Houston٫ USA (Sports Report): Pakistani squash lad٫ Mohammad Ashab Irfan delivered one of three major seeding upsets on day two of the Texas Open 2026, overcoming No.8 seed Eain Yow Ng in a thrilling fifth-game tie-break to reach his first Gold-level quarter-final on the PSA Squash Tour.On a dramatic day of play in which rising stars Melvil Scianimanico and Nadien Elhammamy joined Mohammad Ashab Irfan in achieving career-best wins, it was the World No.44 - who trains and plays at the Houston Squash Club - who stole the show with an 11-7, 8-11, 4-11, 11-8, 14-12 win over World No.16 Ng.Playing in front of a packed-out crowd, Pakistan's Ashab Irfan drew upon the home support to battle back from 2-1 to force a deciding game, and later save a match ball in a tense finish to the 73-minute contest.Despite seeing 8-3 and 10-9 leads in the fifth slip into a subsequent tie-break, the 21-year-old converted his third match ball to set up a quarter-final tie with top seed and 2024 World Champion Diego Elias.After the match, Ashab Irfan said: "That was intense and I'm really proud of myself. Obviously, Yow is a very hard player to play against, and he's an amazing top-ten player. To win like this in my home club is amazing, and I'm really proud of myself."When you look out of the court and the crowd is cheering you on and supporting you, it's huge. To reach my first Gold quarter-final at my home club is a big deal for me."Elsewhere, World No.47 Scianimanico delivered a stunning performance as he fought back from a game behind to defeat former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy by a 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 scoreline.The 20-year-old Frenchman will play World No.3 Karim Gawad in tomorrow's quarter-finals, after the former World Champion got the better of England's Nick Wall in four games.In the women's draw, Egypt's Nadien Elhammamy continued her career-best run in Houston after defeating No.7 seed Kenzy Ayman in a feisty all-Egyptian affair.The 18-year-old, who is set to rise into the top 50 of the women's rankings for the first time in her career next week, will join eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini and U.S. No.1 Olivia Weaver in the next round after the pair claimed respective straight game wins over Mariam Metwally and Nour Heikal.There was one other seeding upset on the second day of play, with Swiss No.1 Dimitri Steinmann holding off a five-game comeback from No.6 seed Youssef Soliman to advance, with the latter retiring late on in the fifth game due to injury.Men’s Round Two:[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (40m)Mohammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) bt [8] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 4-11, 11-8, 14-12 (73m)[7] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (25m)[4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (57m)[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (46m)Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt [6] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 11-4, 6-11, 2-11, 9-5 ret. (69m)Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt [5] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (47m)[2] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9 (62m)Women’s Round Two:[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (27m)[6] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 2-11, 11-7, 11-6 (44m)[5] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-2: 11-3, 7-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-7 (47m)[4] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-1 (29m)[3] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-0 (22m)Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) bt [7] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 15-13, 8-11, 11-5 (47m)[8] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-2, 7-11, 11-8 (40m)[2] Olivia Weaver (USA) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (31m).

Benoni (Sports Report): Ayabonga Khaka’s 3-10 and Laura Wolvaardt’s unbeaten 40 secured South Africa a six-wicket win on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method against Pakistan in the 14 overs a side rain-shortened second T20I here at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Friday night. The hosts took an unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series.After rain gave way for some action, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first.For Pakistan, Aliya Riaz top-scored with 20 off 18 balls, striking three fours, while Ayesha Zafar contributed 13, including two boundaries. Natalia Parvaiz and Muneeba Ali fell after scoring 12 runs each.Pacer Khaka led the South African attack with three for 10, two of which came in 13th over, while Masabata Klaas claimed two for 14 in her two overs.South Africa chased down the target in 13.2 overs for the loss of four wickets with four balls to spare. Skipper Wolvaardt’s 40 not out off 29 balls including four fours sealed the Proteas’ win.Opening batter Tazmin Brits scored a 25-ball 29 striking two fours and one six. She also shared a 30-run opening stand with Sune Luus (13, 14b, 3x4s) and a 36-run stand with Wolvaardt.For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal picked up two for 15 in her three overs while Humna Bilal (1-17) and Tuba Hassan (1-23) dismissed one batter each.Scores in brief:Pakistan 100-9, 14 overs (Aliya Riaz 20, Ayesha Zafar 13; Ayabonga Khaka 3-10, Masabata Klaas 2-14)South Africa 104-4, 13.2 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 40 not out, Tazmin Brits 29; Sadia Iqbal 2-15, Humna Bilal 1-17). 

