Category Sports News

On Sunday, August 3, Celtic, champions, begin their campaign against St Mirren to defend their Scottish Premiership crown.

The only 15:00 BST kickoff on Saturday, August 2, is when Rangers travel to Motherwell in the early evening. Kilmarnock will face Livingston.

On Sunday, Falkirk hosts Dundee United, returning to the top flight after 15 years, while Dundee faces Hibernian.

Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian welcome Aberdeen to Tynecastle on August 4, 2018.

Last season, Celtic won 13 of their previous 14 titles, coming in 17 points clear of Rangers’ closest challengers.

Rangers travel to Dundee (17: 45), while Celtic travel to Aberdeen (12: 30) in the second round of fixtures.

On match weekend four, with a noon start, the first Old Firm derby of the season will take place at Ibrox on Sunday, August 31.

On August 30th, Dundee and Dundee United square off in Dens Park, while Hearts and Hibs, Edinburgh’s rivals, are scheduled to meet at Tynecastle on the weekend of October 4.

After 33 games, the division split in two, with the final five matches set to start on April 25 and end on May 17.

August 2nd,

Kilmarnock v Livingston (15: 00)

Motherwell v Rangers (17: 30)

Sunday, August 3

Falkirk v Dundee United (14: 00)

Dundee v Hibernian (15: 00)

Celtic v St Mirren (16: 30)

Monday, August 4

Galal Yafai defies this bravado culture, but boxing is crowded with competitors who bellow about their greatness before demonstrating it.

“People on the outside assume boxers are always so confident.” They believe I must be a fuller just because I won Olympic gold, but that is completely false, Yafai tells BBC Sport.

“Sometimes, I feel like I can’t do this or that fight might end.”

Yafai thinks confronting those unfavorable thoughts can stop the impact of those negative thoughts.

And this sincere determination may have helped the 32-year-old, who won the Olympic title, reach the height of amateur boxing and is now on the verge of earning him professional accolades.

The Birmingham native worked shifts at a Solihull car factory with boxing training ten years ago.

At BP Pulse Live Arena on Saturday, he will face Francisco Rodriguez Jr., a Mexican wrestler, to defend his WBC interim title.

Victory might lead to a unified fight between WBA and WBC titlist Kenshiro Teraji and Yafai, who would not be reluctant to visit the champion’s hometown.

He claims that his Olympic gold in Tokyo was a good match for his country.

He claims that “a few more people are watching me now” than he did against Sunny. How I beat him, rather than just beating him.

“It wasn’t a difficult fight; I enjoyed six rounds.” A week or so later, I took a little break, and I then returned to the gym.

Yafai is, however, unsure of his position within the boxing fraternity.

Flyweights are frequently overshadowed by the sport’s larger men, who rarely command the headlines on fight nights or dominate headlines.

“We don’t receive the praise,” Yafai sighs wryly and says, “I wish I was 6 feet 4 inches and a heavyweight.”

Rodriguez Jr., a former world champion who won 39 fights, six losses, and one draw, is expected to defeat Yafai.

His previous contest was changed from a points win to a no-contest contest. Yafai claims he is unsure of the reasons, and that CBS Sport reached out to the Texas boxing commission for clarification.

Yafai claims that boxing produces those strange stories. He is a tough, experienced fighter, but all I can do is concentrate on what is right. That will, I’m sure, be sufficient by night.

A showdown with Teraji is on the horizon beyond Rodriguez. Step up in the fight against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the two-weight world champion who defeated Edwards in 2023, is perhaps even bolder.

Yafai claims that despite the fact that he is a great fighter and that I am not delusional, I would probably do myself a disgrace if I faced a champion like him.

However, when he stopped Sunny, I saw enough to figure out how to stop him.

The goal is still unambiguous for the time being.

Yafai says, “First, I must win on Saturday.” “And then, I can win a world title.”

Hunter Bigge, a player for the Tampa Bay Rays, was taken to the hospital after being struck by a ball traveling at 105 mph during a Major League Baseball game.

When Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles unintentionally threw the ball into the Tampa, Florida home dugout, the relief pitcher, 27, was struck on the side of the face.

Bigge had been leaning on a rail in front of the dugout while he was recuperating from a muscle strain and was not playing in the game.

Before going to the hospital to be evaluated, emergency medical staff immediately intervened to save him. He was placed in a neck brace and removed on a stretcher.

Bigge was treated for ten minutes before being stopped, but he gave the crowd a thumbs-up as he was taken away.

