List of All Articles with Tag 'sports'

Sergio Ramos helped Real Madrid win 22 titles in a 16-year spell before leaving two years ago

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India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has hobbled off the field with a suspected ankle injury in the Cricket World Cup game against Bangladesh in Pune

There are still blue-and-white streamers hanging over alleyways and banners all over the city celebrating Napoli’s first Serie A title since the days when Diego Maradona played for the club

Joshua Buatsi’s fight with Dan Azeez has been cancelled on four days’ notice, after the latter sustained an injury in the final session of his training camp. The unbeaten Britons were set to put their friendship aside and meet in a light-heavyweight bout on Saturday (21 October), headlining at the O2 Arena in London. However, the fight has been postponed due to Azeez suffering a back injury, it was announced on Tuesday (17 October). Azeez, 34, said: “I’m devastated for this to happen on fight week. It still hasn’t sunk in. I’ve never had to withdraw from a fight in my career before. “I want to apologise to all the fans, especially those travelling to the fight. I am also extremely sorry to my opponent Joshua Buatsi, to my promoter, and to everyone involved who has worked so hard on this date. I hope this fight can be rescheduled as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, Boxxer chief Ben Shalom said: “This is a big shock, but everyone at Boxxer is working very hard to ensure we provide clarity for all fighters, teams and – most importantly – the fans as soon as we can. “I know that Dan would do anything to be in the ring on Saturday night, and for this to happen at this stage is devastating. This is a huge fight for British boxing, but the health and safety of our fighters must come first. “My heart goes out to Dan and Joshua, who have both completed tough camps, and to the fans, with more than 10,000 having made arrangements to come on Saturday. We will provide an update on the rest of the card and communicate a revised date for Buatsi-Azeez as soon as possible.” Azeez last fought in July, bearing Khalid Graidia on points, two months after 30-year-old Buatsi outpointed Pawel Stepien. On Wednesday (18 October), Boxxer announced that the undercard would remain intact and take place at London’s York Hall, headlined by Mikael Lawal vs Isaac Chamberlain. Read More Tommy Fury hits out at KSI’s ‘star jumps and hugs’ after beating YouTuber in boxing match Jake Paul announces return to boxing after Tommy Fury’s win over KSI Dillon Danis explains why he will appeal defeat by Logan Paul

South Africa has retained the same 23 for the Rugby World Cup semifinal against England

Collin Morikawa’s last PGA Tour victory was the British Open in 2021 but his 6-under 64 to lead the Zozo Championship after the first round suggests the end of the American’s mini slump might be in sight

Ashleigh Buhai has had a bogey-free round of 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA tournament in South Korea

