Category: 6. Sports

KARACHI:

One of Pakistan’s most successful athletes, boxer Muhammad ‘Falcon’ Waseem will take on Thailand’s Jakrawut Majungoen in his World Boxing Association (WBA) gold world title defence in Lahore.

The two-time World Boxing Council silver champion has an impeccable professional record of 14 wins with 10 knockouts in his 16 professional bouts.

He will be taking on the seasoned Majungoen on November 29.

“It is going to be one of the toughest bouts because Majungoen is a really good boxer, and his record is very impressive,” Waseem told The Express Tribune. “He has more professional bouts under his belt, 49 of them, and he has 28 knockouts, and only lost fights, so I am excited for the challenge.

“I want to do everything in my power in the ring to win, it is about my honour, especially now that we are getting to host this title defence bout in Pakistan.”

The 2010 World Games gold medallist won his WBA gold title in bantamweight, compared to flyweight.

He is more comfortable with his natural weight in the former category, while he has competed in flyweight in most of his professional and amateur bouts.

In May, he pulled off the most impressive feat of hosting the country’s biggest professional boxing event during the time when Pakistan and India were engaged in a war.

Waseem has been connected with the WBA, one of the four recognized professional boxing regulatory bodies in the world, and he hosted the event with several international stars and big names in boxing who visited Quetta.

It was, after all, Waseem’s biggest dream to have his international title bout in his hometown, Quetta.

The success of his last event, in which he knocked out Venezuela’s Wiston Orono in the ninth round to lift the WBA gold bantamweight title, has been recognized and has shifted the perspective of the political and governmental power, too.

Punjab Govt to help Waseem host title defence bout

Waseem believes the help from Chief Minister Balochistan and DHA Quetta was crucial for him when it came to security and venue arrangements for his last bout on May 10.

This time, the Chief Minister of Punjab and the government are welcoming him like never before.

Waseem’s coach, Danny Vaughan, and manager Chris Glover also held a press conference earlier this month where they spoke about Waseem’s chances of retaining his title.

“This time we are moving our event to Lahore, and I am so glad with the support I am receiving from the government, this bout will be bigger and better,” explained the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

But his dream now, after competing in Quetta, is to make Pakistan the hub of boxing in the region.

In the November bout, Waseem is looking to invite boxing greats like Roy Jones Jr, Canelo Alvarez, Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh, among others, to help attract the attention of the international and local audience alike.

“My aim now is bigger than myself; it really is to make Pakistan synonymous with boxing.

“I want people abroad to hear the name of our country and think about boxing. I am working with WBA as well to help them establish their regional headquarters in Pakistan. We have so much talent.

“There are so many boxers who can win accolades for Pakistan; we can win world titles after world titles with the kind of talent we have, but we need to provide pathways and opportunities along with facilities to them.

“Here, I am going to be using my platform and everything I have to help hone this talent and make Pakistan a major power in the boxing world.”

Training in Liverpool

Waseem added that this plan to train for the all-important November bout includes training in Liverpool with Vaughan.

“I have started my diet and I am preparing myself for an intense training schedule,” said Waseem. “I will be leaving for Liverpool, UK, mid-September, and I know the 12 weeks from there will be very tough, both mentally and physically.

“When I am in Pakistan, I train on my own, keeping myself in shape and conditioned so when I pick up the training for the bout, I am ready for that intense regimen for the big fight.”

 

Unless you’re Ilona Maher, Simone Biles or Tom Daley, Olympic athletes’ social media reach can be limited unless reaching those glorified heights of visibility achieved by the rugby player, gymnast and diver.

So, in a crowded online space, how do emerging athletes grab the attention of fans both in their own sport and beyond?

UK Sport, a government-funded high-performance sports agency, has come up with an idea to promote the profiles of those in the early stages of their careers via an Athlete Creator Club.

Launched in July, the idea is to work with a select number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes to help them create consistent, creative, and authentic content for fans of their sport and beyond.

Creative studio Weirdo have been engaged to help with the pilot programme that will help the athletes experiment with content creation and profile building by telling their own story in their own voice.

Guiding them will be ‘The Playbook’, a how-to guide for using social media effectively and staying safe online, which has also been distributed to the more than 1,000 elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes that UK Sport funds.

The six athletes who have been picked for the initiative are Liam Kirk (ice hockey), Ruth Mwandumba (sport shooting), Phoebe Paterson-Pine (Para archery), Abi Martin (artistic gymnastics), Emily Campbell (weightlifting) and Zac Shaw (Para athletics).

“The Athlete Creator Club will allow me to connect with others and learn new creative techniques, whilst offering a fantastic opportunity to showcase the world of target shooting and to promote diversity within our sport, which is super important to me,” said Mwandumba, who has an additional aspect to her journey.

“As a new mother to twin girls, I also see this as a chance to share my journey and demonstrate that it’s entirely possible to pursue a professional athletic career while embracing motherhood.”

