Oluwaseun Ogunsakin ends Long Nigerian wait at US Open Juniors
Oluwaseun Ogunsakin has made another big breakthrough for Nigerian tennis after defeating top seed Felix Roussel 6-3, 6-4 to qualify for the US Open Junior Championships main draw.
The Nigerian teenager had already beaten Poland’s Tymon Litwic 6-3, 6-0 in the opening round of qualifying before producing another impressive performance against Roussel.
The last documented Nigerian to make it to the US Open junior event goes back decades. Now, Ogunsakin has put Nigeria back on the US Open junior singles stage.
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The teenager is also enjoying a remarkable 2026 season. He has already competed at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, reaching the Wimbledon boys’ singles main draw and the doubles semifinals. He is now set to compete in the US Open Junior main draw, which begins September 6.
For us Nigerian tennis fans, Seun Shark is giving us something to cheer about in New York.
Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth questioned Washington Sundar’s match fitness and selection in the upcoming three-match Afghanistan T20 series, arguing that the all-rounder should have played competitive cricket before being picked for India. Srikkanth also expressed concerns over Sundar’s recurring injuries and felt that he has lost his rhythm in white-ball cricket despite making a successful transition to Test cricket. Sundar, along with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, returns to the squad, subject to fitness clearance. The squad also includes all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana. The series will get underway on September 13, with the second T20I scheduled for September 15 and the third on September 17. All three matches will be played in New Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.
“He is good in Tests but didn’t play in Sri Lanka. How is he fit now, in two weeks? He has not proved his match fitness, so what is the use? You must play some matches at some level to show your fitness before being picked for India. You can’t just play with a doctor’s certificate. Washington Sundar seems to be injured after every two or three series,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“He was smashed in Ireland and England. He started his cricket from the T20 format. He moved brilliantly to Test cricket, but he has lost his rhythm in white-ball cricket,” he added.
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In July, Sundar suffered a hamstring injury during the third ODI against England and has since been at the Centre of Excellence (COE) for his recovery.
Former world champion Andy Ruiz Jr has vowed to carry on after losing his comeback fight to Poland’s Damian Knyba in New Jersey.
The 36-year-old heavyweight shocked the boxing world seven years ago by beating Britain’s Anthony Joshua to take his world titles.
Ruiz Jr has since been beset by injuries and was taking part in just his fourth fight since losing the rematch to Joshua in December 2019.
He looked a shadow of his former self at the Prudential Center in Newark, saved by the bell after scrambling back to his feet following a knockdown in the seventh, he eventually lost by a unanimous points decision.
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Judges scored the fight 117-110, 114-113 and 114-113 in favour of the Pole, who took his record to 18 wins and one defeat, but Ruiz Jr was quick to demand a rematch.
“I don’t know, I think it was just him holding,” said Ruiz Jr, who recently signed up with British promoter Eddie Hearn.
“Every time I tried to come in, he’d hold me really tight, and I just couldn’t let my combinations go.
“He played a good game plan, but I’d love to run it back and do things a lot different.”
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Joshua’s former conqueror argued that he was simply rusty after taking his first fight since drawing with American Jarrell Miller in August 2024.
“It was just a long layoff, and it was a great opponent,” he argued.
“I didn’t want to take an easy fight, so that’s why I took Damian. He’s a big guy. But we’ve got to take risks. I’ve still got it in me, man. I’ve just got to stay active and I want to fight again.”
Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson is moving closer to a Brighton return, but manager Fabian Hurzeler says there is still no firm date for his comeback.
Evan Ferguson is making progress in his recovery from the ankle injury that brought an early end to his loan spell at Roma.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler provided an encouraging update on Friday, September 4, confirming that Ferguson remains in rehabilitation but is drawing nearer to a playing return.
The 21-year-old has not been given a precise comeback date. Brighton appear determined to avoid rushing a player whose recent seasons have repeatedly been interrupted by fitness problems.
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Brighton prioritising complete recovery
Ferguson underwent surgery after suffering the ankle injury that ended his 2025-26 campaign. His loan with Roma concluded after 22 appearances and five goals for the Serie A club.
Hurzeler said the striker was “getting closer” but could not provide a clear timescale. The Brighton manager stressed that physical rehabilitation is only one part of the process.
