Lando Norris shrugs off gremlins with record lap for Monaco pole

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris drives during qualifying for the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, on May 24, 2025. (AFP)
McLaren's British driver Lando Norris drives during qualifying for the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, on May 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 24 May 2025
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Lando Norris shrugs off gremlins with record lap for Monaco pole

Lando Norris shrugs off gremlins with record lap for Monaco pole
  • 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 9.954 seconds to outpace local hero and last year’s winner Charles Leclerc

MONACO: Lando Norris shrugged off his gremlins and revived his world championship bid on Saturday when he became the fastest driver in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix to claim pole position for Sunday’s classic race.

Driving with impeccable judgment, pace and purpose, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 9.954 seconds to outpace local hero and last year’s winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by 0.109.

It was the first time any driver had lapped the sinuous barrier-lined Mediterranean street circuit in less than 70 seconds and came only seconds after Leclerc had appeared to have secured his fourth Monaco pole position.

For Norris it was his first Monaco pole, his second this year and the 11th of his career — and a critical advantage for the slowest and shortest circuit of the season where only 10 drivers have won from lower than third on the grid since 1950.

While a disappointed Leclerc lamented traffic that hampered his first flying run, affecting his overall rhythm, Norris was buoyant after ending a dismal run in qualifying and falling 13 points behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ title race.

“The team has done a fantastic job so thank you to everyone here and back at the factory,” he said. “These days don’t come easy and I am proud to give something back to them.

“It’s been a long time coming. I feel good and I don’t think you realize how good this feels with quite a few struggles over the last couple of months, especially here in Monaco. It’s a beautiful place and the hardest track probably to do it.

“Up against the home-town hero (Leclerc), I’m very proud of the whole team so I am pleased after all the hard work in the last few months.”

Norris’s McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri was third ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari, four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and remarkable rookie Isack Hadjar of RB.

Norris agreed that his mentality had been a key part of his success after admitting to self-doubts in recent weeks.

“Honestly, that’s the tricky part and to consistently find a lap time because you know it’s what the others are going to be doing and improving more and more.

“You’ve got to take a similar amount of risks, but when you get to Q3, the final lap is just about who can risk a little bit more and commit a little bit more.

“It was a nice and well put together lap and it feels very good when you cross the line and you know it’s all paid off.”

He said he had not considered the mandatory two pit-stops strategy required on Sunday.

“Honestly, at the minute, I have no idea. I’m going to enjoy today and I’ve worked hard for today. I’m happy with qualifying and I’m going to live the moment a little bit and then I will focus on tomorrow.”

Team-mate Piastri, who leads him by 13 points after seven of this year’s 24 races, admitted he had endured a messy two days of practice and qualifying.

“I think I’ve hit more walls this weekend than I have in my whole career so it’s been untidy. I’ve been struggling to get into the groove a little bit and I think in qualifying I was much happier with things and I felt pretty good.

“We’ve been doing some digging this weekend and to come out with this result is a decent effort.”

He added: “We’re in good positions, but it’s still going to be an exciting race tomorrow with the two-stop so let’s see what happens.”

Last year’s winner and local hero Leclerc said: “I’m just frustrated. We know we don’t have the car for wins this year.”


Liverpool line up swoop for Frankfurt striker Ekitike: reports

Updated 28 sec ago
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Liverpool line up swoop for Frankfurt striker Ekitike: reports

Liverpool line up swoop for Frankfurt striker Ekitike: reports
  • Liverpool are preparing to launch a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike after missing out on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, according to reports on Friday
LONDON: Liverpool are preparing to launch a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike after missing out on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, according to reports on Friday.
The Premier League champions have switched their focus to Ekitike following Newcastle’s refusal to sell Sweden striker Isak, who is valued at around £150 million ($201 million) by the Magpies.
The Reds are trying to complete a deal for France international Ekitike by this weekend after he reportedly indicated he was willing to move to Anfield.
Liverpool are set to offer over £70 million ($94 million) for Ekitike, who has also attracted interest from Newcastle and Manchester United.
The 23-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions for Frankfurt last season after joining the Bundesliga club from Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool have an opening in their forward line after Diogo Jota’s recent death in a car crash in Spain.
The Reds are also believed to be willing to sell Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombia forward Luis Diaz has been the target of a rejected bid from Bayern Munich.
Liverpool have already splashed out £116 million on Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, as well as signing defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively.
Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also linked up with Arne Slot’s side since the end of last season after agreeing his move from Valencia in 2024.

