Islamabad (Sports News): Table tennis has spent the last two years building towards a moment like this. The emotion of Paris 2024. The confirmation that doubles and mixed team will join the Olympic programme at LA28. A sport growing faster, and reaching further, than at almost any point in its history. As the ITTF marks its centenary year, it gave that momentum a calendar.In the south of France, the Sud de France Arena will spend 29 March to 4 April 2027 hosting the world's best players, as the ITTF Singles World Cup returns to French soil for the fourth time, and for the first time in Montpellier. It arrives at exactly the right moment: French table tennis has rarely felt this alive, carried by the afterglow of Paris 2024 and a new generation of players, Félix and Alexis Lebrun chief among them, capturing a nation's attention. It has been over three decades since Jean-Philippe Gatien became the only Frenchman to ever win a World Cup singles title. Montpellier 2027 gives home fans their first real chance since to dream of a new one. The event also opens the centenary year of the host, the French Federation of Table Tennis (FFTT), giving a century of French table tennis history its own homecoming.Macao, China, has spent the last three years proving it belongs on the World Cup calendar, hosting the ITTF Singles World Cup in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Those editions have delivered three different men's champions in three years, Ma Long, Hugo Calderano and Wang Chuqin, while Sun Yingsha has claimed all three women's titles in a row. In 2027, the city is handed something it has never had before: the first-ever ITTF Doubles World Cup, happening from 19 to 25 April 2027. The timing is no accident. With men's and women's doubles returning to the Olympic programme at LA28, the discipline needed a stage of its own, somewhere it could build its own champions and its own rivalries ahead of the Games. Macao, China a proven host with a track record to match, was the natural choice.Since its launch in 2023, the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup has belonged to one team. China has won every edition staged in Chengdu, and the city will continue to host the event for a fifth consecutive year in 2027. From 28 November to 5 December, the 2027 edition will carry a new weight: for the first time, results will count towards Olympic qualification for LA28, where mixed team makes its Games debut. What has been a China showcase for three years now becomes a genuine qualification battle, with every other team given fresh reason to chase the champions down.Together, the three events chart the shape of table tennis heading into the LA28 Olympic countdown."We are on track to deliver our goals for LA28, and this calendar shows exactly how. In Montpellier, we bring the World Cup to France once again, and to the city for the very first time, at a moment when the sport has never been more popular there. In Macao, China, Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles will share a World Cup stage together for the first time, as the discipline returns to the Olympic programme. And in Chengdu, the Mixed Team World Cup carries genuine Olympic qualification ahead of its own debut at the Games. Table tennis will feature six medal events at LA28, more than any other racket sport on the programme, and each of these three World Cups plays its part in getting us there. As we build on the momentum of our centenary year, I look forward to what 2027 will bring for our sport," said ITTF President and IOC Member Petra Sörling.

Islamabad (faisal): The Pakistan National Squash Teams have departed from Islamabad International Airport for Japan to compete in the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026!The main games will take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026. Our squash stars will be in action from September 23 to October 2, 2026, competing for medals in five key events.Competition Schedule:Individual Events (Mens Singles, Womens Singles and Mixed Doubles): September 23 to September 27, 2026Team Events (Mens Team and Womens Team): September 28 to October 2, 2026Pakistan Squash Contingent:Led by Air Commodore (R) Amir Nawaz and Head Coach Mr. Fahim GulMen's Team:Noor ZamanMohammad Ashab IrfanNasir IqbalMohammad Asim KhanWomen's Team:Sana BahadurMehwish AliSehrish AliMahnoor AliEvent Participation:Individual Events: Noor Zaman, Mohammad Ashab Irfan, Sana Bahadur and Mahnoor AliMixed Doubles: Nasir Iqbal and Sehrish Ali, Mohammad Asim Khan and Mehwish Ali

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Sri Lanka U17 will travel to Pakistan next month to take part in a bilateral series against Pakistan U17, the PCB announced today. During the tour, both sides will play one three-day and five one-day matches.All matches will be staged at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan from 9 to 24 October.Sri Lanka U17 will arrive in Multan on Monday, 5 October and both sides will take part in practice sessions from 6 to 8 October at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The three-day match will then take place at the same venue from 9 to 11 October.Following the three-day match, Pakistan U17 will play five one-day matches against Sri Lanka U17 from 15 to 24 October.Currently, the U17 players are taking part in a Skills Development Camp, which commenced in Faisalabad on Thursday, 30 July. Earlier this year, the PCB also hosted the National U17 Cup in Faisalabad, which was won by Rawalpindi U17 Region.Series schedule (all matches at Multan Cricket Stadium):5 Oct – Sri Lanka U17 arrival6-8 Oct – Pakistan U17 and Sri Lanka U17 teams training at MCS9-11 Oct – Only Three-Day match15 Oct – First One-Day17 Oct – Second One-Day19 Oct – Third One-Day21 Oct – Fourth One-Day24 Oct – Fifth One-Day

