The agent of former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has cast doubt over any potential move to Manchester United for his client (Photo: Hadi Abyar/Tasnim News Agency/ Wiki Creative Commons)
Athletics
Mo Farah scored a stunning Chicago Marathon victory as he won in two hours five minutes and 11 seconds in only his third race over the distance on October 7. After biding his time for much of the race, the British four-time Olympic track champion surged to the lead in the final four miles and ran past Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew’s to shatter the European marathon record of 2:05:48 in rainy and windy conditions. Geremew finished second in 2:05:24 with Japan’s Suguru Osako third in a national record of 2:05:50.
American Football
NFL: Green Bay Packers defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson will miss the rest of the 2018 season because of an ankle injury he suffered last month. Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the injury “significant”.
Basketball
FIBA Asia Champions Cup: (Sept 27 –Oct 2), Thailand
Petroschimi Club have claimed the title of the Asia Champions Cup after defeating Alvark Tokyo of Japan 68-64. The Iranian side came from behind and led 30-27, as they headed to the locker rooms. But the Japanese club managed to tie the game up twice towards the end. But Petrochimi’s defence was able to clamp down and hold on to the win. Petrochimi becomes the fourth Iranian club to win the Cup. They have also set a record as Petrochimi’s title is Iran’s 6th in total to win this tournament, which is the highest number of titles won by a country.
Boxing
Amir Khan has revealed that negotiations have now begun for a fight between him and fellow Brit Kell Brook in 2019. The 31-year-old previously made clear that his first choice opponent was Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao, however with ‘Pac Man’ likely heading in another direction, attention has now turned to a bout with Brook.
England’s Moeen Ali claimed he was called ‘Osama’ during the 2015 Ashes (Photo: David Molloy/Wiki Commons)
Cricket
The investigation into Moeen Ali’s claim he was called ‘Osama’ during the 2015 Ashes has been closed by Cricket Australia last month. The England all-rounder alleged in his autobiography that an unnamed Australian player made the slur during the opening Test of the 2015 series, in an apparent reference to Osama Bin Laden, during an on-field exchange.
Cricket Australia, the country’s governing body, re-examined Moeen’s complaint but has ‘failed to unearth any new details’ after liaising with the England and Wales Cricket Board and its own team management during that Ashes campaign.
Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman announced his retirement from international cricket on October 10. Rehman collected 19 of his 99 Test wickets in the home Test series against England in 2012. Rehman said he was disheartened as of late after being ignored by national selectors.
Football
Germany has beaten Turkey to host Euro 2024 after a vote by Uefa’s executive committee on September 27. The two countries made final bid presentations before voting took place in Nyon, Switzerland. The decision means Germany will stage the European Championship for the first time as a unified country, with West Germany having hosted the 1988 tournament. Turkey is yet to host a major international football tournament.
Zinedine Zidane agent Alain Migliaccio says his client is unlikely to manage in the Premier League. The former Real Madrid treble Champions League winning manager left the club at the end of last season. He had been touted to be the man to take over from under-fire Jose Mourinho at Manchester United and was even pictured in the London in last month He told JDD: “Manchester United? I don’t think he’ll go to England to manage. It’s less his style. I discussed it with him, it does not really interest him. He has chosen to have a year out, he will not dive in again before that is over.”
Hockey
The Hockey Pro League has been dealt a blow after Scottish Hockey withdrew from hosting Pakistan men’s home matches, three months before the start of world hockey’s new elite tournament. In an announcement on October 8, the national governing body said that “significant changes” from a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 had contributed to unsuitable contract terms over staging the matches at the National Hockey Centre in Glasgow.
Squash
FMC International Men’s Squash Championship (October 8-12) Lahore, Pakistan
Egypt’s Youssef Soliman defeated Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen by 3-2 in the final to clinch the FMC International Men’s Squash Championship 2018 title here on October 12. In the final of the prestigious event, Soliman, who is world number 37 and was a top seed in the tournament, had to struggle really hard to beat world number 65 and second seed Ivan Yuen with a score of 8/11, 11/6, 11/8, 9/11, 11/8.
US Open, (October 6-13) Philadelphia, USA
Egypt’s world number 1 Mohamed El Shorbagy and world number two Raneem El Welily became US Open champions securing their positions in the PSA World Tour Finals.
Olympics
A team of refugees will again take part at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the International Olympic Committee said on October 9, after 10 refugees competed at the Rio Games. The decision was approved at the 133rd IOC meeting in Buenos Aires. Deputy general director Pere Miro, who is in charge of relations with national Olympic committees, said the IOC “has identified 51 athletes living in refugee camps or in refugee conditions”. Among those 51 athletes were the 10 who participated in Rio, he added.
Asian Para Games
Jakarta, Indonesia (October 8-16)
Iran secured third place in the 2018 Asian Para Games. Iranian athletes claimed 51 gold, 42 silver, and 43 bronze medals in the tournament. China became the champion with 172 gold, 88 silver, and 59 bronze medals, followed by South Korea that could win 53 gold, 45 silver and 47 bronze medals. Japan was the fourth team in ranking with 45 gold, 70 silver, and 83 bronze medals. In first and second Asia Para Games held in Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014, Iran had come 4th. The third Asian Para Games was held with the participation of 2,880 athletes from 41 countries in 13 disciplines.
Martial Arts
Featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov has been replaced by Michael Johnson for a bout against Artem Lobov on Oct. 27 in Moncton, Canada, the UFC announced. Tukhugov (18-4) is a teammate of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He was involved in the postfight skirmish involving Conor McGregor at UFC 229 on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas. Lobov (13-14-1),
The International Judo Federation has suspended the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and the Tunis Grand Prix from its competition calendar, saying it wants to take a “firm and constructive stance in the fight against discrimination in sport.” Last year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam was criticised for refusing to display Israel’s flag for the country’s athletes and for not playing the Israeli national anthem. The United Arab Emirates has no diplomatic ties with Israel and, like most other Arab countries, doesn’t recognize Israel as a state. Earlier this year, World Taekwondo — the sport’s governing body — issued a statement regretting a Tunisian court’s decision to ban four Israeli athletes from competing at the World Junior Championships in Hammamet.
