分类： sports

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has etched his name into Premier League history books, becoming the fastest player to reach the coveted 100-goal milestone. The Norwegian striker achieved this remarkable feat during Tuesday’s thrilling 5-4 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Haaland’s clinical first-half strike marked his century in just 111 league appearances, decisively breaking the previous record of 124 matches set by legendary forward Alan Shearer. The 25-year-old phenom expressed profound pride in his accomplishment, stating: ‘It’s huge and I’m really proud. Of course it’s a massive thing – the 100 club is a nice thing to be in.’

The record-breaking goal demonstrated Haaland’s trademark precision – a ferocious 12-yard blast assisted by Jeremy Doku’s perfectly timed cut-back that whistled past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Statistical analysis reveals 71 of Haaland’s 100 goals came from his dominant left foot, while 17 were headers.

This milestone ended a minor scoring drought for Haaland, who had failed to find the net in his previous three appearances against Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, and Leeds. Since his 2022 transfer from Borussia Dortmund, the striker has maintained exceptional scoring consistency, acknowledging: ‘When you’re a striker for Man City you should be delivering great numbers. That’s my job.’

Despite the personal achievement, Haaland emphasized team priorities, noting the victory positioned City within two points of league leaders Arsenal. However, he candidly assessed the performance: ‘It was a crazy game, nine goals is a lot. In the end, we win and we’re happy but it’s not the best win. We need to improve as a team.’

While celebrating this historic milestone, Haaland faces another monumental challenge – Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260 goals. The Norwegian maintained focus on immediate objectives rather than distant records, embodying the mentality that has propelled his extraordinary scoring pace.

In a spectacular display of batting mastery, Virat Kohli delivered his second consecutive century during the second One-Day International against South Africa in Raipur on Wednesday. The legendary batsman, often hailed as ‘King Kohli’ for his extraordinary run-scoring capabilities, notched his 53rd ODI hundred with a commanding 102-run performance from just 93 deliveries.

Kohli found a formidable partner in Ruturaj Gaikwad, who celebrated his maiden ODI century with an impressive 105 runs. The duo constructed a massive 195-run partnership for the third wicket, systematically dismantling South Africa’s bowling attack after India’s openers departed relatively early. Their collaborative effort formed the foundation of India’s imposing total of 358-5.

The batting spectacle began with Kohli signaling his intent immediately, launching his innings with a spectacular six off pace bowler Lungi Ngidi. While Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a brisk start with 22 runs, it was the Kohli-Gaikwad partnership that truly dominated the proceedings. Both batsmen demonstrated remarkable fluency, consistently finding boundaries and rotating the strike with precision.

The emotional highlight arrived when Gaikwad reached his century milestone, receiving an enthusiastic embrace from his celebrated partner. Though Gaikwad eventually departed, Kohli continued his relentless pursuit, eventually bringing up his 84th international century across all formats to thunderous applause from a capacity crowd of 60,000 spectators.

Kohli’s dismissal to Ngidi, caught by Aiden Markram, prompted a standing ovation as the champion batsman exited the field. His innings featured seven boundaries and two sixes, maintaining a strike rate of over 109. Captain KL Rahul then provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 66, including an 18-run final over that pushed India’s total beyond the 350-mark.

This performance extends Kohli’s record as the leading century-maker in ODI cricket, now four centuries ahead of retired Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 hundreds. The 37-year-old batting maestro, who along with 38-year-old Rohit Sharma now focuses exclusively on the 50-over format after retiring from T20 and Test cricket, continues to redefine batting excellence.

South Africa faces a challenging pursuit of 359 runs to keep the three-match series alive, having fallen 17 runs short while chasing 349 in the opening encounter.

The MENA Golf Tour’s Rolear Algarve Classic commenced with spectacular drama as Scotland’s Aidan O’Hagan, England’s Chris Wood, and Italy’s Aron Zemmer each carded flawless seven-under-par 65s to establish a commanding three-way lead. The opening round at Portugal’s Amendoeira Golf Resort witnessed a masterclass in precision golf, headlined by O’Hagan’s stunning hole-in-one at the 181-yard par-3 sixth hole.

O’Hagan’s remarkable ace served as the centerpiece of an otherwise blemish-free performance that demonstrated both technical mastery and mental fortitude. The Scottish golfer described the perfect eight-iron shot that landed beyond the pin before spinning back into the cup, noting how the achievement immediately boosted his confidence. His front-nine 31 included the spectacular ace and a birdie at the fifth, while his back-nine navigation featured an impressive recovery from a bogey on the 13th with consecutive birdies and an eagle across three holes.

