Sports

FIFA has fined the Israeli Football Association 150,000 Swiss Francs (£141,700) and issued a warning about its future conduct after investigating an “alleged offence of discrimination” by the Palestine Football Association (PFA).

A disciplinary committee looked into the IFA’s handling of racism in Israeli football as part of a PFA complaint at the 74th FIFA congress in May 2024.

World football’s governing body found the IFA had committed breaches of “articles 13 (offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and 15 (discrimination and racist abuse) of the FIFA disciplinary code”.

In addition to the fine and warning, the IFA has to display “a significant and highly visible banner with the words ‘Football Unites the World - No to Discrimination’ alongside the Israel Football Association’s logo” at its next three home matches.

“The size, layout, and positioning of the banner in the stadium shall be submitted by the Israel Football Association to FIFA at the latest 15 days before each match for approval,” said FIFA in a statement.

It has also ordered the IFA to “invest one third of the fine ... towards the implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents”.

FIFA added “the decision remains subject to a potential appeal” by the IFA.

The PFA also accused the IFA of “allowing inclusion of football teams located on the territory of another association (Palestine) in its national league”.

On this, FIFA said it “should take no action given that ... the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law”.

Meanwhile, the Palestine FA said its national team’s friendly matches against Mauritania and Benin in Morocco later this month have been cancelled because of the conflict in the Middle East.

Source: BBC

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has conveyed his appreciation to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after it was officially confirmed that the India–Pakistan T20 World Cup encounter will take place in Colombo. The announcement has cleared uncertainty surrounding one of the tournament’s most closely watched matches.

President Dissanayake noted that Sri Lanka values the efforts made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) along with all relevant parties in facilitating the smooth continuation of the event. He emphasized that collective cooperation played a key role in ensuring the match proceeds according to plan.

Iran will “boycott the United States” but “not the World Cup”, the Iranian football federation president, Mehdi Taj, said in a video released by the Iranian press agency Fars.

Iran are scheduled to play their group matches in the US in this summer’s tournament. “We will be preparing for the World Cup,” Taj said. “We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.”

Iran’s football federation said this week it had opened talks with Fifa about potentially relocating the team’s matches from the US to Mexico, though the global governing body has maintained that the tournament’s schedule remains unchanged.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Tuesday that her country was prepared to host Iran’s first-round matches if required, owing to the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s participation at the finals in the US, Canada and Mexico has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on the country last month, with Donald Trump warning that the safety of Iranian players would be at risk if they travelled to the tournament.

Sheinbaum, asked whether Mexico was open to hosting the matches, said: “Yes.” She added: “Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what Fifa decides.”

Iran are scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle. Iran would be due to meet the US in the last 32 in ­Dallas if they finish as runners-up in their respective groups.

A source offered the view to the Guardian this week that the US and Iran appeared to be engaged in a game of brinkmanship, with each attempting to create the conditions to force a withdrawal they can blame on their opponents, with Fifa caught in the middle.

Source: AFP and the Guardian

Sri Lanka’s iconic fast bowler Lasith Malinga will take on the role of Fast Bowling Consultant for the national team during their four preliminary matches at the T20 World Cup 2026. Sources from the cricketing community report that Malinga is expected to join the squad on February 5 to begin his consultancy duties.

England captain Harry Brook on Saturday admitted underestimating some teams in its group and promised to dish out stronger performances in the Super Eights stage in T20 World Cup 2026.

England, the two-time champion of the tournament, has been far from convincing thus far. It nearly lost to lowly Nepal before scraping to a four-run win, suffered a comprehensive 30-run defeat to former champion West Indies, and beat Scotland and Italy to reach the Super Eights.

It faces co-host Sri Lanka in its first match of the stage at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium today (22).

“It was obviously a niggly start to the competition. We probably underestimated a few of the sides, and they put up a really good fight and yeah, look, we came here to get through that stage, and thankfully we have, so we’re here in the Super Eights, and that’s our main focus now,” Brook said during the pre-match press conference.

Brook also conceded that his side had been “slightly too careful with the bat” in the group games and indicated that it would look to be more aggressive going forward.

“We’ve been slightly too careful with the bat. We can probably be a bit more brave in certain situations and have more faith in the guys behind us to be able to go out there and put a decent score on as well,” he said.

Talking about the Sri Lankan team, he said, “I’ve learned that you can’t take any team for granted, as we’ve seen in the group stages. We’ve managed to sneak through in a couple of games. Some of their batters are batting really well. So hopefully we can get a few wickets in the power play.”

