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Max Verstappen said he was taking his time in deciding his Formula One future and called recent rule changes merely a ‘tickle’ rather than what was really required.Red Bull’s four-times world champion is no fan
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World number one Jannik Sinner downed Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to reach the Madrid Open final.The Italian won his 22nd straight match to book a place in Sunday’s final, where he will aim
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AL AIN: The Asian Chess Federation (ACF) has released a report highlighting a substantial increase in the number of players and officials in the UAE and across Asia as of January 2026.Hisham Ali Al Taher,
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The President of the Palestine Football Association Jibril Rajoub is seen after speaking during the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada on April 30, 2026. (Photo by Don MacKinnon / AFP) Palestinian football federation President Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the FIFA Congress on Thursday.Both men were called to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino but Rajoub declined to be brought closer to Arab-Israeli Suliman. Infantino put his hand on Rajoub's arm and invited him with a gesture to come closer to Suliman, but in vain.Asked what Rajoub said when he refused, Palestinian FA Vice-President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told Reuters: "I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide. We are suffering."Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza. Infantino then took the stand and said: "We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice-President Suliman. Let's work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters."Speaking after the Congress ended, Shalabi said Infantino's attempt to have Suliman and Rajoub shake hands showed little consideration for the Palestinian FA chief's speech, in which he made yet another plea for Israeli clubs not to base teams in the West Bank settlements. "To be put in a position where to have a handshake after everything that was said, this negates the whole purpose of the speech that the general (Rajoub) was giving," she said."He spent like 15 minutes trying to explain to everyone how the rules matter, how this could easily become a precedent where the rights of member associations are violated with impudence, and then we'll just wrap this under the carpet. It was absurd."Rajoub said: "From my side, I still respect and follow the legal procedure but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned. The double standard policy should stop. I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport... for me that should be respected, but if the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?"I think Gianni has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together but I think maybe he does not understand or does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people."Last week, the PFA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA's decision not to sanction Israel over clubs based in West Bank settlements. The PFA has long argued that clubs based in settlements in the West Bank - territory Palestinians seek as part of a future state - should not compete in leagues run by the Israel Football Association.FIFA said last month it would take no action against the IFA or Israeli clubs, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law. As they were leaving the Vancouver Convention Centre, Rajoub and Shalabi were targeted by protesters who were demanding that FIFA should ban Iran from the World Cup on the grounds that the team, they say, represent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."Does that convince you that you have to support IRGC... because you're having a problem with Israel," one protester asked Rajoub."We're not supporting anyone, we just want the support of the international community," Rajoub said. Related Story
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver Thursday. (Reuters) FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled Thursday as he kicked off the global football body’s summit in Vancouver. Iran’s participation at this year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel. Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates in Vancouver. “Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America.” Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino. In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran’s World Cup place. The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran’s footballers would be welcome. But the tension surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday’s FIFA Congress. Iran was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday’s meeting got under way after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week. Related Story
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Alqaqaa bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani claimed top honours in the Amateur class as the 12th round of the Longines Hathab Qatar Equestrian Tour began at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation Thursday. Riding Bon Suela, Alqaqaa delivered a flawless performance to win the Table A, special two-phase 100cm class in a time of 29.78 seconds. Poland’s Milena Werla aboard Nevada de Beauty finished second in 30.11, while Nasser Hamad al-Thani secured third with Equinoxe de l’Aulne in 30.17. Mohammed Saleh al-Marri, Head of the Facilities and Logistics Committee, presented the awards to the top three riders. In the Silver Tour accumulator with joker (130cm), Kuwait’s Madhy Alkhamees took victory in 52.18 seconds riding Caheelah de Beaufour. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Alasaker on Cassiano II finished second in 53.56 secs, while Qatar’s Abdulaziz Khalid al-Bukhari placed third aboard Ganges Loca with 65/58.34. The winners were crowned by Saeed Hamad al-Rashdi, Deputy Director of the tournament. The Hathab series, organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation in partnership with Al Shaqab, comprises 14 rounds.
