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Aymeric Laporte joined the Premier League exodus to Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the Manchester City defender moved to Al Nassr in a deal worth a reported £23mn. Spain centre-back Laporte won 12 major honours during his successful spell with City. However, he fell out of favour at times during City’s treble-winning campaign and the close-season signing of Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol further restricted his chances of regular action. The 29-year-old is the latest City star to accept a lucrative switch to the Gulf State after Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez recently joined Al Ahli.Laporte made 180 appearances for City after arriving from Athletic Bilbao for a then club record £57mn in January 2018. Laporte won five Premier League titles, the Champions League and five domestic cups as a member of Pep Guardiola’s squad. Now he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane at Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr.Man City swoop for Belgian winger DokuManchester City signed Belgian winger Jeremy Doku from French club Rennes on a five-year deal. Doku, 21, will reportedly cost the European champions £55mn.Doku scored 12 goals in 92 appearances for Rennes after making his breakthrough as a teenager with Anderlecht in his homeland. He becomes City’s third signing of the transfer window after Croatian international duo Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.City are also expected to add a midfielder before the window shuts on September 1 to cover the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to miss up to four months due to a hamstring injury. Wolves’ Matheus Nunes and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze are reportedly targets after interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta collapsed due to a Football Association investigation into a possible breach of betting regulations by the Brazilian.Spanish football chief Rubiales to quit: ReportsSpanish football chief Luis Rubiales will quit his post after being roundly condemned by the football world for forcibly kissing a Spain player on the mouth following the Women’s World Cup final, several media outlets reported on Thursday.Rubiales, 46, will submit his resignation as president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) today at an extraordinary general assembly, according to the reports. After Spain’s 1-0 win over England in the final in Sydney on Sunday Rubiales gave midfielder Jennifer Hermoso an unsolicited kiss on the lips. He also celebrated victory with a vulgar gesture.Rubiales came under unprecedented pressure to resign, with days of criticism from figures including Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s women’s league and several men’s La Liga clubs, as well as internationally. FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales earlier on Thursday. Spain star Hermoso released a joint statement with union Futpro, which called for action to be taken against the RFEF president.Messi into another final after Miami fightbackLionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to come back from 2-0 down to beat Cincinnati on penalties after their thrilling US Open Cup semi-final ended 3-3 after extra-time in Ohio. Miami, who won the Leagues Cup on penalties against Nashville on Saturday, are now one win away from their second trophy since Messi joined the club last month.The US Open Cup is American football’s oldest and most important knockout competition, dating back more than a century to 1914 and is similar to England’s FA Cup or Spain’s Copa del Rey. Miami will host the Houston Dynamo in the final on September 27 after the Texan side beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 after extra-time.A month ago Cincinnati, who are top of Major League Soccer’s standings while Miami are bottom, would have been clear favourites. But the Florida team are now a very different side to the one which was winless in their 11 league games before the arrival of the Argentine.

Qatar Stars League champions Al Duhail were drawn with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr for the AFC Champions League group stage, the draw for which was held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Other than Saudi giants, Duhail’s other rivals in Group E are Iranian giants Persepolis and Tajikistan’s Istiklol.The 2011 continental champions Al Sadd find themselves in a relatively easier Group B, which also has Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, Al Faisaly of Jordan and Sharjah FC of UAE.The draw saw the 40 teams divided into 10 groups – five each in the East and West Zones. The 10 group winners along with the three best runners-up of each Zone will book their places in the Knockout Stages, which will take place from February to April before the final is held over two legs on May 11 and 18, 2024.Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan will kick off the defence in Group J with Wuhan Three Towns, Pohang Steelers and Hanoi FC. Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC – who won the 2019 and 2021 titles and were runners-up last season – were drawn in Group D against Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran FC, Mumbai City FC of India and Uzbekistan’s Navbahor.The West Zone’s Group A will be contested by Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, debutants Al Fayha of Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan’s Ahal and UAE’s Al Ain. Group C will witness exciting contests between two-time winners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, Sepahan SC of Iran, Iraq’s Air Force Club and Uzbekistan’s AGMK FC.Group F of the East Zone will involve two-time winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC South Korea, Thailand’s Bangkok United, Lion City Sailors of Singapore and Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC.Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos, Shandong Taishan FC of China, Philippines’ Kaya FC-Iloilo and Incheon United of South Korea the Group G cast.Thailand’s Buriram United, Ventforet Kofu of Japan, Australia’s Melbourne City FC and Zhejiang FC of China will battle it out in Group H while twice winners Ulsan Hyundai FC of South Korea, Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia and Thailand’s BG Pathum United are in the race to advance from Group I.Saudi Pro League stars Ronaldo, Neymar and Benzema will get their first taste of Asian Champions League football, where they will seek to power their clubs to victory against sides from central to east Asia.With billions of dollars in oil wealth, Saudi Arabia has been on a buying spree of sports assets as part of plans to diversify its economy and attract tourism and investment. Al Hilal leads the AFC Champions League for most title wins, with four to its name.With Brazilian playmaker Neymar in their ranks for the 2023-24 season, Al Hilal hope to win the title for a record fifth time.Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad will have their sights set on a first Asian Champions League title since winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 after securing the services of French stars Benzema and N’Golo Kante.