Lahore (Sports Report):The National T20 Cup Qualifier 2025-26 is set to get underway at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore from Saturday, 14 February at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. A total of 10 regional teams have been divided into two groups of five, while the table toppers from each group will qualify for the 10-team main event scheduled in late February and March. The final of the tournament, between the top two teams from each group, will take place on 24 February at the Gaddafi Stadium. The 10 teams will play a total of 21 matches including the final. Group A comprises of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Larkana and Quetta, while Group B consists of Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, FATA, Hyderabad and Rawalpindi. Each team will play four group matches each. Pool A – Karachi Blues, Quetta, Larkana, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pool B – FATA, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali and BahawalpurSquads: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Hasan Raza (captain), Adil Azad, Amir Nazir (wk), Aqib Liaqat, Arslan Mahzood, Awais Akram, Faizan Saleem, Hasnain Shamir, Husnain Nadeem, Jawad Imtiaz, Nadeem Khalil, Saad Asif, Umer Hayat, Usman Yousuf and Zaman KhanBahawalpurMohammad Imran (captain), Ali Afzal, Ali Hamza, Ali Shabbir, Faizan Zafar, Khaqan Basheer, Mohammad Sudais, Mohammad Akram, Muhammad Ammar, Mohammad Azab, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Umair and Shahid MiraniDera Murad JamaliFahad Hussain (captain), Basit Ali, Dawood Khan, Farhan Ullah, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Shahid, Nasir Khan, Rasool Baksh, Sajjad Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Saleem Mal, Shoaib Ahmed, Taimur Ali and Tariq JameelFATAAsif Afridi (captain), Afaq Afridi, Azaz Khan, Khubaib Khalil, Khushdil Shah, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Sarwar, Muhammad Waseem Khan, Rehan Afridi, Salman Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr and SirajuddinHyderabad Sharjeel Khan (captain), Akbar Khan, Asad Malik, Daniyal Rajput, Haris Khanzada, Jawad Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Meesam, Mustafa Nasir, Noman Ali, Rizwan Mehmood, Shehryar Baloch, Suleman Khan, Ubaidullah Rahupoto and Zain-ul-AbedeenIslamabad Umair Riaz (captain), Arsal Sheikh, Farhan Ali, Farman Ullah, Hammad Siddique, Hamza Waheed, Haris Rauf, Kaleem Dil, Rizwan Ali, Musa Khan, Naseerullah, Shahbaz Khan, Shayan Sheikh, Umair and Umar NawazKarachi Blues Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (captain), Aarish Ali Khan, Ahsan Ali, Fahad Amin, Jahanzaib Sultan, Maaz Khurram Amin, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Raza Chandio, Muhammad Taha, Mohammad Usman Rahim, Rameez Aziz, Rehman Ghani, Syed Shah Raza, Wajah Riaz and Zeeshan ZameerLarkana Zahid Mehmood (captain), Aamir Ali Taheem, Ali Asghar, Asif Chandio, Ghulam Raza, Malhar Rasool, Mohsin Raza, Mohammad Aqeel Danish, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mushtaq Ahmed, Sabit Ali Siyal, Saqlain Nawaz Rajput, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzaib Aziz and Zahid HussainQuetta Jalat Khan (captain), Abdul Hameed, Abdul Hanan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Bismillah Khan, Bohair Aman, Haseebullah, Jahangir Shah, Khalil Ahmed, Muhammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Idrees, Mohammad Junaid, Najeed Ullah, Salahuddin and Yasir KhanRawalpindi Haider Ali (captain), Abdul Faseeh, Abdul Qadir, Ali Husnain, Jahandad Khan, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Faizan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Mohammad Nabeel, Nasir Nawaz, Shahbaz Tabrez, Taimur Khan, Yasir Khan and Zeeshan Malik-

