First-ever BWF AirBadminton WC to be held in Sharjah
SHARJAH, Oct 30: As many as 12 national teams are set to vie for the top honours when the first-ever BWF AirBadminton World Cup takes place in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates from December 11-14.Australia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, China, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Venezuela have earned their place in the tournament after a rigorous qualification process.“A maximum of 96 athletes will compete across three events: men’s triples, women’s triples, and the team relay,” BWF said in a release.In triples format, matches will be played in a best-of-five games format. Each game is won by the first team to reach 9 points.If the score reaches 8-all, a team must lead by two points to win. If the score reaches 12-all, the next point decides the winner. Teams may make up to three substitutions per match.In team relay, each tie consists of four matches: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, women’s triples and men’s triples.Each match is played to 15 points, with scores accumulating in a relay format. The first team to reach 60 points wins the tie. Players may participate in one or two matches per tie.AirBadminton is a format designed for outdoor play on surfaces such as sand, grass, and hard courts. (PTI)
Goa to host Acrobatic Gymnastics Asian C’ships
PANAJI, Oct 30: India is all set to host the Acrobatic Gymnastics Asian Championships for the first time with Goa staging the event from October 31 to November 2.Organised by the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa, and the Sports Authority of Goa, the championship will bring together top acrobatic gymnasts from across Asia for three days of high-level competition and artistic display. Aigul Dukenbayeva, Asian Gymnastic Union (AGU) Technical President, described the event as a “historic milestone”. He said that hosting the Asian Championships for the first time marks a major boost for India’s growing presence in international gymnastics.Dukenbayeva said the event “represents the spirit of unity, artistry, and athletic excellence that defines our sport,” adding that India’s hosting “will inspire young gymnasts and strengthen acrobatics across Asia”. GFI President Sudhir Mital called the championship “a proud moment for India,” noting that it reaffirms the federation’s commitment to nurturing gymnastics talent and providing global exposure to Indian athletes”. (PTI)
PCB increases domestic contracts to 157 players
KARACHI, Oct 30: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday increased the number of domestic cricket contracts from 131 to 157 players for the 2025/26 season.The PCB also added another category to the domestic contracts, with players now placed in four categories, an official said.The PCB has awarded 30 players Category A contracts, 55 in Category B, 51 in Category C and 21 in Category D.“These contracts been given keeping in mind performance of players in the previous season,” the board official said.Although the official did not disclose the exact fees for the new contracts, during the 2024-25 season the PCB had set a monthly retainer of PKR 550,000 rupees for Category A, PKR 400,000 for Category B and PKR 250,000 Category C.Contracted players were also entitled to match fees ranging from PKR 200,000 for a four-day first-class match to PKR 125,000 and PKR 100,000 for List A and T20 matches.The PCB subsidises most of the inter regional competitions but charges heavy participation fees from departmental teams for their tournaments which are part of the domestic calendar. (PTI)
