Morocco’s El-Jamari scores spectacular win at ONE Fight Night 30

Morocco’s El-Jamari scores spectacular win at ONE Fight Night 30
Moroccan Muay Thai star Elmehdi El-Jamari. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 April 2025
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Morocco’s El-Jamari scores spectacular win at ONE Fight Night 30

Morocco’s El-Jamari scores spectacular win at ONE Fight Night 30
  • Compatriot Chafi puts in disappointing performance against rising English fighter George Jarvis in lightweight Muay Thai matchup

BANGKOK: Moroccan Muay Thai stars Elmehdi El-Jamari and Mouhcine Chafi had differing fates at ONE Championship show ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles.

The two Moroccans participated in the weekend event which was held inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and featured bouts in several fighting genres.

El-Jamari scored a first-round knockout victory over Thai counterpart Thongpoon PK Saenchai in a strawweight Muay Thai bout, raising his overall professional record to 27-1.

The 28-year-old put in an excellent attacking performance, pressing forward from the opening bell before an impressive boxing combination saw him land a left hook that finished his opponent at 2:56 of the first round.

Chafi suffered another disappointing performance as he was dominated by rising English fighter George Jarvis in a lightweight Muay Thai matchup.

Following his third consecutive loss, and after the unanimous decision, the former WBC light heavyweight Muay Thai champion saw his record slump to 32-8.


Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid

Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid
Updated 8 sec ago
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Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid

Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid
“I feel fine physically,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said
Alcaraz won the Madrid title in 2022 and 2023

MADRID: Carlos Alcaraz said Tuesday he is feeling fine but will wait on results from medical tests to decide whether he will play at the Madrid Open.
The third-ranked Alcaraz needed treatment on his upper right leg during his straight-set loss to Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday.
“I feel fine physically,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said. “I’ve had tests, and we’ll see what the results say. I’m used to playing with discomfort, so let’s hope I can play and enjoy Madrid.”
Alcaraz, who won in Monte Carlo earlier this month, is expected to have his opening match later this week. He is the No. 2 seed.
Alcaraz won the Madrid title in 2022 and 2023. He is in the same half of the draw as three-time champion Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed.
Alexander Zverev, who overcame Alcaraz for the No. 2 ranking in the world after winning in Munich last weekend, is the top seed in Madrid. Defending champion Andrey Rublev is the seventh seed.

Rahul powers Delhi to big win over Lucknow in IPL

Rahul powers Delhi to big win over Lucknow in IPL
Updated 49 min 20 sec ago
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Rahul powers Delhi to big win over Lucknow in IPL

Rahul powers Delhi to big win over Lucknow in IPL
  • Chasing a modest 160 for victory, Delhi rode on Rahul’s 42-ball knock and a second-wicket partnership with Abishek Porel, who hit 51, to achieve their target
  • Delhi, with six wins in eight matches, bounced back from their previous defeat to table-toppers Gujarat Titans and are second in the 10-team table

LUCKNOW, India: India’s KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 57 to steer Delhi Capitals to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants and get his side back to winning ways in the IPL on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest 160 for victory, Delhi rode on Rahul’s 42-ball knock and a second-wicket partnership with Abishek Porel, who hit 51, to achieve their target with 13 balls to spare at Lucknow’s home ground.
Delhi, with six wins in eight matches, bounced back from their previous defeat to table-toppers Gujarat Titans and are second in the 10-team table.
Seam bowler Mukesh Kumar set up victory with his four wickets as he helped pull Lucknow back from 87-0 to 110-4 and then a below-par total of 159-6.
“Once we picked up two quick wickets, we got the momentum and all the bowlers did well to restrict them under 160,” Delhi skipper Axar Patel said.
In reply, Delhi lost Karun Nair for 15 bowled by Aiden Markram, a part-time off spinner, but Porel and Rahul combined to get the chase on track in their stand of 69.
Markram struck again to get the left-handed Porel out after his 36-ball knock, which was laced with five fours and one six.
Rahul stood firm and along with Axar, who made 34, put on an unbeaten stand of 56 to steer the team home with a winning six from Rahul.
Rahul hit his third fifty of the season to go past 5,000 runs in the IPL — making him the quickest player to achieve the feat in the T20 tournament.
Earlier, openers Markram (52) and Mitchell Marsh (45) combined the right dose of caution and aggression to steer Lucknow to 87 inside 10 overs.
South African batter Markram raised his fifty and alongside Australia’s Marsh forced Delhi to rotate their bowling options.
Sri Lanka pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera struck first to send back Markram caught out, and the wicket triggered a mini collapse.
Australia’s left-arm quick Mitchell Starc got the big wicket of West indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran, bowled for nine.
Mukesh then got two wickets in one over, including Marsh, and Lucknow wobbled.
Lucknow subbed out Marsh and got Ayush Badoni as the impact player, and the 25-year-old repaid the decision by regularly finding the boundary.
Badoni made the most of a dropped catch by Tristan Stubbs on three to smash 36 off 21 deliveries.
Badoni hammered Mukesh for three successive boundaries in the 20th over but the bowler bowled him on the fourth ball.
Skipper Rishabh Pant dropped himself down to number seven but faced just two balls before being bowled by Mukesh on the final delivery of the innings.
“We knew we were 20 runs short,” said Pant. “In Lucknow, the toss plays a big part. Whoever is bowling first, they get a lot of help from the wicket. We just had to stay back, we just couldn’t get it away.”
Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who went to Lucknow for a record bid of $3.21 million in the November auction, has scored 106 runs in eight innings with a highest score of 63.