Regaining complete confidence in the injured ankle will be equally important. For a centre-forward, explosive movements, changes of direction and contact with defenders can expose any lingering uncertainty following a long absence.
Hurzeler believes Ferguson must feel entirely secure in his body before returning to Premier League football. That approach suggests Brighton will continue to judge his recovery by its quality rather than by setting an artificial deadline.
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Ferguson Recovery Update
Status: Continuing rehabilitation
Return date: Not yet confirmed
Roma record: Five goals in 22 appearances
European squad: Omitted from Brighton’s Conference League league-phase list
A major player for club and country
Ferguson was among five senior Brighton players left out of the club’s squad for the league phase of the UEFA Conference League. The list can be changed before the knockout rounds, leaving open the possibility of a European role if Brighton progress and Ferguson proves his fitness.
His return would also be significant for the Republic of Ireland. Ferguson has the physical presence and finishing ability to offer Ireland a focal point in attack, but persistent injuries have prevented him from building sustained momentum.
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Hurzeler remains convinced of the striker’s quality, pointing to the level Ferguson reached during his breakthrough period at Brighton. The next challenge is to restore the confidence, sharpness and physical durability that accompanied that rise.
For now, the absence of a deadline should not be interpreted as a setback. Ferguson is progressing, and Brighton’s cautious handling of his rehabilitation is intended to give him the best chance of returning without another interruption.
India’s Anahat Singh’s campaign at the London Squash Classic ended in the quarterfinals after she lost to Malaysia’s world No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam in London on Friday.The reigning world junior champion went down 4-11, 4-11 in the women’s quarterfinal of the PSA Gold event.Third seed Sivasangari controlled the match from the start and completed a 2-0 (11-4, 11-4) win in just 17 minutes. She will now face second seed and reigning world champion Amina Orfi of Egypt in the semifinals.Anahat, who is ranked world No. 20, had reached the quarterfinals after beating Belgium’s world No. 11 Nele Gilis in a three-game thriller in the previous round.The 18-year-old will next play at the Qatar Classic, starting on September 12, as part of her preparation for the Asian Games in Japan, which begin on September 19.The defeat also comes a few weeks before the Asian Games, where Sivasangari is expected to be Anahat’s biggest rival. The Malaysian is currently the highest-ranked Asian player.The gold medallist at the Asian Games will earn a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.
Classes in Search for the Needle are playable archetypes that grant you various bonuses when equipped. Each Class can help you speed up your clear times in a different way, be it through stat bonuses or special items. You can unlock Classes in the game’s hub area by performing spins with Gems, the main currency of this experience. The utility provided by the Class system makes it indispensable to all players.
This guide features a complete overview of every Class in Search for the Needle, along with the bonuses it offers.
Every Class and what it does in Search for the Needle
The Classes menu (Image via Roblox)
Unlocking Classes is only possible while you are in the lobby. Approach the “Classes” station to access the menu and view the different Classes available in this experience. You can’t freely buy a Class in this title; you can only perform spins, requiring you to spend 40 Gems per roll. Each Class has a predetermined chance to roll through spins, which can also be seen under their names in the Classes menu.
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Below, you can find all the details for every Class in this experience:
Starter
Default Class with a 40% chance to roll through spins.
This Class offers no bonuses.
Pack Mule
25% chance to roll through spins.
This Class increases carry capacity by 50% in every bag.
Hay Merchant
14% chance to roll through spins.
This Class increases the amount of money you earn upon selling hay by 20%.
Forkmaster
9% chance to roll through spins.
This Class causes Pitchfork swings to collect 25% more hay.
The cost of Pitchfork upgrades is reduced by 25%.
Demolitionist
7% chance to roll through spins.
The Class increases the blast radius of Dynamite explosions by 20%.
It also has a 10% chance of causing the TNT to split into three mini-charges.
If you are new to Search for the Needle, our beginner’s guide can provide you with an overview of its basic mechanics.
Prospector
3.9% chance to roll through spins.
This Class causes Diamonds to appear 50% more frequently when collecting hay.
It can also cause hay to transform into Diamonds.
Drone Specialist
1% chance to roll through spins.
When playing as this Class, you always own a drone.
The drone flies 30% faster and carries 40% more hay.
Every once in a while, a three-drone work swarm has a chance to appear.
