JOHANNESBURG: Fast bowler Anrich Nortje was on Monday named in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy one-day international tournament in Pakistan next month.
Nortje, 31, has not played in a 50-over match since September 2023 when he suffered a stress fracture.
He came back to be South Africa’s most successful bowler in the T20 World Cup last June but has not played an international match since the final against India in Barbados.
He turned down a Cricket South Africa contract in order to play T20 franchise cricket.
Nortje had been due to play in white-ball matches against Pakistan last month but suffered a broken right toe while batting in the nets.
Coach Rob Walter said he was confident Nortje would be in peak physical condition for the Champions Trophy.
“He was at our camp in Pretoria bowling really quickly,” said Walter.
“He was super-fit and super-energised to be playing for South Africa again and it was just one of those unfortunate circumstances. Anrich is the ultimate professional, he looks after himself and takes care of his conditioning. I’ve got no doubt he’ll be good to go.”
Fellow fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will also return after recovering from the groin injury which kept him out of South Africa’s home international season.
Ten of the squad played in the Cricket World Cup in India in 2023, where Walter said the team had “played exceptional cricket” to reach the semifinals.
While South Africa’s quest for a major trophy continues, Walter said a core group of players would benefit from reaching the semifinals and final of their last two International Cricket Council events.
“They know what it feels like to be in the cauldron,” he said.
South Africa will play in a triangular tournament in Pakistan against the hosts and New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy but are likely to have to select some different players because of a clash with the closing stages of the SA20 franchise tournament.
South African squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.
South African Group B fixtures:
February 21, Afghanistan in Karachi.
February 25, Australia in Rawalpindi.
March 1, England in Karachi.
Nortje back in South Africa squad for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
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Nortje back in South Africa squad for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- 31-year-old Anrich Nortje has not played in a 50-over match since September 2023 when he suffered a stress fracture
- South Africa will also play a triangular tournament in Pakistan against the hosts and New Zealand ahead of Champions Trophy
Benzema’s double strike gives Ittihad the double
- The Frenchman scored in each half to give the Tigers another trophy to celebrate
- There was an explosion of goalmouth action in the closing stages of the first half
JEDDAH: Karim Benzema scored twice as Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Qadsiah 3-1 on Friday to lift the King Cup and complete the double after winning the Saudi Pro League title earlier in May.
At a delighted King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, the Frenchman scored in each half to give the Tigers another trophy to celebrate with their fans. It marked a 10th King Cup triumph for the club to go along with its 10th league success.
There was an explosion of goalmouth action in the closing stages of the first half. Al-Ittihad had been on top for much of the game but both teams had come close. Fans to wait until the 34th minute however to break the deadlock.
First, Benzema, who scored 21 league goals, did what he does best. Moussa Diaby freed Steven Bergwijn down the right and his cross was chested home by Benzema.
Then, after 43 minutes, Diaby floated a ball over from the right to Benzema at the far post and while the Frenchman’s header was saved, there was Houssem Aouar to finish from close range.
Just when the Tigers were set to head back in at the break in a very good position, Al-Qadsiah were back in the game. Cameron Puertas was bundled over the box and up stepped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to send Predrag Rajkovic the wrong way.
After the restart, the next goal was always going to be crucial and though Al-Qadsiah pushed for an equaliser, it was Benzema who settled the tie and won the cup in added time after Qadsiah's Ezequiel Hernandez had been sent off for a second bookable offence.
Not for the first time in the game or the season, much of the good work was done by Diaby. The winger broke free on the left to put the ball across the goal for his fellow Frenchman to score from close range to seal the cup and the double with almost the last kick of a hugely successful –and long- season for Ittihad.
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed leads Saudi Sports for All delegation at London investment forum
- MESIF 2025 brought together investors, policymakers and sports leaders from across the MENA region to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing sports sector
LONDON: Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed led a high-level Saudi delegation at this week’s Middle East Sports Investment Forum 2025 in London, where he highlighted the Kingdom’s push to promote inclusive, community-based sports as part of its Vision 2030 reform agenda.
The Saudi Sports for All Federation, represented by Prince Khaled in his capacity as president and Managing Director Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, joined more than 300 delegates at the event held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 27-28.
Organized with the backing of the Saudi Ministry of Investment and in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Sports, MESIF 2025 brought together investors, policymakers and sports leaders from across the MENA region to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing sports sector.
Prince Khaled praised the forum’s organizers and sponsors for convening a cross-regional dialogue, highlighting the value of engaging both core and adjacent sectors in driving the future of sport across the Gulf and beyond.
Speaking on a panel, Al-Husseini said the SFA remained committed to measuring its social impact using a data-led approach.
“Our metrics are aligned with the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan and are informed by national surveys, digital platforms and direct community feedback,” she said.
Al-Husseini added that Saudi Arabia had already seen tangible improvements in public participation and gender equity, and that the SFA’s long-term strategy centers on behavioral change, community ownership and evidence-based infrastructure development.
Discussions at MESIF 2025 covered a wide range of topics, including sports finance, innovation and technology, fan engagement, stadium infrastructure and the role of tourism in sports development.
Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body
Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body
- World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes Friday
- The governing body specifically mentioned Khelif when announcing the policy
DUBAI: Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to participate in upcoming events with the sport’s new governing body.
