News

UK & Ireland Sole Bidder for Euro 2028 After Türkiye’s Withdrawal Nyon, Switzerland, 4 Oct (ONA) ---- The UK and the Republic of Ireland will now bid unopposed for Euro 2028 after Türkiye withdrew to focus on a joint bid with Italy for Euro 2032.Türkiye agreed to merge their Euro 2032 bid with Italy in July and that has now been approved by governing body UEFA.While Italy had only bid for the 2032 tournament, Türkiye had bid to host both Euro 2028 and 2032.Both bids still need official approval by UEFA at a meeting of its executive committee next week."The presentations at ...

Ace Impact Sprints Clear to Win Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Paris, 1 Oct (ONA) --- Pre-race favorite “Ace Impact” pulled away easily on the home straight to comfortably win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe today. Italian jockey Cristian Demuro was bunched in as they turned for home, but moved wide left and then attacked with about 300 meters left of the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) course. Ace Impact was clear with 50 meters left and Demuro could afford to rise up in his saddle at the line and wave his right arm triumphantly. “Unbelievable. I can’t even speak,” ...

Real Madrid Go Top of Table with Big Win in Girona Madrid, 1 Oct (ONA) --- Real Madrid are the new LaLiga leader, having won 3-0 away at Girona, thanks to goals from Joselu, Aurelian Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham. It was a statement win for Los Blancos, with the only negative being a late red card for Nacho for an ugly tackle on Portu, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported. Girona actually started as the better side and they had early headed chances that Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsyhankov failed to take, as well as a penalty shout for a potential Bellingham ...

Man United Beat Crystal Palace to Reach EFL Cup Fourth Round Manchester, 1 Oct (ONA) --- Holders Manchester United cruised into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a comfortable victory over Crystal Palace in their all-Premier League encounter at Old Trafford. First-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro set United on their way to a place in the last 16, with the Brazilian providing the cross for Anthony Martial's clinical first-time effort 10 minutes after the restart. Having faced various forms of chaos in the past few weeks, this was the kind ...

Wolves Shock Man City to End Perfect EPL Start London, 1 Oct (ONA) --- Manchester City's 100% English Premier League (EPL) record came to an end at Molineux as Hwang Hee-chan scored a second-half winner to give Wolves a shock victory against the champions. City manager Pep Guardiola, forced to watch from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban, was unable to intervene as his side failed to take control in their usual manner and free-scoring striker Erling Haaland was limited to a single chance, BBC sports reported. Still, it did seem as though the visitors ...

Oman Claims First Ever Asian Games Silver Medal Hangzhou, 26 Sep (ONA) --- Oman Sail’s 49er team of Musab Al Hadi and Walid Al Kindi have made history for the Sultanate of Oman by winning Oman’s first ever silver medal at the Asian Games. The pair sailed excellently throughout the week in Ningbo, China, and kept their composure in the final intense races to take silver. This achievement means the team has secured automatic qualification to the Asian Qualification Regatta in Chon Buri, Thailand, in December where they will look to confirm their place at the Paris 2024 ...

Morata Brace Gives Atletico Madrid Dominance with Impressive Derby Win over Real Madrid Madrid, 25 Sep (ONA) --- Real Madrid's perfect start to the LaLiga EA Sports campaign is over, thanks to city rivals Atletico Madrid, who secured an impressive 3-1 victory at the Metropolitano. The home side wasted no time in racing out to a two-goal advantage after just 18 minutes. Although Real Madrid halved the advantage before the break through Toni Kroos, Alvaro Morata's second after the restart ended hopes of a comeback, as Diego Simeone's men controlled proceedings from there, ...

Arsenal, Tottenham Play out Thrilling Derby Draw in EPL London, 24 Sep (ONA) --- Tottenham came from behind twice to secure a hard-earned point in the north London derby against Arsenal in the English Premier League (EPL) in a thriller at Emirates Stadium. In a relentless encounter, Arsenal took the lead after 26 minutes when Bukayo Saka's shot was deflected into his own goal by Spurs defender Cristian Romero, BBC sports reported. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had made the big decision by keeping David Raya in of goal ahead of Aaron Ramsdale and he justified that faith ...