Number ten batsman Naseem Shah hit a boundary off the penultimate delivery to give Pakistan a dramatic one-wicket win over a luckless Afghanistan in the second ODI at Hambantota on Thursday.The 20-year-old miscued a boundary off fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi and ran jubilantly towards the dressing room as Pakistan scored 11 off the final over to finish with 302-9 in 49.5 overs.The victory gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the last game in Colombo on Saturday.Pakistan’s late surge overshadowed opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s career-best run-a-ball 151 that lifted Afghanistan to 300-5 in their 50 overs.The final two overs of Pakistan’s chase were full of drama.Needing 27 to win, they were brought closer by Shadab Khan who hit Abdul Rahman for a boundary and six off the last two balls of the 49th over.Farooqi added spice to the drama when he ran out Shadab with his first delivery off the last over when the batsman backed up too far and fell victim to a Mankad dismissal. But Naseem hit boundaries off the first and fifth delivery to pull off victory.Naseem hit the same bowler for two last over sixes to give Pakistan victory by one wicket in the Asia Cup Twenty20 game in Sharjah last year.Shadab, whose 35-ball 48 had three boundaries and a six, revived Pakistan’s chase in the final overs with his team behind at 258-7.Before the fightback it was opener Imam-ul-Haq’s 105-ball 91 with four boundaries that set the platform.Haq shared a robust 52-run stand with fellow opener Fakhar Zaman (30) and another 118-run for the second wicket with skipper Babar Azam who made a 66-ball 53 with six boundaries. But from 170-1 in the 31st over, Afghanistan hit back by grabbing five wickets in the space of 41 runs to push Pakistan to 211-6.Farooqi had Azam caught off a miscued flick while spinner Mohamed Nabi had Agha Salman (14) and Usama Mir (nought) in the same over. Mohamed Rizwan was run out for two as Pakistan slid badly. Fellow spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Haq in the next over to leave Pakistan in a spot of bother before Afghanistan ran out of luck.Earlier, it was the 21-year-old Gurbaz who shared an opening stand of 227 with Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a 101-ball 80, after Afghanistan won the toss and batted.Gurbaz hit 14 boundaries and three sixes against a world-class attack that had reduced Afghanistan to 59 all out in the first game on Tuesday.Gurbaz’s previous best was 145 against Bangladesh in Chattogram last month.Zadran also hit out brilliantly with six boundaries and two sixes.Spinner Usama Mir broke the opening stand in the 40th over when he had Zadran caught at long off, while pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Gurbaz caught behind in the 45th over.Shaheen also had Rashid out for two to finish with 2-58.Nabi made a run-a-ball 29 before he was caught off Naseem Shah as Afghanistan piled up 73 runs in the last ten overs.Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who picked up a career-best 5-18 in the first match, went for 48 in seven overs without success.BRIEF SCORESAfghanistan 300-5 in 50 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 151, Ibrahim Zadran 80) lost to Pakistan 302-9 in 49.5 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 91, Babar Azam 53) by one wicketToss: AfghanistanSeries: Pakistan lead 2-0

A number of Qatari showjumping riders excelled at the recently concluded Longines Global Champions Tour in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands (August 18-20).The participation of the Qatari riders at LGCT Valkenswaard was also a part of their preparations for the forthcoming Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China, in September 2023, and also the international and local equestrian championships that are held in Qatar.One of the top results of Qatar riders at LGCT Valkenswaard was of Rashid Towain Ali al-Marri who rode Van Gallettana Z flawlessly in the CSI1* Grand Prix, Against the clock with jump off (1.35m) in 31.03secs.Qatar’s Ahmed Mohamed al-Badi astride Vegas Du Monteil finished a creditable third in the CSI1* Grand Prix, Against the clock with jump off (1.15m) class, clocking 40.96secs while Sheikh Mohamed bin Jassim al-Thani came in fifth in the CSI1* Grand Prix, Against the clock No jump off (1.15m) event on Verenice 2.Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) is an annual showjumping series staged in several world cities including Doha, which staged the opening leg in March 2023.

Tiger Woods is already making an impact in only two weeks on the PGA Tour policy board as it considers the PGA-LIV deal, fellow board member Rory McIlroy has said.The 15-time major champion was added to an expanded policy board, the tour announced on August 8, a day after 41 players requested the move in a letter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.The move was to add transparency and ease tensions of players unhappy at secrecy around the LIV-PGA merger framework unveiled in June by Monahan and Yasir al-Rumayyan, the head of LIV’s backers, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).As a result of Woods becoming the sixth player on the policy board, players are the majority of the panel that must approve the PGA’s framework agreement with the PIF by the end of the year for its approval.“Tiger being on the board, it’s meaningful that he’s on it, that he’s engaged,” McIlroy said. “He has certainly been spending more time on it than I have.“He has been talking to a lot of people. He’s really engaged in just trying to get the best outcome for the players on the PGA Tour.“I think his difference has been felt already. I think it will only continue to grow as we head towards that December 31st deadline.”The deal would create a for-profit entity involving the upstart LIV Golf League, the PGA and the DP World Tour.Details of the plans under discussion have not been revealed, although Monahan said on Tuesday he was confident an agreement would be struck by the end of the year as required under terms of the tentative pact.Among issues to be settled is the fate of LIV and how players who jumped for record prize money and guaranteed deals might be able to return to the PGA Tour should they desire. McIlroy said not all the players on the board must vote to approve the final deal.“I don’t think all the player directors have to be unanimous,” he said. “I don’t think it has to be a unanimous vote. It just has to be a majority.”McIlroy said the role of dealing with LIV issues had an impact on his golf performance but he stepped back from such a hands-on role in April and has finished in the top 10 in his past nine events, winning the Scottish Open and placing second at the US Open.“Last year I was probably energised by everything that was going on in the world of golf. I felt like we were maybe in a bit more of a state of flux,” McIlroy said. “I feel like everything’s a little more settled.“The stuff that’s going on right now, I’m on the board and I have to be involved and whenever something’s brought to the table I’ll vote on it yes or no. But maybe just not as emotionally engaged.”PGA Championship winner Brooks Kopeka of LIV Golf was edged out of an automatic qualifying spot on the US Ryder Cup team that will defend the trophy against Europe next month in Italy.British Open champion Brian Harman says Koepka would be a worthy player but will leave the picks to US captain Zach Johnson, who announces his six choices coming Tuesday.“Brooks, he’s right there. I think he would be a pretty good addition to the team,” Harman said.“I’m not totally familiar with his record in Ryder Cups, but the experience would certainly help, especially considering there’s probably going to be a fair amount of rookies over there.“Whoever Zach thinks can help us win the Ryder Cup I think needs to be on the team.”The European team won’t be able to have LIV players on the team under DP World Tour rules but McIlroy didn’t see any problem with that.“No, I don’t think it would make a difference for us,” McIlroy said.

