Afghanistan women’s team gets funding from the International Cricket Council

Afghan players congratulate top scoring batter Zazai as she walks off the field during their match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval, Melbourne, on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)
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Updated 14 April 2025
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Afghanistan women’s team gets funding from the International Cricket Council

  • The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players
  • An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January

MELBOURNE: Afghan women cricketers will finally get high-level support in a bid to rejoin international competition after the sport’s world governing body created a taskforce to coordinate direct funding, elite coaching and facilities for displaced players.

Dozens of players from Afghanistan’s national women’s team relocated to Australia after the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 and enforced bans on women’s sports. The players have been seeking official support ever since.

The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players.

ICC chairman Jay Shah said his organization is “deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances.”

“The ICC believes this (support fund) will not only help preserve the sporting careers of Afghan women cricketers but also reinforce the sport’s role as a unifying force that transcends borders and adversity,” he said.

An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January, bringing together 21 female players who were formerly contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

Since leaving Afghanistan many of the women cricketers have been based in the Australian capital and in Melbourne and playing for club teams in local competitions.

Firooza Amiri said ahead of that exhibition match in January that her team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights.”

Amiri fled her home country with her family and first traveled to Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia.

Under Taliban rule, the Afghanistan Cricket Board cannot field a national women’s team because the country’s laws forbid women from playing sport, studying and medical education, moves that have been criticized by world groups including the International Criminal Court.

Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council and a condition of that status should require it to have a women’s national team.

England and Australia have refused to participate in direct series against Afghanistan in protest, but continue to play against the Afghan men in ICC events.

It was the Afghanistan men’s historic run to the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year that sparked the women’s team members to again approach the ICC about funding.

The group first approached the ICC in 2023, asking for support for a refugee team based in Australia to rejoin international cricket.


Ernie Els, Retief Goosen join South African president in White House meeting with Trump

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Ernie Els, Retief Goosen join South African president in White House meeting with Trump

  • Els and Retief Goosen, both Hall of Fame players who have combined to win six US Open titles, were part of the delegation with President Cyril Ramaphosa
  • Both were in Washington for the Senior PGA Championship, which starts Thursday at Congressional Country Club
  • Trump had already cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees

WASHINGTON: Ernie Els went to Washington to try to win another senior major and wound up in the White House on Wednesday at the invitation of South Africa’s president, who is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of systematic killing of white farmers in the country.

Els and Retief Goosen, both Hall of Fame players who have combined to win six US Open titles, were part of the delegation with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Trump had already cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees as he pressed the case that a “genocide” is underway in the country.

He has launched a series of accusations at South Africa’s Black-led government, claiming it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy.

Experts in South Africa say there is no evidence of whites being targeted for their race, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate.

Trump, who developed high-end golf courses before entering politics, is at ease among some of the game’s greats from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. He first played golf with Els, who lives in south Florida, eight years ago.

“When I spoke to you, you said, ‘Yes, come along and bring Gary Player and Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.’ I brought the two of them,” Ramaphosa said.

He said he spoke with Player, who turns 90 in November, and Player said he was getting in on years but wished them luck in the discussion. Trump awarded Player the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jan. 7, 2021, one day after pro-Trump rioters attacked the White House.

“We’re proud South Africans,” Els said when Trump asked him to speak. “We want to see things get better in our home country. That’s the bottom line. It’s been 35 years since the transition (from apartheid).

“I know there’s a lot of anger through the transition, a lot of stuff happening in apartheid days. We grew up in the apartheid era. But I don’t think two wrongs make a right.”

Els said Nelson Mandela “didn’t come out with hatred” when he was freed after 27 years in prison, instead working to unify South Africa through sport after being elected president in 1994. He cited the World Cup of Rugby in 1995, winning the African Nations in soccer and a few golf majors.

Els won four majors, two each at the US Open and British Open. Goosen, who recovered from being struck by lightning, won two US Opens.

Both were in Washington for the Senior PGA Championship, which starts Thursday at Congressional Country Club across the Potomac River in Bethesda, Maryland.

“What I’m trying to say is this has been a long time coming. That’s why we really wanted to meet you and see our way forward,” Els said. “We still want to see our country flourish. ... There’s a lot of co-existence going on, but we need the US to push this thing through.”

