Sports

LAHORE: A 20-member Iranian kabaddi team has arrived here on Tuesday to take part in the three-nation series being held at different cities from January 8 to 14 also involving India and hosts Pakistan. The Indian team is likely to arrive via Wagah Border this week with matches to be held in Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Lahore. Iran captain Hamid …

LAHORE: Samba Bank and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) earned close victories on the opening day of the Pakistan Polo Cup at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Tuesday. Hissam Ali Hyder’s four goals saw Samba Bank edge past PBG/Remounts 6-4½ while a 2½-goal handicap saw PAF prevail against Olympia 5½-5. PBG/Remounts had a 1½-goal handicap but they were undone by …

CAIRO: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have again made the shortlist for the Confederation of African Football player of the year award, the second year running the trio have battled it out for the prize. Egypt’s Salah claimed the honour last year and will be favourite again, hoping to become the fourth player to win back-to-back titles after …

PERTH: Roger Federer took the honours in the much-anticipated mixed doubles clash with fellow great Serena Williams in what the latter described as the “match of her career” at the Hopman Cup in Perth Tuesday. In the biggest mixed doubles drawcard in the 31-year history of the tournament, in what is expected to be its final edition, Federer teamed with …

DUBAI: Afghanistan, who made their Test debut barely six months ago, have earned direct entry into the group stage of the T20 World Cup in 2020 but Sri Lanka as well as Bangladesh will have to qualify, the ICC announced here on Tuesday. Afghanistan’s rise to eighth in the ICC T20 rankings means they will go straight into the Super …

CAPE TOWN: Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower says that the players are currently feeling their first Test defeat to South Africa, but has called for unity amongst the squad. Pakistan succumbed to a six-wicket defeat in the first Test against the Proteas in Centurion, and the dampened vibe amongst the players is something that Flower expects. “The atmosphere isn’t the …

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed and head coach Mickey Arthur hoped for better results in the coming year while reflecting with satisfaction despite a mixed bag in 2018. “It has been a long year in which there have been some exceptional and some ordinary performances. Overall, I think we have done well, but I accept we could have had better …

DOHA: World Cup 2022 host Qatar is to introduce a 100 percent tax on alcohol from January 1, a government official confirmed on Monday. The “sin” tax is being introduced just weeks after the conservative Muslim Gulf state announced in its annual budget statement that it would introduce a levy on “health-damaging goods”. The policy was revealed by the Qatar …