Max Verstappen says he wants to give his orange army of fans packing the stands at his home Dutch Grand Prix this weekend reason to party.Red Bull’s double world champion can equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins at Zandvoort, the coastal circuit where he won from pole in 2021 and 2022.“This is one of my favourite places,” the Dutchman, looking relaxed and tanned after F1’s summer break, said at the track on Thursday.“I’m not thinking about the record too much. We want to bring the best possible car to the track and of course we want to win.”Verstappen’s massive popularity in the Netherlands is one of the principal reasons why Zandvoort came out of a near four-decade hibernation two years ago to rejoin the F1 calendar.Described by one former teammate Pierre Gasly on Thursday as “an icon” of Holland, the man himself jokingly brushed aside any pressure he may feel as the home hero on Sunday where the majority of the 300,000 fans expected over the weekend will be rooting for him.“I wouldn’t wish that (pressure) on anyone,” said the runaway championship leader, before breaking into a broad grin.“It’s great to see all the fans. It’s an amazing track to drive, all of that makes it a fun weekend.”He approaches the 13th race of the year in a strong position to join a select club numbering Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as drivers to win three straight world titles.He leads teammate Sergio Perez by 125 points with his team out to extend their record unbeaten run to 14 races in all.This dominance has led to talk in some quarters of changes to try to shackle Red Bull’s superiority.But one man totally against that notion was not Verstappen, but one of his poor unfortunate grid rivals who has to try to hang on to Red Bull’s coat tails every Sunday – Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.“I would not like F1 to change anything because I think they (Red Bull) deserve to be in the position they are in,” said the Spaniard. “They’ve simply done an incredible job with this year’s car, Max is driving at a very high level.“He’s not making any mistakes, Red Bull aren’t making mistakes.“They deserve to have the success they are having because they are beating us on a fair and square basis. It’s up to us to get better as soon as possible.”Sainz raced alongside Verstappen back in 2015 at the then ToroRosso and is unsurprised at his old teammate’s rise to dominance. “Hype was something Max never lacked,” said the Spaniard. “Even well before his debut in F1 he already had a lot of following behind him. When I made my debut with him in 2015 I always understood it, he’s a special talent and performing exceptionally well.”Gasly, who crossed swords with Verstappen before F1, noted: “It was clear from a really young age, when we were racing karts he was different to any other drivers.“It was clear, more attention, more focus, driven by the (Verstappen) name, the performances.“Not surprising he came to F1 and switched to Red Bull, not surprised he is where he is today with his following, especially in the Netherlands. From an outside point of view he seems to be the icon of the country. It explains why 99.9 percent of the grandstands are orange when we come to Zandvoort.”Despite the massive gulf between one team and the other nine on the grid Sainz says he still comes to work every day as motivated as ever.“Hopefully at some point in the season Red Bull will make a mistake,” said Sainz, with 92 points from an underwhelming season so far in a tricky car. “If they don’t I have plenty of motivation to fight for podiums, to develop this car and see the impact I can help make for next year.”

Novak Djokovic heads to the US Open for the first time since 2021 with his world number one ranking gone and a new rival intent on denying him a 24th Grand Slam title, but only the brave would write off his chances at Flushing Meadows.The 36-year-old’s bid for a calendar year Grand Slam ended with a five-sets loss to Carlos Alcaraz in last month’s Wimbledon final, with fans, pundits and former players saying the result heralded a changing of the guard in men’s tennis.Returning to the United States after his enforced absence in 2022 and the early part of this year due to his Covid-19 vaccination status, a refreshed Djokovic says his appetite for success has not diminished.“I like the feeling that I have after 20-plus years of professional tennis. There’s still a fire going,” said Djokovic, who won the Australian Open and French Open titles to leapfrog Rafa Nadal into top spot in the list of men’s major champions.“There’s still that drive and motivation to really come at the biggest events in sport and try to win, try to win titles and try to bring some good sensation to the crowds.”Djokovic, who said he had “zero regrets” missing tournaments in America due to his vaccination stance, ramped up his preparations for Flushing Meadows by winning the Cincinnati crown after a draining final against world number one Alcaraz.“This rivalry just gets better and better,” Djokovic said.“Amazing player. Tons of respect. For such a young player to show so much poise in important moments is impressive.“The feeling I have on the court reminds me a little bit when I was facing Nadal when we were at our prime of our careers.“Each point is a hustle. Each point is a battle.”If the chasing pack feel Djokovic’s days of dominance are numbered, the three-time US Open champion’s record on hardcourts should give them pause for thought.The Serb’s willingness to push his body to its limits has not faded, as his younger rivals found out at this year’s Australian Open when he battled to the title playing with a torn hamstring.Top coach Patrick Mouratoglou says Alcaraz, who won last year’s US Open in Djokovic’s absence and has a 2-2 record against the Serb, will be a threat at Flushing Meadows but does not have the edge.“I think both players are very close in terms of level. I think Novak can play much better than he did in the Wimbledon final. He was very nervous,” Mouratoglou said in his video series ‘Eye of the Coach’ recently.“I feel that being this ultimate favourite all the time and playing for history, it has to be a burden. So now in a way that Carlos is a favourite as well, Novak will feel more free the next time he plays him.”Mouratoglou said he had no doubts that Djokovic would eventually surpass Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slams but that Alcaraz would also win his share of the sport’s biggest prizes.“Will he prevent Novak from winning any more Grand Slams? I don’t think so,” Mouratoglou added. “Will he take some and Novak take some? I think so.”

