PCB lifts Haider Ali’s suspension, clears him for BPL
KARACHI, Dec 10:The Pakistan Cricket Board has revoked its provisional suspension on batter Haider Ali, who has not played any competitive cricket since he was cleared of rape allegations in Manchester in September.The PCB on Wednesday confirmed that Ali was among nine Pakistani players issued NOCs to go and play in the Bangladesh Premier League.Ali, who has represented Pakistan in 35 T20Is and 3 ODIs, was touring England with the Pakistan Shaheens squad when a UK-born Pakistani woman filed rape allegations against him with the Manchester city police.The PCB had suspended Ali “pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.” However, Manchester police closed the case on September 25, stating they had not found sufficient evidence to send the matter to court or arrest the cricketer. (PTI)
Commonwealth Kho Kho to be held in March 2026 in India
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: Over 24 countries will compete in the inaugural Commonwealth Kho Kho Championship from March 9 to 14 next year, for which the venue is yet to be finalised in India.The Kho Kho Federation of India is in talks with several states to finalise the venue after Commonwealth Sport (CS) gave the approval for the event to take place in India.The event, which will see 16 men’s and as many women’s teams competing, will be organised on the lines of the first Kho Kho World Cup held in January this year in Delhi in which 23 nations participated.This will be the first Commonwealth Kho Kho event in India after Ahmedabad was recently officially confirmed as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.“We are in talks with several states for the finalisation of the venue. Ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2030, we are hopeful that this championship would prove to be a stepping stone towards Kho Kho’s inclusion in the Doha Asian Games (2030), Commonwealth Games (2030) and Brisbane Olympics (2032),” said Upkar Singh Virk, general secretary, Kho Kho Federation of India. (PTI)
IOA, Italy’s CONI sign MoU to strengthen sports cooperation
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in sports with a focus on training, infrastructure sharing and sports science collaboration.The agreement provides a “structured framework for joint promotion of sports, exchange of expertise and mutual access to each nation’s elite sporting infrastructure and high-performance centres for athletes, coaches and sports science professionals”.The signing ceremony was attended by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya.“Today marks a proud moment for the Indian Olympic movement. This partnership with CONI opens new horizons for our athletes to train, learn, and excel within one of the world’s most respected sporting systems,” PT Usha, IOA President, said in a release. The MoU outlines structured plans for joint training camps, coaching exchanges, collaborative sports science programmes, and development pathways for emerging athletes, signalling a new era of cooperation between the two Olympic committees. (PTI)
Kurash: Govt provides monetary help of ₹ 1.12 cr
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: India’s Kurash contingent is undergoing a 25-day Senior National Coaching Camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Gandhinagar as part of its preparations for next year’s Asian Games.The 25-day camp, which started on November 21, has been sanctioned under SAI’s Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme.A total of 52 members, including 48 athletes and 4 coaches are a part of the camp. They are backed by a financial support of Rs 1.12 crore under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) scheme.The key missions of the camp in SAI Gandhinagar include ensuring that the athletes get full access to training facilities, coaching and sports science support, equipment and recovery inputs, as well as seamless preparation for both the men’s and women’s squads in the build-up to Asiad 2026, scheduled between September 19 and October 4, in Japan. (PTI)
