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Dubai Basketball have etched their names into sporting history, defeating Partizan 81:83 in Game 4 of the Finals to become the 2025/26 ABA League champions.In just their second season, Dubai Basketball has achieved what many
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The Qatari team drew 1-1 with Switzerland in the match held Saturday at San Francisco Bay Arena, in the opening round of Group B in the 2026 FIFA World Cup currently taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.Switzerland took the lead through Breel Embolo from a penalty kick in the 17th minute, while Boualem Khoukhi snatched the equalizer for Qatar in stoppage time (90+4), earning Al Annabi their first point of the tournament in their second World Cup appearance, following their debut in the 2022 World Cup, which they hosted on home soil.With this result, all four teams in the group are level on one point each, after Canada had previously drawn with Bosnia and Herzegovina by the same scoreline.Qatar started the match brightly and nearly scored just three minutes in when Akram Afif delivered a pass that put Edmilson Junior through on goal, but the goalkeeper produced a brilliant save to deny him.Switzerland, packed with star players, controlled the match and pressed for the opening goal, earning a penalty after Dan Ndoye delivered a cross that reached Remo Freuler in front of goal, where he was fouled by goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada.Breel Embolo converted the penalty successfully, putting Switzerland ahead in the 17th minute.Qatar's performance improved as they searched for the equalizer, with Youssef Abdelrazaq attempting a long-range shot that went just over the crossbar in the 27th minute.Switzerland responded through a one-on-one chance for Ruben Vargas, whose powerful shot was saved by goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada in the 37th minute.Qatar nearly equalized after a clear chance from a pass by Issa Lai to Edmilson Junior, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel produced a superb save in the 44th minute, as the first half ended with Switzerland leading 1-0.Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui made several substitutions at the start of the second half to increase attacking numbers in midfield and boost the offensive phase, bringing on Ahmed Alaa, Karim Boudiaf, and Ahmed Fathy, with Qatar pushing higher up the pitch.On the other hand, Switzerland showed better balance by dropping deeper and relying on quick transitions, which nearly produced a second goal when Granit Xhaka fired a shot that went just wide of the post in the 62nd minute, before Abu Nada denied substitute Fabian Rieder in the 66th minute.Qatar applied heavy pressure in the final 15 minutes, with Karim Boudiaf forcing a strong shot just over the bar in the 77th minute. The Swiss defense then cut out a dangerous pass from Akram Afif to Ahmed Alaa in the 80th minute, before Alaa nearly equalized in the final minute with a low shot that was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.In stoppage time, Qatar grabbed the equalizer after a cross from Homam Al Amin was headed powerfully into the net by Boualem Khoukhi, scoring Al Annabi's first goal of the tournament in the 90+4th minute, as the match ended 1-1.Qatar earned a valuable point, level with the rest of the group, keeping their hopes alive in the race for one of the two qualification spots to the next round ahead of their upcoming clash against Canada in the second round on the 18th of this month.
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Khoukhi's stoppage-time header earns Qatar a point in Group BSwitzerland dominate but fail to convert 26 shots, left frustrated by late equaliserAll Group B teams now have one point after Canada's draw with Bosnia & HerzegovinaQatar celebrated their first World Cup point in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland as captain Boualem Khoukhi headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to send the Gulf nation into jubilation on Saturday.Khoukhi rose highest to thump in Homam Ahmed's cross on 94 minutes and cancel out a first-half Breel Embolo penalty, leaving the Swiss stunned and rueful after failing to convert 26 goal attempts to Qatar's seven.The result left Group B wide open, with all teams locked on a point each following co-hosts Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.Qatar will be easily the most pleased among them, four years after their 2022 debut fell flat with a winless elimination on home soil. Boualem Khoukhi #16 of Qatar celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Qatar and Switzerland at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on
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Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their opening match at the World Cup on Saturday.A Breel Embolo penalty had broken the deadlock for
