Category: Sports

Emirates Cricket Board Vice-Chairman Khalid Al Zarooni has conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to the UAE women’s national cricket team for reaching a historic milestone by receiving One Day International (ODI) status from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the first time. This recognition will take effect on May 12, 2025, and will include five Associate Member nations for the 2025-2029 cycle.

Thailand and Scotland retained their ODI status by qualifying for the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, while Papua New Guinea and the Netherlands kept their status through T20I rankings. The UAE won its spot as the highest-ranked Associate Member at the time of the ICC Women’s T20I annual rankings update, displacing the United States from the list of 16 ODI-status sides.

Al Zarooni lauded the UAE team’s dedication, praising captain Esha Oza, the players, and the support personnel for their persistent efforts. He highlighted the ECB’s ongoing efforts to grow the women’s game, such as talent hunt programs and improved facilities.

Captain Esha Oza described the honour as a great moment for everyone connected with UAE women’s cricket.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won her third Madrid Open title on Saturday, defeating American star Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (3). This victory brings her level with Petra Kvitova for the most Madrid Open victories, and it is the Belarusian player’s 20th career triumph.

Sabalenka’s dominance on the tour this year has continued to astonish. She has now made four consecutive finals and leads the WTA Tour with 31 match victories in 2024. Her new victory strengthens her position at the top of the international standings.

Gauff, ranked World No. 3, had the opportunity to surpass Iga Świątek and move into the No. 2 spot. Despite a great performance in the second set, she was unable to win. Sabalenka began quickly, scoring 17 consecutive points and cruised through the first set with strong groundstrokes.

Gauff broke early in the second set and served for the match at 5-4. In a spectacular exchange, Sabalenka lost control of her racket while pursuing a shot, briefly opening the door for Gauff. However, Sabalenka recovered, broke back, and forced a tiebreak.

Sabalenka dominated the tiebreak with strong shotmaking and mental toughness, securing the championship in style.

India began their campaign in the IWF Youth and Junior World Weightlifting Championships with a great performance, winning two bronze medals. Jyoshna Sabar won bronze in the young girls’ 40kg division with a total lift of 129kg, including 56kg in the snatch and 72kg in the clean and jerk. In addition to her overall bronze medal, she won silver in the clean and jerk category, demonstrating her strength in all disciplines.

When it came to the youth boys’ 49-kilogram division, Harsabardhan Sahu lifted 197 kilogrammes. He also lifted 87 kgs in the snatch and 110 kilogrammes in the clean and jerk. As a result of his remarkable performance, he was awarded the bronze medal and third place. Additionally, Sahu was awarded a bronze medal for his performance in the clean and jerk competition.

Unlike the Olympic Games, which offer medals for combined lifts, the World Championships recognise efforts in snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift separately. This distinction adds another level of competition, emphasising the technical skills required in each lift. India’s victory in these prestigious championships is a big step forward in the country’s growing worldwide weightlifting profile.

Cricket’s official retention for the 2026 Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) confirms the sport’s rising prominence in the region. On April 28, the 41st AINAGOC Board of Directors met at Nagoya City Hall to make the announcement. The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Japan’s Aichi and Nagoya prefectures from September 19 to October 4, including 41 sports and attracting approximately 15,000 participants and officials from 45 National Olympic Committees.

Cricket, along with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was given formal approval to participate in the games. MMA will debut in the Combat Sports category with kurash and jujitsu. Cricket matches will be played in the T20 style at an Aichi location, and their inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marks the sport’s first Olympic appearance since 1900.

South Asian countries typically dominate cricket at the Asian Games. In 2022, India won gold in both the men’s and women’s categories. Preparations continue with the 1st Technical Delegates Meeting and the 3rd OCA Coordination Committee Meeting on May 1, which will include talks on logistics, sponsorships, site inspections, and a joint press conference to wrap up the visit.

Despite battling with a stomach flu outbreak, the Singapore women’s hockey team made history by winning their first Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup title on April 27 in Jakarta.

In a dramatic final at the Bung Karno Sports Complex, they defeated Chinese Taipei 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation, winning a spot in the 2025 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup.

Five players got infected with the stomach bug following their group-stage loss to the same opponents. Two players required hospitalisation, including co-captain Valerie Sim, who later described the incident as a true test of resilience. Sim lauded the team’s unity, saying the historic victory felt like the start of something bigger.

Singapore had to come from behind in the final, with coach Henry Wong making the brave decision to substitute the custodian with an outfield player late in the game. That bet paid off, resulting in the equaliser and subsequent shootout victory. Wong feels the victory will boost the team’s confidence as they aim for a top-six finish in the Asia Cup and a spot in the World Cup qualifiers.

Dayana Ong, 17, was awarded the Player of the Tournament.

