FOOTBALL
Premier League giants Liverpool have been told that Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush will end up being “better” than Mohamed Salah.
Salah‘s long-term future is in doubt as he has entered the final year of his contract, and it remains to be seen whether he will commit his future to the club beyond this season. The 32-year-old Salah has made a positive start to this season, grabbing four goals and four assists in his seven Premier League appearances.
However, his uncertain future has fuelled speculation linking Liverpool with potential replacements, and Marmoush, awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Month, has been mentioned as a possible target. Marmoush, who plays with Salah for Egypt, has been sensational at the start of this campaign, with eight goals and four assists in six Bundesliga appearances for Frankfurt. In his last appearance before the international break, he grabbed two goals and an assist in his side’s 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich.
BOXING
October 12: Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a majority decision to become the undisputed light heavyweight world champion as one of boxing’s most anticipated fights lived up to the hype in Saudi Arabia.
In a contest that could have gone either way, Bivol, 33, won the earlier rounds with his superior movement and combinations. Fellow undefeated Russian-born Canadian Beterbiev, 39, was undeterred and forced his way back into the fight with relentless pressure and power punching. With scores of 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112, Beterbiev becomes the division’s first undisputed champion since 2002 and the first ever in the four-belt era.
“I feel not bad. I did not good today. I wanted to box with more quality,” said a modest Beterbiev, who is now WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO champion. Bivol was defeated for the first time in 24 bouts.
October 12: The World Boxing Organisation has firmly denied reports that it banned Olympic champion Imane Khelif and revoked her Paris gold medal over gender eligibility tests. The WBO labelled these claims, which had circulated via an online sports blog and spread on social media, as “obviously false.”
In a statement, Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO’s legal counsel, clarified that the organisation had “not tested, nor banned” Khelif, calling any such reports “fake and ill-intentioned.” He also emphasised that the WBO has had “no communication” with Khelif regarding the matter.
CRICKET
October 18: England faced a stunning collapse in their second innings, losing to a rejuvenated Pakistan by 152 runs in the second Test, which now levels the series 1-1.
Resuming day four on 36-2, England crumbled to 88-6 under the pressure of Pakistan’s spinners, Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46), who tore through the middle order. England was bowled out for 144, falling well short of the 297-run target set by the hosts.
The morning session saw England lose four wickets within the first 40 minutes. Ollie Pope (22) was caught and bowled by Khan early, while Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) were both trapped lbw by Ali, with unsuccessful reviews further compounding England’s troubles. Ben Stokes (37) and Brydon Carse (27) offered brief resistance, pushing England past 100, but Pakistan’s spinners dominated the ninth-day pitch. Ali wrapped up the match by taking the final wickets of Jack Leach (1) and Shoaib Bashir (0) in consecutive balls, securing Pakistan’s victory.
With the series now tied, all eyes turn to Rawalpindi for the deciding third Test on October 24.
October 15: The Bangladesh Cricket Board suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusingha with immediate effect on disciplinary grounds. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusingha “on disciplinary grounds.” This came in the aftermath of a BCB investigation after Nasum Ahmed accused Hathurusingha of “inappropriate behaviour” during the 2023 World Cup. Nasum accused Hathurusingha of slapping him.
“There were a few incidents that, as a former cricketer, were painful for me. Considering everything, we have issued a show cause notice and suspended him from his role as coach,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed told the media in a press conference on October 15. “After 48 hours, we will proceed with his dismissal. The harassment of a cricketer was one of the reasons. Additionally, taking leave without permission is another issue.”
JUDO
October 2-6: The 2024 World Judo Junior Championships took place at the Kasri Tennis Arena in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, as part of the IJF World Tour. The final day of the competition featured the mixed teams event.
Men’s Muslim Medallists
(G)old, (S)ilver, (B)ronze
60 kg-S- Loiq Kudbudinov TJK
60 kg-B- Murodil Murodillaev UZB
60kg-B- Talgat Orynbassar KAZ
73 kg-B- Muhiddin Asadulloev TJK
73 kg-B- Mardon Ravshanov UZB
81 kg-B- Azat Kumisbay KAZ
81 kg-B- Suleyman Shukurov AZE
90 kg-B- Alisher Samanov UZB
100 kg-G- Muk’dsodik Sodikov UZB
100 kg-B- Fares Mekhoukh FRA
100 kg-B- Azhdar Baghirov AZE
+100 kg-S- Kanan Nasibov AZE
+100 kg-B- İbrahim Tataroğlu TUR
Women’s Muslim Medallists
+78 kg-B- Safa Soliman EGY
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
October 12: Uzbek fighter Ramazonbek Temirov, 27, made an impressive UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 244, defeating 32-year-old CJ Vergara with a first-round TKO.
This victory not only raised Temirov’s record to 18-2, while Vergara’s dropped to 12-6-1, but also highlighted Temirov’s ambition for a flyweight title shot. Reflecting on his achievement, Temirov said, “The UFC was my childhood dream, which just came true today. I will be only going forward and my goal is to be a champion of the flyweight division. I never thought I would be in the UFC, to be honest, but I was always dreaming to be in here and to be a champion.”
TAEKWONDO
October 1-6: The World Taekwondo Junior Championships, held in Chuncheon, South Korea, featured 963 competitors from 127 nations, with Iran topping the medal table by securing seven gold medals.
Men’s Muslim Medallists
45 kg-G- D’rodjon Marufjonov UZB
48 kg-G- Mehdi Razmian IRN
48 kg-B- Temirzhan Taskyn KAZ
48 kg-B- Bekhruz Salimov UZB
51 kg-B- Amir Nasirahmadi IRN
55 kg-G- Sina Mohtarami IRN
55 kg-S- Nurali Makhmut KAZ
55 kg-B- Azat Besaev ANA
59 kg-S- Yusuf Badem TUR
59 kg-B- Mahmoud Yousif JOR
59 kg-B- Samir Mirzoiev UKR
63 kg-B- Vasif Salimov AZE
68 kg-B- Omar Fathy EGY
73 kg-S- Ali Akbar Ebrahimi IRN
73 kg-B- Huseyn Khudiyev AZE
78 kg-B- Amin Ahmadvand IRN
+78 kg-G- Amir Ashrafi IRN
Women’s Muslim Medallists
42 kg-G- Ghazal Houshmand IRN
44 kg-B- Rüveyda Nur Evin TUR
46 kg-B- Oumaima Allassak FRA
52 kg-G- Parnian Nouri IRN
52 kg-B- Sıla Irmak Uzunçavdar TUR
55 kg-G- Amina Dehhaoui MAR
55 kg-S- Aminat Ramazanova ANA
55 kg-B- Mümüne Nur Göz TUR
59 kg-G- Aynaz Nasiri IRN
59 kg-S- Nuray Kaznabek KAZ
63 kg-G- Wafa Masghouni TUN
63 kg-S- Saghar Moradi IRN
68 kg-G- Hana Zarinkamar IRN
Photo: Liverpool are set to make a strong push to sign elite Bundesliga forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, who is shown celebrating a goal during the Europa League match against Besiktas at Tupras Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 3. (Credit: Serhat Çağdaş/AA)
