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Bas de Leede smashed an unbeaten 72 to power the Netherlands to a seven-wicket victory against ‌Namibia in a Group A match ‌of the Twenty20 ‍World Cup yesterday. De Leede struck four sixes and five fours in a 48-ball gem as the Dutch reeled in a 157-run ‍target with two overs to spare for their first win of the tournament. They had pushed former champions Pakistan to the brink before losing in the final over in Colombo on Saturday. “I think we were lucky to bowl first,” ‌player of the match de Leede said. “It gave us a good look at the wicket, and I thought ‍we adjusted really well as a ‌bowling group. “Later in the game, I felt the pitch started skidding on a bit – so credit to the batters for adapting to that as well.” Captain Scott Edwards chose to field and rotated eight bowlers, but Namibia still mustered a competitive 156-8 after a stuttering start.Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (42) anchored, with Jan Frylinck (30) and JJ Smit (22) adding useful runs. ​Skipper Gerhard Erasmus (18) hit ‌two fours and a six before falling as he looked to launch a ‍counterattack. Max O’Dowd fell cheaply after the Dutch side began their chase and Michael Levitt (28) could not convert his start either, but a let-off for Colin Ackermann proved costly for Namibia. Ackermann went on to ​make 32 in his match-defining 70-run stand with de Leede to put the Netherlands on course to victory.De Leede hit Loftie-Eaton for a six to bring his team near the target before sealing victory with a four. Namibia will face a sterner test when they face defending champions India at the same venue tomorrow. BRIEF SCORES Netherlands 159 for 3 (De Leede 72*, Ackermann 32, Scholtz 1-27) beat Namibia 156 for 8 (Loftie-Eaton 42, Frylinck 30, van Beek 2-13, de Leede 2-20) by seven wickets

His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met today with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Disck Schoof and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands David van Weel. The meeting dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation and the means to enhance it, discussing the latest regional developments, particularly in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to several issues of joint interest. His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed during the meeting the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts to achieve regional de-escalation through dialogue and peaceful means.

Qatar opened their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship campaign with a determined performance but ultimately fell short against a strong the Netherlands side, losing 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 26-28, 25-23) in their Pool B opener in Quezon City, Philippines Saturday.Despite the loss, Qatar pushed the European team to the limit, showing grit and composure especially in the third set, where they fought back to win 28-26 and extend the match.The Qatari squad matched the Netherlands in kill blocks (9 each) and committed fewer unforced errors (26 compared to 29), highlighting their discipline and defensive effort.Opposite Youssef Oughlaf led the scoring for Qatar with 17 points, while seasoned outside hitters Ribeiro Renan and Nikola Vasic chipped in with 11 points apiece.The Netherlands, however, made the difference from the service line, firing nine aces to Qatar’s two.They also edged Qatar in attack with 57 spike kills to 52.Dutch opposite Michiel Ahyi topped all scorers with 20 points, while Tom Koops sealed the victory with the match-winning point in the fourth set.Qatar now turn their focus to their next match against world powerhouse Poland tomorrow, followed by their final Pool B game against Romania on September 17.