Sports World News

Brisbane, Jan 2: World No.1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka showcased her trademark power and resilience in a challenging third-round encounter, defeating No.15 seed Yulia Putintseva 7-6(2), 6-4 in just under two hours at the Brisbane International WTA event.

Sydney, Jan 2: Iga Swiatek showcased her resilience and determination, overcoming Great Britain's Katie Boulter 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 to secure Poland's spot in the United Cup semifinals at Ken Rosewall Arena. Poland now have an unassailable 2-0 lead over Great Britain.

Brisbane, Jan 2: Novak Djokovic extended his head-to-head record against Gael Monfils to 20-0 with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory in the second round of the Brisbane International, here at the Pat Rafter Arena.

Brisbane, Jan 2: Kimberly Birrell's fairytale run at the Brisbane International continues as she surged into her maiden WTA 500 quarterfinal after prevailing against world No. 35 Anastasia Potapova 7-6(2) 6-2.

Brentford, Jan 2: Arsenal manager Milel Arteta hailed the impact of the 17-year-old winger Ethan Nwaneri, who made his full Premier League debut in Arsenal's come from behind 3-1 win over Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium.

Leeds, Jan 1: Danny Batth scored a last-minute equaliser to clinch a 1-1 draw for Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road and denied Leeds United a 10th straight home win in the Championship, the second tier of the England domestic leagues. Batth struck in added time towards the end of the second half to save the match and salvage a point for his team.

Beijing (China), Jan 1: Badminton Olympic champion Huang Yaqiong announced on social media on Wednesday that she has submitted her resignation to the Chinese national team and officially bid farewell to her national team career. "I've been greeted with countless encouragements from everyone, hoping that I could continue my career.

Perth, Jan 1: Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff won their respective singles matches in straight sets as the United States of America (USA) dominated China 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the United Cup, making a perfect start to the year 2025 and made it to the semifinals of the mixed-gender team competition here on Wednesday. Frit defeated Zhang Zhizhen 6-4, 6-4 at the RAC Arena while Gauff defeated China's Shuai Zhang 7-6(4), 6-2 to clinch victory for USA.

Sydney, Jan 1: China's Yuan Yue beat ninth seed Marta Kostyuk on Wednesday night to advance to the third round of the Brisbane International tennis tournament. Yuan beat Kostyuk, the world number 18, 6-4, 6-3 in their second-round match at the key Australian Open warm-up event.

Manchester, Jan 1: With Marcus Rashford's Manchester United career hanging by a thread, the English forward had disregarded 'ridiculous' reports that have surrounded him in recent weeks. Rashford has not featured for the Premier League side since December 1 when he scored a brace in the 4-0 win against Everton, which was Amorim's first league win at the club.

New Delhi, Jan 1: With the 2024-25 Premier League season having crossed the halfway mark and the January transfer window having opened, teams will scramble over the course of the next month to try and apply the finishing touches to their squad in hopes of flying through the upcoming congested fixture schedule.

Los Angeles, Jan 1: LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to play both as a teenager and past the age of 40 as Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-122 at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Brisbane, Jan 1: Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic’s doubles run at the Brisbane International came to an end in dramatic fashion as the pair fell to top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in a tense tiebreak on Wednesday.

Perth, Jan 1: Kazakhstan secured a spot in the United Cup semifinals as it knocked out the defending champions Germany with a 2-0 unassailable lead in the quarterfinal tie on Wednesday.

Perth, Jan 1: Elena Rybakina put Kazakhstan one win away from the 2025 United Cup semifinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the first match of the tournament’s knockout stages.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 31: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has heralded 2025 by signalling the start of a brand new era on Tuesday with the unveiling of a new logo and identity to reflect and reinforce the continued trajectory of the Confederation’s progress and rising standards in the coming years.

Beijing, Dec 31 : The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) released its latest world rankings on Tuesday, with Chinese Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha sitting at the top of men's and women's singles events, respectively. China's Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong ranked top two in the men's singles, followed by Tomokazu Harimoto (Japan), Felix Lebrun (France), Liang Jingkun (China), Hugo Calderano (Brazil), Truls Moregard (Sweden), Lin Gaoyuan (China), Qiu Dang (Germany) and Patrick Franziska (Germany) in the top 10.

Rio de Janeiro: , Dec 31 (IANS) Local giants Fluminense have signed Uruguay under-23 forward Joaquin Lavega on a free transfer from River Plate Montevideo, the Brazilian Serie A club said on Monday. The 19-year-old agreed to a five-year deal after completing a medal at Fluminense's Carlos Castilho training complex in Rio de Janeiro.