Mohammad Ashab posts win: Mohammad Huzifa and Noor pack bagsHouston, United States (Sports Report): World No.46 Nour Heikal came through a thrilling all-Egyptian battle on day one of the Texas Open 2026, fighting back from two match balls down to defeat Nour Aboulmakarim at the Houston Squash Club.The 22-year-old showed impressive mental resolve to battle back from 1-0 and 2-1 down against World No.40 Aboulmakarim to set up a second-round tie with World No.3 Olivia Weaver at the Gold-level event. At 10-8 down in the fifth game, Heikal looked set for an early exit from the event, but the Egyptian responded with a flurry of attacking winners to clinch the hard-hitting 53-minute encounter by a 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 scoreline.  After the match, Heikal said: "I'm really relieved. I was two match balls down and I don't know how I did that, but I'm really glad that I managed to get my mental side as solid as I could. "[At two match balls down], I was just thinking to try to stay on court as long as I could. I just wanted to fight for every point and make her really work for it. So I am happy like I dug deep."Heikal will be joined in the second round by compatriot Nadien Elhammamy, who upset World No.34 Lucy Beecroft to record her first Gold-level win on the PSA Squash Tour. The 18-year-old, who finished runner-up to Amina Orfi at the 2025 World Junior Championships, once again showed herself to be one of the emerging talents in Egyptian squash following a composed 13-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3 win over England's Beecroft. Elsewhere, Houston Squash Club crowd favourite Mohammad Ashab Irfan got his campaign up and running with an impressive three-game victory over Yannick Wilhelmi, defeating the Swiss 25-year-old 11-8, 11-6, 11-9. Other notable winners in the men's event included World No.51 Nick Wall, who overcame World No.22 Kareem El Torkey in straight games, and Gregoire Marche, who continued his recent fine form with victory over Sam Todd. Men’s (Round One):Timothy Brownell (USA) bt Balazs Farkas (HUN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 11-5 (35m)Mohammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) bt Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-9 (46m)Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt [WC] Mohammad Huzaifa Ibrahim (PAK) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (33m)Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Sam Todd (ENG) 3-1: 8-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-8 (47m)Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 4-3 ret. (16m)Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 13-11 (71m)Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-4 (45m)Nick Wall (ENG) bt Kareem El Torkey (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-3 (26m)Women’s (Round One):Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt [WC] Isabella Tang (USA) 3-0: 12-10, 13-11, 11-7 (33m)Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (28m)Grace Gear (ENG) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (21m)Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (27m)Ka Yi Lee (HKG) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 (25m)Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) bt Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 3-1: 13-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3 (39m)Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Alina Bushma (UKR) 3-0: 13-11, 11-9, 11-8 (40m)Nour Heikal (EGY) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-2: 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 (53m)

Islamabad (Sports Report):Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and Wapda will clash in the National Challenge Cup final on Sunday after both registered 4-0 victories in their last-four clashes at the KPT Stadium on Friday.KRL cruised into the final in style with their thrashing of Army highlighted by sensational strikes from Ali Zafar and Zaid Umer.Ali Raza was involved in three goals as Wapda eased past SA Gardens in a repeat of the final of the last edition of the tournament.KRL 4-0 ArmyKRL dominated possession from the start and took the lead in the 26th thanks to a long-range stunner. Ali Zafar got the ball close to the right and then let fly with a rising shot that dipped just at the right time to leave Army goalkeeper Mohammad Faheem well beaten.Another stunning goal, this time by Zaid Umer, doubled KRL’s lead in the 47th. KRL won a free-kick on the right and Zaid found the sweetest of connections with his left-foot; the ball curling over the wall and into the bottom corner.Army were up against it and it soon got worse when Hazrat Abbas was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity by pulling at the shirt of his opponent.The contest was good as over and KRL sent out a statement by scoring twice late on.Ali Agha tapped in a cross from the left to make it 3-0 in the 70th minute before Sameer Abbas pounced on a rebound off his own shot to complete the rout in the 83rd.“It’s a great win for us,” said Zaid. “We were facing a difficult opponent but we showed our strength today. We hope to do the same in the final.” Wapda 4-0 SA GardensAli Raza starred as Wapda followed KRL into the final with a commanding display against SA Gardens.The striker opened the scoring in the 30th minute when he ran on to a delightful reverse by Fareedullah and found the back of the net with the outside of his right foot.Wapda got their second in the 36th with Ali again involved. Drifting in from the right, he fired a low shot that was deflected in by Mohibullah.SA Gardens were up against it and the were 3-0 down in the 53rd when Ali scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the box. Wapda completed the scoring in the 90th, when Hammad Hassan tucked in a rebound.“Really delighted with the performance,” said Ali. “We imposed ourselves from the start and once we got the first goal, it got easier for us. We’re looking ahead to doing more of the same in the final.”