The season-ending Next Gen Finals for men’s under-21 tennis players will be held in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah from 2023 to 2027 as the ATP makes its first competitive foray into the Gulf state, the men’s governing body said on Thursday.The award of the tournament marks the latest move in world sport by Saudi Arabia which has pumped massive amounts of money into golf and soccer among others in recent years.The hardcourt tournament, which has been played in Milan since it began in 2017, will also have its prize money increased to a record $2mn, up from $1.4mn last year.The ATP launched a bidding process in March to evaluate host cities in several regions before finalising on the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, with the King Abdullah Sports City indoor facility staging the event this year from Nov 28-Dec 2.“The ATP Tour is truly global and exploring new markets is central to growing the game.Bringing the Next Gen ATP Finals to Jeddah is our chance to inspire new fans, in a region with a vast young population, and unite audiences around tennis,” ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement. “Our congratulations go to Jeddah and the Saudi Tennis Federation. We look forward to building on the event’s incredible success together.”Gaudenzi said earlier this year there had also been positive discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and other potential investors on projects including infrastructure, events and technology investment.World number one Carlos Alcaraz, 20, had welcomed the news then saying he had “no doubts” he would compete in Saudi Arabia at some point and added that the country has the power to hold plenty of tournaments. Although other Gulf countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have hosted ATP tournaments in the past, Saudi Arabia only had the Diriyah Tennis Cup – an exhibition tournament. Top players including Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka had competed in that event, which held its second edition last year. Three-times Grand Slam winner Andy Murray had previously ruled out any possibility of playing in Saudi Arabia after being invited to exhibition tournaments but said he would have to think twice if ranking points were up for grabs. In June, WTA CEO Steve Simon said the women’s tour had not made any decisions or entered into any formal negotiations with Saudi Arabia.Tunisian world number five Ons Jabeur said at Wimbledon last month that Saudi Arabian interest in tennis was welcome and that she would play in WTA events there if players were benefited.The WTA did not immediately respond a Reuters request for comment on social media rumours that said its season-ending WTA Finals could potentially be headed to Saudi Arabia in future.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz faces a potential quarter-final clash with old foe Jannik Sinner in his US Open title defence, and American Coco Gauff is on a collision course with defending champion Iga Swiatek on the women’s side.Alcaraz faces German Dominik Koepfer in his opener and should have few issues in the early rounds and the Wimbledon champion will likely face is first tough test against Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who knocked him out in this year’s Miami semi-finals.Djokovic, a 23-times major champion, is back after US Covid travel restrictions meant he was unable to travel to New York in 2022 and will first play France’s Alexandre Muller before potentially meeting seventh-ranked Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final eight.Elsewhere in the draw, former winner Daniil Medvedev could face Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev in the quarters, while American Frances Tiafoe could play last year’s runner-up Casper Ruud and fourth seed Holger Rune if he matches last year’s run to the semis.Gauff will try to recreate the magic of her Cincinnati win this month, where she beat Swiatek en route to the title, and the pair could meet in the final eight.Swiatek will open her campaign against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson.The bottom half of the draw presents a tantalising possible quarter-final showdown between Tunisian Ons Jabeur, a finalist 12 months ago, and second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who collected her maiden major title at this year’s Australian Open.Gauff’s compatriot and frequent doubles partner Jessica Pegula, the third seed, faces a tough draw as she opens against Italian Camila Giorgi and could also meet 2022 WTA Finals winner Caroline Garcia of France.

Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), one of the world's leading sports investment companies and together with the International Padel Federation (FIP) and the Professional Padel Association the founder of Premier Padel and Damm, the owner of Setpoint Events which organises the World Padel Tour (WPT), have reached an historic agreement for the acquisition of WPT by QSI.Following this agreement, Premier Padel and WPT will subsequently be unified as a single global professional padel tour called Premier Padel governed by the International Padel Federation.The agreement is the culmination of months of negotiation between the parties and will see QSI acquire the business assets of WPT. In addition, the agreement will also see the resolution of outstanding disputes between the parties, including those affecting QSI, FIP and the professional padel players who have competed in both tours. Closing is subject to customary regulatory approvals.Throughout the remainder of the 2023 calendar year, the separate WPT and Premier Padel tours will be played as planned, while the unification of the competitions for the next calendar year forming a single Premier Padel global tour under the governance of FIP starting in 2024 is worked on.Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, World Padel Tour, established in 2013, has served as the pre-eminent tour in the sport. It has featured over 26 men's and women's tournaments across 14 countries, boasting 17 global sponsors, television broadcasting rights spanning more than 150 countries, and an impressive social media following of nearly 4 million.Premier Padel the official professional padel tour governed by FIP and backed by the PPA and the International Padel Players Association (IPPA) was only launched in 2022 and within its first year has become one of the fastest growing tours in world sport. Over 500 players from around the world competed in Premier Padel tournaments in its first year, played in some of the most iconic venues in sports history, including at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. Premier Padel has secured multi-year broadcast agreements that cover 180+ countries reaching over 150 million households, while the inaugural 2022 Premier Padel season attracted 22.7 million views on YouTube. Over 110 leading professional female players joined Premier Padel in March this year.Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments and Premier Padel, Nasser Al Khulaifi, said: "This is an historic moment for the sport of padel, ultimately seeing the two leading professional padel tours unified as one single global Premier Padel tour under the governance of the International Padel Federation starting next year. As the fastest-growing sport globally, QSI is proud to be at the heart of driving the development of padel professionally all around the world, always placing the players at the centre of our mission to grow the sport everywhere. We are very excited for this next chapter."Damm's Executive Chairman, Demetrio Carceller Arce, said: "The World Padel Tour is now beginning a new stage led by QSI, who will contribute to speeding up the tour's international growth". Carceller Arce added: "Damm is proud to have contributed to the development of professional padel, making the World Padel Tour a global benchmark, with over 4 million followers. This has helped padel become the world's fastest growing sport in recent years, with very positive progress for the entire padel industry".President of the International Padel Federation, Luigi Carraro, said "As the governing body of padel worldwide, we are delighted to see the coming together of two great tours into one fantastic global circuit. The International Padel Federation thanks Damm for greatly contributing to the sport of padel through the World Padel Tour since its inception in 2013. We now look forward to the next fantastic phase of development and growth of professional padel under Premier Padel, which will benefit the whole padel community, including the national federations and most importantly the players and next generation."The new global Premier Padel tour starting in 2024 will become the leading tour in padel, and one of the most exciting projects in world sport. More details will be announced in due course.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti criticised Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales on Thursday for kissing a female player on the lips after Spain won the World Cup.The federation (RFEF) chief kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the gold medal ceremony on Sunday in Sydney after Spain beat England to win the World Cup, provoking outrage.Hermoso released a joint statement Wednesday with her players' union Futpro, which called for action to be taken against the president -- the RFEF have called an emergency meeting on Friday and started an investigation into the incident."It's a very delicate topic, like most people it was behaviour that I obviously did not like," Ancelotti told a news conference."It was not the behaviour of a president of the federation."The Italian coach would not be further drawn on the issue."I don't know if he should resign or not, I think he will take the most adequate decision," added Ancelotti.Real Madrid play Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday and the Galicians' manager Rafa Benitez also spoke about Rubiales."The success of the national team is the news and unfortunately it's been relegated to the background," said Benitez."We all agree we have seen behaviour which was not correct and the competent authorities are there to take decisions."Rubiales initially attacked his critics before eventually apologising but the criticism of his behaviour has not abated.Hermoso released a joint statement with Futpro, in which the union said: "We are working to ensure that acts such as those we have seen never go unpunished, that they are sanctioned and that the exemplary measures are adopted to protect women footballers from actions that we believe are unacceptable."Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez previously said that Rubiales' apology for the kiss was "not enough".Spain's women's football league, Liga F, on Wednesday demanded Rubiales be sacked.

