The International Olympic Committee executive board on Monday recommended the inclusion of boxing in the Los Angeles 2028 summer Olympics, ending a years-long saga regarding the sport’s Olympic future.

The IOC last month granted provisional recognition to World Boxing in a major step towards the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.

“After the provisional recognition of World Boxing in February we were in the position to take this decision so that this recommendation has to go to the session,” IOC President Thomas Bach told a press conference.

“I am confident the session will approve it.”

The recommendation will now be put to a vote at the IOC session in Greece this week and is expected to pass easily, with boxing among the popular Olympic sports.

The boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Games was run by the IOC after it had stripped the International Boxing Association of recognition in 2023 over its failure to implement reforms on governance and finance.

The IOC had not included the sport in the initial LA 2028 programme, having urged national boxing federations to create a new global boxing body. World Boxing, now with more than 80 national federations as members, was launched in 2023.

“This is a very significant and important decision for Olympic boxing and takes the sport one step closer to being restored to the Olympic programme,” Boris van der Vorst, president of World Boxing said in a statement.

“I have no doubt it will be very positively received by everyone connected with boxing, at every level throughout the world, who understands the critical importance to the future of the sport of boxing continuing to remain a part of the Olympic Movement.”

The IOC said only athletes whose national federations were members of World Boxing by the time of the start of the qualification events for the 2028 Olympics could take part in Los Angeles.

“Somewhere between two years before the Games,” IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell said when asked by what time national federations needed to join World Boxing for their athletes to be eligible for Los Angeles.

“It is not frozen. Now we see an acceleration of the number of federations joining [World Boxing]. They need to be members at the time of the qualification events,” McConnell added.

The IOC suspended the IBA, run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, in 2019 over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues and did not involve it in running the boxing events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, before stripping it of recognition in 2023, an extremely rare move by the IOC.

LAHORE: South African Corbin Bosch has been served a legal notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) “alleging breach of the all-rounder’s contractual obligations” to the board, it said on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during the 10th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League Player Draft, held in Lahore on January 13.

However, Indian Premier League (IPL) side Mumbai Indians had also signed him as a replacement for his injured compatriot Lizaad Williams.

Bosch’s signing with Mumbai meant he will forgo his PSL contract, as the IPL begins on March 22 and overlaps with the PSL’s April-May schedule.

The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.

The PCB management said it had outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and said it expected Bosch’s response within the stipulated time frame.

The 2025 season would be the first instance of the PSL window clashing with a part of the IPL since the inception of the former in 2016.

The PCB had to move its PSL window from its regular February-March to April-May because of the Champions Trophy and other international commitments in Pakistan.

Number of overseas players who were not picked in the IPL auction later signed on for the PSL, including Bosch.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

Pakistan won the bronze medal at the International Tennis Federation Masters 45+ World Championship after defeating Germany 2-1 on Sunday, according to a statement by the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF).

A total of 21 nations participated in the men’s team event that was held in Manavgat, Turkiye in the 45+ age category known as the Dubler Cup.

Pakistan had dominated the group stage with emphatic 3-0 victories over Romania and the host nation, according to the PTF.

“Pakistan’s tennis team made history by securing a bronze medal at the ITF Masters 45+ World Championship in Manavgat, Turkiye.

“Competing for the first time in this prestigious event, the team, led by captain Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and featuring Aqeel Khan and Shehryar Salamat, delivered an outstanding performance against some of the world’s top tennis nations,” the statement said.

In the quarterfinals, the team overcame Czech Republic 2-1 to secure a place in the final four, the statement added.

“In a hard-fought semifinal battle against France, Pakistan fell just short, losing 2-1, despite an epic singles victory by Aqeel Khan. The doubles match proved decisive, where France edged out Pakistan,” it continued.

Team Pakistan then rebounded in the third-place match, defeating Germany 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal. In this crucial encounter, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi had retired in his singles match whereas, Aqeel Khan had secured a commanding singles win, the statement continued.

Consequently, Qureshi and Khan teamed up to win the decisive doubles match against Germany. Pakistan players will now compete in individual events in the second week of the championship, the statement concluded.

Earlier in the week, Pakistan’s senior tennis player Talha Waheed aced his way to a world record, smashing the mark for most tennis serves in a minute, Guinness World Records had said.

Waheed destroyed American John Perry’s 2019 record of 42 by delivering 59 successful serves in a November attempt that was ratified this week.

Earlier this month, Pakistan defeated Iran 2-1 to secure the bronze medal at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup Wheelchair Tennis Asian Qualification Event.