TAMPERE (Finland) – All eyes are on Lauri Markkanen when it comes to Finland’s hopes at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, but there’s a new name stealing some of the headlines.

During the critical periods of the fourth quarter in Finland’s gritty 93-90 win over Sweden on the opening day, it was a fresh-faced and emerging talent making his mark: Miikka Muurinen, aka ‘Slim Jesus’.

At only 18 years old, Muurinen is the youngest player in the tournament, but has already captured the hearts of Finnish supporters with his loud demeanor and confident approach – living up to his moniker.

“That’s just who I am as a person,” Muurinen said. “I’m just a confident guy. It’s how I’ve lived my life – with confidence. I just want to be the best in everything that I do.”

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and Sweden leading 79-75 on FIBA EuroBasket 2025 opening night, Finland’s head coach, Lassi Tuovi, decided that the team needed Muurinen’s confidence and energy on the floor.

Muurinen’s impact on the game was instantaneous. It started with a key rebound following a miss inside from Pelle Larsson, which was followed a minute later by him scoring under the basket off his own missed three-pointer.

The Tampere Deck Arena then rose in unison as on their next possession, Slim Jesus soared for the two-handed slam. In just two minutes, Finland’s four-point deficit became an 82-79 lead.

“Everyone has seen that he is an x-factor, lighting things up, and that’s what we needed in that moment,” Tuovi said of Muurinen.

“We needed [a] lift, and definitely he did the job, but I think that’s typical in a close game that somebody is going to do something, so then others will follow, some will make shots. Miikka was bringing that good energy.”

Muurinen added: “I wasn’t thinking about the score at the time, I just wanted to go out there and help my team, do whatever I could.

“I got the energy from the crowd, and the teammates got their second wind at that point too. It was wild out there, but so much fun. I’m glad I could do something, anything.”

Muurinen made his senior tournament debut with the Susijengi at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Valencia, Spain, less than 12 months after a dominant showing at FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2023 with 16.9 points per game.

The Jarvenpaa native is attracting plenty of college interest in the US, and has now emulated his father Kimmo Muurinen in playing at EuroBasket.

The father-and-son duo have another thing in common: they both had Sasu Salin as a teammate.

Salin said of the teenage sensation: “Him and Lauri have a little bit of the same mindset, but Lauri kept it quiet; he just did a job. Miikka, not so much, but he carries himself in a way that’s good. He seems like he’s willing to learn.

“He’s a bit of a loudmouth, the dude likes to talk, but what’s good for him is when we’re on the court, I don’t think he’s afraid of anything.”

It didn’t take long for Muurinen to come up in a big way on EuroBasket debut.

And, while it was Markkanen who took TCL Player of the Game honors with 28 points and 6 rebounds in the win, to the delight of the passionate crowd of 11,865, the Wolfpack leader was impressed with their young prodigy.

“He was great, he performed at a time when we needed him,” Markkanen said.

“I’m looking forward to obviously being part of his career and journey, but I’m excited to see what he can achieve throughout. He’s just getting started.”

We’re excited, too, and the basketball world will be watching closely to see what Muurinen does next.

FIBA

Brentford has issued an update on Jordan Henderson, Vitaly Janelt, Paris Maghoma and Gustavo Nunes ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Sunderland.

The Bees travel to Stadium of Light following back-to-back victories over Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

Jordan Henderson, absent for Tuesday’s 2-0 win on the south coast, has trained fully this week.

The midfielder came through the Aston Villa game well and there are no concerns about his fitness.

Vitaly Janelt has rejoined team training. He will continue to train over the coming weeks until he is available for selection.

Gustavo Nunes is progressing well. The forward is back on the grass but not yet ready to train with the squad.

Paris Maghoma completed a positive week of training with the squad. The midfielder still has to build his fitness having missed pre-season training.

Why we love the Dutch Grand Prix

We’re obsessed with the banked corners at Zandvoort.

Our counterparts at Arrow McLaren are no strangers to banked corners, which are commonplace in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where they regularly race on oval tracks, but they’re a rarity in modern F1, where we race on a combination of road courses and city tracks.

Zandvoort is unique in this aspect, presenting drivers with a different set of challenges to tackle. The Dutch circuit’s banking peaks in two places, firstly at Turn 3 and then again at the final corner, both of which are around 18 degrees – roughly double that of the banking at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

How steep is the banking at Zandvoort? 🧗

Yes.#DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/A6OTfaJbP1

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 24, 2023

Banked corners are interesting in part because they change F1’s traditional racing line, providing drivers with different options: they could take a tighter apex or run higher up the banking to carry more speed.

It also increases the stress on the tyres. F1 cars are designed to race on relatively flat circuits, and their tyres are purposefully devised to degrade over the course of a race. The higher forces when racing on banked corners not only increase tyre wear but also spread it unevenly, given that the car is cornering at an angle.

