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Jacob Bethell guided England to an impressive four-wicket victory in the second T20 against England on Saturday as 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his eagerly-awaited India debut at Old Trafford.Sooryavanshi, the leading run scorer in the
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ABU DHABI: The organising committee of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour – Rio de Janeiro has announced that registration for the first day of competition has officially reached full capacity ahead of
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Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon title defence went up in smoke as the Polish third seed fell 7-6(9) 6-2 to rising Filipina Alexandra Eala in the third round after a fierce gladiatorial battle at the All England Club on Saturday.Last year's triumph ended years of questions about Swiatek's ability to master the sport's fastest surface, yet the 25-year-old arrived at the All England Club following an early defeat in the Bad Homburg tune-up tournament and still searching for consistency.After battling past Taylor Townsend and sealing an assured win over Karolina Pliskova in her last two rounds, Swiatek came up against an inspired Eala in their Centre Court showdown and fell short under the blazing afternoon sun.After suffering a shock defeat to Eala in Miami last year, Swiatek gained revenge when they met again on the clay of Madrid but the Pole found herself in trouble after losing a high-octane opening set in which both players gave the other no quarter.Swiatek smiled at the end of the set but was soon shouting at her entourage in the stands, before slamming her racket on a chair, while fan favourite Eala soaked up roaring applause from a thoroughly entertained crowd.Left-hander Eala, whose powerful baseline shot-making rattled Swiatek early in the clash, ramped up the pressure at the start of the next set and earned a double break to go 3-0 up, before her opponent began to show signs of life again.Swiatek retrieved a break but dropped serve again as Eala staved off the late comeback attempt and delivered the knockout blow in the form of a forehand winner to set up an intriguing fourth-round clash with 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini. Rybakina crashes out Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina also suffered a shock third-round exit in a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 defeat against Elise Mertens on Saturday.Rybakina was hoping to follow her Australian Open triumph in January by winning Wimbledon for the second time.But the world number two was unable to emulate her 2022 victory at the All England Club as Belgian 25th seed Mertens produced a major upset on Court One.Rybakina, 27, also endured a disappointing early departure from the recent French Open, losing to Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second round.The Russia-born Kazakhstani, who beat Ons Jabeur to win Wimbledon four years ago, has failed to make it past the third round on her last two visits to south-west London.Mertens is a two-time Wimbledon doubles champion and has now reached the last 16 in the All England Club singles on four occasions.She will play Czech 21st seed Marie Bouzkova for a place in the quarter-finals.The 30-year-old's best run in a Grand Slam singles tournament is a 2018 Australian Open semi-final appearance. Related Story
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Jhon Arias (left) of Colombia celebrates with Daniel Munoz after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Ghana at Kansas City Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Kansas
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Kimi Antonelli blasted past home favourite Lewis Hamilton to take a first career sprint win at the British Grand Prix on Saturday and forge 43 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell in the Formula One standings.Ferrari's Hamilton started on pole but the seven times world champion had to settle for second place, 2.7 seconds behind, after Antonelli used the Overtake Mode to speed past on Hangar Straight - a move he made look as easy as lapping a backmarker - on the eighth of 17 laps.In free air, Antonelli pulled away and raced to the finish untroubled, with nothing Hamilton could do about it in the time remaining."In control all the way," said Antonelli's race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington over the team radio at the chequered flag as Antonelli became also the youngest ever sprint winner at 19 years old. NORRIS HOLDS OFF RUSSELL FOR THIRD McLaren's world champion Lando Norris finished third after starting from sixth place, making a lightning getaway and then holding off a late challenge from Russell.Russell, who started the season as title favourite but has been eclipsed by his teammate as Antonelli racked up a stunning five wins in a row, finished fourth at a blustery Silverstone."Tough race to keep the Mercedes behind," said Hamilton after saluting the crowd."I did say that was potentially the case yesterday and obviously with it being so windy today, a big, big headwind down the backstraight, he came flying past."Saturday was the fourth sprint race of the season and Hamilton the first driver this year not to convert pole into victory in the 100km format.With a maximum eight points for a sprint win, Antonelli now has 179 points to Russell's 136 with seven times world champion Hamilton on 132."It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard," said Antonelli, who had missed out on pole by a mere 0.011 of a second and challenged Hamilton for the lead when they went side by side at the first corner."Out of Turn Four I was very close, so I went alongside into Brooklands but he used the boost, so I decided to wait. Going into Stowe I used everything I had, then I was able to overtake."Norris got ahead of Antonelli on the opening lap but the move was short-lived with the Italian taking the place back and then waiting for the right moment to take Hamilton."A good race and good fighting, especially the first few laps with the Red Bull and with Mercedes," said Norris, who had appeared to be unhappy with his team over the radio at one point when he urged them to "get it right for once".Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fifth and Red Bull's four times world champion Max Verstappen sixth after qualifying third.McLaren's Oscar Piastri was seventh and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson took the final point in eighth Qualifying for Sunday's main grand prix, the ninth round of the season, followed later. Related Story
