SPORTS NEWS

 PARIS, 29 August, 2026 — Ghufran: Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have been handed high-profile league-phase clashes with Barcelona and Manchester City in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League draw. PSG will also face Aston Villa, Roma, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava, Villarreal and Como during the league phase. The French champions will play four matches at home and travel to England, Spain and Italy for the remaining fixtures. Last season’s runners-up Arsenal were drawn against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Sabah at home, while their away opponents include Bayern Munich, Napoli, Real Betis and Slavia Prague. Liverpool will host Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while Manchester United face home games against Bayern Munich and Roma among other opponent...

BASSETERRE, 29 August, 2026 — News Desk: Pakistan batter Saim Ayub scored his maiden T20 century to help Jamaica Kingsmen defeat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 11 runs in the Caribbean Premier League at Warner Park on Thursday. Ayub smashed 102 off 58 balls, including six fours and eight sixes, as Jamaica Kingsmen posted 182-7 after being put into bat. He anchored the innings after losing an early wicket and shared a crucial 72-run partnership with captain Rovman Powell. In reply, the Patriots scored 171-6 in their 20 overs. Andre Fletcher top-scored with 55 before being dismissed by Ayub, while Dasun Shanaka remained unbeaten on 35 off 18 balls. Despite a late fightback, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots fell 11 runs short and suffered their fourth defeat of the tournament.

 WAGENER STADIUM, 29 August, 2026 — News Desk: Pakistan secured 11th place at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 after defeating South Africa 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the classification match on Friday. The result marks Pakistan’s best World Cup finish in two decades. The Green Shirts had finished 12th in the 2010 and 2018 editions, while their best-ever result remains sixth place in 2006. South Africa took an early lead, but Pakistan fought back to level the score at 2-2 before halftime. Both teams exchanged goals in the second half, with Pakistan’s Muhammad Hammaduddin scoring in the final minute to make it 4-4 and force a penalty shootout. Pakistan held their nerve in the shootout, with Ammad Butt scoring the decisive final penalty to seal a dramatic victory and confirm 11th pla...

 LONDON, 29 August, 2026 — Ghufran: Rain delayed the start of the third day of the second Test between Pakistan and England at Lord’s on Saturday. England ended the second day at 81 for 3 in their second innings, with Emilio Gay unbeaten on 30 and Harry Brook on 7. Their overall lead over Pakistan had reached 261 runs. Earlier, England were bowled out for 290 before Pakistan were dismissed for just 110 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a first-innings lead of 180 runs. England remain in a strong position, while Pakistan will look to take early wickets once play resumes and reduce the hosts’ advantage.

LONDON, 27 August, 2026 (News Desk): Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against England in the second Test of the three-match series at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday. Pakistan have made a key change to their playing XI, with former captain Babar Azam returning to the side after missing the opening Test at Headingley. Stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha has been left out of the playing XI. Pakistan’s playing XI comprises Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Abbas. England have fielded Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. Eng...

NEW YORK, 27 August, 2026 (News Desk): Czech duo Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik defeated Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 to win the US Open mixed doubles title, securing their first Grand Slam trophy as a team. Muchova and Mensik made a strong start at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the powerful-serving Mensik firing an ace past Bencic on set point to take the opening set in less than 30 minutes. Bencic responded in the second set, hitting a return winner to break serve for a 3-1 lead before helping level the match with a forehand that clipped the net cord and landed beyond Muchova. In the deciding 10-point match tiebreak, Mensik’s powerful serve and sharp play at the net helped the Czech pair take control. The 20-year-old produced a firm volley to open...

 LONDON, 27 August, 2026 (News Desk): Pakistan’s experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha are likely to retain their places in the playing XI for the second Test against England at Lord’s. Rizwan, 34, has played 46 Tests, while Agha, 32, has represented Pakistan in 28 Tests. Captain Babar Azam has indicated that Agha remains his first choice to partner left-arm spinner Ali Usman as Pakistan’s second spin option. The expected selection comes after Pakistan suffered an innings-and-103-run defeat against England in the Leeds Test, leading to criticism of several senior players. Earlier reports had suggested that young wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori could make his Test debut in place of Rizwan, while Agha was also considered at risk of being dropped. W...

MONTERREY, 27 August, 2026 (Nosheen): Denmark’s Clara Tauson stunned top-seeded Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico. Alexandrova had two set points in the opening set, including one on Tauson’s serve at 6-5 and another late in the tiebreak, but Tauson held her nerve to take the set.Tauson secured the only service break of the match in nine opportunities when she moved 4-2 ahead in the deciding set before closing out the victory. In other second-round matches, Alycia Parks recovered from losing the opening set to defeat third-seeded Maja Chwalinska 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, while Czech Republic’s Darja Vidmanova beat eighth-seeded Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5. Second-seeded Belgian Elise Merte...

BERLIN, 27 August  2026 (Ghufran): Bayern Munich will begin their Bundesliga title defence against VfB Stuttgart on Friday, with the German champions once again considered among the favourites to lift the trophy.Bayern head into the new campaign with a strengthened squad and European Golden Shoe winner Harry Kane leading their attack. The Bavarian club has made key additions during the transfer window, including Germany defender Nathaniel Brown, who scored on his competitive debut during Bayern’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup last week. Morocco attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari has also joined the club, adding further attacking strength alongside Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise.Bayern could, however, face concerns over the availability of Jamal Musiala. The...

KARACHI, 26 August 2026 (Nosheen) — Pakistan women’s team fast bowler Aimen Anwar has announced her retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to her career with the national side. The 34-year-old represented Pakistan in eight One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 37 T20 Internationals between 2016 and February 2023. Aimen first emerged on the national cricket scene in 2010 when she represented Karachi Under-19 in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s National U19 Championship.The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed her retirement in a press release, noting that Aimen earned her 37th T20I cap for Pakistan against England in Southampton in 2016 and her 76th ODI cap against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2017. During her 45-match international career, the right-arm pacer claimed four wickets in ODIs a...