Sports

South Africa opener Ryan Rickelton scored a maiden One-Day International century with a fluent 103 as his side eased to a 107-run win over Afghanistan in their opening Champions Trophy Group B fixture at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday.

Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her giant-slaying exploits at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by upsetting Kazakhstan's sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-4 4-6 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday.

Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) has won the UAE Tour's stage 5, ahead of Italian riders Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana Team) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).

Champions League holders Real Madrid will play local rivals Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the competition while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.

The UAE Football Association has submitted an official bid to host the 2031 Asian Cup.

World number three Carlos Alcaraz was left ruing a mistake that let Jiri Lehecka off the hook in the third set and allowed the Czech to fight back and claim a 6-3 3-6 6-4 victory in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

World heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has withdrawn from his scheduled title defence against Joseph Parker on Saturday after falling ill.

India kicked off their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh in a Group A match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) clinched stage 4 of the UAE Tour, edging out Belgian duo Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

An inspired Mirra Andreeva beat world number two Iga Swiatek for the first time in her career to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot would have signed up for being eight points clear at the top of the Premier League with 12 games left of his first season in charge but he could not hide his frustration after a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Real Madrid easily beat Manchester City 3-1 with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick on Wednesday in their Champions League playoff second leg at a raucous Santiago Bernabeu stadium, earning them a 6-3 aggregate victory and a place in the last 16.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka exited the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday night following a 3-6, 2-6 defeat to unseeded Clara Tauson of Denmark.

Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG has won stage 3 of the UAE Tour at Jebel Jais on Wednesday, kicking beyond Oscar Onley and Felix Gall, taking the overall lead in the race.

Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani has set a record for the first time in his career, leading the team to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League 2, for the second time in the team's history. 

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said it has banned a man who exhibited "fixated behaviour" towards Emma Raducanu after he was taken away by security personnel during the Briton's match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship late on Tuesday.

Tiger Woods has made his first start since the death of his mother when he competed in a TGL match at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Woods and his Jupiter Links GC teammates Kevin Kisner and Tom Kim lost 10-3 in a one-sided contest at the hands of the New York Golf Club.

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies snatched a last-gasp equaliser against Celtic for a 1-1 draw on Tuesday to advance to the Champions League Round of 16 with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Defending champion Jasmine Paolini overcame a rain delay on match point to advance to the last 16 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Germany's Eva Lys.

Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) won the Stage 2 time trial at the UAE Tour, setting a time of 12:55 while speeding through the 12.2 km flat course on Abu Dhabi's Al Hudayriyat Island.

Wyndham Clark recorded the go-ahead point at the 15th hole to give The Bay GC a 5-4 win over Rory McIlroy's Boston Common Golf team, on Monday to close a TGL tripleheader in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Striker Robert Lewandowski scored a first-half penalty to give Barcelona a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano on Monday that moved them to top of the LaLiga standings. 

American Peyton Stearns defeated Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 7-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday.

The opening stage of the UAE Tour 2025 was taken by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), with the Italian sprinter finishing ahead of Jasper Philipsen and Finn Fisher-Black.

India postponed its national winter games on Monday citing a lack of snow in the northern Jammu & Kashmir territory's ski resort of Gulmarg, where the event was to be held this month.

António Morgado produced a ride of the highest calibre to win the Figueira Champions Classic on Sunday afternoon.

Neymar scored for the first time in 16 months after his penalty set Santos on the way to a 3-1 win over Agua Santa in the Paulista Championship on Sunday and the Brazil forward said he was happy to be playing again after a long injury absence.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the fourth stage of the Al Salam Cycling Championship, which took place on Sunday at Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club's plight after they suffered a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.

The UAE is the first stop on the Asian leg of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour with a visit scheduled for February 22-24.

British debutant Emma Raducanu got her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign off to the perfect start, defeating former World Number 3 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 under the lights on Centre Court.

Kolkata's Eden Gardens will host the Indian Premier League (IPL) final on May 25 as well as the opening game between the defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, India's cricket board said on Sunday.

Joaquin Niemann hit a stunning seven-under par final round of 65 to claim the LIV Golf Adelaide title on Sunday, finishing on 13-under par to win by three shots as Sergio Garcia's Fireballs quartet claimed victory in the team event.

Under the directives and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Women’s Race, the fourth stage of the ninth Al Salam Cycling Championship, is taking place on Sunday.

