UAE MMA athletes Sara Alzarooni, Rakan Alyammahi grab gold on opening day of Youth World Championships

UAE MMA athletes Sara Alzarooni, Rakan Alyammahi grab gold on opening day of Youth World Championships
The UAE claimed four medals on the opening day of the IMMAF Youth World Championships in Abu Dhbai (UAEJJF)
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Updated 07 August 2024
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UAE MMA athletes Sara Alzarooni, Rakan Alyammahi grab gold on opening day of Youth World Championships

UAE MMA athletes Sara Alzarooni, Rakan Alyammahi grab gold on opening day of Youth World Championships
  • Fifth International MMA Federation championships is taking place at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi until Aug. 10
  • Noof Almutwa and Saoud Alblooshi secure bronze for the hosts in the 40 kg and 31 kg divisions, respectively

ABU DHABI: The fifth IMMAF Youth World Championships began on Tuesday at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi with the UAE National Team securing two gold and two bronze medals.

The five-day event, organized by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation, will run until Aug. 10, featuring over 800 athletes from more than 45 countries.

In the Youth C 12-to-13-year age division, the UAE’s Sara Alzarooni (40 kg) and Rakan Alyammahi (34 kg) won gold, while Noof Almutwa and Saoud Alblooshi secured bronze in the 40 kg and 31 kg divisions, respectively.

Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohammed Alhashmi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-jitsu Federation, said the hosting of the event for the third consecutive year demonstrates the trust Abu Dhabi has earned from the MMA and sports community.

“It reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as the global MMA capital. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation takes pride in organizing this prestigious championship, providing an excellent environment for young talents and emerging stars from around the world to showcase their skills.”

Kerrith Brown, president of the IMMAF, praised the UAE federation for its hospitality and support in advancing MMA globally.

“The IMMAF Youth World Championships are undoubtedly one of IMMAF’s flagship events, bringing together competitors from all five continents to promote cultural and educational exchange.

“Together, we use this platform to foster unity across all cultures, backgrounds, genders, and beliefs, demonstrating that MMA can drive positive change.”

Gold medalist Alzarooni said: “I’m dedicating this medal to the wise leadership and the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation. Their support in hosting major tournaments has given Emirati athletes many chances to compete and gain experience.

“This win is not just for me, but for everyone who has supported me, including my coaches, teammates, and family. I’m grateful for their help and proud to represent my country.”

American Nixie Garcia, who won gold in the 52 kg category, said: “It feels so amazing to win a gold medal at the IMMAF Youth World Championships. I am so proud of myself.

“It just feels great to be the champion. My preparations for the event have been great — eating healthier, training hard, and sweating a lot. All these efforts have paid off now.”

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Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive

Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive
Updated 5 sec ago
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Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive

Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive
Leverkusen needed a win to stay six points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, who won 3-1 at Augsburg on Friday
Xabi Alonso’s side looked out of ideas in attack against the relegation candidates, missing the creative spark of injured playmaker Florian Wirtz

HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Emiliano Buendia snatched a stoppage-time winner to take Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, keeping their slim hopes of defending their league title alive.
Eliminated from the German Cup by third-division Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday, Leverkusen needed a win to stay six points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, who won 3-1 at Augsburg on Friday.
Xabi Alonso’s side looked out of ideas in attack against the relegation candidates, missing the creative spark of injured playmaker Florian Wirtz.
However, as they have done so often under the Spaniard, Leverkusen scored in injury time to grab all three points, Buendia curling home from outside the box on 91 minutes.
Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah said: “We didn’t play a good game at all... It was difficult today — at the end we needed a bit of luck.”
“We needed to win today, we did it, job done — and now we’re still in with a shot,” Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka told Sky Germany.
The goal was Buendia’s first since arriving on loan from Aston Villa and may prove crucial to Leverkusen’s hopes of catching up with an injury-ravaged Bayern side, with six games in the season remaining.