London, Dec 31: West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has been discharged from the hospital after spending three weeks in the hospital following a serious car accident. Antonio had undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following the accident on December 7 in Epping, Essex, and was taken to a central London hospital. Photos of the car had flooded online, raising concern for Antonio’s state.

London, Dec 31: West Ham United confirmed a significant blow to their season with the news that captain Jarrod Bowen has sustained a fractured foot. The injury occurred during the Hammers’ 0-5 loss against Liverpool at London Stadium on Sunday. Bowen’s early exit followed a challenge by Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Despite the intensity of the tackle, referee Anthony Taylor did not issue a yellow card to the Argentine.

Seoul, Dec 31: South Korea has confirmed its 19th case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at an egg farm in the country's central region of North Chungcheong Province, authorities said on Tuesday.

Manchester, December 31: Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim admitted that the club won't spend in the upcoming January transfer window after their 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United.

Wolverhampton, Dec 31: Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha has been handed a two-game ban by the Football Association (FA) after he was charged with ‘misconduct’ for acting in an ‘improper manner’ following their 1-2 defeat against Ipswich Town at the Molineux Stadium on December 14.

Lisbon, December 31: Geovany Quenda broke Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo's 22-year-old record at Sporting CP after playing a starring role in the club's crucial win over Benfica.

Brisbane, Dec 31: Novak Djokovic marked his return to singles action with a dominant win at the Brisbane International, dispatching Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3 at Pat Rafter Arena.

Brisbane, December 31: Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic was off to a good start at the ongoing Brisbane International on Tuesday, securing a win over local favourite Rinky Hijikata in his first tour-level singles match since October.

Plymouth, Dec 31: England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has been sacked by Championship club Plymouth Argyle after the side sits at 24th place in the league table.

New Delhi, Dec 31: LeBron James, a player who has dominated the National Basketball Association (NBA) for two decades, turned 40 years old on Monday. While still being a top-ten player in the league, he reflected on his unprecedented career and claimed he could still play at a high level for another five to seven years.

Manchester, Dec 31: After a loss to Newcastle left Manchester United just seven points above the bottom three in the Premier League table, manager Ruben Amorim said it is a bit "embarrassing" to lose a lot of games while admitting that it is "really clear" his side is in a relegation battle.

Sydney, Dec 31: Flavio Cobolli bounced back from the verge of defeat on saving a match point and produced a memorable comeback as Italy sweeps France to book a place in the quarterfinals of the United Cup.

London, Dec 31: Former England men’s senior football manager Gareth Southgate has been recognised in the New Year Honours List for 2025.

London, Dec 31: Newcastle United recorded their fourth straight Premier League win after a 2-0 victory over struggling Manchester United at Old Trafford.

London, Dec 30: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he is focused on helping his team win the Premier League title, but admits he is still "far away" from signing a new contract. The Egyptian scored his 20th goal of the season and helped set up Cody Gakpo for the second goal in Liverpool's 5-0 win away to West Ham on Sunday to lift them eight points clear at the top of the points table.

Perth, Dec 30: Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund continued their perfect United Cup record in the mixed doubles on Monday, securing defending champions Germany’s status as Group E winners and a place in the quarterfinals with a victory against China in Group E.

Milan, Dec 30: AC Milan have announced the appointment of Sergio Conceicao as the head coach of the club on a contract valid until June 2026 after the club had earlier announced the sacking of Paulo Fonseca. "AC Milan announces that Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceicao has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men's First Team until 30 June 2026. The Club extends a warm welcome to Sergio and his staff, wishing a journey full of success and fulfillment," read the statement by AC Milan on their website.

Sydney, Dec 30: Iga Swiatek won the women's singles match and then came back to team up with Jan Zielinski to win the missed doubles and power Poland to a memorable 2-1 victory against Norway in a Group B clash of the United Cup here on Monday. After Swiatek and Casper Ruud earned singles wins in front of the Sydney fans, Swiatek and Zielinski battled past Ulrikke Eikeri and Ruud 6-3, 0-6, 10-8 to clinch the tie for their country.

Milan, Dec 30: AC Milan have appointed Sergio Conceicao as the head coach of the club on a contract valid until June 2026. Conceicao will replace Paulo Fonseca, who was sacked by the Italian giant earlier in the day after a 1-1 draw at home against Roma.

Cardiff, Dec 30: Grant Bradburn has been sacked as Glamorgan's head coach with immediate effect following a misconduct charge issued by the independent Cricket Regulator. "The club referred Bradburn to the independent body after receiving allegations of inappropriate behaviour and we are confident that a fair and transparent process has been followed in this case. Glamorgan Cricket has a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour of any kind," the County club said in a statement.

