Spectators take out their phones as Antoine Huby of 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines zooms past during Stage 12 of the MPTC Tour of Luzon.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANGATAREM, Pangasinan—Antoine Huby ruled Stage 12 of the MPTC Tour of Luzon at mountainous Daang Kalikasan here to move into second behind overall leader Nikita Shulchenko.

The French rider of local team 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines crossed the finish line in three hours, 17 minutes and 37 seconds to register his second lap win after topping the punishing Stage 10 that ended at Bessang Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.

Shulchenko of LCW UAE Cycle placed second by 1:20 while Dreyna’s Erickson delos Santos was third, 1:41 behind Huby.

READ: Antoine Huby wins Stage 10, Shulchenko widens overall lead

Huby leapfrogged LCW’s Ibrahiem Alrefai, who finished by 2:02, to close in on Shulchenko with two stages remaining.

Shulchenko remains on top with an aggregate of 36:16:21, but Huby narrowed the gap to 2:30 following his victory that came after breaking away from six riders in the lead pack during the ascent to the mountainous area of the country’s cycling hotbed.

Alrefai dropped to third in the standings, trailing Shulchenko by 4:29 and Huby by 1:59.

The last two stages will be an individual time trial in Lingayen before the Tour concludes on Wednesday with a decider from Lingayen to Baguio through Kennon Road.

Stage 12 began in Agoo, La Union, exactly at the landmark Eagle of the North, before entering Pangasinan, including twice in Urbiztondo, after also going to Tarlac.

Sabres’ Jordan Greenway draws ire for penalty killing without a stick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Buffalo Sabres were down a man when they allowed the Montreal Canadiens goal that put the Habs in front on Sunday night.

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But they weren’t just on the penalty kill. One of their players on the ice, Jordan Greenway, was without his stick.

It didn’t take long for social media to all share their takes on that. Yes, sticks can break, but then there are options for what can happen next.

Usually when it happens on the penalty kill, the player without a stick stays on the ice and just tries to put his body in the way however he can.

On this particular goal, it made Greenway pretty much a traffic cone to be navigated around by Lane Hutson:

Former England spinner Kirsty Gordon is set to make her first Scotland appearance in almost nine years after being named in their squad for the T20 World Cup.

Gordon, 28, played 60 times for Scotland before pursuing a full-time career in the English professional system.

Born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, she played in five matches at the 2018 Women’s T20 World Cup as England finished runners-up and also played a Test match against Australia in 2019.

She committed her future to Scotland last December, but has only recently recovered from a back injury.

Kathryn Bryce captains a group that has three changes from the World Cup qualifier in Nepal earlier this year.

Young seam duo Gabriella Fontenla and Maisie Maceira are both included, along with Gordon, as Niamh Robertson-Jack, Mollie Parker and Hannah Rainey – who left the squad in Nepal because of injury – miss out.

Robertson-Jack and Ellen Watson will join a wider squad for a pre-tournament tri-series against the Netherlands and Bangladesh, before the Scots travel to Manchester for their opening World Cup match against Ireland at Old Trafford on 13 June.

Scotland also play England, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Group B.

Indian boxing’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games have been thrown into uncertainty after the escalating conflict between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) forced the suspension of the final selection trials for the national squad.

With elite boxers awaiting clarity on selection procedures, evaluation standards and national camp participation, the dispute has created fresh instability in a crucial season for the sport.

SAI halts BFI’s selection trials

The latest confrontation between the two sports authorities emerged after SAI directed the BFI to halt the proposed assessment tests for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games squads, citing concerns over transparency and fairness in the evaluation process.

SAI raises objections over evaluation framework

The latest communication from SAI to the BFI highlighted multiple concerns regarding the federation’s proposed assessment mechanism for the national camp and final team selection.

In a letter issued by the office of TOPS CEO NS Johal, SAI stated that the federation had failed to provide adequate details regarding the technical and tactical evaluation matrix that would be used during the assessments.

SAI accuses BFI coaches of favouritism

The authority also sought clarification on the composition of the High Performance Unit (HPU), including the qualifications and credentials of officials responsible for evaluating athletes during the camp. Apart from the evaluation framework, SAI questioned the proposed list of coaches and support staff and asked the BFI to explain the criteria adopted by the Coaches Commission while recommending appointments.

Another key issue flagged by SAI was the possibility of coaches associated with the national camp being directly involved in the selection process, something the authority had earlier advised against to prevent favouritism and conflicts of interest. SAI further informed the federation that all expenses related to the conduct of trials or assessments would have to be borne entirely by the BFI.

BFI defends process amid growing disagreement

The BFI has maintained that the proposed procedures and evaluation policies had already been discussed with SAI during the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) meetings. Federation officials believe the assessment process was designed to streamline selections and ensure a performance-based pathway for boxers ahead of the major international events.

