Early on Saturday, as temperatures soared outside, a sprawling shopping centre in Dubai echoed to the squeak of sneakers as hundreds of people joined "Mallathon" -- an indoor, air-conditioned race.

The government-backed initiative aims to encourage exercise during August, often the United Arab Emirates' hottest month, and make use of Dubai's giant malls which are otherwise empty at that time. Running outside during summer in the Gulf, one of the world's hottest regions where temperatures sometimes top 50C, is unpleasant and even unsafe for many.

Throughout August, nine of the city's shopping centres -- including the cavernous Dubai Mall, one of the world's biggest -- are open daily for runners and walkers from 7am-10am.

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Manchester United has announced the signing of Slovenia international Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, bolstering their attacking options ahead of the new season. The 22-year-old forward has signed a contract until June 2030, the club confirmed in a statement.

Over the past two seasons, Sesko has scored more goals than any other player under the age of 23 in Europe's top five leagues. In the 2024-25 campaign alone, he netted 21 goals and provided six assists for Leipzig. Since making his debut in 2021 and becoming Slovenia's youngest-ever senior international, Sesko has earned 41 caps and scored 16 goals for his country.

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The Myanmar-based team, Yangon Galacticos won the PUBG Mobile tournament at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia. A grand celebration and a meet-and-greet event for the world champion team were held at People's Square in Yangon.

The celebration featured a documentary on the journey of Myanmar's Esports athletes, speeches by senior Esports players, and heartfelt words from the parents of the champion athletes. The Managing Director of Kanbawza Bank Limited, honored the Myanmar Electronic Sports Federation with a donation of 500 million kyats. Following this, the Managing Director of KBZPay, contributed 200 million kyats to support the successful organization of the celebration.

KBZPay continues to support the development of Myanmar Esports sector by sponsoring various tournaments, including the Inter-University Esports Competition (Varsity League), the National Esports Championship leading to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, and the Esports World Cup. Since the establishment of the Myanmar Electronic Sports Federation, KBZ Bank and KBZPay have provided a total of 4.5 billion kyats to help develop the Esports scene in Myanmar.

The Esports World Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia was one of the world's largest international Esports tournaments, with over 1,000 elite teams and approximately 5,000 professional players from more than 100 countries competing.

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Hong Kong held 100-day countdown to 15th National Games. The 100-day countdown event took place at the Hong Kong Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O. As part of the countdown events, the authorities earlier invited some 220,000 residents to bike, swim and run their way to 999,900 kilometers.

During the 15th National Games, this venue will host track cycling events. The National Games, jointly organised by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, will be held in November.  Hong Kong will host eight sports events, including fencing and beach volleyball.

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The Myanmar women’s national football team is in its final phase of preparations for the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship, which will be held in Vietnam from 6 to 19 August.
Following their participation in the AFC qualifying rounds, the team began training and travelled to China for a series of tune-up matches from 19 to 31 July. During the China tour, Myanmar played two friendlies against the China U20 women’s team and one match against a local club. The results of these matches were not officially announced.
The team returned to Yangon on 1 August and completed final preparations on 2 and 3 August. A 23-player squad will depart for Vietnam on 4 August.
Eight teams will compete in the tournament. Myanmar is in Group B alongside the Philippines, Australia U23, and Timor-Leste. Group A includes Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia.
Myanmar will face Australia U23 on 7 August, Timor-Leste on 10 August, and the Philippines on 13 August during the group stage. — Shine Htet Zaw/KZL

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The Myanmar U22 national football team resumed training on 2 August in preparation for upcoming international tournaments scheduled for later this year.
Following their participation in the 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship held in Indonesia from 15 to 29 July, the team took a short break before regrouping. They are now preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in September and the XXXIII SEA Games to be held in December.
The team is training under head coach Kurosaki from Japan, with around 30 players in the current squad. So far, under Kurosaki’s leadership, Myanmar has not yet secured a win in international competitions or friendlies and continues working toward better results. In the recent ASEAN U23 Championship, they exited at the group stage after drawing with both Thailand and Timor-Leste.
Myanmar has been placed in Group B for the AFC U23 Qualifiers alongside Japan, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. The group matches will be hosted in Myanmar from 3 to 9 September. Details for the SEA Games football competition, to be hosted by Thailand, are yet to be finalized. — Chit Ko Ko/KZL

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FIFA inaugurated Saturday a regional office in Morocco as the kingdom ramps up preparations for the 2030 World Cup which it will host jointly with Spain and Portugal. Morocco will be the second African nation to host the World Cup in 2030, following South Africa's edition in 2010.  FIFA's other African offices are located in Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Africa.

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Arsenal has sealed the signing of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon for 55 million pounds, with a possible extra 8.5 million pounds in incentives. Gyokeres has agreed a five-year deal with the London-based club after passing his medical tests on Saturday and will now join up with his new teammates in Singapore. Arsenal has been busy in this summer's transfer market, with the arrival of players.

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Myanmar’s national rowing team will participate in the Dragon Boat Championship at the upcoming World Games, which will be held in Chengdu, China, according to general secretary
U Thet Lwin of the Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation. “We have already selected our athletes since April to represent Myanmar in the Dragon Boat Championship at the World Games in Chengdu, China. The Myanmar rowing team will compete in the 200-metre, 500-metre, and 2,000-metre events,” said U Thet Lwin.
A 16-member team has been assembled to represent Myanmar in the Dragon Boat events, comprising six male athletes, six female athletes, a team leader, a manager, and two coaches. The team is scheduled to depart for China on 6 August.
The World Games Dragon Boat Championship will be hosted in Chengdu from 6 to 10 August. Only countries that have performed well in qualifying tournaments are eligible to participate.
In addition to this international event, the Myanmar rowing team is also expected to compete in other global competitions in 2025, including the Canoe and Kayak Juniors Championship in Russia. In 2026, they are also set to compete in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand. — ASH/KZL

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Surfing enthusiasts have cheered the reopening of a beloved whitewater site in downtown Munich. After a safety review and a petition to keep it open, the site was reopened by authorities in recent weeks. Nearby, surfers performed tricks with virtuosity on the powerful wave, formed by the presence of rocks on the riverbed near a bridge.

The head of local surfers' association said there are between three and five thousand surfers actively practicing the sport here. And surfing is simply part of the Munich lifestyle. Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the cityscape.

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