Wednesday, 5 August 2026
THAI FOOTBALLER DIES ON THE PITCH IN SOUTHERN THAILAND AFTER BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
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| Thai winger Sofwan Awae, who had just signed with Yala FC, died on Aug 4 after lightning struck the field of play. PHOTOS: FCYALAOFFICIAL/FACEBOOK, COURTESY OF ABDUL BASIR CHEPOR |
A Thai footballer died on the pitch after a lightning strike that also left 12 others injured, according to Thai police.
The incident happened on Aug 4 during a Golok Cup match played at Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok, southern Thailand, between SAMCOLTS and Abu x Nong Sirin. The Golok Cup is a regional football tournament featuring local and mixed teams from Thailand and Malaysia.
Winger Sofwan Awae, a recent signing for Thai third-tier professional side Yala FC, was playing for SAMCOLTS. He was struck by lightning at around 5.30pm as the match was ongoing.
Images circulated online show a bright light streak appearing to hit an area of the pitch inside the penalty area.
The 24-year-old’s teammates, wearing a black-and-white team strip, can be seen flipping him onto his back and attempting to revive him in the middle of the field.
“Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident,” said Sungai Golok police chief Thun Sirikhunt, as cited by Bernama.
He said 12 others, including one Malaysian footballer, were injured and taken to hospital.
Sofwan’s club Yala FC and the Football Association of Thailand shared condolence messages with the player’s family.
In Singapore, Category 1 weather status alerts are triggered by the Met Service’s islandwide detection networks, mandating an immediate stop of play and clearance of open fields or public pools.
Singapore has one of the highest lightning strike rates in the world. Annually, there are on average 175 days when lightning is detected in Singapore, based on Meteorological Service Singapore’s records.
In March 2004, before the Cat 1 alerts were implemented, Jiang Tao, an 18-year-old player with the now-defunct Chinese S-League club Sinchi FC, was killed after he was struck by lightning during training at the Jurong Stadium, which has since been demolished.
In 1996, Mohd Amin Mohd Salleh, a Secondary 2 student of Pioneer Secondary School, died after being struck by lightning when playing football on the school field.
- Lok Jian Wen
Tuesday, 4 August 2026
JORDANIAN FA PRESIDENT ACCUSES FIFA OF 'BLACKMAIL'
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| Jordan FA president Ali Bin Al Hussein |
FIFA has been accused of "blackmailing" Jordan over World Cup money in return for their support for Gianni Infantino to stay on as president.
Infantino is under mounting pressure amid the fallout from a plan to seek private investors in a company to run FIFA's tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
The support of national associations in Asia could prove critical to his survival but the president of the Jordanian Football Association, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, wrote on X that his organisation "certainly" would not endorse Infantino after alleging FIFA sought to secure his support by promising it would help with the recovery of money he said was owed to the JFA.
Prince Ali, who stood for the FIFA presidency in 2015 against Sepp Blatter and against Infantino the following year, hit out at the difficulties faced by Jordanian fans seeking to enter the United States for this summer’s World Cup and the "exorbitant" price of tickets, and detailed the "huge costs" in taxes his association faced due to being based in the US rather than Canada or Mexico for the finals.
He then revealed Jordan was still awaiting prize money from last year’s Arab Cup, which is organised by FIFA, "while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve".
"It is clear the problem really is with leadership," Prince Ali added.
"For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters – until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out.
"We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that."
FIFA declined to respond to Prince Ali’s remarks.
Asia is seen as the key continent in any presidential contest that may yet be forced, with Europe and nations from North America, Central America and the Caribbean expected to want Infantino out while Africa, South America and Oceania are expected to back him.
- PA
BREAKING: FORMULA 1 SEASON LIKELY TO CONCLUDE AT IMOLA 🇮🇹
BREAKING: According to reports, the 2026 season is increasingly likely to conclude at Imola. 🇮🇹
The Italian circuit would host the final race in early December.
(Source: bbcsport)
MOSES ITAUMA AND FILIP HRGOVIC TO FIGHT FOR VACANT IBF TITLE, FRANK SANCHEZ PAID TO STEP ASIDE
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| Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic square up on June 22, 2026 |
Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic, set to collide on August 29 at London, England’s O2 Arena, will now be fighting for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
No. 3-ranked Itauma, 14-0 (12 KOs), had been ordered by the sanctioning body to face leading IBF contender, Frank Sanchez, after the bout with Hrgovic had already been signed and announced. And with the Croatian rated fourth by the organization, it has been agreed that they can instead do battle for the belt on the condition that the winner meets Sanchez in their first defense.
