Young Skaters from Chiang Rai Win Silver at the 2026 Thailand Inline Skating Championships

MIAMI: Inter Miami suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup on Saturday, with Lionel Messi absent as he travelled to Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi. The match began with an emotional tribute to Messi’s father, who died at the age of 68. Both teams observed a minute of silence before kick-off, while Inter Miami expressed its support for their captain and his family. Despite missing their star player, Miami looked set for another positive result after Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring in the 32nd minute. The Argentine midfielder celebrated in a particularly touching manner, removing his No. 7 shirt to reveal a No. 10 underneath as a tribute to Messi. The hosts carried their 1-0 advantage into half-time, but Monterrey quickly changed the momentum after the break. Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers equalised just two minutes into the second half, putting Miami under increasing pressure. The match appeared destined for a draw until Monterrey delivered a late blow. Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi struck in the 90th minute to complete Monterrey’s comeback and leave Inter Miami empty-handed. The defeat comes after Miami opened their Leagues Cup campaign with a convincing 4-2 victory over Atletico San Luis. The MLS champions will now look to respond when they face Leon on Wednesday. For Messi, however, football understandably took a back seat as he returned to Argentina to be with his family following his father’s death. The emotional night in Miami showed just how much the Argentine captain means to the club, both on and off the pitch.

The Pakistan Super League management met with all eight franchise owners this week and the purpose behind it was simple. They wanted to review how season 11 went, and to look ahead at what comes next. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi led the session. Several key officials joined him. These included PSL CEO Salman Naseer and PCB CFO Javed Murtaza. PSL Director Usman Wahla was also present. So were Senior Manager Hijab Zahid and Manager Operations Usman Tasleem, along with a few others. The meeting was not just about looking back. It also became a space for brainstorming. Officials discussed several off-season and pre-season activities. The goal is to keep fans engaged during the break. A big part of the discussion focused on what made season 11 special. Officials pointed to new additions in broadcast and fan engagement. They also praised the overall quality of cricket across all 44 matches. Viewership numbers came up too. The season saw strong engagement across social media, streaming platforms and television. More specific numbers are expected to be released soon. Planning for the future took up a large chunk of the meeting as well. Stakeholders discussed the playing window for PSL 12. They also touched on early scheduling ideas. However, full details will likely only be revealed after the PSL Governing Council meets in late August. The group also reflected on how far the league has come. Two new franchises joined this season. At the same time, three existing teams changed ownership. The tournament was held at just two venues this year, a decision made under unusual circumstances. It also ran in a new scheduling window for the second year running. Looking ahead, PSL confirmed a new initiative. It plans to launch a merchandise platform alongside the franchises. This will let fans, both at home and abroad, buy official gear. That includes merchandise from all eight participating teams. To keep the momentum going, more workshop sessions have now been planned. These will focus on finalising the schedule. Player retentions and direct signings will also be discussed. So will a fresh review of playing conditions for the next season. With season 11 now wrapped up, all eyes are already on what comes next. Officials say the goal is to build on this year’s success. The aim is to make PSL 12 an even bigger draw for fans everywhere.

Pakistan’s Test squad has arrived in England for a three-match series, with the team set to begin preparations ahead of the opening Test on August 19. The national side reached England after drawing their recent Test series in the West Indies 1-1. The upcoming tour will present another demanding challenge, particularly with England’s conditions expected to test Pakistan’s batters and bowlers. The Pakistan squad will take a short break on August 8 and 9 before returning to training. The team is scheduled to begin its first practice session on August 10 at the County Ground in Beckenham. Training is scheduled to start at 9:30am local time as the players begin adapting to the English conditions. Before the Test series gets underway, Pakistan will have an important opportunity to fine-tune their combinations during a four-day practice match against a Select XI. The warm-up fixture is scheduled to take place from August 12 to 15. The practice game is expected to help the team management assess players ahead of the first Test while allowing the squad to adjust to the pace, movement and weather conditions in England. Pakistan and England will then begin their three-Test series on August 19. The visitors will be hoping to carry lessons from their West Indies campaign into the tour and make a strong start in England. For Pakistan, the series will also provide an important test of their red-ball depth, with both experienced players and younger members of the squad expected to play key roles. With training, a four-day practice match and the opening Test all lined up, Pakistan’s preparations are now officially underway. The team will be eager to use the coming days wisely before the real contest begins on August 19, when Pakistan and England resume their battle in the longest format of the game.

