Category: Sports

Pakistan delivered an outstanding performance at the 7th Heroes International Taekwondo Championship 2025, bagging 12 gold and 4 silver medals.

Mian Ghufran Ali claimed two gold and two silver medals in the event. According to reports, Tayyaba Ashraf from Lahore won three gold medals, while Sanbal Khan secured two gold and one silver medal. Hafiz Nasir Bashir from Faisalabad won the gold medal in the 90 kg fight category, and Nabeel Khalid from Lahore earned two gold and one silver medal. Shahroz Arshad also won a gold medal in the 80-plus kg fight category.

According to reports, the Pakistan Taekwondo team participated in the event through self-funding and achieved remarkable results.

The championship was held in Malaysia, featuring over 1,500 athletes from more than 35 countries.

Former Australian fast bowler John Hastings has revealed that officials from the anti-corruption unit contacted him after he bowled an unusual 18-ball over during a Legends League match against Pakistan Champions.

Last month, Hastings bowled the extended over in which he delivered two consecutive sets of five wides. In total, the over went for 20 runs.

Speaking in a recent interview, Hastings said, “After bowling that 18-ball over, officials from the anti-corruption unit approached me. Some people from the unit came to me and said, ‘Yesterday you put us in a big problem, we have to look into this matter.’”

Hastings recalled his response to the officials. “I said, ‘Do you think I was involved in match-fixing or something like that?’ They said, ‘No, but we do not know where you have been and what you have been doing for the last seven years.’ I told them I am not corrupt, but explaining that match against Pakistan is difficult.”

The former pacer admitted the incident brought a flood of attention. “I received countless messages from cricket-related people. Around 1.5 million people sent me messages on social media. I kept my social media accounts closed for three days. I did not know what to do. It was embarrassing and it was painful,” he stated. 

Hastings also shared that he held his official retirement party after the match against Pakistan Champions.

The 38-year-old has been playing in retired players’ leagues since 2022. In that Legends League match, Pakistan Champions defeated Australia Champions by 10 wickets.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has launched a scathing attack on the national team following their crushing ODI series defeat to the West Indies.

Speaking on state television after Pakistan’s loss in the third and deciding ODI, Akhtar questioned the role of white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson. “The New Zealand coach is good as a T20 coach but his approach in the ODI format is beyond understanding,” he said.

Akhtar stressed that success in ODIs requires experienced players in every department. “You have to play tested players in batting, bowling and spin. If you do not include quality all-rounders and performers, you will not be able to complete 50 overs. You cannot just get by in this format,” he said.

Placing the blame on policies rather than players, Akhtar remarked, “This result is the outcome of wrong decisions, not the fault of the players. On seaming pitches this will always happen. Now this rebuilding has been given a new name that we are making combinations.”

In a sarcastic swipe at the team’s performance, he said, “Be thankful Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were not here. Wherever such conditions exist, our players will be exposed.”

West Indies claimed their first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years, breaking a streak of 10 consecutive series losses. Their last victory had come in November 1991 in Pakistan.

In the decider, West Indies posted 294 for six in 50 overs, with captain Shai Hope scoring a brilliant 120. Justin Greaves made 43, Evin Lewis 37, and Roston Chase 36.

Pakistan’s batting line collapsed in reply, with the entire team bundled out for just 92 runs in 29.2 overs. Captain Salman Ali Agha top-scored with 30, Mohammad Nawaz was unbeaten on 23, and Hasan Nawaz made 13. Opener Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Hasan Ali and Abrar Ahmed all went for ducks.

Pakistan’s crushing 202-run loss to West Indies in the third and deciding ODI in Trinidad has sparked a storm of reactions online, with fans expressing anger, frustration, and even calling for Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to resign.

Batting first, the West Indies scored 294 runs, while the national side collapsed to just 92 all out.

Many pointed out that this was the West Indies’ first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years, making the defeat even harder for fans to accept.

This was only the fourth time in the West Indies’ history that they have won an ODI by a margin of over 200 runs. The Caribbean side, which failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, sealed the series 2-1 with the thumping victory.

Social media was flooded with scathing comments. One user wrote, “Pakistan lost an ODI series to West Indies after 34 years, whose vision is this???” Another remarked, “These people never cared and never will.”

Some were blunt about the team’s form. “We see another disappointment from the Pakistan cricket team. They vanished in just 92 runs against a juniors West Indies team,” one fan posted. Another joked, “Pakistan cricket team is more washed than my life,” adding a laughing emoji.

Others questioned the deeper issues. “Who is responsible for the worst downfall of Pakistan cricket?” one user asked, echoing a sentiment shared by many frustrated supporters.

It merits mention that senior batters like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been struggling to deliver consistent performances for a long time, may face difficulties securing their spots in the playing XI if their poor form continues.