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Reigning champions Argentina were pushed to the brink by a Cape Verde side with incredible levels of resilience and needed an extra-time own goal to clinch a dramatic 3-2 victory on Friday and a place in the last 16 at the World Cup.Cape Verde, playing in their first global finals, twice came from a goal behindin a thrilling contest that went down to the wire in front of a noisy crowd of 64,478 packed into a hot and humid Miami Stadium.Six minutes into the second period of extra time, however, Lionel Messi swung a corner into the box and Cristian Romero rose to head home off the arm of Cape Verde's Diney Borges and secure Argentina a date with Egypt in Atlanta next Tuesday.Messi had, almost inevitably, given Argentina the lead in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament but Deroy Duarte equalised just before the hour mark.In the second minute of the first period of extra time, Argentina's Lisandro Martinez thought he had won the match when he lashed a sumptuous shot into the roof of the net.Cape Verde were not done yet, however, and left back Sidny Lopes Cabral curled a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net to put the scores back on level terms at 2-2.Lopes Cabral could have equalised again after the decisive own goal but his finely struck free kick was saved by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had to be at his best to deny Cape Verde in the dying minutes."The match was incredibly tough. You always have to take the positive, and it's that this team never gives up," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who was overseeing his 100th match in charge of the Albiceleste."I want to congratulate our opponents. Today they showed they are a great team. When it is said there are no easy matches in the World Cup, it's true."Cape Verde were beaten but far from outclassed by the three-times world champions as they put in a fourth magnificent display of teamwork and grit in their debut World Cup."I'm proud of my team, the work they've put in," said coach Bubista. "We must take pride in what we've done for our country. To be able to play the way we did against the world champions, and to draw level twice, is something incredible." OBDURATE DEFENCEThe only one of the four World Cup debutants to make it to the last 32 and ranked 67th in the world coming into the tournament, Cape Verde had hoped to frustrate Argentina as they did Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in group-stage draws.They succeeded for much of the game with their never-say-die attitude, while showing no shortage of quality of their own in a neat pass-and-move game.Messi aside, Argentina were largely bereft of ideas against an obdurate defence and Cape Verde libero Kevin Pina was the most impressive player on the park for long periods.It was Argentina who made the breakthrough in the 29th minute, however, when Martinez lofted a long ball over the top of the defence to the feet of Messi.The 39-year-old maestro took a touch with the outside of his left boot and buried it in the roof of Vozinha's net for his 20th goal over six editions of soccer's global showpiece.Cape Verde knew they would need to score to keep their World Cup campaign alive and Duarte fired a shot at goal soon after halftime that drew a diving save out of Martinez. DRILLED PAST MARTINEZJust before the hour mark, though, Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes was freed down the right and his pass into the box found Dutch-born midfielder Duarte, who controlled the ball with his left foot before drilling it past Martinez with his right.Messi had a chance to put Argentina back in front four minutes later when he was played through on goal, but Vozinha stood up well to keep his shot out of the net.One of Messi's trademark free kicks was tipped away by Vozinha in the 72nd minute and Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes had to intervene to prevent Enzo Fernandez scoring 10 minutes later.Cape Verde held on to force the dramatic period of extra time and they will now return home heroes having put their tiny island-nation firmly on the footballing map."More than anything, we must be proud of what we've achieved," Bubista added. "This World Cup has done justice to our efforts. It has shown our character. It's a shame to lose, but it was incredible." Related Story
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India's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits a six off the bowling of England’s Jofra Archer during the second Twenty20 at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 4, 2026. (AFP) India batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent the country after receiving his maiden international cap ahead of Saturday's Twenty20 International against England in Manchester, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record.The left-hander was presented his cap by teammate Tilak Varma before the start of the match, becoming India's 122nd men's T20 international and its youngest international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days.India captain Shreyas Iyer said Sooryavanshi had earned his place in the squad and backed the teenager to cope with the demands of international cricket."He completely deserves to be in the squad," Iyer said after winning the toss and electing to