Additionally, drivers have to contend with higher vertical G-forces on entry and exit. This not only impacts them physically but also means braking points, steering, and balance are harder to judge and makes mistakes harder to correct due to the extra forces on them.

It also poses various setup questions for the team, as the banking requires more downforce than the narrow and winding sections of the circuit – and teams can’t have both.

Pakistani football fans, rejoice! Rising star Abdullah Iqbal, now anchoring the defense at Sweden’s Mjällby AIF, has reportedly received a solid boost in his EA Sports FC 26 card, according to the latest leaks. And yes, that silver design now carries more than just style—it carries improvements.

The 23-year-old has become one of the most influential Pakistani footballers in Europe, and his in‑game ratings reflect his status as a defensive wall.

Abdullah Iqbal’s FC 26 card now sports a 67 overall, a healthy rise from the 64 seen in FC 25—proof that defenders in the pixel world don’t go unnoticed. His potential has also been bumped, signaling big things ahead both in‑game and in reality.

His Speed, Passing, Shooting, Dribbling, Defending, and Physical stats have all improved, and he also boasts two‑star skill moves and a three‑star weak foot. That means he’s not just a towering left‑footed center‑back—he’s one who can chase down strikers, win headers, and still stand firm in tackles.

His medium/high work rate also makes him a perfect card for career mode.

Abdullah Iqbal EA FC 26 Card – from the leaked database#PakistanFootball pic.twitter.com/Xt4wmnSk7u

— Daily Pakistan Football (@pak_futball) August 27, 2025

Abdullah Iqbal’s improved card isn’t just a trophy in FC 26 career mode; it’s a digital stamp of recognition for a player breaking barriers abroad. It’s like seeing your country’s hero become a main character in a global video game featuring some of the best footballers on the planet.

Easah Suliman, Otis Khan, Yousuf Butt, and Zesh Rehman have all featured in FC/FIFA games before, but this one carries special significance.

While many young footballers from this part of the world get overlooked, Iqbal’s rise, both in real leagues and in his virtual counterpart, shows what happens when talent meets perseverance.

So when you eventually fire up FC 26, slot him in—because defenders with pace, power, and promise are always a win.

Making Paralympic Games history

Ogunkunle aimed for London 2012, but his bronze medal at the 2011 African Championships in Ismailia, Egypt, fell short of the gold needed to qualify. Undeterred, he returned to the National Sports Festival in Lagos, winning gold and silver.

From 2012 to 2019, he trained without major competitions, holding fast to his belief in his potential. In 2019, he rejoined the national team and competed at the African Championships in Alexandria, Egypt. Despite losing in the semi-finals, his ranking — boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic — earned him a spot at Tokyo 2020.

Tokyo proved challenging, as he was eliminated in the group stage. Ogunkunle trained even harder, eventually qualifying for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he won bronze in Class 4.

Determined to return to the Paralympic stage, the Nigerian defeated his longtime African rival, Mohamed Sameh Eid of Egypt, at the 2023 African Championships in Giza, Egypt, becoming continental champion and securing his ticket to Paris 2024.

“I was disappointed in Tokyo, so I made sure to reclaim my dominance in Africa. Winning the continental title in 2023 was a turning point,” he said.

In Paris, Ogunkunle defied expectations. He became the only African to medal in table tennis, beating the world No. 2 in the round of 16 and eventually finishing with bronze.

The last time Nigeria medaled in the singles event was at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, when Tajudeen Agunbiade and Alabi Olufemi won gold and bronze, respectively.

“That win boosted my confidence. My quarter-final match was the highlight — it was against an opponent who had beaten me many times. I spent the night before strategising, while my teammates fasted for me. I was exempted from fasting as the ‘main actor.’ I cried tears of joy after winning.”

The ITA reports that a sample collected during an in-competition testing mission on 29 June 2025 from Pedro Afonso Pinto Gaspar, a triathlete from Portugal, has returned an AAF¹ for the prohibited substance mesterolone.

Mesterolone is prohibited under the 2025 WADA Prohibited List as S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS). It is prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) and is a non-specified substance. Mesterolone is known for its potent androgenic properties by increasing testosterone levels and enhancing male sexual characteristics.

The athlete has been informed of the case and has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.

If the B-sample analysis is requested and confirms the result of the A-sample, the case will be considered as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. If the B-sample analysis is not requested, the case will also go ahead as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. The athlete will have the opportunity to present his explanations for the result.

Further, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and Article 7.4.1 of the World Triathlon Anti-Doping Rules, a mandatory provisional suspension has been imposed on the athlete. The athlete has the right to challenge the provisional suspension and ask for its lifting.

Pursuant to the World Triathlon’s delegation of its anti-doping program to the ITA, the prosecution of the case is being handled entirely by the ITA. Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments made.