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Riyadh to Host Gulf Esports League Finals 2024 on June 27-28

The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
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Riyadh to Host Gulf Esports League Finals 2024 on June 27-28

The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA

The Saudi Esports Federation has announced that Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals, taking place from June 27 to 28.
The championship will feature intense competitions in Rocket League and TEKKEN 8, with a total prize pool of $150,000.
This tournament is the latest addition to the growing esports scene in the Middle East; it will feature elite professionals and top clubs from six countries competing in thrilling matches.
The league's first event started with the group stage and ran from May 12 to 21. Twelve teams from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates competed in an online Rocket League tournament, one of the world's most popular titles.
President of the Saudi Esports Federation Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan emphasized the Kingdom's dedication to developing the esports sector, supporting talents, and organizing top-notch events and tournaments.
Among the contenders are Kuwait's Xenon Esports and Oman's National Team B, which secured their spots in the finals as winners of Groups A and B, respectively, in the first online stage of the tournament.
Other strong competitors include Bahrain National Team, Unity Esports from Kuwait, KHK Esports from Bahrain, Twisted Minds, and Team Falcons representing Saudi Arabia.

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Maguire Hopes 'Big Asset' Rashford Stays at Manchester United

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Manchester United v AC Milan - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - August 15, 2026 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Manchester United v AC Milan - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - August 15, 2026 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
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Maguire Hopes 'Big Asset' Rashford Stays at Manchester United

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Manchester United v AC Milan - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - August 15, 2026 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Manchester United v AC Milan - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - August 15, 2026 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

Marcus Rashford improves Manchester United's team and provides a genuine goalscoring threat, teammate Harry Maguire said, voicing hopes that the forward will remain at the Premier League club for the coming season.

Rashford has not played for United since he fell out of favour with former manager Ruben Amorim in December 2024, spending the last 18 months out on loan with Aston Villa and ⁠Barcelona.

The 28-year-old's future ⁠at his boyhood club remains unclear, though United's new manager Michael Carrick last week described the England international as "our player."

Rashford, who returned to United's squad last week following an extended break after ⁠the World Cup, came off the bench in a 4-2 pre-season defeat by Italian club AC Milan on Sunday.

"Obviously the transfer window is still open. As players, we hope he stays because if he does, he is a big asset to have. He can improve us for sure," defender Maguire said after the loss, according to Reuters.

"You saw ⁠when ⁠he came on, he threatened the backline really well. He could have scored. He's a huge threat.

"I've played with Marcus for numerous years and I know that playing against him and playing with him in training is going to help us."

United, who finished third last season, begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to promoted Hull City on August 22.

Sports

Sabalenka Squeezes Out Win on 6th Match Point in Cincinnati

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Aryna Sabalenka serves to Talia Gibson of Australia during day six of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 16, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Aryna Sabalenka serves to Talia Gibson of Australia during day six of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 16, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
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Sabalenka Squeezes Out Win on 6th Match Point in Cincinnati

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Aryna Sabalenka serves to Talia Gibson of Australia during day six of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 16, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Aryna Sabalenka serves to Talia Gibson of Australia during day six of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 16, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed six match points to subdue Talia Gibson on Sunday and join reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Australia's Gibson saved five match points in the 12th game of the second set before Sabalenka came through in the tiebreaker, managing a final winner to get the job done 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court.

"I'm super tired, this is crazy weather," Sabalenka said. "Talia played great tennis and was more aggressive in the second set.

"She put more pressure on my service games. I'm glad I stayed calm and pulled it out in straight sets."

Sabalenka won Cincinnati in 2024 and is hoping for a deep run to carry her into the US Open, where she'll be seeking her first Grand Slam title of the year.

The Belarusian has won three titles in 2026, but none since Miami in March.

She advanced along with Australian Open winner Rybakina and Roland Garros champion Andreeva, who powered on in convincing style.

US hope Coco Gauff, seeded fourth, had to work harder for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over 43rd-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova and fellow American Ben Shelton -- up to sixth in the world rankings after his Montreal Masters triumph last week -- was sent packing by 79th ranked Jaime Faria of Portugal.

World number two Rybakina, coming off a runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek in Toronto and inching closer to Sabalenka in the rankings, defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4.

Andreeva crushed Oleksandra Oliynykova with the loss of just one game, breaking five times and saving all seven break points she faced in a 6-1, 6-0 rout.