Asked if batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell is fit to bowl, Brook said, “Not sure yet... he’s got a decent cut in his finger. So he’d have to have strapping on his finger, but if there’s some way we can get around that, then we’d like to bowl hi,m but at the minute I don’t think it’s possible.”

Source: adaderana.lk

A comprehensive security operation and traffic management plan will be implemented today in connection with the Sri Lanka–Zimbabwe T20 World Cup match scheduled to take place at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

The match is set to begin at 3:00 p.m., and stadium entrances will be opened to spectators from 12:00 noon. Authorities have encouraged fans to arrive early in order to minimize traffic congestion and allow security and traffic officers to carry out their duties effectively.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for Traffic Control and Road Safety, W.P.J. Senadheera, speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, stated that early arrival would help ensure smooth entry and reduce delays.

He also noted that the same security and traffic arrangements used during the recent India–Pakistan match will be applied for today’s game.

Police further announced that vehicle parking will be prohibited on selected roads surrounding the stadium from noon onwards. These restrictions are intended to maintain traffic flow and ensure public safety during the event.

Authorities urged the public to cooperate with the traffic plan and follow official instructions to ensure a smooth and safe experience for all spectators.

England’s senior batter Joe Root has spoken highly of Sri Lanka’s emerging talent Pavan Ratnayake after the youngster produced a memorable century in the third One Day International at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Ratnayake scored a superb 121 under intense pressure as Sri Lanka chased a daunting target of 357 for 3 set by England. The visitors’ total was built on an unbeaten 111 from Root and a blistering 136 by Harry Brook. Although Ratnayake fought valiantly, Sri Lanka were unable to cross the line, with England sealing a 2–1 series victory and ending Sri Lanka’s unbeaten home ODI series run that had lasted since 2022.

Reflecting on Ratnayake’s performance, Root said the young batter showed impressive maturity and skill, particularly against spin bowling. He praised Ratnayake’s ability to rotate the strike, avoid prolonged dot-ball pressure, and still find regular boundaries, describing the innings as “really quite special.”

Root added that Ratnayake appeared destined for a strong international career, noting that Sri Lanka may have pushed the game even closer had one or two more batters been able to support him at the crease.

The praise came at the end of a dominant series for Root himself, who registered scores of 61, 75 and an unbeaten 111 across the three matches, reinforcing his key role as England continue their push toward ODI World Cup qualification.

Despite the series loss, Ratnayake’s century provided Sri Lanka with a clear sign of promise, earning recognition from one of the world’s most accomplished batters and offering hope for the country’s next generation of cricketers.

The Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology has issued a special weather advisory indicating that a low-pressure area is expected to form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal on or around February 15.

The notice, released at 10.30 a.m. today by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, urges the public to stay alert and follow upcoming weather forecasts and official updates.

The warning coincides with two high-profile matches of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup set to be played in Sri Lanka. The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place in Colombo on February 15, while Sri Lanka will face Australia in Kandy on February 16.

With large crowds expected at both venues, organisers, teams, and spectators are likely to closely monitor weather developments in the coming days. Authorities have advised the public to rely on official bulletins for the latest information

Sri Lanka Police have announced a special traffic management arrangement in connection with the England Cricket Team’s tour of Sri Lanka, with matches scheduled to be held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on 22, 24 and 27 January 2026.

To ease traffic congestion in areas surrounding the stadium on match days, motorists and the general public are advised to use alternative routes from 12.00 noon until the matches conclude. Police emphasized that the affected roads will remain open for regular vehicular movement and will not be closed or subject to traffic restrictions.

The roads expected to experience increased congestion include Pradeepa Mawatha, Saddharma Mawatha, Jayantha Weerasekara Mawatha, Temple Road (Khettarama Mawatha), Adi 100 Para, Bodhiraja Mawatha, Vincent Perera Mawatha and Brito Babapulle Road.

Sri Lanka have suffered a major setback in their T20 World Cup campaign, with key all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga likely to be sidelined for the rest of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, sources said.

The injury was sustained during Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland on February 8, where the team went on to record a 20-run victory. Hasaranga reportedly picked up the issue during the course of the game.

According to sources, selectors are expected to bring in Dushan Hemantha as a replacement should Hasaranga be officially ruled out. An announcement is anticipated once medical assessments are finalized.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to make a final determination on Bangladesh’s involvement in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by January 21, following ongoing talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), ESPNcricinfo reported.

The ICC has notified the BCB that a clear decision is required on whether the national team will travel to India, the host nation for the tournament. The matter remains unresolved, with discussions continuing between the two parties.

Should Bangladesh opt out of the event, the ICC is likely to confirm a replacement team. Based on the current ICC rankings, Scotland are understood to be the leading contender to take Bangladesh’s place if required.