However, the continuing disagreement between the two bodies over selection norms, trial structures and staffing appointments has delayed the start of preparations for the upcoming multi-sport competitions. The standoff has also left several boxers uncertain about their participation in the national camp and their chances of representing India.

COAS Cup controversy deepens selection dispute

The dispute has also revived controversy surrounding the 2nd Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Cup, conducted in Pune from March 30 to April 5. The BFI had recognised the event as an official qualification route to the national camp, with gold and silver medallists across 20 categories earning eligibility for the final trials.

SAI, however, refused to acknowledge the competition and termed it a “closed-door” tournament. The decision has effectively left nearly 40 medal-winning boxers outside the selection pathway despite their performances at the event.

Several affected athletes are now preparing to move the Delhi High Court seeking inclusion in the trials and a fair opportunity to compete for national selection.

Boxers seek clarity over national selection

The uncertainty has triggered frustration among several leading Indian boxers, including 2021 World Championships silver medallist Deepak Bhoria and reigning Asian champion Sanjeet, both of whom secured medals at the COAS Cup.

In a joint statement, the two boxers expressed disappointment over the absence of clarity regarding the status of COAS Cup medallists and the selection process for the national camp. They stated that the federation had earlier informed athletes that gold and silver medallists from the tournament would become part of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games pathway, but no official confirmation has yet been provided.

The ongoing administrative deadlock has now stalled the selection process at a time when Indian boxing was expected to intensify preparations for two of the biggest sporting events of the cycle.

Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026 schedule

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2. The 2026 Asian Games will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

Joshua Zirkzee was handed his first start of 2026 on Saturday but the forward doesn’t look a good fit for Man Utd or the Premier League.

Manchester United will pay the final instalment owed to Bologna for Joshua Zirkzee this summer, but the forward’s time at Old Trafford looks to be coming to an end just as debts are settled.

Zirkzee was handed a first start under Michael Carrick at Sunderland on Saturday and did little to convince he had a future at the club. Despite his height and physical presence, he is a lightweight No.9 who looked ill-equipped to thrive in the Premier League at the Stadium of Light.

The Netherlands international was an opportunistic signing in 2024, when United were really feeling the pinch financially and needed more competition for Rasmus Hojlund, a £72million acquisition from Atalanta the year before.

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Zirkzee had a release clause of just over £34million (€40million) in his Bologna contract, but United opted to pay £36.5million to spread the fee over three years, giving them more cash to play with in that window.

There is an argument that is financially prudent, but the bigger concern is what attracted them to Zirkzee in the first place. He had scored 12 goals in his final season in Serie A, spearheading Bologna’s surprise qualification for the Champions League, but he was a quirky forward who had thrived in a system that played to his strengths.

He had never been prolific and was clearly a technically skilled forward who might do well in a team built around him, but not exactly a line-leading striker ready for the muck and nettles of the Premier League.

That was a summer of chaos at United, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe pondered sacking Erik ten Hag only to take weeks to decide to keep the faith. Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth both started work at the club midway through the summer and it was never clear who was pulling the strings, which led to signings like Zirkzee.

It’s hard to imagine that deal happening in 2026. United’s approach to recruitment seems more aligned now, and the greater emphasis on data would have surely red-flagged a signing like Zirkzee, who has never looked at home in England.

Nearly two years on, it’s still difficult to know what his best position is. He is often referred to as a nine-and-a-half, but what does that even mean? Perhaps he would be a good false nine, but United don’t play that system. His best performances came as one of two No.10s in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1, but his only route to games now is as a No.9.

His performance at the Stadium of Light proved he doesn’t have that in him. He has scored nine goals in 73 games for United, and 51 in 231 games throughout his career. Carrick said on Saturday that Zirkzee wouldn’t be judged on one game, but the file of evidence is much thicker than that. He is never going to be a prolific forward.

There will be a market for Zirkzee back in Italy. His technical skills can prosper in Serie A in a way they haven’t in the Premier League, especially in this iteration of the league, where forwards are barely given time to breathe.

An issue for United will be the lack of finance in Italy. Recouping the fee they paid will be impossible and they might end up with a loan and an option or obligation to buy.

They will at least bank £38million from Napoli for Hojlund this summer. That is money that can be reinvested in adding another forward to take the heat off Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenian has looked more suited to life as Old Trafford’s No.9 than Hojlund or Zirkzee, but he needs support. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can play the role, but they are very different options, more likely to drop deep than stretch the play, and they might well be required elsewhere.

United might well look to sign a versatile forward to replace Zirkzee, someone who can play wide as well as through the middle. Or they might look for an older head.

Danny Welbeck is an obvious candidate, with a year left on his contract at Brighton. United have twice considered bringing him back to Old Trafford in recent years. He will turn 36 in November but has had another good season at the Amex and his experience could be valuable.

There will be other options out there. United spent around £108million on Hojlund and Zirkzee, and will be lucky to get half of that back. This summer, they should look for a much cheaper option and rely on the recruitment team to unearth the right kind of player.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.