Cup

Follow our live build-up, team news, predictions, scores, photos and text commentary stream from the final in Dubai.

Who: India vs Sri Lanka
What: Women’s T20 Asia Cup final
Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday, September 13, 6:30pm local time (14:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 3:30pm local time (13:30 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.

Record seven-time winners India face defending champions Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final on Sunday, as the 15-match competition in the United Arab Emirates readies itself for its closing act.

In a tournament which has largely yielded low-scoring contests, both Indian and Sri Lankan spin units have tasted success – Deepti Sharma spearheading the heavyweights’ charge and captain Chamari Athapaththu leading by example for the title holders.

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s terrific top-order pairing has further strengthened India’s title bid at the tournament, where both teams boast a perfect record.

Having reached the final in every edition of the Women’s Asia Cup they have played, India are favourites to add another trophy to their glittering cabinet.

But Sri Lanka possess a threat of their own – they are one of only two sides who have beaten India in the title clash in past and will be eager to retain the trophy they proudly lifted two years ago.

Before Sunday’s showdown, Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game:

Who did India and Sri Lanka beat in the semifinals?

India defeated Bangladesh in the first semifinal on Thursday by 40 runs before Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by four wickets in Friday’s low-scoring thriller.

When did India and Sri Lanka last meet?

The pair last met in a T20 international in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2025, as hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 15 runs, sweeping that series 5-0.

Records swing heavily in India’s favour – they have won nine of their last 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka.

How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have India won?

India are the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup, having won a record seven titles.

They won the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 editions, when the tournament was played in a one-day international format, as well as the 2012, 2016 and 2022 T20 editions.

How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have Sri Lanka won?

Sri Lanka have won the Women’s Asia Cup once, winning the last edition in 2024 after beating India by eight wickets in the final.

Who are India’s key players?

India’s openers Shafali and Mandhana are the top two leading scorers in the ongoing edition, having scored 168 and 154 runs each in four matches.

Shafali has registered two half-centuries – scoring identical 64s against Thailand in the opener and Bangladesh in the semifinals – while Mandhana hit an incredible 124 against Hong Kong in the league phase.

With the ball, all-rounder Deepti has been most impactful with her spin bowling, bagging a joint-highest 11 wickets with an average of 3.63.

N Shree Charani has also played a key role with eight wickets and holds the record for the second-most economical bowler (3.27).

Who are Sri Lanka’s key players?

Captain Athapaththu, who bowls right arm off-break, has been Sri Lanka’s most impactful player, sharing the honours of the most wickets with Deepti at 11, with an average of 5.36. Left-arm orthodox bowler Sugandika Kumari has also contributed with six wickets.

With the bat, top-order left-hander Harsthitha Samarawickrama has chipped in 89 runs for the fourth-highest scorer in the competition.

Form guide

Last five matches, most recent first:

• India: W-W-W-W-L
• Sri Lanka: W-W-W-W-L

What have the players said?

India’s Deepti Sharma: “[This] team doesn’t take any team lightly … We always think as a team, ‘How we can do better in each and every game. As a collective team performance, how we can do better.’”

Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu: “If we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team.”

Probable India XI

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma

Probable Sri Lanka XI

Imesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Sanjana Kavindi, Harsthitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Mithali Ayodhya

Where can I watch India vs Sri Lanka?

• India: Sony Sports, SonyLIV
• Sri Lanka: TV1, Sirasa TV
• Pakistan: PTV Network, Tamasha
• Bangladesh: T Sports, iScreen
• United Kingdom: Sony MAX
• MENA region: StarzPlay Cricket, StarzPlay

DUBAI: Aez Alkhatir (KSA) will make his debut for new owners this Friday when facing 14 rivals in the SR150,000 ($40,000) JCSA Sprint Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif.

Formerly owned by Qemat Twaiq Stable, the gelding remains in the care of Homoud Alshamari.

But will now sport the colors of the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons in the 1,200-meter feature when he aims to follow up last month’s Alhada Cup success under Fahad Alfouraidi.

