Category: 6. Sports

KARACHI: Pakistan’s under-16 volleyball team is set to participate in the Asian Men’s U16 Volleyball Championship, scheduled to take place in Thailand from July 12 to 19, with hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIVB U17 World Championship.

The tournament, organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation, will be held in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi, featuring 16 teams divided into four pools. The top four teams will secure direct qualification for the 2026 FIVB U17 World Championship, which will expand to include 24 teams, up from 16 in its inaugural edition last year.

Pakistan has been placed in Pool D alongside Chinese Taipei (2023 bronze medalists), South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

The team will open its campaign against South Korea on July 12, followed by a match against Saudi Arabia on July 13, and will conclude the group stage against Chinese Taipei on July 14.

The Pakistan Volleyball Federation has also finalized 19-member provisional squad for the tournament.

The probables include Abid Mehmood, Asad Ullah, Azhar Mehmood, Faizan Khalid, Faizan Ullah, Faraz Ahmad, Hayat Sher Khan, Muhammad Abbas Mastaan, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Naseem Haider, Muhammad Talha Mehar, Muhammad Umar, Muhammad Waleed Khan, Saran Baig, Usman Ali, and Wahab Abdullah.

The final squad will be selected from these probables ahead of the tournament.

In the previous edition of the championship held in Uzbekistan in 2023, Pakistan finished fourth after a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the bronze-medal match.

Despite the defeat, Pakistan earned a spot in the 2024 U17 World Championship in Bulgaria, where Chinese Taipei secured third place.

The tournament will follow a round-robin group stage, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the classification rounds. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for July 19, where the continental champions will be crowned.

Two-time champion Petra Kvitova played the final Wimbledon match of her career on Tuesday at the All England Club, falling 6-3, 6-1 to No. 10 seed Emma Navarro.

Wimbledon: Scores | Order of play | Draws

The former World No. 2 announced earlier this month that she’ll retire from tennis after the US Open, following a brief return to the Hologic WTA Tour this year after the 2024 birth of her son Petr. A wild card for her 16th Wimbledon appearance this year, the 35-year-old left-hander led Navarro — who reached the quarterfinals in 2024 — by a break in the first set at 3-1, but lost 11 of the last 12 games to drop the curtain on her career at the tournament she won in 2011 and 2014.

After the defeat, which lasted exactly 1 hour, Kvitova spoke from the heart to the fans. She said that while she “wish[ed] they could’ve played a little bit longer,” she enjoyed a “beautiful atmosphere” on No. 1 Court.

“To have another chance to player here one more time, it means a lot to me,” Kvitova said. “This place holds the best memories I could wish for. I never dreamed of winning a Wimbledon, and I won it twice, so this is something very, very special. 

“I will miss Wimbledon for sure. I will miss tennis, I will miss the fans, but I’m ready for the next chapter in life as well.”

Kvitova ends her Wimbledon career with a 38-14 record in main-draw matches at the tournament. Her victories, and total matches, at the event leads active players. 

Navarro, who beat Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff on her way to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon last year — which she then bettered with a run to the semifinals of the US Open — will face either Veronika Kudermetova or Zhu Lin in the second round. A potential third-round match with No. 17 seed and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova could await the American in the third round, with No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva also still alive in a third quarter of the draw that lost No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula earlier on Tuesday.

More to come…

After a rousing 97-run victory in the first match, the Indian women’s cricket team will face the England women’s cricket team in the second T20I of a five-match series at the County Ground in Bristol on Tuesday (July 1) as they aim to continue their winning run.

Smriti Mandhana led the women in blue to victory in the series opener in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur. The Indian captain is suffering from an illness, and a call on her availability is only expected to be taken just before the match.

Mandhana created history in the first match at Trent Bridge with a knock of 112. She became only the second Indian after Harmanpreet to score a century in the shortest format of the game. The 28-year-old is also the first Indian to score a century in all formats of the game and the fifth player from across the world to complete the rare feat.

The Indian women’s team are in England for a five-match series in the T20 format, which is key for the team ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which will be hosted in England. Later, the two teams will play each other in three ODIs as focus shifts to the 50-over format ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup this year from September 30 to November 2, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka.

Here is all you need to know about the England women vs India women 2nd T20I match

Where is England women vs India women 2nd T20I match being played?

The England women vs India women 2nd T20I match at the County Ground in Bristol

What time does England women vs India women 2nd T20I match begin?

Real Madrid Vs Juventus FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will begin at 11:00 PM IST on July 2.

Which TV channels will broadcast England women vs India women 2nd T20I match?

England women vs India women 2nd T20I match will be telecasted on Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 3.

Where to live stream England women vs India women 2nd T20I match?

England women vs India women 2nd T20I match will be available on the Sony Liv App and Website in India.

Manish Rathore, however, exited the competition after a closely-contested loss against Rui Yamaguchi of Japan in the men’s 55kg category.

