Qatar tightens grip on elite padel with takeover of rival Spanish-owned circuit August 24, 2023 Qatar Sports Investments, the owner of French football champions Paris Saint-Germain, has confirmed its takeover of the World Padel Tour. The move concludes around 18 months of wrangling over control of the fast-growing sport at elite level, following the launch of QSI’s rival Premier Padel circuit. It will see Premier Padel become the main tour [...]
Ed Warner: Why sport shouldn’t waste its time courting royals and politicians August 24, 2023 Politicians and royals rarely mix well with sport, so the fuss about the Prime Minister and Duke of Cambridge missing the Women’s World Cup final was classic British nonsense. In my experience, the less time spent trying to sprinkle dubious stardust on sporting events, the better. Civil servants and UK Sport spent ridiculous time that [...]
Jos Buttler: Ben Stokes one-day U-turn is ‘incredible boost’ for World Cup August 24, 2023 England captain Jos Buttler has hailed the return of Ben Stokes to the one-day international set-up as an “incredible boost” for the team’s looming World Cup defence. Test skipper Stokes came out of his self-imposed ODI exile last week, a year after deciding he could no longer play in all three formats of cricket. He [...]
Liverpool set to lose millions after Anfield redevelopers cease trading August 23, 2023 Liverpool chiefs admit they do not know when the redevelopment of their Anfield Stadium will be completed after constructors the Buckingham Group ceased trading and filed a notice to appoint administrators. An £80m upgrade to the club’s Anfield Road Stand which is due to increase capacity to 61,000 had already been hit by delays when [...]
Men’s tennis pros to get minimum wage under ‘game-changing’ ATP Tour scheme August 23, 2023 ATP Tour chiefs have hailed a “game-changing” new initiative that will guarantee minimum earnings of $75,000 (£59,320) for male tennis players in the top 250 of the world rankings. The Baseline scheme is designed to ensure professionals below the game’s biggest earners can cover the costs of travelling to tournaments and hiring coaches and physios. [...]
PGA Tour: Talks with Saudi Arabia’s PIF to unify men’s golf continuing ‘urgently’ August 22, 2023 PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan has played down concerns over the progress of its deal to unite with LIV Golf and Europe’s DP World Tour, insisting negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund continue to advance with “intensity and urgency”. Eleven weeks after all parties made the shock announcement that they had agreed a framework [...]
Spanish football chief Rubiales under fresh pressure to quit over Jenni Hermoso kiss August 22, 2023 Embattled Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales is facing renewed pressure to resign as the fallout from kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips continues. Rubiales’ apology on Monday has failed to dampen the furore over his public lunge at Hermoso as she collected her medal following Sunday’s 1-0 final win over England [...]
Why Harry Kane’s lifetime contract with Skechers is no average football boot deal August 22, 2023 “Own it, own who you are and own what you want to achieve.” That was the main message that Harry Kane wanted fans to take when announcing his lifetime partnership with Skechers, as the footwear company joined the likes of Castore as disruptors in a sportswear sector long dominated by Adidas, Nike and Puma. The [...]
England World Cup final defeat smashes UK TV audience records for women’s football August 21, 2023 England’s World Cup final with Spain on Sunday smashed UK TV audience records for a women’s football match, despite an early kick-off and the Lionesses missing out on the trophy. The nail-biting 1-0 defeat attracted an average audience of 13.3m watching on live television, with both BBC One and ITV broadcasting the match from Australia. [...]
Spanish football chief apologises for kissing player Jenni Hermoso after World Cup win August 21, 2023 The president of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, has apologised for kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of Sunday’s final. Rubiales’ public act after Spain beat England 1-0 sparked widespread condemnation, with Spanish ministers, other prominent female players and footballers’ unions criticising his lunge. “There is something I [...]