Pacquiao is back, but how back is he? Saturday’s fight against Barrios will reveal all

Pacquiao is back, but how back is he? Saturday’s fight against Barrios will reveal all
Updated 18 July 2025
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Pacquiao is back, but how back is he? Saturday’s fight against Barrios will reveal all

Pacquiao is back, but how back is he? Saturday’s fight against Barrios will reveal all
  • It will be Pacquiao’s first fight since losing by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas nearly four years ago
  • Pacquiao: I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m in great condition
  • Barrios, a 30-year-old from San Antonio, is a -275 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook to spoil Pacquiao’s return

LAS VEGAS: Manny Pacquiao insisted he was back, and from a purely technical standpoint, he was correct.

Back in the ring. Back as a headliner.

But back to what he was when Pacquiao was one of the planet’s most dominant fighters, building a massive fanbase and a gold-standard resume that put him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month? That is the real question.

He will get a chance to answer it Saturday night when the 46-year-old from the Philippines will try to take the WBC welterweight belt from Mario Barrios. It will be Pacquiao’s first fight since losing by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas nearly four years ago. His last victory occurred in 2019, a split decision over Keith Thurman.

“Saturday night, it’s going to be a great fight,” Pacquiao said. “It’s been a while that I’ve been out of the ring, but I’m still active and exercising all the time. I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m in great condition.

“I’ve been enjoying training camp like I did in the past, just like when I was 26 years old. The discipline is still the same. Even with my layoff, my passion is still there.”

Barrios, a 30-year-old from San Antonio, is a -275 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook to spoil Pacquiao’s return. But he needs to bounce back from a split-decision draw on Nov. 15 against Abel Ramos that dropped his record to 29-2-1, 18 wins by knockout.

“Manny is one of a kind,” Barrios said. “He’s not an easy style to copy in training camp. We’ve gotten a lot of different southpaw looks, so I’m feeling extremely comfortable.

“It feels amazing to be in this position. I poured everything into this sport since I was (a) kid, and now I get to walk the (Las Vegas) Strip with my family and see my name all over. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of. Now it’s my job to show why I’m going to continue to be the champion.”

The buildup to this bout hasn’t come with the usual forced hatred that envelops many title fights. The combatants even chatted during the standard face-off pose at Wednesday’s news conference and then broke into laughter.

Hard to imagine that happening at a Gervonta Davis presser.

Barrios cautioned not to read too much into the mutual respect and admiration when it comes to what the action in the ring might look like, that each boxer would bring his all.

Pacquiao enters with a resume that includes 12 world championships in eight divisions as well as a 62-8-2 record with 39 KOs. He’s considerably older and gives away about seven inches in height to the 6-foot Barrios.

Pacman is back, but how back he truly is will be revealed Saturday night.

“I’ve been a challenger many times and it’s always the same feeling,” Pacquiao said. “I’m excited to take the belt. He’s a good fighter also, but our job is to entertain the fans. We’re going to give them a real fight.”

In the co-main event, WBC super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 14 KOs) will face Tim Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs). Fundora emerged with a split-decision victory over Tszyu on March 30, 2024.

The WBO stripped Fundora of his belt for taking the rematch rather than face mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.

“It doesn’t matter what happened in the first fight because we have the second fight coming up,” Fundora said. “Tune in Saturday, because it’s going to be another great war.”


World Championship of Legends returns for second season

World Championship of Legends returns for second season
Updated 18 July 2025
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World Championship of Legends returns for second season

World Championship of Legends returns for second season
  • Led by Yurav Singh, Team India Champions are looking to retain their title won last year

DUBAI: The World Championship of Legends is gearing up for its second season as Team India Champions, once again led by Yuvraj Singh, look to retain their title.

Co-owned by Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn and Harshit Tomar, the WCL has six established cricketing nations in India, Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies.

Team India Champions, owned by UK-based Sports Merchants Ltd., and led by Salman Ahmed, Jaspal Bahra and Sumant Bahl, have bolstered their squad ahead of the new season.

Shikhar Dhawan has joined a team with plenty of experience in the shape of veterans Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Robin Uthappa.

The squad includes Yusuf Pathan, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Gurkeerat Mann, Siddharth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar, Varun Aaron, Piyush Chawla, and Pawan Negi.