“We paid [Sanchez] some money,” promoter Frank Warren told the BBC. “We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”
The 34-year-old Cuban, 26-1 (19 KOs), had achieved mandatory status with the IBF by knocking out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds in May.
Hrgovic, 20-1 (15 KOs), is riding a three-fight win streak – beating Joe Joyce, David Adeleye and Dave Allen – and is regarded as 21-year-old Itauma’s toughest test to date.
Presuming Itauma-Hrgovic isn’t a draw, it means that Warren’s Queensberry Promotions – who handle both Itauma and Hrgovic, as well as WBC boss Agit Kabayel and WBO beltholder Daniel Dubois – will promote three of the four heavyweight beltholders come the end of the month. The WBA titlist, Murat Gassiev, had previously been expected to face Itauma later in the year.
"A lot of people have high expectations of [Itauma] as I have, by the way," Warren said. "We signed him when he was 16. He was an amateur. We sponsored him, and he turned professional with us.
"And he's been amazing and sort of taken the world by storm.”
The influx of heavyweight beltholders can of course be explained by Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his three titles in June. Though the 39-year-old is plotting one last fight – likely against Deontay Wilder – the Ukrainian’s days of fighting elite opposition are over, it seems.
Kabayel and Gassiev saw their statuses rise by virtue of Usyk’s decision to step down. Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley to claim his belt after Wardley was handed the championship when Usyk gave up the WBO title last year.
The winner of Itauma-Hrgovic will be the first to claim one of Usyk’s old belts in the ring.
- BoxingScene
OFFICIAL: MARC-ANDRÉ TER STEGEN JOINS AJAX ON LOAN FROM BARCELONA
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| Photo by Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images |
Dutch giants Ajax confirmed on Tuesday the signing of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
Our new number 1.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) August 4, 2026
Ter Stegen was a request from new Ajax manager Míchel who worked briefly with the German at Girona at the end of last season before Ter Stegen suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the World Cup.
The 34-year-old says he wants to help “bring Ajax back to where it belongs”, and will be hoping to finally play a full season of football again after dealing with multiple major injuries in the last two years.
According to the latest reporting, Barça will cover 90% of Ter Stegen’s salary during his time at Ajax but will be hoping that Ter Stegen’s performances over a full season can convince Ajax or another club to sign him on a permanent deal next summer.
Good luck at Ajax, MATS!
- Renato Gonçalves
MATHIEU VAN DER POEL SHOWS OFF BMX SKILLS ONE WEEK AFTER ICONIC PARIS VICTORY
Mathieu van der Poel probably needed some time to recover after his spectacular victory on the Champs-Élysées in Paris at the end of the Tour de France. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider was the strongest in a thrilling final stage and has since been recharging his batteries. He did so alongside his regular training partner and close friend Freddy Ovett.
What a Tour de France Van der Poel had. A possible yellow jersey appeared to be waiting for him in Barcelona, but after Alpecin-Premier Tech finished seventh in the team time trial, everyone knew that taking the race lead would be difficult. He was then dropped during the following road stage on Montjuïc, but gained his revenge in Ussel, where he won Stage 9 in magnificent fashion.
That, however, was only the tip of the iceberg. Van der Poel was rarely at the centre of the action during the remainder of the Tour. He helped Jasper Philipsen win Stage 17 in Voiron, before producing an extraordinary performance of his own in Paris. Van der Poel followed Tadej Pogačar on Montmartre, committed fully to the move alongside the yellow jersey, dropped the Slovenian and narrowly held off the peloton at the finish on the Champs-Élysées.
Van der Poel has fun on the BMX track
The victory was another addition to the Dutchman’s list of iconic successes. He has already won races including the Amstel Gold Race, Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in memorable fashion, while his victory at the 2023 Road World Championships in Glasgow also became an unforgettable moment. His effort in Paris took a huge amount out of him, however, making some rest essential. Little had been heard from the Alpecin-Premier Tech superstar during the week following his Tour triumph.
