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UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive

UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive
UAE's players celebrate after the dismissal of Oman's captain Jatinder Singh during the Asia Cup 2025 Twenty20 international cricket match between United Arab Emirates and Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
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UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive

UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive
  • UAE play Pakistan, who went down to tournament favorites India in key match, next on Wednesday
  • The winner of the match will likely move into the Super Four stage of the eight-nation tournament

ABU DHABI: Skipper Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu struck attacking half-centuries to lead United Arab Emirates to a thumping 42-run win over Oman in the Asia Cup on Monday.

Waseem, who hit 69, and Sharafu, who made 51, put on 88 runs for the opening wicket to guide hosts UAE to a challenging 172-5 in Abu Dhabi.

The home bowlers then combined to dismiss Oman for 130 in 18.4 overs for their first win in this edition of the regional tournament played in the T20 format.

Medium-pace bowler Junaid Siddique stood out with figures of 4-23. Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah took two wickets each.

The batters had set up victory. Waseem and Sharafu started cautiously but soon took the attack to the opposition with a flurry of boundaries.

Sharafu fell for his 51 but Waseem kept up the charge and reached fifty with a six. The captain was run out in the final over.

UAE play Pakistan, who went down to tournament favorites India in a key match, next on Wednesday with the winner likely to move into the Super Four stage of the eight-nation event.

Oman were never in the chase and lost five wickets for 50 runs with captain and opener Jatinder Singh scoring 20 as they slumped to a second straight defeat.

Defending champions India, who won the previous edition played in a 50-overs format, lead the table in Group A with two wins in two matches are nearly through to the next stage.

Along with regional bragging rights, the competition will serve as a build-up toward the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.


UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive

UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive
Updated 15 September 2025

UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive

UAE hammer Oman in Asia Cup to keep Super Four hopes alive
  • Waseem, who hit 69, and Sharafu, who made 51, put on 88 runs for the opening wicket to guide hosts UAE to a challenging 172-5 in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI: Skipper Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu struck attacking half-centuries to lead United Arab Emirates to a thumping 42-run win over Oman in the Asia Cup on Monday.

Waseem, who hit 69, and Sharafu, who made 51, put on 88 runs for the opening wicket to guide hosts UAE to a challenging 172-5 in Abu Dhabi.

The home bowlers then combined to dismiss Oman for 130 in 18.4 overs for their first win in this edition of the regional tournament played in the T20 format.

Medium-pace bowler Junaid Siddique stood out with figures of 4-23. Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah took two wickets each.

The batters had set up victory. Waseem and Sharafu started cautiously but soon took the attack to the opposition with a flurry of boundaries.

Sharafu fell for his 51 but Waseem kept up the charge and reached fifty with a six. The captain was run out in the final over.

UAE play Pakistan, who went down to tournament favorites India in a key match, next on Wednesday with the winner likely to move into the Super Four stage of the eight-nation event.

Oman were never in the chase and lost five wickets for 50 runs with captain and opener Jatinder Singh scoring 20 as they slumped to a second straight defeat.

Defending champions India, who won the previous edition played in a 50-overs format, lead the table in Group A with two wins in two matches are nearly through to the next stage.

Along with regional bragging rights, the competition will serve as a build-up toward the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.


Norway to give ticket sales from Israel qualifier to MSF

Norway to give ticket sales from Israel qualifier to MSF
Updated 15 September 2025

Norway to give ticket sales from Israel qualifier to MSF

Norway to give ticket sales from Israel qualifier to MSF
  • Donation is to help alleviate “humanitarian suffering” in Gaza, Norway’s football association says

OSLO: Ticket sales from Norway’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel will go to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to help it alleviate “humanitarian suffering” in Gaza, Norway’s football association said on Monday.
The October 11 match in Oslo “will be played against the backdrop of grave humanitarian suffering, and we are not and can not remain indifferent to this,” the head of the Norwegian football association, Lisa Klaveness, told reporters at a press conference.
“We think it is entirely justified to give the ticket sales to Doctors Without Borders, which is providing concrete, emergency aid on the ground in Gaza,” she said.
Klaveness criticized the “disproportionate attacks targeting Gaza for far too long.”
The match will be played in a sold-out Ullevaal Stadium, which has the capacity to host a little over 27,000 spectators.
“We are moved to see donors willing to make such a significant contribution to support our colleagues plunged into a brutal and desperate situation in Gaza, where they need all possible support, both financial and moral,” said Lindis Hurum, the secretary general of the Norwegian branch of Doctors Without Borders.
Norway tops Group 1 with five victories in five matches, ahead of Italy and Israel.
In their away match played on neutral ground in Debrecen on March 25, Norway beat Israel 4-2.


Ryder Cup stars confirmed for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Ryder Cup stars confirmed for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Updated 15 September 2025

Ryder Cup stars confirmed for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Ryder Cup stars confirmed for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
  • Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, and Robert MacIntyre will join reigning Masters champion and career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy at Yas Links from Nov. 6-9

ABU DHABI: Ryder Cup stars and Rolex Series winners Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, and Robert MacIntyre are the latest players confirmed for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, taking place from Nov. 6-9 at Yas Links.

The trio will join reigning Masters Tournament champion and career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy in a world-class field for the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs on Yas Island.

The quartet all played a role in Europe’s stunning 16½–11½ victory over the US at the 2023 Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome and will return to help defend the trophy at Bethpage Black in New York next week.