Bigge was speaking with the medical staff throughout the entire process, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash.

You feel a lot for Hunter and his wife, I assure you. He said, “I can’t imagine what she and he were going through.”

No one else is worse than everyone else.

Tony Mansolino, the Orioles’ interim manager, said: “It’s really frightening. It’s terrifying. We all sleep in these dugouts every night, and in many ways, you almost feel like ducks sitting there.

Rutschman, who struck the ball, was in agreement.

First-round leaderboard for the Women’s PGA Championship:

-4 J Thitikul (Tha), -3 M Lee (Aus), -2 R Takeda (Jpn), H Ryu (Kor), Y Noh (US), S Lee (Kor)

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand shot a 68 to take the Women’s PGA Championship early on.

At the third of the five LPGA majors this year, world number two Thitikul, 22, rallied from a double bogey to win on four under par.

After a rollercoaster-style round of 69, which included seven birdies and four bogeys, Australia’s Minjee Lee was one shot further back.

Nelly Korda, the world’s number one, missed out on a round of 72 with two birdies and two bogeys.

Leona Maguire from Ireland was also on par, while Georgia Hall from England was a 73.

Thitikul, who is yet to win a major, said, “I think my putter went really well today.”

“I made putts at] seven, eight, and nine, which increase the confidence up making the turn to the back nine, but we had a lot of breeze going going and more than the back nine.”

I actually told myself to just be patient and focused on the next shot because [in the]majors you]are] going to miss anyway. How do you recover? It is more crucial.

The heat is cited as a contributing factor by Lee and Korda, who are attempting to compete at the Fields Ranch East course in Texas.

I just kept asking my doctor, “Can you give me another cup of water, or can you give me another?” Lee asked.

“I don’t believe there is enough]water available.” It is extremely hot.

Korda continued, “I’m still cooling down right now because it’s hot.”

After the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in game six to bring the series to a close, the winner-takes-all game seven will determine the NBA Finals.

The Pacers’ excellent attacking display, which included Obi Toppin scoring 20 points off the bench, prevented the Thunder from winning the Indianapolis Championship.

In 22 minutes of play, star player Tyrese Haliburton, who had a calf injury, passed a late fitness test before tip-off. He managed 14 points, five assists, and two steals.

We were afraid to watch those men win a championship on our home turf. We simply responded, rubbing our hands against the wall.

“There were so many different guys who chipped in. A whole team worked together. This group is really talented.

The victory means that Game 7 of the NBA Finals will return for the first time since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the series with a 4-3 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Game seven will be played on Monday at 11:00 BST, but the Thunder will need much better play to win their first Championship since 1979.

The Thunder’s most successful player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, top scored with 21 points, but his team paid the price for missing their opening eight shots, which gave the Pacers an early eight-point lead.

“Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, “Credit Indiana.” The victory was theirs. For the majority of the 48 minutes, they outlasted us. They staged an offensive against the game.

Game one: Thunder 110-111 Pacers (Indiana lead 1-0)

Game two: Thunder 123-107 Pacers (Series tied 1-1)

Game three: Pacers 116-103 Thunder (Indiana lead 2-1)

Game four: Pacers 104-111 Thunder (Series tied 2-2)

Game five: Thunder 120-109 Pacers (Oklahoma Cit lead 3-2)

Game six: Pacers 108-91 Thunder (Series tied 3-3)

Premier League clubs are busy preparing their squads for the start of the 2025-26 season, which kicks off on August 15 when champions Liverpool take on Bournemouth at Anfield. The summer transfer window is in full swing.

Significant agreements have already been made.

Liverpool have agreed a £116m deal to sign Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and are in talks to sign Bournemouth’s Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez for a fee of around £40m-£45m.

Meanwhile, Manchester City confirmed the signings of AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for an initial fee of £46.5 million, while Brazil forward Matheus Cunha moved from Wolves for a sum of $ 62.5 million.

However, there are plenty of bargains to be struck because many seasoned Premier League players are free to sign for free until July 1st.

Will they stay in England’s top-flight – or move elsewhere?

Lukasz Fabianski will leave West Ham after seven years with the Hammers after turning 40 in April.

The Polish goalkeeper, however, appears to be in no hurry to hang up his gloves.

The veteran of 376 Premier League appearances – and 92 clean sheets – for Arsenal, Swansea and the Hammers won the FA Cup with the Gunners in 2014 and was on the bench when West Ham beat Fiorentina to win the Conference League in 2023.

