News

Oman's Runners Participate in UTMB Alpine Race Muscat, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Five Omani runners have successfully completed the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), an annual race held in Chamonix, France, that draws thousands of runners from around the world. Khalid Sulaiman Al Hatmi and Khusaif Marhoon Al Zakwani finished the longest distance of 175 km, ascending over 10,000 meters across a route that spans France, Italy, and Switzerland before returning to Chamonix. Meanwhile, runners Yaqoub Khalfan Al Nadabi, Talal Hilal Al Mahrouqi, and Khalid Al Farsi completed the 100 km ...

João Neves' Bicycle-Kick Brace Inspires PSG in Thrilling Toulouse Victory Paris, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Paris St-Germain (PSG) continued their perfect start to the French Ligue 1 season with a thrilling victory over Toulouse in a match that featured spectacular goals and four penalties, all fueled by a breathtaking individual display from João Neves. The 20-year-old Portuguese international scored two remarkable overhead kicks within a seven-minute span to set the tone for a dominant attacking performance. Neves opened the scoring with a stunning acrobatic finish into ...

Anguissa's Last-Gasp Stunner Seals Dramatic Napoli Victory Naples, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Napoli snatched a dramatic victory with virtually the last kick of the game, defeating a resilient Cagliari 1-0 in their first home Serie A match of the season. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa was the hero, meeting Stanislav Lobotka’s low cross with a superb first-time finish deep into the 95th minute to spark wild celebrations along the home bench and throughout the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The reigning champions had been frustrated for large periods by a ...

Bayern Munich Survive Augsburg Fightback to Secure Hard-Fought Bundesliga Victory Munich, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Luis Diaz continued his fine goalscoring form with his second goal in as many Bundesliga games as Bayern Munich held on for a 3-2 victory away at Augsburg. While not the dominant display showcased against Leipzig last week, the reigning champions demonstrated resilience in seeing out a hard-earned three points. After a slow start, Bayern gained the lead when Serge Gnabry powered home a precise header from a delivery by England captain Harry Kane. Diaz then doubled ...

Real Madrid Fight Back to Secure Perfect Start with Victory over Mallorca Madrid, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the Spanish La Liga season, coming from behind to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mallorca and make it three wins from three. The unbeaten hosts took a surprise lead when Vedat Muriqi forced in a close-range finish from Pablo Torre's corner in the first half. The league leaders drew level in the second period as Arda Guler rose to head home from Dean Huijsen's deft knockdown inside the box. The comeback was completed by a ...

Crystal Palace Agree £26m Deal for Spanish Winger Yeremy Pino London, 27 Aug (ONA) --- Crystal Palace have reached an agreement in principle with Villarreal for the transfer of Spanish international winger Yeremy Pino in a deal that could rise to £26 million. The 22-year-old is understood to be receptive to the move to Selhurst Park and is scheduled to undergo a medical in the coming days. Although Pino possesses a €69 million release clause in his contract, Villarreal have opted to accept Palace's offer with the player's current deal having less than two years ...

Borussia Dortmund Extends Coach Niko Kovač's Contract Until 2027Dortmund, 26 Aug (ONA) — German football club Borussia Dortmund announced today the extension of Croatian coach Niko Kovač's contract until June 2027. Kovač took charge of Dortmund in February of this year, succeeding former coach Nuri Şahin when the team was in 11th place in the German Bundesliga standings. Under his leadership, Dortmund climbed to a fourth-place finish at the end of last season, securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League in the current season. Dortmund began the new season with a victory over ...

Transfer Tension Fuels Fire for EPL Showdown on Tyneside London, 25 Aug (ONA) --- A potent mix of sporting prestige and simmering transfer drama will electrify the atmosphere at St James' Park tonight as Newcastle United host reigning champions Liverpool in an English Premier League (EPL) clash laden with subplots. The fixture, Newcastle's first home game of the new campaign on a bank holiday, is set against the fraught backdrop of the Alexander Isak saga, with the wantaway striker's preferred suitors arriving in town. This narrative has transformed a typically fervent ...

Injury Blow for Arsenal as Saka Set to Miss Crucial Liverpool Clash London, 25 Aug (ONA) --- Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury setback with the news that forward Bukayo Saka is expected to be sidelined for up to four weeks with a hamstring injury, ruling him out of Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Liverpool and England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The 23-year-old was forced from the pitch during the second half of Saturday’s commanding 5-0 victory over Leeds United and subsequent assessment has confirmed a significant strain. Further ...

Special Olympics Oman Participates in MENA Regional Equestrian Championship in Al Ain Al Ain, 25 Aug (ONA) ---Special Olympics Oman team is participating in the Special Olympics MENA Regional Equestrian Competition, which is being held in Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates, during 25-27 August 2025. This participation reflects Oman's commitment to empowering athletes with intellectual disabilities, honing their skills, and giving them the opportunity to compete and interact with their peers from different countries. It also underscores Oman's dedication to raising community ...