World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes Friday. The governing body specifically mentioned Khelif when announcing the policy, saying the Algerian gold medal winner must be screened before she will be approved to fight at any upcoming events, including the Eindhoven Box Cup next month in the Netherlands.
“The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” World Boxing wrote in a statement. The fighters’ national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.
Khelif won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer amid international scrutiny on her and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, another gold medal winner. The previous governing body for Olympic boxing, the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association, disqualified both fighters from its 2023 world championships after claiming they had failed an unspecified eligibility test.
The IOC ran the past two Olympic boxing tournaments after the banishment of the IBA for decades of misdeeds and controversy, and it applied the sex eligibility rules used in previous Olympics. Khelif and Lin were eligible to compete under those standards.
Khelif intends to return to international competition next month in Eindhoven as part of her plan to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics, but some boxers and their federations had already spoken out to protest her inclusion.
Chromosome testing was common in Olympic sports during the 20th century, but was largely abandoned in the 1990s because of numerous ambiguities that couldn’t be easily resolved by the tests, collectively known as differences in sex development (DSD). Many sports switched to hormone testing to determine sex eligibility, but those tests require governing bodies to make difficult decisions on the eligibility of women with naturally high testosterone levels.
Three months ago, World Athletics — the governing body for track and field — became the first Olympic sport to reintroduce chromosome testing, requiring athletes who compete in the women’s events to submit to the test once in their careers.
World Boxing has been provisionally approved to replace the IBA as the governing body at the Los Angeles Games, but it has faced significant pressure from boxers and their federations to create sex eligibility standards.
World Boxing announced that all athletes over 18 years old in its competitions must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex at birth. The PCR test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood.
If an athlete intending to compete in the women’s categories is determined to have male chromosomal material, “initial screenings will be referred to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists,” World Boxing wrote. The policy also includes an appeals process.
The boxing body’s decision is the latest development in a tumultuous period in Olympic sex eligibility policy. The issue of transgender participation in sports has become an international flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and other conservative world leaders repeatedly weighing in.
Earlier this year, World Athletics also proposed recommendations that would apply strict transgender rules to athletes who were born female but had what the organization describes as naturally occurring testosterone levels in the typical male range. In 2023, World Athletics banned transgender athletes who had transitioned male to female and gone through male puberty.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said he felt confident that the body’s new rules would withstand legal challenges.
The 26-year-old Khelif had competed in women’s boxing events under the IBA’s auspices without controversy until the 2023 world championships. She had never won a major international competition before her dominant performance in the women’s welterweight division in Paris.
Concentration not obsession needed in Champions League final, says Inter coach Inzaghi
- “I have seen determination and not the obsession that shouldn’t be there,” Inzaghi told reporters
- “Instead, there should be the right concentration and determination”
MUNICH: Inter Milan are determined to avenge their 2023 Champions League final loss, though manager Simone Inzaghi warned on Friday against letting determination become obsession against Paris St. Germain in this year’s final.
While Inter’s domestic campaign ended trophyless, in Europe, Inzaghi and his players are desperate to banish the ghosts of Istanbul and their defeat to Manchester City, but they will not let their resolve turn into fixation ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Munich.
“I have seen determination and not the obsession that shouldn’t be there,” Inzaghi told reporters.
“Instead, there should be the right concentration and determination, and this is what the guys have shown me in these days.
“I asked during the week for concentration and determination, but not obsession, we must be free, free of mind in preparing in the best possible way.”
Inzaghi believes his squad is experienced and successful enough to be able to put those plans in place on Saturday, and put behind them the disappointment of losing their Serie A title to Napoli.
“The psychological side is important, we worked in the best way, leaving aside the disappointment,” Inzaghi said.
“We know how certain matches are prepared, we have world champions, we have European champions.
“We have also gained experience on how to reach the Champions League final, which is a very important match, just like a World Cup final, a European Championship final.”
Inzaghi will go into the biggest game of the season with his whole squad available, confirming that defender Benjamin Pavard is fit having missed the semifinal win over Barcelona and the final four league games.
“The guys are all available and this year, out of 59 matches, in just three games we have had all 23 available,” Inzaghi said.
“It gives a coach great confidence. Having everyone available is better than anyone could ask for, because you know you can count on all the players, players that I am proud to coach.”
Inzaghi was asked what his team needs more than anything else in order to defeat Luis Enrique’s PSG, a side which has won every trophy they have competed for so far this season.
“Aggressiveness, clarity, there could be many more because to play a match like this, to win, to win such an important match, it will take everything,” Inzaghi said.
“It will take everything, along with all the details that we are trying to take care of in the best possible way, knowing that in front of us we have a great team that has deserved the final, like Inter, which has incredible strength and a great coach.”
Liverpool sign Frimpong from Leverkusen
- Frimpong, who will officially join on June 1, signed a five-year contract
LONDON: Premier League champions Liverpool have signed defender Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen on a long-term contract, both clubs announced on Friday.
Financial details were not disclosed by either club, but British media reported that Liverpool triggered a 35 million euros ($39.73 million) release clause for the 24-year-old Dutch international, whose deal with Leverkusen was valid until 2028.
Frimpong, who will officially join on June 1, signed a five-year contract, media reports said.
The right back, who can also play as a winger, played a key role in the Leverkusen side that won the German domestic double in 2023-24, chipping in with 14 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.
