SPORTS NEWS

Nagoya, 25 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan secured another medal at the Asian Games 2026 as squash players Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan reached the semi-finals of the men’s singles competition at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. Noor defeated Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung, while Ashab overcame India’s Veer Chotrani 3-1 after losing the opening game, winning 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6. Noor will face Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng in the first semi-final, while Ashab will meet India’s Abhay Singh in the second last-four clash, with both matches scheduled for Saturday. Their victories have guaranteed Pakistan at least a bronze medal in the men’s singles event. The achievement also marks the first time since 2002 that two Pakistani players have reached the Asian Games squash semi-finals. Both pl...

 LONDON, 24 September, 2026 (News Desk): Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has called on Grand Slam organisers to introduce a cut-off time for matches after his US Open quarter-final defeat to Ben Shelton ended at 3:33am in New York, marking the latest finish in the tournament’s history. The five-set contest lasted four hours and 28 minutes, leaving Alcaraz physically and mentally exhausted following his return to competition after more than four months out with a wrist injury. Speaking ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in London, the seven-time Grand Slam champion said late-night matches were harmful to players’ recovery and gave their opponents an advantage. He explained that players finishing at around 3:30am often do not reach their hotels until much later and may be unable to s...

 KARACHI, 24 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan’s Asian Games captain Sahibzada Farhan has said he is proud to lead the national side and would remain open to taking up the captaincy role in the future if given another opportunity. Speaking to reporters during Pakistan’s pre-departure training camp at the National Bank Stadium, Farhan said his immediate focus was on the Asian Games and that he would consider continuing as captain if the opportunity arose. He said the young players in the squad had earned their places through strong performances in domestic cricket and stressed that selection should be based on form and performance rather than seniority. Farhan said he was confident in the squad and believed the players who were performing well deserved to represent Pakistan. The ...

 DURBAN, 24 September, 2026 (News Desk): South Africa defeated Australia by 67 runs in the opening ODI of the three-match series at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday, with Keshav Maharaj claiming four wickets and Matthew Breetzke scoring a century to lead the hosts to victory. Chasing a target of 298, Australia were bowled out for 230 in 41.2 overs despite a strong start led by captain Mitchell Marsh, who scored a brisk 60 off 36 balls with five fours and six sixes. Marsh and Travis Head added 90 runs in the first 9.2 overs before Marsh was dismissed after Maharaj was introduced into the attack. Head scored 36 off 37 balls and shared a 39-run partnership with Cooper Connolly, but Australia struggled in the middle overs, losing wickets regularly and slipping from 129-2 to 156-4. Maha...

 TOKYO, 24 September, 2026 (Nosheen): China’s 13-year-old swimming prodigy Yu Zidi has emerged as one of the standout performers at the Asian Games after winning all three individual events she contested in Tokyo, setting Asian Games records in each race. Yu claimed gold in the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, with her times ranking among the fastest in the world this year. Her performance in the 200m individual medley was just 0.4 seconds outside the world record held by Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who is expected to be one of her major rivals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Despite her remarkable results, Yu has played down talk of Olympic ambitions, saying she intends to continue working hard and learn from the Asian Games experience. Her teamm...

 TOKYO, 24 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan defeated China 3-0 in the Asian Games hockey competition to secure their third consecutive victory and move to second place in the group with nine points. Captain Abu Bakr Sufyan Khan and Hannan Shahid scored for Pakistan, with all three goals coming in the second quarter. Pakistan had earlier defeated Thailand 9-0 and Uzbekistan 5-1, and now trail group leaders Malaysia on goal difference. Forward Rana Waheed Ashraf missed the match after receiving a one-match suspension following an incident involving his hockey stick and an Uzbek player. Pakistan will look to maintain their winning run in the remaining matches of the competition.

 Paris, 24 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): A French court has upheld a decision to send Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco footballer Achraf Hakimi to trial on a rape charge, according to a judicial source. The 27-year-old footballer had appealed a decision requiring him to stand trial over allegations involving a woman in 2023, which he has repeatedly denied. The Court of Cassation, France’s highest court for civil and criminal matters, rejected the appeal, leaving Hakimi with no further legal avenue to challenge the decision. In February, Hakimi was ordered to stand trial before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the rape charge. He subsequently challenged the order, but the Versailles appeals court upheld the decision in June before the case reached the Cour...

Manchester, 24 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Manchester United’s annual net loss increased by almost one-third to £43 million ($57 million) despite the club reporting record revenues for the financial year ending June 30. The club recorded revenues of £677.6 million, representing a 1.7 percent increase, but reported its seventh consecutive annual loss after tax. The financial results were affected by cost-cutting measures implemented by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, contractual payments related to the departure of former manager Ruben Amorim and a significant increase in loan repayments. The latest figures cover the turbulent 2025/26 season, during which former United player Michael Carrick replaced Amorim and guided the team to qualification for the UEFA Champions League. The rise in revenue was l...

Dubai, 23 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has climbed to the top of the latest ICC T20I bowling rankings, while several other Pakistani players have also improved their positions. Abrar Ahmed leads the bowling rankings with 736 rating points, replacing Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who has slipped to second place, while Australia’s Adam Zampa has moved up to third. Among Pakistan’s other bowlers, Mohammad Nawaz remains eighth with 658 points, while Salman Mirza has dropped one place to 18th with 636 points. Shaheen Afridi has also fallen one position to 33rd with 602 points. Usman Tariq has made notable progress, rising two places to 57th with 524 points, while Sufiyan Muqeem has moved up one place to 63rd with 510 points. Saim Ayub has climbed to 71st with 492 poi...

Abbottabad, 23 September 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has joined the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) squad for the third round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I, marking his return to first-class cricket after seven years. The right-handed batter last played first-class cricket for the now-defunct Central Punjab, leading the side to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title. Babar is returning to domestic cricket amid a period of reduced scoring in Test cricket. He has not scored a Test century since December 2022 and has averaged 30.43 since the beginning of 2023, with eight fifties in his last 39 innings. His highest Test score since his last century is 88, which he scored against the West Indies in the second Test last month. OGDCL will face Khan Research Laborat...