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BARCELONA: Barcelona’s home game against Osasuna has been postponed after the death of a member of Barcelona’s medical staff, the Spanish club said.
Fans were informed of the decision minutes before the game was scheduled to kick off Saturday night in Barcelona at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Barcelona lead La Liga by one point over Atletico Madrid.
The Osasuna game will be rescheduled.
The match was canceled due to the death of the FC Barcelona’s team doctor Carlos Minarro Garcia.
DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, has announced a partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the leading media and entertainment company, to deliver games live to millions in India.
The collaboration with Z includes coverage of all 21 of Baseball United’s Season One games this November and December, and several primetime matches featuring the Mumbai Cobras, India’s first professional franchise.
Baseball United’s games will air on three of Z’s leading linear channels — Zee Cafe SD, &Flix SD and &Pictures HD — and stream on the Zee 5 app. Broadcasts will be in English and Hindi.
Baseball United’s inaugural season will include the league’s four founding franchises — Arabia Wolves, Mid East Falcons, Karachi Monarchs, and Mumbai Cobras.
The partnership includes full supplementary content on Zee 5, including player features, ballpark highlights, Baseball 101 clips, behind-the-scenes segments, and an original documentary on the building of the league.
Z will support the partnership with four weeks of promotion across its network, with teasers, ad spots, lower-thirds, and additional branded content. Both Baseball United and Z will also collaborate on social media posts and campaigns.
The league’s season begins with a historic matchup, as Mumbai takes on Karachi for a three-game “Subcontinent Series” on Nov. 14, 15 and 16.
The series will mark the first games in history for both franchises, as well as the first India-Pakistan professional matchups. The teams’ rosters have players from 25 countries, including six Indians on the Mumbai franchise.
Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United said he was excited at the collaboration with Z.
“This is a major milestone in our mission to bring professional baseball to India and the broader region, and it’s a significant moment for the more than 50 million baseball fans in India.
“Z is one of India’s most iconic broadcasters, and their combination of reach, relevance, and reputation make them an ideal partner to connect with fans across this great country.”
India has one of the world’s largest, youngest, and fastest-growing media markets. Z, which reaches over 800 million viewers, is one of India’s pioneering private broadcasters. Its flagship Zee TV launched in October 1992 as India’s first privately-held satellite channel.
Over the decades, Z has grown into a full-spectrum media and entertainment conglomerate, spanning general entertainment, movies, regional- and language-specific channels, and a major digital platform.
“At Z, we are committed to bringing world-class international sports to Indian audiences and establishing India as a global platform for sports consumption,” said Laxmi Shetty, head of advertisement revenue, broadcast and digital.
“India has a deeply entrenched bat-and-ball sporting culture, and we are excited to introduce millions of sports fans to the speed, strategy, and spectacle of professional baseball.
“With Hindi and English feeds, we are building a foundation for the sport of baseball that will entertain fans and create a wider passionate fanbase.”
Baseball United’s first full season begins Nov. 14 in Dubai with 21 games in 30 days, to be broadcast live with music and fan experiences. The season ends with the United Series Championship, from Dec. 12 to 14.
Supported by 20 Major League Baseball legends, including Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, Adrian Beltre and Albert Pujols, Baseball United aims to grow the game across the world’s most populous region.
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball delivered one of their most complete EuroLeague performances on Thursday night with an 83-78 win over FC Barcelona.
From the opening tip, Jurica Golemac’s squad made their intentions clear: control the paint, dictate the tempo, and make Barcelona adjust. The approach paid off immediately.
The frontcourt duo of Filip Petrusev and Mfiondu Kabengele set the tone, combining for 13 of Dubai’s first 18 points to take a double-digit lead. Every possession ran through the post, forcing the visitors to defend deep and struggle for rhythm.
Dubai’s patience on offense was evident with the team not attempting a single three-pointer until the closing minute of the first half, when McKinley Wright IV calmly drained one from distance.
