New Zealand recall proven trio for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy

New Zealand's Kane Williamson (C) talks with temmates Will Young (L) and Devon Conway during a training session one day before the first Test cricket match between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on November 27, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 12 January 2025
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New Zealand recall proven trio for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy

  • New Zealand recall Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson for upcoming tournament
  • Key trio were unavailable for home ODI series against Sri Lanka due to offshore T20 commitments

Wellington: Seasoned players Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson were recalled Sunday to an experienced New Zealand squad to contest the Champions Trophy one-day tournament.

The key trio were unavailable for the just-completed home ODI series against Sri Lanka because of offshore T20 commitments.

Batters Williamson and Conway have been playing in South Africa’s T20 league while pace bowler Ferguson is involved in Australia’s Big Bash competition.

Ben Sears was also selected for the ICC tournament co-hosted by Pakistan and UAE, having missed the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a knee injury.

It will be the first senior ICC event for Sears and fellow pace bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith.

Coach Gary Stead will oversee a squad he said also boasted experience and depth.

“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” Stead said.

Spin bowler Mitchell Santner will lead New Zealand at a major event for the first time, after being named full-time white ball captain in December.

Santner, former skipper Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham were all part of the New Zealand squad for the last edition of the Champions Trophy, in England and Wales in 2017.

New Zealand will contest the tournament’s opening match against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, followed by pool games against Bangladesh and India.

New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke


Bayern Munich celebrate Bundesliga title with last home win for Thomas Müller

Updated 15 sec ago
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Bayern Munich celebrate Bundesliga title with last home win for Thomas Müller

After being presented with the trophy, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer gave it to Müller to hoist toward the Munich sky and start the confetti-filled celebrations

There was another outpouring of emotion when Harry Kane got his chance to lift the “salad bowl”

BERLIN: Thomas Müller led Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title celebrations after helping the team beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 in his last home game for the club on Saturday.

After being presented with the trophy, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer gave it to Müller to hoist toward the Munich sky and start the confetti-filled celebrations.

There was another outpouring of emotion when Harry Kane got his chance to lift the “salad bowl” — it’s the England captain’s first team trophy after a career of near-misses.

Bayern won the title last weekend and Michael Olize made sure of this win by scoring one goal and setting up the other for Kane’s league-leading 25th of the season to get the party underway in Munich.

Relegation decided
Bochum and Holstein Kiel were relegated while Leipzig’s hopes of Champions League qualification were over after drawing at Werder Bremen 0-0.

Last-placed Bochum lost at home to Mainz 4-1, and Kiel lost at home 2-1 to Freiburg, which consolidated fourth place and were well-placed for Champions League qualification.

Leipzig’s scoreless draw in Bremen left them four points behind Freiburg with one round remaining, meaning they can no longer qualify for Europe’s lucrative premier competition.

Neither Bochum nor Kiel have any possibility of catching third-from-bottom Heidenheim following the latter’s 3-0 win at Union Berlin. Heidenheim made sure of at least a relegation playoff place.

With one game left to play, Bochum had 22 points, Kiel 25, and Heidenheim 29 – just two behind St. Pauli, which had two matches remaining. St. Pauli play their penultimate match at third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Bochum needed to avoid defeat and hope for a favor from Union against Heidenheim at the same time. But Mainz were 3-0 up before Bochum scored. Mainz confirmed Bochum’s seventh demotion from the top division.

Bochum were promoted to the Bundesliga as the second division champion in 2021, ending an 11-year absence from the top division.

Bochum defeated Bayern 3-2 away in March, but they were Dieter Hecking’s team’s only win in their last 11 games.

“I’ve been relegated before, it’s anything but nice. You could see it with the lads, tears were flowing,” Bochum captain Maximilian Wittek said. “It’s among the worst things that can happen in football.”

Kiel also gone
Kiel were promoted for the first time only last season and coach Marcel Rapp’s team have quickly returned to the second division.

Kiel scored first but Johan Manzambi equalized before the break and Lucas Höler headed Freiburg toward the Champions League.

Freiburg moved four points clear of Borussia Dortmund, which visit Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday for Xabi Alonso’s last home game as Leverkusen coach. A Leverkusen win would send Freiburg to the Champions League.

Later, Hamburger SV had the chance to be promoted back to the division with a win at home against Ulm in the second division. Thousands of blue-clad fans greeted the team bus on its way to the stadium with songs, flags and flares.

Lazio snatch last-gasp draw with Champions League rivals Juve

Updated 50 min 57 sec ago
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Lazio snatch last-gasp draw with Champions League rivals Juve

  • Igor Tudor’s team are level on 64 points with Lazio in fifth
  • Randal Kolo Muani netted Juve’s goal in the 51st minute

ROME: Matias Vecino snatched a precious 1-1 draw for Lazio against 10-man Juventus with a stoppage-time equalizer in an enthralling battle between top-four rivals.