Could Fabianski make a solid backup with that level of experience?

He signed for £1 million from Fleetwood Town, and he joins Leicester City with 200 goals.

Jamie Vardy, 38, is unlikely to be short of offers despite his age. His goals helped Leicester win the Premier League title in 2015-16 and the FA Cup in 2020-21.

According to reports, the former England striker is wanted by Rangers.

What will Christian Eriksen do after a successful career that included playing for Ajax, Tottenham, Inter Milan, Brentford, and Manchester United?

Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans will all leave Old Trafford this summer, according to United.

Will Eriksen return to homeland or look to sign for another Premier League club?

Danny Ings, 17, made his first appearance for the Cherries in the 2009 EFL Trophy while they were in League Two.

Fast forward 16 years and the forward, who has scored 72 goals in 240 Premier League appearances for Burnley, Liverpool, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Ham, is looking for a new club.

According to reports, Wrexham, who are funded by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, want Ings, who made his final three appearances for England in 2020.

Even though Everton released him, Ashley Young claims he has no plans to retire on July 9 and that he is celebrating his 40th birthday.

Full-back Young has spent most of his career playing in the Premier League for Watford, Aston Villa and Manchester United, while he also enjoyed a stint in Italy with Inter Milan, before joining the Toffees in 2023.

I’m not ready to retire, Young told Talksport in May, “I just want to keep playing, however that may look, however that may appear.”

The 485 Premier League veteran has been linked with Wrexham, a newcomer to the championship.

A product of the Manchester City academy, Ben Mee spent a decade at Burnley before moving to Brentford following the Clarets ‘ relegation at the end of the 2021-22 season.

As Brentford finished ninth in his first season, the defender won the supporters’ player of the year award.

Mee, 35, has made 277 total Premier League appearances for Brentford, totaling 67 times overall.

Will Neal Maupay stay in France after spending the season on loan at Marseille?

After a incredibly disappointing three years on the books at Goodison Park, Everton have unsurprisingly decided not to offer the French forward, 28, a new contract.

The Toffees have only allowed one goal in their 29 Premier League games.

Maupay disrespected Everton on social media when, after the club’s 2-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in December, he posted on X:” Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just check the Everton score and smile. “

Victor Lindelof, 30, will still feel confident that he can continue to perform well elsewhere in Europe.

The Sweden defender, who is leaving Manchester United after eight years, has been linked with moves to his former club, Fulham, Everton, West Ham, Wolves, Fenerbahce, and many others.

Lindelof made 194 Premier League appearances for United and helped the club win the EFL Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24.

Lindelof is said to want to stay in the Premier League.

Everton will be a part of my life today, I promise. I will be forever Blue, “said Abdoulaye Doucoure after confirming he was leaving the club after five years.

In a famous winner against Bournemouth against Bournemouth on the final day of the 2022-23 season, Mali midfielder Doucoure, 32, ensured Premier League survival.

Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche, and David Moyes were the five permanent Everton managers who he served at Goodison Park.

Doucoure is a reported target for Leeds United as they get ready for their Premier League return.

When his contract expires at the end of the month, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who joined Everton from Sheffield United on deadline day in August 2016, may decide to leave.

The 28-year-old has scored 57 goals in 239 Premier League appearances.

He endured another tough season at Goodison Park and only found the target three times in the 2024-25 league campaign, but his top-flight know-how and his role as a central striker still only in his late 20s, is sure to attract interest.

Everton have confirmed that discussions are ongoing between the forward’s representatives regarding new terms are ongoing.

Coufal, 32, served the Hammers for five years and played in the 2023 Uefa Conference League final when West Ham defeated Fiorentina 2-1 in Prague.

With Everton, Leeds, and Wolves all linked with a move, the Czech Republic defender has 147 Premier League appearances but has potential.

Kyle Walker-Peters’ contract expires on June 30, 2025, after initially joining Southampton on loan from Tottenham in 2020.

The 28-year-old is set to move away from St. Mary’s after five years where he has established himself as a consistent and quality performer at full-back.

Walker-Peters was named in the Championship team of the year after Southampton’s promotion to the top flight at the end of the 2023-24 campaign and made a 33 out of the possible 38 Premier League appearances.

In the upcoming days, some famous names will be out of contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, is one of those whose deal is up.

However, the 40-year-old Portuguese superstar appears to be working out of a new contract with his club.

Neymar, 33, signed a short-term deal with his hometown team Santos in January and becomes a free agent there as well.