Ultimate Farmer
0.1% chance to roll through spins.
This Class offers the bonuses of every other Class at once.
Every once in a while, it will cause Golden Harvest to activate.
Chennai Super Kings have built their reputation on stability, but the franchise could be forced to make some major calls ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season.The five-time champions have endured a difficult phase, missing out on the playoffs for three successive seasons. Their 2026 campaign was further complicated by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s struggles with the bat, while the arrival of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals sparked debate over whether CSK could consider a leadership change.Although CSK have traditionally avoided knee-jerk decisions, former India batter Sadagoppan Ramesh has now backed Samson to take over the captaincy if the franchise decides to move on from Gaikwad.Samson brings considerable leadership experience from his time at Rajasthan Royals. The wicketkeeper-batter, who was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup, moved to CSK ahead of the 2026 IPL and finished the season as the franchise’s highest run-scorer.Ramesh believes those credentials make Samson a serious option for CSK.“CSK are seemingly considering many options for the captaincy and even wondering whether a change is needed. Sanju Samson should be considered as captain because he’s such a fantastic team player. The CSK captaincy must be changed, and if it is, CSK must seriously consider Sanju Samson,” said Ramesh on his Instagram handle.He also pointed to Samson’s IPL captaincy record, while stressing that changing the skipper alone would not solve all of CSK’s problems.“Samson has also captained 66 matches in the IPL and won 33. So he has a 50% success rate. Under him, RR performed well, reaching the final and making another playoff appearance. Of course, CSK need several other things to change, and just making Sanju the captain won’t win them the trophy. But if at all they change captains, Sanju must be strongly considered,” he added.
Gaikwad’s difficult 2026 season
Gaikwad’s position has come under scrutiny following a disappointing campaign in 2026.The right-hander scored 337 runs at an average of 28.08 and also recorded the lowest strike rate among all batters during the powerplay. His struggles added to the questions surrounding CSK’s leadership ahead of the next season.Ramesh is not the first former CSK player to suggest that Gaikwad could benefit from stepping away from the captaincy.Former CSK and India batter Subramaniam Badrinath had previously argued that Gaikwad should be relieved of leadership duties and allowed to concentrate entirely on his batting.“So once you remove him from captaincy, he’ll perform well as a batter. It won’t be a harsh decision if he is stripped of captaincy. It’s more beneficial for the player and the franchise. It’ll only do Gaikwad a world of good. This is not new to him alone. Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar have been affected by captaincy. If you are someone who is intense and thinks too much, it’s hard to detach from captaincy even while batting,” he had said on his YouTube channel.CSK themselves have several decisions to make before the 2027 season. The franchise are currently looking for a new head coach after Stephen Fleming stepped down earlier this year.There is also uncertainty surrounding MS Dhoni’s future, with it still unclear whether the former India captain will continue playing for CSK in the 2027 IPL.
It showcases the many benefits people can get from its leisure facilities
The narrative shifts focus beyond basic exercise to emphasise life skills, mental wellbeing, social connections, and the You+ wellness membership.
The strategy spans TV, digital hubs, PR and customer communications
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Everyone Active has launched new campaign – backed by TV advertising for the first time – which will show the national reach of the company while messaging the many ways its leisure facilities contribute to people’s lives.
The Much More campaign aims to showcase how the leisure centres provide places for people to learn new skills, build confidence, make friends, improve their wellbeing, and create lasting memories.
The first-ever national tv advertising campaign represents a significant investment in the brand’s marketing activity. It was developed in partnership with creative agency, Wraith, and focuses on the everyday experiences taking place across Everyone Active facilities and the impact they have. For example, swimming lessons building confidence and friendships (Much More Than a Swimming Lesson).
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The Much MoreThan a Gym Membership’ ad showcases the broader role that Everyone Active plays in supporting people’s physical and mental wellbeing, including the benefits of its You+ wellness membership.
Alison Ford, commercial director at Everyone Active, said: “We have made a significant investment in this campaign because we want to demonstrate the breadth of what modern leisure provision can offer and the positive emotions that can come from being active in our facilities. Whether it is a sense of achievement, greater confidence, happiness or connection, we’re proud to help people achieve much more in everyday life.
