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LAHORE: Pakistan Oly­mpic Association (POA) president Arif Saeed has reiterated that the association and its affiliated federations will function stri­ctly under the Inter­national Olympic Commi­ttee (IOC) Charter, while expressing readiness to work with the government without compromising on autonomy. Responding to concerns over tensions between the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and national federations — reminiscent of disputes from 2012 to 2014 — Arif said the POA valued its working relationship with the federal sports authorities. “As far as the autonomy of national sports federations is concerned, it will be safeguarded under the IOC Charter,” Arif told reporters. “I am in…

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesAffordable Care Act insurance premiums are set to rise sharply next year if Congress doesn’t intervene.That’s because enhanced subsidies that have reduced costs for millions of enrollees in health plans purchased through the ACA marketplace in recent years are set to expire after 2025. (The ACA is also referred to as Obamacare.)The disappearance of these enhanced premium tax credits — a so-called “subsidy cliff” — would cause average premiums to rise by about 75%, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. That would amount to more than $700 in additional premium payments…

PHNOM PENH: Pakistan’s 2026 AFC Under-23 Asian Cup qualifying campaign came to an end with a third straight loss when the suffered a 1-0 reverse against Oman at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday. After Iraq, who finished top of Group ‘G’ and secured a berth at next year’s finals, had thumped Pakistan 8-1 in the opener, Nolberto Solano’s men lost their second game 1-0 to hosts Cambodia before Turki Abdullah’s first-half goal proved decisive in their match against Oman. Oman got into their rhythm quickly with Nasser Alsaqri’s pace seeing him break through on the right, beat a defender and…

LAHORE: Olympic javelin throw champion Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday said that he was looking to produce his best as the star athlete gets ready for a top-level competition at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 28-year-old Arshad, who stunned the athletics world by throwing the javelin at an Olympic record 92.97 metres distance to achieve glory for Pakistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was seen preparing for the Sept 13-21 global spectacle at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore just a few hours before leaving for Tokyo via Bangkok. And the celebrated player during practice attempted throws at distances above…

Azmatullah Omarzai hammered a 20-ball fifty as Afghanistan thrashed Hong Kong by 94 runs in the opening match of the men’s T20 Asia Cup on Tuesday. The 17th edition of the Asia Cup kicked off with the Group ‘B’ match between the two teams which have six-time Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as the other teams in their group Afghanistan elected to bat first in Abu Dhabi and posted 188-6 with opener Sediqullah Atal playing the anchor role with an unbeaten 73. His fifth-wicket partnership of 82 with Omarzai, who hit 53 off 21 balls, including two fours…

DUBAI: Reigning 20-overs world champions India look overwhelming favourites to retain their Asia Cup title but Pakistan head into the tournament, beginning on Tuesday, with a spring in their step after their victory in a tri-series tournament with Afghani­stan and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan thumped Afgha­nistan by 75 runs on a tricky pitch in Sunday’s final in Sharjah, with Mohammad Nawaz claiming a hat-trick in a career-best five-wic­ket haul, and coach Mike Hesson believes it will serve as a “confidence builder” for the Asia Cup. “We have beaten Afghanistan in conditions that suited their spin attack, which was a…

Helovi | E+ | Getty ImagesAmericans are feeling more optimistic when it comes to retirement.Just 21% Americans surveyed by Natixis Investment Managers said it will “take a miracle” to have a secure retirement, down almost half from 41% who said the same in 2021.Part of that confidence stems from the S&P 500 index’s two consecutive years of returns exceeding 20% — half of survey respondents said those results made investing look easy, according to Natixis.Yet 69% of the 750 Americans surveyed earlier this year said they still worry about instability and the potential financial impact.Among their top retirement concerns are…

Pakistan captain Salman Agha and his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav will not tell their teammates to temper aggression when the arch-rivals clash in a geopolitically-charged men’s Asia Cup contest in Dubai on Sunday. It will be the first cricket match between the sides since four days of military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May this year. While players from both sides have shared cordial relations over the years despite geopolitical realities, both captains were asked if they would instruct their players to dial down their aggression, considering the larger context. “You don’t need to say anything to any player…

LONDON: Two of the four Olympic sprint titles may have evaded the United States in Paris last year but the sport’s superpower is targeting a clean sweep at the Athletics World Championships, with Noah Lyles and Melissa Jeffe­rson-Wooden leading the charge. The US dominated global sprinting for decades but endured an uncomfortable period in the shadows as Jamaica took command on the men’s and women’s sides. Now, as the Caribbean island’s depth has fallen away, the Americans are reasserting their dominance and are hoping for their first world championship sweep for 20 years. Lyles, of course, is the leading light…

LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Monday announced the squad for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, which will be played later this month in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, marking the country’s first-ever appearance in a major international futsal competition. The national team has begun a training camp here at the Liaquat Gymnasium within the Jinnah Sports Complex, led by head coach Sakhawat Ali. Pakistan were drawn into Group ‘D’ of the qualifiers alongside Iraq, Chinese Taipei and host nation Saudi Arabia. The team will begin their campaign against Iraq on Sept 20, followed by a match against Saudi…