Category: 6. Sports

Asia/East Asia-Pacific

Regional Final: October 1 to October 17Qualification Spots Available: 3Teams: Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Samoa, UAE

The event with perhaps the most intrigue, budding qualifiers across two regions will combine in a nine-team Asia/East Asia-Pacific tournament, with three tournament available.

Almost 16,000 kilometres stretch between Eastern-most Samoa and Western-most Kuwait at the tournament, and the unknowns of opposition and styles of play make this Qualifier arguably the most open.

By virtue of their 2024 T20 World Cup participation, Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea were automatic entrants for the hybrid Qualifier, with the other six coming from two Sub-Regional events across each region.

Over in East Asia-Pacific, Samoa shocked the field to win their spot through Sub-Regional Qualifier A, beating out Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji on home soil in Apia.

Caleb Jasmat’s side qualified in a final-over thriller on the last day of the competition, beating Vanuatu in a tense defence of 145, breaking the hearts of Cook Islands players watching on having been overtaken by the Samoan victory.

The Western Force thanks departing players Ryan Coxon, Tom Horton, Atu Moli, Reesjan Pasitoa, Matt Proctor and Sio Tomkinson for their service to the Club.

The departure of the sextet comes after Saturday’s tour game against the British and Irish Lions following the conclusion of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The Club acknowledges their contributions and service, wishing them all well for the future. They are forever Force.

Coxon, 27, spent two seasons with the Force, joining the Club in the 2024 season on an injury cover contract. The affable loosehead prop played 19 Super Rugby games for the Force.

Horton joined the Force prior to the 2023 season and started every game in the 2024 season. The tough 28-year-old hooker played 34 Super Rugby games for the Force across three campaigns.

Former All Blacks front-rower Moli, 30, spent two years at the Force, overcoming a significant hip injury in his first season to play 10 games off the bench in the 2025 Super Rugby season.

Homegrown utility back Pasitoa joined the Force in 2022 after a stint with the ACT Brumbies. He played 20 Super Rugby games for the Force, having missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to significant injuries before making a return in 2025. The Club have released him early at his request in order to play NPC in New Zealand.

One-cap All Blacks midfielder Proctor joined the Force prior to the 2025 Super Rugby season but missed the whole campaign with a shoulder injury, before running out in Force blue for the first time in Saturday’s Lions game.

Tomkinson also joined the Force prior to the 2025 Super Rugby season. The 29-year-old New Zealand-born midfielder played 10 games, all starts, and scored one try.

#ForeverForce

By Weston Blasi

Portuguese star’s deal with Saudi club Al Nassr is set to be the most lucrative sports contract ever in average annual value

Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a record-setting new deal with Saudi Arabian football club Al Nassr for what, at almost $700 million over just two years, amounts to the highest average annual salary for a player contract in sports history. And if the money weren’t sweet enough, the lucrative contract comes with an array of nonsalary compensation and perks.

According to reporting by the widely followed Italian sportswriter Fabrizio Romano and the Sun, Ronaldo will earn approximately $244.4 million per year in salary, plus a bevy of additional compensation including $33.6 million as a signing bonus; a 15% equity stake in the Riyadh club, to which Ronaldo jumped from Manchester United (MANU) (UK:0Z1Q) in 2023; a $5.5 million bonus if he leads the Saudi Pro League in goals; $5.5 million in private-jet credits; $82.4 million in sponsorship pacts with Saudi Arabian businesses; and the provision of 16 full-time personal staff members.

Personal staff as perk

Those 16 employees are said to include three drivers, four housekeepers, two chefs, three gardeners and four security guards.

Another bonus for Ronaldo: that there is no income tax in Saudi Arabia.

“He’s probably getting paid as much as the entire league is generating in revenue,” Victor Matheson, an economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross who specializes in sports, told MarketWatch.

Ronaldo, 40, widely ranked among the best footballers of his generation, is arguably the highest-profile player to join the Saudi league. The SPL has in recent years sought to lure big-name players from top European leagues with eye-popping contracts and extensive perks.

“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” Ronaldo said in an Instagram post, alongside a picture showing him holding up a jersey reading “Ronaldo 2027.” The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, born on the Portuguese island Madeira, came to fame as a forward with Sporting Lisbon; Manchester United, where he had two stints; and Real Madrid, where he played nine seasons.

