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RIYADH: American NFL legend Tom Brady will participate in a flag football event in Riyadh next year, organizers announced on Monday.

Brady, Fanatics, FOX Sports and OBB Media are teaming up to deliver the event on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

He will be joined by some of the NFL’s biggest names at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh as a part of this year’s Riyadh Season.

Brady is partnering with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, to promote the event.

Alalshikh reportedly said: “Riyadh Season prides itself on staging world-class events and this is certain to be the biggest competition of its kind yet in flag football.”

Alalshikh added that it would bring “together some of the most prominent names in sports and entertainment for what promises to be a highly competitive and unforgettable event.”

The event, The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, is a round-robin tournament featuring three teams of current and former NFL players and world-class athletes, including Brady, who makes his first return to the field since his retirement in 2023.

Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with more than 20 million players globally, and will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Flag football is a variant of American or Canadia gridiron football, where instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end a down.

The event will be broadcast live on FOX Sports and available on Tubi.

Other confirmed players include Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rob Gronkowski.

Additional participants, which will feature stars across sports and entertainment, will be announced in the coming months. The teams will also be led by three of the best coaches in football today: Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan.

The former New England Patriot quarterback said: “I couldn’t be more excited to return to the field, get the competitive juices flowing alongside some of the game’s brightest stars and iconic legends, and bring a truly unique global sports event to fans everywhere during Riyadh Season.”

DUBAI: Sri Lanka were made to sweat before edging Hong Kong by four wickets in the Asia Cup on Monday, as Wanindu Hasaranga’s late cameo spared the former champions an embarrassing stumble.

Chasing 150 on a sluggish surface, Sri Lanka looked comfortable at 119 for two with 31 needed off 30 deliveries, but a flurry of wickets, four for eight runs, set nerves jangling.

Hasaranga steadied the innings with an unbeaten 20 off nine balls, striking two fours and a six to seal victory with seven balls left.

Pathum Nissanka was again the batting linchpin, cracking 68 off 44 balls with six fours and two sixes. The opener, ranked seventh in the ICC T20 batting standings, posted back-to-back half-centuries to become the tournament’s leading scorer with 118 runs. Fortune favored him. He was reprieved on 22, 58 and 59, before being run out going for a risky second.

Hong Kong’s spirited effort was undermined by sloppy fielding as they grassed five catches that might have turned the contest on its head.

“It was a very good performance but we’re disappointed we dropped so many catches,” said skipper Yasim Murtaza.

Earlier, after being sent in, Hong Kong charged to 31 for no loss in the first three overs. A 61-run stand from Anshuman Rath (48) and Nizakat Khan (52) anchored their innings, the latter posting his 12th half-century.

Dushmantha Chameera’s pace proved too hot to handle, finishing with two wickets.

“Very pleased with my form, but we have a long way to go,” said Nissanka, who continues to flourish at the top of the order.

The win puts Sri Lanka top of Group B, all but ensuring a place in the second round with one match in hand.