Goosen, whose father was a property developer and a part-time farmer, grew up in what now is Polokwane. He said his brother is still running the farm but “it’s a constant battle with ... them trying to burn the farm down to chase you away.”

“It is a concern to try to make a living as a farmer,” he said.

Els, known as the “Big Easy” for his fluid swing, first played golf with Trump in 2017 during his first term in office.

“We didn’t talk politics because I’m not a man who can cast a vote,” Els told The Associated Press that year. “Whether you agree or not, I felt it was a duty to play with the president when you get the call. It’s basically honoring what the United States has done for me and my family.”


Spurs edge Man Utd to win Europa League and end trophy drought

Updated 22 May 2025
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Spurs edge Man Utd to win Europa League and end trophy drought

BILBAO: Brennan Johnson’s scrambled goal ended a 17-year Tottenham trophy drought with a battling 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
Spurs, who had not won European silverware since 1984, will play in next season’s Champions League, while failing to qualify for it is a severe financial set-back for Manchester United.
Despite their triumph in Bilbao, manager Ange Postecoglou’s future is still on the line following a shambolic domestic campaign, with Spurs sitting a place below United in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.
The Australian furiously insisted he was “not a clown” on the eve of the final and had the last laugh on a nerve-racking night at the San Mames, as he made good on his claim to always win a trophy in his second season in charge of a club.
“This is what it’s all about, this club hasn’t won a trophy for 17 years, honestly, this is what it means, it means so much,” Wales winger Johnson told TNT Sports.
“Ever since I came here it’s been (people saying) ‘Tottenham are a good team, but they never get it done’ — we got it done!“
Fans came from far and wide to pack Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, some taking quite preposterous routes and sleeping in cars to avoid eye-watering prices, but they could not escape a final lacking in quality.
It was a match between teams languishing in 16th and 17th place respectively after dismal Premier League campaigns and that was the essence of it too, played at high intensity but with low confidence, and a prize on the line so big it overawed.
There were a large number of turnovers, neither side keeping the ball with any ease, moves ending in panicked defending and balls being thumped to safety, or a litany of clumsy fouls.
Harry Maguire blocked well from Tottenham’s Pape Sarr early on after Johnson nipped in ahead of Luke Shaw to break in down the right.
Manchester United fans chanted Ruben Amorim’s name, backing their Portuguese coach despite the club’s worst Premier League season in half a century.
At the other end, 22-year-old United winger Amad Diallo, one of the few players high on self-belief, flashed a shot across goal and then left Destiny Udogie spinning, trying in vain to find him as he dribbled past.
Spurs made the breakthrough after 42 minutes and, perhaps fittingly, it came in the form of an extremely scrappy goal.
Tottenham midfielder Sarr, who had completed just a single pass to this point, curled in a cross to the near post for Johnson.
The winger’s attempted flick bounced off Shaw’s shoulder, brushed Johnson’s boot again and crossed the goal-line in slow motion with Andre Onana unable to claw it out with a desperate arm.
Spurs sat back in the second half, trying to protect their slender advantage and look for opportunities to strike again on the counter-attack.
They nearly found one when Yves Bissouma played in Dominic Solanke, but the striker could not control the pass and the chance went to waste.
Manchester United almost equalized when Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario came off his line but failed to claim a set-piece pounded forward from deep.
The ball dropped for Rasmus Hojlund but his header over the stranded Spurs stopper was sensationally cleared in acrobatic fashion by Micky van de Ven.
Spurs sent on captain Son Heung-min for the ragged Richarlison, with the South Korean international a surprising non-starter.
Manchester United turned to Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee to try and dig them out of their hole, but fell to a fourth defeat against Spurs this season.
Shaw had a chance to redeem himself at the end for his part in Johnson’s goal but his header was pushed to safety by Vicario.
Amorim said winning the trophy would not solve United’s many deep-lying problems but could set the club up well for the future, however United leave Bilbao without even that.
For the first time since the 2014-15 season they will not play European football next term.


Zverev suffers early exit in French Open warm-up

Updated 21 May 2025
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Zverev suffers early exit in French Open warm-up

  • Muller, ranked 40th in the world, beat a top-five ranked opponent for the first time in his career
  • The German said sickness was behind his lacklustre showing

BERLIN: World number three Alexander Zverev blamed illness after a last 16 elimination by Frenchman Alexandre Muller in the Hamburg Open on Wednesday botched his French Open dress rehearsal.