Sakshi, Lakshya and Jaismine will join fellow Indian boxers Sachin Siwach, Hitesh Gulia, Muskan, Minakshi and Sanju in the next round.

Back in April, India had won six medals at the previous World Boxing Cup leg in Brazil. The Indian women, however, did not compete in Brazil on account of the national championships.

The tournament in Astana is the second and last of two scheduled World Boxing Cup meets for the year.

Boxers accumulate ranking points through their performances at these two meets with the top pugilists qualifying for the World Boxing Cup Finals scheduled in India in November.

The Kazakhstan leg will run until July 7, with over 400 boxers from 31 countries, including Olympians, competing across 10 weight categories in both men’s and women’s divisions. India have sent a 20-member team.

Flintoff led the Lions on trips to South Africa and Australia in the winter and, having been with England Under-19s for their win against India in Northampton on Monday, joined the full squad at their practice on Tuesday in Birmingham before the second Test against India.

McCullum was made England Test coach in 2022 and has overhauled the side by implementing a positive approach since. At the start of the year he also took on the role of England white-ball coach, having replaced Australian Matthew Mott who was sacked last year.

Flintoff worked under Mott on a temporary basis, first in September 2023 and then at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last year.

He is also a long-time friend of England managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key, who has said Flintoff would make an excellent head coach in the future.

“I’m enjoying working under Keysy,” said Flintoff, a crucial player in England’s famous 2005 Ashes win.

“It’s no secret he’s one of my best mates and he’s helped me so much in other things. With Baz, we’ve got a great relationship and the utmost respect.

“He’s unbelievable and the culture he’s created is incredible. It’s similar to what Gareth Southgate did with the football lads.”

Flintoff had largely moved away from cricket prior to his crash in December 2022, which left him with serious facial injuries.

After an initial private return – he attended matches in a balaclava at the invitation of Key – he was named head coach of the Superchargers’ men’s side in The Hundred last year and has become an increasingly public figure again.

“I’m not looking at the franchise world or anything else, although I do the Northern Superchargers which came around last year and I enjoy working with [Superchargers captain] Harry Brook on that.

“I think ‘I’ve got a job to do here’ and it’s not like ‘what’s next?’.”

Former all-rounder Moeen Ali also joined England’s staff on Monday as they prepared for the second Test which begins on Wednesday.

Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a brilliant 2024/25 campaign, winning the Premier League with Liverpool while also shining on the Champions League stage – and the La Pampa native has revealed who, at the moment, he believes is the best team in the world.

As time floats by, the Argentine midfielder’s stock just continues to rise – he played his side’s fourth-most minutes as they were crowned champions of England, though he and his teammates fell short at Europe’s top table, exiting at the Round of 16 stage.

Arne Slot’s men, fresh off the back of Jurgen Klopp’s sudden and saddening departure, were a source of excitement – but they were unable to up their European pedigree further thanks to a player he suggested that he ‘wanted to kill’ during their meeting.

‘They have everything: they’re very disciplined, they play well with the ball, they all run’

By virtue of Liverpool being one of the most notable absentees from this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was a guest on La Casa del Kun – and shared who, in his eyes, is the greatest team in world football.

Perhaps to little surprise, the 26-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football, chose Paris Saint-Germain – who became champions of Europe after a resounding, 5-0 win over Inter Milan at the front end of June 2025.

“They’re the best team in the world; they’re flying,” Mac Allister, who is a 38-cap international for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, claimed, per ESPN, before adding, “They have everything: they’re very disciplined, they play well with the ball, they all run. For me, they’re the best.”

Earlier in the competition, the two met. PSG hosted the Reds for their first leg of their two-legged Champions League Round of 16 clash. Slot’s men were triumphant but were knocked out on penalties the week after, allowing the French side to advance.

PSG’s side is studded with stars: Joao Neves in the middle, Desire Doue on the wing and Nuno Mendes at left-back – but it was Ousmane Dembele who impressed Mac Allister the most. “When we played away, five or ten minutes into the game, the guy was flying,” the one-time World Cup winner said.

“The ball was divided, and I went with my foot open and he nutmegged me… He left me and immediately the game stopped. He came to me and said: ‘Bro, don’t come so fast next time.’ That’s what he told me.”

Watch Dembele slot it through Mac Allister’s legs below:

Mac Allister’s response? “And I told him, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll put it on your knee next time.’ The thing is, I never managed to catch him,” he admitted, thus drawing a subtle laugh out of former Manchester City talisman-turned-pundit Sergio Aguero.

Asked whether he thought about taking drastic action by being dogged and (potentially!) reckless in his approach, Mac Allister said: “No, it’s not necessary. At the time I wanted to kill him, but those things are good, it’s not worth making so much of a fuss.”

The season just gone was the most fruitful of Normandy-born Dembele’s career – the 1997-born goal-getter scored 33 goals and notched a further 15 assists in all competitions. Along with that, he helped win Luis Enrique’s PSG their first-ever Champions League title.