Category: 6. Sports

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has unveiled a 35-member preliminary squad for the upcoming South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-17 Championship.

The announcement marks an important step in Pakistan’s preparations for the regional tournament, as the young footballers gear up to represent the country on the international stage.

The preliminary squad includes the following players:

Khalil Jibran, Adil Ali Khan, Waheed Aslam, Ali Khan, Nadeem Hussain, Muhammad Alam, Muhammad Masood, Muhammad Zubair, Sumra Maher Ahmed, Mustafa Israr, Muhammad Awais, Farhad Ullah, Azizullah, S.M. Abbis Raza, Shahid Anjum, Zulqarnain, Haroon Rasheed, Saad Tiwana, Abdul Samad, Hamza Yasir, S. Shahrum, Burhan Tareen, Muhammad Talha, Abdul Rehman, Hasnain Wali Raza, Samar Razzaq, Shahzaib Nawaz, Muhammad Abdullah, Muzammil Ahmed, M. Abdullah Iram, Abdullah Hussain, Mansoor Ahmad, Muhammad Awais, Ibrahim Asif, and Muhammad Essa.

The PFF has emphasized that this selection reflects its continued commitment to nurturing grassroots football and providing opportunities for young athletes to shine at the international level.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has unveiled a 35‑player preliminary squad for the upcoming SAFF U‑17 Championship, marking the first step toward finalizing the Green Shirts’ roster for the regional competition.

Announced on Friday, the list features a mix of emerging talents from across the country, reflecting the federation’s efforts to strengthen youth‑football pathways. Players will undergo training camps and assessment sessions before the final squad is trimmed for the championship.

The 2025 SAFF U‑17 Championship will be the 10th edition of the tournament. Pakistan have been placed in Group B alongside defending champions India, Bhutan, and the Maldives. After falling in the semi‑finals last year, this squad will hope to bring a second title to the country in its sixth appearance.

Pakistan’s Preliminary Squad for SAFF U-17 Championship:

Pakistan will aim to make a strong impact, with the selected players not only competing for places in the final squad but also staking their claims for future call‑ups at U‑20 and senior levels.

The final squad announcement is expected in the coming weeks after a rigorous training camp.

From August 20 to 24, the 2025 IFSC Asian Youth Championships were held at the Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center in Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, China.

The IFSC Asian Youth Championships 2025 provided athletes with both a competitive platform and an environment for cultural exchange and collaboration while Guiyang, with its refined organisational capability and high-quality facilities, reaffirmed its role in hosting international climbing events.

There were over 211 young climbers from 14 Asian countries and regions competing at U17 and U19 levels across the three disciplines: Speed, Lead, and Boulder.

In the final medal tally, Japan led the way with six golds, eight silver, and five bronze medals, followed by China with three golds, three silver, and three bronze.

South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand also delivered impressive performances, each adding their distinct flair to the competition.

Full results can be found here

1. Kelter out as USA ring changes for must-win Pool A clash

Even among a weekend a must-not-miss-matches, the heavyweight battle between USA and Australia stands out. And with everything on the line after their opening loss to England, USA head coach, Sione Fukofuka has made nine changes to his match-day 23. 

No doubt the headline grabber is the dropping of big-name centre Alev Kelter. Get all the details here.

Kelter’s centre partner Ilona Maher does keep her place – she and the USA will be looking for plenty more moments like this:

2. ‘If it’s not pretty, that’s OK’, says Wallaroos boss Yapp

It may only be week two, but already everywhere you look it is win or bust.

No one is more aware of that than Australia head coach Jo Yapp, whose prime message to her charges is: “If it’s not pretty, that’s okay, but it’s about getting the win this week and we know that.”

With a recent win against the Women’s Eagles under their belt, during this year’s Pacific Four Series, the Wallaroos are giving off a confident aura: 

3. Try of the tournament so far? 

Fiji face Scotland on Saturday in Manchester knowing they desperately need a win to get out of Pool B and what better way to get their spirits up than by watching replays of their team try v Canada last weekend. 

