Tag: Sports

Spain deservedly won a desperately disappointing World Cup final as Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike finally broke the resistance of 10-man Argentina.

The European champions had created the best opportunities against the defending world champions, who mainly resorted to spoiling tactics and had Enzo Fernandez sent off just before the game went into extra-time.

Torres was the hero for Spain when he collected substitute Nico Williams’ header to beat Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot from close range after 106 minutes.

The game failed to live up to expectations as it descended into a war of attrition – while away from the action, this was the World Cup where razzamatazz and superstars came to the showpiece.

President Donald Trump flew in to New Jersey in one of a fleet of helicopters before kick-off, while Madonna and Justin Bieber performed in the first World Cup half-time show, stretching the interval out to 27 minutes.

In a dour affair littered with interruptions, followed by that lengthy interval, the game never had any fluency or flow, although Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal forced first-half saves out of Argentina keeper Martinez.

Spain constantly complained about referee Slavko Vincic’s leniency, especially when Alexis Mac Allister was late on Dani Olmo, with the first yellow card coming after 40 minutes when Lisandro Martinez brought down Oyarzabal, although the Manchester United defender went off injured shortly afterwards.

The game boiled over in stoppage time when Fernandez, who had already been cautioned, received a second yellow card for a reckless barge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi.

Argentina keeper Martinez had been their hero, and he prevented Spain scoring a winner in the final seconds of normal time when he made a superb save from Lamine Yamal’s free-kick.

He was in action again with another crucial stop from Williams’ header. Williams then had a goal ruled for substitute Mikel Merino’s foul on Nicolas Otamendi.

Argentina came back to beat Egypt and England in the knockout stage – but could not repeat the feat here as Spain won the men’s World Cup for the second time. (BBC Sport)

Big celebrations as Spain crowned FIFA World Cup 2026 champions (Getty Images)

Guyana finished its campaign on a winning note after defeating Bermuda 59-56 on Saturday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the FIBA AmeriCup Caribbean Men’s Pre-Qualifiers.

The victory was Guyana’s third in succession and was powered by another excellent performance from Umar Rashid, who scored 20 points. Kevin Mickle also made a significant contribution with 15 points.

For Bermuda, Malachi Scott led the scoring with 16 points, while Leigh-Jaelen Williams finished with 10.

While the victory strengthens Guyana’s position, qualification for the FIBA AmeriCup tournament is not yet guaranteed. The Guyanese team must now hope that Turks and Caicos lose their remaining contest and that the points differential works in Guyana’s favour to secure advancement.

Candidate Master (CM) Sachin Pitamber has won the 2026 National Junior Chess Championships Qualifiers, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) at Olympic House, Liliendaal.

The EnerMech Guyana Inc.-sponsored seven-round tournament concluded on 8 July after four days of competition, drawing 75 young players across Group A and Group B categories, including 26 females.

In Group A, Pitamber, who holds three National titles, played unbeaten throughout, scoring six points from seven rounds. His bid for a perfect score was denied by draws in the fifth and sixth rounds.

Woman Candidate Master (WCM) and reigning National Women’s Chess Champion Aditi Joshi took second place with 5.5 points, her only blemishes a round-four loss to Pitamber and a sixth-round draw.

Alexander Zhang finished third with five points, going unbeaten across all seven rounds with three wins and four draws.

Reigning National U-14 and U-16 Girls Chess Champion Kataleya Sam took fourth place, also on five points, securing her position with key wins and draws in rounds five and six.

Jeremy Cole placed fifth after tie-breakers were applied, also on five points, with four wins, two draws and one defeat. His most notable win came in the final round against reigning National U-14 Open Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria.

Rounding out the top nine qualifying spots were Nicholas Zhang, Matthew Singh, Darrel Abrams and National U-12 Open Champion Aiden Tinne [name spelled “Tinnie” later in source – please confirm], who all finished on 4.5 points.

In the newly introduced Group B category, Nikhail Raghubir won a three-way tie on six points to claim first place on tie-breakers, ahead of Tremeur Alleyne in second and Shurlan Sparman in third. Sanjay Suman placed fourth with 5.5 points, while Mark DeFreitas rounded out the top five on five points.

In the Priority Areas School Chess Training Programme, run under the Ministry of Education, Tremeur Alleyne of Christ Church Secondary School took first place, followed by Jaden Denny of St Rose’s High in second and Madison Spencer of St Joseph High in third.

Group A special awards went to Joshi (Best Female), Sam (Best U14) and Tinne (Best U12). In Group B, Pranav Suman won Best U8, DeFreitas took Best U10 Open, and Michaela Thompson won Best U10 Girl.

Players aged seven to 20 took part, representing schools including Queen’s College, Bishops’ High School, Marian Academy, School of the Nations, St Joseph High, St Stanislaus College, Christ Church Secondary, Richard Ishmael Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, Stella Maris Primary, New Guyana School, Mae’s School, North Georgetown Secondary, Diamond Secondary, Hauraruni Primary School, Cummings Lodge Secondary, Cindy’s Academy and the University of Guyana.

As a FIDE (International Chess Federation)-rated tournament, Group A results will earn some players international rating points for the first time, expanding Guyana’s pool of rated players.

GCF President Anand Raghunauth said this year’s Qualifiers featured the strongest field to date, with average Elo rating surpassing all previous tournaments. He added that the Federation’s investment in youth development was making significant strides.

Certificates, medals and trophies were presented by EnerMech Guyana Senior HR Advisor Yulanda Armstrong.

The top nine Group A finishers will now challenge current National Junior Champion Kyle Couchman in a round-robin format at the National Junior Championship, starting Monday, 13 July at Olympic House, Liliendaal.