World No. 9 MacIntyre has enjoyed a strong season worldwide, finishing second at the US Open at Oakmont Country Club and the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club, as well as tied seventh at the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

MacIntyre said: “I really enjoy finishing the season in the Middle East, and I’m looking forward to returning to Abu Dhabi for the first of two big events later this year. It’s been a strong start to my year, and with some good memories at Yas Links, I hope to keep that momentum going and give myself a chance to finish the season on a high.”

Hatton, the 2019 Abu Dhabi Championship winner, returns following a runner-up finish at Yas Links last year. He currently sits fourth in the Race to Dubai Rankings following his win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January and a tied-fourth result at the 2025 US Open.

“I’ve got some great memories from playing in the UAE, especially winning Abu Dhabi in 2019 and this year in Dubai,” said Hatton. “Yas Island is an incredible destination with so much to see and do, and this tournament always has a fantastic atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to getting back to Abu Dhabi and kicking off the DP World Tour Play-Offs.”

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open Champion, has had a consistent 2025 campaign with six top 10 finishes globally, including a tied fourth result at the 153rd Open in Northern Ireland.

The nine-time DP World Tour winner will be looking to build on his recent momentum and is looking to add another Rolex Series title to his name as the Play-Offs get underway.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to Abu Dhabi and getting the DP World Tour Play-Offs started,” said Fitzpatrick. “Abu Dhabi is always a great place to play, and I hope to carry my recent form through and give myself a chance to have a strong end to the season.”

Staged by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first event of the DP World Tour’s end-of-season showpiece, leading straight into the DP World Tour Championship, where the Race to Dubai champion will be crowned. The top 70 available players at the conclusion of the Back 9 events will gather in Abu Dhabi for the fourth Rolex Series event of the year as the season comes to a close.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship returns to Yas Links for the fourth season after England’s Paul Waring won his maiden Rolex Series title in 2024. The top 70 available players on the Race to Dubai will battle it out for its 20th edition in 2025, with the top 50 qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week.


Baniyas victorious at Round 6 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Fujairah

Baniyas victorious at Round 6 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Fujairah
Updated 15 September 2025

Baniyas victorious at Round 6 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Fujairah

Baniyas victorious at Round 6 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Fujairah
  • Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club finish as runners-up with Al-Ain in third

FUJAIRAH: The sixth round of the second edition of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship concluded on Sunday evening at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah, with Baniyas Club taking top spot in the three-day competition.

The last day saw matches in the categories of children under the age of 12.

The final overall standing saw the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club finish second and Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club third.

Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said that the championship’s continued success reflects the organization’s mission to support clubs and academies across the emirates and to produce athletes who can represent the national team in global competitions.

He added: “This championship, which bears a name dear to our hearts, brings together various segments of society, players, families, and jiu-jitsu enthusiasts, in interactive settings that strengthen communal bonds and uphold the values on which this sport is founded: commitment, discipline, and teamwork. It also helps to establish sport as an essential component of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.”


Dubai set for WBC Middle East world title bout at Purse on the Palm

Dubai set for WBC Middle East world title bout at Purse on the Palm
Updated 15 September 2025

Dubai set for WBC Middle East world title bout at Purse on the Palm

Dubai set for WBC Middle East world title bout at Purse on the Palm
  • Brit Anees Taj takes on Egypt’s Wagdy Attia in the show’s main event on Sept. 20
  • Event will feature seven professional bouts and an amateur prize fighter tournament with cash prizes

DUBAI: Dubai will host Purse on the Palm on Sept. 20, with the main event featuring a WBC Middle East title bout and a prize fighter tournament where the winner will walk away with almost $5,500.

The event, staged by Grassroots Boxing, takes place at W Dubai and features a card that includes established fighters as well emerging talent from the region.

In the night’s main event, for the WBC Middle East title, the UK’s Anees Taj (10-5) takes on Egypt’s Wagdy Attia (12-2) in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

Taj, 29, goes into the bout having won his past three fights, most recently against compatriot Phil Williams in November 2024.

Attia, meanwhile, has lost just once in his previous nine encounters, with the 30-year-old overcoming fellow countryman, Mohamed Gaabary, last time out.

Jamie Cormack, head of Grassroots Boxing, said: “Purse on the Palm is set to be an electrifying new addition to the boxing calendar, an experience that brings together die-hard fans and casual spectators for a Saturday filled with sport and entertainment.

“Unlike traditional fight nights, the action kicks off in the afternoon, with guests able to enjoy premium brunch packages as the bouts unfold.

“The WBC Middle East title clash between Anees Taj and Wagdy Attia is not to be missed, while the high-stakes prize fighter tournament, with cash on the line, will have the crowd on the edge of their seats from the first bell.”

The card will also feature unbeaten Dubai-based fighter Mikael Husain (8-0), backed by Hamza Sheeraz, who achieved a victory over Edgar Berlanga in New York recently.

Sheeraz will be at Purse on the Palm, along with world champion Jazza Dickens, who produced a career-best performance to stun Albert Batyrgaziev via fourth-round knockout in July.

The prize fighter tournament will feature eight amateur boxers battling it out to walk off with almost $5,500, while the beaten finalist will pocket $2,700. Knockout bonuses are on offer in every contest.

Fights will be judged by three commission judges, along with three current or former world champions.