It might have been a rare bright moment in that 65-7 defeat to Canada, but wow, was it a stunner. 

4. Get last-minute tickets & plan an unforgettable weekend

There may not be many left… but there are still a few tickets for matches this weekend, waiting for you right here. 

Once you’ve got them, head here for top tips on where to go and what to eat and drink in all eight host venues, with the likes of England star Ellie Kildunne serving as your personal guide. 

5. Brazil ready for more points, more dancing and… more tears

They might be up against it, facing the mighty France on Sunday at Sandy Park, Exeter (KO 16:45 BST) but RWC debutants Brazil are pumped up for more moments like this: 

And like this: 

6. Turani typifies toughness and tenacity on show at RWC 2025

Italian prop Silvia Turani distinctly remembers being sat down by her parents, when a rugby-mad student, and urged to “stop playing” this “dangerous sport” and remember rugby is “not a career”.

Now, eight years later she cannot wait to run out in front of a packed York Community Stadium on Sunday for a critical pool-stage match v South Africa at one of the biggest women’s sports events ever. In front of her parents… bring it on! 

Loh Kean Yew is out of the 2025 BWF World Championships in a shock quarter-final defeat.

The Singaporean, the 2021 world champion and ninth seed in Paris, went out in straight sets to the unheralded Victor Lai of Canada on Friday (29 August) — with Lai securing Canada’s first ever Badminton World Championships medal by reaching the semi-finals.

However, Loh — who missed two months of the season through viral illness — told Olympics.com afterwards that despite his disappointment, he felt he had a relatively successful tournament.

“Honestly, I think I actually exceeded my own expectations in terms of performance, because I wasn’t prepared at all when I came here. I just kept fighting and I guess I played better than I thought.”

Loh’s slow starts have been a talking point so far this week and it appeared to be the case again here against a man who began the 2025 season ranked 99th in the world and entered these Championships as the world number 50.

While this time the Singaporean did score a few points in the early exchanges, he found himself trailing by three at the interval in the first game against an opponent playing in his first World Championships. Lai clearly wasn’t to be underestimated — after all, he’d already taken down 11th seed Lu Guangzu in a stunning upset in the second round.

Ninth seed Loh then rallied for seven consecutive points to finally put some distance between him and Lai, but he let Lai back into the game to level at 19–19, then again at 20–20, as their see-saw tussle continued.

After saving a game point, Lai converted on the first of his own — then went on a run in the second. Loh had taken the first four points, but Lai won the next eight and seemed to get to Loh on a point in which Lai fell under the net and Loh sent wide in response before unsuccessfully complaining that he had been hindered by the Canadian.

Visibly frustrated by the umpire calling the point, Loh later explained: “The umpire decided that I wasn’t distracted, he made the decision that I wasn’t affected by it, and anyway I think this is certainly something new. I never thought you could go over the net without getting a fault without touching the net.”

Lai, for his part, admitted to nerves later — not that you would know. He kept his focus even as Loh mounted a late comeback attempt and closed out the narrow win, 22–20, 21–18.

For the 20-year-old who returns to university next week, it’s the latest feather in his cap in a year in which he has already beaten the likes of Naraoka Kodai and Lu Guangzu.

“I think just my training this year, I had a couple of blocks of training on it like 5-6 weeks and thart helped me build up physically,” Lai told Olympics.com. “I don’t have the power, the strength of those other guys, but I think I make up for it with my mental and my skills.”

The BWF World Championships are available to stream live (territorial restrictions apply) on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the Olympics mobile apps.

Bradley came off the bench during Monday night’s 3-2 win at Newcastle United after missing the Reds’ previous two games, but Mac Allister was absent from the matchday squad.

Slot also confirmed Virgil van Dijk is fit to face the Gunners in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield after being on the receiving end of a tackle that resulted in Anthony Gordon being sent off on Tyneside.

The champions’ head coach was asked if he has any new fitness worries during Friday morning’s pre-match press conference and replied: “No, I don’t think so.

“I think the positive is that Conor Bradley only had one or two training sessions before the Newcastle game, he has trained this week the whole week – [well] not the whole week as there are still two days to go.

