Category: Other Sports

Arch-rivals Pakistan and India are set to square off in the Pro League with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) unveiling the schedule of the marquee event on Monday.

According to the schedule, the nine-team tournament will consist of 144 matches, hosted in 10 countries, across three rounds.

“This season will see the arrival of Ireland women and Pakistan men, both making their debut in the competition, having been promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2024-25, adding further depth and excitement to the Pro League,” the federation said in a statement.

Pakistan will kick off their campaign in Argentina with the matches against the home side before taking on the defending champions, the Netherlands, from December 9 to December 14.

In the second round, Pakistan will head for Australia, where they will be playing against the home side and Germany between February 10 and 15.

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The third round will be played in Belgium from June 13 to 21, 2026, where they will face Spain and Belgium.

Finally, Pakistan will travel to England from June 23 to 28, where they will play the home side and arch-rivals India.

Two months earlier, the Pakistan hockey team received a formal invitation from the FIH to participate in the Hockey Pro League, scheduled to take place in December this year.

The invitation followed New Zealand’s decision not to participate in the FIH Hockey Pro League due to financial constraints.

Consequently, the FIH gave PHF a deadline to inform about its decision to accept or decline the invitation.

Eventually, Green Shirts’ spot in the marquee event came after the federal government approved a financial assistance package of Rs 250 million.

READ: Confident Sana eyes South Africa series for World Cup preparation

Terence Crawford stunned Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to claim the undisputed super middleweight world boxing crown on Saturday, becoming the first man to win undisputed titles in three weight divisions.

In a fight of razor-thin margins, Crawford poured it on in the closing rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory, improving his unblemished record to 42-0 with 31 knockouts

Crawford, 37, had jumped up two weight categories to vie for history, having already counted undisputed titles at super lightweight and welterweight among his titles in four weight divisions.

He silenced critics who claimed his sparkling resume was packed with sub-standard opponents and quieted a raucously pro-Alvarez crowd of 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Judge Steve Weisfeld scored the bout 116-112 for Crawford, while Tim Cheatham and Max DeLuca scored it 115-113 for the American, who had nothing but praise for his opponent.

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“Canelo is a great champion,” Crawford said. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Canelo. I’m a big fan of Canelo, and he fought like a champion today.”

Alvarez, 35 and a world champion in four divisions, fell to 63-3-2.

Crawford frustrated Alvarez with his agility and speed, losing none of his quickness as he stepped up to the 168-pound (76.2-kg) category.

He weighed in at the same 167.5 pounds as Alvarez, a career high for Crawford, who had never fought above 147 pounds until last year when he weighed 153.5 in a unanimous decision victory over Israil Madrimov.

Alvarez, boxing’s biggest star for the past decade, couldn’t get at him, Crawford using his jab and landing combinations with a vengeance in the closing rounds after wearing the champion down.

READ: Asia Cup 2025: India suffer injury scare ahead of Pakistan clash

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Olympic gold medalist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem departed for Japan on Tuesday to take part in the World Athletics Championships.

Nadeem flew out from Allama Iqbal International Airport alongside his coach, Salman Butt, after completing a final training session at Punjab Stadium earlier in the day.

Speaking ahead of his departure, the star athlete expressed confidence in his preparations and vowed to give his all on the global stage.

“Preparations have gone well, and I am determined to give my best,” Nadeem said. “After my surgery in England, I underwent intensive training in Lahore to get back in top shape.”

Arshad Nadeem underwent a crucial muscle surgery in Cambridge in July after sustaining a calf injury that had forced him to withdraw from an event in Switzerland.

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Doctors discovered partial muscle damage, which required immediate surgical intervention.

His rehabilitation was overseen in London by renowned specialist Dr. Ali Bajwa before he returned to Pakistan last month.

Since then, Nadeem has gradually built up from light rehabilitation drills to full-scale training, including throwing practice.

The javelin thrower will be in action in the qualifying round of the World Athletics Championships on September 17, with the final scheduled for the following day.

READ: Barcelona’s Camp Nou not ready to host Valencia clash in La Liga

Novak Djokovic vowed to “continue fighting” for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

Djokovic, whose dream of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in a straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, pledged to keep playing next year.

“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams, I’m going to continue fighting,” the 38-year-old Serbian legend said after his 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 defeat.

“I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport.”

Djokovic had warned before Friday’s semi-final that he would need to be in peak physical condition to stand a chance of toppling the 22-year-old Alcaraz.

The Spaniard has dominated men’s tennis alongside Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in recent seasons, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slam tournaments between them.

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However, Djokovic said he had faded after running Alcaraz close in the opening two sets in Friday’s semi-final.