Joining O’Hagan atop the leaderboard, three-time DP World Tour winner Chris Wood displayed renewed competitive sharpness with a bogey-free round that began with three consecutive birdies. The Englishman, recently successful at Q School, expressed satisfaction with returning to form after early-season difficulties, emphasizing the importance of becoming accustomed to shooting lower scores consistently.

Completing the leading trio, Aron Zemmer delivered a similarly impressive performance with his own mistake-free 65. The Italian’s round gained momentum on the back nine where he recorded six birdies, including four consecutive from the 10th hole, showcasing exceptional putting precision and strategic course management.

The tournament’s $100,000 purse, featuring an $18,000 winner’s share, remains fiercely contested with defending champion Ludovico Addabbo staging a notable back-nine recovery to finish at even-par 72 after initially struggling. UAE professional Ahmad Skaik, in only his second professional appearance, carded a two-over 74 as he continues his transition into the professional ranks.

With 36 holes remaining and the leaderboard tightly compressed, Wednesday’s second round promises to significantly shape the championship outcome as competitors adapt to the O’Connor Course’s challenging layout and variable conditions.

Indian golfer Rayhan Thomas, representing Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, opened his Stage Two campaign at the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School with impressive composure, carding a five-under-par 67 at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club in Savannah, Georgia. The 26-year-old demonstrated remarkable mental fortitude and strategic discipline amid challenging weather conditions that tested the 76-player field.

Thomas’s performance placed him tied for ninth position after the opening round, firmly positioning him within the projected qualification threshold for the Final Stage. Japan’s Tatsunori Shogenji currently leads the tournament at eight under par.

The Dubai-born athlete showcased exceptional resilience early in his round when confronted with a bogey on the second hole during heavy rainfall. Rather than allowing this setback to disrupt his rhythm, Thomas responded with three consecutive birdies on holes three, four, and seven, concluding the front nine with a two-under-par 34. He maintained his precision on the back nine, adding three additional birdies to finish with a back-nine 33.

Thomas emphasized the psychological demands of qualifying tournaments, noting the critical balance between aggression and restraint. “It’s a different mindset when you play in qualifying events—knowing when to attack and when to play safe,” Thomas explained from Georgia. “I’m getting used to knowing what I have to do.”

The tournament structure offers significant stakes: the top 15 finishers will advance to the Final Qualifying stage at TPC Sawgrass facilities in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, scheduled for December 11-14, 2025. At the Final Stage, the top five competitors will receive full PGA Tour cards for the following season, while the next 40 players (including ties) will secure full Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2026.

Thomas, exempt from Stage One qualifying as a 2025 Korn Ferry Tour cardholder, enjoys support from sponsors Hero, Wilson, Cadillac, and Dubai Basketball—partners committed to his long-term professional development in competitive golf.

RAIPUR, India — South African captain Temba Bavuma won the crucial coin toss and elected to field first in the second ODI against India on Wednesday, extending India’s remarkable streak of lost tosses to twenty consecutive matches. This statistical anomaly places additional pressure on the Indian team as they seek to clinch the three-match series following their narrow 17-run victory in the opening contest at Ranchi.

The series opener saw Virat Kohli’s masterful 52nd international century propel India to a competitive 349-8, setting the stage for a dramatic bowling performance that ultimately contained South Africa at 332 despite a formidable middle-order resistance. The Proteas, reeling at 3-11 during the powerplay, mounted a spectacular comeback through aggressive half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen, and Corbin Bosch before succumbing to the Indian attack.

South Africa implemented strategic roster adjustments, welcoming back captain Bavuma who replaced Ryan Rickelton after the latter’s disappointing first-match dismissal. The bowling department saw significant reinforcements with left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj replacing off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, while pace bowler Lungi Ngidi took over from Ottneil Baartman, signaling a calculated shift toward experienced campaigners.

India maintained consistency by retaining their entire playing eleven, offering redemption opportunities for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at fourth and fifth batting positions respectively after both failed to deliver significant contributions in the previous encounter.

Indian skipper Lokesh Rahul humorously acknowledged the toss dilemma, stating: ‘I’ve been practicing the coin call extensively, but unfortunately the results haven’t materialized. Honestly, the toss presents the most pressure-packed moment for me currently.’ He further elaborated on tactical considerations: ‘Dew factors significantly in these conditions—our bowling unit has developed specific strategies to counter this challenge.’

The match features identical lineups from both sides, with India fielding Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Gaikwad, Sundar, Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna. South Africa’s roster includes Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Bavuma, Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Jansen, Bosch, Maharaj, Nandre Burger, and Ngidi.