China Sweeps Through Gold Medals on Opening Day of Asian Games Hangzhou, China, 24 Sep (ONA) --- China has dominated the Asian Games for the last 40 years, and the 2023 edition will be the same. The host country today won 20 gold medals; 30 overall, just hours after Saturday’s opening ceremony overseen by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and watched by 80,000 at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium. The first gold medal of the games went to the Chinese pair of Zhou Jiaqi and Qiu Xinping in women’s lightweight double sculls. The Chinese rolled from there and many are ...

Four Oman Sail Athletes Join Oman’s Squad for 2022 Asian Games Muscat, 19 Sep (ONA) --- Four Oman Sail athletes have been selected for the Oman national squad to travel to Hangzhou, China, for the 2022 Asian Games. Competing across three events in the sailing competition, the Asian Games represent a chance to push for qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and gain valuable international experience. Waleed Al Kindi and Musab Al Hadi will sail in the 49er class, Abdul Majeed Al Hadhrami will compete in the iQFOiL men’s windsurfing event and Abdul Latif Al Qasmi ...

Real Madrid Pull off Second-half Comeback to Extend Winning Streak Madrid, 18 Sep (ONA) --- Real Madrid returned to the top of the LaLiga EA Sports table, coming from behind to claim a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Ander Barrenetxea put Real Sociedad ahead early in the game, but Joselu and Fede Valverde netted one each after the break to lead Real Madrid to a second-half comeback, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported. The first half was an entertaining back-and-forth affair, where both teams wasted several quality chances. Real Sociedad started ...

Royal Cavalry’s Mare “Fatina” Wins 2nd Position in Purdue, France Purdue, 18 Sep (ONA) --- The Royal Cavalry’s mare “Fatina” claimed the 2nd position on France’s Purdue racetrack during the endurance competition for Arabian purebreds that were born in France. The mare achieved this position during the 8th round for the second category (1,400 meters). Fatina was led by Michael Forrest and coached by Sanchas. --- Ends/AG ...

Brighton Beat Manchester United in EPL Manchester, 17 Sep (ONA) --- Manchester United were beaten 3-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford as the home crowd turned on manager Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag has enjoyed the overwhelming backing of United fans since his arrival last summer and the majority have supported the Dutchman in his current dispute with winger Jadon Sancho. But they let Ten Hag know they did not agree with his decision to replace new signing Rasmus Hojlund with Anthony Martial 19 minutes into the second period in no uncertain manner, as a cacophony of boos rang round the ...

Barcelona Crush Betis in La Liga Barcelona, 17 Sep (ONA) --- Barcelona thumped Real Betis to go top of the Spanish La Liga and extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Portugal forward Joao Felix, who is loan from Atletico Madrid, scored his first Barcelona goal in an impressive display at the Nou Camp. Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torrres, Raphinha and Joao Cancelo were also on target for the champions. Barcelona are a point ahead of Real Madrid, who host Real Sociedad later today, BBC sports reported. Barcelona had 66% of possession and created passing intricate ...

Santos’ Future as Poland Coach is Uncertain Following Poor Start to Euro 2024 Qualifying Warsaw, 12 Sep (ONA) --- Fernando Santos’ position as Poland coach remained uncertain after he today met with the president of the country’s soccer federation following the team’s poor start to European Championship qualifying. The 68-year-old Santos, who has only been in the job since January 2023 after spending eight years as coach of his native Portugal, will hold further talks with Cezary Kulesza this week and no final decision has been taken on his future, federation spokesman ...