Shades of Beckham

Perks like those reportedly afforded Ronaldo are headline grabbers, but he is not the first player to receive atypical contract considerations.

“The closest thing we have seen to this is probably David Beckham’s deal with LA Galaxy in MLS [2007],” the sports economist Matheson said. “When he was signed, he was making more personally than any other team, and making as much as the bottom eight teams combined in payroll with just his salary. And part of that deal included rights to have his own franchise in the future, which turned into Inter Miami.”

Beckham’s deal back in 2007 included a clause that would allow him to purchase the rights to an MLS team at a later date for a set fee of $25 million, with some stipulations, per the Athletic.

Matheson added that the Beckham deal and its perks “worked out well for the MLS,” which has seen a revenue boom and further expansion in the years that followed.

Another athlete who received an unusual contract add-on was Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s longtime archrival in the top echelon of Spain’s La Liga. He now plays with Inter Miami.

When Messi signed with the Miami club in 2023, the deal contained unique clauses that compensated him outside the bounds of a traditional salary. Messi negotiated revenue-sharing agreements with MLS kit maker Adidas (XE:ADS) (ADDYY) and MLS TV partner Apple (AAPL). As part of his contract, Messi earns a cut of all revenue from Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service, according to the sports-business publication Sportico.

Contracts that feature compensation beyond salary are not permitted in major U.S. sports leagues including the NFL and the NBA, however, because they would circumvent salary-cap rules.

Outside sports, high-profile business leaders have historically been offered perks and nontraditional compensation, too.

For example, Meta (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the company’s then-chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, were reported to have spent more than $6 million of company money on private jets in 2022.

Salesforce (CRM) CEO Mark Benioff was eligible for as much as $3 million in personal security expenses, plus $1.6 million in private-jet costs, in that company’s 2024 fiscal year, according to a proxy statement.

The latter is a popular perk, as S&P 500 SPX component companies spent $65 million on private-jet travel for executives in 2022. That was a 50% increase from 2019.

Some executives continue to enjoy costly perks even after stepping down. Former Morgan Stanley (MS) CEO James Gorman, for example, has reportedly been granted access to a company car and driver, as well as $400,000 a year in compensation, in his new “nonemployee adviser” role.

-Weston Blasi

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Some of France’s top players have been left at home, having met the FFR’s 2000-minute mark of rugby played during the season.

Robertson said, “One thing with the French, they’ve got depth.

“He’s [coach Fabien Galthie] created depth over the last six years that he’s had the squad, and all those young, exciting players that come through. French rugby is in good stead, in a good position.

“And this is when they’re probably at their most dangerous, when they’re underestimated.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had success so our focus is on ourselves.”

They came close last year, losing by one point in Paris. 

Robertson said in their off-season review that the game featured because the All Blacks had given themselves so many opportunities to win.

“We felt we probably had our best two weeks with the Irish and the French, and we probably didn’t get the result we deserved. Sometimes you don’t get that in Test matches and a couple of bounces of the ball didn’t go our way.”

Robertson said France comes to New Zealand with the ability to play and without too much weight of expectation on their shoulders. That made them dangerous.

“The biggest thing is we respect them with our preparation and understand those strengths, but also with the ability that we’ve been together for a year, our cohesion’s high and we trust ourselves. They will respect this team.”

Having seen the effect of refereeing emphasis on more ball-in-play time, Robertson is keen for the All Blacks to take advantage.

“We want to play fast. We think the game’s in a great place for us, quick scrums, quick lineouts, these taps. Our skill set trends to us playing fast and keep creating, so that’s what we’ll push all week.”

Discipline is an area the All Blacks need to improve, as it cost them last year. It is something they need to understand as individuals and as a team.

Robertson said loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams would be out for six to eight weeks after surgery. Robertson wouldn’t be drawn on his decision to play the Super Rugby Pacific final, after he suffered the injury in the quarterfinal. 

George Bower has been called in as his replacement. He was one of the tough calls made when he didn’t make the squad, but the management is pleased to have him available.

