Rolex SailGP Championship race starts in Dubai this weekend

The Rolex SailGP Championship, which will take place in Dubai this weekend, marks the official start of SailGP’s most expansive season to date, said a media statement on Friday. (Supplied)
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Updated 22 November 2024
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Rolex SailGP Championship race starts in Dubai this weekend

  • SailGP launched its 2025 season on Thursday evening at the House of Sustainability EXPO City in Dubai ahead of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix
  • SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts unveiled on Friday an increased bonus prize purse of $12.8m up for grabs across the season

DUBAI: The Rolex SailGP Championship, which will take place in Dubai this weekend, marks the official start of SailGP’s most expansive season to date, according to a media statement issued on Friday.

SailGP launched its 2025 season on Thursday evening at the House of Sustainability EXPO City in Dubai ahead of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix.

At the event, Rolex was revealed as the first title partner for the global racing league, now known as the Rolex SailGP Championship.

The SailGP 2025 season launch was the first-ever event to be held at the new venue and provided the perfect setting for the league to present its full lineup of 12 teams. The season will bring a new era of the best high-speed, high-tech racing — with even more on the line.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts unveiled on Friday an increased bonus prize purse of $12.8 million up for grabs across the season. “I am pleased to reveal the prize money has grown to $12.8 million — a number we intend to increase as we continue to grow commercially,” he said.

The stakes are high and the rewards for achieving top performance are higher, according to Coutts.

“Which means we can attract — and retain — the sport’s brightest stars, while inspiring up-and-coming future athletes to work hard to gain a place in one of these teams,” he added.

The Rolex SailGP Championship welcomes two new nations — the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team and Red Bull Italy.

France will miss the Dubai event, selecting to join the fleet in Auckland (the second event of the season), stepping into the league’s newest F50 catamaran, currently under accelerated development. France will be awarded compensatory points for the Dubai event.

Driving for Brazil, Martine Grael will be the first woman to race in the Rolex SailGP Championship. On the team’s preparations heading into the weekend, she said: “We’re doing as much as we can here, going into our eighth day on the water. We’re as prepared as we can be with great learning here so far in Dubai. We’ve been foiling every day and expecting good racing this weekend.”

Fellow gold medalist Ruggero Tita will drive for the league’s other new nation, the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, while Emirates Great Britain welcomes Dylan Fletcher back into the driver’s seat.

SailGP heavyweights Australia and New Zealand have also found themselves with new talent on the roster after losing foundational team members in a highly active transfer season. Australia’s Kyle Langford (wing trimmer) and New Zealand’s Andy Maloney (flight controller) have both taken up roles in newly sold teams, Italy and Brazil, respectively.

While the trans-Tasman rivals have both made experienced appointments — Chris Draper in Australia and Leo Takahashi in New Zealand — three-time SailGP champion Tom Slingsby said the loss of “King Kyle” could not be overlooked.

“For sure it’s tough for us losing Kyle, but that’s the way the sport is going. Losing a key person like that is going to be tough for our team,” said Slingsby.

Set to be a flagship event on the Middle East sporting calendar, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix will provide the ultimate blend of sport and spectacle, with close-to-shore stadium racing, and live apres-sail entertainment on both Saturday (Tinie Tempah) and Sunday (Craig David).

Remaining tickets to the event are on sale now at SailGP.com/Dubai.


Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

Updated 8 sec ago
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Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

  • The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals

PARIS: Novak Djokovic was in a hurry on Saturday as the 24-time Grand Slam winner dismissed world number 153 Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place spot in the last 16 at Roland Garros.
The three-time French Open champion needed just over two hours to beat his Austrian opponent in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic had previously joked that he was not keen on potentially playing the late match on center court on Saturday as it would overlap with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
“It’s going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I’m not playing night session,” said AC Milan fan Djokovic.
“Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule...”
With the umpire obliged to request excited local spectators concentrate on the match happening in front of them, the Serb was likely in little doubt as to the situation of the football match taking place in Munich.
But Djokovic put his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title firmly to the forefront of his mind as he overwhelmed Misolic with a typically clinical performance.
“I think I was solid in the important moments across the three sets,” said Djokovic who praised his opponent with whom he regularly practices.
“I would like you to give him a big round of applause,” he requested of the crowd in Paris.
The 38-year-old faced only one break point, which he saved, while hitting just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners.
The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the former top 10 Brit earlier beat his compatriot Jacob Fearnley in straight sets.


Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style

Updated 5 min 19 sec ago
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Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style

  • Qatari-owned club thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history

MUNICH, Germany: Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time by thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history.
Teenager Desire Doue scored twice for PSG and set up the opening goal for Achraf Hakimi in Munich’s Allianz Arena before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it four and then 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the scoring.
PSG took the lead after 12 minutes when Hakimi sidefooted home a pass from Doue.
The Parisians went 2-0 ahead eight minutes later when their defender Willian Pacho improbably kept the ball from going out at the PSG end and the resulting fast-flowing move led to Doue firing in a deflected shot that evaded Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
PSG made it 3-0 with a goal created by Vitinha’s surging run. He exchanged passes with Ousmane Dembele, before delivering a pass into the path of 19-year-old Doue who drilled the ball into the net.
The match was put beyond doubt by Georgian international Kvaratskhelia’s brilliant low finish before Mayulu rounded off a slick passing move.
Qatari-owned PSG are just the second French club since Marseille in 1993 to win European football’s top trophy.
 


PSG fans display banner calling for end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza during Champions League final

Updated 31 May 2025
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PSG fans display banner calling for end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza during Champions League final

  • PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza
  • The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich

MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain supporters displayed a banner saying “Stop genocide in Gaza” during the Champions League final on Saturday.

They raised it shortly after Achraf Hakimi gave their team a 1-0 lead against his former side Inter Milan in the 12th minute. Désiré Doué scored PSG’s second after the banner was raised for a 2-0 halftime lead.

PSG fans are known for their stance against the war in Gaza. They previously displayed a giant banner saying “Free Palestine” in November during the Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.

The latest banner was likely to lead to disquiet among local authorities in Munich. Munich’s city hall displays an Israeli flag as well as a Ukrainian one, and German support for Israel is strong for historical reasons.

PSG could also face a fine. UEFA bans the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is judged not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.

Financial penalties are typical for a first offense — 10,000 euros ($10,700) for a political banner or disturbances.

Israel’s nearly three-month blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. It has allowed some aid to enter in recent days, but aid organizations say far from enough is getting in.

The UN World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high.


21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash

Updated 31 May 2025
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21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash

  • The Federal Road Safety Corps said the afternoon crash “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed“
  • The athletes were returning from the 22nd National Sports Festival

ABUJA: A bus crash on a Nigerian highway on Saturday killed 21 athletes returning from a national sports tournament, with authorities saying the accident might have been the result of driver fatigue or excessive speed.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the afternoon crash, which did not involve other vehicles, “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed” after a long overnight trip.

The athletes were returning to Kano, in Nigeria’s north, from the 22nd National Sports Festival, held around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the south in Ogun state.


President Bola Tinubu had recently said the games, which included sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional west African wrestling, represented “the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation.”

Road accidents are common on Nigeria’s poorly maintained roads due largely to speeding and a disregard for traffic rules.

Last year Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents that resulted in 5,421 deaths, according to FRSC data.


Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

Updated 31 May 2025
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Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

  • “Patricio will arrive to the UAE tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests,” Al-Ain said
  • Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal

ABU DHABI: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will join Al-Ain on a short-term contract for the Club World Cup, the team from the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday.

“Al-Ain has signed Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio to participate with the team in the 2025 Club World Cup,” the club said on X about the 37-year-old Portugal international who is joining them from Atalanta.

“Patricio will arrive to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests and join the first-team training,” Al-Ain added.


Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal, helping them win Euro 2016, and has had spells with Sporting Lisbon, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AS Roma.

Al-Ain, who won the AFC Champions League title in 2024, reached the final of the 2018 Club World Cup final in front of their home fans.

This year’s revamped 32-team tournament will take place in the United States in June and July.

Al Ain have been drawn in Group G with Juventus, Manchester City and Morocco’s Wydade.

FIFA opened an exceptional transfer window from June 1-10 to allow players to be signed for the tournament.