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UAE captain Muhammad Waseem headlines a strong contingent of UAE cricketers set to feature in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 Player Draft on June 1 in Colombo, where franchises will finalize their squads for
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Team Aprilia Racing's Marco Bezzecchi celebrates on the podium with the trophy after winning the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello circuit, in Mugello, near Florence, on May 31, 2026. (AFP) Marco Bezzecchi beat teammate Jorge Martin to win the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday as manufacturers Aprilia ruined rivals Ducati's centenary celebrations on home turf in Mugello after Francesco Bagnaia briefly led the MotoGP race. Ducati's Bagnaia, a three-time winner in Mugello from 2022 to 2024, led the race until there were 10 laps left when Bezzecchi made his move before Spaniard Martin also moved past the Italian to drop him down to third. There was no stopping Bezzecchi after he moved into the lead as the Italian rider fulfilled a childhood dream by taking the chequered flag over three seconds ahead of Martin for his first win at the famous circuit."It was a dream I wanted to achieve since I was a kid," Bezzecchi said after the Aprilia team threw him into the air during wild celebrations in the paddock. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Today we went there, we had fun. Thank you all guys, you are fantastic," he added in a message to the fans who streamed on to the circuit. Bezzecchi now leads Martin by 17 points in the championship after seven rounds. Meanwhile, Bagnaia's late heroics denied Aprilia a podium lockout when Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura briefly took third on the final lap before the Italian took the place back just before the finish line. APRILIA'S BATTLE FOR LEAD WITH BAGNAIA As the red lights went out, it was the two factory Aprilia riders that battled for the lead while the two Ducatis slotted in behind them after sprint winner Raul Fernandez went very wide on turn one and fell from second to 17th. It was pole sitter Bezzecchi who led the pack of riders while Bagnaia moved up four places to slot in behind his Italian compatriot on home turf, with Martin and Marc Marquez chasing them down in third and fourth, respectively. Bezzecchi could not hold on to the lead for long, however, as Bagnaia used the Aprilia's slipstream to surge ahead on the start-finish straight. Marquez, making his return from double surgery on his foot and shoulder, was involved in a tense battle for fourth with KTM's Pedro Acosta as the two Spaniards constantly swapped positions. Up front, Bezzecchi stayed on Bagnaia's rear wheel and he finally made his move with 10 laps left, using the slipstream again to take the lead. That was all the Aprilia rider needed as he peeled away and built a commanding lead while Bagnaia turned his attention to Martin closing in behind him. The inevitable overtake came on lap 16 when Martin pounced to move up to second, with Bagnaia aware the Aprilia was faster as he was overtaken on the inside of turn one. "It was really tough because in the last laps I was struggling a lot with the rear grip," Bagnaia said. "I saw that the Aprilias were doing a fantastic job. I just tried to leave no space for Ai. But thanks to everyone, thanks to my team that did a fantastic job. We really deserve this kind of results." Ogura finished less than a tenth of a second behind Bagnaia while VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top five. Acosta finished sixth ahead of Marquez in seventh. Related Story
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Australian batter Matt Renshaw praised spinner Arafat Minhas after the teenager led Pakistan to a comfortable five-wicket win over Australia on his one-day international debut in Rawalpindi on Saturday night.The 19-year-old claimed five wickets for
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field first against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League(IPL) final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Bengaluru, along with star player Virat Kohli, are eying
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The San Antonio Spurs, sparked by superstar Victor Wembanyama, advanced to the NBA Finals by dethroning defending champion Oklahoma City 111-103 on Saturday, booking a championship showdown against New York.The Spurs captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 4-3 to reach the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday against the Knicks in San Antonio.French 7-foot-4 (2.24m) center Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Julian Champagnie added 20 points including six three-pointers and Stephon Castle had 16 points for the Spurs, who led the winner-take-all contest almost the entire way.'We had a good team, a great team,' Champagnie said. 'We had to stay the course and play a good game.'We were passing the ball. We were playing as a team. We come out here and play together.'We never knew if we were going to get this far but when you've got the greatest player in the world things happen.'That was a nod to Wembanyama, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year who dominated in his first playoff game seven and was joyful at the finish, laughing and hugging teammates as he reached his first NBA Finals.The Knicks went 2-1 against the Spurs this campaign, each team winning at home while New York took the NBA Cup final over the Spurs 124-113 last December in Las Vegas.NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 35 points.
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Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Saturday set up a blockbuster last-16 meeting at the French Open, while defending champion Coco Gauff was sent spinning out as Anastasia Potapova
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Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.The 37-year-old Kohli has been central to
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Cristiano Ronaldo heads to a record sixth World Cup blessed with a prodigiously talented group of team-mates as Portugal target glory for the first time on the global stage.Roberto Martinez’s side are strong favourites to
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Shaun Torrente and Rusty Wyatt dominated their respective Sprint Races, each leading from start to finish on a gloriously sunny day in Cagliari on Saturday.In both races, fiercely contested battles were a feature of the
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Qatar's squad and support staff pose after their arrival in the United States for the FIFA World Cup. Qatar's FIFA World Cup campaign moved a step closer as Al Annabi arrived in Santa Barbara, California, in the United States ahead of the global football showpiece, which kicks off on June 11.The delegation was welcomed by Qatar's Ambassador to the United States, HE Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad al-Thani, who extended his best wishes to the squad.The tournament will mark Qatar's second consecutive appearance at the World Cup following their historic participation as hosts in 2022. Drawn in Group B, Julen Lopetegui's side will face Switzerland, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina as they aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time.Qatar open their campaign against Switzerland at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on June 13 before meeting co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18. Al Annabi will conclude the group stage against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24. Qatar's Ambassador to the United States HE Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad al-Thani greets veteran forward Hassan
