Category: 6. Sports

Indian shuttler Shreya Lele successfully defended her women’s singles title at the Lagos International Classic 2025 badminton tournament at the Okoya Thomas Hall in Nigeria on Saturday after stunning compatriot Aakarshi Kashyap in the final.

The Lagos International Classic is a BWF International Series event – grade 3, level1 – badminton tournament that is held every year in Nigeria.

Squaring off against compatriot and second seed Aakarshi Kashyap, sixth-seeded Shreya Lele produced an assured performance in the final to win 21-15, 21-17 in 47 minutes.

Shreya Lele had won the 2024 edition of the Lagos International Classic by getting the better of another Indian shuttler, Kavipriya Selvam, in straight games.

The Indian badminton player’s run to the Lagos International Classic title in 2025 saw her beat Austria’s Xu Wei 21-13, 21-9 in the first round before defeating Ireland’s Sophia Noble 21-17, 21-19 in the pre-quarterfinals.

Her quarter-final match saw her edge past compatriot and third seed Anmol Kharb 21-18, 16-21, 21-17 before a 21-12, 21-12 victory over Devika Sihag in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, the Indian duo of Dhruv Rawat and K Maneesha finished as runners-up in the mixed doubles after a 21-15, 21-17 loss against Bimo Prasetyo and Arlya Nabila Thesa Munggaran in the final.

In the men’s singles, top seed Manraj Singh of India lost 21-11, 20-22, 21-12 in the semi-finals to third-seeded Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo of Indonesia.

By DAN DAVIS, SPORTS REPORTER and HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER and KIERAN GILL, MAIL SPORT REPORTER

Updated: 15:20 BST, 30 August 2025

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Not even an injury scare could hold back Chen Yufei as she dispatched World No.1 and reigning Olympic champion An Seyoung 2-0 (21-15, 21-17) to advance to the women’s singles final at BWF World Championships 2025 on Saturday (30 August).

In a highly-anticipated battle between two Olympic badminton champions, it was People’s Republic of China’s Chen who came out on top despite rolling her ankle at the start of a tense second game.

After a nervous early exchange in the opener, it was Chen who took an early lead, marching ahed of five consecutive points to go 7-2 at the adidas Arena. In front the Chinese shuttler then stayed, never relinquishing her lead to take the advantage 1-0.

Coming out fighting in the second, twice An built herself a lead, only to be recaptured by her Chen. At 11-11 the game looked to be perfectly in the balance as both shuttlers tested each other’s mettle, but, in the end, it would be Chen who seized the opportunity marking four consecutive points to leap in front 20-15.

It would take her, in all, three matches to finally see off An and advance to the final.

Earlier, Japan’s Yamaguchi Akane put on a blistering display in the third game to see off a spirited Putri Kusuma Wardani from Indonesia 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 21-6) and book her place in the final two.

After a tense opening game, which went the way of the world No. 5 and two-time world champion, Wardani came alive in the second, breaking away at 10-11 and together six consecutive points using varied shot selection to level the match.

Her momentum quickly faded when Yamaguchi opened the third and final game with a 4-0 start before dominating the decider entirely, allowing just one point and reeling off seven straight to surge ahead 11-1.

As the 28-year-old Yamaguchi’s aggressive attacking style continued, Wardani’s errors only sped up the inevitable, handing the Japanese the match, 2-1.

Elsewhere, the result of the mixed doubles semi-finals means that the People’s Republic of China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin will meet Malaysia’s Toh Ee Wei and Chen Tang Jie in tomorrow’s final.

World No.2 pair Jiang and Wei saw off fellow countrymen Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui 21-11, 21-23, 21-18 to secure their final berth. While the Malaysians bested France’s own Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel for their ticket.

John McEnroe delivered a scathing assessment of Daniil Medvedev’s shocking meltdown at the US Open.

The former world No. 1 suffered a stunning first-round exit to French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. But the defeat was completely overshadowed by Medvedev’s childish antics as victory slipped through his fingers.

During the third set, a photographer wandered onto the court just as Bonzi prepared to serve on match point. Medvedev erupted at the umpire’s call to grant his rival a fresh first serve due to the disruption from ‘outside interference’.

