Judd Trump was ‘thinking about going home’ before sensational comeback in Riyadh

World No.1 Judd Trump in action at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Updated 04 September 2024
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Judd Trump was ‘thinking about going home’ before sensational comeback in Riyadh

RIYADH: Judd Trump sealed a sensational comeback win at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters on Tuesday, rallying from 4-0 behind to beat Wu Yize 5-4.

The world No. 1 was staring defeat in the face at the mid-session as China’s Wu surged ahead, moving within touching distance of a stunning upset.

But Trump — who admitted afterward that he was “thinking about going home” and looking for flights back to the UK — stormed back in the second half of the match.

The former world champion — nicknamed “The Ace in the Pack” — returned from the break in blistering form, reeling off a century break and three half-centuries to level the tie.

He then clinched victory in the decider, setting up a highly anticipated last-16 showdown against his great friend and world No. 19 Jack Lisowski on Wednesday.

Live from the Green Halls, Riyadh, Tuesday’s action saw the world’s top-16 players enter the competition after qualifying for round five automatically.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan booked his place in the last 16 with a 5-1 win against Lei Peifan, 2024 world champion Kyren Wilson overcame Lui Hongyu, and Neil Robertson claimed a big win against Mark Selby.

The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters continues on Wednesday with eight matches to determine the quarterfinal lineup.


Saudi Arabia’s PIF named as partner for FIFA Club World Cup 2025

Updated 16 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia’s PIF named as partner for FIFA Club World Cup 2025

  • Sides say deal reflects ‘shared vision to enable greater participation in sports’
  • PIF ‘creating a legacy of transformative impact in sports,’ corporate brand head says

ZURICH/RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will be an official partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which gets underway in the US later this month.

The partnership was described in a joint statement by FIFA and PIF as evidence of the two sides’ “shared vision to enable greater participation in sports by unlocking new opportunities, fostering innovation and engaging fans around the world.”

PIF’s Head of Corporate Brand Mohammed Al-Sayyad said: “PIF is creating a legacy of transformative impact in sports including through its partnerships, delivering positive and lasting results at every level, from players and fans to host communities.”

The deal with FIFA comes after the sovereign wealth fund last year announced a partnership deal with CONCACAF, football’s governing body for the Americas and Caribbean.

Saudi Arabia was also earlier named as the host of the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

Talking about the club tournament, Romy Gai, FIFA’s chief business officer, said: “Together, we look forward to delivering a historic tournament that inspires and unites fans from around the world.”

Speaking of the partners for the event, which runs from June 14 to July 13, he said: “Their support of the tournament will not only be integral to its success but will underpin investment in supporting the development of club football everywhere.”

This year marks a new chapter for the tournament, with 32 teams taking part, up from just seven in previous events. A total of 63 matches will be held across 11 cities, with the final set to take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

All of the games will be livestreamed for free on DAZN.com. More information about ticket options is available from FIFA.com/tickets.


New Rangers boss Martin aims to win over fans as he targets Celtic crown

Updated 25 min 8 sec ago
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New Rangers boss Martin aims to win over fans as he targets Celtic crown

  • The 39-year-old former Southampton manager has the daunting task of toppling champions Celtic
  • Martin guided Saints to promotion to the Premier League last year

LONDON: Rangers head coach Russell Martin said Thursday his “whole career has been based on proving people wrong” after he was unveiled as the new man in the Ibrox hot seat.

The 39-year-old former Southampton manager, who has signed a three-year contract with Rangers, has the daunting task of toppling champions Celtic, who have a stranglehold on the Scottish game.

Martin guided Saints to promotion to the Premier League last year but was sacked in December following one win from their first 16 games. The club were subsequently relegated.

Rangers finished last season second in the Scottish Premiership under the caretaker management of former captain Barry Ferguson, having dismissed Philippe Clement in February.

Ex-Scotland defender Martin, who had a short loan spell as a player at Rangers in 2018 and has also managed MK Dons and Swansea, was asked at a press conference about negative reaction from fans to his appointment.

“To the fans, I have to win. I don’t think I’ve been the number one choice at any club I’ve been at,” he said.

“By the time we’ve left every team I’ve been at, we’ve formed a real connection with the supporters. I hope this will be the same.

“My whole playing career was based on hard work and resilience. It was not done on talent.”

Martin said success at Ibrox would be measured in trophies, admitting he had “a lot to prove.”

