SPORTS
Players Flee Court after UAE Drone Attack Causes nearby Fire
Players and officials ran from the court at an ATP Challenger event in the United Arab Emirates when an Iranian drone attack led to a fire breaking out at an oil terminal located about 10km away.
Two matches were stopped in Fujairah which is about 90 miles south-east of Dubai shortly after the city’s port was targeted on Tuesday morning.
The ATP later confirmed play was cancelled for the rest of the day.A live feed on the ATP website showed Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Russia’s Daniil Ostapenkov, along with the umpire and line judges, dash off court early in the third set.
Tournament officials could be heard shouting instructions to leave the court.
“Relevant authorities responded to a fire that broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, resulting from falling debris following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems,” the Government of Fujairah media office said in a statement.
Iranian drone and missile attacks have been fired towards the UAE over the past three days, in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Defence teams were still “working to contain the incident”, the statement added. No injuries were reported.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of our players, staff and tournament personnel is our priority,” “Following consultation with local authorities and security advisers, play has been cancelled for the remainder of the day as a precautionary measure.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as appropriate.”
On Monday, the ATP confirmed the Fujairah tournament was going ahead as planned after holding discussions with the local government about its viability.
The men’s governing body had been told it was safe to proceed, with extra security measures put in place and the event being held behind closed doors.
British players Max Basing and Zach Stephens are among the players in the draw.
Around 40 players, team members, officials and media remain stranded in Dubai.
Former world number one Daniil Medvedev and British doubles player Henry Patten were among those unable to leave after the Dubai Tennis Championships when airspace was closed in the region at the weekend.
All scheduled flights remain suspended, with only a limited number of planes prioritising passengers with earlier bookings and those in transit through Dubai taking off.
The possibility of the players driving out of Dubai and hiring private jets from neighbouring Oman has been explored over the past few days.
The prestigious Indian Wells tournament begins in California on Wednesday, although seeded singles players including Medvedev and fellow Russian player Andrey Rublev would not play until the weekend.
SPORTS
Super Eagles Friendlies against Iran, Jordan Moved to Turkey
The Jordan Football Association (JFA), has announced a new venue for the four-nation invitational tournament involving the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Iran, and Costa Rica.
The tournament was initially scheduled to be held in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Antalya, Turkey will now host the competition which will help the hosts Jordan,and Iran, prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“The Jordan Football Association has decided to move the matches of the four-team international friendly tournament, scheduled for March 2026, to be held in the Turkish city of Antalya, due to the current situation in the region and the limited movement of people,” the JFA announced on its official website.
The Super Eagles will face Iran in their first game on Friday, 27 March. Jordan and Costa Rica will also meet on the same day.
Eric Chelle’s side will confront hosts Jordan in their second game on Tuesday, 31 March.
Iran will also keep a date with Costa Rica on the same day.
SPORTS
Over 20 Schools Set for Third Athletics School Games in Lagos
No fewer than 20 schools are set to participate in the third edition of the Athletics School Games (TASG), a grassroots athletics competition for school children scheduled to be held in Lagos.
The 2026 edition of the competition will take place from March 20 to March 21 at the sports complex of Yaba College of Technology.
Seun Akinbohun, President of TASG, said in a statement on Wednesday that the competition, designed for children aged between four and 16, will feature participating schools competing in sprint races, middle-distance races and field events.
Akinbohun said the initiative, which began in 2024 and is registered with World Athletics, had continued to attract increasing participation from schools.
He noted that the third edition would introduce an expanded format aimed at improving athlete development and the overall competition structure.
“For the first time, primary school events will be separated from secondary school contests to allow for more races, better scheduling and improved recovery time for young athletes.
“Technical officiating, timing systems and event coordination have also been upgraded to meet higher standards,” he said.
Akinbohun said the games would provide a platform for talent discovery and exposure for young athletes while also promoting sportsmanship and character development among participating schools.
According to him, the Kashopefoluwa Sportsmanship Award will be presented to athletes and schools that demonstrate integrity, discipline and respect during the competition.
He, however, noted that the event had faced challenges, particularly in funding and sponsorship, with much of the competition being self-financed.
He added that infrastructure limitations also remained a concern, as equipment and venues were often independently sourced.
Akinbohun said the project had continued to grow, with each edition recording improvements in organisation and participation from schools in spite of the challenges.
“The unique part of the 2026 edition includes the introduction of new events such as the 400m hurdles in the senior secondary category, improved officiating and increased participation from schools.
“The games remain strictly schools-based, with clubs and academies excluded in order to strengthen inter-school sports programmes,” he added.
SPORTS
Trump ‘ll Welcome Iran at World Cup – Infantino
US President Donald Trump has said Iran are “welcome” to take part in this summer’s World Cup despite the countries being at war, according to Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Posting on Instagram, Infantino said he met with Trump on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament, which is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico and gets under way on 11 June.
Infantino said he and Trump “spoke about the current situation in Iran”.
Iran are scheduled to play three matches in the US, but their participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country this month, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries which host US military bases – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.
“We all need an event like the Fifa World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the president of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that football unites the world.”
Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
Trump last week told Politico, external “I really don’t care” if Iran play in the World Cup.
Following the outbreak of military action, Iran football federation president Mehdi Taj has been quoted as saying: “What is certain is that after these attacks, it’s hard to look at the World Cup with hope.”
Australia has granted six humanitarian visas to members of Iran’s women’s team over concerns about their safety.
The remaining Iran players left Australia on Tuesday after the team’s elimination from the AFC Asian Cup.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said seven people were granted asylum, but one woman later changed her mind and opted to return home.


