Sports

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s U16 women’s basketball team gears up to play the FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship as Jordan hosts Divisions A & B this week tipping off on Monday at Prince Hamzah Arena.

Jordan will play their first match against the Maldives in Group B which also includes the Philippines and Hong Kong, while Group A includes Malaysia, Iran, Singapore and Guam.

Jordan will be hosting the FIBA U-16 Women’s Asian Championship for the second consecutive edition. Playing in Division B, Jordan is participating for the third time. Last year, Jordan settled for 8th place after they had played once before in 2013 finishing 11th. 

Division A teams will also be playing in two groups, with the top four teams qualifying for the FIBA U-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2024 in Mexico. Australia, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Syria are in Group A while China, Japan, New Zealand and Samoa are in Group B.

Australia beat Japan 61-60 in the final of the previous edition to win the competition and qualify for the FIBA U-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 alongside runners-up Japan, New Zealand and Korea. 

On another note, Jordan’s senior women’s team will play at the Women’s Asian Cup Division B in August. The Kingdom hosted the Asia Cup Divisions A & B in 2021 finishing second after Lebanon in Division B, marking the first time the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2021 Division A was held in an Arab country. Lebanon were promoted to Division A for the 2023 tournament. 

Making it to the final was an achievement in itself after the national team was absent from Asian competitions since 1995. Jordan’s senior team was back to Asian competition after an absence of 26 years when the squad first took part in Shizuoka, Japan in 1995. 

That historic participation was the Kingdom’s first ever Asian appearance for a women’s sports team. Jordan then won one match, beating Indonesia, and lost to Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia to finish 11th.

“We are working towards making the developments in the game sustainable,” Jordan Basketball Federation board Chairman Mohammad Ellayan told the press as the JBF introduced the coaching squads for the age divisions.

“The bigger the base of players, especially through serious plans for age divisions, the stronger our competitive edge,” he added 

In the FIBA U-18 Women’s Asian Championship, Jordan settled for 6th place in the event held in India last year. The top team in the tournament, Australia, moved to Division A. Jordan finished 8th in 1996, hosted the event in 2014 finishing 11th and were 6th in 2022.

In men’s events, Jordan’s best showing at the FIBA Asia Cup (previously named FIBA Asia Championship) was third in 2009 and runner-up in 2011. In 2022, Jordan played at the FIBA Asia Cup finishing fourth. 

On the world scene, Jordan has reached the FIBA Basketball World Cup — the world’s premier basketball competition three times — in 2010, 2019 and 2023. The basketball squad was the first and only Jordanian team to actually reach a World Cup in a team sport alongside the junior men’s team in 1995.

SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom — Max Verstappen demonstrated his and Red Bull’s supremacy with dramatic effect on Saturday when he claimed a fifth consecutive pole position by topping qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

The double world champion and runaway series leader clocked a late best lap time to outpace McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris by two-tenths of a second.

Australian rookie Oscar Piastri was third fastest in the second McLaren ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and the Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

“It has been a bit of a crazy qualifying and pretty hectic,” said Verstappen of the wet and dry session run in changeable conditions. “But we stuck to our plans and I am very happy to have pole position.”

As he celebrated, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who trails him by 81 points in the drivers’ title race, suffered a fifth early exit this season in Q1. 

Norris who briefly held provisional pole position claimed his third front row career start.

“This makes up for everything,” he said. “But it’s always Max — he ruins everything for everyone too!”

Williams’ Alex Albon was eighth ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.

After heavy rain, the track was damp as the first qualifying session began with Russell and Hamilton, on slicks, leading the way.

The Ferraris were both on intermediates along with the Haas drivers and Logan Sargeant as Russell set the first time before Hamilton spun into gravel at Stowe and recovered.

As he did, Verstappen went top only to have his lap deleted for exceeding track limits, Alonso taking over as fastest while those on “inters” switched to slicks.

With 10 minutes to go, rain fell again, but not sufficiently to persuade a switch from slicks as Verstappen regained the ascendancy in 1:30.719 ahead of Alonso and Leclerc.

Wild finish

“Rain everywhere,” reported Russell, while Albon had a fast lap deleted for track limits, leaving him 20th and last in his Williams, after dazzling in dry conditions in practice.

Teammate American rookie Sargeant was 18th in a car that had the potential to qualify in the top ten. 

With three minutes remaining, the action was red-flagged when Kevin Magnussen parked his Haas on track, close to the pits entry.

This led to a delay before, with Perez and Albon at the head of a queue, a re-start was scheduled — during which Verstappen pulled out, but hit the pit wall and damaged his car’s front wing.

After repairs, he was back out in a congested exit queue before a wild finish on a rapidly drying track saw Norris go top ahead of Leclerc and Russell.

Valtteri Bottas lost power, but survived — leaving Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyou, the under-pressure Nyck de Vries and Magnussen all missing out.