The doubles decider saw Asif and Fida edge past the Iranian pair 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the medal.

Pakistan win the Davis Cup Juniors 2025

Pakistan won the Davis Cup Juniors 2025 tournament after defeating Indonesia 2-1 in the final, according to a statement by the PTF on Saturday.

“With this historic win, Pakistan remained unbeaten throughout the championship, showcasing exceptional talent, determination, and teamwork,” the statement said.

After this victory, Pakistan have now qualified for the ITF Asia/Oceania Davis Cup Juniors Qualifying Event, scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan from May 19-24, the PTF said.

This competition will feature the top 16 teams from Asia and Oceania, competing for a place in the World Group, it added.

Pakistan team captain Shahzad Khan was quoted as having said, “I am extremely happy with the way the boys played from start to finish. Their dedication and hard work paid off, and I am incredibly proud of all the players.”

PTF President Aisamul Haq Qureshi also congratulated the team on their historic achievement, calling it a moment of immense pride for Pakistan, the statement added.

He commended the players, Mikaeel Ali Baig, Abubakar Talha, and Hamza Roman as well as Captain Shahzad Khan for their dedication and commitment, the statement continued.

Qureshi highlighted the remarkable progress made in international competitions, noting that while the team finished 16th out of 16 in 2023, and 5th out of 16 in 2024, it had won the championship this year, indicating that the country’s tennis was on the right path.

LAHORE: South African Corbin Bosch has been served a legal notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) “alleging breach of the all-rounder’s contractual obligations” to the board, it said on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during the 10th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League Player Draft, held in Lahore on January 13.

However, Indian Premier League (IPL) side Mumbai Indians had also signed him as a replacement for his injured compatriot Lizaad Williams.

Bosch’s signing with Mumbai meant he will forgo his PSL contract, as the IPL begins on March 22 and overlaps with the PSL’s April-May schedule.

The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.

The PCB management said it had outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and said it expected Bosch’s response within the stipulated time frame.

The 2025 season would be the first instance of the PSL window clashing with a part of the IPL since the inception of the former in 2016.

The PCB had to move its PSL window from its regular February-March to April-May because of the Champions Trophy and other international commitments in Pakistan.

Number of overseas players who were not picked in the IPL auction later signed on for the PSL, including Bosch.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

LONDON: Chelsea’s challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday as Fulham beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.

Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.

Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.

The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth within four points of Enzo Maresca’s team.

Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break.

Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.

“We did enough to deserve to win the game,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “Now we have the international break so let’s take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully.”

Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.

The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard’s delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.

Chelsea barely threatened but were nearly gifted a route back into the game when David Raya fumbled Marc Cucu­rella’s shot and the ball trickled wide.

At the other end, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal’s lead with the best effort of the second half.

But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Mare­sca’s style of play among the Chelsea support.

“There was not a big difference in the two games between us,” said Maresca. “Giv­en the injuries, we fought until the end.” -

Meanwhile, Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers at Craven Cottage.

Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva’s men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five.

A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe’s top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.

Spurs, though, have struggled to handle the burden of Thursday nights when it comes to their Premier League form.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek Europa League fixture.

“It’s been a difficult campaign for sure,” said Spurs captain Son Heung-min. “But I feel we’ve lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games.”

Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira’s pass.

Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on.

Spurs remain down in 13th, now 10 points off the top half.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

BRISBANE: Australian sprinting prodigy Gout Gout ran the fastest men’s 200m in the world this year on Sunday, with the 17-year-old saying he felt “literally free”.

The youngster rose to prominence in December when he clocked the quickest time ever by a 16-year-old.

That mark broke Usain Bolt’s personal best at the same age, with his 20.04secs also bettering Peter Norman’s Australian record of 20.06 from the 1968 Olympics.

He turned heads again on Sunday with a 20.05 in the heats of the Queensland State Championships — the fastest in the world this year.

Gout then smashed through the 20-second barrier in the final with a 19.98, but it was wind-assisted so deemed illegal.

“I felt literally free. I had 80 metres left to go, and I thought, let’s send it,” he said of the final.

“Only from then did I believe I had a chance of going sub (20).

“Seeing the clock, I was really happy and surprised in a way, but it just felt like a weight off my shoulders. Now that I’ve done it, I’ve just got to do that more consistently.”

The lanky Gout, who was born in Australia after his parents migrated from South Sudan, has drawn comparisons with eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe recently said he was a rare talent but needed “nurturing and protecting”.