Rybakina said that she is concentrating on recovery after a tough Toronto run and was glad to get off to a low-stress start.

"Today I'm happy with the serve," AFP quoted her as saying. "Definitely it helped me a lot. Last week in Toronto was very difficult. A lot of three set matches."

Seventh seed Swiatek, the defending champion who bagged her first title of a rocky season in Toronto, hammered Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-3, 6-0.

Gauff and Shelton headlined an evening session that proved tricky as blustery conditions gave way to brief rain that halted both matches for just under half an hour.

Gauff pulled out victory with a storming finish, winning the last five games.

Shelton fell victim to the same sort of surge from Faria, who rallied from 4-1 down in the second set to post his first top-10 win with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over the American.

"These moments, you got to take it all in and just enjoy it," Faria said. "It's a very emotional moment for me and my team, to do it here in front of an amazing crowd and against the home player at night at an amazing venue just makes it a little more special."

Men's second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was aiming to kickstart his US Open preparations after pulling out of his home Masters with back pain.

Auger-Aliassime, playing for the first time since a five-set quarter-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, defeated 2022 Cincy finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5.

Auger-Aliassime looked fully recovered as he throttled Tsitsipas in 88 minutes, breaking the 49th-ranked Greek three times in the second set and firing his seventh ace on match point.

Auger-Aliassime said that a late break of his serve could be blamed partly on the windy conditions.

"It was a tricky ending, but luckily I was able to get the break back," he said. "I'm happy to be back with a win like this."

Fourth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev opened his campaign with a business-like 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Argentine Marco Trungelliti.

US sixth seed Taylor Fritz smashed a racquet in anger just five minutes into his match with compatriot Alex Michelsen but recovered his poise in the swirling winds to earn a 6-3, 6-4 win.

Sports

Odegaard Says Arsenal ‘Want to Win Everything’ After Community Shield Success

Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy as Arsenal's players celebrate their victory after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, south Wales on August 16, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy as Arsenal's players celebrate their victory after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, south Wales on August 16, 2026. (AFP)
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Odegaard Says Arsenal ‘Want to Win Everything’ After Community Shield Success

Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy as Arsenal's players celebrate their victory after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, south Wales on August 16, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy as Arsenal's players celebrate their victory after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, south Wales on August 16, 2026. (AFP)

Martin Odegaard warned Arsenal's rivals that the Premier League champions want to "win everything" after starting their season by sweeping aside Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Arsenal captain Odegaard delivered a man of the match performance capped by the final goal in his team's dominant 3-0 victory in Cardiff on Sunday.

Riccardo Calafiori netted Arsenal's opener after just 24 seconds and Kai Havertz was also on the scoresheet before half-time in the annual curtain raiser to the English top-flight season.

Just four months ago, Odegaard lifted Arsenal's first Premier League crown since 2004 after they finished seven points ahead of second-placed City.

The Norway midfielder believes the dynamic display against City, now managed by Enzo Maresca instead of Pep Guardiola, showed the north Londoners have not lost their hunger for silverware.

"We played some brilliant football. Great performance and a great way to start the season," Maresca said.

"We showed our level today. We're showed we're ready. We're serious and we want to do it again. We want to attack it. We want to do it again.

"When you get a taste of how nice it is you want to do it again. We want to win everything."

Installed as the bookmakers' favorites for a second successive title, Arsenal begin their Premier League charge at home to promoted Coventry on August 21.

- 'Things to work on' -

City open their bid for a first title since 2024 with a visit from Bournemouth on August 24 and Maresca admitted they have a lot to improve before then.

"We have many things to work on. The season's just started so there are many things we need to do better," he said.

"The goal we conceded after 24 seconds unfortunately affected the game. Disappointed with that because in this kind of game the level is so similar that when you concede a goal, it then becomes difficult."

Maresca endured the joint-heaviest defeat by a City manager in their first game in charge, tying a 4-1 loss for Harry Newbould's side against Arsenal in 1906.

It was also Maresca's joint-worst loss as a manager in England after a 3-0 defeat against Brighton during his time with Chelsea in 2025.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, City have only won two of their nine matches against Arsenal, showing the widening gap between them that Maresca must find a way to close.

"After the goal, the reaction was quite good. We had three or four chances to score and draw the game. Unfortunately, we conceded the second one and it became more complicated," he said.

"From next Sunday we start the Premier League and the focus has to be about that."