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Australia's Cooper Connolly celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the third one-day international against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on June 14, 2026. (AFP) Opener Cooper Connolly blazed 149 runs off 134 balls to lead Australia to a dramatic one-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third and final one-day match in Mirpur on Sunday.Bangladesh had already clinched the series by winning the first two matches, but Cooper's innings overshadowed a career-best 6-48 by left-arm pace bowler Shoriful Islam.Set 275 to win, Australia scraped home with three balls to spare when Adam Zampa hit a cover drive to the boundary off Taskin Ahmed.Bangladesh earlier reached 274-5 after winning the toss, with Towhid Hridoy leading the way with a composed innings of 83 off 88 balls.Australia started their run chase strongly, racing to 40 before losing captain Josh Inglis to Shoriful in the fifth over.Shoriful then bowled Matt Renshaw for a duck two balls later to have Australia at 40-2.Australia were then wobbling at 70-3 when Alex Carey fell for eight to a stunning catch by Soumya Sarkar at short cover off Taskin.Connolly refused to buckle, the 25-year-old opener sharing a 64-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne (29) and then similarly valuable partnerships with Cameron Green and Oliver Peake. WICKETS WITH SUCCESSIVE DELIVERIES Shoriful removed Peake and Xavier Bartlett with successive deliveries, but Ben Dwarshuis denied him the hat-trick.Dwarshuis's dismissal soon after left Australia needing five runs from 15 balls with two wickets in hand.Tanzid Hasan then dropped a straightforward chance at gully off Zampa that eemed to deflate Bangladesh.Connolly finally fell to Mustafizur after scoring his first ODI century, an innings studded with 13 fours and six sixes.That left Australia four runs short with nine balls remaining, with Zampa and tail-ender Riley Meredith at the crease.Zampa then found the cover boundary on the third ball of the final over from Taskin.In Bangladesh's innings, Litton Das (58) and Mosaddek Hossain (56) made unbeaten half-centuries to provide support for Hridoy, who scored his 13th ODI half-century.Litton retired hurt on 48 with a muscle injury but returned to bring up his first ODI fifty at Mirpur.Bartlett and Renshaw picked up two wickets apiece for Australia. BRIEF SCORESAustralia 277 for 9 (Connolly 149, Labuschagne 29, Shoriful 6-48) beat Bangladesh 274 for 5 (Hridoy 83, Litton 58, Mosaddek 56) by one wicket Related Story
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Team Qatar successfully completed its first-ever appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, reaching the chequered flag after an impressive and determined performance in one of motorsport’s most prestigious events. Competing at Le Mans for the first time, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx rose to the challenge of the iconic endurance race with pace and professionalism, bringing home the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 entry after more than 320 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe. Starting 12th on the LMGT3 starting grid, the car shared by Abdulla al-Khelaifi, Julian Hanses and Giuliano Alesi established itself in the fight from the opening stages of the race, immediately settling into the rhythm of the twice-around-the-clock contest. Team Qatar climbed the order of the ultra-competitive class, rising to as high as second place at one stage - a remarkable achievement for a team making its Le Mans debut. As the race evolved, in hot, clear conditions, the team executed its strategy perfectly, with Hanses taking over from Abdulla’s initial triple stint, before Alesi continued the momentum into the night. Navigating traffic, yellow flags, Safety Cars, and more than 30 pit stops for fuel, tyres and driver changes, Team Qatar remained firmly in contention for a strong finish. CAR INTO GARAGE FOR REPAIRS But as the 24-hour race continued, suspension issues forced the car into the garage for repairs. Despite losing valuable time, the decision was taken to rectify the problem and continue to the finish, underlining the perseverance and resilience that have characterised the team’s efforts throughout the week. To epitomise how gruelling this race is, eight runners from the class were forced to retire. "It was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. I was very happy that we stuck to the race and made it to the finish. I'm really proud of my team-mates and everyone at Team Qatar and Iron Lynx,” said Abdulla al-Khelaifi. “This is a historic moment for the whole team, and to get to the finish, we never gave up.” Giuliano Alesi said: “The whole event with Team Qatar was really special, and I really enjoyed working with the team and experiencing the energy of the track, the car, the fans, and the night sessions as well. Everything was amazing! Overall, it was a positive race and I’m super happy to get to the finish which was our ultimate goal.” “The 24 Hours of Le Mans was unbelievable, I learnt so much throughout the whole race: about race strategy, managing tyres - it was incredible,” said Julian Hanses. “At the beginning fighting for positions was very enjoyable and then getting back on track and collect as much data and as many laps as possible to gain experience and learn from this race. Thanks to the whole of Team Qatar, Iron Lynx and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport for the great support.” The Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG ultimately crossed the finish line to complete the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class, but the final result only told part of the story. From securing a place in Hyperpole qualifying to demonstrating pace throughout the race, reaching the finish on Team Qatar’s first attempt represented a historic moment for Qatari motorsport. With a project developed through the vision and support of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, a debut Le Mans entry has provided a platform for Qatar’s Abdulla al-Khelaifi to compete on one of motorsport’s biggest stages, alongside some of the most famous manufacturers and top drivers in the world. 'IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR QATARI MOTORSPORT' “This weekend represents an important moment for Qatari motorsport. We set out a vision to compete at the highest levels of international racing, and to see Team Qatar reach the finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the very first time is a source of enormous pride,” said Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif al-Mannai, President of QMMF and LIC. “Over the course of the week, we have demonstrated pace, professionalism and resilience, competing alongside some of the best teams in endurance racing.” “I would like to congratulate Abdulla, Julian and Giuliano as well as Morgan Caron, the QMMF Racing Team Manager and every member of Team Qatar by Iron Lynx for their determination, dedication and hard work across the week and in particular over the past 24 hours. I have been impressed by how everyone has responded to adversity, remained united and determined to achieve our goals. Those qualities reflect the values of Qatar and will inspire future generations.” The LMGT3 class was ultimately won by the TF Sport Corvette Z06 piloted by Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating. In LMP2, victory went to the number 43 Oreca-Gibson run by Inter Europol piloted by Tom Dillmann, Nicholas Yelloly and Jakub Smiechowski. The outright winner of the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans went to the Toyota TR010 driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck De Vries. Related Story
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India's Deepti Sharma celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Nashra Sundhu to win the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, Britain, on June 14, 2026. (Reuters) Pakistani batters failed to withstand the pressure from Indian spinners as they lost seven wickets within 31 runs to suffer a 64-run loss to their bitter rivals in the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.Deepti Sharma, whose five-wicket haul helped India to win the 50-over World Cup final last year, took five wickets again for just 10 runs as Pakistan collapsed for 106, far short of the target of 171 in a battle of nerves in the Group A clash."I varied my pace in every ball," said player-of-the-match Sharma."I always believe... whenever the time will come I'll step up for the team. That's how I play and bowl."India and Pakistan engaged in a military conflict that nearly snowballed into a fully-fledged war last year. There has been a long freeze in bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbours, and they play each other only in neutral venues in multilateral tournaments. NO HANDSHAKE BETWEEN CAPTAINSThere was no handshake between the captains once again as India's Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat on Edgbaston's slow wicket, but her decision almost backfired when Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues fell in the first four overs.But Smriti Mandhana and Kaur, calm under pressure, added 91 runs for the third wicket. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (2-33) caught Mandhana (68) in the 14th over and got Kaur (36) caught near the boundary soon after, arresting India's momentum.Under pressure again, India had a 21-ball spell when they could not hit a single boundary, before Richa Ghosh (34 off 17 balls) dug them out of that rut, hitting Tasmia Rubab for three fours and a six to collect 23 runs from the 19th over, getting them to 170-6. SHARMA CHANGES THE GAMEPakistan openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza scored 37 off Indian seamers in the first four overs, forcing Kaur to bring on spinner Sharma early. Sharma turned the momentum in India's favour, dismissing Feroza and Ayesha in her first two overs.Fellow spinner Shree Charani (3-21) sent back Saira Jabeen early, before opener Muneeba Ali (41) got run out by Sharma's direct throw, leaving Pakistan at 75-4. Sana fell soon after for a duck, kicking off the collapse.Sharma wrapped up the match with three wickets in the 17th over."The batting side was very disappointing. We need to step up as we have a long way to go... we got sloppy," said Sana.India will play Netherlands on Wednesday, while Pakistan face South Africa. BRIEF SCORESIndia 170 for 6 (Mandhana 68, Harmanpreet 36, Ghosh 34, Sana 2-33) beat Pakistan 106 (Muneeba 41, Deepti 5-10, Charani 3-21) by 64 runs Related
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Germany's Jamal Musiala scores against Curacao in Houston, Texas. (AFP) Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group E match in Houston on Sunday. The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014. An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia which had the Curacao fans, known as the Blue Wave, out of their seats in Houston. However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with a double, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scored to put to bed any possibility of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. "It is indescribable," said 22-year-old Brown of his first ever goal for his country. "To score in the first World Cup match, my family is there, then to celebrate with the guys -- simply incredible." Germany settled early, Nmecha scoring a beauty in the sixth minute, receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz and curling the ball round a Curacao defender and past goalkeeper Eloy Room. The goal had coach Julian Nagelsmann letting out a huge roar. Nmecha, who like Musiala played for England at junior level before choosing Germany, went close minutes later with a rasping effort from outside the box. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who at 40 is the oldest German player ever to appear at a World Cup and is playing in his fifth global tournament, had had little to do until Comenencia struck with a shot which took a deflection. While Germany's senior citizen shook his head ruefully, the oldest coach to ever appear at the finals, 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, was up out of his seat arms raised. The drinks break allowed the Germans to regroup. "The goal we conceded was unnecessary, but that's part of it," said Brown. "I'm proud that we didn't let our heads drop." Soon after the restart Schlotterbeck's header was brilliantly turned over the bar by Room. The four-time world champions huffed and puffed round the Curacao goal, but time and again desperate defending frustrated their Germans. However, the Curacao defence cracked in the 38th minute when an unmarked Schlotterbeck headed home from a corner for his first goal for his country. The Germans went into the break with a two-goal advantage as Havertz stroked home a penalty after Nmecha had been brought down by Riechedly Bazoer. Germany struck 69 seconds into the second half, Musiala running on to Joshua Kimmich's pass and scoring from a tight angle. It should have been 5-1 just after the hour mark but Leroy Sane sent his effort wide with only Room to beat. Where Sane came up short Brown did not as the fullback fired home just before the second hydration break. Substitute Undav made it six with his seventh goal in his last seven international appearances. Havertz rounded it off with his 24th goal for Germany to replicate the same scoreline as they famously recorded against hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals. Related Story
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Qatar players celebrate after showing remarkable resilience to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Switzerland at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Saturday. From the brink of defeat to a moment that could redefine their World Cup journey, Qatar refused to let their dream die.A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser on Saturday in Santa Clara secured a historic 1-1 draw against Switzerland, earning the Asian champions their first-ever point at the FIFA World Cup and convincing head coach Julen Lopetegui that his side had "earned the right to keep dreaming."Four years after a disappointing debut on home soil ended without a single point, Qatar showed resilience and belief to rescue a result that leaves Group B finely balanced, with all four teams level after the opening round of matches.Captain Boualem Khoukhi rose alongside Swiss defender Miro Muheim to meet Homam Ahmed's cross deep into stoppage time, with Khoukhi's header taking a decisive deflection off Muheim before finding the net and cancelling out Breel Embolo's first-half penalty.The dramatic equaliser sparked wild celebrations among the Qatar players after they had spent much of the contest absorbing relentless Swiss pressure through disciplined and determined defending. Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui gives instructions to players during a
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Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage threw a national record of 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome on June 4. Doha’s reputation for producing high quality javelin competitions looks set to continue as world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka – who threw a national record of 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome on June 4 – will line up at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday.He will join an elite field, which includes Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Trinidad’s Keshorn Walcott, the reigning Olympic and world champions respectively. Indian star Neeraj Chopra will not compete this year in Doha, where he breached the 90m mark last year.In a field bursting with talent, the trio are joined at the Doha Meeting by a host of stars including former two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of USA.The precedent has been set for standout results. Twelve months ago there was a stadium-wide celebration as 2021 Olympic champion Chopra threw beyond 90m for the first time to set a national record of 90.23m, but in one of the greatest javelin competitions of all time, Julian Weber of Germany responded with 91.06m on his sixth and final throw to take the win in a new world lead and personal best (at the time).On that occasion, Peters finished in third (85.64m), Walcott in fourth (84.65m), and Ahmed Sameh Mohamed Hussein of Egypt – who also returns for this year’s event – in fifth (80.95m).Pathirage – the first Sri Lankan male javelin thrower to reach a World Athletics Championships final, finishing seventh in 2025 – is an exciting young talent and will compete in Doha for the first time.His 92.62m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome added more than two metres to Andreas Thorkildsen’s 20-year-old meeting record and moved him to eighth on the world all-time list. It was the best throw in the world since the 2024 Olympic final in Paris and he is now the second-best Asian thrower in history behind Nadeem who threw 92.97m on that occasion to win gold.“Competing against the world’s best athletes is a dream come true for me and I’m incredibly excited to line up in Doha where we’ve witnessed many memorable javelin competitions over the years,” said the 23-year-old former cricketer who made his Diamond League debut in Rabat in May.“I’m in a good place right now both physically and mentally and I’ve got big goals ahead. The conditions in Doha are great for javelin throwers and if everything falls into place we can expect to witness more incredible performances.”Julius Yego of Kenya, former world champion and Olympic silver medallist, and Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, former Olympic and world silver medallist, complete the field.The Doha Meeting is the seventh meeting of the 2026 Diamond League. The series comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field across four different continents and began in Shanghai/Keqiao on May 16 (as a result of the Doha Meeting being rescheduled).It concludes with a single final across two days in Brussels (September 4-5). Related Story