Doha: Mutaz Essa Barshim was far from downhearted after his reign as world high jump champion came to an end in Budapest on Tuesday night. Not since the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 has anyone been able to finish higher than the Qatari icon in an outdoors global high jump competition.But at the National Athletic Centre on Tuesday, Barshim’s good friend Gianmarco Tamberi, with whom he shared the gold medal at the Tokyo Games two years back, had dethroned him to win his maiden world title.Yet, Barshim sported a smile like a true champion he is. Why wouldn’t he!? The 32-year-old’s bronze in Budapest was his fifth Worlds medal of his career, which includes three consecutive gold and one silver – making him the first man to achieve the feat in high jump.Barshim even joined Tamberi and his Italian fans in the stands as the duo celebrated with Qatari legend’s toddler son joining them. Later as the disappointment of not winning yet another gold had settled in, Barshim reflected on his illustrious career and brimming with pride at what he had achieved.“I came here with three world gold medals and one silver and managed to add a bronze tonight,” said Barshim, who has had to contend with back and knee problems in recent years.“Look at my career. It is really amazing. If it was not me that did this, but someone else, I would like to be that someone. Today I look at my CV and I am the only high jumper with such a medal count. This almost brings tears to my eyes. I just need to give myself credit. Having my son here only makes it more memorable. It is very emotional to have all my family and friends out here,” he added.Yesterday, in an emotional post on Instagram Barshim, opened up more about his career as he dedicated his bronze medal to people who have stood behind him. He also said representing Qatar was a huge responsibility that he takes ‘very seriously’“It’s very sentimental for me to think of how far I’ve come from my very first World Championship in Daegu in South Korea in 2011. As a young high jumper pursuing my passion I was looking up to the all-time high jump greats. I remember wanting to be up there so badly. Looking at myself today, I realise that I am now on top of that list becoming the most decorated high jumper in World Championships history, collecting five medals. One silver, three consecutive gold and now one bronze medal,” he wrote.“If I’m allowed to say it, I’m really proud of myself for never giving up, for putting in the hard work, for sacrificing what matters most to me and having my team, my family, my country & my supporters stand behind me no matter what. I realise that I have a huge responsibility by carrying the flag of my country on my back and I take that responsibility very seriously. This medal is for all of you who have been standing behind me for more than a decade,” he added.Barshim paid tribute to Tamberi and the young American JuVaughn Harrison, who won silver on Tuesday, but said he was up for the fight at the Paris Olympics next year, even though he indicated that could be his farewell event.“The atmosphere on the field was electric. The rivalry between all the jumpers was incredible. I enjoyed every moment of it. I am happy that Tamberi won the gold. It was a medal he was missing from his CV and he added it tonight,” Barshim said.“He deserved to be on the top of the podium. He has been working really hard and it is time for him to celebrate. The Paris Olympics is my next goal but it will be my last. It will be more like a contest, not revenge.”Barshim, who has the second best jump in history – 2.43 behind Cuban great Javier Sotomayor (2.45 in 1993) – looked in for a rough night when he missed his first attempt at 2.25. He had looked calm before the event started as he lay down on a towel on the infield for a good 20 minutes. Barshim passed the opening height, 2.20m, but the lack of preparation showed in a rusty first attempt at 2.25m that sent the bar tumbling. Barshim then cleared 2.33 for bronze, but missed all three attempts at 2.36, leaving Tamberi and Harrison to fight for the gold.Tamberi, who had scraped through to the final with a last-gasp clearance at 2.28m in qualifying, entered the competition with a first-time failure at 2.25m, but as his raucous supporters rooted for him from the stands, the Italian grew in confidence and pocketed his first world title.Tamberi now has a full collection of golds, having also captured world indoor, European and Diamond League titles. But with Barshim still not done yet, the Italian will have a fight on his hand at the Paris Olympics.Barshim FactfileBorn: 24 June 1991, Doha Height: 1.90m (6 ft 3 in) Weight: 65kg Achievements and titlesWorld Championships: 2011 Daegu: 7th2013 Moscow: Silver2015 Beijing: 4th2017 London: Gold2019 Doha: Gold2022 Eugene: Gold2023 Budapest: BronzeOlympics 2012 London: Silver2016 Rio de Janeiro: Silver2020 Tokyo: GoldHighest world ranking No. 1 (weeks 23)Personal best(s) Outdoor: 2.43m in Brussels (2014)Indoor: 2.41m in Athlone (2015)

