp;

Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and Alpine&#39;s Pierre Gasly made the top ten shootout.&nbsp;

The final ten had another chance to compose a perfect pole lap.&nbsp;

Leclerc bailed out of his first flying run, but hit the sweet spot on his second to clock 1:12.351 and snatch provisional pole.&nbsp;

In a sensational sequence, the celebrating Monegasque crowd were silenced as Verstappen clocked 1:12.094 before, Antonelli blew that away as the tension erupted in Italian euphoria around the Monte Carlo harbour]]>
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			<title>KP dominate Pakistan Junior Squash tournament</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611760/kp-dominate-pakistan-junior-squash-tournament</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611760/kp-dominate-pakistan-junior-squash-tournament#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 26 12:19:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Riaz Ahmed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611760</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sehrish Ali and Danish Sikandar clinch all titles]]>
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				<![CDATA[Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa players produced a commanding performance at the All Pakistan National Junior Squash Championship 2026, sweeping both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s titles in the event organized by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate General of Sports.

The closing ceremony, held here on Friday afternoon, was graced by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs, Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand, who distributed prizes among the winners. Director General Sports Tashfeen Haider, Director Operations Jamshed Baloch, former World No 2 Mohibullah Khan, Deputy Director Kashif Farhan, Assistant Director Ashfaq Ahmad, Senior Coach and Organizing Secretary Manawar Zaman, Wazir Khan, Administrator Yousaf Afridi and other dignitaries were also present.

In a thrilling women&rsquo;s final, Sehrish Ali of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa displayed remarkable resilience to overcome Mah Noor Ali 3-2 and claim the national championship title.

The men&rsquo;s final was an all-K-P affair, with Danish Sikandar defeating Muhammad Fawad Khan to secure the gold medal.

Sehrish Ali had earlier reached the final by defeating Punjab&rsquo;s Faiqa Fida in the semi-finals, while Mah Noor Ali advanced after beating Ayesha Shahid, also of Punjab. On the men&rsquo;s side, Danish Sikandar defeated Muhammad Mamoon Khan of Pakistan Air Force, and Muhammad Fawad Khan got the better of Faizan Ali Khan of army.

Addressing the ceremony, Adviser Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand expressed delight over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s clean sweep. &ldquo;It is highly encouraging to see our players winning both titles,&rdquo; he said, adding that the province has always been a breeding ground for squash talent and has produced players who brought laurels to Pakistan on the international stage.

The Adviser announced cash prizes of Rs100,000 each for the champions and Rs50,000 each for the runners-up.]]>
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			<title>Antonelli leads Ferraris in Monaco</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611757/antonelli-leads-ferraris-in-monaco</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611757/antonelli-leads-ferraris-in-monaco#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 26 12:10:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611757</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was third in the final practice]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Championship leading teenager Kimi Antonelli bounced back to top the times for Mercedes ahead of both Ferraris in Saturday&#39;s final free practice ahead of qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian, who had endured a torrid race last year and appeared off the pace in Friday&#39;s sessions, clocked a fastest lap in one minute and 12.720 seconds to outpace local hero Charles Leclerc by 0.327 seconds.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was third just 0.004sec adrift of his Ferrari team-mate, but unable to repeat his dominant speed from Friday when he finished fastest overall.

George Russell, in the second Mercedes, was fourth, seven-tenths off his team-mate&#39;s pace, ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Oscar Piastri was sixth for McLaren ahead of Audi&#39;s Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar&#39;s Red Bull and world champion Lando Norris in the second McLaren. Nico Hulkeberg was 10th in the second Audi.

The session, run in perfect dry conditions, was interrupted by a late red flag after Oliver Bearman crashed in his Haas on the run up to Casino Square. He was unhurt.

Antonelli, winner of an unprecedented four consecutive races including his maiden win, is seeking to become the first Italian to win five races in succession since Alberto Ascari with Ferrari in 1952.

Hamilton, fastest on Friday, was the first man out as the session began in bright sunshine in the principality, his Ferrari glistening as much as his unique spangly pink helmet while close friend Kim Kardashian distracted photographers on entry to the paddock.

