Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 18 February 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# First up is cricket: Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq believes they can still qualify for the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup after losing by 61-runs to neighbours India on Sunday. That followed victories over the Netherlands and the USA. Pakistan needs to beat Namibia in Colombo today. India is currently first in Group A and had already qualified, with the USA second with a better run-rate than Pakistan.

# Rugby: Scotland could be without the services of three players in Saturday’s Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff. Flanker Jamie Ritchie faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after breaking a shin bone against England last weekend and is definitely out, while there is still uncertainty over the fitness of eighthman Jack Dempsey and back player Jamie Dobie. Coach Gregor Townsend is due to name his team tomorrow. Scotland is currently second on the log behind France after losing to Italy and defeating England.

# Soccer: Real Madrid’s Champions League knockout play-off tie at Benfica was halted for ten minutes when Vinicius Junior refused to play following an alleged racist comment by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni. The Brazilian had just given Madrid the lead when the Argentinian confronted him. Referee Francois Letexier temporarily stopped the game following Vinicius’ complaint, and the game restarted in the 60th minute with Madrid winning 1-0. Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold condemned the incident:

# Paralympics: The International Paralympic Committee says six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at next month’s Paralympic Winter Games in Italy under their nations’ flags. Both countries were banned from Paralympic competitions after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but regained full membership rights in the IPC after member organisations voted in September 2025 to lift their partial suspensions. This will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 games in Sochi.

And Olympics: Los Angeles’ mayor Karen Bass has urged the chairperson of the organising committee for the 2028 Games, Casey Wasserman, to step down. This follows revelations of his interactions with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who was previously the girlfriend of late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Wasserman denies a personal or business relationship with Epstein and the organising committee decided last week he would stay on after a review, but Bass says the board’s decision is unfortunate.

Stay tuned for more news………….