“At its heart, Much More is about changing the way people think about leisure and ensuring the Everyone Active brand resonates with our customers beyond their time in our centres. We want to be a brand that is part of people’s everyday lives, reflecting the positive impact that being active can have on how people feel, live and connect with others.”
The campaign will roll out across Everyone Active’s customer communications, digital channels, online campaign hub, social media, PR, TV advertising and in-centre activity. Social promotion will also take place across the organisation’s leisure facilities, with local teams bringing the Much More proposition to life through stories and experiences from their own communities.
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Everyone Active managing director, Duncan Jefford, will be among the line-up of speakers at the all keynote HCM Summit taking place in London on 22 September. Tickets are available here.
The Trojans shut out the Bulldogs 39-0 Friday at home in Los Angeles, leading wire-to-wire. USC’s Jayden Maiava threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns, and Trent Mosley caught two touchdown passes to go with his 104 receiving yards. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt recorded 102 receiving yards for Southern California. Alex Graham led the Trojans with four tackles, Prophet Brown pulled down an interception, and Floyd Boucard recovered a fumble. K’Vion Thunderbird paced FS with nine stops. The Trojans defense sacked FS’s quarterback five times. USC outgained FS in total yards 552-116.
Up Next: USC faces Louisiana at home, and Fresno State plays Sacramento State at home
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No. 7 Miami 45, Stanford 6
Stanford Stadium
The Hurricanes obliterated the Cardinal 45-6 Friday on the road in Stanford. Miami’s Darian Mensah threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns. The Tree’s Davis Warren passed for 214 yards. Malachi Toney caught three touchdown passes to go with his 229 receiving yards for Miami (FL). Marquise Lightfoot led the Hurricanes with nine tackles. Matt Rose paced the Cardinal with 12 stops. Miami outgained The Tree in total yards 544-299. It was a dominant performance by the Hurricanes from start to finish.
Up Next: Stanford has a bye
No. 10 Oklahoma 51, UTEP 0
Memorial Stadium (Norman, OK)
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The Sooners blanked the Miners 51-0 Friday at home in Norman, leading from start to finish. OU’s John Mateer threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns, and Lloyd Avant rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Sategna caught a touchdown pass to go with his 76 receiving yards for Oklahoma. The Sooners’ Tate Sandell kicked two field goals. Reggie Powers III led Oklahoma with seven tackles, and Taylor Wein recovered a fumble. Donavan Howard paced UTEP with six stops. The Sooners defense sacked UTEP’s quarterback 3.5 times. OU outgained UTEP in total yards 401-198.
Up Next: UTEP takes on Texas Southern at home
San José State 27, Eastern Michigan 21
Rynearson Stadium
The Spartans surprised the Eagles 27-21 Friday on the road in Ypsilanti, in a back-and-forth battle with six lead changes. SJSU’s Luke Weaver threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns, and Jabari Bates gained 119 yards on the ground. EMU’s Amareon Blue rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown. Cooper Hoch caught two touchdown passes to go with his 115 receiving yards for San José State. Dylan Lee led SJSU with nine tackles, and Lee hauled in a pick. Zach Mowchan paced Eastern Michigan with 11 stops. SJSU outgained EMU in total yards 453-281.
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Up Next: San José State faces Cal Poly at home
Thursday, September 3, 2026
No. 21 Utah 66, Idaho 14
Rice-Eccles Stadium
The Utes hammered Idaho 66-14 Thursday at home in Salt Lake City, leading wire-to-wire. Utah’s Devon Dampier tossed three touchdown passes, and Byrd Ficklin tossed two touchdown passes. LaMarcus Bell rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown for Utah, and Wayshawn Parker hauled in two touchdown receptions. The Utes’ Braden Pegan caught a touchdown pass to go with his 81 receiving yards. Jackson Bennee led Utah with five tackles, Trey Reynolds pulled down an interception, and Rabbit Evans recovered a fumble. Ryder Bordner paced Idaho with nine stops. Utah outgained Idaho in total yards 633-225.