Lahore (Sports Reporter):The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced the schedule of the of the Women’s U19 T20 tri-series featuring Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The tri-series will be played from 2 to 16 October in a triple round-robin format with the top two teams playing the final. Sri Lanka U19 squad will arrive in Pakistan on 28 September, while Bangladesh will arrive a day later. The hosts will hold a pre-series training camp in Faisalabad from 16 to 27 September. The three teams will also train at the Iqbal Stadium on 29, 30 September and 1 October. It will be the first women’s international cricket event at the Iqbal Stadium after it previously saw return of international cricket in November 2025 after 17 years when South Africa men played a three-match ODI series against Pakistan at the venue. With the ACC Women’s U19 Asia Cup and the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup looming large on the horizon, the format of the tri-series has been set to be triple round-robin in order to provide maximum playing opportunities to the players. Each of the three teams will play six T20s in the lead up to the final. Pakistan will face Bangladesh on the opening day of the tri-series on Friday, 2 October, while they will face Sri Lanka on the subsequent day before all teams rest on 4 October. A total of 10 matches will be played in the tournament across two weeks. The Women’s National Selection Committee has announced a 20-member Pakistan U19 squad for the tri-series. Fizza Fiaz will continue to lead Pakistan U19, while top-order batter Qamrosh Farhan, opening batters Malaika Suhani and Pakeeza Shabbir along with off-spinner Afsheen Khan have received maiden call-ups. Qamrosh joins her sister Ravail in the squad after scoring 139 runs in the National Women’s U19 Tournament. Pakeeza was best batter of the tournament with 283 runs, while Malaika scored 192 runs. Afsheen bagged the best bowler of the tournament award with her right-arm off-spin, taking 18 wickets. The squad will reach Faisalabad today and will undergo a 12-day training camp at the Iqbal Stadium and Bohranwala. It will also include a at least four intra-squad practice matches along with training sessions. Only 15 players will be considered for selection on match days during the tri-series, while the remaining five will remain in Faisalabad during the series and will be selected in the 15 on rotational basis across the series.Pakistan Women U19 squad: Fizza Fiaz (captain), Afsheen Khan, Alzoha Hammad, Aqsa Habib, Areesha Ansari (wk), Komal Khan (wk), Mah Noor, Barirah Saif, Maham Nazakat, Mahnoor Zeb, Malaika Suhani, Memoona Khalid, Pakeeza Shabbir, Qamrosh Farhan, Raahima Syed, Ravail Farhan, Rozina Akram, Shahar Bano, Zainab Khanum and Zoofishan AyyazPlayer support personnel:Mohammad Masroor (head coach), Shoaib Khan (batting coach), Naeem Tayyab (bowling coach), Jaweria Rauf (fielding coach), Taimoor Mehmood (strength & conditioning coach), Suraksha Shaker (physiotherapist), Eman Tufail Arbab (performance analyst) and Aisha Jalil (team manager)Women’s U19 T20 tri-series schedule: (All matches to begin at 10am; All matches at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad)2 October – Pakistan v Bangladesh  3 October – Pakistan v Sri Lanka 5 October – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh 6 October – Pakistan v Bangladesh 8 October – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka 9 October – Pakistan v Sri Lanka 11 October – Pakistan v Bangladesh 12 October – Pakistan v Sri Lanka14 October – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh 16 October – Final 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (PR): Saudi Pro League (SPL) has launched an innovative new international distribution model that will take live Roshn Saudi League (RSL) matches directly to fans across 16 markets - while enabling approved content creators, clubs, players and third-party platforms to participate in growing the league’s international audience.Marking the SPL’s entry into the rapidly expanding global creator economy, the initiative combines direct-to-consumer broadcasting through SPL-owned channels with a wider network of distribution partners, creating a new approach designed to democratise both access to the RSL and participation in its international growth.Through the new model, fans in selected markets will be able to watch live RSL matches on a pay-per-view basis directly through SPL-owned channels, or receive free, brand-sponsored access in exchange for an agreed action, such as registering or engaging with the sponsoring brand.  