Call it a belated birthday present, perhaps. Sir Jim Ratcliffe turned 71 on Wednesday. For those who have amassed such riches, it is less a question of what others buy them and more what they buy for themselves. And in Ratcliffe’s case, at a cost of £1.3bn, the answer may be a quarter of the club he has supported since he was a child in Failsworth. There are details to iron out and no deal will be finalised just yet but the Manchester United board will vote – though probably not on Thursday – whether to accept Ratcliffe’s offer. The petrochemicals billionaire has already seen off his main competitor: if there was a widespread assumption – one that may have been shared by the Glazer family – that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani would dramatically raise a bid that many believed was financed by the Qatari state, it never happened. Ratcliffe has been a triumph of persistence and flexibility, amending his own offer from a majority to a minority stake, negotiating with the Glazers. It comes to something when a man of his wealth feels like the underdog but the outsider has prevailed. While Sheikh Jassim also presented himself as a United supporter and while Ratcliffe had attempted to buy Chelsea, the Ineos co-founder has the feel of the local boy made good. And, at points in the past, a place on a football club board would have felt a reward for many who matched that description. Now the sums are so massive that the motivations become most instructive. Thus far, the questions outnumber the definitive answers. Will United be a trophy asset for Ratcliffe? Perhaps not immediately, given that the Glazers will remain the biggest shareholders, at least in the short term. Is it simply an astute business deal? Not on the face of it, given that Ratcliffe has valued United at around double its market price and Sheikh Jassim felt the Glazers’ demands were outlandish. Yet Ratcliffe has proved he can make money: that 25 per cent could yet yield a profit and the Glazers’ reluctance to walk away seemed to stem in part from a belief the club will be worth more again in the future. The most pertinent issue for many supporters, who have long called for the Glazers to go, is whether it leads to a full takeover; and if so, whether the terms of Ratcliffe’s buy-in ensure it, or merely make it optional. Moreover, the new structure, assuming it is improved, does not necessarily promise the investment United require: with other parties holding 75 per cent of the club, Ratcliffe would have less incentive to put his own money in. The presumption at the moment is that the £1.3bn will largely go to the Glazers, not United. The general sense is the club need the money more than their owners. Sheikh Jassim’s promises will now never be tested but he had pledged to invest more than £1bn; with the need to either revamp or rebuild Old Trafford, any plans to improve the infrastructure the Glazers have neglected will not be cheap. So if Ratcliffe pursues such plans, will the debt – currently at £725m – rise over £1bn? United’s current scope for signings is limited more by Financial Fair Play than anything else, but could he bring an improvement in recruitment? The feeling is that Ratcliffe wants control of the football side of the club, where United’s underachievement has been particularly grievous in the last decade. Would that be beneficial? Given United’s record, it may be welcomed. Ratcliffe’s own record in sport is mixed: Nice are currently second in Ligue Un but their fortunes have fluctuated during his ownership and have been pockmarked by transfer-market missteps. Lausanne have been both relegated and promoted under Ratcliffe’s regime. He bought the most successful outfit in world cycling, then known as Team Sky; since rebranded as Ineos, but they have lost their pre-eminence and appear in an identity crisis. But if his initial emphasis is on the pitch – rather than the commercial side of the business the chief executive, Richard Arnold, oversees – there is an obvious focus on the director of football, John Murtough. Inside Old Trafford, there is already a recognition the team has achieved too little and their record in recruitment has been underwhelming since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Some nevertheless feel that there is more structure and strategy since Ed Woodward handed over the reins: they can point to a new training centre for the women’s and academy teams, the appointment of Erik ten Hag, and a fine season last year. Yet a stumbling, stuttering start to this season, the struggles of several recent signings and the reality that around £400m has been spent in the last two summers feels ill-timed. Accusations United have overpaid are scarcely new but will it prompt Ratcliffe to seek change behind the scenes? The initial noises are that, despite the team’s slump, Ten Hag is seen as far more of a solution than a problem, though it would be instructive to know if that stance were maintained should the next 10 games bring another six defeats. Shifts in ownership do not always bode well for incumbent managers, whereas the Dutchman has enjoyed the backing of Murtough and the Glazers. Ten Hag always projects an air of confidence and decisiveness but many at Old Trafford could be forgiven for wondering what Ratcliffe’s investment means and what comes next. If it has scarcely helped United that they have lingered in limbo for 11 months, since the Glazers put the club up for sale, a boardroom vote could instead bring about a time of uncertainty. Read More The best in the world? Jude Bellingham sparks debate after latest England masterclass Man Utd set timeline to decide on Sir Jim Ratcliffe offer Manchester United Supporters’ Trust calls for ‘clarity’ in takeover process Man Utd manager fumes at Women’s Champions League format after exit Who will make Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024? Michael O’Neill wants Shea Charles to learn from dismissal on frustrating night

Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino and Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz are among the main athletes competing at the Pan American Games in Santiago between Oct. 20 and Nov. 5

Top draft pick Victor Wembanyama scored 15 points in 21 minutes to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 117-103 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets in preseason action on Wednesday night

Jose Altuve homered, Cristian Javier worked into the sixth inning of another solid postseason start and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 8-5, closing to 2-1 in the AL Championship Series