Celtic have an iron grip on Scottish football, recently wrapping up a 13th title in 14 seasons.

But Martin is confident he can eventually knock Rangers’ bitter Glasgow rivals from their perch.

“My whole career has been based on proving people wrong,” he said. “I got to the Premier
League as a player, played international football. It’s the same as a manager.

“I feel after five and a half years of being a coach and a leader, I love doing it. I will be all-in here with my energy and my love for it. Hopefully it will reflect on the pitch.”

Martin was criticized for sticking to an attacking approach at Southampton even as his team was losing consistently but he defended his methods.

“We are here to win and we’ll do that in the best way we possibly can within a similar concept of the game,” he said.

“That is to be dominant with the ball, which I think is what Rangers fans expect, but to be really aggressive, really intense, really passionate, really hard-working first and foremost.”

Martin’s arrival is the latest in a series of major changes at Rangers.

An American consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises secured a majority shareholding on Friday, while new sporting director Kevin Thelwell officially began work on Monday.


Australia on brink of World Cup after dramatic late winner

Updated 05 June 2025
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Australia on brink of World Cup after dramatic late winner

  • In front of a sell-out crowd of 57,226 at Optus Stadium, the Socceroos were outplayed for long periods by an experimental Japan side
  • After beating Japan for the first time since 2009, Australia are on the cusp of next year’s World Cup in North America

PERTH: Australia moved to the brink of the World Cup after beating already qualified Japan 1-0 in Perth on Thursday thanks to Aziz Behich’s 90th-minute winner.

In front of a sell-out crowd of 57,226 at Optus Stadium, the Socceroos were outplayed for long periods by an experimental Japan side.

But then substitute Riley McGree cut the ball back to defender Behich, who rifled a bullet into the corner for his first international goal in 13 years and trigger scenes of jubilation.

After beating Japan for the first time since 2009, Australia are on the cusp of next year’s World Cup in North America.

“We know there’s room to grow and room to improve, but we’ve done something special tonight,” coach Tony Popovic said.

Before the game the Socceroos had a three-point lead and a significantly better goal difference over Saudi Arabia with two matches left.

The win does not totally guarantee Australia’s passage, with Saudi Arabia at Bahrain later on Thursday.

Australia then face the Saudis in Jeddah on June 10 in their final Group C match in the battle for second behind Japan.


Teams that finish in the top two of the six-team group guarantee their automatic spot at the World Cup.

After what had been a lacklustre performance for much of the game, Australia’s last-gasp victory continued their turnaround since Popovic arrived in September.

“We’ve all played a part in getting us to this point,” he said.

“We want to go to Saudi Arabia and really finish the job off.”

After becoming the first team to punch their ticket to the World Cup, Japan coach Hajjime
Moriyasu used the trip to Australia as an opportunity to experiment.

“I wanted to see what they (the inexperienced players) could do against a strong opponent in very difficult circumstances,” Moriyasu said.

“We have to improve and expand our squad.”

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo started on the bench as Japan fielded three debutants in the starting line-up.

Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, playing his 41st international, was considerably their most experienced starter.

Japan completely dominated the first half with 21-year-old midfielder Kota Tawaratsumida impressing on his debut.

It was only a matter of time before Japan had a clear-cut chance, with Yuito Suzuki having an attempt from long range on the half-hour mark.

Japan continued to attack with debutant Yu Hirakawa firing just wide of the left post after beating outstretched goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.

The break arrived at a good time for Australia.

After being brought on in the 64th minute, Kubo curled past the right post, before Behich stepped up late with his priceless goal.


Kohli ‘lost for words’ after 11 die celebrating Bengaluru IPL win

Updated 05 June 2025
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Kohli ‘lost for words’ after 11 die celebrating Bengaluru IPL win

  • Stampede near Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium killed 11 on Wednesday as players paraded trophy
  • Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Kohli, delighted thousands of fans after maiden IPL trophy win in 18 years this week

BENGALURU: Virat Kohli said he was lost for words after celebrations of a dream IPL title turned to tragedy when 11 mainly young cricket fans were crushed to death in Bengaluru.

Hundreds of thousands had packed the streets Wednesday to welcome home their hero Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after they had beaten Punjab Kings a day earlier in a thrilling Indian Premier League final.

But the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it “absolutely heartrending.”

Karnataka state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the 11 dead were young people and there were 47 others injured in the crush after a stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans.