The GCF thanked Chief Arbiter, FIDE Arbiter John Lee, and his team for ensuring the tournament met FIDE regulations, including live streaming and publication of pairings and standings, and extended gratitude to sponsor EnerMech Guyana Inc.

England captain Ben Stokes has made a stunning announcement to retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand.

All-rounder Stokes, one of the finest cricketers to ever play for England, was in the middle of a bowling spell at Trent Bridge when a statement was released confirming his intention to end a 15-year international career.

Incredibly, with the first delivery after news of his retirement was made public, Stokes took a wicket, having Zak Foulkes caught at second slip.

The 35-year-old missed England’s second Test after being involved in an incident in a London nightclub.

Before his return to leading the team in Nottingham, he referred only to leading the team “this week”.

And Stokes told his England team-mates of his decision before the fourth day of the deciding Test against the Black Caps.

Clearly emotional as he spoke in the England dressing room, Stokes said: “The reasons can wait, but I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand and I’ve got one more trip to do.

“The only thing that I ask, please, is can everyone do the same.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do and the only thing I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that I’ve had this group give everything for the last two days.

“That’s the only thing I want, for everyone to give it not only for me, selfishly, but also for this team.

“I’ve got the emotional side out of it, now it’s time to go to work. Please, everyone else come with me.”

For Stokes, it is an astonishing conclusion to a stellar career that produced some of the most iconic moments in English sporting history.

In the summer of 2019, his incredible 84 helped England win the World Cup for the first time, defeating New Zealand in what many regard to be the greatest game of cricket ever played.

Six weeks later, Stokes was at it again, this time defeating Australia in the third Ashes Test at Headingley almost single-handedly with 135 not out.

His exploits that summer led to Stokes being named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Overall, the Durham man will have played 122 Tests for England, 44 of which as captain. He played 114 one-day internationals and 43 T20s, including a starring role in the T20 2022 World Cup final.

In characteristic fashion, Stokes was in the middle of a tireless spell on Sunday, attempting to haul his team back into the third Test, when the news broke.

Stokes had just completed his 10th successive over in the period after lunch and was fielding at mid-off when the news filtered around Trent Bridge.

In an electric atmosphere, with supporters on their feet, Stokes was roared to the crease. Foulkes’ edge was held at second slip by vice-captain Harry Brook, Stokes’ likely successor.

Stokes’ status as one of the best all-rounders to play Test cricket is underlined by a career haul of 7,243 runs and 252 wickets — and counting. Legendary figures Sir Garfield Sobers of West Indies and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis are the only two men to have achieved such a double. Stokes’ 136 sixes in Test cricket is also a record.

Beyond the individual achievements, Stokes will be remembered for his style of captaincy — the ‘Bazball’ revolution brought about when he assumed control of the Test side with head coach Brendon McCullum in 2022.

Revitalising a team that had won only one of its previous 17 Tests, Stokes and McCullum encouraged attacking, fearless cricket and enjoyed immediate success; England won 10 of their first 11 Tests in charge. (BBC Sport)

Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will play no further part in the Test series against England after retiring from all international cricket with immediate effect.

Williamson brings an end to a 16-year career marked by numerous accolades, including captaining his side to victory in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021.

The 35-year-old batter made his Test debut against India national cricket team in November 2010 in Ahmedabad and went on to play 110 Tests, scoring 9,515 runs at an average of 54.06. He is New Zealand’s all-time leading international run-scorer, with 19,346 runs across all formats, including 48 centuries and six double-centuries.

“I’ve always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I’ve given it my all in every match I’ve played for New Zealand,” Williamson said in a statement. “Continuing with anything less wouldn’t be right, and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms. I leave feeling optimistic about where this group is heading. There’s a huge amount of talent and a real desire to do something special with this New Zealand team,” he added.

Williamson led the New Zealand national cricket team across formats between 2016 and 2024. He captained the Test side in 40 matches, including the 2021 World Test Championship final against India.

He won 22 Tests and scored 11 centuries as captain before stepping down from the role in 2022. Williamson’s list of accolades includes being named the International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year in 2015 and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2019. He also won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for New Zealand’s best performer on a record four occasions.

New Zealand coach Rob Walter paid tribute, saying: “Anyone who’s had the privilege of working with Kane understands he is a very special player and person. Kane has always put the team first, and although we’re disappointed to see him go, we’re happy to know he is content and at peace with his decision. He’s an incredible player, an awesome teammate, a wonderful leader, and a fantastic ambassador for our sport.” (The Guardian)

Karting enthusiasts will now head to the GMR&SC Thomas Lands circuit for the opening round of the Need for Speed Karting Championship following a change of venue announced by organisers.

The championship was originally expected to begin at a West Bank Demerara track. However, organisers revealed that ongoing upgrades at the facility have delayed critical preparation works, making it impossible to have the circuit race-ready within the required timeframe.

According to a release, the unfinished preparations would have affected the completion of safety checks and final inspections ahead of race day.

“The venue will be undergoing routine renovations, and we will not be able to complete the necessary track preparation within the stipulated timeframe for safety testing,” an organiser explained.

With the championship date approaching, organisers opted to relocate the event to the GMR&SC complex on Albert Street, a venue widely regarded as the heart of local motorsport.

“As such, our management team decided that we needed to look for an alternative venue, and we thought of no better place than the home of motorsport, the GMR&SC Thomas Lands facility,” the organiser stated.

Officials emphasised that the move will allow competitors to race under optimal conditions while maintaining the highest standards of safety for participants and spectators.

In a related development, the Meet and Greet event that was slated for West Central Mall has been deferred. Organisers indicated that details regarding the rescheduled activity will be released shortly.

The championship is expected to draw a strong field of competitors, with some of Guyana’s most talented kart racers set to battle for top honours throughout the season.