Badminton

Changzhou, China: Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen overpowered his opponent in the China Open men's singles final on Sunday, becoming the oldest tournament champion in the category at age 36. World number six Chou vanquished 27-year-old Toma Junior Popov of France in three games, 21-15, 7-21, 21-13, to claim his first Super 1000 title since winning the Indonesia Open in 2019. The veteran needed just over an hour to seal the outcome in the championship matchup in Changzhou, eastern China. When an official video review showed that a final return from Popov had dropped out of bounds, an exhausted and emotional Chou kneeled face-down on the court, hands outstretched in victory. Popov, ranked 16th worldwide, had been chasing his first victory at a Super 1000 tournament. His younger brother Christo, ranked fifth, was eliminated in the round of 16 at this year's China Open. Earlier on Sunday, Japan's Akane Yamaguchi defeated host-country hope Chen Yufei to win the top prize in the women's singles final with an efficient 21-18, 21-16 performance. The final pairing represented a rematch of last year's World Championship in Paris, which was also won by Yamaguchi. 26-year-old Yamaguchi is a three-time world champion and current world number three. In women's doubles, hosts Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China defeated Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto of Japan in two games, 21-14, 21-19. The men's doubles competition saw reigning champions Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri of Indonesia defend their title, beating South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in come-from-behind fashion 16-21, 21-19, 21-19. In the mixed doubles final, an all-China matchup saw Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui take down compatriots Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in a closely contested 25-23, 20-22, 21-15 marathon lasting 88 minutes.

Formula One

Budapest: The Bahrain Grand Prix, which was cancelled in April due to the Middle East war, will be held in Malaysia in early October, Formula One organisers announced on Sunday. "Formula 1 and the FIA can confirm that Malaysia will host the... Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit from October 2-4 2026," F1 and motorsport's world governing body said in a statement. The original F1 calendar featured 24 races but those in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled because of the war. While F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali spoke in early July of the possibility of holding a Grand Prix in the Gulf on October 4, the resumption of hostilities between Iran and the United States in recent weeks has effectively ruled out that option. Sepang circuit, near Kuala Lumpur's international airport, returns to the calendar for the first time since 2017 to host what will be called the "Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia". The track has also been the venue for a MotoGP race since 1999. F1 indicated that Bahrain would cover a large part of the costs involved in rescheduling the race. It will slot in between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26 and the Singapore Grand Prix on October 11, restoring the championship to 23 races. "This is fantastic news for our fans. They will continue to enjoy a full and exciting Formula 1 calendar, while also seeing the sport return to a great venue," said Domenicali. "Malaysia is an incredible country, and Sepang holds a special place in Formula 1 history. "It will provide a spectacular setting for racing and an unforgettable experience for fans at the circuit and watching around the world."

Qatar Sport

Colombo: The Qatar national tennis team clinched promotion to Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV after edging Kyrgyzstan 2-1 yesterday in the Group IV promotion semi-final in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The victory came after Mubarak Shanan rallied from a set down to defeat Kirill Kistanov 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the opening singles match. Mousa Shanan then fell to Mirgiiaz Mirdzhaliev 6-3, 6-2, before the Qatari duo of Mubarak and Mousa Shanan sealed the decisive doubles rubber by defeating Kirill Kistanov and Mirgiiaz Mirdzhaliev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Khalid Al Khulaifi, a Board Member of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation, said he was gratified by the achievement, saying the team delivered phenomenal performances throughout the tournament and proved to be worthy representatives of Qatar. Qatar reached the Group IV promotion semi-finals after finishing runner-up in its pool with one win and one loss, having opened its campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Sri Lanka before regaining its footing with a 2-1 victory over the Northern Mariana Islands. The team prepared for the tournament by holding a two-week training camp in Thailand as part of its build-up to the competition. Qatar’s squad comprised brothers Mousa and Mubarak Shanan, alongside Jabor Al Mutawa.