The qualifying mark for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo is 20.16, which Gout has now beaten twice.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

INDIAN WELLS: Briton Jack Draper upset the overwhelming favourite Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 to reach the Indian Wells final on Saturday, denying the Span­iard in his bid for a rare “three-peat” in the California desert.

Draper beat the world number three at Queen’s Club last year and had the winning formula again this time around, as the lefty relied on his lethal forehand to reach his first Masters 1000-level final, where he will face Denmark’s Holger Rune.

“It was a strange match. You know, honestly Carlos came out, he was a bit flat, I sensed that,” Draper said in televised remarks.

“Against top players in the world, they can change their momentum very quickly so I just got lost out there for 25 minutes and then in the third, I came out, I was really proud of my competitiveness, my attitude and somehow managed to get over the line there in the end.”

Alcaraz had not dropped a set en route to the semi-final but gifted Draper a break with a double fault in the second game as he struggled to find his rhythm. The 13th seed converted on another break with a fine forehand winner in the sixth.

But the momentum flipped entirely in the second set, where Draper put up 15 unforced errors compared to just two in the first, as Alcaraz hit his stride and neutralised the only break point he faced in the first game.

“It kind of happened to me (in the second set) what happened to him in the first set. I got tired, I got low energy,” said Draper.

Alcaraz closed out the set with a superb backhand winner and looked as though he would roll through the third with the crowd on his side.

But Draper, who retired due to injury in their last meeting at the Australian Open this year, was ready to go the distance this time around and made a perfect shot down the line past Alcaraz to convert on break point in the third game.

Draper sent an un-returnable backhand shot into the corner to go up another break in the seventh and was glad for the insurance as Alcaraz broke back in the next game.

The Briton closed it out with un-returnable serve, ending Alc­a­raz’s 16-match win streak at Ind­i­an Wells, and whacked a ball deep into the stands in celebration.

With the win, Draper will move into the top 10 for the first time in his career and would be ranked as high as seventh if he can take the title.

He will face an in-form Rune, who beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4 after losing his last seven semi-final matches.

Rune, the number 12 seed, lost to Medvedev in the quarter-finals a year ago and the two were evenly matched in a gruelling opening set in which they traded early breaks and Rune battled through a marathon six-deuce eighth game to hold his serve.

Medvedev helped him to a break point with a fluffed shot at the net in the 11th game and the 21-year-old Dane carried the momentum into the second set, breaking the former US Open champion to love in the third game.

Down 0-30 in the final game, Rune clawed his way back and forced a fatigued Medvedev into an error at the end of a 37-shot rally on the penultimate point before clinching victory with a powerful forehand winner.

“He’s a very difficult player to play. He makes you play uncomfortable shots,” said Rune.

“I tried to play as good as possible, making it difficult for him, trying to, you know, play different kind of shots to mix up the rhythm in the game.”

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025

Lando Norris kept his cool in a rain-hit and incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday to edge world champion Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut.

The pole-sitting Briton took the chequered flag by less than a second from the Dutchman, with Mercedes’ George Russell third after a chaotic race in Melbourne that saw three drivers crash before the end of the first lap.

With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit, Norris held on to clock a fifth grand prix win and second in a row after topping the podium at the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

RB rookie Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz — last year’s winner — all failed to finish the first lap on a track made treacherous by earlier torrential rain.

Norris came into the season as the favourite for the 2025 drivers’ title and cemented his status as the man to beat.

“It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps — it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie,” said Norris.

“Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable, and we ended up on top, so I’m happy.”

Verstappen, who is aiming to become only the second driver to win five straight world titles after Michael Schumacher, was in the hunt early, but an uncharacteristic error on lap 18 dented his chances until another safety car put him back in the frame.

“It was a difficult race, but at the end, it was fun,” said the Dutch star.

“It was pushing, fighting for the win, but I’m just happy to bring it home, score good points, and this is a good start for us.”

In the unpredictable conditions, with rain on-and-off, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was an eye-opening fourth on his debut while Williams’ Alex Albon came an encouraging fifth.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was sixth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came eighth, with Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri and Hamilton rounding out the top 10.

Russell was content with third, given the circumstances.

“It was a great race to come home in P3. And well done to Lando, a race like that when you are leading is probably your worst nightmare,” he said.

“I was quite enjoying it, to be honest, hoping the two guys ahead made a mistake and I could slip through.”

While torrential rain eased for the main event, the tricky conditions were rammed home when Hadjar skidded and hit the wall on the formation lap and was out before the race even started.