RSL players and approved content creators will also be able to promote individual matches and bundles across their own platforms and communities, receiving a share of the revenue they generate, while selected third-party platforms will form part of the wider distribution network. The model is powered by Recast’s monetisation and instant revenue-sharing technology.The new approach sees the SPL expand the traditional relationship between sports properties, their audiences and those who help connect them. By opening distribution to a broader range of approved partners, the league is creating opportunities for those with engaged football audiences to participate directly in expanding the RSL’s reach and share in the value they help generate.The initiative will initially be available across 16 international markets: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, Serbia, South Korea, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Cyprus and Greece.It represents the latest step in the SPL’s international growth strategy and provides an additional route to reach fans in markets where traditional broadcast distribution may not provide widespread access to live RSL matches.“The way people discover, consume and engage with sport is changing rapidly,” Omar Mugharbel, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Pro League, said. “Fans are increasingly connected to competitions, clubs and players through digital platforms and the creators and communities they trust.“For generations, sports distribution has largely been a relationship between rights holders and broadcasters. Developments in technology and the growth of the creator economy give us an opportunity to add another dimension to that relationship - one in which a broader network of partners can help connect our football with fans and participate in that growth.“By democratising both access and distribution, we can bring live RSL football closer to international fans while giving approved content creators, our clubs and players, and other distribution partners a genuine stake in helping us reach new audiences.“For the SPL, this is an opportunity to innovate, learn and build new relationships with the people and platforms shaping how sport is discovered and consumed around the world. As we continue to grow internationally, we want to explore new models that bring fans and the league closer together while creating shared value as our international audience expands.”

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) today launched its Pakistan Women’s Football Strategy 2026–2030, setting out a national framework to develop women’s football from grassroots participation to the elite level and create sustainable pathways for players, coaches, referees, administrators and leaders.Launched in Islamabad under the theme “From Paper to the Pitch,” the strategy is built around five interconnected pillars: Participation and Competitions; Player Development and High-Performance; Education and Capacity Development; Visibility, Engagement and Growth; and Governance and Leadership.The strategy builds on an existing landscape of 62 registered clubs and academies, 673 registered female players, five certified women referees and the last AFC “A” Licence coaching course for women held in 2020.PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani said the launch came at a historic moment for women’s football in Pakistan.“This is a historic year for Pakistan women’s football. Our women’s team has created history by participating in a FIFA event, and the women’s team is now ranked higher than the men’s team,” he said. “To all the players, coaches and staff who made this possible, everyone deserves our congratulations.”Gilani said the strategy centred on three priorities: improving national team performance, investing in youth development, and creating a broader ecosystem for women’s football.“We need to produce players, but we also need coaches, referees, managers and leaders,” he said. “It is my pledge that we want to create an ecosystem for women’s football where they can become whatever they want to be within the game.”He also highlighted the emphasis on women’s training through the PFF’s recent Football for Schools programme and the appointment of a woman as the federation’s safeguarding officer.Presenting the strategy, Head of Women’s Football Mejzgaan Orakzai said its central ambition was to establish a connected pathway allowing girls to enter football at grassroots level and progress towards the national team.“At its heart, this strategy is about developing women’s football from grassroots to the elite level,” Orakzai said. “The existing landscape is challenging, but there are great opportunities for growth. This is not about starting from zero; it is about building upon and strengthening what already exists.”The strategy proposes expanded grassroots and youth competitions alongside a tiered national, provincial and district women’s league structure, supported by a comprehensive player registration system and a national talent identification framework.“The pathway has to begin with access,” Orakzai said. “We want more girls playing football in schools, clubs and academies, more regular competitions, and a system that can identify talent wherever it exists.”Under its Player Development and High-Performance pillar, the strategy proposes Regional Training Centres, national youth programmes and a Women’s National Team High-Performance Framework, with regular international exposure for youth teams and at least 10 international matches annually for the senior national team.