Runner-up in the Sarawat Cup on The Saudi Cup weekend, Aez Alkhatir will take on the Red Stable Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s Aba Almae’aly (KSA) who was eighth in the Sarawat Cup and reappeared to win a conditions race on Aug. 28.

Intriguingly both the White and Red Stable runners have a very similar form line, with both starting in the Sarawat Cup.

And both beat the filly Ana Aljonubiyah (KSA) on their most recent starts, with Aez Alkhatir leaving her a length behind in third, and she was just a quarter-of-a-length second to Aba Almae’aly.

Red Stable additionally rely on December’s Riyadh winner Thamer Almoghtarah (KSA), while also set to play a leading role is Adel Alfouraidi’s mount Alklothani (KSA) who was fourth in the Sarawat Cup and reappeared last month to land the JCSA Sprint Cup Prep.

Friday’s other main event is an Arabian Horses Open worth SR120,000 and features Ershan (FR) who has twice been runner-up this season including last time out when second in the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep.

He locks horns with King Khalid Racecourse Championship Prep runner-up Angad Al-Khalediah (KSA) who has worked his way back into form in three Taif outings this campaign having been highly tried last term including when down the field in the Group One Obaiyah Arabian Classic.

Saturday’s feature event is a SR120,000 Open in which the Red Stable and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah account for seven of the 19 runners.

The latter’s main hope would appear to be Muhammad Aldaham’s mount Ajwadi (GB).

The racer is top rated and looking for a hat trick of wins after signing off last season in Riyadh with success in the North America Cup, and reappearing in Taif to land a conditions race by nearly fourth lengths, with stablemate and the reopposing Moswaat (GB) in third.

Amichi (IRE) split that pair on Aug.

15 in second for the Red Stable and he will start again along with fellow Red Sable runners William Tell (FR) and Wuqood (GB) who finished in fifth and sixth respectively behind Ajwadi.

Riyadh Angel (IRE) completes the Red Stable quartet while Taif University Cup fifth Allah Maae (KSA) is the sole White Stable representative under Rayan Altoairsh.

BERLIN: Buoyed by partisan home fans, host Germany upset Belgium 93-74 to reach the semifinals of the women’s FIBA World Cup on Thursday.

Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Germany to a showdown with France on Saturday. Nyara Sabally also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

“I can’t quite believe it yet,” forward Frieda Bühner said. “We’re among the best four teams in the world. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”

The players screamed and whooped in celebration. Germany had never reached the semifinals before.

“Everyone stepped up today and we did it from the first second to the very last,” said Alexandra Wilke, who scored 10 points.

Germany lost their opening game by 30 points to Spain, but bounced back with impressive wins over Japan and Mali before routing South Korea in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals.

Egged on by fervent commentary from the announcer, fans cheered, jumped and waved Germany flags at the Berlin Arena to help the home team keep their momentum going.

“It’s always really cool to play in front of such a crowd,” Sabally said. “I couldn’t have wished for more, especially in Germany. It’s really cool to see that there’s so much hype and the whole venue is caught up in it. It’s really, really cool.”

It’s the sixth straight World Cup at which the host have made the final four since China failed to make the semifinals in 2002.

Belgium, the European champion, were one of three teams that advanced through group play without a loss.

Emma Meesseman led Belgium with 29 points and added eight rebounds, but her team were unable to regain the lead after Bühner made it 20-19 toward the end of the first quarter.

Germany did not qualify for the World Cup since the unified country’s only previous appearance as host in 1998. East Germany’s women’s basketball team finished fourth at the 1967 tournament.

France rout China

Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün led France to the semifinals for the first time by beating China 90-61 earlier.

Both Johannès and Salaün scored 15 points while Gabby Williams contributed 14 as the Olympic finalists put themselves in contention for a first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when France finished third in the final round.

“It means a lot,” Williams said of reaching the semifinals for the first time. “We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey. Obviously, we have a big goal this tournament, but it’s great to check this off the list.”

Chants of “Allez les Bleues” rang around the Berlin Arena before Williams opened the scoring, and the French supporters made sure they were heard for the rest of the game as their team dominated on the court below. France have been fluid and free-scoring, beating their four opponents so far by a combined 156 points.