CHITRAL: A team of Pakistani mountaineers has successfully crossed the historic Phargam An Pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range for the first time in 27 years, marking a major achievement for the country’s mountaineering community. The expedition successfully reached the 5,100-metre-high Phargam An Pass, completing a challenging journey through one of the most remote and difficult mountain routes in northern Pakistan. The expedition also made history as female climbers reached the summit for the first time, highlighting the growing participation of women in Pakistan’s adventure and mountaineering sector. The mission was organised in Upper Chitral with the support of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority. During the expedition, the team also discovered the memorial of Austrian mountaineer George Kronberger, who lost his life in the area in 1975. Despite facing dangerous glaciers, steep snow-covered slopes, rocky terrain and the constant threat of avalanches, the team completed the expedition safely. Expedition guide Zamrud Khan said the route to Phargam An Pass has changed significantly over the years due to the effects of climate change, making the journey more challenging than in the past. Three sisters from Chitral—Mehrosh Akhtar, Ismail Roz and Madhu Shala Akhtar—took part in the historic expedition, setting a new milestone for women in Pakistani mountaineering. Other members of the expedition included Kamran Khan, Samar Khan, Nauman Khan, Noorul Rahman, Zohaib Khan, Umar Khattab Sherani, Sohniya Babar, Amina Shabbir and Madiha Syed. The successful expedition is being seen as an important milestone for adventure tourism and mountaineering in Pakistan, while showcasing the country’s growing potential as a destination for high-altitude exploration.

KOLKATA: Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and his wife, Dona Ganguly, have reportedly received death threats, prompting police to launch an investigation into a series of threatening letters sent to the family. According to Indian media reports, a fresh threatening letter was opened on Monday at the office of the president of the Bengal Cricket Association. The letter was reportedly written entirely in English and contained threats against Ganguly and his family. The latest incident has raised concern because the family has allegedly been receiving similar letters for around six months. Initially, the messages were reportedly dismissed as letters from overzealous or unhappy fans. However, the increasingly aggressive language and repeated threats eventually prompted the family to approach police. A formal written complaint has been submitted to the local police station by Ganguly’s family. The state government’s security department has also reportedly been informed, with the family seeking appropriate security measures. The complaint stated that unknown individuals had previously sent letters containing offensive and objectionable remarks about the former India captain. At first, the messages were believed to be linked to personal resentment or someone unhappy with Ganguly. The situation took a more serious turn when two recent letters addressed to Sourav and Dona Ganguly reportedly contained threatening language targeting not only the couple but also people working with them. Police sources said their preliminary inquiry indicated that the threatening letters had been sent by courier to Ganguly’s residence. Authorities have assured Ganguly’s personal assistant that an investigation is underway and that necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the former cricketer and his family. Ganguly, one of India’s most influential cricket figures, served as national captain before later becoming BCCI president. The latest threats have now placed his family under increased security attention as investigators work to identify those behind the letters.

COLOMBO: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has reportedly withdrawn from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, bringing an early end to a turbulent campaign that was overshadowed by an administrative mix-up and below-par performances. According to media reports, the 26-year-old informed his franchise, Kandy Royals, that he was leaving the tournament for personal reasons. Neither Afridi nor the franchise has disclosed further details, while Kandy Royals are yet to announce a replacement. Afridi’s departure comes just days after he was at the centre of an unusual selection controversy. Reports claimed he had initially been listed as the team’s Impact Player for a match against Colombo Capitals, but was unable to feature after an administrative error left his name off the official team sheet. The mistake reportedly occurred after Kandy Royals elected to bat first, with team officials later informing Afridi that an analyst had accidentally omitted his name from the final squad submitted before the match. The incident prompted the Pakistan pacer to raise the issue with an official from the tournament’s Anti-Corruption Unit, after which the matter was referred to the match referee for review. Franchise officials and tournament organisers later apologised to Afridi for the error. Reports suggested the left-arm fast bowler had briefly considered leaving the competition immediately after the incident but decided to stay with the squad following the apology. Despite remaining in the tournament, Afridi struggled to make his usual impact with the ball. He claimed seven wickets in six matches, averaging 32.00, while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.18, figures well below the standards expected from one of Pakistan’s premier fast bowlers. Meanwhile, the LPL continues to see changes in team combinations, with two more Pakistani cricketers joining the competition as replacement signings. Young batter Khawaja Nafay has been drafted by Jaffna Kings to replace Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, while experienced all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has signed with Dambulla Sixers as a replacement for Afghanistan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi. Shaheen’s reported withdrawal marks another twist in an eventful LPL campaign and is likely to spark further discussion about player management and tournament administration as the competition heads toward its decisive stages.