“I ran out of gas after the second set,” he said. “I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets.”

“After that I was gassed out, and he kept going,” he added, stating that competing with his much younger rivals in future was only going to get more challenging.

“I’m happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it’s just the physicality of it,” Djokovic said.

“As I said after the quarter-finals, I’m going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it’s needed, but it wasn’t enough.

“That’s something I, unfortunately, at this point in time in my career, can’t control.

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“I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams.

“I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”

Novak Djokovic, though, said he had no problem coming off second best to the duo who have collectively become known as “Sincaraz”.

“It’s never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I’m to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys,” Djokovic said.

“I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, ‘Well done.'”

READ: Carlos Alcaraz downs Novak Djokovic to punch US Open final ticket

Carlos Alcaraz said he is increasingly learning what it takes to consistently play his best tennis as he dispatched Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to reach a second US Open final.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz advanced to his third consecutive Grand Slam final with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over 24-time major winner Djokovic.

The Spaniard has won 45 of his last 47 matches and made the final at eight straight tournaments, a run starting with his triumph in Monte Carlo in April.

“It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year in general. Just not having up-and-downs in the match,” said Alcaraz.

“Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.

“I’m thinking I’m doing that in this tournament, which I’m really proud about. I’m just getting mature. I’m just getting to know myself much better, what I need on and off the court.”

The Spaniard is seeking his sixth major and second in New York after winning the title in 2022.

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He will play reigning champion Jannik Sinner or Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s final after avenging a quarter-final loss to Djokovic at the Australian Open.

“Beating Novak is always special. But I don’t feel like I’ve won anything more than a Grand Slam semi-final. It was an important match, but it was just a ticket to the final,” said Alcaraz.

His only loss in his last 37 matches came against Sinner in the Wimbledon final.

“I am performing at a high level and sending a message to the people on the circuit that this is my level,” said Alcaraz.

“It is not something exceptional that has happened in one or two tournaments, but rather it is truly my level.

“It is not my maximum level; I still have room to improve, but it is a high level.”

Djokovic suffered his fourth straight semi-final loss at a Grand Slam and foiled the 38-year-old’s bid to become the oldest major champion.

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“It’s impressive what he has done this year in the Slams,” said Alcaraz.

“I told him he always looks like 25 a 25-year-old physically, so to maintain that level at 38, it’s impressive.”

It is the first time since 2017 that Djokovic has failed to reach a Grand Slam final.

His exit also means it is the first season since 2002 where one of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer has not reached the final of a major.

“I lost three out of four Slams in semis against these guys (Alcaraz and Sinner), so they’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” said Djokovic.

“It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams.

“I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”

READ: AJ Lee makes sensational WWE return after 10 years

CHICAGO: Former Divas Champion AJ Lee stunned the wrestling world on Friday night as she made her long-awaited return to WWE after a decade, appearing on SmackDown to stand alongside her husband CM Punk.

Lee’s comeback came during a heated segment involving World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and his wife Becky Lynch, who have been embroiled in a rivalry with Punk in recent weeks.

As Lynch mocked Punk and his hometown, fans inside the United Center erupted into chants of “AJ Lee.”

Moments later, Punk confronted Rollins and Lynch, vowing never to lay hands on a woman, before declaring he knew someone who would.

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The arena erupted as AJ Lee’s iconic music hit. She charged to the ring, spearing Lynch to a thunderous ovation and delivering a series of strikes before sending her rival scrambling.

SmackDown went off the air with CM Punk and AJ Lee embracing in the ring, while Rollins and Lynch looked on furiously from the ramp.

The dramatic return sets the stage for a blockbuster mixed tag team showdown at WrestlePalooza on September 20, with CM Punk and AJ Lee expected to face Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

Lee’s appearance marked her first in a WWE ring since the night after WrestleMania 31 in March 2015, when she retired at just 28 due to a serious cervical spine injury.

AJ LEE IS BACK IN @WWE 🔥pic.twitter.com/eghVEeKBro

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2025

During her career, she became the face of the Divas division, capturing the Divas Championship three times, including a 295-day reign, the second-longest in the title’s history.

Since retiring, Lee has largely stayed away from professional wrestling, aside from her stint as an executive producer for WOW – Women of Wrestling between 2021 and 2023.

Her husband, CM Punk, made his own WWE return in late 2023 after a turbulent spell with AEW, fueling speculation that she, too, might be tempted to step back into the spotlight.

That speculation intensified last month at Clash in Paris, where Becky Lynch’s interference cost Punk a shot at Seth Rollins’ title.