Mbappe Fires Double as Ruthless Real Madrid Maintain Perfect Start Madrid, 25 Aug (ONA) --- Real Madrid continued their flawless beginning to the Spanish La Liga season with a commanding 3-0 away victory over Real Oviedo. The French forward, Kylian Mbappe, who netted the winner on his debut against Osasuna last weekend, was in scintillating form, taking his tally to three goals in just two league appearances. He broke the deadlock eight minutes before the interval, expertly curling a finish from the edge of the area. He then sealed the three points late in the second ...

Royal Cavalry’s “Al Safinat” Mare Claims Second Place at La Teste Racecourse in France Paris, 21 Aug (ONA) — The Royal Cavalry’s mare “Al Safinat” secured second place in the third race for purebred Arabian horses, covering a distance of 1,800 meters at the La Teste racecourse in France. The achievement was led by jockey Michael Forest under the supervision of trainer Elisabeth Bernard. — Ends/AH ...

Polish Iga Świątek Claims Title at Cincinnati Open Tennis Tournament Washington, 19 Aug (ONA) — Poland's Iga Świątek claimed her first title at the Cincinnati Open, a WTA 1000 tennis tournament held in Mason, Ohio, United States, by defeating Italy's Jasmine Paolini in two straight sets in the final match. The world number three needed one hour and 48 minutes to secure her match against the world number nine, with scores of (7-5) and (6-4), confirming her dominance in their head-to-head series with 7 wins and no losses. With this title, Świątek has ...

Spain’s Márquez Wins Austrian Grand Prix for First TimeSpielberg, 17 Aug (ONA) — Spanish rider Marc Márquez claimed his first-ever victory at the Austrian Grand Prix for motorcycles, extending his lead in the overall standings to 142 points ahead of his brother, Álex.The six-time world champion celebrated his triumph in the 1,000th race in the history of the MotoGP World Championship. After winning Saturday’s sprint race from the second row, Márquez secured a double victory in both the sprint and the Grand Prix for the sixth consecutive time. The Spanish rider has remained ...

Oman School Team Participates in Arab School Championship in Jordan Amman, 17 Aug (ONA) --- Oman School Team is taking part in the Arab School Championship hosted by the Kingdom of Jordan from 17 to 28 August in Amman. More than 500 students representing 8 Arab countries are participating in the championship. The Omani team participates in the boys’ futsal five-a-side football competition and in the girls’ 3x3 basketball competition. The tournament is being organized by Jordan Ministry of Education and the School Sports Association (Oman), in cooperation with ...

National Junior Tennis Team Begins Campaign in Arab ChampionshipMuscat, 17 Aug (ONA) — Oman’s national junior tennis team will begin its campaign tomorrow in the Arab U14 Championship, hosted by the Tunisian capital until 23 August, with the participation of ten Arab teams. The Omani squad consists of six players, including Moataz Al Mazroei, Abdulrahman Al Rahbi, Azzan Al Busaidi, Aren Al Azkawi, Talia Al Busaidi, and Salma Al Riyami. The team is led by coaches Svyat Dub (boys’ team) and Sergey Pershin (girls’ team). This participation follows a successful three-week preparatory camp ...

Italy's Jannik Sinner Advances to Cincinnati Open Final Cincinnati, 17 Aug (ONA) — This Top-ranked defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy secured his place in the Cincinnati Open final with a commanding 7-6, 6-2 victory over France's Terence Atman. The world No. 1 dominated with a 91% first-serve win percentage and didn't face a single break point during the 86-minute match. Sinner capitalized on two of five break point opportunities in his first-ever meeting with Atman. In the other semifinal, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz earned his spot with a 6-4, 6-3 ...

AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League Postponed to 30 September Doha, 13 Aug (ONA) --- The Arab Gulf Cup Football Association’s Secretariat General announced the postponement of the 2025/2026 AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League. The competition's new start date is 30 September, a shift from the previously scheduled date of 16 September. The decision was made after the competitions committee approved a request for the delay from the tournament’s sponsoring company. According to an official statement from the Arab Gulf Cup Football Association, the postponement was necessary due ...

School Beach Games Championship Kicks Off in DhofarSalalah, 10 Aug (ONA) — The first round of the School Beach Games Championship commenced today with beach handball and beach volleyball competitions, organized by the Omani School Sports Association in Dhofar Governorate. In the beach volleyball tournament, six matches were held in the first round. The South A’Sharqiyah educational team defeated Dhofar in two straight sets, while A’Dakhiliyah secured a similar victory over North A’Sharqiyah. In the third match, North Al Batinah triumphed over Musandam in two sets, followed by ...

Faisal Al-Zubair Secures Second Place in Races 1, 4 at Magny-Cours RoundNevers (France), 4 Aug (ONA) — International racer Faisal Al-Zubair of Oman’s Al-Manar Racing, in technical collaboration with WRT, delivered an outstanding performance at the Magny-Cours round of the 2025 GT World Challenge – Sprint Cup. The Omani driver finished second in Race 1 and fourth in Race 2 within the Gold Cup category. These results came after Al-Zubair and his teammate Jens Klingmann crossed the finish line in third place in Race 1 but were promoted to second due to a penalty imposed on a rival team. ...