So, what had he been doing? Van der Poel had returned to Spain to meet up with his regular training partner. Australian rider Freddy Ovett has trained alongside Van der Poel for years, and the pair were back out together once again. It was unlikely to have been their most demanding training ride, as they also visited a BMX track. “Don’t forget why you started,” Ovett wrote on Instagram. That is something Van der Poel never appears to forget: cycling should also be fun. On the track, the Dutchman enjoyed carving through the corners, performing wheelies and launching himself over the jumps.
Van der Poel’s next competitive appearance will not be on the road, but on a mountain bike. After the Tour, he shifted his focus to the wider tires and will compete in a World Cup race in Les Gets before travelling to the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, where the elite events conclude on August 30. Van der Poel also plans to compete at the Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada, which run until September 27.
- David Bavin-Hobbs
HISTORY MADE FOR NORWAY 🇳🇴 🚴♀️ 🥇 | TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2026
A landmark moment at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as Sigrid Haugset celebrates her first stage victory and claims the Yellow Jersey for the first time. It's a proud day for Norway, Uno-X Mobility, and cycling fans everywhere.
This unforgettable performance proves that determination, teamwork, and courage can lead to the biggest victories on cycling's grandest stage.
#TourDeFranceFemmes #SigridHaugset #YellowJersey #UnoXMobility #Norway
MARCUS RASHFORD IN TALKS OVER £40M MAN UTD TRANSFER EXIT
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| Marcus Rashford looks set to leave Manchester United (Picture: Getty) |
Marcus Rashford is in talks to complete a permanent transfer away from Manchester United after his dream move to Barcelona fell through.
Rashford, who featured for England at this summer’s World Cup, hoped to earn a permanent move to Barca after a largely impressive loan spell.
The 28-year-old scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists to help Barcelona retain their La Liga title and go deep in the Champions League.
Barca boss Hansi Flick appeared keen for Rashford to stay at the Nou Camp but a deal always looked unlikely after the Spanish champions spent £70m to sign his England teammate Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.
Rashford is therefore due to return to Old Trafford after a break following his World Cup commitments but Manchester United are not planning to reintegrate him into Michael Carrick’s squad.
As a result Rashford, who is available to sign for £40m for clubs other than Manchester City and Liverpool, is searching for a new club.
According to The Sun, Rashford is in talks with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, who are ready to ‘break the back’ to secure his signature.
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| Rashford has likely played his last game for Man Utd (Picture: Getty) |
Fenerbahce are desperate to reel in rivals Galatasaray next season and believe Rashford can help them do just that.
Rashford is in talks with Fenerbahce after being recommended a move to Arsenal by the likes of Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and David Seaman.
Discussing Arsenal’s reported interest in Rashford during the World Cup, Manchester United legend Ferdinand said: ‘I would take Rashford. For £40m, I’m sweeping Rashford off his feet.’
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| Rashford wanted to stay at Barcelona (Picture: Getty) |
Ex-Old Trafford midfielder Paul Scholes added: ‘That would be a great move, a great move for both parties. I think Arsenal would be a great move for him and the club.’
Mikel Arteta is keen to welcome a new winger to the Emirates Stadium but his current focus is on Real Madrid and Brazil superstar Vinicius Junior.
Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Flick has discussed the club’s decision not to sign Rashford, insisting he will ‘miss’ the England star.
‘You don’t know what happens with players who are on loan – our situation is not easy for that,’ Flick said last week.
- Louis Sealey
UFC LEGEND SAYS IAN MACHADO GARY CAN BEAT ISLAM MAKHACHEV
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| Getty |
UFC legend Charles Oliveira believes that Ian Machado has what it takes to defeat Islam Makhachev at UFC 330.
Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA and is a heavy favorite to defeat Machado Garry when the two meet on August 15 in the main event of UFC 330.
But according to Oliveira, who has trained with Garry at Chute Boxe Diego Lima ahead of the fight, the Irishman has what it takes to upset the apple cart and dethrone Makhachev and win the UFC welterweight title.
Charles Oliveira Says Ian Machado Garry Can Beat Islam Makhachev
Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Oliveira explained why he thinks Machado Garry is a live dog against Makhachev.
“He knew he was next in line for the title. And he’s been completely focused on this matchup with Makhachev ever since,” Oliveira said.
