Category: Other Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was reintroducing testing for gender, starting from the 2028 Los Angeles Games, to determine eligibility to compete in the female category, preventing transgender women from competing.

The screening will mean Olympic women’s sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be limited to biological females, which would also rule out those with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing.

The IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021 which allowed individual federations to decide their own policy and implementing a policy across all sports.

“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one‑time SRY gene screening,” the IOC said in a statement.

The test will be carried out through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood sample.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry said: “The policy we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts.

“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.

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“So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

The IOC is bringing in the new policy after the women’s boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was rocked by a gender row involving Algerian fighter Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.

Khelif and Lin were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed eligibility tests.

However, the IOC allowed them both to compete at the Paris Games, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.

Both boxers went on to win gold medals.

Lin has since been cleared to compete in the female category at events run by World Boxing, the body that will oversee the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Gender testing was first introduced at the 1968 Olympics and last used at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta but then scrapped after criticism from the scientific community.

READ: ‘Get out’: Max Verstappen removes reporter from Japan press conference

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was involved in a flashpoint ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday when he refused to start his press conference until an English journalist had left the room.

The Red Bull driver sat down to speak to reporters at the team’s hospitality suite in Suzuka, but then said, “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving”, and gestured at a journalist from The Guardian newspaper.

The journalist asked Verstappen if his demand was because of a question he had asked the driver last season, to which Verstappen replied “yes” and told him to “get out”.

The reporter left, and Verstappen continued with the press conference.

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The reporter later told AFP that the incident stemmed from a question he had asked Verstappen after the Dutchman missed out on a fifth world title to Lando Norris by two championship points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.

The question centred on the impact of a penalty that Verstappen had picked up for ramming Mercedes driver George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

For the unversed, Max Verstappen is currently eighth in the championship standings after two races of the season, 43 points behind the leader, George Russell of Mercedes.

Verstappen took a break from F1 by competing at a four-hour race in Germany last weekend, but even that did not lift his gloom as he was disqualified after winning.

READ: PSL 11 final squads revealed ahead of season opener

Jannik Sinner powered into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, defeating unseeded American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to stay on course for the “Sunshine Double”.

Italian second seed Sinner, who is bidding to follow up his triumph at Indian Wells with victory in Miami, bided his time before completing a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win in 1hr 41min.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who will face 19th seed Frances Tiafoe in the last eight, was made to work hard by the 40th-ranked Michelsen.

After a cagey opening, Sinner began to put pressure on Michelsen’s serve in the ninth game of the first set, carving out three break points.

Michelsen rode out that storm, but Sinner finally broke through in the 11th game before serving out for the first set.

Michelsen hit back in the second set, breaking Sinner for a 4-2 lead before holding to go 5-2 up.

Michelsen appeared to struggle with the bright late afternoon sunlight on the Hard Rock Stadium’s main court, and Sinner came roaring back to force a tiebreak.

Sinner sealed the win with a thumping serve that Michelsen could only return wide.

“I feel like I served very well in important moments and that helped me out, especially in the tough moments,” said Sinner, who unfurled 15 aces to Michelsen’s three.

“But today was not easy, I played a night match yesterday and today in the daytime, so the conditions were very different.”

Home hope Tiafoe advanced to his quarter-final date with Sinner after battling past France’s Terence Atmane 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

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Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce, ranked 151st in the world, upset American 32nd seed Sebastian Korda to score a 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory.

The win marked another impressive victory for the 20-year-old Landaluce, who eliminated Russian 14th seed Karen Khachanov.

Korda, who had beaten world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, had a match point late in the second set, but Landaluce survived to set up a quarter-final against Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.

Landaluce, who had failed to register a single win at tour level in 2026 before arriving in Miami, dedicated his latest success to his late grandmother.

“She would have been 101 last week, and she passed away a few months ago. I wanted to give her the victory,” Landaluce said.

Lehecka booked his place in the quarter-finals by ousting sixth seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 in 2hr 25min.

“I just felt that in the third set, if I wanted to beat a guy like Taylor, I just needed to go for it and be aggressive,” Lehecka said.

American 22nd seed Tommy Paul set up a quarter-final against France’s Arthur Fils after cruising past Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry 6-1, 6-3.

Fils beat Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4.

Argentina’s 18th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo followed up his upset of Daniil Medvedev on Monday with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 defeat of French 31st seed Ugo Humbert.

Cerundolo will face Alexander Zverev in the last eight after the German third seed defeated France’s Quentin Halys 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).

READ: Ben Duckett exits IPL 2026 to save England career

Tiger Woods will make a tentative return to competitive action when he plays Tuesday in the TGL golf league, weeks after the 15-time major champion said that the Masters in April was not “off the table”.

The 50-year-old underwent disc replacement surgery in October, the latest in a series of operations and injuries that have kept the American great sidelined from top-level competition since the 2024 British Open.

Woods will play for Jupiter Links in the finals of the TGL, said the indoor simulator league, which combines technology with players from the PGA Tour.