The fallout reignited the rivalry and planted seeds for AJ Lee’s comeback, which finally materialized in her hometown, setting up one of WWE’s most anticipated matches in recent memory.

READ: Gabriela Dabrowski, Erin Routliffe win US Open women’s doubles title

Amanda Anisimova beat Naomi Osaka in three sets on Thursday to set up a US Open final against reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Eighth seed Anisimova won 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 as the American reached her second successive Grand Slam final after finishing runner-up at Wimbledon in July.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka overcame Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a re-run of last year’s final and is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend the title in New York since Serena Williams in 2014.

The 27-year-old from Belarus is through to her third successive US Open final.

“It was a really tough match — she (Pegula) played incredible tennis as always, and I had to work really hard to get this win,” said Sabalenka.

“Just super happy to be back in the final and hopefully I can go all the way again.”

Sabalenka has now made the final at four of the last five Grand Slams but has not added to her haul of three majors since winning the 2024 US Open.

She finished runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year.

She landed the first blow in the sixth game against Pegula, who saved a pair of break points before the Belarusian’s persistence paid off as she surged into a 4-2 lead.

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A sloppy service game from Sabalenka allowed Pegula to respond immediately. The American then held the level at 4-4 and put the pressure right back on the top seed.

An error from Sabalenka gave Pegula another break for a 5-4 advantage and she served out to love to take the first set, to the delight of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.

Sabalenka reset, though, and roared back to reel off the first three games of the second set, an early break the difference as she sent the match to a deciding set.

A break to open the third set saw Sabalenka edge 2-0 ahead. She scrambled to save three break points and stay in control at 4-2 in and fought off another in the eighth game to close in on victory.

Pegula held and forced Sabalenka to get over the line on her own serve. She eventually converted a third match point with a crunching forehand winner to her palpable relief.

Aryna Sabalenka will try to avenge her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Amanda Anisimova on Saturday.

The eighth-seeded Anisimova reached her second major final in a row after rallying to overcome Osaka 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in a match that stretched well past midnight in New York.

“I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I tried to dig deep. It was a huge fight out there,” said Anisimova.

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“It means the world. I’m trying to process that right now; it’s a dream come true. The hope is to be the champion, but I’m in the final now and I’m excited.”

Osaka, seeded 23rd, was enjoying her best Grand Slam run since winning her second Australian Open title in 2021 – the last of her four major crowns.

She looked on course to go a step further after taking the first set in a tie-break, boasting a 26-1 record at this level when doing so.

Four breaks in six games to begin the second set betrayed the nerves on both sides.

Anisimova broke for the third time to go 5-4 up, but as in the previous two instances, she then lost her own serve, double-faulting to keep Osaka in the set.

In a reversal of the first tie-break, Anisimova took charge of the second to level the contest.

Anisimova carried that momentum into the decider and broke for a 3-1 cushion as she continued to punish Osaka’s ineffective second serve.

Two comfortable service games moved Anisimova 5-2 clear. Osaka held before the American earned two match points in a dramatic final game.

Osaka saved both and carved out two break points only for Anisimova to cut short the comeback and secure victory at the third attempt.

READ: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor comes out of retirement to play for Samoa

The French women’s team have been barred from the boxing world championships because the results of their gender tests were not delivered on time, the French Federation (FFBoxe) said Thursday.

World Boxing said last month that women wanting to compete in the event in Liverpool that starts on Thursday would have to undergo mandatory genetic sex testing under its new policy.

Such tests have been banned in France since a law was passed in 1994, except under strict conditions, so the French federation had to wait till they reached England in order to proceed with them.

The five-member team underwent testing in a World Boxing-accredited laboratory with the understanding, FFBoxe said, the results would be available before the deadline.

World Boxing, in a statement sent to AFP, laid the blame firmly at the door of the respective national federations.

“Since World Boxing first announced… its intention to introduce mandatory sex testing to determine the chromosomal sex of a male or female at birth, the organisation has made it clear that testing will be the responsibility of National Federations (NFs),” read the statement.

“They have the closest links and most access to their boxers and are best placed to manage the testing process.

“They also oversee the entry process for boxers, so they know which boxers need to be tested and when.

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“It is very disappointing for the boxers that some National Federations have not been able to complete this process in time which means that some athletes have not made it through the sports entry process for the World Boxing Championships.”

French Sports Minister Marie Barsacq slammed the decision as “inadmissible” and FFBoxe were left seething over the decision.

“It is with stupefaction and indignation that the French team learned on Wednesday evening the French women’s boxing team would not be able to compete in the first world championships organised by World Boxing,” FFBoxe said in a statement.

“Despite guarantees given to us by World Boxing, the laboratory which they recommended to us was not up to the task of delivering the results on time.