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UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Tadej Pogacar (left) sprints to win ahead of INEOS Grenadiers’ Dorion Godon (R), in Vucherens, Switzerland, (AFP) Tadej Pogacar continued to dominate the Tour de Romandie, winning a sprint finish to take the second full stage the day after winning the mountainous opener. Pogacar cracked a smile and held two fingers in the air to signal a second victory as he finished almost a bike length ahead of Frenchman Dorian Godon. After the last survivor of a four-man breakaway was caught, Florian Lipowitz launched the sprint but was chased down by Godon, but the Ineos rider had UAE team leader Pogacar on his wheel. The Slovenian world champion surged up the inside in the final 100 metres of a rolling 173.1 kilometre stage through Switzerland from Rue to Vucherens. New Zealander Finn Fisher-Black was third. “Some guys went too early and it was an advantage for me,” said Pogacar at the finish. “For me it was all under control and a super sprint for me.” Pogacar, who is competing in the Romandie for the first time, picked up 10 bonus seconds to increase his overall lead to 17 seconds over Lipowitz, a German who rides for Red Bull, with Frenchman Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious third at 26 seconds. Today’s third stage, a 176.6km circuit starting and ending in Orbe, includes one second-category climb. Related Story
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Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, will seek to complete a hat-trick of early season victories this weekend as Formula One returns after a month’s enforced absence due to the Middle East war. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads team-mate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian race, by nine points ahead of what is effectively the start of another season, complete with revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix. “After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track,” said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. “We’ve used this break to analyse the opening races, address our weaknesses and rase our level. We’ve started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars so we expect the field to be closer in Miami. That’s the reality of F1 - it’s a challenge we must rise to.” Antonelli’s early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season. Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the regulations to be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural with reduced battery re-charging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials. He said the revised rules would “respect the DNA of our sport” and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes’ early-season performance advantage.For Mercedes, this Sunday’s race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri. They will harbour hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday’s sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders too as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost “completely new car”, with a heavily revised package. “It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year,” said Norris. “It’s a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others.” After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes’ winning run and revive Red Bull’s challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with team-mate Isack Hadjar 12th on four. Ferrari’s duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth respectively on 49 and 41 points with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz’s success in Mexico in October 2024. Leclerc’s eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz’s triumph while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari. After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo. “We’re all re-charged after the break,” said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. “I’m hoping we can continue where we left off.” It will mark newcomers Cadillac’s first racing appearance on home soil in the United States when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture out at the Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.
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Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe poses next to a picture of him while crossing the finish line to win the London Marathon after breaking a historic world record, during a congratulatory ceremony in Nairobi (AFP) There was a hero’s welcome for marathon world record-breaker Sabastian Sawe as he returned to Kenya and was lauded by President William Ruto. Sawe made history in London on Sunday by becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two hour marathon in race conditions. Receiving Sawe at State House in Nairobi, Ruto said it was “a defining moment in the story of human endurance”. He compared it to milestones in human history including the first four-minute mile by Roger Bannister in 1954 and even the moon landing. “Future generations will look back on 26 April, 2026, as the day a man broke through a physical and psychological barrier long thought insurmountable; and the name forever attached to that moment will be Sabastian Sawe,” Ruto said in a speech. Sawe clocked 1hr 59min 30sec in a tight battle with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also came in under two hours. Sawe was mobbed at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when he landed late Wednesday. “It is such a beautiful day. I’m glad you have joined me in celebrating, and that you have shown a spirit I never expected could be like this. I’m very grateful,” he told the crowd. “I didn’t do it just for myself, I did it for all of us. And I would like us all to enjoy it and for it to stand as a record for all of us,” he added. Kenya has dominated long-distance running, and its runners are superstars in the country. The pressure to break into the elite means doping is a major problem in Kenya. Two former Kenyan winners of the men’s race at the London Marathon – Wilson Kipsang, the victor in 2012 and 2014, and 2017 winner Daniel Wanjiru 2 are among those to have been subsequently banned. In a bid to allay such suspicions about his own performances, Sawe has voluntarily subjected himself to extra drug testing, even paying $50,000 to be tested 25 times in the year by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) before last year’s Berlin race.