Woods has won five Masters titles, the most recent an epic 2019 victory that ended his 11-year major championship drought.

However, he suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash.

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The 2026 Masters at Augusta National are on April 9-12.

Speaking last month, he refused to rule out playing at the Masters, stating that he had progressed from chipping and putting practice to hitting full shots.

“I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again,” he said.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi rope in Brian Bennett for PSL 11

74-year-old Pakistani welder, Naseemuddin, father of Rashid Naseem, has made history by completing a hat-trick of world records recognised by the Guinness World Records.

In his latest achievement, Naseemuddin broke 38 marble tiles while holding an egg in his hand, surpassing the previous record of 30 tiles.

The confirmation was officially received via email, and the record has also been updated on the Guinness World Records website.

Previously, Naseemuddin set remarkable records by cracking 163 walnuts with a single punch and crushing apples using one hand, further establishing his extraordinary strength and skill despite his age.

The legacy of record-breaking runs in his family, as his granddaughter, grandson, son, and daughter-in-law have also achieved world records for Pakistan.

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Notably, he is the father of Rashid Naseem, who holds the distinction of making the highest number of world records for Pakistan.

Speaking on his achievement, Naseemuddin dedicated his record to Palestine, the Pakistan Army, and the people of Pakistan who love their country.

He expressed pride in raising Pakistan’s name globally at the age of 74 and highlighted his family’s continuous efforts to bring international recognition to the country.

However, he also shared disappointment over the lack of government attention and stated his desire to meet with government officials, a wish that remains unfulfilled.”

READ: ‘I Want to be the best all-rounder’: Iftikhar Ahmed eyes Pakistan return

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner continued his dominant run, cruising into the fourth round of the Miami Open with a commanding straight-sets victory while also rewriting the record books.

The Italian star brushed aside France’s Corentin Moutet 6-1, 6-4 in a one-sided third-round encounter, extending his remarkable streak at Masters 1000 events.

In doing so, Sinner registered his 25th and 26th consecutive sets won at this level, surpassing the previous record of 24 set by Novak Djokovic in 2016.

The 23-year-old has now won his last two Masters 1000 titles, Indian Wells and Paris, without dropping a single set.

“I am very happy,” Sinner said after the match. “This sport is unpredictable, so we try to keep attention as much as we can, and we’ll see what is coming in the next round.”

Jannik Sinner was in complete control from the outset on the Hard Rock Stadium’s main court, racing to a 4-1 lead after winning 19 of the first 26 points.

He wrapped up the opening set in just 22 minutes and never allowed Moutet a foothold in the contest.

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The second seed fired seven aces, converted three of six break points, and saved the only break opportunity he faced. He will next take on American Alex Michelsen, who staged a comeback win over Alejandro Tabilo.

While Sinner’s campaign gathers momentum, the tournament has seen a wave of high-profile exits.

Defending champion Jakub Mensik was knocked out in a marathon clash against Frances Tiafoe, who edged a gripping three-set battle 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(11).

The nearly three-hour encounter saw Mensik save six match points before eventually succumbing, while Tiafoe himself held his nerve after saving two match points in the final-set tiebreak.

The American will now face France’s Terence Atmane in the next round.

Atmane progressed with a notable upset over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, adding to a growing list of seeded casualties in Miami.

Among the biggest shocks was the early exit of Daniil Medvedev, who fell to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in three sets. The tournament had already seen world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Alex De Minaur and Ben Shelton bow out earlier.

READ: Sabalenka downs Zheng to reach Miami Open quarters

World number one Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a rare “Sunshine Double” on Monday, downing China’s Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

Sabalenka, who is aiming to defend the Miami title she won for the first time last year, eased past 2024 Olympic champion and 23rd seed Zheng 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 25min to book her place in the last eight.

The 27-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to join an elite group of women who have won both the WTA Indian Wells and Miami Open in the same year.

Only four other women — Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996, Kim Clijsters in 2005, Victoria Azarenka in 2016 and Iga Swiatek in 2022 — have achieved the feat.

Sabalenka, who beat Elena Rybakina to win in Indian Wells earlier this month, will face unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.

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On Monday’s form, few would bet against the big-hitting four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, who comfortably disposed of 23rd seed Zheng in 1hr 25min.

“She’s a tough opponent, and I’m super happy with the level I played at today,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “I can definitely say that it felt like home.

“I feel like I’m getting better, serving better, getting used to these conditions, which are tricky. But I’m getting more and more comfortable with every match,” added Sabalenka, who faces unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.

Baptiste was one of three American women to advance to the last eight on Monday.

READ: Saud Shakeel eyes ODI World Cup spot with strong PSL 11 showing

Formula One world champion Lando Norris has said it feels “surreal” he will soon be joining other sports stars and celebrities by having a waxwork likeness unveiled at London’s Madame Tussauds.

The 26-year-old British driver has been working with the design team at the nearly 200-year-old attraction to create a detailed replica of Norris from helmet to toe.

