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

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

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed on April 15, 2026, that Iran will take part in the 2026 World Cup, with group matches scheduled in the United States despite tighter entry rules for Iranian nationals and an elevated security backdrop around the tournament.

Gianni Infantino delivered the remarks in Washington during a CNBC forum appearance, describing Iran’s participation as settled and linking delivery to operational planning across host cities. Iran qualified for the tournament in March 2025 and remains assigned to play two group fixtures in Inglewood, California, and a third in Seattle, according to published match allocations.

Mexican officials also confirmed FIFA rejected a request to shift Iran’s games to Mexico, keeping the existing venue plan intact across the three host countries.

FIFA has locked the expanded tournament format at 48 teams and 104 matches, with the United States hosting 78 fixtures. FIFA programming sets the final for July 19, 2026, in the New York-New Jersey venue cluster, anchoring a six-week operational calendar for airlines, hotels, transport operators, stadium contractors, and city agencies.

FIFA data circulated alongside the Washington appearance projects $11bn in tournament revenue during 2026, with the World Trade Organisation estimate placing gross output at $80.1bn, including $30.5bn in the US.

FIFA also framed the event as a funding engine for football projects across 211 national associations, tying commercial yield to global grant distribution.

Infantino offered a brief assurance to close speculation over Iran’s entry, telling the forum that Iran is “coming for sure” and linking delivery to match integrity and player availability.

US travel restrictions introduced ahead of the tournament include Iran, alongside Haiti, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast, creating a two-track access regime that separates teams from ticket-holding fans.

Council on Foreign Relations analysis indicates fans holding those passports cannot attend matches hosted in the United States under the current ban terms.

Fragomen’s analysis includes a carve-out for officials, teams, and support staff linked to qualified national sides, while explicitly excluding fans from the exemption.

US consular practice also adds a cost layer for some visitors through a Visa Bond Pilot Program, with refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 applied at the officer’s discretion for certain B1 B2 applicants.

CFR reporting also flags a $15,000 bond requirement for some non-immigrant visitors attending US matches, tightening demand elasticity for late booking travel.

Arabian Business

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

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have picked Sri Lanka’s left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka as an injury replacement for Brydon Carse for the remainder of IPL 2026. Madushanka will join SRH for INR 7.5 million.

Carse, who was retained by SRH ahead of the 2026 auction, hurt his right hand while batting in the nets before the tournament opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). SRH head coach Daniel Vettori had hoped for a quick recovery at that time but that did not happen.

Madushanka has played one Test, 28 ODIs and 19 T20Is for Sri Lanka and has 70 wickets in international cricket. He is uncapped in the IPL even though he was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad for the 2024 season, when a hamstring injury ruled him out of the season.

With Pat Cummins recovering from an injury and Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat being ineffective, SRH’s bowling unit came under the scanner. It resulted in them handing debuts to Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday. The two rookies picked up four wickets each to give their side a 57-run win.

Currently, SRH are fourth on the points table with two wins and three losses from five games.

Source: Espncricinfo

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.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have picked Sri Lanka’s left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka as an injury replacement for Brydon Carse for the remainder of IPL 2026. Madushanka will join SRH for INR 7.5 million.

Carse, who was retained by SRH ahead of the 2026 auction, hurt his right hand while batting in the nets before the tournament opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). SRH head coach Daniel Vettori had hoped for a quick recovery at that time but that did not happen.

Madushanka has played one Test, 28 ODIs and 19 T20Is for Sri Lanka and has 70 wickets in international cricket. He is uncapped in the IPL even though he was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad for the 2024 season, when a hamstring injury ruled him out of the season.

With Pat Cummins recovering from an injury and Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat being ineffective, SRH’s bowling unit came under the scanner. It resulted in them handing debuts to Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday. The two rookies picked up four wickets each to give their side a 57-run win.

Currently, SRH are fourth on the points table with two wins and three losses from five games.

Source: Espncricinfo

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

Former Australia batter David Warner has been charged with drink-driving in Sydney.

New South Wales Police confirmed a 39-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after returning a positive result following a random breath test in Maroubra in east Sydney.

Warner recorded a second positive test at a police station, which was reported at more than twice the legal blood alcohol concentration limit permitted in New South Wales.

“A van was seen to allegedly stop short of the testing site and park,” NSW Police said in a statement.

“Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command approached the vehicle and subjected the driver – a 39-year-old man – to roadside testing which returned a positive result.

“He was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where a second test allegedly returned a reading of 0.104.”

Warner has been charged with a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol, which applies to drivers in New South Wales with a blood alcohol concentration between 0.08 and 0.149.

He will appear in court on 7 May.

Warner, who retired from international cricket in 2024, is currently captain of Pakistan Super League side Karachi Kings.

Their next match is against Peshawar Zalmi on 9 April.

Source: BBC

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.