Q2 began with Alonso leading out in sunshine before Norris, Sainz, Ocon, Russell and Leclerc outpaced him, only for the Spaniard to respond as the track dried again.

In a flurry of improved laps, Hamilton went top to be dislodged by Norris, both on fresh tyres, but when the flag waved, it was Verstappen ahead of Piastri and Norris.

Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Sargeant and Bottas were eliminated and Drag Reduction System was enabled for the top-ten shootout as the track was declared dry.

Hamilton topped in 1:27.717, but the Dutchman beat that by more than six-tenths in 1:27.084 to retain his supremacy, with Piastri third ahead of Leclerc and Sainz after the initial laps.

All pitted for fresh rubber and a final charge with four minutes remaining — Leclerc and Sainz this time at the head of the pit-lane queue — but it was Verstappen who held the upper hand again to beat Norris.

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POISSY, France — Luis Enrique was appointed as the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday on a two-year deal, but his unveiling was overshadowed by ongoing questions about the future of Kylian Mbappe.

The 53-year-old former Barcelona coach, who had been a free agent since being sacked by Spain last December, replaces Christophe Galtier after his departure was confirmed earlier in the day.

Luis Enrique was unveiled at a press conference alongside the Qatar-backed club’s president Nasser Al Khelaifi at their new training complex in Poissy, northwest of the French capital.

“I’m delighted to be joining Paris in order to enjoy a new experience,” Luis Enrique said in a club statement. 

“It’s so exciting to meet new people, to live in this city, to learn a new language and, above all, to manage PSG.”

Yet, when asked whether he had been given any guarantees that superstar forward Mbappe would remain at the club for the coming campaign, he was evasive.

The Spaniard later insisted he was “counting on all the players who are under contract”.

However, Khelaifi stated that Mbappe, 24, “must sign a new contract” if he wants to remain at PSG in the coming season.

“The position is very clear. If Kylian wants to stay, he must sign a new contract. We can’t let the best player in the world today leave for free. It’s impossible,” Khelaifi said.

“He said he would not leave for free. If somebody has changed his mind, that is not my fault.”

Mbappe declared last month that he would not extend his contract, which expires next year.

The club must therefore sell the player in the current transfer window, otherwise they will likely lose him for nothing when his deal ends.

Real Madrid hoped to sign Mbappe a year ago before he penned a new contract in Paris. The Spanish giants are favourites to secure the striker if he does eventually change clubs.

The new coach is the eighth man to lead the club since the transformative Qatari takeover of 2011 and, like those before him, will be charged with bringing them the success in the Champions League that has so far proved elusive.

PSG have never won Europe’s most prestigious club competition, coming closest when they lost in the 2020 final to Bayern Munich.

They have gone out in the last 16 in five of the last seven seasons, losing to Bayern at that stage in the most recent campaign. That defeat proved costly for Galtier.

Luis Enrique arrives with pedigree in the Champions League, having won it as coach of Barcelona in 2015 with a brilliant team led by an attack of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

He now joins a club beginning their latest rebuild following the departure of Messi after his two-year stay.

The identity of the new coach could be good news for Neymar, who has been linked with a move away from the Parc des Princes.

The Brazilian enjoyed three outstanding years under Luis Enrique at the Camp Nou, in which time Barca won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup as well as the Champions League.

Several high-profile new signings are expected to be confirmed as PSG prepare to start pre-season training, with a tour to Japan scheduled for later this month.

Paris will begin their defence of the Ligue 1 title against Lorient on the weekend of August 12 and 13.

Luis Enrique left Barca in 2017 and became Spain coach in 2018. However, he quit in June 2019 and announced the death of his nine-year-old daughter from bone cancer two months later.

He returned to the Spain post in November of that year and took them to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 UEFA Nations League final before being fired after their elimination from last year’s World Cup in the last 16 in a penalty shoot-out against Morocco.

Galtier had only been in charge for one season and still had a year to run on his contract, but his departure had been expected.

He led PSG to the league title but that success was overshadowed by their exit from the Champions League.

The final weeks of Galtier’s reign were also marred by accusations that he made racist remarks about players during his previous job at Nice.

He has vehemently denied the accusations but will stand trial in the case in December.

LONDON — World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and defending women’s champion Elena Rybakina got their Wimbledon bids off to winning starts on Tuesday as torrential rain brought havoc to the All England Club schedule.

Only an hour’s play was possible on the outside courts, which meant 69 of the planned 77 matches were unable to be completed.

Just eight matches took place on the covered Court One and Centre Court.

Alcaraz raced through the first set against French veteran Jeremy Chardy in just 22 minutes before breaking twice in the second set.

Chardy, who had previously announced that Wimbledon would be the final tournament of his career, drew first blood in the third set to lead 4-2, but Alcaraz hit back strongly, sealing a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 win with an ace.

“I like to play battles and I am really happy to have played a great level, both of us, in the third set,” said the Spaniard.

