IPL’s new bat testing rule draws mixed reactions from players
LONDON: The Indian Premier League’s new rule requiring bat checks before batsmen take guard has sparked mixed reactions among players.
Cristiano Ronaldo Sport News
Al-Hilal’s Jorge Jesus plays down foreign player advantage ahead of AFC Champions League semifinal against Al-Ahli
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus says that Al-Ahli’s larger contingent of foreign players will not be a decisive factor when the two sides meet in the AFC Elite Champions League semifinal in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Kawasaki's Hasebe determined to fly east Asian flag in face of Saudi dominance
JEDDAH :Kawasaki Frontale coach Shigetoshi Hasebe says he is determined to prove east Asian teams can match the firepower of their big-spending rivals from Saudi Arabia after booking a place in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite.
Japan, Malaysia off to flying start at Sudirman Cup
XIAMEN: Japan got off to a flying start in their bid for a first Sudirman Cup title by thrashing Australia 5-0, while Group C rivals Malaysia thumped France by the same score at the biennial mixed team competition on Monday. Japan got on the board through mixed doubles pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito before teenager Tomoka Miyazaki won her singles match 21-12 21-9 against Tiffany Ho.
Five things to look out for at the AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals in Jeddah
LONDON: Three Saudi Arabian teams entered the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite in Jeddah, and all three progressed to the last four. On Tuesday, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal meet in the first semi-final while, 24 hours later, Al-Nassr take on Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. Here are five things to look out for as the continent’s premier club competition reaches its climax.
‘No-foul call’ controversy as Knicks escape Pistons’ last-second shot for 3–1 lead
DUBAI: For the second straight game, the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons went down to the wire. The Knicks had secured a 118–116 win in Game 3, and Game 4 was just as dramatic on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is chasing silverware in the Asian Champions League Elite
Big-spending Saudi clubs including Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are dominating the Asian Champions League Elite, accounting for all but one of the semifinalists in action this week. In three quarterfinals played on the weekend, the three Saudi Pro League teams won with a combined scoreline of 14-1. At least one is guaranteed a place in the final on May 3 as four-time champion Al-Hilal meets two-time finalist Al-Ahli in the first of the two semis at Jeddah. On Wednesday, Al-Nassr takes on Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, the only non-Saudi club still in contention for the continental title.
Champions League semifinals: Barcelona-Inter revives memories of 2010 epic and Arsenal hosts PSG
The free-flowing attack of Barcelona comes up against the rugged, smothering defense of Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals. Ring any bells? Go back to 2010 — when Lamine Yamal was not even 3 years old and Lionel Messi was close to his prime — and Camp Nou was the scene of one of the most memorable matches in Champions League history, between the same teams going head-to-head there again on Wednesday. Protecting a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Inter — coached at the time by Jose Mourinho — delivered a defensive masterclass against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to survive with 10 men for more than an hour and lose just 1-0 to progress to the title match. Memories will come flooding back ahead of the rematch this week, especially with the two protagonists owning the same traits as 15 years ago. Barcelona is back in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the 2018-19 season, on the back of by far the best attack in the new-look, 36-team league stage. With Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski up front, Barca scored 28 goals in eight games — and has netted nine more goals in eliminating Benfica and Borussia Dortmund in the knockouts. Then there’s Inter, the Italian champion, which conceded just once in eight games in the first stage and held on grimly to oust Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals. Inter won the 2010 final, against Bayern, for a third European Cup title so its run toward the final this season has echoes of that title-winning campaign. Arsenal vs.