Islamabad (Sports Report):Pakistan’s Hamza Roman and Abubakar Talha captured the doubles title of the ITF J60 Nairobi after an outstanding performance in the final. The Pakistani pair defeated the top-seeded team of Gyeom Do (Korea) and Zayyan Virani (Kenya) in a thrilling three-set encounter, winning 4-6, 6-3, 11-9. The players are currently on a three-week ITF tour in Nairobi accompanied by teammates Ahtesham Humayun and Zohaib Afzal Malik under the guidance of coach Mahboob Khan.The tour has delivered consistent results for the Pakistani contingent. In the first week, Hamza Roman finished as runner-up in the singles event. In the second week, he reached the singles semifinals and also advanced to the doubles semifinals partnering Ahtesham Humayun. The third week concluded on a high note with Hamza Roman and Abubakar Talha lifting the doubles trophy.The three-week international tour has been made possible through the generous support of Bard Foundation, Service Group, Asia Insurance, Nets International, Sialkot Chambers and Ace Tennis Pakistan. ITF Junior tournaments scheduled to be held in Pakistan in April 2026.

Hobart (Sports Report): Hosts Australia overpowered Pakistan 3-0 in Pro league hockey match here on Friday.Australia defeated Pakistan by three goals to nil.For Australia, Blake Govers scored two goals, while Jake added one. Pakistan remained unable to score a goal until the end of the match.Pakistan will play its fourth and final pool match against Germany on February 14 at the same venue.

Bangkok (Sports Report): Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ captain Hafsa Khalid top-scored with 40 not out in her team’s total of 137-6 in 20 overs, which they defended successfully by restricting Nepal to 107-6 with left-arm spinners Anosha Nasir and Momina Riasat taking five wickets combined here at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok on Friday morning. On Sunday, 15 February, Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ will face India ‘A’ in their second Group A fixture at the same venue with the first ball expected to be bowled at 12pm PKT. After Pakistan ‘A’ were asked to bat first, they lost the opening duo of Shawaal Zulfiqar and Yusra Amir with 19 runs on the board. From this juncture, player of the match Hafsa joined forces with Huraina Sajjad (17, 23b, 1x4) and stitched a 37-run stand. Nepal then took three wickets in six overs from 11th to 16th as Pakistan ‘A’ slipped from 56-2 to 83-5. Waheeda Akhtar walked in at no.7 and struck five fours in her 15-ball 23 providing much-needed impetus to the innings. Eman Naseer (9 not out, 4b, 1x6) hit a six in the last over to close the innings on a high note. Meanwhile, Hafsa hit two fours and one six in her outing. For Nepal, Kabita Kunwar picked up two for 10 in her two overs. In turn, Nepal lost Samjhana Khadka early in third over before Bindu Rawal (39, 45b, 8x4s) and Puja Mahato took the score from 15-1 to 62 before the former fell to Momina. Anosha Nasir then landed two blows in the 12th over before two more wickets in the next as many overs meant Nepal slipped to 69-6 in 13.3 overs. Sita Rana Magar (19 not out, 22b, 2x4s) and Kabita Kunwar (18 not out, 20b, 1x4) remained unbeaten adding 38 runs for the seventh wicket but in vain. Anosha returned figures of 4-0-20-3, while Momina’s analysis read 4-0-21-2. Waheeda picked up one for 19 in her three overs. Scores in brief Pakistan ‘A’ v Nepal at Terdthai Cricket Ground, BangkokPakistan ‘A’ 137-6, 20 overs (Hafsa Khalid 40 not out, Waheeda Akhtar 23, Huraina Sajjad 17; Kabita Kunwar 2-10)Nepal 107-6, 20 overs (Bindu Rawal 39, Sita Rana Magar 19 not out, Kabita Kunwar 18 not out; Anosha Nasir 3-20, Momina Riasat 2-21) Player of the match – Hafsa Khalid (Pakistan Women’s ‘A’) 