The team set a tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game by netting 22 in their final group game on Monday. The French players connected on 14 of 37 attempts Thursday, with Johannès and Salaün scoring three triples each.

“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaün said of France’s team spirit. “We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”

Salaün had an ice pack bound to her right knee. France coach Jean Aime Toupane told The Associated Press it was just a precaution.

Zhang’s impact limited

The French defense limited the impact of China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who had the attention of two French players any time she received the ball. The 19-year-old sensation was held scoreless over her 7 minutes, 18 seconds of play in the first half, though she contributed in defense with three blocks before halftime.

There was nothing Zhang could do to stop Johannès from scoring successive 3-pointers in the third quarter, when she also got on the scoreboard. Zhang finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and seven turnovers.

Han Xu, who had a double-double in each of her four games at the tournament, again led China with 21 points and nine rebounds.

US never in danger

The United States, the four-time defending champion, routed Hungary 108-56 in the first quarterfinal with Napheesa Collier scoring 19 points to stretch their winning run in the tournament to 34 games since a semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 semifinals.

The US await the winner of Spain-Australia in the last quarterfinal later.

CASABLANCA, Morocco: Morocco and Spain are arguing over the right to host the 2030 World Cup final — with besieged FIFA boss Gianni Infantino hovering backstage.

FIFA has yet to officially announce which country will host the biggest match of the biggest event in soccer. And even though the 2026 edition just finished with Spain winning the title this summer, Moroccan and Spanish officials are staking their claim on the next final.

The tussle over the soccer match also comes with Spain still reeling from a massive border crossing by tens of thousands of migrants who pushed through the frontier from Morocco into the north African Spanish enclave in late July.

One big game for two proud countries

The head of Moroccan soccer boasted that his country had it locked up on Thursday.

“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it, and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk,” Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lakjaa told a political rally.

“The city is Benslimane, the Hassan II stadium is the stadium, and I hope that Morocco will be playing it,” he added.

This week, the head of the Spanish soccer federation, Rafael Louzán, insisted it was Spain that deserved the game, while acknowledging that it has not been guaranteed that honor.

“We all signed to accept the candidacy … it’s too bad that, regarding the final, it wasn’t made clear, totally clear, where it is to be played,” Louzán said. “Spain, as world champion both in men’s and women’s soccer, must host the final.”

European soccer officials believe that the sprawling, multi-nation 2030 event, which includes Portugal and even a handful of games in South America, should be considered a European event with the final on the continent.

In a request for comment by the Associated Press on Thursday, FIFA said its decision will be made “in due course.”

Infantino has found support in Morocco

The dispute over the final comes with Infantino under intense pressure after UEFA, the umbrella organization of European soccer federations, led a successful revolt to scuttle his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

By contrast, six Arab nation federations, including Morocco’s, have backed him since that fiasco.

The King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is being built in Benslimane, on the outskirts of Casablanca. It is planned to seat 115,000 spectators. Spain can offer the home stadiums of Real Madrid or Barcelona as potential sites for the final.

Infantino has recently made two trips to Morocco, meeting with King Mohammed VI during annual celebrations of his ascent to the throne in July and then holding a FIFA crisis meeting there in August.

World Cup final spat among other tensions

When confirmed three years ago, the joint candidacy between Spain, Portugal and Morocco looked like a perfect event to bridge Europe and Africa and strengthen bonds between the western Mediterranean neighbors.

But the dispute over the final comes with diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat already frayed over who was responsible when tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans driven by posts on social media pushed into the small Spanish enclave of Ceuta that borders Morocco. Spain’s prime minister said 140 people died in the crossing.

Spain’s government has been under political pressure at home to get tough on Morocco, which it has said acted in good faith in the border crisis. Spanish police assessments couldn’t rule out complicity by Moroccan security forces but said that it was unlikely the Moroccan government had intentionally orchestrated it.

For the Premier League’s biggest clubs, this competition is usually an opportunity to blood youngsters and give fringe players valuable minutes.