With Ethan de Groot and Bower, there was experience in the role, while Ollie Norris was being given a chance in top company.

“That’s why we picked him, to find out about him.”

They would miss loose forward Wallace Sititi, who, while named, was forced to withdraw for surgery for an upper ankle injury.

“It’s tough for Wally, but he’s a great rehaber, He came back last time amazingly, and he will again.”

Find out where to watch All Blacks v France around the world HERE.

NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap has been set at $154.647 million for the 2025-26 season. The Tax Level for the 2025‑26 season is $187.895 million.

The Salary Cap and Tax Level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 1. Teams are permitted to begin negotiating with all free agents today at 6:00 p.m. ET — six hours prior to the start of the league’s “moratorium period.” The moratorium period ends at noon ET on Sunday, July 6.

• The Minimum Team Salary is $139.182 million for the 2025-26 season.
• The First Apron Level is $195.945 million for the 2025-26 season.
• The Second Apron Level is $207.824 million for the 2025-26 season.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement provides for three different Mid-Level Exceptions depending on a team’s salary level. The Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level for the 2025-26 season is $14.104 million, the Taxpayer Mid-Level is $5.685 million, and the Mid-Level for a team with room under the Salary Cap is $8.781 million.

World Sailing announces split venues for LA28 Sailing Regatta

by World Sailing 30 Jun 21:30 UTC

World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 which will deliver excellent conditions for all 10 events, with Belmont Shore in the 2028 Venue City of Long Beach staging the board events and the Port of Los Angeles in the Host City of LA hosting the boat events.

The Men’s and Women’s Windsurfing events and the Men’s and Women’s Kite will be held first, in Belmont Shore in Long Beach Shoreline, the site of the 1984 Olympic sailing competition.

Then the action will move to the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, the same host venue for the 2025 Los Angeles Sail GP, for the Men’s and Women’s Dinghy, Men’s and Women’s Skiff, Mixed Dinghy and Mixed Multihull.

The events will be staged consecutively with the boards first up in Long Beach, followed by the boat racing portion of the sailing competition which will be held in the Port of Los Angeles.

By utilising both Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles, LA28 will showcase the best of both locations – placing the dynamic board events at the heart of the vibrant Long Beach shore, along with Beach Volleyball, Open Water Swimming and Coastal Rowing, while creating a dedicated, world-class stage at the Port of Los Angeles to elevate the athlete and spectator experience for the boat classes, bringing the event into the 2028 Host City.

David Graham, CEO of World Sailing, said: “Belmont Shore in Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles will provide wonderful sailing conditions which will give all our athletes a platform to demonstrate the skill, athleticism and strategic thinking required to succeed in our sport.

“While this was ultimately a decision for the relevant local authorities and LA28, as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Sailing was pleased to collaborate with them on selecting venues which will deliver great experiences for the athletes, a great spectacle for sports fans and a great showcase for Los Angeles as a coastal destination.

“Today’s announcement provides some welcome certainty for the athletes and their support teams who will compete in the best waters in the region. We look forward to the work ahead with LA28 and the IOC, plus our national federations and sailors to deliver some truly world-class sport in 2028.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to announce the national squad for the upcoming T20I tour of Bangladesh later this week, sources confirmed.

The team is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh from July 20 to 24 in Dhaka.

According to reports, no major changes are anticipated in the squad, though a surprise inclusion is likely, with left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem expected to be part of the touring party.

The training camp for the Pakistan T20 squad will commence at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from July 7 to prepare for the series.

Regular stars Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi – who were rested for the previous home series against Bangladesh – are currently not part of the plans for an unspecified period.

It is pertinent to mention that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed all three T20Is will be played at the Shere-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, starting at 5:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

The Pakistan team is set to arrive in Bangladesh on July 16.

The opening match will be played on July 20, followed by the second and third fixtures on July 22 and 24, respectively.

The two sides last faced each other in a T20I series in May, where Pakistan secured a dominant 3-0 whitewash at home.

The series began with Pakistan bowling out Bangladesh for 164 after posting 201/6, securing a 37-run win. In the second game, the hosts defended an identical total, restricting Bangladesh to 144 to clinch a 57-run victory.

Bangladesh showed resistance in the third match by setting a challenging target of 197, powered by Parvez Hossain Emon’s explosive half-century.

