Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided Friday to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 games as neutrals, without flags, emblems or anthems, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported. “The Executive Board of the IOC has decided that Individual Neutral Athletes who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 following the conditions outlined below. “Individual Neutral Athletes are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport,” the IOC said in a statement. “No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or...

LeBron James made history yet again, surpassing a monumental milestone as the first player in NBA history to achieve a staggering 39,000 career points. During the Los Angeles Lakers' dominant 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz, James reached this unprecedented milestone with a 3-pointer in the first quarter. Finishing the game with 17 points in 24 minutes, he marked an unbeaten run through the NBA In-Season Tournament's Group Play. Despite this remarkable feat, James remained humble, acknowledging the significance while admitting he hadn't fully processed the moment's gravity. Reflecting on the accomplishment, he expressed gratitude for being able to achieve something unprecedented in a league graced by countless legendary players. In his ongoing 21st season, James continues t...

Footwear giant Nike filed federal lawsuits on Monday against rivals New Balance and Skechers, accusing them of infringing on patents related to its technology for making the upper portions of its sneakers. The lawsuits said several New Balance athletic shoes and Skechers sneakers misuse Nike’s patented “Flyknit” technology used in Nike’s running, football and basketball shoes. Nike previously sued Adidas, Puma and Lululemon for infringing on its Flyknit patents. Adidas and Puma have settled their lawsuits, while Nike’s case against Lululemon is still ongoing. New Balance said in a statement it “fully respects competitors’ intellectual property rights, but Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been u...

Following Australia's decision not to submit a bid for the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia emerges as the likely host for the global soccer event. FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania until the October 31 deadline. James Johnson, the head of Football Australia (FA), previously mentioned the potential bid for 2034, but the domestic governing body later confirmed its focus on bids for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup instead. With Australia out of the running, Saudi Arabia remains the sole confirmed bidder for the 2034 World Cup. The country announced its intention to bid shortly after FIFA's call for bids on October 4. The president of the Asian Football Confederation expressed full support for Saudi Arabia's bid, emphasizing solidarity across the Asi...

In a momentous victory, Lionel Messi, the forward from Argentina and Inter Miami, secured his eighth Men's Ballon d'Or award. The 36-year-old football legend was honored at the prestigious ceremony held in Paris, a recognition for his pivotal role in leading his country to triumph in the World Cup held in Qatar last year. Jude Bellingham, the talented midfielder from England and Real Madrid, clinched the Kopa Trophy, an accolade bestowed upon the world's most outstanding player under the age of 21. Messi's historic win marked a record-breaking extension of his Ballon d'Or legacy, surpassing Manchester City's formidable forward Erling Haaland. The prolific French forward, Kylian Mbappe, who astounded the world with a World Cup final hat-trick, finished in third place after a hard...

National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik finally won their first World Tour title with a victory over Indonesians Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana in the final match of the 2023 Denmark Open in Odense. Playing in Jyske Bank Arena, the fifth-seeded 2022 world champions were in a class of their own as they strolled through the match, winning 21-13, 21-17 in 33 minutes. In contrast to their nervous opponents, Aaron-Wooi Yik played with maturity born of their hard-earned experience as Malaysia’s number one men’s doubles pair, controlling the court well in the first set and building a five-point lead at 11-6 before finishing off their rivals with a difference of eight points. The Indonesians tried to mount a comeback in the second set, but Aaron-Wooi Yik continued ...