Chances of Alonso staying in Leverkusen ‘50-50’, says CEO

Chances of Alonso staying in Leverkusen ‘50-50’, says CEO
Updated 22 April 2025
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Chances of Alonso staying in Leverkusen ‘50-50’, says CEO

Chances of Alonso staying in Leverkusen ‘50-50’, says CEO
  • Carro told reporters that “my gut feeling is that it’s 50-50” Alonso would stay
  • “If a team he has played for comes, we would sit down and discuss it and we wouldn’t stand in his way”

MADRID: Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said Monday the club had a 50-50 chance of holding onto manager Xabi Alonso amid rumored links between the coach and Real Madrid.
Carro also revealed the club had a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Alonso, allowing him to leave to coach one of the clubs he played for as a player for a fee.
Alonso, who played for Real and last year took Leverkusen to an unbeaten league and cup double, has been linked with the top job at the Bernabeu, with current coach Carlo Ancelotti rumored to be headed for the exit.
Speaking ahead of the Laureus Sports Awards, where the club is nominated for breakthrough of the year after their debut Bundesliga win last season, Carro told reporters that “my gut feeling is that it’s 50-50” Alonso would stay.
“Xabi has no exit clause, but we have a gentleman’s agreement. If a team he has played for comes, we would sit down and discuss it and we wouldn’t stand in his way,” he said.
Carro said the club “needs clarity” and “the decision needs to be in the next three or four weeks. We cannot wait until the end of the season.”
“We are not naive, the position of the coach is very important for a club and it is true that we are preparing for next season with him.
“We have worked with him every day; he is fully committed to this preparation.”
After winning the title last season, Leverkusen have fallen back slightly and sit eight points behind league leaders Bayern Munich with four games remaining.
Leverkusen were eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern and were knocked out in the semifinals of the German Cup by third-division Arminia Bielefeld
Despite the drop off, the club is still on track for its second best points total.
Carro also said he believed star midfielder Florian Wirtz, 21, “has a contract until 2027 and I believe he will play for us next year.”


Damac seek to end winless run against Al-Nassr in Saudi Pro League clash

Damac seek to end winless run against Al-Nassr in Saudi Pro League clash
Updated 22 April 2025
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Damac seek to end winless run against Al-Nassr in Saudi Pro League clash

Damac seek to end winless run against Al-Nassr in Saudi Pro League clash
  • The last time Damac defeated Al-Nassr was in Matchweek 25 of the 2021 season

RIYADH: Damac will be aiming to end a 1,474-day winless streak against Al-Nassr when the two sides meet on Tuesday in Round 29 of the Saudi Pro League.

The last time Damac defeated Al-Nassr was in Matchweek 25 of the 2021 season, securing a 3-2 victory.

Since then, Al-Nassr have dominated the fixture, with the overall head-to-head record showing eight wins for Al-Nassr, one for Damac, and two draws across 11 meetings.

Al-Nassr have scored 23 goals in those encounters, while Damac have managed nine.

Heading into Tuesday’s match, Al-Nassr sit third in the league standings with 57 points, recording 17 wins, six draws, and five losses this season. Damac are in 11th place with 31 points from eight wins, seven draws, and 13 defeats.

Later in the evening, Al-Ahli will take on Al-Wehda at King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Makkah.

Both teams head into the contest on the back of strong performances. Al-Ahli thrashed Al-Fayha 5-0 in their last outing, while Al-Wehda claimed a valuable three points away at Al-Taawoun.

In their previous 29 league meetings, Al-Ahli have won 15 matches compared to just three victories for Al-Wehda, with 11 draws between them. Al-Ahli have scored 41 goals in those games, while Al-Wehda have netted 19.

Syrian striker Omar Al-Somah, a former Al-Ahli player, is the all-time top scorer in this fixture with 10 goals. The biggest margin between the sides came during the 2020–2021 season, when Al-Ahli secured a 4-2 win. Their most recent meeting was in Round 12 earlier this season, with Al-Ahli edging a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Algerian star Riyad Mahrez.

Al-Ahli currently occupy fourth place with 55 points, while Al-Wehda are battling relegation in 15th place with 26 points.


Norwich sack Thorup and name Wilshere as interim coach

Norwich sack Thorup and name Wilshere as interim coach
Updated 22 April 2025
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Norwich sack Thorup and name Wilshere as interim coach

Norwich sack Thorup and name Wilshere as interim coach
  • Norwich lost 3-1 at Millwall on Monday
  • “Jack Wilshere ... will take charge of the first team on an interim basis ” Norwich said

LONDON: Norwich City have sacked Danish manager Johannes Hoff Thorup following a poor run of results and appointed his assistant and former England midfielder Jack Wilshere as interim coach until the end of the season, the Championship club said on Tuesday.
Norwich lost 3-1 at Millwall on Monday and have slipped to 14th place in the second-tier table with 53 points.
Sporting Director Ben Knapper said: “Whilst we made this appointment with a long-term focus and in line with our wider club strategy and direction, unfortunately recent results and performances have deemed it necessary for us make a change.
“Jack Wilshere ... will take charge of the first team on an interim basis for our two remaining Championship fixtures” Norwich added on their website.
The 33-year-old former Arsenal player Wilshere has been assistant coach at Norwich since October 2024.