Lyon Part Ways with Coach Laurent Blanc after Terrible Start to French League Season Paris, 11 Sep (ONA) --- Seven-time French champion Lyon today parted ways with coach Laurent Blanc following a terrible start to the French league season. Lyon has only one point in four matches, and conceded 10 goals, with the club sitting at the bottom of the standings after a humiliating 4-1 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Blanc, whose experience at the helm of the club lasted just 11 months, was under contract until June 2024. The former France coach had complained about the frugal ...

Flick Sacked as Germany Boss Following Poor Run Berlin, 10 Sep (ONA) --- Hansi Flick has been sacked as Germany manager following Saturday's 4-1 friendly defeat by Japan in Wolfsburg. He becomes the first Germany boss to be sacked since the role was created in 1926, BBC sports reported. Germany have lost four of their past five games, with Flick overseeing just 12 wins in his 25 matches since replacing Joachim Low in August 2021. Rudi Voller, who managed the team from 2000 to 2004, takes temporary charge for Tuesday's friendly with France. The 63-year-old Voller, a ...

Pressure Mounts on Flick as Germany Lose 4-1 at Home to Japan Berlin, 10 Sep (ONA) --- Germany manager Hansi Flick is under serious pressure after a dismal 4-1 defeat against Japan in a friendly. Junya Ito opened the scoring for Japan after 11 minutes, but Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane struck back for the hosts. Ayase Ueda tucked in from close range to restore Japan's advantage midway through the first half at Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, BBC sports reported. Takuma Asano and Ao Tanaka then put the game to bed in the closing moments. Germany's fourth defeat in ...

North Macedonia Haunt Italy Again in Euro Draw Skopje, 10 Sep (ONA) --- Italy again suffered at the hands of North Macedonia as their poor start to European Championship qualifying continued with a shock draw in Skopje. Ciro Immobile nodded the Azzurri ahead in new boss Luciano Spalletti's first game in charge. But Enis Bardhi's 20-yard free-kick earned a point for the hosts, who upset Italy in the World Cup 2022 play-offs. The draw means reigning European champions Italy face an uphill task to reach next year's finals in Germany. The Euro 2020 winners sit third in Group ...

Barcelona Name 17-year-old US Youth Team Goalkeeper in CL Squad Barcelona, 6 Sep (ONA) --- UEFA Champions League (CL) squads are starting to be published as the group stage is right around the corner. United States national team fans might have observed that FC Barcelona's squad for the upcoming group games includes a goalkeeper who perhaps represents the future in net for the Stars and Stripes. Barcelona announced that teenager Diego Kochen will form part of the Catalan club's squad for the group stage, meaning the 17-year-old Florida native could get his first minutes for the ...

Omani Trail Running Champions Shine at 2023 UTMB® Mont Blanc in France Paris, 5 Sep (ONA) --- Omani trail running champions, Hamad Al Harthy, Hamdan Al Khatri, Mohammed Al Shizawi, and Issa Al Abri, etched their names in history as they conquered the arduous challenges of the 2023 UTMB® Mont Blanc. These trailblazers embarked on a journey that encapsulated the essence of grit and determination, leaving an indelible mark on the world of trail running. Hamad Al Harthy, Hamdan Al Khatri, and Mohammed Al Shizawi undertook the daunting task of conquering the UTMB Mont Blanc ...

Villarreal Fires Coach Quique Setién after 3 Losses Villarreal, Spain, 5 Sep (ONA) --- Villarreal today fired coach Quique Setién after the team lost three of its first four matches in the Spanish league. The club made its decision early in the two-week break for international games, with director of football Miguel Ángel Tena taking over on an interim basis. Setién took charge of Villarreal in October 2022 after the departure of Unai Emery to English club Aston Villa, guiding the team nicknamed The Yellow Submarine to a fifth-place finish and a spot in this season’s ...