Elsewhere, goals from Karim Adeyemi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens took Borussia Dortmund to a dominant 4-1 win at Freiburg, days out from their Champions League trip to Barcelona.
“It’ll be a difficult week, but every game is winnable,” Dortmund’s Pascal Gross said of the Barcelona challenge.
Adeyemi unleashed an unstoppable drive to put Dortmund in front from an acute angle with 34 minutes gone.
Six minutes into the second half, Adeyemi found Chukwuemeka on the break in acres of space.
The England under-21 international’s shot was deflected into the goal by the Freiburg defense for Chukwuemeka’s first goal since joining Dortmund from Chelsea on loan in winter.
Guirassy came off the bench and sealed the result with a 68th-minute tap-in, his 25th goal for Dortmund in all competitions this season.
Substitute Gittens put the icing on the cake with a pinpoint header with 78 minutes gone, before Maximilian Eggestein grabbed a late consolation for the hosts.
The win moved Dortmund to eighth, one spot behind Freiburg and five points behind fourth-placed Mainz, who drew 1-1 at home with lowly Holstein Kiel.
Kiel, promoted to the top division for the first time this season, took the lead thanks to a fine first-half strike from Alexander Bernhardsson, but Nelson Weiper drew Mainz level with 15 minutes remaining.
RB Leipzig won their first match since dismissing coach Marco Rose, coming from behind to beat a 10-man Hoffenheim at home 3-1 thanks to goals from Benjamin Sesko, Ridle Baku and Yussuf Poulsen.
Hoffenheim took the lead thanks to a swerving strike from the Bayern-bound Tom Bischof 11 minutes in, but lost Leo Ostigard to a last-man foul with 28 minutes played.
Leipzig jumped up to fifth with the win, a point behind fourth, while Hoffenheim are five points clear of Heidenheim in the relegation playoff spot.
Stuttgart kept within sight of the European placings with a dominant 4-0 win at Bochum.
Days after booking a spot in the German Cup final with a win over RB Leipzig, Stuttgart’s victory was their first in the league since early February, after a six-game winless run.
An Ermedin Demirovic hat-trick and a goal from defender Jeff Chabot took Stuttgart to ninth, six points behind the Champions League spots.
Later on Saturday, Werder Bremen host Eintracht Frankfurt.

City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United

City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United
Updated 54 min 35 sec ago
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City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United

City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United
  • De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a City shirt against the club’s crosstown rival
  • The 33-year-old Belgian has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) across those previous 21 fixtures

MANCHESTER: The 196th Manchester Derby will be the last for longtime Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who announced this week he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a City shirt against the club’s crosstown rival in a Sunday clash at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The match also will have European implications for the Cityzens (15-9-6, 51 points).
The 33-year-old Belgian has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) across those previous 21 fixtures, with seven of those goal involvements coming in Premier League meetings.
That record speaks to a greater legacy as a foundational piece of City’s growth into a titan of English and European football. The midfielder played on six of the 10 City sides that have won league titles in club history, 13 of its 25 major domestic honors including the FA Cup and League Cup, and its only UEFA Champions League title-winning team in 2022-23.
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest for sure,” manager Pep Guardiola said Friday. “The consistency in important games and not important games, every three days being there all the time. There’s no doubt.
“His assists, goals, vision in (the) final third is so difficult to replace.”
De Bruyne’s injury problems over the past two seasons are a major reason the club looks set to finally relinquish its four-year hold on the league title. City enter the weekend in fifth, all but mathematically eliminated from the title chase, but only one point back of Chelsea for a top-four finish and another guaranteed Champions League berth.
Similarly, United also have lagged expectations this season and are still mired in 13th place, nowhere close to relegation danger but well outside of contention for Europe.
The Red Devils have had almost no production from their forward. Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes leads the side with eight goals, and among strikers, Ivorian Amad Diallo has been the most proficient with six goals and six assists.
And although manager Ruben Amorim has engineered some promising stretches, including a four-match unbeaten league run prior to Tuesday’s loss to Nottingham Forest, he would trade places with City in a heartbeat.
“I think we have bigger problems than Manchester City,” Amorim said. “They had that run in that moment — but they improved. They can play in different ways, it is really hard to think how they can face us. They have maybe the best coach in the world. They have top players. But I am so focused on my team.”


Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL

Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL
Updated 05 April 2025
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Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL

Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL
  • Delhi’s third straight win to start off this season — only the second time they have achieved this feat in IPL history