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Defending champions Al Gharafa will begin their Amir Cup title defence Friday with a quarter-final clash against the recently-relegated Qatar Stars League (QSL) side Umm Salal at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium at 8pm.Despite a promising start to the season, Al Gharafa endured a dip in form in the recently concluded QSL campaign, eventually finishing fourth under coach Pedro Martinez. Speaking at pre-match press conference Thursday, Martins admitted the challenge ahead would not be easy, but voiced confidence in his squad’s ability to rise to the occasion despite recent struggles.“Match against Umm Salal will be difficult and a great challenge for us based on our previous meetings in different tournaments, and we must be in a very high technical condition to compete for the title again,” said Martins. Al Gharafa booked their place in the quarter-finals with a solid 2–0 victory over Al Kharaitiyat, while Umm Salal advanced after an mpressive 4–2 win against Al Ahli. Umm Salal coach Ruben Albis, meanwhile, struck an optimistic tone ahead of the encounter after being relegated from the top flight. “We did not perform well in the league and now face the defending champions, so it will be a tough task,” he said. “However, I believe in my players and their ability to step up in crucial moments. Amir Cup matches have a different nature compared to league competitions, and that motivates the team to fight harder and give everything to achieve our goal.”In the other quarter-final ties Friday, QSL champions Al Sadd will take on Al Shamal yet again after the QSL final round tie on Monday at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan will meet Al Wakrah at Al Thumama Stadium while Al Duhail will lock horns with Al Arabi at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.Al Sadd coach Roberto Mancini, said: “Facing Al Shamal will be very important as they are an organised team, and we faced them a few days ago in the decisive match for the league title.”“We must focus on the match. Cup tournaments are different, and the Amir Cup itself is different. Everyone knows its importance for the club, the fans, and the players.”“From my point of view, all the teams in the Amir Cup have a chance to win, and it is not just Al Sadd that are favourites.”“Almost all the teams are of a similar level, and we must always remember that the Amir Cup is a different competition with its own special challenges.”Al Shamal coach David Prats said his team was ready for another Al Sadd challenge.“Yes, we will also participate for the first time in the AFC Champions League, but all of that should make us focus more on what is more important, which is the Amir Cup and facing Al Sadd again in the quarter-finals,” said Prats.He added: “When you play against Al Sadd, it is a very difficult match and we expect it to be similar to the last one. We know their capabilities and players, and we are ready for the match, the competition, and the enjoyment.”“We will try to attack strongly and defend strongly. What is important is that the players deal with the pressure and face it because we want to enjoy the game while competing strongly.”“It is a cup tournament, and there is only one chance. We are ready to perform strongly.”Al Rayyan coach Vicente Moreno confirmed his team’s readiness to face Al Wakrah. “Our team’s goal is bigger than just getting past the current stage, as we aim to win the most prestigious title in Qatari football.”He added that he knows Al Wakrah well, as he had been in charge of the team’s technical management since the beginning of the current season, before moving a short time ago to coach Al Rayyan, stressing that the task will not be easy in light of the outstanding levels possessed by the players.Moreno pointed out that his team enters the Amir Cup competition with a lot of motivation after winning the Qatar Stars Cup and the Gulf Champions League titles. Al Wakrah’s Chilean coach Jose Luis Sierra said that his players will do their best to win. The coach explained that he took over the technical management of his team a short time ago, but the team is ready to defend their chances of going ahead in the tournament.Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi said his team faces a tough challenge against Al Arabi. “We have a tough opponent and all teams in Amir Cup are now aiming to reach the final, so there are no easy matches. Every game is evenly balanced and requires a high level of concentration,” he said.Cosmin Contra, coach of Al Arabi said, “The defeat we suffered in the last league match has been painful and the recovery time has been short. On paper, Al Duhail are stronger but we will look to deliver a strong performance and aim to qualify for the semi-finals.” Qatar’s most prestigious tournament features 20 team – 12 sides from the QSL combined with eight from the second division. Related Story