Champions Manchester City's title hopes may have long since vanished but they looked much more recognisable as recent signing Omar Marmoush bagged a hat-trick in 13 first-half minutes in a 4-0 rout of Newcastle United.

Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban for doping having tested positive for a banned substance last year following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), it said on Saturday.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca could not hide his frustration after his rudderless side were thumped 3-0 away by Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday as they failed to get a shot on target.

Australia were handed a reality check ahead of next week's Champions Trophy after Sri Lanka thrashed them by 174 runs in the second one day international to complete a 2-0 series sweep on Friday.

Emma Raducanu will play at the Dubai Tennis Championships having taken a wildcard entry, as she looks to get back to winning ways having suffered four losses on in-a-row for the first time in her career.

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz will miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery after suffering a hamstring injury in training, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has eased back into training after being struck in the face by the ball in a fielding mishap but he still has concussion protocols to pass before returning to the field, coach Gary Stead said.

Formula One champions McLaren were first on track with their 2025 car on Thursday as Lando Norris put in some laps at a chilly Silverstone before handing over to team mate Oscar Piastri.

Everton captain James Tarkowski equalised deep into stoppage time to earn them a 2-2 Premier League draw against Liverpool in a storybook finish to a dramatic final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday.

India completed a 3-0 series sweep against England after Shubman Gill's fluent hundred, helped by some incisive bowling, secured their victory by 142 runs in the final one day international in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka led by example and smashed a belligerent hundred to set up a 49-run victory over a depleted Australia in their low-scoring opening one-day international in Colombo on Wednesday.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy for personal reasons, leaving the squad without its three frontline quicks for the ODI tournament in Pakistan and the UAE.

Australia spin bowler Matt Kuhnemann has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action after his dominant performance in the test series against Sri Lanka.

Jude Bellingham struck a last-gasp goal to give Champions League holders Real Madrid a 3-2 victory over Manchester City in an edge-of-your-seat first leg of their knockout phase playoff at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have named their seven riders competing in the UAE Tour, taking place from February 17-23.

FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth Argyle drew Premier League champions Manchester City on Monday as the second tier side's fifth round reward for a shock defeat of Liverpool on Sunday.

Isaiah Taylor was among the stars to impress as Dubai Basketball celebrated another win on the road, defeating Serbia’s Spartak 90-84 in a thrilling game – their 15th victory of the season.

The Dubai Capitals overcame last season’s heartbreak to claim their first ILT20 title with a four-wicket win over the Desert Vipers in Sunday’s final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The Philadelphia Eagles obliterated the Kansas City Chiefs’ bid to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls with a blowout 40-22 win in New Orleans on Sunday.

Plymouth Argyle head coach Miron Muslic was lost for words after his struggling second-tier side knocked out Premier League leaders Liverpool from the FA Cup fourth round with a 1-0 win on Sunday.

Australia beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets inside four days of the second test to complete a 2-0 series sweep in Galle on Sunday.

Belinda Bencic became Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open champion for the second time, on Saturday, after coming from behind to defeat Ashlyn Krueger in the final, capping a remarkable comeback story.

Belinda Bencic is through to another Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final after eliminating reigning champion Elena Rybakina in a pulsating contest. The Swiss star will now meet Ashlyn Krueger, who defeated Linda Noskova in straight sets, in Saturday's final.

The Desert Vipers defeated the Sharjah Warriorz in the DP World ILT20 Season 3 Qualifier 2 clash bowling exceptionally well and followed it up with a scintillating batting display to cruise to a seven-wicket win at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Manchester United clawed back from a goal down to beat Leicester City in a 2-1 fourth-round FA Cup victory on Friday at Old Trafford, thanks to a last-gasp controversial header from veteran defender Harry Maguire plus a strike from Joshua Zirkzee.

Clubs worldwide spent a record $2.35 billion on international transfers in men's soccer in the January window, nearly a 58 per cent increase from last year, world soccer's governing body FIFA said in a study published on Friday.

FIFA has suspended the Congo Republic's football association (FECOFOOT) and the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), barring both from international competitions, the world soccer's governing body has said.

Cypriot rhythmic gymnastics judge Evangelia Trikomiti has been banned for four years for manipulating scores at the European Championships in May last year to ensure her compatriot qualified for the Paris Olympics.

Ons Jabeur exited the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open at the quarter-final stage for the second consecutive year after losing a thrilling encounter against reigning champion Elena Rybakina, who joins Belinda Bencic, Ashlyn Krueger and Linda Noskova in the semi-finals.