“Mac Allister has also started training again so I don’t think we had any injuries coming out of that game [at Newcastle], no. And Virgil is also OK.”

So close yet so far. In the past couple of months, Emma Raducanu has twice pushed the world’s leading player to the brink.

On Friday, Raducanu has another chance to test herself against one of the very best, meeting 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina for a spot in the US Open fourth round.

While the British number one ultimately fell short of beating Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open, 36th-ranked Raducanu’s performances were a mark of her encouraging progress.

“When Raducanu has taken on top-10 players in previous years, it felt she was a little lightweight going up against the power players,” former world number one Lindsay Davenport told BBC Sport.

“Over the last couple of months that feeling has left my mind.

“Against Sabalenka, Raducanu was not only able to absorb the power but also able to push her around.

“Facing Rybakina will be a huge battle – but I give Raducanu a chance.”

Despite the positives of her performances against Sabalenka, 22-year-old Raducanu has still only won three of her 17 matches against top-10 players.

The 2021 US Open champion has also never beaten a fellow Grand Slam winner.

Rybakina might be seeded ninth in New York this year, but the recent bulldozing of Sabalenka in Cincinnati – winning 6-1 6-4 – was a reminder of her threat.

“It’s great to see her looking healthy and looking better on court,” added three-time major champion Davenport, whose serving was also the bedrock of her success.

“But Raducanu has made a lot of huge improvements too. Her serve is better and her legs look stronger.”

NEW YORK:

Tommy Paul survived a brutal five-set epic that finished at 1:46 am to fight his way past Nuno Borges and into the third round of the US Open early Friday.

The 14th-seeded American finally made it count after 4hr 45mins to pull through 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5 in New York.

Late-night finishes in tennis have been a recurring theme, especially at the Australian Open and the US Open, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner completed their 2022 quarter-final at 2:50 am.

Paul could have had a comparatively early night with two match points in the third set, but he failed to take them and a newly energised Borges threatened to make him pay.

With the time in the “city that never sleeps” ticking past 1:00 am and the Arthur Ashe Stadium mostly empty, the gruelling encounter went to a deciding fifth set.

There was again nothing between them, with Portugal’s Borges — who is ranked 41 in the world — refusing to go away as he fought back from 3-0 down in the fifth.

Paul finally sealed the deal at 1:46am with a thrilling rally on his third match point, the exhausted pair exchanging a warm embrace at the net after an attritional battle.

“A little bit tired now, I’m sure we all are,” Paul told the spectators that remained until the end.

“First I want to say thank you to you guys for staying so late and supporting me.”

The 28-year-old added: “Definitely cool to get a win.”

He will play the 23rd-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan next.

Zverev sweeps into US Open third round

Alexander Zverev cruised into the third round of the US Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.

Three-time Grand Slam runner-up Zverev eased past world number 60 Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to book a date with Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Russia’s Roman Safiullin.

Only Carlos Alcaraz has more than Zverev’s 45 match wins on the men’s circuit this season.

Third seed Zverev has reached at least the quarter-finals in each of his last four trips to New York, where he finished runner-up in 2020.

Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have scooped the last seven Grand Slams together but Zverev is hoping to muscle in on their territory and claim an elusive first major.

“I’m here to spoil the party. I’m going to try to do that,” said Zverev, who lost last year’s French Open final to Alcaraz and came second to Sinner in Melbourne in January.

Sinner romps into US Open third round

Jannik Sinner kept his bid to win back-to-back US Open titles firmly on track with an emphatic second round demolition of Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Thursday.

The Italian world number one needed just two hours and one minute to dispatch Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Sinner — who only dropped four games in his first round win over Vit Kopriva on Tuesday — was similarly brisk against Popyrin.

The 24-year-old broke Popyrin five times as he moved through the gears against his opponent, ranked 36th in the world.

Sinner faces Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round on Saturday.

“Obviously I try to play the best tennis I can, the first round match is always different compared to the further you go (in the tournament),” Sinner said.