The season starts on July 18, with India’s first game on July 20, and will be played across four venues in the UK: Edgbaston in Birmingham, Headingly in Leeds, Northampton, and Leicester County grounds.

The tournament will be broadcast on Star Sports in India and TNT sports in the UK.

The title-winning captain Singh said this week: “It’s been amazing to see how WCL has grown into something that truly connects with cricket fans around the world.

“I’m really excited to be back on the field, playing the game I love, and sharing it with some of the biggest legends. Team India Champions is more than just a squad, it’s a legacy.”

He added that the WCL was “a grand celebration that brings legendary players together, rekindling the magic of the game and to remind everyone why they fell in love with cricket in the first place.

“With the talent and heart this team has, we’re definitely aiming to bring the trophy home again.”

Meanwhile co-owner Ahmed said the team stands for “legacy, leadership, and pride.”

“Having legends like Yuvraj Singh lead the side brings not just experience but also immense inspiration for the entire team,” he added.

“We’re not just defending a title, we’re raising the bar for what this team stands for.”


Justin Anderson poised to join Dubai Basketball from Barcelona ahead of 2025-2026 season

Justin Anderson poised to join Dubai Basketball from Barcelona ahead of 2025-2026 season
Updated 18 July 2025
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Justin Anderson poised to join Dubai Basketball from Barcelona ahead of 2025-2026 season

Justin Anderson poised to join Dubai Basketball from Barcelona ahead of 2025-2026 season
  • The 31-year-old will become the team’s seventh signing as they prepare for debut campaign in the EuroLeague

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball has confirmed the signing of American small forward Justin Anderson, the team’s seventh major signing who joins top players from across the world under head coach Jurica Golemac ahead of their Dubai Basketball debut.

The deal will be officially confirmed once Anderson undergoes a medical check ahead of the season start.

The 31-year-old forward, who is 1.98 metres tall, joins from FC Barcelona, where he made his mark with his dynamic leadership and strong defensive capacity. Dubai Basketball and Anderson have agreed on terms until 202X, elevating the club’s elite roster with high-level European and NBA experience.

Anderson featured in 37 EuroLeague games during the 2024-2025 season with FC Barcelona, averaging 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in just over 18 minutes per game. Known for his physicality, athleticism, and defensive play, Anderson played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s EuroLeague playoff run as one of the best players on court despite facing a loss in Game 5 of the thrilling quarter-final series against AS Monaco.

Before his stint in European basketball, Anderson kicked off his professional playing journey in 2015. Selected 21st in the NBA Draft, he spent eight seasons in the American league — playing with world-renowned teams including the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.

Anderson’s arrival is a sign of Dubai Basketball’s intent to compete at the highest level of European basketball with the best talent. With his wealth of NBA and EuroLeague experience, Anderson brings depth and leadership to a growing roster. As the team prepares for its EuroLeague debut, Anderson is expected to play a central role in shaping Dubai’s identity on an international stage.


Series on the line, India consider Bumrah gamble in Manchester

Series on the line, India consider Bumrah gamble in Manchester
Updated 18 July 2025
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Series on the line, India consider Bumrah gamble in Manchester

Series on the line, India consider Bumrah gamble in Manchester
  • “We know we have got him for one of the last two tests,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate told reporters after a training session on Thursday

LONDON: Jasprit Bumrah is a weapon India must use sparingly but with the five-test series against England on the line, the tourists are considering playing their pace spearhead in the fourth test in Manchester next week.

The team management has decided that Bumrah, whose workload has been carefully managed since he returned from a back surgery earlier this year, will play three of the five tests in England.

A victory in Manchester would give England an unassailable 3-1 lead. To prevent that, India are considering playing Bumrah, who skipped the second test in Birmingham, in the next match rather than preserving him for the final test at the Oval.

“We know we have got him for one of the last two tests,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate told reporters after a training session on Thursday.

“It’s pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning toward playing him.”

“But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with the Oval.”

Arguably the best all-format bowler of his era, Bumrah registered five-wicket hauls in both the tests he played on this tour of England, though India lost both in Leeds and Lord’s.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who suffered a finger injury at Lord’s, did not bat in Thursday’s practice.

Ten Doeschate was confident Pant will reprise his usual roles in front of the stumps with the bat and behind them with the keeper’s gloves in Manchester.

“Look, I don’t think you’re going to keep Rishabh out of the test no matter what,” former Dutch international ten Doeschate said.

“He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third test and it’s only going to get easier and easier on his finger.”