Swimming
African Swimming Championships: (September 10–16) Algiers, Algeria
(1) Gold, (2) Silver, (3) Bronze
(CR) Championship Record, (NR) National Record.
Men’s 100m backstroke: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY (CR), 3. Ali Khalafalla EGY
Men’s 100m breaststroke:1. Wassim Elloumi TUN (CR/NR), 2. Youssef Elkamash
Men’s 100m butterfly: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY, 2. Yusuf Tibazi MAR
Men’s 100m freestyle: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY (CR), 2. Ali Khalafalla EGY
Men’s 1500m freestyle: 1. Marwan Elkamash EGY (CR), 2. Marwan El-Amrawy EGY, 3. Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui TUN
Men’s 200m backstroke: 1. Mohamed Ryad Bouhamidi ALG , 2. Mohamed Samy EGY
Men’s 200m breaststroke: 2. Wassim Elloumi TUN
Men’s 200m butterfly: 1. Marwan Elkamash EGY, 3. Said Saber MAR
Men’s 200m freestyle: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY (CR), 2. Marwan Elkamash EGY, 3. Mohamed Aziz Ghaffari TUN
Men’s 200m individual medley: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY (CR), 3. Moncef Aymen Balamane ALG
Men’s 400m freestyle: 1. Marwan Elkamash EGY (CR), 2. Marwan El-Amrawy EGY, 3. Mohamed Aziz Ghaffari TUN
Men’s 400m individual medley: 3. Ahmed Hamdi EGY
Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. EGY (CR), 3. TUN
Men’s 4x100m medley relay: 1. EGY (CR), 3. ALG
Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay: 1. EGY (CR), 2. TUN
Men’s 50m backstroke: 1. Mohamed Samy EGY (CR), 3. Abdellah Ardjoune ALG
Men’s 50m breaststroke: 1. Youssef Elkamash EGY, 2. Wassim Elloumi TUN (NR)
Men’s 50m butterfly: 1. Abdelrahman Sameh EGY, 2. Ali Khalafalla EGY, 3. Yusuf Tibazi MAR (NR)
Men’s 50m freestyle: 1. Ali Khalafalla EGY, 3. Abdelrahman Sameh EGY
Men’s 5km open water: 1. Marwan El-Amrawy EGY, 2. Said Saber MAR, 3. Adel El-Behary EGY
Men’s 800m freestyle: 1. Marwan Elkamash EGY (CR), 2. Marwan El-Amrawy EGY, 3. Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui TUN
Women’s 100m backstroke: 1. Samiha Mohsen EGY, 3. Hiba Fahsi MAR
Women’s 100m breaststroke: 2. Rowaida Hesham EGY
Women’s 100m butterfly: 1. Farida Osman EGY (CR), 3. Nesrine Medjahed ALG
Women’s 100m freestyle: 2. Farida Osman EGY, 3. Nesrine Medjahed ALG
Women’s 1500m freestyle: 1. Hania Moro EGY, 2. Souad Nafissa Cherouati] ALG
Women’s 200m backstroke: 3. Hiba Fahsi MAR
Women’s 200m breaststroke: 2. Rowaida Hesham EGY, 3. Hamida Rania Nefsi ALG
Women’s 200m butterfly: 1. Rowida Hesham EGY, 2. Hamida Rania Nefsi ALG
Women’s 200m freestyle: 1. Hania Moro EGY
Women’s 200m individual medley: 2. Hamida Rania Nefsi ALG, 3. Farah Ben Khelil TUN
Women’s 400m freestyle: 1. Hania Moro EGY, 3. Souad Nafissa Cherouati ALG
Women’s 400m individual medley: 1. Hamida Rania Nefsi ALG
Women’s 4x100m freestyle: relay: 2. EGY, 3. ALG
Women’s 4x100m medley relay: 2. EGY, 3. ALG
Women’s 4x200m freestyle: relay: 2. ALG, 3. TUN
Women’s 50m backstroke: 2. Samiha Mohsen EGY (NR), 3. Amel Melih ALG
Women’s 50m butterfly: 1. Farida Osman EGY (CR), 3. Amel Melih ALG
Women’s 50m freestyle: 1. Farida Osman EGY (CR), 3. Amel Melih ALG
Women’s 5km open water: 1. Souad Nafissa Cherouati ALG, 2. Sandy Atef EGY, 3. Dana Akl EGY
Women’s 800m freestyle: 1. Hania Moro EGY, 2. Souad Nafissa Cherouati ALG
Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. EGY (CR, NR), 3. ALG (NR)
Mixed 4x100m medley relay: 1. EGY (CR, NR), 2. ALG (NR), 3. TUN
Judo
World Judo Championships: (September 20–27) Baku, Azerbaijan
Men’s Half-lightweight 66 kg: 2. Yerlan Serikzhanov KAZ
Men’s Half-middleweight 81 kg: 1. Saeid Mollaei IRI, 3. Vedat Albayrak TUR
Men’s Half-heavyweight 100 kg: 3. Niyaz Ilyasov RUS
Men’s Heavyweight +100 kg: 2. Ushangi Kokauri AZE
Women’s Extra-lightweight 48 kg: 3. Galbadrakhyn Otgontsetseg KAZ
Women’s Heavyweight +78 kg: 3. Kayra Sayit TUR
Mixed events: 3. RUS
