World Snooker Tour China Open begins with 12 Chinese players in recor…

Taiyuan, China: The 2026 World Snooker Tour China Open began Saturday at Taiyuan Binhe Sports Center in north China's Shanxi Province, with a record 12 Chinese players among the 32 competitors in the main draw, which features all of the world's top 16-ranked players.

China's Liu Linhao and Wu Shengguang were eliminated in the first round during the morning session, losing 6-0 to Iran's Hossein Vafaei and Scotland's Anthony McGill, respectively. hiddenlangkawi.club

In the afternoon session, David Gilbert defeated China's Ding Junhui 6-1 to advance to the last 16, while Ding's compatriot Zhou Yuelong beat Welsh veteran Mark Williams 6-3.

Later Saturday, Wu Yize edged compatriot Yao Pengcheng 6-5, while Liu Hongyu defeated England's Barry Hawkins 6-4.

The tournament runs through August 16. Matches through the semifinals are played as best-of-11 frames, with the final contested over two sessions in a best-of-19 format.

The Chinese contingent's record representation marks a milestone for the tournament, with 12 home players competing in the main draw for the first time.

The China Open is a World Snooker Tour ranking event sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), with first-round matches continuing Sunday.

Darwin, Australia: Bangladesh folded for just 54 Saturday to lose their only warm-up game ahead of a two-Test series against top-ranked Australia by an innings and 38 runs.

The tourists were skittled by young quick Campbell Thompson, who claimed a stunning 8-25 off 11 overs as a Cricket Australia XI romped to victory before lunch on the third and final day in Darwin.

It does not bode well for Bangladesh, who face a full-strength Australia spearheaded by pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the same city next week.

Opener Tanzid Hasan was the only batter to reach double figures with 22.

Bangladesh made 263 in their first innings with the CA XI responding with 355.

"To clean it up this morning, I had a clear process -- just try to use the new ball, swing it and hit the stumps," said 22-year-old Thompson, who had played just one previous first-class match.

"I was lucky enough to get a few wickets."

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Jorge Messi, the father and agent of Lionel Messi, has died aged 68, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's childhood club Newell's Old Boys announced on Saturday.

Argentinian media reported Jorge Messi had passed away on Friday in a hospital in Rosario.

"His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel," Newell's Old Boys said in a social media post.

Jorge Messi was his son's first coach in Argentina and his sole companion when he first moved to Barcelona as a child, before later becoming his agent.

"My father helped me enormously. He is very critical of me. That made me always want to push myself further," Lionel Messi told DirecTV Sports in 2022.

Messi's family asked the media for "humanity" during the recent World Cup amid persistent rumours over Jorge's health.

Barcelona: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) have signed an agreement to foster closer sporting ties between the two regions.

OCA President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani signed on behalf of the Asian governing body while CANOC President Keith Joseph signed on behalf of the Caribbean NOCs.

The agreement, which was signed in Barcelona, Spain on Friday, August 7, stipulates the exchange of expertise in organizing sports events, developing athletes and benefiting from sports expertise, in addition to organizing joint scientific sports seminars and conferences between the two sides.