Van Dijk urges Liverpool to hit back after ‘unacceptable’ Forest loss
Liverpool captain Van Dijk wants the defeat to serve as fuel to beat Milan and quickly get their campaign back on track
Updated 16 September 2024
AFP
LONDON: Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool to hit back after their “unacceptable” defeat against Nottingham Forest as the Reds prepare to start their Champions League campaign.
Just days after their shock 1-0 loss to Forest in the Premier League, Arne Slot’s side begin the new Champions League format with a trip to AC Milan on Tuesday.
After winning the first three games of the Slot era, Liverpool were brought down to earth with a bump by Forest at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool captain Van Dijk wants the defeat to serve as fuel to beat Milan and quickly get their campaign back on track.
“We have a very good group that really understand that it was unacceptable and are disappointed,” the Dutch center-back said.
“We all know everyone can do better and we have to show that on Tuesday and that is what we focus on.
“We have been through losses and difficult moments together and I think we have to stay calm and we will stay calm.
“Hopefully if there are no injuries happening then rhythm is always a good thing.
“We need the whole squad and we know after the international break it will be a game every three days so we need everyone in their best shape and best form.”
Liverpool had looked impressive in their wins against Ipswich, Brentford and Manchester United.
They managed to avoid conceding a goal in any of those games, before Forest forward Callum Hudson-Odoi finally breached Van Dijk’s defense at the weekend.
Asked what they had to do to prevent the defeat impacting their early-season momentum, Van Dijk said: “Keep going and keep working and make sure the performances don’t go in that direction.
“We all know how the atmosphere can change but that is also part of the influence from outside which could affect you.
“I can’t wait to be out there hearing the Champions League tune and leading out the boys.
“A club like Liverpool needs to be in the Champions League and we are finally back and let’s go out there and put in a much better performance as it is needed otherwise you are going to have an issue.”
Djokovic ‘overwhelmed’ after ‘greatest rival’ Nadal’s retirement
He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29
“He remains the greatest rival that I ever had,” said Djokovic
Updated 11 October 2024
AFP
SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic said Friday he was “overwhelmed” by the news of Rafael Nadal’s retirement and called the Spaniard “the greatest rival that I ever had,” but said he has no plans to stop.
Nadal announced Thursday that he will step back from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending his 22 Grand Slam-winning career.
He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29.
“He remains the greatest rival that I ever had. He has impacted me a lot as a player, my development, he has inspired a lot of people around the world,” said Djokovic, speaking after he beat 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in three sets to progress to the Shanghai Masters semifinals.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said that the news had come as a shock despite the Spaniard’s struggles with injury.
The 37-year-old Serb is now the last man standing from tennis’s golden era, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022, and Andy Murray calling it quits this year too.
“I’m playing, you know, still keep going... but part of me left with them, that’s for sure,” mused Djokovic.
“The era of the four musketeers, so to say, the four of us and all the rivalries we had was incredible,” he said.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed, to be honest, but, you know, I still have the desire to play.
“Fighting against a 19-year-old for two and a half hours on the court is something that still drives me... and I try to get the best out of myself.”
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal undergoes surgery on his right knee
The Spanish club called the surgery successful
The player would start his recovery process in the coming days
Updated 11 October 2024
AP
MADRID: Spain defender Dani Carvajal has undergone surgery on his right knee, his club Real Madrid said Friday.
The Spanish club called the surgery successful and said the player would start his recovery process in the coming days.
Carvajal suffered his likely season-ending injury during a Spanish league game last weekend. He was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg.
Shortly after his injury, the club said it had agreed with the 32-year-old right back to extend his contract until June 2026.
Carvajal helped Spain win the European Championship in July.
Umpire Aleem Dar joins Pakistan cricket selection panel after England defeat
PCB appoints Dar, ex-test fast bowler Aqib Javed, former test captain Azhar Ali, analyst Hasan Cheema to selection committee
The immediate task of the committee is to finalize the squad for the second test against England, starting Tuesday at Multan
Updated 11 October 2024
AFP
ISLAMABAD: After a disastrous innings defeat to England, the Pakistan Cricket Board has revamped its selection committee ahead of the second test.
