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Lionel Messi's father Jorge dies aged 68
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Jorge Messi, the father and agent of Lionel Messi, has died aged 68, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's childhood club Newell's Old Boys announced on Saturday.
Argentinian media reported Jorge Messi had passed away on Friday in a hospital in Rosario. ipl-today.in
"His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel," Newell's Old Boys said in a social media post.
Jorge Messi was his son's first coach in Argentina and his sole companion when he first moved to Barcelona as a child, before later becoming his agent.
"My father helped me enormously. He is very critical of me. That made me always want to push myself further," Lionel Messi told DirecTV Sports in 2022.
Messi's family asked the media for "humanity" during the recent World Cup amid persistent rumours over Jorge's health.
انطلاق معسكر حكام النخبة استعدادا للموسم الجديد
أعلن الاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم عن انطلاق معسكر حكام النخبة، استعدادا للموسم الكروي الجديد 2026 - 2027.
وأكد الاتحاد في بيان، أن المعسكر يقام في فندق إنتركونتيننتال الدوحة، ويستمر حتى 18 أغسطس الجاري، وذلك في إطار التحضيرات المكثفة لانطلاقة الموسم الجديد، ورفع جاهزية الحكام الفنية والبدنية، بما يتماشى مع متطلبات المنافسات المحلية والخارجية.
ويشمل المعسكر برنامجا متكاملا يجمع بين الجانبين النظري والعملي، حيث تشهد الفترة الصباحية تنظيم عدد من المحاضرات الفنية، التي تتناول مختلف الجوانب التحكيمية، إلى جانب مراجعة الحالات والمواقف التي قد تواجه الحكام خلال المباريات، وفي الفترة المسائية، يتم تقسيم الحكام المشاركين إلى مجموعات، وفق برنامج تدريبي متنوع يجمع بين التطبيقات العملية والتدريبات البدنية.
وتخوض إحدى المجموعات تدريبات عملية على استاد لوسيل المونديالي، في أجواء تحاكي ظروف المباريات، بينما تخضع مجموعة أخرى لتدريبات بدنية بملاعب الإرسال تهدف إلى تطوير اللياقة والسرعة والتحمل.
ويأتي اختيار استاد لوسيل، أحد أبرز الملاعب المونديالية في قطر، ليمنح الحكام فرصة مهمة لتطبيق الجوانب الفنية التي يتلقونها خلال المحاضرات الصباحية على أرض الملعب، وتعزيز قدرتهم على التعامل مع الحالات التحكيمية المختلفة خلال المباريات.
وأكد السيد هاني طالب بلان، رئيس لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم، أهمية المرحلة الإعدادية لحكام النخبة القطريين، باعتبارها من أهم مراحل الموسم الكروي، مشددا على ضرورة تحقيق أكبر استفادة ممكنة منها.
وقال : نسعى لتوفير كافة عوامل النجاح للحكام، وتهيئة الظروف التي تمكنهم من تحقيق أفضل استفادة وتقديم أفضل مستوى تحكيمي.
وأضاف: الموسم الجديد يشهد استحداث بطولات مثل QSL 2 وQSL 3، وبالتالي زيادة عدد المباريات وزيادة حدة المنافسة بين الأندية، وهذا يحتاج إلى عمل كبير وجهد متواصل لمواجهة تحديات الموسم الطويل على مستوى كافة البطولات.
واختتم رئيس لجنة الحكام حديثه بالتأكيد على ثقته الكبيرة في جميع الحكام وقدرتهم على تقديم موسم جيد.
World Snooker Tour China Open begins with 12 Chinese players in record main draw
Taiyuan, China: The 2026 World Snooker Tour China Open began Saturday at Taiyuan Binhe Sports Center in north China's Shanxi Province, with a record 12 Chinese players among the 32 competitors in the main draw, which features all of the world's top 16-ranked players.
China's Liu Linhao and Wu Shengguang were eliminated in the first round during the morning session, losing 6-0 to Iran's Hossein Vafaei and Scotland's Anthony McGill, respectively.
In the afternoon session, David Gilbert defeated China's Ding Junhui 6-1 to advance to the last 16, while Ding's compatriot Zhou Yuelong beat Welsh veteran Mark Williams 6-3.
Later Saturday, Wu Yize edged compatriot Yao Pengcheng 6-5, while Liu Hongyu defeated England's Barry Hawkins 6-4.
The tournament runs through August 16. Matches through the semifinals are played as best-of-11 frames, with the final contested over two sessions in a best-of-19 format.
The Chinese contingent's record representation marks a milestone for the tournament, with 12 home players competing in the main draw for the first time.
The China Open is a World Snooker Tour ranking event sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), with first-round matches continuing Sunday.
Mohamed Abdelmonem Rejects Lucrative Offers to Stay in Europe
Mohamed Abdelmonem has reportedly rejected approaches from an unnamed Gulf club, Al Ahly, and Pyramids, prioritising his stay at Nice.
According to Nice-based journalist Cédric Rocancourt, a Gulf club contacted Abdelmonem several weeks ago. The offer was worth nearly €5 million. However, the 27-year-old turned it down, as he wants to establish himself at Nice.
Because of his decision, talks did not progress, no negotiations between clubs took place, and Nice never received a formal transfer offer.
Nice sporting director Roger Ricort said the club has not received any formal offers. This includes Al Ahly, Pyramids, and other Arab clubs.
“We have not received any offer from Al Ahly, Pyramids or any other Arab club for Mohamed Abdelmonem,” Ricort said, adding that “Neither the player nor his agent has informed us of a desire to leave.”
Ricort also said that Nice do not plan to sell the defender. He also confirmed that talks with the player’s representatives will take place soon. However, informal approaches may still have occurred despite the lack of official bids.
Abdelmonem returned to pre-season training on July 30 following his World Cup involvement with Egypt. He only played 15 minutes in the tournament.
He suffered an ankle injury against Iran. As a result, he missed matches against Australia and Argentina. At the time, KingFut reported that scans showed a severe ankle sprain.
This injury came after a long recovery from an ACL tear. He suffered the injury during Nice’s 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in April 2025. He then missed the rest of the season.
Abdelmonem also did not play any competitive matches in the 2025/26 campaign. However, he returned in a friendly in February, after a 306-day absence.
Overall, he made 18 appearances in his first season in France. His progress was then halted by the ACL injury.
Abdelmonem joined Nice from Al Ahly in August 2024. The fee was €4.2 million, plus €1 million in bonuses. He signed a contract until June 2028.
The post Mohamed Abdelmonem Rejects Lucrative Offers to Stay in Europe appeared first on KingFut.
Qatar U-20 Football Team Beat Austria's Kapfenberger 7-0 in Friendly
Ljubljana: Qatar's under-20 national football team defeated Austria's Kapfenberger 7-0 in a friendly match on Friday as part of their ongoing training camp in Slovenia.
The camp forms part of Qatar's preparations for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to be held from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6, with qualification spots available for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals in China.
The draw for the qualifiers, held in May, placed Qatar in Group E alongside Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Hong Kong, China. Doha will host all matches in the group.
Under the competition format, the 32 participating teams have been divided into eight groups. The eight group winners, along with the seven best second-placed teams, will qualify for the final tournament, where they will join hosts China.