Author: Agence France-Presse - AFP

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that tennis star Jannik Sinner’s doping case will not be resolved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before the end of the year. “There will be no decision by year-end,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli told AFP in an interview. Sinner, the world No. 1 from Italy, tested positive twice for traces of the banned substance clostebol in March but was cleared to continue competing. An independent tribunal, convened by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) at the end of August, concluded that Sinner “bears no fault or…

Manchester United delivered late drama Sunday, scoring two goals in the final moments to deepen the struggles of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Meanwhile, Chelsea moved within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool. City defender Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring in a lackluster contest at the Etihad Stadium, but Bruno Fernandes leveled the match with an 88th-minute penalty. Two minutes later, Amad Diallo sealed a 2-1 victory for United with a composed finish. Defending champions City, who have dominated English football over the past decade, now find themselves in crisis with just one win in their last 11 matches…

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s stellar performance on Saturday propelled the Milwaukee Bucks into the NBA Cup final, where they will face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder for the championship. Greek star Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to spark the Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 while Canadian guard Gilgeous-Alexander netted a game-high 32 points to lead the Thunder over Houston 111-96 in the semi-finals at Las Vegas. The Bucks and Thunder will meet for the crown in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “I just wanted to be aggressive through all the ups and downs, highs and lows, and…

Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta ended his playing career Sunday with an exhibition match featuring Barcelona and Real Madrid greats in Tokyo, announcing plans to transition into coaching. The 40-year-old announced in October that he was hanging up his boots after a career that saw him win two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup. He gave a crowd of more than 45,000 fans in Tokyo one last glimpse of the skills that also saw him win nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues during his 16 years with Barcelona. He made sure he went out with a bang,…

A crowd erupts in cheers as a young Maasai woman pelts over the finish line, the latest participant in the “Maasai Olympics,” a re-imagining of a traditional coming-of-age rite in the rolling Kenyan grasses. On Saturday, hundreds gathered in the Kimana reserve some 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the capital Nairobi to watch 160 athletes – including 40 young women – compete in the games. The young people were taking part in a reinterpretation of the “Olamayio” rites undertaken by young Maasai men to prove their skills, identify their leaders and attract girlfriends. But the traditional killing of a lion…

China sentenced two more former top football officials to prison for bribery on Wednesday, as part of an ongoing crackdown on corruption in the domestic game. Liu Yi, former secretary general of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), received an 11-year sentence and a fine of 3.6 million yuan ($497,000) for accepting bribes, according to a court in central Hubei province. Tan Hai, the former head of the CFA’s referees management office, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and fined 200,000 yuan, another court in the same province reported. “The property he obtained will be clawed back…

FIFA will confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Wednesday, with a joint bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal set to secure the 2030 tournament, while Saudi Arabia is poised to land 2034. The selection, which will be determined by a virtual vote at the FIFA Congress, is all but decided. Neither bid faces competition, making this one of the most straightforward decisions in FIFA’s recent history. Centenary celebration The 2030 World Cup will mark a century since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay, making it a unique and symbolic event. This bid involves three continents…

As the 2030 FIFA World Cup draws near, anticipation grows over its unprecedented scale, with football teams and throngs of fans set to travel across three continents. The global journey, however, has raised alarms over the environmental costs of such a vast event. With an announcement regarding the 2030 and 2034 World Cups expected Wednesday, experts are bracing for a significant expansion in both geography and greenhouse gas emissions. Skyrocketing carbon footprint The 2030 tournament promises to be one of the most ambitious in history. Morocco, Spain, and Portugal have teamed up to host, with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay each…

Paris Saint-Germain have long been one of Europe’s most glamorous clubs, but despite their Qatari owners’ ambitions, they have never claimed the coveted Champions League title. Now, without their usual superstars, PSG find themselves dangerously flirting with mediocrity and facing the prospect of an early, unthinkable exit from the competition. On Tuesday, the French giants travel to Austria to face Red Bull Salzburg in a must-win clash to keep their hopes alive in the revamped Champions League. With only four points and three goals after five matches, PSG are currently 25th in the standings, one spot outside the top 24…

Manchester United confirmed the shock departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth on Sunday, just five months after he took up the role at Old Trafford. Ashworth’s exit was reportedly agreed after Saturday’s disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. His appointment was seen as a major coup among sweeping changes to the Red Devils’ sporting structure made since Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority share in the English giants in December 2023. Ashworth, 53, officially joined the club on July 1 after spending five months on gardening leave at Newcastle as Manchester United pursued their interest. However, the Athletic reported tensions…