However, Pakistan comfortably chased down the total with three wickets down and 16 balls to spare, courtesy of a scintillating century by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris.

KARACHI:

“1.8 billion rupees – that’s a huge amount. If India doesn’t participate, then the Asia Cup might not even happen.”

This question was posed in surprise by a Pakistani TV channel representative to an Indian broadcaster, who replied, “Don’t worry, the tournament will be held in September. Our team will also participate.” This conversation took place recently. Currently, there are four sports channels in Pakistan. One is state-owned and financially struggling. Another was previously blacklisted and is now barely surviving by airing old footage. A third is newly affiliated with an international sports network, and one more media group is also competing for broadcasting rights. Our market is not that large, so recovering billions in broadcasting fees is an uphill battle.

But that’s not our main topic. The positive takeaway here is the encouraging signals surrounding the Asia Cup. After suffering setbacks during the recent conflict, the Indian media began spreading rumors that their team would not participate in the Asia Cup. However, the BCCI officially rejected such reports.

Recently, India and Pakistan were placed in the same group for the Women’s World Cup by the ICC, and there was no backlash in India. Pakistan has also been invited to participate in the Junior Hockey World Cup. Media management works differently in both countries. In India, cricket board officials rarely appear publicly. Instead, they leak information through journalists using anonymous sources – like they did during the Champions Trophy.

In contrast, PCB officials occasionally speak directly to the media. Indian media is no longer reporting negatively about the Asia Cup, which indicates they, too, have received assurance from the BCCI that the tournament will go ahead.

Last year, the Asian Cricket Council’s 8-year media rights were sold to an Indian media group by Jay Shah for $170 million. This includes four Asia Cups and other women’s and junior events, with at least two guaranteed India-Pakistan matches in each tournament. Sources say Sony has now also been told by the BCCI not to worry – India will play in the Asia Cup.

No matter how strained the bilateral ties, India has never refused to play Pakistan in ICC events. The only reason is the lucrative media rights, mostly held by Indian broadcasters. With billions invested, it’s not feasible to waste that money. At such times, politics is conveniently set aside. It’s safe to assume politicians also benefit from these massive deals, so they don’t object either.

Fortunately, Pakistan doesn’t politicize sports. Our government doesn’t dictate which countries we should or shouldn’t play against. This clear policy gives the board flexibility in decision-making.

This time, India is the official host of the Asia Cup, and reports suggest they’ve spoken with the Emirates Cricket Board to hold matches there. The tournament is expected to be held from September 12 to 28. Previously, the Asia Cup has also been held in Dubai, so it’s feasible again.

India and Pakistan have agreed not to travel to each other’s countries, and instead play at neutral venues. This will also apply to the Asia Cup.

Credit goes to Mohsin Naqvi for bringing balance to Pakistan-India cricket relations. His clear stance before the Champions Trophy forced India to agree to terms. In the past, Pakistan used to travel to India for ICC events, but India wouldn’t reciprocate. Now, the BCCI is aware that any hard stance will be met with stronger reaction from Pakistan.

Therefore, it appears increasingly likely that the Asia Cup will be played in September, to determine Asia’s cricketing champion. However, India is unpredictable – they could cause trouble at the last moment. So Mohsin Naqvi, as the Asian Cricket Council chief, must have a Plan B ready. After all, India has realized, especially after the recent war, that the only way to appease their public is by defeating Pakistan in a cricket match – or making films with actors like Akshay Kumar or Ajay Devgn, showcasing fictional victories.

Whatever happens, matches between these traditional rivals always capture fan interest. Pakistani fans are especially eager for cricket. It’s surprising that a series was held just before the PSL, exhausting players, and now there are no matches at all. If Bangladesh hadn’t agreed to play three additional T20s in July, this off-season would’ve been even longer. For future tours, Pakistan must work hard on its FTP (Future Tours Programme). Since Sameer Syed doesn’t know much about cricket, experienced officials should guide him.

Stadiums look good only when active. No matter how many training camps are held, nothing beats actual match practice. The Asia Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup, are crucial. Beating Bangladesh won’t be enough preparation – the more we play against stronger teams, the more we will benefit.