“High performance cannot be separated from the development system beneath it,” Orakzai said. “We need to identify players earlier, monitor their progression and provide them with the coaching, competition and support they need to reach the highest level.”The Education and Capacity Development pillar includes a national women’s coach education pathway, referee development programmes and leadership opportunities for women. It targets the training and certification of at least 250 female coaches across four regions and an increase in registered female referees to 100.The strategy also seeks to raise the profile and commercial appeal of women’s football through outreach, marketing, communications, media partnerships and fan engagement, with programmes designed to reach at least 2,000 girls annually across the four regions.Its Governance and Leadership pillar focuses on greater representation of women in leadership, stronger monitoring and reporting, club and league professionalisation, and enhanced safeguarding and player welfare.PFF Chief Operating Officer Shahid Khokhar said strategic planning was about aligning ambition with reality.“As a student of strategic planning, it is important to create a plan that aligns your dreams and ambitions with reality,” he said.PFF Technical Director Adeel Rizki said: “Youth football is very critical. What happens over the next three years will depend greatly on what happens with the youth,” Rizki said. “With proper planning and execution, we can have a very robust national system.”Coordinator to the Prime Minister for the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination Syeda Mehreen Sajid welcomed the creation of a clear pathway while emphasising the need to reach talent beyond major cities.“Building a pathway is amazing, because we can then see a plan and a direction,” she said. “I am hoping that you will cater to smaller towns as well as the bigger cities, because some amazing talent is hiding there.”Looking towards 2030, the strategy envisions more girls participating in football, more players, coaches and referees entering the system, greater opportunities for women in leadership, and a football environment that is accountable, professional and safe.The strategy’s mission is to develop women’s football into one of the leading sports for females in Pakistan while creating a comprehensive structure that nurtures talent from grassroots to elite level.

Lahore(Sports Reporter) The 5th Hakeem Nadir Abbas Taekwondo Championship will be held on September 19, 2026.A Taekwondo Coaching and Referee Judge Course, organized in collaboration with the National Taekwondo Club and NS Taekwondo Club. was organized to promote the sport of Taekwondo on modern lines, improve the professional skills of coaches and referees and make them aware of the rules of the game. Men's and women's Taekwondo coaches, referees, judges and players from various schools and colleges participated in the Taekwondo Coaching and Referee Judge Course.

Dubai (Sports Reporter): Seasoned batter Harpreet Singh Bhatia will lead UAE in the three-match T20I series against hosts Malaysia. The series begins on Monday, 14 September. The second and third matches of the series will be played on Wednesday 16 September and Thursday 17 September. All series matches will be held at the Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur with the first ball to be bowled at 10:00am local time. *UAE’s 15-member squad – Malaysia T20I series:* Harpreet Singh Bhatia (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Adeeb Usmani, Akshdeep Nath, Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Haider Ali, Ibrar Ahmed, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Shahdad, Rahul Chopra, Sohaib Khan and Tanish Suri.*Support Staff:* Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Stanley Chioza (fielding coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manpreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pardeshi (physiotherapist). *Malaysia vs UAE T20I Series – match schedule (Local time – Kuala Lumpur):*First T20I – Monday 14 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurSecond T20I –Wednesday, 16 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurThird T2oI – Thursday, 17 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur 

Islamabad (SBR): Mixed Martial Arts sport has been included in the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 for the first time, and Pakistan has become an official participant in this historic event.On this occasion, the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA) has selected Pakistan’s top-ranked and experienced MMA referee, Abu Huraira, as an International Technical Official (ITO)/Referee for the MMA competitions at the Asian Games. This selection is not only an honor for Pakistan but also international recognition of the standards and capabilities of the country’s MMA refereeing.At the same historic event, Asim Khan will represent Pakistan as the first Pakistani MMA athlete at the Asian Games, while Dilawar Khan Sanan will serve as Team Official for the Pakistan MMA team.PMMAF President Zulfiqar Ali expressed pleasure over Pakistan’s historic participation in the Asian Games and particularly over Abu Huraira’s selection as an official, offering him heartfelt congratulations and best wishes.He said: “The inclusion of MMA in the Asian Games and Pakistan’s representation as both athlete and official is a historic achievement for Pakistani mixed martial arts. This honor will open new avenues for Pakistan’s young MMA athletes and officials.” He prayed for the success of Abu Huraira, Asim Khan, and Dilawar Khan Sanan.