However, only 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, who scored twice, emerged from the starters with a compelling case for more regular involvement.

Even Valentin Barco, despite scoring Chelsea‘s fifth goal, was partly at fault for Leeds‘ second and was among several players who repeatedly surrendered possession during a difficult first half.

Young attackers Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens suffered the disappointment of being substituted at half-time, while £40m signing Geovany Quenda, who joined from Sporting, did not add to his solitary substitute appearance for the club as he watched from the bench.

Midfielder Reggie Watson, making his debut at the age of 16, was also withdrawn at the break after being booked.

Alonso later said he would not take a “cynical” view as some on the outside might about the difference in level between his proven stars and Chelsea‘s back-up options.

He added: “I know that probably I have to take the right decisions for them to show their best level, so it’s something that I will analyse and learn from today.”

Nevertheless, reaching the fourth round is important for Chelsea.

It is not only about preserving their hopes of silverware in a season without European football, but Chelsea are also a club that need as many competitive fixtures as possible.

They have a 27-man squad, supported by a strong academy pipeline, and these matches are vital for keeping a large group of players engaged throughout the campaign.

There is an irony, then, that Palmer, Rogers and Chelsea‘s other established stars may have secured future opportunities for the very fringe players whose performances had put the club’s EFL Cup campaign at risk.

India claim seven-wicket win after Pakistan lose 10 wickets for just 28 runs as they are bowled out for 55.

India produced a dominant display to defeat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, bowling their rivals out for their lowest total in the format before rattling off their target inside nine overs.

Pakistan, having won the toss and elected to bat at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, made a promising start but collapsed spectacularly after an opening partnership of 27.

India eventually dismissed them for just 55 in 18.1 overs, with their spinners responsible for much of the damage.

Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were the stars of the bowling attack, taking three wickets apiece. Charani finished with remarkable figures of 3 for 7 from four overs, while Rawat returned 3 for 9. Deepti Sharma added two wickets for only five runs.

Pakistan’s innings initially appeared under control. Muneeba Ali made 13, and Shawaal Zulfiqar scored 14 for the first wicket.

But Shafali Verma broke the partnership by bowling Muneeba, and Charani then struck twice in the sixth over. She dismissed Gull Feroza for a duck before removing Zulfiqar, leaving Pakistan 29 for three.

The collapse continued almost immediately as Pakistan slipped to 32 for four in the eighth over before Rawat and Deepti Sharma intensified the pressure. By the 13th over, Pakistan were 45 for seven, and there was no prospect of recovering to a competitive total.

The final three wickets eventually fell with Pakistan on 55, giving India an exceptionally modest target. The total was Pakistan’s lowest in women’s T20I cricket, surpassing their previous low of 63 against India in the 2012 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup.

India survive brief wobble

Despite requiring only 56, India did not have everything their own way at the start of the chase.

Pakistan’s bowlers claimed three wickets, giving their opponents a brief glimpse of an unlikely route back into the contest. Fatima Sana was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, finishing with 3 for 17.

The target, however, was simply too small. India reached 57 for three in 8.4 overs, completing a seven-wicket victory with Harmanpreet Kaur unbeaten on 18. The Indian captain ensured there was no late drama and guided her side across the line with plenty of deliveries to spare.

The victory maintained India’s perfect start to the tournament. They now have six points from three matches and have already secured their place in the semifinals.

For Pakistan, meanwhile, the defeat leaves their qualification hopes dependent on their final group match against Hong Kong. They remain on two points and need a victory to give themselves a chance of progressing.

Tour Championship, final leaderboard

-16 S Scheffler (US); -13 V Hovland (Nor); -12 R Gerard (US); -11 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), C Gotterup (US), R McIlroy (NI), R Henley (US), MW Lee (Aus), J Bridgeman (US), L Aberg (Swe)

Selected others: -10 T Fleetwood (Eng), C Young (US), A Scott (Aus); -9 C Morikawa (US); -7 J Rose (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), W Clark (US); E R MacIntyre (Sco)

Full leaderboard

At times it felt like there was a certain inevitability about Scottie Scheffler collecting his second Fedex Cup title on Sunday.