The PCB appointed former international umpire Aleem Dar, ex-test fast bowler Aqib Javed, former test captain Azhar Ali and analyst Hasan Cheema to the selection committee with voting rights. The committee already includes Pakistan captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie.
The immediate task of the committee is to finalize the squad for the second test against England, starting Tuesday at Multan.
The PCB said in a statement that committee members held their first meeting in Lahore on Friday and will meet with the captain and coach in Multan on Saturday before the squad is named for the second test.
There are also four non-voting members on the selection panel, including assistant coach Azhar Mahmood and Bilal Afazal, an adviser to the PCB chairman.
Dar resigned from ICC’s elite panel last year but has been supervising domestic matches, including international games at home. Last month, Dar said he will quit umpiring at the end of the domestic season in 2025.
Forest fined almost $1m for questioning integrity of match officials in inflammatory post
The post in question was published soon after Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton in the Premier League in April
The governing body said an independent regulatory commission found the charge to be proven following a hearing and issued the fine
Updated 11 October 2024
AP
LONDON: Nottingham Forest were fined 750,000 pounds ($980,000) on Friday after the Premier League club were found to have questioned the integrity of match officials in an extremely inflammatory post on social media that has had more than 46 million views.
The post in question was published soon after Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton in the Premier League in April, criticizing the failure of officials to award Forest a penalty. It claimed that the VAR for the match, Stuart Attwell, was a fan of a rival club that were fighting relegation, like Forest was at the time.
Forest denied their comments implied “bias and/or question the integrity of the match officials and/or the video assistant referee and/or bring the game into disrepute,” the Football Association said.
However, the governing body said an independent regulatory commission found the charge to be proven following a hearing and issued the fine, while also warning Forest for misconduct.
The social media post by Forest went beyond criticizing match officials for perceived incompetence for the failure to award penalties for what Forest said were three clear fouls during the game.
It pointed to potential foul play by questioning the integrity of Attwell, who, Forest said, is a fan of Luton.
“Three extremely poor decisions — three penalties not given — which we simply cannot accept,” it read. “We warned the PGMOL (English soccer’s referees body) that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.”
A day later, Forest said they had submitted a formal request for the referees’ body to release the audio recordings between Attwell and on-field referee Anthony Taylor for the incidents in question in order to gain “full transparency” and ensure “the integrity of our sport is upheld.”
‘Innovation, transparency, inclusivity’: Visionary promoter Ben Shalom on breaking down barriers in boxing
30-year-old founder of promotional company BOXXER represents four British fighters fighting in Riyadh this weekend
For boxing fans around the world, Shalom represents the future
Updated 11 October 2024
DANIEL FOUNTAIN
LONDON: Another world-class card of boxing takes place in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as part of Riyadh Season’s continued commitment to developing the sport, not just in the Kingdom but also on a global stage.
Russian light-heavyweight rivals Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will clash in an undisputed ‘IV Crown Showdown’ title contest in Riyadh, which headlines an undercard packed with talent — and in particular British talent in the shape of Frazer Clarke, Jack Massey, Chris Eubank Junior and Ben Whittaker, who face top-class opposition.
One man whose own personal investment into boxing aligns with that of General Entertainment Authority and Riyadh Season supremo Turki Alalshikh is British promoter Ben Shalom.
The 30-year-old founder of promotional company BOXXER represents all four British fighters and is playing his biggest role yet in a Riyadh Season-sponsored event.
Shalom has quickly ascended the ranks to become a key player in the sport, both at home and internationally. As the youngest licensed boxing promoter in the UK, his rise has been nothing short of meteoric, proving that hard work, innovation and bold decisions can change the game — even in a sport as entrenched and tradition-bound as boxing.
“I grew up in Manchester, which has always had a deep-rooted connection to boxing,” he told Arab News.
“Watching the rise of Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton inspired me, I later had the surreal experience of working with both of them. Boxing always had this raw energy that drew me in, but I realized how underdeveloped it was commercially.