He furiously confronted the official before yelling: “Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.” Play was halted for approximately seven minutes before Bonzi finally stepped up to serve.

When he did, he double-faulted and Medvedev seized the next two sets to force a fifth. Bonzi, though, fought back to clinch the victory and advance to round two. Medvedev proceeded to destroy his racket in a fit of rage and was subsequently hit with a nearly $42,500 fine by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The penalty means the Russian must surrender roughly 40 percent of his prize money earnings.

McEnroe was asked about Medvedev’s behaviour on the Nothing Major Show and branded the 29-year-old as ‘lost’ while encouraging him to prevent future embarrassment. “You know, he already has tapped out, like months ago,” the American commentator noted.

“I’ve been worried about his level because he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing at this point for a guy that good on hard courts.

“This [meltdown] sort of cemented it, like how little confidence he has in anything. Bonzi showed a lot of balls at the end in the fifth set. I was sort of hoping Medvedev would win.

“He’s got to get his act together. I’m not sure he can. I think he’s so lost right now. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with him in the future. I always liked Daniil. There’s something about the US Open that brings out the best and worst of him.”

Don’t miss

Medvedev’s performance on the court this year has been less than stellar, with only one Grand Slam match victory at the Australian Open. He was eliminated early in the French Open and Wimbledon, and suffered another early exit at the US Open.

After his most recent defeat, Medvedev acknowledged that he was expecting a hefty fine. He didn’t reveal much, explaining that he didn’t want to dig himself into a deeper hole.

“I have no idea how much the fine would be,” he said. “I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak.”

RIGA (Latvia) – For at least a couple of hours, you couldn’t be blamed if you thought FIBA EuroBasket 2025 was taking place in Tallinn rather than in Riga.

More than 8,000 Estonian fans made the trip to the Latvian capital, and made their players feel at home in a crucial matchup with Czechia in Group A.

With the blue sea behind them, Heiko Rannula’s men stormed to a massive first half en route to an 89-75 win, adding a valuable win to their account at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

While Estonia climbed to 1-2 on the shoulders of their incredible raucous fans, Czechia are down in a 0-3 hole now.

Turning Point

Estonia poured in 31 points in the second quarter, scoring with ease, 14 of those coming from the painted area during those ten minutes.

By comparison, Czechia had a total of 16 paint points through the first 30 minutes of the game.

With no defense in front of them and having fun scoring, Estonia’s lead ballooned to +28 midway through the third quarter, and it was only going to go one way after that.

TCL Player of the Game

A player wearing #77 flirting getting close to a triple-double is something we’re used to, but it was another #77 this time.

Kristian Kullamae was the motor for everything Estonia did on Saturday, getting 16 points without forcing the issue, while also grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 7 assists.

Honorable mention: Henri Drell with 15 points off the bench.

Stats Don’t Lie

Estonia won every single department of the boxscore, but perhaps the most important part was that they had just 4 turnovers in this game, staying under control from start to finish.

They came close to tying the all-time record, set by Yugoslavia (vs Croatia in 2001), tied by Italy twice (vs Türkiye in 2007, vs Spain in 2015) with just 3 turnovers.

Bottom Line

Sunday is rest day for these teams, much needed after two exhausting games over the past 48 hours. On Monday, Estonia take on Türkiye, and then face Portugal in their final group game on Wednesday.

Czechia will be disappointed not to have picked up a win so far, especially because they still have to face Serbia and Latvia. Martin Peterka was again their best player, scoring 13 points off the bench.

They Said

For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!

FIBA

Dilshan Madushanka’s hat-trick in the final over helped Sri Lanka to edge past spirited Zimbabwe by seven runs in the opening ODI of the two-match series here at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

The home side needed 10 runs off the final over, with set batters Sikandar Raza and Tony Munyonga unbeaten on 92 and 42, respectively.

Madushanka, who had conceded 60 runs from his nine overs, was handed over the ball by captain Charith Asalanka, and the left-arm pacer justified the decision by registering a hat-trick off the first three deliveries.