Salah Scores as Liverpool Beat Aston Villa Liverpool, 3 Sep (ONA) --- Mohamed Salah put speculation about his future behind him by scoring as Liverpool comfortably beat Aston Villa to continue their strong start to the season in the English Premier League (EPL). Salah emphasised his worth to Liverpool when he scored their third goal in the second half at Anfield, firing in at the back post from Darwin Nunez's cross to seal a third league win in a row, BBC sports reported. Dominik Szoboszlai got the hosts up and running after just three minutes, scoring his first goal for ...

Real Madrid Scrape Past Getafe with Another Late Bellingham Goal Madrid, 3 Sep (ONA) --- Real Madrid left it very late to defeat Getafe 2-1 at the new look Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Jude Bellingham popping up with the crucial strike. It was an awful start for the hosts, as their academy graduate Borja Mayoral rounded Kepa and slotted through the legs of Antonio Rudiger for a surprise opener. The goal sparked Los Blancos into life as they threw everything forward in pursuit of a comeback. It almost came through Joselu midway through the half. Fran Garcia burst forward ...

Second Edition of Oxy Ultra Marathon to Kick off 7 December Muscat, 30 Aug (ONA) --- The second edition of Oxy Ultra Marathon will kick off on 7 December 2023 at Wadi Al Khoudh in the Wilayat of A’Seeb. The three-day marathon is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. Such details were stated during the press conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat today. Zayana Abdullah Al Ya’rubi, Director of Qualitative Bodies Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, affirmed that the Ministry, represented by the Directorate General of ...

Raphael Varane of Man United Ruled out for Weeks Due to Injury Manchester, 30 Aug (ONA) --- Manchester United’s injury problems are mounting. Raphael Varane is the latest player sidelined, with the former France center back ruled out for “a few weeks” by United because of an unspecified injury. Varane came off at halftime of United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League (EPL) last Saturday. He is definitely out of United’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday before the league takes a two-week break for international games. Defender Luke Shaw and ...

Oman Sail’s Optimist Team to Take Part in International Süleymanpaşa Optimist Cup in Türkiye Muscat, 30 Aug (ONA) --- Oman Sail has selected eleven Optimist sailors from three of its sailing schools to represent the nation in Tekirdağ, on northern coast of Türkiye’s Sea of Marmara for the five-day International Süleymanpaşa Optimist Cup. Being held at the Tekirdağ Sailing Club, the competition features over 400 sailors from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as hosts Türkiye and Oman. The team will be led by Ghalib Al Maamari, ...

Everton Signs Beto from Udinese to Cure Scoring Woes in EPL Liverpool, 29 Aug (ONA) --- Everton today signed Portuguese striker Beto from Udinese for a reported $32.7 million in a bid to cure its early season scoring problems in the English Premier League (EPL). Everton has lost its opening three games in the league without scoring. Beto has reached double figures in goals in each of his last four seasons, the last two of which were spent at Udinese. The tall striker has a four-year deal and is Everton’s fifth arrival in this transfer window after full back ...

Oman Equestrian Federation Discusses Means to Develop Horse RacingMuscat, 29 Aug (ONA) --- The Board of Directors of Oman Equestrian Federation (OEF) held its first meeting after its restructuring under the leadership of Sayyid Munthir Saif Al Busaidi, Chairman of OEF Board of Directors.The meeting made a brief account of the functions, powers and competencies of the OEF Board of Directors, the formation of supervisory and executive committees and the OEF Internal Regulation. This was followed by a visual presentation on the most prominent achievements of the OEF during the past ...

Vinicius Jr Injured for Six weeks, Could Miss Madrid Derby Madrid, 29 Aug (ONA) --- Real Madrid's star forward, Vinicius Jr, is out injured for six weeks after suffering a thigh injury in the team's 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo. The Brazilian winger limped off after 18 minutes in Madrid's fixture against the Galician outfit on Friday, 25 August 2023 and is not expected to return until October. The blow will be a key loss for Los Blancos as they lose a player who provided 23 goals and 21 assists in 55 games last season. The 23-year-old ruptured his biceps ...