Islamabad (Sports Report)FIFA today announced record-breaking participation levels on the road to the FIFAe Finals 2026, with more than 120 nations set to compete across multiple qualification pathways. The milestone marks the largest and most inclusive FIFAe season to date, underlining FIFA’s continued commitment to growing football esports worldwide, with more than half of its Member Associations taking part.The national-team season will feature three core competitions across Rocket Qualification for the FIFAe Finals will run throughout the year, starting with the FIFAe Nations League as the foundation of national team competition. From there, teams advance to the continental qualifiers, where the best nations in each region earn qualification for the FIFAe Finals 2026.

Bangkok (Sports Report): Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ will take on Nepal in their first Group A match on the opening day of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 at the TerdThai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, Thailand. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 7.30am PKT. They will face India ‘A’ on 15 February and UAE on 17 February at the same venue with the both games scheduled to start at 12pm. Group B comprises of Bangladesh ‘A’, Sri Lanka ‘A’, Malaysia and Thailand. Top two teams from both the groups will compete in the semi-finals on Friday, 20 February. The final of the tournament is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 22 February. Right-hand batter Hafsa Khalid is set to lead Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ in the tournament as she was named skipper of the side after Umm-e-Hani was called up to Pakistan’s T20I squad. Omaima Sohail replaced Hani in the squad.The squad also comprises capped players in Shawaal Zulfiqar, Omaima and Waheeda Akhtar. Komal Khan and Eman Naseer from Pakistan U19 team are also part of the squad. Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ probables took part in a two-week training camp led by head coach Mohammad Masroor at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi before the 15-member squad departed for Thailand on Tuesday night. Hafsa Khalid, Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ captain: “I’m really looking forward to lead the side in this tournament and it’s such an honour for me. It is a great opportunity for all of us to show our talent, skills and express ourselves at the international stage. “The tournament promises to be an exciting one and hopefully we will put our best performances forward during the group matches and beyond. “We have a really good mix of players in our squad filling all the bases. The confidence in the camp is high following our training camp in Karachi and the one session we had today at the tournament venue.” Pakistan Women’s ‘A squad:Batters: Hafsa Khalid (Captain, Karachi) Eman Naseer (Islamabad), Gull Rukh (Dera Ghazi Khan), Huraina Sajjad (Karachi), Shawaal Zulfiqar (Lahore)Wicket-keepers: Yusra Amir (Karachi), Komal Khan (Lahore)All-rounders: Noreen Yaqoob (Lahore) and Omaima Sohail (Karachi)Spinners: Anosha Nasir (Karachi), Momina Riasat (Abbottabad)Pacers: Lubna Behram (Hunza), Neha Sharmin Nadeem (Karachi), Syeda Masooma Jafri (Karachi), Waheeda Akhtar (Lahore)Schedule of Pakistan ‘A’ matches:Group A 13 February – Pakistan ‘A’ v Nepal – 9.30am local time15 February – Pakistan ‘A’ v India ‘A’ – 2pm local time17 February – Pakistan ‘A’ v UAE – 2pm local time20 February - Semifinal 1 and 2 – 9am and 2pm local time22 February – Final