As those around him began to falter, the world number one, who started the day three strokes adrift of overnight leader Viktor Hovland, produced a typically metronomic performance with the winning cheque in sight.

And what a prize. Scheffler’s reward for his 22nd career victory at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta will see his bank account credited to the tune of $10m (£7.4m).

The 2024 champion also joins Tiger Woods (2007 and 2009) and Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019 and 2022) to have won the event on multiple occasions.

“To come from behind and be able to win tournament is a really cool feeling,” Scheffler said.

“There were a lot of talented guys in front of me on the leaderboard. I was fortunate to get off to a good start and put myself in the mix. It’s a gift to be out here on tour. Each and every day I’m going to try to give it my best.”

Across the final three pairings, Scheffler’s four-under 66 was the only round to break par with his superb ability to find green after green giving him a substantial edge over his rivals.

Hovland, whose driving became more erratic, also found that his putter had gone cold when he most needed it, and the Norwegian signed for a two-over 72 as he finished three back in second place.

American debutant Ryan Gerard, who started one behind Hovland, ended the day in the same position and third overall on 12 under par after also taking 72 shots.

McIlroy was unable to rediscover the rhythm that rocketed him into contention on Saturday, with his topsy-turvy round of 69 containing four birdies and an eagle mixed with five bogeys.

Aside from the Northern Irishman there were few moments of sparkle on show elsewhere among the potential contenders, albeit Justin Rose’s hole-in-one on the ninth was an obvious exception.

While Rose was unable to gather any momentum from that to seriously challenge, ending the day at seven under overall, another Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick matched Scheffler’s 66, the lowest round of the day, to catapult himself up the leaderboard to conclude the tournament alongside six-time major winner McIlroy at 11 under.

It earned the 27-year-old a tie for fourth on his debut to cap a remarkable season in which he won his first DP World Tour event at the Indian Open before teaming up with his elder brother, the 2022 US Open champion Matt, to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event.

Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios has become the first World Cup winner to sign for Ipswich Town after joining from Bayer Leverkusen.

Palacios, 27, left the Bundesliga club for an undisclosed fee and has signed a four-year contract with the Premier League newcomers.

He was part of the Argentina side that both won the World Cup in 2022 and reached the final this summer while he also won the Copa America twice with his country.

“This is a club with great ambition and I am excited to play football in England and compete against some of the best clubs and players in the world,” Palacios said.

Palacios, Ipswich’s 11th signing of the transfer window, started Argentina’s 3-1 win against World Cup debutants Jordan in the group stage in his only appearance at the 2026 tournament.

Ipswich manager Gary O’Neil added: “He is a player who has had real success at the top level of the game, winning the biggest prize of all in the World Cup, as well as major trophies at club level.

“That experience will be vital for us as we continue to work to improve the squad this summer.”

Liverpool will take on Tottenham as the teams who compete in Europe enter in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Leeds could potentially face Chelsea, should the London club beat Luton on Thursday.

Manchester United face Premier League opposition in Brighton, while holders Manchester City host Norwich.

Fleetwood, the only fourth-tier side left in the competition, host Sheffield United.

The nine Premier League teams that are playing in Europe – Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Sunderland – all enter the Carabao Cup in the third round.

To avoid clashes with the opening rounds of the Champions League and Europa League, matches will be played across the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September.

The final two places will be decided on Thursday when Chelsea host Luton (19:30 BST) and Fulham take on AFC Wimbledon (20:00 BST).

The 31-year-old became the first Irish player to represent Europe in the competition when she was selected for the 2021 version and broke the all-time rookie points record for either the Solheim Cup or Ryder Cup with a contribution of 4.5 points as the away team triumphed 15-13.

The County Cavan woman’s overall individual record in the competition after also taking part in the two subsequent editions reads eight wins, one half and three defeats.

“It’s one of my favourite events. It’s a team event which we don’t get to do very often and matchplay which I love,” she explained.