Registration Opens for 11th Edition of Oman Desert MarathonMuscat, 2 Aug (ONA) — The organizing committee of Oman Desert Marathon has announced the opening of registration for its 11th edition, set to take place in the golden sands of Bidiyah, North A’Sharqiyah Governorate, during 10-14 January 2026.The event will witness the participation of elite runners from around the world, many of whom have already confirmed their attendance in next year’s competition. Oman Desert Marathon has gained international recognition as one of the world’s premier long-distance running events. This ...

Oman Shooting Association Championship Kicks Off in Ghala Muscat, 3 Aug (ONA) — The Oman Shooting Association Championship for 10-meter Olympic Airgun events (rifle and pistol) commenced at the Ghala Shooting Range today. The tournament, which runs till 11 August, features competitions for juniors (male and female), open category (men and women), and athletes with disabilities. The championship began with a series of official training sessions in a competitive atmosphere, aimed at refining the skills and expertise of shooters while showcasing national talent. ...

Xhaka Returns to England, Joins Sunderland from LeverkusenLondon, 30 Jul (ONA) --- Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka has joined promoted Premier League side Sunderland from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen on a three-year contract, both clubs said today. No details were given, but Leverkusen said that Sunderland had "accepted the transfer conditions" set by them for the 32-year-old to move on despite a contract until 2028. Leverkusen reportedly wanted ($23.5 million) for Xhaka, who now returns to England where he played at Arsenal for seven years between 2016 and 2023. During his two ...

Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Signs Omani Coach Rashid Jaber Baghdad, 30 Jul (ONA) --- Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya club has officially announced the signing of Omani coach Rashid Jaber to lead the team in the upcoming football season. He replaces Iraqi coach Ali Abdul-Jabbar, who took charge midway through last season following a decline in results under Qatari coach Wissam Rizk. Rashid Jaber is one of the most prominent coaches in Oman, having managed the Omani national football team during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. His previous experience includes coaching Dhofar, ...

Amateur Football League: Community Engagement, Youth Talent Discovery Across GovernoratesMuscat, 30 Jul (ONA) — The Amateur Football League in the Sultanate of Oman stands out as one of the most prominent summer sporting events, featuring intense competition and broad participation from various local teams, alongside a significant fan turnout. The tournament is held at three levels—club, governorate, and finally nationwide—culminating in the crowning of the championship-winning team. The league serves as a vital platform for local teams to showcase their technical skills and compete in ...

Bayern Close to Reaching Deal with Liverpool for Forward Luis DiazLondon, 27 Jul (ONA) --- Liverpool and Bayern Munich are close to reaching a deal for Reds forward Luis Diaz. Bayern were understood to have reopened dialogue regarding a move after having an initial offer of ($79 million) dismissed last week. The deal is close between the German Bundesliga champions and Liverpool for Diaz. The 28-year-old was left out of Liverpool's 4-2 friendly defeat to AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday as speculation surrounding his future continued to mount. Liverpool have been busy in the ...

Oman Kite Festival 2025 Concludes in Sur Sur, 24 Jul (ONA) - Oman Kite Festival 2025 concluded today in the Wilayat of Sur in the South A'Sharqiyah Governorate. More than 90 athletes from around the world took part in the 10-day event.The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Sheikh Dr. Yahya Badr Al Maawali, Governor of South A'Sharqiyah.The festival was organized by Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), in cooperation with Oman Sail, Visit Oman and Oman Adventure Centre, as part of efforts to support adventure tourism and enhance the Sultanate of Oman's presence on ...

Frankfurt's Ekitiké Heading to Liverpool for €95 MillionFrankfurt, 20 Jul (ONA) --- Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké is set to join Liverpool in another big-money transfer, according to media reports. The 23-year-old Frenchman will move to the English champions with immediate effect, TV broadcaster Sky Germany and transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported today. The transfer fee is said to be around €95 million [$110.4 million), with Ekitiké is signing a six-year contract with the Reds. The two clubs have yet to confirm the transfer. Ekitiké would ...

Oman Football Team Drawn with Qatar, UAE in Asian World Cup Qualifiers PlayoffKuala Lumpur, 17 Jul (ONA) —- The draw for the fourth round of the Asian World Cup 2026 qualifiers, held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today, placed Oman Football Team alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar in Group 1.Qatar will host the group's matches in a single round-robin format, with games taking place between 8 and 14 October 2025.Meanwhile, Group 2, hosted by Saudi Arabia, includes Iraq and Indonesia.The six teams were split into two groups, ...

Lucas Vazquez to Leave Real MadridSpain, 16 Jul (ONA) --- Lucas Vazquez has announced he is leaving Real Madrid. The 34-year-old right-sided player has spent almost his entire career at Real Madrid, having joined the club's academy at the age of 16. Following a loan spell with Espanyol, Vazquez made his Real debut in September 2015 and has gone on to make 402 appearances for the club over 10 seasons, winning 23 trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles and four Spanish La Liga crowns. Vazquez's final outing came as a substitute during their 4-0 Club World Cup defeat to ...