“I’m very happy that I managed these matches as good as I could, when you are up two sets and a break you try to serve as best as you can.

“Today, it felt like neither of us served well but I was returning well and especially on the second serve. I am happy about today, I am aiming to improve on the serve but the rest (of my game) I am quite comfortable with.”

Sinner has reached the final of all three Grand Slams this season, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon either side of a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open.

He is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open since Roger Federer won the last of five consecutive titles in 2008.

• Amorim faces unhappy Man Utd camp

• Winless run sparks doubts over tactics

• Burnley clash seen as do-or-die

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to The Guardian, there is a growing unease after United’s shambolic exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town. For the first time in club history, United were dumped out of the competition by a fourth-tier side, losing on penalties. The humiliation has left Amorim staring down the barrel, his methods openly questioned behind closed doors.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Central to the unrest is Amorim’s ironclad loyalty to his 3-4-3 formation, the same shape he deployed with success at Sporting CP. At United, however, it has been nothing short of catastrophic. Despite the disaster, United’s hierarchy insist they are not planning a managerial change. Director of football Jason Wilcox is said to be keeping a close eye on the storm brewing around the manager. Club officials still see Amorim as the man for the long haul, yet acknowledge his stubborn tactical stance may ultimately push him towards resigning. Whispers from Carrington suggest that if results don’t flip quickly, the coach’s refusal to abandon his system could trigger his own exit.

TELL ME MORE

Amorim has shown no sign of backing away from the fight. Just hours after returning from the Grimsby debacle, he was spotted at Carrington by 7am Thursday morning, preparing training drills and focusing on Burnley, as revealed by the Daily Mail. A number of players currently out on loan, or those on the fringes ahead of Monday’s deadline day, are privately questioning whether Amorim will even last long enough to influence their fates. Some believe they may simply “outlast” him at Old Trafford, an attitude that underlines the instability surrounding the club.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Amorim did not hide his frustrations after the Grimsby defeat and insisted, “Something has to change, and you’re not going to change 22 players again.” He also suggested that there is indeed a lack of confidence in his methods among the players. However, the club officials believe the Grimsby collapse triggered an emotional response from Amorim, and expect him to clarify his position at his Friday press conference.

WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?

Saturday’s match against Burnley is shaping up to be more than just another Premier League fixture. Failure could push the situation to breaking point. After only seven wins in 29 league games under his tenure, Amorim is running out of rope.

KATOWICE (Poland) – It only took one game with Poland for Jordan Loyd to enter the history books.

His 32 points, on 7-of-8 shooting from deep, in Poland’s win in the opener against Slovenia is the fourth-highest scoring tally ever by a player in their FIBA EuroBasket debut. And he wasn’t even aware of it.

“I didn’t know that. I guess that’s kind of crazy, a lot of greats have come through and played in this tournament, ” he admitted in the post-game press conference.

It is crazy, indeed.

If we take into consideration only EuroBasket debuts since 2000, Poland’s #8 definitely takes the scoring crown for newcomers at the competition.

If that wasn’t enough, his 7 made three-pointers are the most for any player in his EuroBasket debut since 1995, when relevant records started being kept.

“Anytime as a player you get into one of those modes you feel good, and you feel like you can do anything, that’s awesome,” he said.

“I’d say this was one of my top games. But it’s only because we won. It doesn’t mean anything if we don’t win.”

He did all of that against Luka Doncic, who finished with 34 points, 9 assists, and 5 steals in a losing effort.

“It was pretty awesome to be on the floor with him. He’s one of the best players in the world. As a player on the other side, you use it as energy. Everybody’s focused on him, and as a team, we used that as motivation.”

Jordan Loyd couldn’t dream of a better debut, also thanks to the red-and-white wave of fans in Spodek Arena.

“The fans gave us a boost in energy, it was amazing. It was probably one of the best atmospheres I’ve played in,” Loyd credited the home crowd in Katowice.

Top 10 highest scoring debuts in EuroBasket history

Most three-pointers made in a single game in EuroBasket history (*since 1995)

FIBA