Mao Saigo of Japan won her maiden Major championship by winning a thrilling and unprecedented five-woman playoff at the Chevron Championship on April 27 in The Woodlands, Texas. Saigo hammered in a pivotal five-foot birdie putt at The Club at Carlton Woods, fulfilling a long-held desire. Starting the day tied for the lead with South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran, Saigo shot a two-over-par 74 and needed a birdie at the par-five 18th to make the playoff.

Yin Ruoning of China, Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, and American Lindy Duncan all finished at seven-under-par 281. It featured the biggest playoff field in LPGA Major history. Ariya appeared to be on track for victory, but she failed at the final hole after a mistake in which she barely struck her ball, resulting in a costly bogey. Except for Saigo, no other player was able to capitalise throughout the playoffs. Yin sank her birdie attempt, but Kim, Ariya, and Duncan all missed theirs.

Saigo’s patient approach to her pitch shot led to the winning birdie. With six wins on the LPGA of Japan Tour, this was her first victory on American soil. Saigo is now aiming for the world No. 1 ranking.

The 2025 TCS London Marathon has officially smashed the global record for most marathon finishers. Guinness World Records, which celebrates its 70th year in 2025, acknowledged the accomplishment, with 56,640 runners successfully finishing the race. This milestone breaks the previous record of 55,646 finishers set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2024.

In addition to the overall record, an amazing 41 Guinness World Records titles were broken throughout the marathon, with 87 official attempts. Angus Leckonby set the fastest marathon time for a male (II1) at 3:36:38, while Zoe Cowell-Jones ran the quickest marathon by a female mascot in 3:19:18.

The TCS London Marathon continues to rise in popularity, with an incredible 840,318 public ballot entries for the 2025 race. It is still the world’s greatest one-day fundraising event, having earned more than £1.3 billion for charity since its start in 1981.

Guinness World Records’ Mark McKinley hailed the marathon’s incredible journey and commemorated the event’s 18-year collaboration. Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, expressed his satisfaction in the historic participation and encouraged more participants in 2026. All 2025 finishers can acquire an official Guinness World Records participant certificate online.

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia made history by breaking the women’s marathon world record at the London Marathon in 2:15:50. The 28-year-old athlete dominated the race in the absence of 2024 winner Peres Jepchirchir, who set the previous record of 2:16:16. Assefa remained strong in a leading pack of four early on, but he surged ahead strongly in the final stretch to clinch a stunning victory.

Assefa expressed her joy at not only winning the title but also setting a new world record. She attributed her accomplishment to the hard work and commitment she put into her preparation after barely missing out on the title the previous year by seven seconds.

Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya came in second, clocking in at 2:18:43. She kept close to Assefa until the halfway point, but was unable to match his speed in the remaining ten kilometres. Sifan Hassan, a Dutch runner and Olympic champion, finished third in 2:18:59.

In the men’s elite event, Kenyan Sabastian Sawe pushed ahead following a close race to win in 2:02:27. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won silver, while Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao, the defending champion, finished third.

London is preparing to bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with UK Sport, the Mayor of London, and Athletic Ventures confirming the decision on Sunday. The announcement came ahead of the 45th London Marathon, adding interest to an already historic event. A formal expression of interest will be sent to World Athletics in September. However, the bid is predicated on receiving £45 million (about USD 59.91 million) in government funds.

A feasibility assessment indicates that the event’s economic and social advantages will exceed £400 million. UK Athletics, Mayor Sadiq Khan, and Athletic Ventures issued a joint statement emphasising the significant potential impact on the city’s economy and sporting heritage. Athletic Ventures is a collaboration between UK Athletics, The Great Run Company, and London Marathon Events.

London has a proven track record, having successfully hosted the 2017 World Athletics Championships after the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2017, all evening sessions at the Olympic Stadium witnessed full capacity crowds. UKA President Denise Lewis, who was instrumental in obtaining the 2017 bid, expressed confidence in replicating her achievement in 2029. She applauded the 2017 event for bringing the nation together and leaving a lasting impression around the world.

Vithya Ramraj dominated the women’s 400m hurdles at the Federation Cup in Kochi on Wednesday, winning gold and breaking the meet record. The race included a large number of participants, but Vithya knew she was ahead the moment she passed the first hurdle. From that point forward, it was a solo challenge.

Running without actual competition might make pushing boundaries difficult. Vithya accepted this, stating that she had no one to chase and needed to find inspiration within herself. Her technique was simple: smash every hurdle with force and retain the word “speed” in her head throughout the run.

She ran 56.04 seconds, about three seconds ahead of the next competitor. While this timing earned her a spot at the upcoming Asian Championships, it fell short of her personal best of 55.42.

Her personal best also happens to be India’s national record, which she shares with famous athlete PT Usha. Both clocked the same time: Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and Vithya during the Asian Games heats in Hangzhou. It’s been 41 years since the record was established, making it the longest-standing national record in Indian women’s sports.