By then, Dubai had already built a strong foundation with 12 made shots inside the arc, proving that efficiency and control could outweigh volume from long range.
The third quarter showcased the same attacking commitment. Petrusev poured in 12 points, while Dwayne Bacon attacked off the dribble, using his physicality to draw contact and create high-percentage looks. As Barcelona attempted to close the gap, Dubai’s composure never wavered.
“On days like this, you need to show character and mental strength,” Golemac said.
“We showed the IQ to make the right decisions and managed to win the game. Congratulations to the players and big thanks to the fans. They were here for us when we felt exhausted — they lifted us up.”
When the time came to strike from outside, Davis Bertans and Klemen Prepelic answered the call.
Bertans, who had struggled to find his range early on, erupted with back-to-back three-pointers in a 70-second span, igniting the crowd and pushing Dubai’s lead into safer territory. Prepelic followed with a timely triple.
In the closing moments, Bacon powered through defenders for another layup, Petrusev added a smooth mid-range jumper, and a final transition finish from Bacon put the result beyond doubt.
Statistically, Dubai’s frontcourt ruled the night. Petrusev led all scorers with 23 points, making 5-of-9 from two-point range and a perfect seven-of-seven from the free-throw line.
Bacon added 20 points on eight-of-10 shooting inside the arc, while Kabengele anchored the paint with a strong 10-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Dubai’s next matchup is on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Coca-Cola Arena against ABA League newcomers U-BT Cluj.
PARIS: England attackers Beth Mead and Alessia Russo helped Arsenal beat Benfica 2-0 on Thursday as the Women’s Champions League holders claimed their first win in this season’s tournament.
Mead and Russo made their contributions in the final 33 minutes in Lisbon, after the Gunners had lost 2-1 at home to Lyon last week.
Benfica are in the 15th place in the 18-team table having suffered a second straight defeat.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain are also winless after two games having lost 2-1 in the French capital to Real Madrid.
The major drama came in Bavaria as Germany forward Lea Schueller netted after 95 minutes in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Juventus.
Earlier, experienced Sweden winger Fridolina Rolfo scored as Manchester United edged Atletico Madrid 1-0 to maintain their perfect start to the season
Rolfo, 31, volleyed home in the first half after the English club beat Valerenga last week and are fourth in the table.
Atleti are ninth in the 18-team league phase, having hammered St. Poelten 6-0 eight days ago.
Both sides finished with 10 players in the Spanish capital after United’s Netherlands defender Dominique Janssen and the hosts’ Spanish midfielder Alexia Fernandez were shown red cards.
Barcelona are top of the standings, thanks to their 4-0 victory at Roma while Chelsea hammered Paris FC by the same scoreline on Wednesday.
RIYADH: The Six Kings Slam delivered another evening of world-class tennis in Riyadh on Thursday, with Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz continuing to assert their dominance, while Novak Djokovic acknowledged the shifting balance at the top of men’s tennis.
Sinner, who captured last year’s ATP Finals title, once again showcased the consistency and composure that have elevated him into the sport’s elite.
The Italian, who defeated Taylor Fritz to lift the year-end crown in 2024, produced another strong performance in Riyadh to reaffirm his place among tennis’ brightest stars.
Addressing Arab News’ question during the post-match press conference, Sinner reflected on the satisfaction of maintaining his level and focus. “Every day we have a challenge,” he said, adding that “Novak is a huge and tough challenge to play against.”
Djokovic, meanwhile, praised the quality of competition while admitting that the new generation led by Sinner and Alcaraz were playing “as close to perfection” as anyone right now.
“I always try to improve … but when I still do, I still try to play at the highest level and compete with the best players in the world,” Djokovic told Arab News.
“Jannik and Carlos are, without a doubt, a few levels above both all of us. But I still try to close the gap and challenge them at the biggest tournaments.”
He added that while his hunger for titles remains, he is aware that his current chapter comes with a new perspective.
“I have to be satisfied with being (among the) top five in the world, you know, in these circumstances,” he said. “You might never catch perfection, but you still lean towards it.”