162,000 footballs to be distributed among students, Scheme to kick off in January 2027Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation has formally launched the FIFA Football for Schools programme in Pakistan, targeting three million students through 3,000 public schools as part of an ambitious strategy to expand grassroots participation and establish a stronger football culture across the country.More than 50 master trainers have completed their training under the guidance of FIFA instructors led by Antonio Buenano Sanchez, Senior Football for Schools Manager at FIFA. The launch event brought together senior PFF officials and representatives of FIFA, the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and UNESCO.Speaking at the press conference, PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani said the target of reaching three million students through 3,000 schools was a conservative estimate, with the PFF intending to expand well beyond those numbers. As part of the rollout, 162,000 footballs will be distributed across the schools.Acknowledging that infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges facing football in Pakistan, Gilani said the programme was being introduced through public schools. FIFA developed the criteria for selecting schools and teachers, while school identification was carried out with the PFF’s partners, including the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and UNESCO.Gilani also underlined the role of teachers in making the initiative sustainable, describing them as new stakeholders, custodians and ambassadors for football in their communities. “Today is the last day of your course. Tomorrow is the first day of your mission,” he told the teachers and master trainers.Antonio Buenano Sanchez, Senior Football for Schools Manager at FIFA, said the programme had the potential to have a “massive” impact on Pakistan’s youth.Football for Schools has already benefited 154 countries, Sanchez said, with Pakistan now set to use a cascading model in which the more than 50 master trainers return to their districts and train additional teachers. This could create a network of around 450 trainers in a short period.FIFA will also provide educators access to the Football for Schools app in Urdu.“Talent is everywhere,” Sanchez said, stressing that children from every part of Pakistan should have the opportunity to develop their potential. With the right opportunities, he said, some could go on to represent Pakistan in the future.“But this needs the right processes, the right systems,” he added, reaffirming FIFA’s commitment to building those systems with the PFF.For PFF Chief Operating Officer Shahid Khokhar, the programme represents an opportunity to establish a stronger football culture in Pakistan and grow the country’s fan base, creating greater potential for the commercialisation and sustainability of the game.PFF Technical Director Adeel Rizki said the trained teachers had been empowered to return to their districts and train others, with the current rollout representing only the first stage.“This is the first stage, and we will slowly but surely increase the number of schools and districts that we are looking to bring into the programme,” Rizki said.He said the next major step would be the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), scheduled to launch in January 2027, which will introduce a structured system for identifying and developing age-group talent emerging from initiatives such as Football for Schools.Fuad Pashayev, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative in Pakistan, said football could be a powerful tool for youth development and social change, helping cultivate mental resilience and a sense of belonging. UNESCO will work with the PFF in 15 districts, using football to engage young people and promote social change.Andrei Vashkevich, Senior Member Associations Development Manager at FIFA’s Dubai Office, said Football for Schools was designed to establish the foundations of a country’s football system through mass participation at grassroots level. He welcomed the revival of football activity in Pakistan and reaffirmed FIFA’s commitment to supporting the country’s football development.Syeda Amna Batool, MNA and Focal Person for the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, stressed the role of sport in developing children beyond the classroom and called for the programme to be genuinely inclusive, particularly by ensuring girls have opportunities to participate and develop through football.Through Football for Schools, children across Pakistan will have the opportunity to develop not only footballing ability but also confidence, resilience, friendship and leadership, while the programme lays the foundations for a broader and more sustainable football ecosystem.