“As a result our athletes as well as those from other countries have been caught in this trap and excluded.”

Maelys Richol, one of the five French boxers affected, said she felt “frustration, anger and disappointment”.

Under World Boxing’s policy, fighters over 18 who want to participate in their competitions need to take a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, genetic test.

“World Boxing’s policy on gender eligibility, which includes mandatory sex testing, is designed to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field,” they said in Thursday’s statement.

Boxing has been rocked by organisational problems in recent years.

World Boxing have been mandated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with organising the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In late May, World Boxing announced they were introducing mandatory gender testing to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes wanting to take part in its competitions.

It has become a major issue in boxing since the Paris Olympics last year when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting were at the centre of a gender row.

READ: Djed Spence on brink of history as first Muslim England player

Novak Djokovic advanced to a blockbuster US Open showdown with Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday as reigning women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka vaulted into the semi-finals without having to lift her racquet.

Djokovic snuffed out Taylor Fritz’s hopes of becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 2003 with a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 quarter-final victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The win sent the 38-year-old Serbian, chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory, into a mouthwatering semi-final against Spanish second seed Alcaraz on Friday.

Djokovic clinched victory when fourth seed Fritz double-faulted on match point in the 10th game of the final set and could not hide his relief at finally emerging victorious.

“In this kind of match, a few points on either side decide the winner,” he said. “It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody’s match.”

Fritz was left ruing his failure to make the most of the opportunities that came his way, converting only two of 13 points during an absorbing three-hour 24-minute battle.

The American fourth seed squandered five break points in the opening set that would have made it 5-4, instead allowing Djokovic to wriggle off the hook and take a one-set lead.

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Then, after battling back to break Djokovic to get to 5-5 in the second, Fritz was broken immediately to surrender the initiative.

Djokovic duly held to take a two-set lead, and while Fritz hit back to take the third set, the veteran Serb regrouped to wrap up victory in the next set.

“I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set,” Djokovic said. “I think for most of the second and third sets he was the better player.”

Novak Djokovic will meet Carlos Alcaraz in the last four, with the 22-year-old Spaniard in blistering form.

The five-time Grand Slam champion needed just one hour and 56 minutes to seal a convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka.

Alcaraz has not dropped a set during a relentless march into the semi-finals and was once again in complete control against Lehecka.

“I just played a really, or almost, perfect match,” said Alcaraz, who has won 35 of his last 36 matches since the start of the Italian Open in May.

Watch the US Open 2025 Live on ARY ZAP

“It seems like, OK, just two more steps to do, and let’s see what happens. But yeah, I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.”

In the women’s draw on Tuesday, world number one and defending champion Sabalenka moved into the semi-finals after Czech quarter-final opponent Marketa Vondrousova pulled out with a knee injury.

Sabalenka, bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams completed a hat-trick of titles in 2014, extended sympathy to Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion.

The walkover sets up a repeat of last year’s US Open final in the last four, with Sabalenka facing American fourth seed Jessica Pegula on Thursday.

Pegula reached the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of unseeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

Pegula entered the US Open on the back of a dismal run of form that had seen her make early exits at WTA tournaments in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati.

But she has rediscovered her confidence while moving stealthily through the rounds at New York, albeit against a series of unseeded opponents.

READ: Rashid Khan hails clinical bowling after win over Pakistan

PARIS: The ongoing feud between CM Punk and Seth Rollins took a dramatic twist on Monday night RAW at Paris La Défense Arena, where Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch slapped Punk during a fiery in-ring exchange.

The tension first boiled over a night earlier at Clash in Paris, when Lynch intervened to help her husband Rollins retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Punk.

On Raw, Punk called out Rollins, but instead, Lynch emerged to confront him, declaring that the matter was personal and tied to her family.

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She defended her husband’s legacy, insisting that Rollins had sacrificed more for the business than Punk could ever understand.

Punk didn’t hold back either, branding Rollins a coward and telling Lynch she was “more than just somebody’s wife,” before mocking her choice of partner.

The verbal battle escalated until Rollins appeared on the entrance ramp, daring Punk to say it to his face.

As CM Punk prepared to leave the ring, Becky Lynch stepped in his way and stunned him with a hard slap, drawing loud “AJ Lee” chants from the crowd, a nod to Punk’s wife and former WWE star.

Lynch quickly silenced the chants, reminding fans that AJ is no longer part of WWE.

The segment ended with Punk issuing a warning that both Rollins and Lynch would come to regret crossing him.

READ: Marcus Stoinis returns as Australia announce squad for New Zealand T20Is