Cricket

London: The World Cricketers' Association issued a blunt assessment about the state of the game on Wednesday as it urged officials to create defined windows in a "chaotic" schedule and provide a fairer distribution of the sport's riches. The global players' union comments formed part of a review that took six months to compile and included the views of both current and former professionals, administrators and commercial partners. It concluded that the unchecked growth of Twenty20 franchise cricket is creating a stranglehold that leaves the current "chaotic, inconsistent and confusing" international schedule "at genuine risk". The WCA's most striking solution to that problem is a complete overhaul of the International Cricket Council's existing future tours programme. The current set-up, which dictates the bilateral obligations for each country, allows for huge differences between the sport's wealthiest and poorest leading nations. The players' union wants four distinct international windows each year, alongside divisional structures for all three formats -- Tests, one-day internationals and T20s -- taking in promotion and relegation based on results and feeding into World Cup qualification. The new plans are proposed to take effect in men's cricket from 2028 and women's cricket in 2029 - when the existing agreements expire. The WCA, many of whose members benefit financially from franchise tournaments, hopes this will allow international cricket "to co-exist with the growing T20 leagues rather than compete with them, thereby ensuring its future survival". Paul Marsh, chair of the sub-committee who produced the report, said: "Whilst there are a number of positive trends in cricket, there is no doubt that global cricket is at an inflection point. "Many of the issues highlighted in the report are challenging, but they need to be discussed if we are to create a more sustainable future in more than just a few countries." Marsh, a son of the late Australia cricket great Rodney Marsh, added: "Creating a clearer global calendar and incorporating more consistency across formats along with greater competition integrity and context for international cricket, will benefit cricket and all of its stakeholders hugely." The WCA report also called for a new revenue model to combat the current financial dominance of India, England and Australia and modernisation of the ICC based on principles of "shared ownership, independence, and representation reflective of the whole sport".

Qatar Sport

Doha, Qatar: MotoGP stands as the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, representing the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Governed by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), it is recognized as the oldest motorsports World Championship globally, established in 1949, making it older than Formula 1. Championship Structure The 2025 MotoGP season features 22 rounds across different countries, making it the largest calendar in the championship's history. The season begins in Thailand and concludes in Spain, with Qatar hosting the fourth round from April 11-13, 2025. Racing Classes The championship is divided into four distinct classes: MotoGP, the premier class using 1,000cc engines (switching to 850cc in 2027); Moto2, using 765cc Triumph-supplied engines; Moto3, using 250cc engines; and MotoE, featuring electric motorcycles supplied by Ducati (appearing at select events). Weekend Format A typical race weekend spans three days with Friday dedicated to practice sessions across all classes. Saturday brings additional practice, qualifying sessions, and the MotoGP Sprint Race, while Sunday delivers warm-up sessions followed by the main races for all classes. Points System Championship points are awarded based on finishing positions. For Sunday main races, points are distributed to the top 15 finishers as follows: 25 for 1st, 20 for 2nd, 16 for 3rd, 13 for 4th, 11 for 5th, and continuing to decrease to 1 point for 15th. Sprint race points are awarded to the top 9 finishers: 12 for 1st, 9 for 2nd, 7 for 3rd, 6 for 4th, 5 for 5th, decreasing to 1 point for 9th position. Championships Three championships run concurrently each season: - Riders' Championship: This is based on the individual points accumulated by each rider throughout the season across all races (both Sunday main races and Saturday sprint races). - Constructors' Championship: This is determined by taking only the highest-placing rider from each manufacturer in each race. This means that even if a manufacturer has multiple riders, only the points from their best-performing rider in each event count toward this championship. - Teams' Championship: This is calculated by combining the points of both riders from the same team. Each team typically has two riders, and their combined points determine the team's position in this championship. Team Structure The 2025 MotoGP season features a total of 11 teams, each fielding two riders, bringing the overall number of riders to 22. The teams are categorized as either: - Factory Teams: Owned by manufacturers, using the most current bikes with best support such as Ducati Lenovo Team, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Aprilia Racing, and Honda HRC. - Satellite/Independent Teams: Privately owned, typically using older machinery with less factory support including Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati), Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team (Ducati), Trackhouse MotoGP Team (Aprilia), Prima Pramac Yamaha, Castrol Honda LCR, and Red Bull KTM Tech3. Race Control and Penalties Officials communicate with riders primarily through flag signals, including yellow flags for danger, red flags to stop races, blue flags instructing slower riders to yield, and white flags indicating wet conditions. The main penalty in modern MotoGP is the long lap penalty, where riders must take a designated longer route costing them time. These are typically issued for track limit violations, with warnings after three infractions and penalties after five. Ride-through penalties (passing through pit lane at 60km/h) and time penalties are also used for various infractions when appropriate. Race Distances Race distances vary by class with MotoGP covering 110-120 km (21 laps at Qatar), Moto2 spanning 90-100km (18 laps),and Moto3 running 80-90 km (16 laps). For first-time spectators, understanding these basics will enhance appreciation of the high-speed competition and strategic elements that make MotoGP the pinnacle of two-wheeled motorsport.

Qatar Sport

Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi stormed to the Qatar Basketball Men’s League finals with a commanding 91-67 victory over Al Sadd, sealing a 2-1 win in the play-off series at Al Gharafa Hall yesterday. Al Arabi led from start, taking the first three quarters 28-19, 24-16, 17-6 to demolish Al Sadd 69-41 by the end of the third quarter before their opponents reduced the gap in the final period with a 22-26 score. Al Arabi’s Osiris Eldridge (pictured) led the charge for the defending champions, scoring 20 points and making six rebounds and three assists to earn the Most Valuable Player honors. He was well-supported by Elmedin Kikanovic who racked up 15 points and made nine rebounds, while Abdulrahman Saad excelled with 10 rebounds and made five assists. Ahmad Saeid Mohamad added 10 points in just over 12 minutes, while Cleanthony Robert Early came off the bench to score 14 points in addition to making four rebounds and three assists. Al Sadd tried to salvage through their star players Babacar Dieng, who posted 20 points alongside eight rebounds, and J’von Joseph McCormick who added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Faisal Nabil Abuissa also delivered 13 points, but their efforts were not sufficient to propel Al Sadd’s fightback as the Wolves fell short against the high-flying Al Arabi side. Al Sadd had secured a thrilling 80-78 victory in the opening play-of match in the second round, before Al Arabi bounced back with a resounding 89-70 win to force yesterday’s decider. Al Arabi, who are the second most successful team in the history of the League with nine titles in front of their name, will now meet record 18-time champions Al Rayyan in the finals. Al Rayyan had beaten Al Ahli 87-79 and 88-66 to book their place in the finals. The first of the final play-offs will take place on April 5, followed by the second on April 7. If both teams record a win each, the series will be pushed for a decider on April 10. On the other hand, Al Sadd will now head to the one-off third place play-off against Al Ahli on April 7.