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Aston Villa’s dramatic draw keeps Champions League dreams alive

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Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez attempts to block a cross from Liverpool midfielder. — Reuters File 

Aston Villa drew 2-2 against Liverpool at Villa Park on Monday as the Premier League match result kept their Champions League aspirations alive.

Villa fought back from a losing position. The match was filled with twists and turns. It had fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

Down with five minutes left, Villa seemed defeated after an own goal by Emiliano Martinez and a miss by Diego Carlos. However, substitute Jhon Durán scored two late goals that salvaged a crucial point and put Villa five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs still have two games left for them. Hence, they can still theoretically overtake Villa. However, Villa’s superior goal difference makes this unlikely. Celebrations erupted at the final whistle, with celebrity fan Tom Hanks among those rejoicing.

Villa last played in the European Cup in 1983. The match began disastrously with Martinez’s early own goal. Liverpool regained the lead after Villa equalised through Youri Tielemans. Diego Carlos missed a clear chance to equalise again. But Durán’s late heroics ensured a dramatic comeback.

England manager Gareth Southgate was in the crowd, likely observing players for the upcoming European Championship squad.

Aston Villa are now five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur. However, given their superior goal difference, Villa are in a strong position.

Aston Villa are now on the verge of returning to the top tier of European football. 

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Pakistani-origin boxer Hamzah Sheeraz wins European Boxing championship

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Hamzah Sheeraz (right) fighting Tyler Denny on September 21, 2024. —Facebook/@RiyadhSeason

Pakistani-origin British pugilist Hamzah Sheeraz has defeated British boxer Tyler Denny to claim the Middleweight European Boxing championship.

Sheeraz entirely eclipsed his British opponent at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening. The undefeated middleweight sent southpaw Denny to the canvas twice before overcoming him through technical knockout (TKO).

The first knockdown came with the help of a combination of right cross and left hook in the first round. Then, the winning boxer downed Denny once more in the second round with a powerful left hook. Referee Mark Bates declared the bout over and waved it off, despite the fact that Denny was able to stand again.

Experts believe Sheeraz’s height and arm length profoundly helped him keep his opponent at bay.

The Pakistani-origin boxer, a resident of London now, has remained undefeated raising the tally of his victories to 21-0 with this one.

In addition to winning Denny’s European title, the 25-year-old also won the Commonwealth and WBC ‘Silver’ titles.

33-year-old Denny, on the other hand, dropped to 19-3-3 and lost the strap. The defeat broke the English athlete’s six-fight winning streak.

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Sources: Embiid agrees to 3-year, $192.9M deal

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Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a three-year, $192.9 million maximum contract extension that guarantees the former MVP a total of $299.5 million through the 2028-29 season, sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Embiid announced that he and the team had agreed to the extension Friday morning, saying he hopes to remain a Sixer “for the rest of my career.”

“Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my career,” Embiid wrote on Instagram. “I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family. There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started!”

Embiid will decline his $59 million player option for the 2026-27 season and sign the new, three-year extension. He will earn $69 million in the final year of the new deal.

His career earnings will swell to $514.8 million with the new agreement, fourth highest in NBA history behind LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Paul George.

The 76ers also announced the extension Friday without disclosing terms. In a statement, Josh Harris, a managing partner of the ownership group, called Embiid “one of the greatest Sixers of all time” who was “on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game.”

“We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” Harris said. “Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely — if ever — seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.”

Embiid’s deal closes an offseason in which the 76ers committed $550 million in new money. They extended All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey on a $204 million deal and signed George to a four-year, $212 million contract. The Sixers also signed free agent forward Caleb Martin, guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond and re-signed guards Kelly Oubre and Kyle Lowry.

Embiid, 30, remains the cornerstone of the franchise, the 2023 NBA MVP who has made All-NBA five times and shown himself to be one of the most dominant centers in the modern history of the sport. He has averaged 27.9 points in his career — fourth most behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Luka Doncic, according to ESPN Research.

Last season, Embiid averaged 34.7 points but did not play enough games to qualify for the scoring title. His 1.03 points per minute made him the first player to average a point per minute since Chamberlain in 1961-62, per ESPN Research.

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12 Tufts lacrosse players suffer rare muscle injury

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BOSTON — A dozen Tufts University men’s lacrosse players have been diagnosed with a rare muscle injury after participating in a voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout the team conducted, a university spokesperson said.

Five of the players diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis remained hospitalized Friday, according to Patrick Collins, director of media relations for the school.

The workout Monday was led by a graduate of the university who had completed Navy SEAL training.

Rhabdomyolysis is an injury where a person’s muscles break down, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The life-threatening condition can occur after another injury or excessive exercise without rest.

Both the number of confirmed cases and the number of those hospitalized could change, Collins said.

“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of local medical experts,” Collins said in a written statement.

“Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation,” he added.

Given the seriousness of the injuries, Tufts is appointing an external, independent investigator to conduct a thorough review as quickly as possible, with a goal of taking any steps needed to support the safety of the school’s student-athletes, he said.

The university is still learning about the circumstances that led to the injuries, he said, and cannot provide additional details until the investigation is complete.

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PCB advertises for Red Ball High-Performance Coach

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Lahore: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued an advertisement to search for a High-Performance Coach for the Red Ball Team.

The High-Performance Coach will assist the Head Coach in game planning while he will also work closely with the Head Coach in pre- and post-tournament preparations to enhance performance.

As per PCB, five years’ experience and minimum level two coaches are eligible to apply, aspirants can submit applications till October 7.

In the series against Bangladesh, Tim Nelson took over as high-performance coach, brought in by Red Ball coach Jason Gillespie from South Australia.

It is also reported that Tim Nelson will be Red Ball’s high-performance coach, advertised as a necessary step for a permanent appointment.

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