“Ian truly has a very good chance of beating Makhachev. I’m not saying that because he’s my friend or because he’s part of our team, but because of what we’ve seen and how he’s been training. We know there’s an incredibly tough guy on the other side, someone who deserves all the respect in the world. He’s humble when promoting a fight, but he’s extremely difficult to deal with inside the cage. He’s outstanding, a really tough fighter. But honestly, in my opinion, Ian has a great chance of winning, because he’s such a strategic fighter and never abandons the game plan.”
Charles Oliveira Explains What Makes Ian Machado Garry Different
According to Oliveira — who it’s worth noting was finished by Makhachev when the two met in 2022 — what makes Machado Garry different from other fighters who have tried to dethrone Makhachev is his high fight IQ.
“The difference with Ian is his intelligence. He never strays from the strategy. Whatever the team plans together with him for the fight, he’ll follow it from start to finish. That’s what sets Ian apart. Once he commits the game plan to his mind, he’ll stick with it all the way through. He won’t change it. That’s the difference Ian brings into the game, into the cage. That’s what makes us happy, because he never drifts away from the plan or loses focus. He gives himself to it 100%. He sticks to the strategy no matter what’s happening, so I think it’s going to be a great fight,” Oliveira said.
Though Oliveira believes that Machado Garry has a good chance to win the fight, the betting odds certainly do not paint the same picture, as Machado Garry is a +260 betting underdog, with Makhachev as a -320 favorite to defend the UFC welterweight title.
We’ll soon find out if what Oliveira is saying is true when Makhachev and Machado Garry lock horns at UFC 330, which takes place on August 15. At that point, we’ll find out if Machado Garry is truly up for the test and can defeat one of the best fighters to ever compete in the UFC, or if the champ is just too good and basically unbeatable in the UFC.
- Adam Martin
OBA FEMI'S WWE RISE CONTINUES AS NEW FEUD TEASED ON RAW AFTER BROCK LESNAR WIN
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| Photo credit: WWE |
Oba Femi’s rise in WWE reached another big moment on RAW. After defeating Brock Lesnar in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam, Femi addressed the WWE Universe during the August 3 episode of RAW. However, his celebration was cut short when he came face-to-face with Bron Breakker.
The two stared each other down from across the arena, immediately teasing a possible showdown between two of WWE’s most powerful young stars.
Oba Femi’s WWE future takes shape after his victory against Brock Lesnar
During the episode, Femi admitted that he misunderstood Lesnar’s actions after WrestleMania 42. After beating Lesnar cleanly at WrestleMania, Femi initially believed that The Beast attacked him because he was jealous.
However, after their final match at SummerSlam, he believes Lesnar wanted to know if he had made the right decision by choosing Femi as a future face of WWE. After their match, Lesnar and Femi shared an embrace, and The Beast finally called Femi “the future of WWE.”
Femi has accepted that responsibility. Now, he wants to create his own path and help lead WWE into a new era. He also talked about taking down the “old guard” and warned anyone who thinks they can stop him.
It didn’t take long for someone to appear ready to accept that challenge.
As Femi made his way toward the stage, The Vision appeared. Bron Breakker and Femi stared each other down. Austin Theory tried to get Bron Breakker to keep walking, but Breakker suddenly stopped and turned back toward Femi.
The two locked eyes once again, and neither man backed down. Theory eventually convinced Breakker to leave, but the message was already clear.
WWE may be setting up a major feud between Femi and Breakker.
Both men are seen as future stars of the company. Femi has just come off the biggest fight of his career, while Breakker continues to build his reputation as one of WWE’s most dangerous young talents.
There is also another important detail that could throw a wrench in the works. Oba Femi still has a championship opportunity available whenever he decides to use it.
- BIBONSINHA
Monday, 3 August 2026
EX-EAGLES SUPER BOWL CHAMPION LANDS WITH NFC NORTH TEAM
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| Getty |
With plenty of time for NFL teams to examine players to add to their teams, the Philadelphia Eagles have watched one of their former players land on his feet.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Detroit Lions have signed tight end Nick Muse and released wide receiver Tarik Black. The Lions signed Black just over a month ago.
Nick Muse’s Time With Philadelphia Eagles
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| Minnesota Vikings tight end Nick Muse (left) and former teammate Abram Smith (right). |
While Muse will be remembered more for his three seasons with the Vikings, he also played with the Eagles. He signed with the Eagles’ practice squad less than a month before the team defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX in 2025.