Norris, born and raised in Somerset, southwest England, burst onto the Formula One stage in 2019 and last year the McLaren driver won his maiden Formula One world title.

“It’s pretty surreal to think I’ll have a figure in Madame Tussauds, it’s such a big honour,” said Norris.

“Working with the artists has been awesome, and seeing all the detail they’ve put into the figure is really impressive. I can’t wait for fans to come and see the finished figure in London this summer.”

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Steve Blackburn, general manager at Madame Tussauds London added: “From the moment we started working with Lando, it was clear we were creating something really special, and our team have been working at full throttle to ensure an exact likeness.

“He’s been fantastic throughout the process, patiently sitting still and not racing around as usual!

“We’re busy ensuring his figure is podium-ready and are incredibly excited to welcome guests to meet Lando’s likeness in the coming months.”

The new figure of Norris will feature in Madame Tussauds London’s Culture Capital zone, alongside fellow British Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, and other sports stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah, and Anthony Joshua.

READ: Bangladesh players receive conditional NOCs for PSL 11

Carlos Alcaraz had to dig deep to extend his 2026 unbeaten run, rallying from a set and a break down to beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round at Indian Wells on Monday.

The big-serving Frenchman’s aggressive game forced world number one Alcaraz to call on every shot in his arsenal to turn a tense contest his way.

Alcaraz will face 13th-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Really happy that I was able to turn things around,” said Alcaraz.

The Spaniard nearly managed to steal the first-set tiebreaker, in which he had trailed 2-5, but a wayward forehand on set point gave Rinderknech his chance to pocket the set with a pair of winners.

Rinderknech then produced the first service break of the match to put the top seed in a hole in the opening game of the second set.

Alcaraz responded with an immediate break back, ramping up the pressure on Rinderknech’s serve on the way to a decisive break in the sixth game.

When Alcaraz broke again to open the third set, he was on his way, rolling to his sixth win over 26th-ranked Rinderknech in six career meetings.

“In the beginning, I was a little bit mad with myself because I just had a lot of chances in the first set, a few break points, a set point, and I couldn’t make it,” Alcaraz said.

“I got in trouble, to be honest. But I’m just really happy with the way that I just dealt with everything that was happening, accepted it, kept going, stayed strong mentally.”

Rinderknech had never won a match in Indian Wells in three prior appearances, and he leaves this edition without an on-court victory after enjoying a first-round bye and advancing to the third round by walkover.

Carlos Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his victory at the Australian Open.

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He followed that up with the Qatar Open title, and with two wins under his belt in Indian Wells, is now 14-0 on the season.

He next faces Ruud, who beat Valentin Vacherot 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was hard going for world number three Novak Djokovic in his 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over 72nd-ranked American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who peppered Djokovic with 16 aces.

Djokovic made an early break to take the first set, but Kovacevic found his groove and rolled through the second against the clearly frustrated Serb.

Djokovic regrouped in the third but didn’t find the break he needed until the final game.

“Today was really anybody’s game until the last couple of points,” Djokovic said. “That last game in the third, where he missed some first serves, gave me looks on the second, and I used it. That’s pretty much it.”

With five Indian Wells titles, Djokovic is tied for the record with Swiss great Roger Federer, but he’s in the fourth round for the first time since 2017.

Djokovic next faces defending champion Jack Draper, who beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5.

Draper’s victory here last year launched his rise to fourth in the world.

But he then missed the better part of six months with an arm injury and arrived in California ranked 14th, his win over Cerundolo marking the first time since June that he’s posted back-to-back ATP victories.

A trio of top-10 players were sent packing.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie ousted sixth-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4, Alex Michelsen beat seventh-ranked fellow American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) and Australian qualifier Rinki Hijikata, ranked 117th in the world, shocked 10th-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

READ: Ashton Turner named Multan Sultans captain ahead of PSL 11

Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed the men’s half marathon world record on Sunday winning in Lisbon in 57 minutes and 20 seconds, to take 10 seconds off the time set in 2024 by Yomif Kejelcha.

Kiplimo had previously set the record in Lisbon in 2021 before Ethiopian Kejelcha shaved off one second in Valencia.

In a race without pacemakers, Kiplimo covered the first five kilometres in a rapid 13:28 with Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich on his heels.

After the trio reached 10km in 27:00 Kiprotich faded.

When the pace dropped as the leaders passed 15km in 40:52, Kiplimo, who had an eye on the record, accelerated and ran the next 5km in 13:31, a pace he kept up to the end.

“After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres,” he said at the finish.

Kipkorir crossed the line 48sec behind with Kiprotich a distant third.

Kiplimo ran 56:42 in Barcelona last year, but World Athletics refused to ratify the record because, it said on Sunday, “the race conditions were not fully compliant with World Athletics rules”.

Ethiopian Tsige Gebreselama retained the women’s title in 1:04:48.

READ: WATCH: New Zealand bowler makes history with triple hat-trick