He leaked away only two runs in the decisive over, restricting Zimbabwe to 291/8 in pursuit of 299.

Experienced all-rounder Raza remained the top-scorer for Zimbabwe with an 87-ball 92, featuring eight deliveries.

Besides him, opening batter Ben Curran (70) and stand-in captain Sean Williams (57) scored half-centuries, while Tony Munyonga was the other notable run-getter with his unbeaten 43 off 52 deliveries.

Madushanka finished with magnificent bowling figures of 4/62 in his 10 overs. He was supported by Asitha Fernando, who picked up three wickets for 50 runs, while Kamindu Mendis chipped in with one.

Put into bat first, Sri Lanka registered a formidable total of 298/6 in their set of 50 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from Pathum Nissanka, Janith Liyanage and Kamindu.

Nissanka top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 92-ball 76, closely followed by Liyanage, who scored an unbeaten 70, while Kamindu made 57 off 36 deliveries.

Wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis (38) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (35) also made handy contributions in the middle.

For Zimbabwe, Richard Ngarava claimed two wickets, while Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu, Raza and Williams shared four between them.

The hard-fought victory gave Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second and final ODI scheduled to be played at the same venue on Sunday.

Group Stage Match 1

Group Stage Match 2

Group Stage Match 3

Group Stage Match 4

KARACHI:

A calm captain’s hand from Salman Ali Agha and a fiery spell by Haris Rauf ensured Pakistan made a winning start to the T20I tri-series, overcoming Afghanistan by 39 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

But beyond the numbers, this was a contest that reflected Pakistan’s growing maturity in crunch moments, as well as their ability to adapt in tricky conditions at the storied Sharjah Cricket Stadium that have so often tested them in the past.

Salman’s Composed Anchor

After Pakistan opted to bat, early wickets meant the innings could easily have unravelled. At 83 for four, Afghanistan had their tails up. But Salman held his ground, building patiently before accelerating when it mattered. His 53 off 36 balls*, including three sixes, wasn’t just a captain’s innings – it was the glue that held Pakistan together.

His partnership with Mohammad Nawaz (21 off 11) was crucial, adding 53 for the fifth wicket and ensuring Pakistan pushed the total well beyond the par score Salman himself later identified as “150-160.” Posting 182 for seven gave the bowlers a cushion they fully exploited.

Rauf’s fire, Nawaz’s grit

Defending 183, Pakistan faced pressure as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38) and Rashid Khan (39) looked threatening. At 92 for two, Afghanistan were in control. Then came the collapse – five wickets for just four runs.

Haris Rauf ripped through the middle order with 4 for 31, but it was Nawaz who earned special praise from his captain. Bowling in tough phases against Rashid and Gurbaz, the left-arm spinner returned 2 for 23 and squeezed the chase when it was still alive. Add Shaheen Afridi (2-21) and Sufiyan Muqim (2-25) to the mix, and Pakistan’s attack looked balanced and ruthless.

“Bowling was outstanding, whoever comes in bowled really well. Haris and Shaheen are two of the best in the world. But my pick was Nawaz – he always bowls the tough overs,” Salman said after the game.

Crowd management in focus

This fixture carried more than just cricketing weight. Organisers had put in strict crowd measures – separate enclosures, designated routes, and color-coded tickets for fans – after ugly scenes marred Pakistan’s last close finish against Afghanistan in 2022. Friday’s game passed off without incident, allowing focus to remain firmly on the cricket.

Lessons for both teams

For Pakistan, the takeaways are positive: resilience under pressure, depth in batting down to Faheem Ashraf at No. 8, and a bowling unit that continues to deliver across conditions. For Afghanistan, the collapse from 92 for two to 97 for seven will hurt – once again exposing their middle-order fragility when faced with sustained pressure.

What lies ahead

Pakistan now turn to their second assignment against UAE on Saturday, aiming to consolidate momentum. With this win, they’ve laid down an early marker in the tri-series, showing a mix of composure and firepower that could carry them deep into the competition.

For Salman Ali Agha, still settling into captaincy, it was the perfect start: leading with bat, lifting his bowlers, and steering his team through the noise both on and off the field.