Last year, Muse went into training camp with the Eagles hoping to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. In three preseason games, he had two receptions for 13 yards. He ultimately did not make the team.
There was too much competition at the tight end position with Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra taking the top spots. Cameron Latu ended up being a tight end no one saw coming, taking a spot on the team after his performance on special teams.
Muse would go on to join the Arizona Cardinals‘ practice squad in October before getting released. He then spent most of November and the beginning of December with the Los Angeles Rams‘ practice squad. Muse would finish up on the New York Jets‘ practice squad.
Eagles Pressing Forward With Second Week of Training Camp
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick SirianniThe Eagles had a nice short run with Muse on the team as a depth player, but they are pressing forward. They have plenty of tight end questions to answer themselves at training camp.
So far, Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt have been taking the top two spots on the depth chart. Rookie second-round pick Eli Stowers isn’t getting many looks, leaving many to wonder what is going on.
Philly has plenty of other top storylines in training camp entering the second week. They have to get the offense addressed after a slow start. The Eagles’ defense, though, is playing lights out, with great pressure from the defensive line.
Things seem to be trending in a good direction for the Eagles so far, with some improvements needed. It will all start with quarterback Jalen Hurts and his receivers. Once they can all get on track, then the offensive line will need to start showing some improvement.
Nothing needs to really change on defense, as they need to continue getting pressure up front. They would like to have Jonathan Greenard back from injury, but that remains to be seen on when he will be back in training camp.
The Eagles would like to get off to a fast start in the second week of training camp, as that will be a storyline to watch.
- Anthony Miller
POGACAR TO RIDE VUELTA A ESPANA FOR GRAND TOUR TREBLE
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| Getty |
Newly crowned five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar will race in this month's Vuelta a Espana in an attempt to win all three of cycling's Grand Tours.
The Slovenian UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider will be the runaway favourite to win the three-week Grand Tour after becoming the joint most successful Tour de France champion of all time last month, alongside fellow greats Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Pogacar won the 2024 Giro d'Italia by nearly 10 minutes, and would become only the ninth rider to win all three Grand Tours in history should he triumph in Spain.
The 27-year-old finished third at the Tour of Spain as a youngster in 2019.
"I'm excited to say I'm going back to La Vuelta," said Pogacar. "It was my first ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience.
"Spain is a country I love to visit and race in, and I think the time is right to go back.
"The motivation is high to finish off the year in a good way and the Vuelta will be a big target. The team is strong and we hope to do good things."
This year's race begins in Monaco on 22 August and finishes in Granada on 13 September, with 21 stages across three weeks including time trials, sprints, rolling hills and high mountains.
Pogacar has won almost all of the sport's biggest races. In addition to his five Tour titles he has won the Tour of Flanders (three times), Milan-San Remo (once), the Road World Championships (twice), Il Lombardia (five times), Liege-Bastogne-Liege (four times) and the Giro.
He is also expected to try to defend his Road World Championships rainbow jersey in Montreal, Canada, just a week after La Vuelta finishes.
While La Vuelta is considered a main event on cycling's World Tour, the sport's top talents in the modern era will often prioritise the Tour de France at the expense of the Vuelta and the Giro.
Merckx, Anquetil and Hinault (twice) all won La Vuelta during their careers.
Following victory at this year's Tour,
Pogacar beat Belgium's Remco Evenepoel by more than six minutes at this year's Tour de France, and he is expected to win the Vuelta by an even bigger margin.
Famed for his explosive launch and metronomic high pace on stages, he is not showing any signs of fatigue or weakness.
Pogacar has won six of the seven World Tour races he has competed in this year, finishing second at Paris-Roubaix in April in a dramatic dash to the line with Belgium's Wout van Aert.
- Matt Warwick
CHENGDU TO HOST WORLD SQUASH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2027
More squash history being made! 🤩
🇨🇳 The World Squash Junior Championships will be hosted by the Chinese Squash Association for the first time!
Chengdu, China, will host the championships at the state-of-the-art new national training base, the Linjiangzhiyuan Training Base, a 73-acre facility boasting 16 all-glass show courts, 6 traditional courts, an apartment complex, hotel and restaurant!
https://tinyurl.com/zf8j2ahh
Sunday, 2 August 2026
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