Earlier in the evening, Alcaraz continued his impressive run with another victory over Fritz, replicating his Tokyo triumph from two weeks ago. The Spaniard’s variety and creative play again stole the show — particularly his crowd-pleasing drop shots.
“I came here to try to play aggressive, to do the same things that I did in Tokyo,” Alcaraz said.
“The conditions are totally different … the altitude is different, the balls fly more, bounce more, bigger, sooner. So I just tried to adapt myself as best as I can. It was a great feeling today.”
Asked about the artistry of his drop shots, Alcaraz explained: “It is a mix of both — the power and the touch. When I feel it, when I see the opponent step back, I make the most of that time to make the drops. The strategy for me is really important.”
Fritz said the result highlighted the fine margins at the elite level. “It’s tough to say because … I felt like the gap was closing,” he admitted.
“But tonight, it did not feel close. He (Alcaraz) played very well. I felt really slow on the court today … It just took one ball from him to kind of put me out of position.”
AUSTIN, Texas: McLaren’s scrap in Singapore has been settled. It’s time to get the drivers back to chasing a Formula 1 championship.
Lando Norris said Thursday that the team determined he bore responsibility and the consequences for bumping into teammate Oscar Piastri at the start of the last race in Singapore two weeks ago.
The aggressive incident allowed Norris to snatch the early position and finish ahead of his teammate. And that shrunk Piastri’s championship lead to just 22 points over Norris with six grand prix and three sprint races left in the season.
While no details were given on what “responsibility” and “consequences” mean for Norris going forward, both drivers said there would be no change to the team’s “papaya rules” of racing heading into the United States Grand Prix this weekend.
“We’re very clear on how we want to go racing as a team,” Piastri said at the Circuit of the Americas. “And the incident we had in Singapore isn’t how we want to go racing.”
Piastri complained over the team radio during the Singapore race that by not ordering Norris to swap positions, the team wasn’t being “fair” to him after previous incidents when he was ordered to let Norris pass him.
The episodes have raised questions whether the pressure and tensions of a title fight between teammates, and racing decisions, are starting to tear apart a tight-knit team that already clinched the constructor’s championship. Piastri and Norris are both chasing their first F1 driver’s championship.
Norris said it was fair to be held accountable for a racing incident that favored him at the finish line, even though the team did nothing to correct it during the race and he wasn’t penalized by race stewards.
“The simple answer is that there was contact between the two cars and that’s something which we always want to avoid,” Norris said. “I didn’t want what happened to happen. But I’m never going to let go of an opportunity. There was a gap and I went for it ... But nothing changes from how we go racing.”
Norris downplayed any suggestion of team fractures similar to when Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were fighting for the championship in 2015 and 2016.
He praised McLaren team principal Andrea Stella’s leadership in tamping down internal tension.
“I don’t know what’s happened to other teams in the past and what Lewis and Rosberg had, but Andrea’s No. 1 priority is preserving the morale, and the framework that we set out,” Norris said.
Piastri’s seven wins this season are two more than Norris, but neither driver has stood atop the podium in the last three races.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is on a late-season charge with two victories and a second place in the last three races to revive his title hopes.
With Verstappen in hot pursuit, Piastri was asked if he thinks the team should favor him as the leader to try to close out the championship.
“No. I think every driver wants a fair chance to try and win a championship,” Piastri said. “For me, it’s more than fair to let us both keep fighting for that.”
Keeping it cool in the cockpit
Saturday’ sprint race and Sunday’s main event have been declared “heat hazard” events by governing body FIA because temperatures are forecasted to soar above 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) on both days. That triggers a rule that gives drivers the option to wear specialized cooling vests during the race.
Texas will be the second consecutive race with the heat hazard designation. The cockpit of the car can be even hotter than the outside temperature.
The cooling vest pumps fluid around a network of tubes. Mercedes’ George Russell wore one in his dominant victory in the sweltering heat of Singapore. Verstappen didn’t wear his in finishing second.