bat."He's someone who doesn't take pressure at all. Has an unflinching nature. He's very well aware of what's going to come in these coming matches."Sooryavanshi's debut eclipses one of Indian cricket's most enduring milestones. Tendulkar was 16 when he made his international debut in a test match against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989 before going on to become one of the game's greatest players.Widely regarded as one of India's brightest prospects, Sooryavanshi earned his first senior call-up after a meteoric rise that began with a blistering 35-ball century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.The teenager further enhanced his reputation in this year's IPL, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with a strike rate of more than 237 and setting a competition record by hitting 72 sixes.His performances prompted growing calls for a place in the national side, though selectors resisted fast-tracking him and waited until he turned 15 in March before naming him in India's squads for the T20 series in Ireland and England.Sooryavanshi did not feature in either match against Ireland, remaining on the sidelines as India suffered a shock 2-0 series defeat.He was handed his opportunity against England in the second match of the five-game series after the opener at Old Trafford ended without a result, leaving the contest level at 0-0. Sooryavanshi, opening after India elected to bat first, hit Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue for a six each, but was stumped as he tried to charge Will Jacks down the ground, departing for 14 off 10 balls. England captain Harry Brook had said during the toss that the hosts were prepared for Sooryavanshi's threat."Done some homework on Vaibhav, we have some tactical decisions. Just a matter of executing now," Brook said. Related Story
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India batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent the country after receiving his maiden international cap ahead of Saturday's Twenty20 International against England in Manchester, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record.At just 15
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Jihye SHIN Thirty seconds before kick-off, humanoid robot footballers in red and blue jerseys await the referee's signal in the South Korean port city of Incheon. The match setting is RoboCup, branded as the world's largest robotics competition, where engineers are betting on a fully autonomous robot team that can one day defeat the FIFA World Cup champions. Unlike remote-controlled machines, RoboCup's robots make decisions on their own once a game begins, testing dramatic recent advances in artificial intelligence. On the field Friday, a referee shouted "stop!" as a shot flew out of bounds -- prompting every robot to freeze instantly. Moments later, one squad member -- named "number one" -- scored, to cheers from dozens of spectators. But then came a foul: one robot barges into the goalkeeper, sending it crashing to the ground. "You can't do that," one spectator laughed. Across Incheon's Songdo Convensia convention centre, dozens of matches unfolded simultaneously on Friday as small, medium and large humanoid robots competed on compact pitches and spectators drifted from court to court. Founded in Japan in 1997, RoboCup has expanded beyond football into rescue, home service and industrial robotics while pursuing its long-term goal of building a fully autonomous robot team capable of defeating the FIFA World Cup champions by 2050. Although the robots play autonomously, human team members relay the referee's commands -- such as "stop" and "resume" -- through software during matches, Lea Wedmann, of the Hamburg Bit-Bots team from Germany's University of Hamburg, told AFP. Visitors said watching robot football felt surprisingly similar to viewing a human sporting event. "I had never seen robots playing football before. It was fascinating and really fun," Cho Woo-cheol, a 45-year-old construction company worker, told AFP. "When I first saw them, I found myself supporting the blue team because they looked a bit more human. "They're obviously not moving exactly like people yet, but they were much closer than I expected. Robot football has its own unique charm." - The Messi robot - Another visitor, Kim Mi-hong, 60, predicted robot athletes could one day attract loyal supporters. "If they become really good, I think they'll have fans," she told AFP. "People were already saying, 'The red team is better,' and recognising players by their numbers. As the technology improves, I think fandoms will naturally emerge." That future may not be too far ahead. "We think robots can defeat humans by 2050," said Thomas Rofer, spokesperson for Germany's B-Human team at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. "Recently there has been a big step forward in humanoid robot development. We have already seen one company here demonstrate a robot that can kick as hard as a human." Researchers say advances in artificial intelligence have dramatically accelerated progress in recent years. Morgan Stanley Research estimates that by 2050 around 930 million humanoid robots will be working in repetitive, structured tasks, with the global humanoid robotics market potentially reaching $5 trillion. Unlike professional football, RoboCup offers no prize money, with university teams competing primarily to advance robotics research.But Shim In-wook, a professor of smart mobility engineering at Inha University, believes robot football will ultimately become a sport in its own right. "In the FIFA World Cup you might have one Lionel Messi," he told AFP."But once you build one Messi robot, you can build thousands more." Related Story
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Lionel Messi scored again, making Friday’s contest against Cape Verde the record-extending eighth consecutive World Cup match in which Argentina’s captain delivered at least one goal.Messi’s goal in the 29th minute was the 20th of