“I think once you’re part of one Solheim, the same as the Ryder Cup, you don’t want to miss any more.

“It’s competitive, there’s no money on the line, it’s all just for pride and all the rest. You’re doing whatever you can to help your teammates and the team.

“We obviously lost the last one so there’s an extra incentive to try and bring it back this time.”

Maguire, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a one-time victor on the Ladies European Tour, hopes the backing of home supporters can help Europe reclaim the trophy at the 20th running of the event.

“Home support always helps as well. There was massive Irish support in Spain two times ago so hopefully a few Irish will maybe make the trip to Holland.”

DEL MAR — Bill Mott was nearly 2,500 miles from Del Mar on Saturday night, but if you listened closely as the field raced down the backstretch in the $1 million Pacific Classic, you probably could hear the Hall of Fame trainer scream.

Thirty years ago, Mott brought Cigar to this same track for this same race, hoping his superstar horse would set the modern-day North American record for consecutive victories. But Cigar, at odds of 1-10, got caught up in a speed duel and wound up losing to a 39-1 long shot named Dare and Go.

Now it seemed like it might be happening again.

Knightsbridge went off at odds of 11-10 instead of Cigar’s 1-10 and he wasn’t racing for history, but the race took on an eerie similarity as the favorite dueled head-and-head with Full Serrano for much of the 1¼ miles. And they were going fast — not quite as fast as Cigar but close enough (1 minute, 10.02 seconds to 1:09.29) for some anguish.

“I thought maybe they were going a little too fast down the backside,” Mott told Del Mar publicity by phone from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

He had no way of knowing, but so did his jockey.

“I was a little worried we were going a little too fast,” Junior Alvarado said.

As it turned out, neither man had reason to worry. Knightsbridge had a short lead as the two horses passed the mile marker, and when they straightened out in the stretch, the race was over. He continued on, Full Serrano weakened, and the others were too far back.

The final time was 2:02.28, with Original Sin 6¼ lengths behind in second and Full Serrano third. Om N Joy, the first filly to try the Pacific Classic in a decade, finished fourth, followed by Hit Show, Malarchuk, Forged Steel, British Isles, Navajo Warrior, Subsanador and Finger, a Japanese 3-year-old.

With the victory, worth $4.20 to his backers and $600,000 to owners Godolphin, Knightsbridge earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. But whether he runs in that race or the Dirt Mile will be a decision for Mott and Godolphin, who also have Sovereignty, last year’s horse of the year and the top-ranked horse in the Breeders’ Cup’s initial poll for Classic contenders.

“They’re two different horses,” said Alvarado, who rides both. “It’s nearly impossible to [compare]. This horse carries a lot of speed. The other horse has a hell of a turn of foot coming for home … from the half-mile all the way to the wire, very strong at a mile and a quarter. I don’t recall having such a strong finisher like Sovereignty. So it’s going to be interesting. We got time just to decide what we’re going to do next.”

The idea that Knightsbridge would even be under consideration for the 1¼-mile Classic would have been unthinkable until last month; his first 10 career races were all around one turn at either seven furlongs or a mile. But Mott decided to try him at 1⅛ miles in the Monmouth Cup on July 18 at Monmouth Park, and the 5-year-old son of Nyquist won by 10¼ lengths in a time that earned him the fastest Beyer Speed Figure of the year (122).

With the West Coast handicap division weakened, Mott figured it was a good time to try the Pacific Classic again. He had won the race in 2008 with Go Between and enjoyed other successes here, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Scylla, but he also had to scratch Sovereignty from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic when the horse got sick.

Now he has another positive memory — his second win in Del Mar’s signature race, which has been won by only two other trainers not based in California, Todd Pletcher (Fierceness last year) and Dale Romans (Dullahan in 2012).

“It was quite impressive,” Mott said. “They went quick, but gosh he had something to finish with.”

The victory completed a Grade 1 sweep Saturday for Alvarado, who one race earlier captured the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks aboard Tam Tam ($7.40) for trainer Philip Bauer.

How did he plan to celebrate?