“I am really happy to get through this first round.”

The US Open champion is seen as one of the few credible threats to Novak Djokovic, who is targeting an eighth Wimbledon crown to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record.

Federer tribute

Wimbledon’s Centre Court paid tribute to Swiss great Federer before the start of play as he returned to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs.

The crowd gave Federer, who retired in September, a prolonged standing ovation interspersed with cheers as he entered the royal box, which threatened to upstage the first match of the championship for Rybakina.

The Kazakh third seed was caught cold in the opening set, double-faulting on her first point on the way to losing her first service game to unseeded American Shelby Rogers but she rallied strongly to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“It was really tough for me today,” said Rybakina. “I was pretty nervous, and I can’t even hide it. 

“The double fault said it all at the beginning of the match. I’m really pleased to get to another round.”

Murray through

Two-time champion Andy Murray eased past fellow Briton Ryan Peniston in straight sets.

Former World No. 1 Murray, who won his first Wimbledon title in 2013 before adding a second three years later, came through 6-3, 6-0, 6-1.

Now ranked at 40, and playing with a metal hip, the 36-year-old had too much power and finesse for wildcard Peniston, the World No. 268.

“It’s amazing to be back on Centre Court again,” said Murray.

“I started off quite nervously, I was a little bit tentative but once I got a break I played some good stuff. There were good signs.”

World No. 2 and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka powered into the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Panna Udvardy of Hungary, taking full advantage of playing under the Centre Court roof.

Sabalenka reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021, but was banned in 2022 along with all Belarusian and Russian players due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Ons Jabeur, the 2022 runner-up, cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win against Poland’s Magdalena Frech.

Wimbledon chiefs, meanwhile, downplayed concerns over dampness on Centre Court despite a long delay during Djokovic’s first round match against Pedro Cachin on Monday.

Operations director Michelle Dite said there was more moisture in the grass than expected but organisers were not planning to do anything different on Tuesday.

“There was nothing strange,” she said. “It was a set of circumstances with the environmental control in the bowl.

“There is nothing that’s broken. There is nothing that means we’re not confident in playing today.”

MILAN — AC Milan fans have been hit with a painful double whammy after star midfielder Sandro Tonali was sold to Newcastle while they were still reeling from club icon Paolo Maldini’s sudden sacking.

Tonali was more than just a key man for Milan, he is a boyhood fan of the club considered a potential future captain who was the connection between the pitch and the San Siro stands.

He was also a player who had repeatedly said in the past that he wanted to become what the Italians call a “bandiera”, a symbol of the club like Maldini and Franco Baresi before him.

“I want to stay here as long as I can. If you ask me today I’d say for the rest of my career,” he said last winter.

“But it’s too early to make those sort of promises, desire isn’t the only thing that matters in our lives as footballers, there are a lot of other factors... you can’t make long-term predictions.”

The 23-year-old took a pay cut two years ago in order to stay at Milan following his deeply disappointing first season at the San Siro, on loan from Brescia.

It turned out to be a good decision for both him and Milan as he was crucial to them winning their first league title in over a decade in 2022 and re-establishing them as a force in Europe following a run to the semifinals in the most recent Champions League.

A battering by local rivals Inter in the last four notwithstanding the mood at Milan remained optimistic, boosted by star attacker Rafael Leao extending his contract with the club until 2028.

But then technical director Maldini and his sporting director partner Frederic Massara, the pair who built the Scudetto-winning team, were dumped by Milan, sparking anger among fans and bewilderment among the players.

Bitter pill

Tonali’s departure is another bitter pill to swallow for supporters after stars Gianluigi Donnarumma and Franck Kessie left as free agents in recent years, even if Milan will bank a huge sum that can be reinvested in the team (although Brescia will receive a reported 15 per cent of a fee which could rise to as high as 80 million euros).

It’s also yet another sign that, like others among Europe’s old guard, the seven-time continental kings simply cannot compete with the financial might of the Premier League and a handful of other super clubs.

There is a hint of symbolism that Milan lose their golden boy not long after the death of Silvio Berlusconi, the man who made the “Rossoneri” titans of Europe.

Berlusconi was in many ways the precursor to the state-sponsored teams of the contemporary era, someone whose massive wealth revolutionised a then-ailing club on the verge of bankruptcy and who used that success as polish for the political stage.

But that era has long passed and without Maldini — who was hugely popular among the players — Milan are vulnerable to being picked off by richer clubs.

Milan, who have replaced Tonali with Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea, are hoping that a Moneyball style of player recruitment will level the playing field of an unfair game in which Italy’s clubs can’t rely on the largesse of owners or big television rights money.

Serie A earned just over one billion euros from domestic and overseas rights last season, a tenth of what was brought in by the Premier League.

And last month Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said that domestic broadcasters are offering less than half the sum clubs currently receive ahead of a key league TV rights summit.