Tim Seifert’s stellar cameo at the DP World ILT20 Season 3 helped the Sharjah Warriorz to seal a stunning six-wicket win against defending champions MI Emirates in their winner-takes-it-all Eliminator clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday evening.

Liverpool set up a League Cup final against Newcastle United after a 4-0 rout, and 4-1 aggregate victory, over a toothless Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Thursday.

Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the opening one-day international on Thursday and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is a warmup for the Champions Trophy.

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis has retired from one-day internationals with immediate effect to focus on T20 cricket, pulling himself out of Australia's Champions Trophy squad.

China Police Team “B” secured the championship title in the sixth edition of the UAE SWAT Challenge 2025, on Wednesday, finishing at the top of the overall leaderboard with 480 points.

Newcastle United reached a second League Cup final in three seasons as they overwhelmed Arsenal 2-0 at a feverish St James' Park to complete a crushing 4-0 aggregate win.

Dubai Capitals clinched a thrilling last-ball victory against the Desert Vipers on Wednesday, securing their place in the Final of the DP World ILT20 Season 3.

Ons Jabeur reached the last eight of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open following a straight-sets victory over 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe, setting up a quarter-final against reigning champion, Elena Rybakina.

The 2025 ITU World Triathalon Championship is set to kick off on February 15 in Abu Dhabi's Al Hudayriat Island, bringing together the world's best triathletes for the first leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series. 

The English Premier League could introduce semi-automated offside technology before the end of the 2024-25 season following "significant" progress in testing, said Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes.

Former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis after losing in the first round at her home event in Cluj.

The Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates, and Sharjah Warriorz have secured their places in the play-offs of the DP World ILT20.

Ons Jabeur is through to the last 16 of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open after beating Jelena Ostapenko in the UAE capital.

Real Madrid defender David Alaba will be out of action after picking up an adductor injury in his left leg, the LaLiga club said on Tuesday.

Caroline Garcia suffered an early exit at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, losing in straight sets to Lulu Sun, while 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe produced another superb display, defeating Yue Yuan as she progressed to the last 16.

The Dubai Capitals were unstoppable on Monday evening as they outshone the Desert Vipers with the ball and bat to cruise to a massive nine-wicket win in the final group game of the DP World ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Chelsea recovered to beat their former manager Graham Potter's side West Ham United 2-1 with a second-half strike from substitute Pedro Neto and an own goal by Aaron Wan-Bissaka lifting them to fourth place in the Premier League.

The world’s top 10 women's players will take centre stage at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this month, as the WTA event celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Arsenal delivered a statement of intent in the Premier League title race with a 5-1 hammering of champions Manchester City to close the gap at the top to six points on Sunday.

David Warner's explosive batting propelled the Dubai Capitals into the playoffs of the DP World ILT20 Season 3 after they clinched a stunning 26-run win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Wakana Sonobe, the 17-year-old Japanese talent, showcased her unquestionable abilities by defeating Cristina Bucsa in straight sets to move into the Round of 32.

L’Étape Dubai by Tour de France made its debut in the UAE this weekend, bringing together over 1,000 cycling enthusiasts, from hobby riders and amateurs to elite athletes, and recording the highest number of participants for the first edition of any amateur cycling event in the history of the UAE.

The UAE National Olympic Committee has announced the country’s participation in the ninth Asian Winter Games, set to take place in Harbin, China, from February 7-14, with 1,500 athletes from 34 Asian Olympic committees competing.

Two unlikely heroes stepped up for Australia as they handed hosts Sri Lanka their biggest ever test defeat, and coach Andrew McDonald was impressed by both after a dominant start to the two-test seriesr the Champions Trophy, which kicks off Feb. 19.

The Gulf Giants returned to winning ways as they recorded a seven-wicket win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open returned to the capital on Saturday with qualifying wins for the likes of Sofia Kenin, Cristina Bucsa and 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe, while the main draw ceremony took place.

The Organising Committee of Dubai Games has confirmed the 27 teams advancing to the Battle of the Community, following a competitive qualifier at Damac Hills.

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon has contributed to strengthening the emirate’s emerging reputation as a premier destination for sports and tourism.

Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr have signed 21-year-old Colombian forward Jhon Duran from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced.

Abu Dhabi has created sporting history by attracting the sailing regatta Cowes Week to its shores in January 2023, consolidating its position as the Middle East's sports capital.

Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has outlined exactly why football is failing to properly address racism within the game in an exclusive interview with Off Script on Dubai Eye 103.8.