“We’re going to celebrate it going back to New York tonight on the red-eye flight,” he said, smiling.

In the other Breeders’ Cup Challenge race here Saturday, the 5-year-old gelding Sorrento Sky ($16), ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Phil D’Amato, earned a spot in the Turf Sprint by capturing the $200,000 Green Flash Handicap by a length over No Nay Hudson. D’Amato and Rispoli also won the $300,000 Del Mar Mile with King of Gosford ($12.40).

The crowd of 15,187 was a 13% increase from last year. The mutuel handle of $29.14 million was the second highest in Del Mar history outside of the Breeders’ Cup, surpassed only by $36.02 million in 2021 when there was a Pick 6 carryover and mandatory payout.

England women’s hopes of success at the FIH Hockey World Cup ended at the group stage after a 0-0 draw with India.

David Ralph’s side finish third in Pool D on four points, with two teams moving forward to the next round, and will now play in a classification phase that sees teams placed from 9th to 16th.

England won their opening match 4-0 against South Africa on Sunday but lost to China two days later, conceding four before Tess Howard and Sophie Hamilton reduced the deficit.

The national side have not challenged in tournaments since winning Commonwealth gold in 2022, finishing fourth in the 2023 EuroHockey Nations Championship, and fifth last year.

Teams from England and Great Britain have finished no higher than sixth in the FIH Pro League since a third place in 2020-21, while Great Britain also finished eighth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile England’s men are through to the second stage of the men’s World Cup, topping Pool D with three wins out of three.

They defeated Pakistan 4-1 and India 4-2 prior to beating Wales 8-2 in their final group stage match on Wednesday.

They move in a second stage pool with India, with their 4-2 win carried forward, and will face two qualifiers from Pool A on Saturday and Monday as they attempt to reach the semi-finals.

England women play Chile on Friday and Japan on Sunday in their classification pool, with both World Cups being held in Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

Hope Not Hate said current attempts to tackle online abuse often focused too heavily on what happens after a racist post had already been seen.

Players can block users, report messages and platforms can suspend accounts, but Hermansson says those measures do not address the way abusive content is amplified.

“X doesn’t take racism seriously enough,” he added. “We’ve seen it for a number of years now. There is no change or improvement.”

He said social media companies already had the tools to alter how their algorithms recommended content, particularly during periods when abuse is surging.

“It’s actually a relatively small number of accounts and originating tweets that then get tons of replies,” he said.

“I think it’s entirely feasible to stop this, or a vast amount of it.”

Hope Not Hate said one option would be to downrank posts attracting large volumes of abuse, meaning they were recommended to fewer people.

Before the new Premier League season the group called on UK’s media regulator Ofcom to use its existing powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively and address predictable spikes in hate.

They want Ofcom to outlaw the algorithms fulling abuse and also to designate major sporting events as “high risk”.

This would require platforms to deploy strict safety-by-design rules, remove abuse proactively and downrank rapidly escalating viral hate through algorithmic adjustments.

In a statement to BBC Sport, Ofcom said: “We’re pushing tech firms hard to make their services safer, and we’ll be holding them to account if they don’t.”

Ofcom also cited a new partnership with police and footballing bodies before the World Cup to tackle online abuse.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery has been included in Great Britain’s Davis Cup team to face Ecuador in September.

Former world number four Jack Draper is not included but a fifth player will be added closer to the time.

British number one Cameron Norrie, Henry Patten and Lloyd Glasspool make up the team to play at London’s Copper Box Arena.

“I am really proud to be able to represent GB again,” Fery said. “It is going to be a bit of a different scenario this time, at home, in the World Group and trying to qualify for the final eight.

“There might be some extra pressure, but I’m ready for it.”

Fery, 24, jumped to a career-high world ranking of 36 following his shock Wimbledon success, when he was a wildcard into his home Grand Slam.

Ranked 114th in the world before the start of the tournament, Fery went on to become the lowest-ranked player to make Wimbledon’s last four since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

This will be Fery’s first outing in England since Wimbledon.

Draper, 24, broke down in tears earlier this month midway through his first game since June following long-term injury difficulties.