Kohli, who top scored in the final, said earlier it had been “as much for the fans” after the 36-year-old finally celebrated winning the IPL at his 18th attempt.

Later, Kohli wrote on social media: “At a loss for words.

“Absolutely gutted,” he added, alongside a statement from the RCB team saying they were “deeply anguished” at what had unfolded.

One of the people injured described to AFP how a “huge crowd” had crushed her.

“They stamped on me,” said the woman, who did not give her name, from a wheelchair.

“I was not able to breathe. I fell unconscious.”

Most of the dead were young fans who had gone out just to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes.

Street food vendor Manoj Kumar mourned the death of his 18-year-old son, killed in the stampede, who he said he had stopped from working on his stall so he could study.

“I wanted him to go to college,” Kumar told the Indian Express newspaper.

“I brought him up with a lot of care. Now, he is gone.”

A grieving mother outside a city mortuary said her 22-year-old engineering student son had also died in the crush.

“He was crazy about RCB,” she was quoted as saying by the Indian Express on Thursday.

“He died in an RCB shirt. They danced when RCB won and now he is gone. Can RCB give him back to us?”

Authorities had already called off RCB’s proposed open-top bus victory parade through the streets after anticipating vast crowds.

But organizers pressed ahead with the welcome ceremony and celebrations inside the stadium.

RCB’s social media account posted a video of cheering crowds lining the streets as the players waved back from their team bus on their way to the stadium.

The team said they cut short the celebrations “immediately upon being made aware of the situation.”

Siddaramaiah said that the stadium had a capacity of “only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came.”


Bengaluru offer cash help after deadly India cricket stampede

Updated 05 June 2025
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Bengaluru offer cash help after deadly India cricket stampede

  • The euphoria of the vast crowds ended in disaster when 11 fans died in a stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
  • Most of the dead were young fans aged between 14 and 29 who had gone out just to catch a glimpse of their heroes

BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru said Thursday they stood “united” with fans as the Indian Premier League champions announced financial aid to families of those crushed to death during their title celebrations.

Hundreds of thousands had packed the streets in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Virat Kohli and his RCB team-mates after they beat Punjab Kings in a thrilling IPL final.

But the euphoria of the vast crowds ended in disaster when 11 fans died in a stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the players were parading the trophy.

Most of the dead were young fans aged between 14 and 29 who had gone out just to catch a glimpse of their heroes.

Dozens of abandoned shoes and flip-flops littered the site in the aftermath.

RCB offered financial aid of $11,655 to each family of those killed.

Indian media have widely reported the team earned $2.3 million in prize money alone for taking the title on Wednesday.

“Our fans will always remain at the heart of everything that we do,” RCB said. “We remain united in grief.”

Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said he was “at a loss for words” after celebrations of a dream IPL crown turned to tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident “absolutely heartrending.”

Police used mild force to disperse people outside the stadium, an eyewitness told AFP, but the crowd was “extremely difficult” to control.

Lakshminarayan, who lost his 14-year-old granddaughter in the crush, said his family carried the child in a motor rickshaw to hospital.

He said celebrations should have been delayed to prepare for the widely expected mass crowds.

“There was no need to conduct celebrations the very next day, they should have postponed it to a week and organized it a better way,” he said.

“You should take all precautionary measures, they should have police protection and follow the queue system.”

One of the people injured described to AFP how a “huge crowd” had crushed her.

“They stamped on me,” said the woman, who did not give her name, from a wheelchair.
“I was not able to breathe. I fell unconscious.”

Street food vendor Manoj Kumar mourned the death of his 18-year-old son.

“I wanted him to go to college,” Kumar told the Indian Express newspaper.

“I brought him up with a lot of care. Now he is gone.”

A grieving mother outside a city mortuary said her 22-year-old engineering student son had also died.

“He was crazy about RCB,” she was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

“He died in an RCB shirt. They danced when RCB won and now he is gone. Can RCB give him back to us?“

Authorities had already called off RCB’s proposed open-top bus victory parade through the streets after anticipating vast crowds.

But organizers pressed ahead with the welcome ceremony and celebrations inside the stadium.

RCB’s social media account posted a video of cheering crowds lining the streets as the players waved back from their team bus on their way to the stadium.

The team said they cut short the celebrations “immediately upon being made aware of the situation.”

Karnataka state chief minister Siddaramaiah said that the stadium had a capacity of “only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came.”