“The mainstream media would only touch the sport on special occasions, and the rest of the year it was left in the shadows,” he said.
Shalom (L) with one of the top boxers in the BOXXER stable, Ben Whittaker, at NBC Sports Studios in the US. (Supplied/BOXXER)
Shalom founded BOXXER at the age of 25 at a time when professional boxing, especially in the UK, had consistently been dominated by well-established figures such as Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, both of whom had spent years building their reputations as top promoters.
When Hearn’s Matchroom Sports departed from Sky Sports and signed with DAZN, Shalom seized his chance.
Winning the Sky Sports contract for himself propelled BOXXER into the mainstream, giving it the platform to promote major fights and develop a strong stable of fighters. In a short time, Shalom positioned BOXXER as a top-tier brand, working with Sky to bring a fresh approach to boxing.
“We started from the ground up, knocking on doors, and slowly but surely, we built BOXXER into a serious player in the sport, our early success came with the Ultimate Boxxer tournaments, where we introduced a faster, fan-friendly format. It was about shaking things up, making boxing more digestible for modern audiences,” Shalom recalled.
“Landing a deal with Sky Sports was the turning point. It gave us the platform we needed to expand our roster and focus on the next generation of stars, we’ve broken records with Sky and built relationships that are helping us take the sport to new heights,” he said.
Shalom’s ability to break into the world of boxing promotion has been no small feat.
While he faced pressure from the old guard, he was able to carve out his own niche and BOXXER has quickly become known for its innovative approach, more accessible programming and bringing fresh, young talent into the sport.
Shalom has quickly ascended the ranks to become a key player in boxing, mixing it with the likes of established promoters Frank Warren (left) and Eddie Hearn (top right). (Supplied/BOXXER)
As a millennial in an industry dominated by older generations, it is clear that Shalom brings a fresh perspective, especially as he understands how younger fans consume content and is laser-focused on making boxing more accessible, entertaining and relevant to modern audiences.
“We’re committed to making the sport more transparent, whether it’s around judging, doping or the structure of the sport itself. We’ve already seen great progress, but this is just the beginning,” he told Arab News in Riyadh.
Though he wasn’t initially involved in the Kingdom’s early forays into boxing promotion, Shalom’s approach and success in building relationships have put BOXXER at the forefront of Saudi boxing events and made it impossible to ignore.
“For us to break into the scene and make the impact we have is a testament to our vision. Our partnership with Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of that,” he said. “Riyadh has become a key player in global boxing, and it’s not just about the major events. It’s about opening the sport up to fighters who might have been overlooked and giving them their shot at greatness.”
Shalom with another of his prize fighters Chris Eubank Jr. in Saudi national dress ahead of the Riyadh Season middleweight showdown on Oct. 12 with Kamil Szeremeta. (Supplied/BOXXER)
Saturday’s undercard also features a historic first-ever women’s title fight to be held in Saudi Arabia between British boxer Raven Chapman and Australian World Boxing Council featherweight champion Skye Nicolson.
While he does not represent either fighter, under Shalom’s guidance, BOXXER has become the biggest exporter of women’s boxing in the UK, and diversifying the sport and growing the women’s game are a big part of his vision.
“We’ve made a conscious effort to bring inclusivity into boxing, especially with women’s boxing,” he said. “We promoted the first-ever all-female event in the UK, and it was groundbreaking, so it’s amazing to see that same energy being brought to Saudi Arabia.”
Looking ahead, Shalom said that the goal is to keep boxing in the mainstream, keep it accessible, and keep finding the stars who will keep the sport relevant after the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury (promoted by Hearn and Warren respectively) retire from the sport.
His success at the helm of BOXXER has proven that the sport is far from stagnant and that there is room for innovation, diversity and new voices in an industry that is more than a century old.
For boxing fans around the world, Shalom represents the future — a future where the sport can evolve to meet the demands of new generations while honoring its rich and storied history.
“I’ve always been told that no one can save boxing, but I’ve also been told that boxing can never die,” Shalom said. “With the vision and commitment we’re seeing now, this could be the pivotal moment for the sport. I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
