sport

GENEVA: The Afghanistan team’s status for the 2024 Paris Olympics was put in question Wednesday by the IOC over growing frustration with the Taliban blocking access to sport for women and girls. The International Olympic Committee said it “continues to be extremely concerned” about the sports situation in Afghanistan despite its repeated calls for action.

LONDON: Western allies on Wednesday promised to make Russia pay for invading Ukraine as governments and private investors met to fund the country’s reconstruction from the ravages of war. The World Bank has put an estimate of $14 billion on Ukraine’s immediate needs to repair the damage caused by the bitter fighting. But a recent study by the World Bank, the UN, the European Union and the Ukrainian government said the wider recovery of the economy would cost $411 billion.

RIYADH: French superstar N’Golo Kante has completed his transfer to Saudi side Al-Ittihad, the club announce early on Wednesday, and joins fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema in Jeddah. The team made fun of rumors around the deal being scuttled by medical issues  in a video skit on Twitter, showing the midfielder failing his medical before breaking the good news to fans.

NEW YORK: Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-plus French player expected to be taken by San Antonio with the first pick in the NBA draft this week, threw out a wild ceremonial first pitch before the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. He wore a pinstriped jersey with “New York” across the chest rather than the traditional interlocking “NY,” and he had Joe DiMaggio’s No. 5 on the back. Standing on the rubber, he fired the ball in the dirt, well wide of the plate to the first-base side.

KYIV: Ukrainian kickboxing champion Maksym Bordus has been killed fighting Russian forces, a website that lists athletes killed in the war said on Tuesday. Bordus was killed on June 11 in “fierce fighting against Russian invaders,” according to “Sport Angels,” a Ukrainian website set up with the assistance of the Sports Committee that brings together NGOs and federations from non-Olympic sports. “Every day he brought Ukraine’s victory closer with a weapon in his hands, but he himself will not see it,” it wrote under a photograph of Bordus posing with several medals.

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi developer Modon Properties has partnered with Kelly Slater Wave Company — world experts in wave technology — to create Surf Abu Dhabi, the most advanced facility of its kind in the world. Featuring the world’s longest ride and the biggest barrel, as well as its largest artificial wave facility, Surf Abu Dhabi is designed to cater for everyone, from beginners to elite surfers.

Manchester City and City Football Group Chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has spoken about the relief, happiness and pride that followed the club’s Champions League triumph over Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10. Here are some of the highlights from part one of an end-of-season interview published on the club’s website.  On winning the Treble