The start was aborted, and when the green lights finally came on, Norris, on intermediate tyres, made a clean jump and kept his position at the first corner.

Max pressure

Verstappen also had a flying start and passed Piastri to go second while Leclerc moved up two places to fifth.

But the race was interrupted minutes later when Doohan ploughed into the wall, then the experienced Sainz did the same on his Williams debut.

They restarted after a safety car with Norris holding his spot ahead of Verstappen, and with Piastr,i they began pulling clear of fourth-placed Russell.

With the track drying, the gap to Russell was eight seconds by lap 13.

But with his tyres starting to wear, Verstappen brushed the gravel on lap 18, and Piastri flashed past back into second.

Norris and Piastri powered 18 seconds ahead of the Dutchman before Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin into the wall on lap 34, and the safety car came out again.

All teams used the opportunity to make their pit stops, with Norris and Piastri emerging on hards and Verstappen on mediums.

After the safety car peeled off, Norris flew into a two-second lead before Piastri, pushing hard, skidded onto the grass to drop down the field as Verstappen powered past.

But again, a safety car was required when Red Bull’s Liam Lawson spun, with Norris, Verstappen and Russell the top three at the restart with seven laps left.

Verstappen pressed Norris hard for the win when they got going again, but the Briton was able to hold on.

Pakistan won the bronze medal at the International Tennis Federation Masters 45+ World Championship after defeating Germany 2-1 on Sunday, according to a statement by the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF).

A total of 21 nations participated in the men’s team event that was held in Manavgat, Turkiye in the 45+ age category known as the Dubler Cup.

Pakistan had dominated the group stage with emphatic 3-0 victories over Romania and the host nation, according to the PTF.

“Pakistan’s tennis team made history by securing a bronze medal at the ITF Masters 45+ World Championship in Manavgat, Turkey.

“Competing for the first time in this prestigious event, the team, led by captain Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and featuring Aqeel Khan and Shehryar Salamat, delivered an outstanding performance against some of the world’s top tennis nations.” the statement said.

In the quarterfinals, the team overcame Czech Republic 2-1 to secure a place in the final four, the statement added.

“In a hard-fought semifinal battle against France, Pakistan fell just short, losing 2-1, despite an epic singles victory by Aqeel Khan. The doubles match proved decisive, where France edged out Pakistan,” it continued.

Team Pakistan then rebounded in the third-place match, defeating Germany 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal. In this crucial encounter, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi had retired in his singles match whereas, Aqeel Khan had secured a commanding singles win, the statement continued.

Consequently, Qureshi and Khan teamed up to win the decisive doubles match against Germany. Pakistan players will now compete in individual events in the second week of the championship, the statement concluded.

Earlier in the week, Pakistan’s senior tennis player Talha Waheed aced his way to a world record, smashing the mark for most tennis serves in a minute, Guinness World Records had said.

Waheed destroyed American John Perry’s 2019 record of 42 by delivering 59 successful serves in a November attempt that was ratified this week.

Earlier this month, Pakistan defeated Iran 2-1 to secure the bronze medal at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup Wheelchair Tennis Asian Qualification Event.

The doubles decider saw Asif and Fida edge past the Iranian pair 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the medal.

Pakistan win the Davis Cup Juniors 2025

Pakistan won the Davis Cup Juniors 2025 tournament after defeating Indonesia 2-1 in the final, according to a statement by the PTF on Saturday.

“With this historic win, Pakistan remained unbeaten throughout the championship, showcasing exceptional talent, determination, and teamwork,” the statement said.

After this victory, Pakistan have now qualified for the ITF Asia/Oceania Davis Cup Juniors Qualifying Event, scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan from May 19-24, the PTF said.

This competition will feature the top 16 teams from Asia and Oceania, competing for a place in the World Group, it added.

Pakistan team captain Shahzad Khan was quoted as having said, “I am extremely happy with the way the boys played from start to finish. Their dedication and hard work paid off, and I am incredibly proud of all the players.”

PTF President Aisamul Haq Qureshi also congratulated the team on their historic achievement, calling it a moment of immense pride for Pakistan, the statement added.

He commended the players, Mikaeel Ali Baig, Abubakar Talha, and Hamza Roman as well as Captain Shahzad Khan for their dedication and commitment, the statement continued.

Qureshi highlighted the remarkable progress made in international competitions, noting that while the team finished 16th out of 16 in 2023, and 5th out of 16 in 2024, it had won the championship this year indicating that the country’s tennis was on the right path.