Up Next: Utah plays Arkansas at home
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Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13
Bobby Dodd Stadium
The Buffaloes upended the Yellow Jackets 14-13 Thursday on the road in Atlanta, in a back-and-forth battle with three lead changes. GT’s Alberto Mendoza passed for 237 yards, and Jordan Allen recorded 113 receiving yards. Aidan Birr kicked two field goals for Georgia Tech. Rahkeem Smith returned a kickoff 130 yards for a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets. Randon Fontenette led CU with eight tackles, and Boo Carter recovered a fumble. Kyle Efford paced GT with 13 stops. The Buffaloes defense stuffed GT behind the line of scrimmage on 44.4% of rushing attempts.
Alex Dunne produced a decisive final lap to qualify third for Sunday’s Formula 2 feature race at Monza.
Alex Dunne will start the Formula 2 feature race at Monza from the second row after securing third place in Friday’s qualifying session.
The Offaly driver completed his fastest lap in 1:31.472 for Rodin Motorsport, finishing 0.146 seconds behind pole-sitter Rafael Câmara.
Câmara led an Invicta Racing one-two with a time of 1:31.326. Joshua Dürksen claimed second in 1:31.383, just 0.057 seconds ahead of Dunne.
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Dunne recovers from difficult opening runs
Third place represented an impressive recovery after Dunne encountered problems during his early qualifying attempts.
His first serious effort was compromised by a lock-up at the Ascari chicane, sending the Rodin car across the gravel. A subsequent run ended when he went too deep into the opening corner and abandoned the lap.
That left the Irish driver needing to respond while the order continued to change around him. Dunne eventually put together a lap good enough for fourth without receiving the full benefit of a tow around the high-speed Italian circuit.
The final runs began with just over five minutes remaining. Dunne initially moved into second place before Dürksen completed his lap and pushed him back to third.
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Monza Qualifying Top Three
1. Rafael Câmara, Invicta Racing: 1:31.326 2. Joshua Dürksen, Invicta Racing: 1:31.383 3. Alex Dunne, Rodin Motorsport: 1:31.472
Strong pace throughout Friday
Dunne’s qualifying performance followed an encouraging free-practice session in which he set the fastest time. Although practice cannot perfectly predict qualifying pace, it demonstrated that Rodin had arrived at Monza with a competitive package.
The nature of the qualifying session made Dunne’s third place particularly valuable. With two early attempts disrupted, there was little room left for another error when the field switched to fresh tyres for the closing minutes.
Instead, Dunne delivered when the pressure was greatest and placed himself in contention for a significant haul of championship points.
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The Irishman entered the Monza weekend fourth in the Formula 2 standings. With the season approaching its decisive stage, converting his front-row pace into a clean feature race will be the next priority.
Monza’s long straights and heavy braking zones can produce unpredictable racing, but third on the grid gives Dunne a strong platform from which to attack Sunday’s main event.
Explosive opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz showcased his fine form ahead of the upcoming T20I series against India, scoring a quick-fire 35-ball 54 in Guyana Amazon Warriors’ (GAW) win over the Jamaica Kingsmen in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026. The Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter led the way in the run chase for his team at the Providence Stadium.
GAW were set a target of 160 runs, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz got into the act straightaway by scoring consecutive boundaries in the second over to set the tempo. The opener largely played second fiddle in the powerplay as Mavendra Dindyal took on the bowling.
After Dindyal’s dismissal in the fifth over, Gurbaz unshackled the chains in the last over of the powerplay. The right-handed batter struck three boundaries in quick time to get 17 runs out of the over, before settling in the middle overs. He reached his fifty off 31 deliveries in style after smashing in-form spinner Vitel Lawes for a six down the ground. He responded to the milestone with a passionate celebration alongside his batting partner, Shai Hope. Have a look at the moment right here:
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Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed a couple of overs later, but GAW were in a relatively comfortable position in the run chase after the openers’ solid platform. The hosts reached the target comfortably with 16 deliveries to spare to record their fifth win in a row.
GAW are now placed second in the points table behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons (ABF), who have played four more matches at this stage of the campaign.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been in red-hot form in 2026 in T20 cricket
The 24-year-old is the leading run-scorer among Afghanistan players in the shortest format this year, having excelled in both franchise and international cricket. He has scored 947 runs in 24 matches at an average of 41.17 and a strike rate of 179.69, including two hundreds and seven fifties.
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Rahmanullah Gurbaz is likely to play a key role in the upcoming T20I series against India, scheduled to begin on Sunday, September 13. The three-match affair will be hosted at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
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