A persistent arm injury has kept him sidelined and caused his world ranking to plummet from fourth to as low as 160th over a 12-month period.

The best-of-five tie takes place over two days on 19 and 20 September, with two singles matches on day one.

Day two features a doubles match followed by two singles encounters.

Fery was unable to celebrate his Davis Cup inclusion as he suffered a 7-5 7-6 (7-3) defeat on Monday to world number eight Alex de Minaur in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Rain delayed the start of play, before later forcing the players off with fifth seed De Minaur leading 7-5 5-1.

Fery fought back after a 30-minute delay to take the second set to a tie-break, but his Australian opponent was able to wrestle back control and see out victory.

The Indomitable Lionesses outshine their opponents to claim first final victory on their fourth attempt in Morocco.

Cameroon claimed their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title when they thumped surprise package Malawi 3-0 in the final, with Marie Ngah’s first-half double helping seal victory on Sunday.

Cameroon had lost three finals but made it fourth-time lucky against a Malawi side making their debut at the continental championship. Ranked 153 in the world and 32nd on the African continent, Malawi had a fairytale run to the decider.

The two finalists had already sealed their place at the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, along with fellow semifinalists Morocco and Algeria. The latter finished third after winning the bronze medal fixture on penalties on Saturday.

Under pressure, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino was all smiles as he handed the Indomitable Lionesses their medals in the presence of Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe, with several players requesting photographs with the Swiss.

Infantino has long enjoyed the support of many on the African continent as he bids for re-election next March, despite revelations of his now-abandoned plans to sell a stake in future World Cups, which drew worldwide condemnation.

Cameroon dominated the first half and led 3-0 at the break after a superb performance against an outgunned Malawi.

Ngah reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to give them the lead from close range after 20 minutes and they doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark as Naomi Eto added a second.

Malawi were clinging on and hoping to make it to halftime without any further damage but Ngah scored her second in the third minute of added time from Eto’s pass.

Cameroon are the fourth different winners of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations since it was first played in 1998.

Nigeria have a record 10 titles, while Equatorial Guinea have two and South Africa one.

St Jude Championship – round four leaderboard

-17 S Scheffler (US); -9 Kim (Kor); -8 A Noren (Swe), S Burns (US); -7 W Clark (US), Im (Kor)

Selected others: -6 L Aberg (Swe), T Fleetwood (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 V Hovland (Nor), J Spieth (US); -3 H Hall (Eng); E J Rose; +3 S Lowry; +8 R McIlroy (NI)

Full leaderboard

Rory McIlroy says “he felt lost” as he toiled to a 66th-place finish – 25 strokes behind champion Scottie Scheffler – at the St Jude Championship.

While world number one Scheffler was a cut above the rest at 17 under overall as he claimed his first victory since January, more concerning for McIlory was that his eight-over total left him ahead of just two players in the first of the three FedEx Cup play-off events.

The Northern Irishman, who won his second Masters title earlier this season had not played competitively since the Open Championship in July.

And it told at TPC Southwind, where he failed to record a single round under par across the four days and struggled to find the sort of rhythm that will be needed if he is to claim an unprecedented fourth FedEx Cup later this month.

“I’m so far away from where I need to be to even feel like I have a chance. I’ve just got to keep working and hope it turns around a little bit,” said McIlroy, who is 13th in the season-long standings.

“Obviously didn’t come in here with a ton of reps, (it) almost felt like the more the week went on the more I felt lost with my golf swing a little bit.

“I guess [it was] nice to shake the rust off a little bit but I’m going to have to work pretty hard between now and next Thursday to feel like I have any sort of golf game to compete next week.

“To me it’s more about the execution of what I’m doing right now, and the execution wasn’t there this week.”

McIlroy’s struggles were obvious particularly in from tee to green where he ranked 62nd out of 68 players for strokes gained.

However, he would at least have been able to take some comfort from a seven-hole stretch on the back nine where he knocked in four birdies, albeit he finished with successive bogeys to bookend a round which began with a six on the par-four opening hole.