HE Sheikh Saud Ali al-Thani was unanimously elected as the new President of FIBA (International Basketball Federation) at the governing body’s Congress in Manila on Wednesday. Sheikh Saud, who succeeded Hamane Niang, has been FIBA vice-president for the previous cycle, which began in 2019, and president of FIBA Asia since 2002.He has also been president of the Qatar Basketball Federation and is the vice-president of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Sheikh Saud said: “It is a great honour to take over this responsibility: for me, for my country of Qatar, and for our continent of Asia. I now represent the interests of all 212 National Federations across all five regions. Basketball is a global sport and this is our most important strength. I can only make one promise today and that is that I will work hard with the leaders of FIBA and the entire Central Board for the good of basketball and for the good of FIBA.”

American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy decided to share the gold medal in a dramatic women’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday. The two women cleared 4.90 metres in an event that stretched two hours and 10 minutes, but both missed on all three attempts at 4.95 and decided to share the victory rather than go to a jump-off.It was the second consecutive world title for Moon, who also won Olympic gold in Tokyo. Armed with a personal best of 4.95 and a season’s best of 4.90, the 32-year-old Moon appeared to be the favourite. But Kennedy had other ideas. She surpassed the Australian record and her own personal best by eight centimetres when she sailed over 4.90, and then held back tears as she looked up at the steady bar in joyful disbelief.The two chatted briefly to decide the outcome, then embraced, conjuring memories of the Tokyo Olympics where good friends and rivals Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy opted to share men’s high jump gold. Wilma Murto of Finland tied her season’s best of 4.80 for bronze, missing all three of her attempts at 4.85. The 25-year-old became the first Finnish woman to win a Diamond League title when she beat Moon at the London event on July 23. The event captivated the National Athletics Centre crowd who - prompted by an ominous rhythmic thumping over the sound system when each jumper stepped up to the runway - clapped in time.Briton Kerr stuns Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500m goldBriton Josh Kerr pulled off one of the shocks of the World Championships when he beat Olympic champion and hot favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in an absolute carbon copy of last year’s final to take 1,500m gold on Wednesday.Favourite in 2022, Norway’s Ingebrigtsen was outkicked by Britain’s Jake Wightman to miss out on gold and Kerr, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist behind Ingebrigtsen, made his move at about the same spot with 200 metres to go. Kerr dug deep to stay in front and won in 3:29.38 with Ingebrigtsen, whose 3:27.14 run in Poland five weeks ago made him the fourth-fastest man in history, taking silver in 3:29.65. Fast-finishing Norwegian Narve Gilje Nordas secured the bronze in 3:29.68.“It’s been a long time coming. It’s quite an overwhelming experience. I’m so proud of myself,” said Kerr, who ran the race in sunglasses. “I didn’t feel like I ran the best race either. I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport in that last 200m and didn’t give up until the end.”Kerr said he had planned meticulously for this race. Kerr had a good view of Wightman’s tactics in Eugene as he chased him home to finish fifth and he produced an almost uncanny replica of his Edinburgh club mate on Wednesday.Ingebrigtsen said he was not physically in great shape as he was unable to respond to Kerr moving onto his shoulder. Last year Ingebrigtsen recovered from the setback in his favourite event to win the 5,000m gold and he confirmed that he will defend his title on Sunday, the last night of the championships.Warholm back on top of world 400-hurdles podiumKarsten Warholm of Norway returned to the top of the global medal podium, racing to gold in the 400-metres hurdles. The world record holder and Olympic champion ran 46.89, pulling away from American Rai Benjamin heading into the home straight.The 27-year-old won the 2017 and 2019 world championships, but struggled to seventh at the worlds last season in Eugene when he was hampered by an injury. Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands crossed in 47.34 for silver, while Benjamin, silver medallist last year in Eugene, faded to take bronze in 47.56.Paulino becomes first Dominican woman to win a world titleMarileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won gold in the women’s 400m, finally claiming top spot on the podium after silvers at last year’s worlds and Tokyo Olympics and doing it in record style. The race was wide open in the absence of injured American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder and fastest in the world this year over the flat, and with Olympic and defending world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo going out in the heats four months after having a baby.Paulino, second-fastest in the world this year, knew she would never get a better chance to become the first Dominican female world champion and did not waste it.Dutchwoman Lieke Klaver set the early pace but faded on the final bend and was swallowed up. Paulino was out in lane seven and ran a controlled race to surge ahead at the top of the home straight and drive home for an emphatic victory in a national record 48.76 seconds. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek finished strongly to take silver in 49.57 followed by Sada Williams of Barbados, who matched her bronze from last year, with 49.60.“A lot of emotions are rushing through me,” Paulino, 26, said. “This national record means a lot to me. It is really incredible, but I have been preparing for this for a long time, working hard to achieve a goal like this. The gold medal was my dream, and I had the talent to turn this dream into reality.”

Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick as Aston Villa all but secured a Conference League group-stage place with a 5-0 thrashing of Hibernian in their play-off round first leg on Wednesday. The Premier League side started their first European campaign since losing in Europa League qualifying in 2010 in fine style.Unai Emery’s men, who put four past Everton at the weekend, started strongly as Watkins headed home Lucas Digne’s cross in the 17th minute at Easter Road. Hibs had a penalty appeal waved away soon afterwards but any hopes the Scottish club had of an upset were ended as Watkins and Leon Bailey put former European champions Villa three goals in front before half-time.Watkins finished another Digne cross to complete his treble less than three minutes into the second period. Douglas Luiz added a fifth from the spot with 16 minutes left to likely allow Emery to rest players for next week’s second leg. Wednesday’s other match saw Dnipro-1 draw 1-1 with Trnava in Slovakia.Musiala injured in Bayern trainingBayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala has torn a thigh muscle in training and “needs to take a break for the time being”, the club announced. Bayern staff diagnosed Musiala with a torn “muscle fibre in his left thigh” after he finished training on Wednesday.German media report Musiala could miss several weeks, including Bayern’s next games against Augsburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach, as well as Germany’s September friendlies against Japan and France. Just 20-years-old, Musiala has established himself as a member of the starting lineup with Bayern and Germany in recent seasons.The attacking midfielder scored 12 goals and assisted 13 more in 33 league appearances in 2022-23, a combined figure higher than any other Bayern player.Argentina’s Montiel joins Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest have signed Argentina defender Gonzalo Montiel from Sevilla on a season-long loan with an option to buy, the Premier League club said. Financial details were not disclosed, but Argentine media reported the loan had a purchase option worth 11mn euros.Montiel made 72 appearances for Sevilla, scoring two goals and providing six assists, since joining from River Plate in 2021. He helped the La Liga side win their seventh Europa League title last season by scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout to beat AS Roma in the final. The right back, who has 23 caps for Argentina, also scored the last penalty to help his country beat France in last year’s World Cup final.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic and France’s Rudy Gobert will be among the NBA’s international stars trying to stop the United States from regaining the Basketball World Cup when the event begins tomorrow in Asia.A young USA start the 32-team competition, which is being co-hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, as favourites to lift the Naismith Trophy for the first time since 2014.Spain, who beat Argentina in the final four years ago in China, when the Americans failed to make the podium, have the experienced Rudy Fernandez to lead their title defence.But fellow veteran Ricky Rubio will be missing after announcing a break from the NBA to “take care of my mental health”.Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is in charge of the USA squad for the first time, after assisting Gregg Popovich at the 2019 World Cup in China and in Tokyo two years later, where they won Olympic gold.Kerr has picked an up-and-coming group of players to gain redemption for four years ago when the USA slumped to seventh in their defence of back-to-back world titles.His squad is headlined by NBA All-Stars Anthony “Ant-Man” Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson and the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year.Minnesota Timberwolves guard Edwards has been impressive in warm-up games - his 34 points on Sunday inspiring the USA to a 99-91 comeback victory against Germany in Abu Dhabi.“He is unquestionably ‘the guy’,” Kerr said of the 22-year-old Edwards. “He knows it, but now the team knows it.”No American on the roster has previous World Cup or Olympic experience, but Kerr believes that with hungry players like Edwards, they can challenge for the title.“If you think about USA basketball over the years, a lot of young players have taken a leap in these World Cup, Olympic competitions and it feels to me like Anthony is taking that leap,” said Kerr, who has won four NBA titles as a coach.The USA have been drawn with Greece, New Zealand and Jordan in Group C in Manila and will face stiff competition from other countries studded with NBA talent.Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic will bring his star power to Slovenia’s team in Group F, where they will play Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns and Boston Celtics centre Al Horford will suit up for the Dominican Republic, while Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey will play for Australia.But Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will not appear for Greece, after undergoing knee surgery at the end of the NBA season.“I am not ready to compete at the level that I need to be in the World Cup,” the 28-year-old wrote on social media.NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic will not be in Serbia’s lineup. He has opted to rest after leading Denver to their first NBA championship in June as has his Canadian Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray.French sensation Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in June’s NBA Draft, is missing as he prepares for his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.But Tokyo Olympics silver medallists France could still be a threat to the US with the likes of Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier and Minnesota Timberwolves centre Gobert in their ranks.Canada were rocked by the withdrawal of star guard Murray last week but they can still boast a strong squad with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, New York Knicks forward R J Barrett and Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks.But the US look the team to beat as they aim for a sixth title.“We go to Manila feeling like we have a lot of room for growth,” said Kerr. “But we also go there with a lot of confidence in ourselves, in the fibre of the group, the connection, they really like each other, they play well together. And they fight.”

Scottie Scheffler isn’t a big fan of the staggered scoring start to the PGA Tour Championship, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up the two-shot lead he’ll start the first round with at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on Thursday.“I get it. It’s made for TV,” he said on Wednesday. “It may be more exciting for the fans to have this type of format. But as players I think it’s not the best identifier of who is playing the best throughout the year.“With that being said, I’m starting this week with a two-shot lead and, I mean, I’m not complaining about it. It’s pretty nice.”It’s the second consecutive year that Scheffler will begin the season-ending event with a two-shot lead. He began the final round last year with a six-shot lead, only to see it quickly evaporate while Rory McIlroy surpassed him to claim a record third FedEx Cup title.Scheffler said he may have been too impatient on that Sunday. He wants to embrace the experience more this time around and “to be in that moment.”Jon Rahm, whose fourth victory this season came back at the Masters in April, admitted he was fatigued after being in contention week after week. Similarly, Scheffler is coming off losing a 72-hole lead at the BMW Championship when Viktor Hovland shot a course-record 61 last Sunday. The No 1-ranked player in the world also had a streak of 19 consecutive events where he finished T12 or better snapped last month.“I think at this time of the year you just get a little bit fatigued,” Scheffler said. “It’s been a long season and to get to this point now - this is our third week in a row, and we’re going to get some pretty high temperatures this week, so it’s going to be a gruelling week as far as the actual tournament goes.”Scheffler altered his routine a bit this week to focus on getting more rest, which he plans to get plenty of after Sunday’s round is complete.The 27-year-old will return home to Texas and not compete much - if at all - during the PGA Tour’s fall swing. With the schedule shifting to a calendar format for 2024, Scheffler will pick up the sticks in earnest for next month’s Ryder Cup but otherwise plans to be out of the public eye for the rest of the year.“I’m not going to do much,” he said. “I’m going to play the Ryder Cup. I don’t know what I have planned after that, but it’s not going to be much. You won’t be seeing much of me. I’ll be hiding.”That doesn’t mean golf will be too far from his brain.Scheffler isn’t on the player committee advising on the framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour, but as the No. 1 player in the world, he’ll be “very focused when I’m needed” for his input.Scheffler is also a big fan of the 2024 PGA Tour schedule, which will include eight limited-field “signature events” pitting the best players on Tour against each other on a regular basis.“It’s exciting for me. I think those tournaments are a nice reward for the guys that played the best the year before and it puts them in a position to have another successful year out here,” he said. “This year’s been really fun having all these tournaments where (the top players are) not as spread out throughout the schedule like we have been in the past, whereas you’ve had a lot more of kind of the battles throughout the year with the top players.“I think it’s something that golf fans have wished for a bit more in the past and hopefully this new model will get ‘em closer to those types of results.”Before he fades from the public spotlight for a bit, Scheffler does have one big final push to make this week. He hasn’t won since The Players Championship in March, and wants to add a FedEx Cup to a trophy case that also includes the 2022 Masters.“I want to win the FedEx Cup. I think in our sport the majors kind of stand alone in terms of that type of kind of distinction in the game,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it is the best format to identify the best golfer for the year. Jon Rahm played some of the best golf of anybody this year and he’s coming into this tournament fourth and he’s four shots back. And, in theory, he could have won 20 times this year and he would only have a two-shot lead.“But made for TV and I’m definitely grateful to be here and grateful to be in the position that I’m in.”