CHENNAI: Lokesh Rahul led the way with 77 off 51 balls as Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs on Saturday to continue their winning start in the Indian Premier League.
Rahul hit a maiden half-century for his new franchise, including six fours and three sixes, as Delhi notched up 183-6 in 20 overs. Abishek Porel contributed 33 off 20 balls.
In reply, Chennai were restricted to 158-5 (20 overs), with their top-order lacking the firepower needed for such a chase.
It was Delhi’s third straight win to start off this season — only the second time they have achieved this feat in IPL history, the last such occasion was in 2009.
The Capitals thus climbed atop the points’ table with six points. For Chennai, it was a third straight loss in four games overall.
Opting to bat, Delhi lost attacking opener Jake Fraser-McGurk for a five-ball duck. Khaleel Ahmed was Chennai’s best bowler with 2-25 in four overs, including the opener’s wicket.
Rahul and Porel then added 54 off 36 balls for the second wicket, with the latter hitting four fours and a six before he was out caught off Ravindra Jadeja.
Skipper Axar Patel put in a cameo — 21 off 14 balls — helping Delhi get to 90-3 just past the halfway stage.
Rahul reached 50 off 33 deliveries and helped strike middle-order partnerships with Sameer Rizvi (20) and Tristan Stubbs (24 not out off 12 balls).
The hosts suffered from a lack of firepower in their batting.
Rachin Ravindra was out for three, while Devon Conway was caught for 13. Mitchell Starc removed skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for five runs and the game was all but over at 41-3 in 5.3 overs.
Impact substitute Shivam Dube struggled to get going — he scored 18 off 15 balls — while Jadeja was out lbw for two.
Vijay Shankar held fort at one end and scored 69 not out off 54 balls, including five fours and a six. It wasn’t enough to turn the tide however.
Shankar put on 84 off 57 balls with MS Dhoni, who scored 30 not out off 26 balls. But it was never really a realistic chasing effort from the duo.
Punjab Kings hosts Rajasthan Royals at Chandigarh in the second game on Saturday.


Pakistan claim Afghan spectators verbally abused their players in New Zealand

Pakistan claim Afghan spectators verbally abused their players in New Zealand
Updated 05 April 2025
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Pakistan claim Afghan spectators verbally abused their players in New Zealand

Pakistan claim Afghan spectators verbally abused their players in New Zealand
  • “Foreign spectators hurled inappropriate remarks at (Pakistan) cricketers,” the PCB said
  • Khushdil Shah stepped in when anti-Pakistan slogans emerged from the stands

NEW ZEALAND: The Pakistan Cricket Board condemned the verbal abuse of its players allegedly by Afghan spectators during Pakistan’s third one-day international at New Zealand on Saturday.
“During the match today, foreign spectators hurled inappropriate remarks at (Pakistan) cricketers present on the field,” the PCB said in a statement after the 43-run loss to New Zealand at Mount Maunganui.
Khushdil Shah stepped in when anti-Pakistan slogans emerged from the stands, the PCB said.


“Afghan spectators escalated the situation by using further inappropriate language in Pashto,” the PCB said.
Stadium officials intervened and ejected the “two disruptive spectators,” the governing board added.
New Zealand swept the three-match series 3-0. The tourists lost the five-match T20 series 4-1.
Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq was retired hurt after sustaining mild facial injury, caused by an accidental throw from a New Zealand fielder in the third over of Pakistan’s run-chase.
Imam underwent a CT scan Tauranga Hospital and it “reported as normal.”
He was diagnosed with a mild concussion, the PCB said. He was declared fit to fly back home with the team.


Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis

Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis
Updated 05 April 2025
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Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis

Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis
  • The German giants did not provide a time-frame for Musiala’s recovery
  • Domestic media reported he was set to miss six to eight weeks given the serious nature of the tear

MUNICH: Bayern Munich on Saturday confirmed midfielder Jamal Musiala was set for a stint on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring, as the injury-hit side’s troubles deepen.
Musiala, 22, was helped from the pitch in the second half of Bayern’s 3-1 win at Augsburg on Friday, having motioned to the bench while grabbing at the back of his left thigh.
Bayern on Saturday issued a statement saying the club would “be without Jamal Musiala for the time being” following an “examination from the club’s medical department.”
The German giants did not provide a time-frame for Musiala’s recovery, but domestic media reported he was set to miss six to eight weeks given the serious nature of the tear.
The upcoming period is crucial for Bayern in the Champions League and the Bundesliga.
Bayern host Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, before the return match in Italy the following Wednesday.
The Bavarians also have six more Bundesliga fixtures to play, but hold a nine point advantage over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who have a game in hand.
To add further fuel to their fire, the Champions League final will take place on May 31 in Bayern’s own Allianz Arena.
After the European season ends, Bayern will take part in the expanded Club World Cup in the United States in July.
But the Bavarians are currently in the midst of an injury crisis, with several first team players sidelined for long periods.
Defenders Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito look set to miss the remainder of the season with various injuries.
Goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer, winger Kingsley Coman and midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic are also out with injury and have unclear timelines for a return.
Bayern striker Harry Kane left the arena in Augsburg on Friday with a heavily iced ankle, but the England captain said the injury was “just a minor one — I’m not worried.”
Musiala’s injury also puts him in doubt for Germany’s Nations League fixtures in June.
Germany will face Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4, with a potential final at the same venue four days later.
Musiala has emerged as a key component of Julian Nagelsmann’s resurgent Germany.