Brisbane, Dec 30: Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios teamed up to defeat Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-8 in the men's double of Brisbane International, an ATP 250 event at Pat Rafter Arena on Monday. The match which lasted for an hour and 48 minutes was a showcase of creativity and skill, with Djokovic and Kyrgios delighting fans through their contrasting styles.

Washington, December 30: Boxing legend Mike Tyson candidly reflected on his highly anticipated return to the ring and his loss to social media star Jake Paul in a bout that drew over 108 million viewers on Netflix, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history.

Melbourne, December 30: The Boxing Day Test between India and Australia smashed more than a century-old attendance record of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on the final day of the fourth Test of the series.

Sydney, Dec 30: Katie Boulter picked up a win in Britain’s opening match of the United Cup, defeating Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-3 to notch a 1-0 lead in Group F tie in on Monday.

London, Dec 30: Mohamed Salah became the first player to register a goal and an assist in eight different Premier League matches in a single season as Liverpool surged eight points clear at the top of the table with a dominant 5-0 victory at West Ham United.

Shenzhen, December 30: Ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen secured third place at the King Cup International Badminton Open 2024 after defeating French opponent Alex Lanier in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday.

Leicester, Dec 29: Manchester City's 2-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium was the perfect way to end 2024 as the victory will give City a huge boost after a difficult last few months.

Brisbane, Dec 29: Novak Djokovic, who partnered with the recently retired Andy Murray, spoke highly of his new head coach and claimed the Scottish legend has helped the 24-time Grand Slam champion get a ‘fresh look’ at his game.

Brisbane, Dec 29: Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic, who is chasing his record 25th Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open, admitted to being frustrated after players were kept out of the loop regarding the doping case against men’s world number 1 Jannik Sinner.

Melbourne, December 29: The Australian tailenders, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, and skipper Pat Cummins continued to frustrate India sustaining the pace attack, and took the total lead to 33 runs at the end of Day Four of the 4th Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne.

Perth, Dec 29: Defending champions Germany kicked off their United Cup campaign with a win as Alexander Zverev produced a sharp opening performance on Sunday to steer Germany to victory over Brazil in Perth, capitalising on teammate Laura Siegemund's crucial upset win earlier in the day.

Bengaluru, Dec 29: The Indian U20 women's football team coach Joakim Alexandersson has announced a 23-member squad for the FIFA International Friendlies against Maldives, set to take place on December 30, 2024 and January 2, 2025.

Melbourne, December 28: The John Cain Arena played host to a historic PKL Melbourne Raid, featuring a spectacular double-header that showcased kabaddi's finest talent from the PKL as well as from Australia.

Rio de Janeiro, Dec 28: Clubs in the Americas continue to make big news in the transfer market with Brazilian club Cruzeiro taking on board former Everton winger Yannick Bolasie while top-tier Mexican club America have launched a hot pursuit of former Real Madrid defender Marcelo.

New Delhi, Dec 28: Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios lashed out at tennis authorities over their handling of the high-profile doping cases involving Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Labelling the situation "disgusting," the Australian star criticised the state of integrity in the sport, calling it “a horrible look” for tennis.

London, Dec 28: The frantic Premier League holiday programme of matches continues on Sunday with six games, which will see table-toppers Liverpool look to extend their lead while defending champions Manchester City will continue their search for an elusive win.

Sydney, Dec 28: Alex de Minaur maintained his success rate at the United Cup to give Australia the lead in their opening match but his effort went in vain as Argentina stunned the hosts 2-1 in the mixed-gender team competition here on Saturday and dent their chances of winning their maiden title in the event.

Melbourne, December 28: Riding on Nitish Kumar Reddy's maiden international century in the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne on Saturday, India posed a strong comeback in the Boxing Day Test, defeating the looming cloud of follow-on and significantlyly reducing the Aussie lead.

New York, December 28: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) issued notice to five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen and fined USD 200 for breaching the dress code during the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.

New Delhi, Dec 28: After Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown was fired following a disappointing start to the NBA season, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone stated the franchise showed 'no class' in dealing with the 54-year old's departure

London, Dec 28: Arsenal moved past Chelsea to second place in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (IST). The Gunners' midfield anchor Declan Rice reflected on the absence of Bukayo Saka who is looking at a period on the sidelines with a torn hamstring.

New Delhi, Dec 28: Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Best Middle East Player of 2024 award at the Globe Soccer awards, spoke on his former team Manchester United struggles and remained adamant that the problem lies much deeper than the head coaches.