PGA Tour chief executive Jay Monahan said he is confident of meeting a December 31 deadline to hammer out details of the tour’s merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf.Speaking ahead of this week’s Tour Championship playoff finale in Atlanta, Monahan said he expected a deal for the new circuit to be in place by January 1.The PGA Tour stunned world golf in June after announcing a shock agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf aimed at ending the sport’s two-year civil war.However firm details of how the “new collectively owned, for-profit entity” that will see the PGA Tour, Europe’s DP World Tour and LIV Golf merge have yet to be divulged.Under the agreement signed by all sides in June, a December 31 deadline was set to finalise the details for the new circuit.Despite ongoing scepticism, Monahan told reporters there was no reason to believe the deadline would not be met.“As I sit here today, I’m confident we will reach an agreement that achieves a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and our fans - I see it and I’m certain of it,” Monahan said.“We have put an end to the divisive and distracting litigation, we have safeguards that are in place to put the PGA Tour in a position to control our future.”Asked if he believed a deal would be in place by January 1, Monahan replied: “We’re confident that we’re going to reach a positive outcome for the PGA Tour...I don’t have any reason to think that we won’t be successful.”Monahan refused to be drawn on whether he believed the LIV Golf circuit had a viable long-term future.“I think there are a lot of questions that are specific questions that are going to come ... as it relates to elements of what is in the framework agreement and elements of what we’re talking about,” Monahan said.Monahan meanwhile said he expects the PGA Tour to open 2024 with its traditional Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui, despite devastating wildfires on the island that have left more than 100 people dead.

Max Verstappen can equal Sebastian Vettel’s record nine wins in a row this weekend as Formula One ends its August break and heads for the Dutch seaside dunes of Zandvoort.The 25-year-old Red Bull driver can count on a capacity crowd cheering him all the way as he returns home more dominant than ever.The double world champion is favourite to complete a hat-trick, after winning the two races held at the circuit since it returned to the calendar in 2021, and has a 125-point lead over Mexican teammate Sergio Perez after 12 of 22 rounds.Red Bull are meanwhile chasing a 14th successive win, and 13th of this season, with the run dating back to Abu Dhabi last year.Germany’s Vettel, now-retired, is the only driver to have won nine races in a row during a single campaign and he did it for Red Bull on his way to a fourth title in 2013.“I’m excited to get going with the second half of the season now and what better way to start than in the Netherlands,” said Verstappen.“It’s an amazing track and of course, the fans are incredible there, so I’m definitely excited to get back on track.“It looks like the weather could be temperamental there but I don’t mind either way, wet or dry, we’ll do our best to make sure we score maximum points.”The battle to be best of the rest promises to be more exciting, with Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren all ready to pounce if Red Bull have a shock off day and drop the ball. Ferrari came closest at the previous round in Belgium, with Charles Leclerc finishing third behind the two Red Bulls, and the Monegasque also started on the front row at Zandvoort last year.“We have a group with Mercedes, Aston, McLaren and sometimes Alpine able to fight for the first rows which means that its an exciting challenge and situation,” said Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur.“I think its quite impossible to predict who will be in good shape at Zandvoort or Monza,” added the Frenchman, saying much depended on track conditions, set-up, how teams managed the weekend and drivers making the difference.Ferrari’s Israeli reserve Robert Shwartzman will take Carlos Sainz’s place for first practice as part of team obligations to run a young driver in two sessions over the year.Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who was second in Zandvoort last year, would also be recharged and ready.“We will push hard in the battle for second in the constructors’ championship. We will also be driving development forward for 2024,” said the Austrian.Renault-owned Alpine, under new management after the departure of principal Otmar Szafnauer, will also be hoping for a strong weekend.“Clearly, the weeks leading up to the break were not easy for everyone at the team,” said Alpine’s interim principal Bruno Famin. “There is no change to the team’s strategy or objectives, only a change in some personnel as outlined before the break. Zandvoort is an exciting fresh start for all of us and I’m sure everyone at the team is ready for the challenge.”

Tehran: Qatar qualified for the quarter-finals of the 22nd Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship after defeating Thailand 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-22) on Wednesday.The Qatari volleyball team will face either Iraq or Chinese Taipei on Thursday.Qatar have exhibited stunning form throughout the tournament so far.Qatar had qualified for the round of 12 after topping its group standing with a full score by beating India and Afghanistan 3-0 in earlier matches. The 2023 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship is the 22nd staging of the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship, a biennial international volleyball tournament organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) with Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation (IRIVF). The tournament is currently held in Urmia, Iran from 19 to 26 August 2023. The top three teams of the tournament qualify for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship as the AVC representatives.This is Iran’s fifth time serving as the host of the popoular event.