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has issued a charge sheet against Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Tariq Bugti, giving him seven days to address seven concerns.

The board reportedly requested details concerning a bank account six months ago, but the PHF has yet to provide the information. According to media reports, the PSB has now warned in a letter that if no reply is submitted within the deadline, the matter will be forwarded to the PHF’s patron-in-chief, the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The PSB also questioned why elections for the PHF presidency have not been held. It further reminded Bugti that when he was appointed, his primary responsibility was to conduct elections and complete the scrutiny process. The board further demanded a detailed breakdown of the PKR 120 million provided to the PHF over the past year.

Additionally, the PSB has asked the PHF to submit a complete record of perks, privileges, and expenditures mentioned in its audit report.

A routine SIM card purchase turned into an unexpected adventure for a young man from Gariaband, who discovered he had been given the old phone number of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, and soon found himself receiving calls from Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and other cricketers.

According to Indian media, 21-year-old Manish Basi bought a SIM card from a small mobile store in Devbhog at the end of June. While setting up his WhatsApp account, his friend noticed that the profile picture was of Rajat Patidar, but they did not pay much attention to it. Soon after, Manish began receiving calls from people claiming to be Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yash Dayal, and other RCB players.

This continued for two weeks until Patidar realised he could not access his WhatsApp account and filed a complaint with the Madhya Pradesh cyber cell. Investigations revealed that, under company policy, many inactive accounts for six months had been reassigned to a new customer. Police later returned the number to Patidar.

Patidar, who recently led RCB to their first-ever IPL title, is a prominent batsman from Madhya Pradesh.

South African fast bowler Kwena Maphaka made history in a T20 match against Australia by taking 4 wickets and breaking a 16-year-old record. Australia won the match by 17 runs, with Tim David earning player of the match for a brilliant 83-run innings.

The 19-year-old Maphaka bowled 4 overs, conceding just 20 runs while dismissing key Australian batsmen including Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarish, Adam Zampa, and Tim David, who scored 83 runs off 52 balls.

Maphaka became the youngest fast bowler to take four wickets in a T20 International, surpassing the previous record set by Wayne Parnell in 2009.

He also became the youngest bowler to claim four wickets against Australia in T20 cricket, breaking the record previously held by Pakistan’s Shadab Khan, who achieved the feat during the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final at Dubai International Stadium.

Pakistan’s senior batters Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have fallen behind all ICC full-member players in ODI strike rates, ranking among the lowest this year. Since January 1, 2024, Rizwan has scored at just 75.03, while Babar’s strike rate stands at 78.88.

Babar’s poor run rate shows no sign of ending. It has now been 712 days since he scored his last ODI century. His most recent hundred came against Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023, when he made 151. Since then, in the past two years of ODI cricket, he has not gone beyond 78 runs in an innings.

In the second ODI against West Indies, he was dismissed for a duck, the fifth of his career and the first since August 2023 against Afghanistan. Though he had scored back-to-back fifties against the same side before the Asia Cup, his form has dipped sharply since his 151-run knock against Nepal.

In his last 28 ODI innings, Babar has scored 929 runs at an average of 37.16 and a strike rate of 79.53, well below his career averages of 54.62 and 87.78. He has made nine fifties in this period, with a highest score of 78. Before this slump, he had scored 19 centuries and 37 fifties in 102 ODI innings.

His struggles are not limited to ODIs. Since the Nepal century, he has played 10 Tests, averaging just 23.15 with no centuries and only three fifties. In T20 internationals, he has scored 738 runs in 24 matches at an average of 33.54.

During this period, Babar also lost the Pakistan captaincy, was dropped from the Test team before making a return, and has now lost his place in the national T20 side as well.

Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo and his long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez have officially gotten engaged after a decade together. The 40-year-old player proposed to Georgina with a stunning diamond ring.

Georgina shared the happy news on Instagram, posting a photo where her hand rests on Ronaldo’s, showcasing the large diamond ring. In the caption, she wrote, “Yes I do. In this and in all my lives.”

The couple has been together since meeting in 2016 at a Gucci store in Madrid. They share three children and are also raising Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr.

The engagement ring features a beautiful oval-cut diamond set on an elegant band. According to media reports, jewellery experts estimate the stone weighs between 10 and 15 carats and is valued between $1 million and $5 million. Other experts suggest the diamond could be between 25 and 30 carats, with a price tag ranging from $2 million to $5 million, depending on its clarity and design.

Currently playing for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, Ronaldo has previously said in interviews that he would marry Georgina “when the time is right.”

The couple has faced personal challenges, including the loss of one of their newborn twins in 2022, but they have remained together for nearly a decade.

The engagement comes as Ronaldo gets busy with the ongoing Saudi Pro League season and continues to rank among the highest-paid athletes in the world.