Uruguayan Vecino tapped home from close range after a miraculous Michele Di Gregorio save from Valentin Castellanos to spare Lazio from what would have been a painful defeat.

Juventus, who played for over half an hour with 10 men after Pierre Kalulu was sent off for striking out at Lazio striker Castellanos, stay fourth.

But Igor Tudor’s team are level on 64 points with Lazio in fifth, with sixth-placed Roma a point behind ahead of their clash at Atalanta on Monday night.

Randal Kolo Muani netted Juve’s goal in the 51st minute at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, his seventh goal in Italy’s top flight since signing on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January.

Juve thought they were set to win when they survived a penalty scare moments before Vecino’s leveller, when Di Gregorio brought down Castellanos who was then ruled by VAR to have been offside.

But Vecino stepped up to save a point for Lazio and leave the fight for the final two Champions League spots firmly in the balance.


Man City’s surprising draw at Southampton throws Champions League hopes into doubt

Updated 10 May 2025
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Man City’s surprising draw at Southampton throws Champions League hopes into doubt

  • It could prove to be two crucial dropped points for third-placed City
  • Haaland’s return after a six-week absence because of injury couldn’t inspire City

LONDON: Manchester City’s Champions League qualification ambitions were thrown back into doubt on Saturday after a surprising 0-0 draw at already-relegated Southampton, the Premier League’s last-placed team.

It could prove to be two crucial dropped points for third-placed City in a six-team race for the four remaining spots to get into the Champions League, along with champion Liverpool.

Even Erling Haaland’s return after a six-week absence because of injury couldn’t inspire City, which dragged themselves into a better position in the league on the back of four straight wins.

City had two points more than Newcastle and Chelsea — who meet at St. James’ Park on Sunday — and four more than Nottingham Forest, which host already-relegated Leicester on Sunday.

Seventh-placed Villa were a further point back and visit Bournemouth later Saturday.

City’s unprecedented four-year reign as champion was ended by Liverpool this season.

The draw lifted Southampton onto 12 points — one more than the lowest ever points haul in a single season, set by Derby County in 2007-08.


Harley-Davidson to launch racing series with MotoGP in 2026

Updated 10 May 2025
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Harley-Davidson to launch racing series with MotoGP in 2026

  • Riders will be given race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide bagger motorcycles
  • The 12-race series will run at six Grands Prix on the MotoGP calendar

PARIS: Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson and MotoGP announced a new global racing series on Saturday which will launch in 2026, with teams riding bagger motorcycles at Grands Prix in Europe and North America.

Riders will be given race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide bagger motorcycles, which are touring-style bikes designed for long-distance riding.


The 12-race series will run at six Grands Prix on the MotoGP calendar and the grid is expected to have six to eight teams with two riders each.

“This is a bold new step for Harley-Davidson’s global racing ambitions,” Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz said in a statement.

“With this new series, we’re excited to bring a new form of racing to the world stage.”

The teams will be supported by Harley-Davidson Factory Racing.


Iran beat Pakistan in Asian polo qualifiers’ finals in Riyadh

Updated 10 May 2025
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Iran beat Pakistan in Asian polo qualifiers’ finals in Riyadh

  • Iran defeated Pakistan with an aggregate score of 32–30 over two-leg matches
  • Saudi Polo Federation chief highlights the high level of competition from both teams

RIYADH: The Iranian national polo team have qualified for the 2025 World Cup in the US after beating Pakistan in the 2025 Federation of International Polo (FIP) Arena World Polo Championship Asia qualifiers.

Held in western Riyadh at the Nofa Equestrian Resort, Iran defeated Pakistan with an aggregate score of 32–30 over two-leg matches, a media statement said on Saturday.

The medal ceremony was attended by Piero Dillier, president of the Federation of International Polo, and Faisal bin Duwaiyes, CEO of the Saudi Polo Federation, who awarded the medals to both teams.

Bin Duwaiyes said that the successful hosting of the event was a continuation of Saudi Arabia’s achievements in organizing regional and international sporting events.

“This success was made possible by the unwavering support of the Kingdom’s leadership and the close attention of the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, he said.

SPF’s CEO highlighted the high level of competition and strong performances from both teams throughout the matches.

Bin Duwaiyes underscored the significance of the presence of Federation of International Polo officials and sport experts. He described it as a valuable opportunity for Saudi administrative and technical personnel to gain experience and further contribute to the development of polo in the Kingdom.