Muller, ranked 40th in the world, won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the quarter-finals, beating a top-five ranked opponent for the first time in his career.

The German struggled in the opening set, taking just two games as Muller won in 34 minutes. Zverev opened strongly in the second and broke his opponent twice.

In the third, Zverev and Muller broke each other once before forcing a tiebreak. Zverev held the advantage until Muller won the final three points to take the match.

A last-minute sign-up to the clay court event, Zverev had hoped to use his hometown tournament to gain momentum for the French Open.

The German said sickness was behind his lacklustre showing. “It was OK considering I threw up 37 times and had a fever of 39.4 degrees (Celsius, 102.9 Fahrenheit) all night.

“I was two points away from winning the match. There’s a lot to be said in my favor.”

The 28-year-old said his opponent had taken advantage of his poor condition.

“When I had to walk it was difficult. He then realized at some point I wasn’t feeling well and made the points last as long as possible.”

Still looking for a breakthrough Grand Slam victory, Zverev lost in the most recent Australian and French Open finals, along with the US Open in 2020.

After an inconsistent start to 2025, Zverev broke through to win the Bavarian Open in April, his third victory on the Munich clay. The German was however eliminated at the quarter-finals in Rome in straight sets last Wednesday.

Zverev won the tournament in 2023 and made the final last year, losing to France’s Arthur Fils in a third-set tiebreak.

The German was considered the favorite for the tournament after world number one Jannik Sinner’s late withdrawal.

Earlier on Wednesday, American second seed Frances Tiafoe was eliminated by Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and fourth-seeded Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo lost to Czech Jiri Lehecka.


Saudi Dodgeball Federation hosts introductory event for wheelchair users

Updated 21 May 2025
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Saudi Dodgeball Federation hosts introductory event for wheelchair users

  • First-of-its-kind event in the Kingdom is part of federation’s efforts to promote and expand participation in the sport across the country
  • Organization says it is committed to helping disabled persons develop their talents and abilities in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030

RIYADH: The Saudi Dodgeball Federation this week hosted an event to introduce wheelchair users to a version of the sport they can take part in.
The federation said the first-of-its-kind event, which took place on Monday at Riyadh Club for Persons with Disabilities, was an example of the social programs and activities it offers as part of its efforts to promote and expand participation in the sport across the Kingdom.
This reflects the organization’s commitment to helping disabled persons develop their talents and abilities, it added, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the national plan for development and economic diversification.
Federation officials present at the event included its president, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz, and its executive director, Abdulaziz Al-Hazani.
Prince Saud thanked the Riyadh Club for its constructive cooperation with federation in staging the event, and praised it for the work it does to support and train athletes with disabilities.
“The event is a continuation of the federation’s ongoing efforts and commitment to working with various entities and organizations across the Kingdom to serve Saudi sports and contribute to the realization of Vision 2030 objectives,” he added.


Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster

Updated 21 May 2025
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Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster

  • "Titled 'Forever Bound', the new memorial will replace the existing plaque
  • The memorial will be unveiled later in the English summer

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool will unveil a new memorial at Anfield to mark the 40th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium disaster where 39 supporters were killed, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The fans, mainly Italian Juventus supporters, were killed when a wall collapsed after Liverpool fans charged them before the European Cup final in Brussels in 1985.

More than 600 were also injured in one of the worst disasters in soccer stadiums, leading to a five-year ban for English clubs from European competition.


"Titled 'Forever Bound', the new memorial will replace the existing plaque currently situated on the wall of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and will move to a new location at the stadium," Liverpool said in a statement.

"The newly designed memorial will feature two scarves knotted together and gently tied - symbolising the unity and solidarity between the two clubs and the bond formed through shared grief and mutual respect in the aftermath of the disaster."

Liverpool said the plans for the new memorial were shared with Juventus and the families who lost loved ones.

The memorial will be unveiled later in the English summer. Juventus are unveiling their own near their Allianz Stadium on May 29, the anniversary of the disaster.

"To see a new memorial created with such care means a lot and it's incredibly important to have a fitting tribute to remember the 39 fans who lost their lives," the Liverpool statement cited Ian Rush, who played for both clubs and also witnessed the tragedy in 1985, as saying.

"We must never forget why this matters and why we continue to stand together in solidarity, all these years later."