McLaren, the most successful team at Monaco and celebrating their 60th anniversary and 1000th race, had broken the overnight curfew regulations to make changes of various electrical items following Norris&#39;s problems in FP2.

The team were reprimanded and fined 20,000 euros ($23,000) for having taped over a clutch disengagement button, which had obstructed the marshals bid to move the car, with a further 10,000 euros suspended.]]>
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			<title>Knicks hold off Spurs 105-104</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611750/knicks-hold-off-spurs-105-104</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611750/knicks-hold-off-spurs-105-104#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 26 11:29:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611750</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Wembanyama had a crucial late turnover and missed a potential game-winner]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jalen Brunson drilled the go-ahead free throw as the New York Knicks held off a furious San Antonio rally to beat the Spurs 105-104 on Friday and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama had a crucial late turnover and missed a potential game-winner with two seconds remaining to leave the Spurs in need of an unprecedented comeback when the best-of-seven series shifts to New York for games three and four.

No team has lifted the trophy after dropping the first two games of the Finals at home.

Michael Jordan&#39;s 1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets are the only other teams to win the first two games of the championship series on the road, and both went on to win titles.

The Knicks won their 13th straight game of the playoffs -- the second-longest streak in postseason history -- and will have a chance to close out their first title since 1973 in front of home fans at Madison Square Garden. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to be in attendance on Monday.

They had to withstand a scintillating fourth-quarter surge from the Spurs, who erased a 14-point deficit with a 14-0 scoring run.

Wembanyama shook off a slow start to score 22 of his 29 points in the second half, his three-point play with 57.3 seconds remaining giving the Spurs their first lead since the second quarter at 104-102.

It was tied at 104-104 with 9.5 seconds left when Wembanyama grabbed the rebound of a Brunson miss but turned it over with a bad pass into the back of teammate Stephon Castle.

Brunson scooped up the ball and was fouled then made the first of two free throws to put the Knicks back in front.

San Antonio had one last chance, coming out of a time out with 7.5 seconds left. They got the ball to their superstar but his jump shot clanged off the rim.

&quot;I threw that one away,&quot; 22-year-old Wembanyama said. &quot;I messed up. We didn&#39;t play great as a team. We needed to win that game.&quot;

Karl-Anthony Towns, who led the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds admitted he was praying when Wembanyama put the Spurs&#39; final attempt.

&quot;A great player got a great shot, and it just didn&#39;t go in,&quot; Towns said.

&nbsp;

&#39;What a ballgame&#39;

For the second straight game Towns delivered a stellar defensive performance that pushed Wembanyama out of his comfort zone.

&quot;He&#39;s a once in a generation player,&quot; Towns said. &quot;You got to make it difficult on him. So, just utilizing my experience, utilizing my size, my skill, and just trying to make it difficult for him.

Brunson and Mikal Bridges scored 20 points each, OG Anunoby added 17 and Landry Shamet scored 13 off the bench for the Knicks.

Wembanyama added nine rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals, and De&#39;Aaron Fox scored 20 points for the Spurs.

Desperate not to head back to New York in a 2-0 hole, the Spurs attacked the paint early.

Wembanyama thrilled Spurs fans at the Frost Bank Center -- where Knicks supporters were a vocal presence -- with his first basket of the night, a left-handed dunk that gave the Spurs a 15-10 lead.

Fox&#39;s alley oop layup off a feed from Devin Vassell pushed the lead to 10 with less than two minutes to go in the first.

The Spurs pushed their lead to 12 before the Knicks responded in a tense second quarter, taking the lead for the first time, 49-48, on Landry Shamet&#39;s layup with 3:39 left in the first half.

San Antonio regained the lead, but Towns&#39;s three-pointer over Wembanyama gave the Knicks a 56-52 halftime advantage that they pushed to as many as 12 before taking an 84-75 lead into the fourth quarter.

&quot;What a ballgame,&quot; Knicks coach Mike Brown said. &quot;It&#39;s a fantastic ballgame. They made a run. We made a run. They made a run. We made a run.

&quot;We could have folded a few times, but our guys just kept fighting ... no matter what run they went on, no matter what time of the game, our guys just kept uplifting one another.&quot;]]>
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