The 2026 Winter Olympic Games continued to build momentum on Sunday as the early medal race tightened and a packed schedule of medal-deciding events unfolded across venues in northern Italy.

Host nation Italy sits among the early leaders on the medal table following Saturday’s opening competitions.

Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida delivered a historic moment for the hosts, claiming Italy’s first gold medal of the Games in the women’s 3000-metre speed skating, setting an Olympic record in front of a home crowd.

After the first full day of competition, Italy, Japan and Norway are tied with three medals each (one gold, one silver and one bronze). Sweden follows with two medals, while Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada and China have each opened their accounts with a single medal.

Attention now turns to Sunday’s programme, which features several high-profile medal events expected to further shake up the standings.

Highlights on the schedule include the women’s downhill in alpine skiing, the mixed relay in biathlon, the men’s 20km skiathlon in cross-country skiing, parallel giant slalom finals in snowboarding, the men’s 5000-metre speed skating, and the conclusion of the figure skating team event.

Final runs in men’s singles luge are also set to determine podium places, while round-robin action continues in curling and women’s ice hockey.

As athletes chase early Olympic glory, Sunday’s competitions are expected to set the tone for the days ahead at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Sunday’s events will be broadcast live on Ariana Television, bringing the drama and excitement of the Winter Olympics directly to viewers across the region.

Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages for full broadcast schedules.

Pakistan will boycott their February 15 match of the Twenty20 World Cup against arch-rivals India in Colombo, the Pakistan government said on Sunday while approving the team’s participation in the global showpiece.

“The government… grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the post on the government’s official X account said without elaborating on reasons behind the decision, Reuters reported.

Pakistan, who are scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka, would forfeit two points if they boycotted the India match. There was no clarity on what would happen should the neighbours meet in a knockout game.

Bilateral cricket remains suspended between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who engaged in a military conflict that nearly snowballed into a fully-fledged war last year.

Their fraught political relations prompted the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) to broker an arrangement allowing them to play at a neutral venue when their neighbour hosts a global tournament.

The 2009 champions had earlier announced their squad for the 20-team tournament beginning on February 7, maintaining that their participation was subject to government approval.

Their decision to boycott the India match is a serious blow to the tournament because an India-Pakistan clash remains cricket’s greatest blockbuster, which is why they are clubbed together in the same group in ICC events.

The ICC said it was awaiting an official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conveying their “position of selective participation”.

“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” the Dubai-based body said in a statement.

“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”

ASIA CUP PRECEDENT

The governing body said a successful tournament was its priority, while sounding an optimistic note.

“The ICC’s priority remains the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB,” it said.

“It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”

This is not the first example of geopolitical tension affecting the tournament.

Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland in the global showpiece following their refusal to travel to India over safety concerns.

The latest setback is a continuation of the soured India-Pakistan relations which manifested in last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai.

India beat Pakistan three times in the tournament, including in the September 28 final, but declined to shake hands with their opponents and refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister.

Namibia, United States and the Netherlands are also in Group A from which two sides will advance to the tournament’s Super Eight stage.

“I extend my best wishes to the Pakistan team for the World Cup,” Naqvi, also the PCB chairman, was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

“I hope the team will return with the T20 World Cup trophy.”

The PCB supported Bangladesh’s demands to shift their matches to Sri Lanka. The ICC ruled out any threat to Bangladesh players or fans in India and rejected their late demand for a schedule change.

FIFA has confirmed the full list of hosts and group compositions for the expanded FIFA Series 2026 bringing together 48 national teams from all six confederations in one of the most inclusive international initiatives in global football.

Under the expanded format announced in November 2025, the FIFA Series 2026 will feature 12 groups of four teams each, to be played during the international match windows in March and April. The participating teams represent almost a quarter of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, underscoring the growing scale and global reach of the competition.

Eleven FIFA Member Associations will host the events, with Rwanda staging two groups, bringing the total number of groups to 12.

The series includes nine men’s groups and three women’s groups, with competitions taking place across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and South America.

The men’s groups will be hosted by Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan, while the women’s groups will be staged in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand.

FIFA said the line-up highlights the truly global nature of the FIFA Series and its commitment to supporting both men’s and women’s national teams.

All matches in the FIFA Series 2026 will be broadcast globally, improving access for fans worldwide and increasing exposure for participating national teams, particularly those from emerging football nations.

The competition brings together teams with a wide range of competitive profiles.

On the men’s side, participants range from established teams such as Australia, currently ranked 26th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, to developing nations like the US Virgin Islands, ranked 207th. In the women’s competition, teams include Brazil, ranked seventh globally, as well as Turks and Caicos Islands, ranked 194th.

Five men’s teams involved in the FIFA Series 2026 — Australia, Cabo Verde, Curaçao, New Zealand and Uzbekistan — have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, adding competitive relevance to the development-focused tournament.

Beyond on-field competition, FIFA said the series also supports off-field development, giving host and participating associations valuable experience in event delivery, referee development, competition organisation and operational planning under conditions similar to major international tournaments.

FIFA added that the FIFA Series 2026 aligns with its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game 2023–2027, offering cross-confederation competition without adding pressure to the international match calendar, while promoting technical growth, organisational development and global exchange. Match schedules for all events will be announced at a later date.

MEN’S GROUPS

Australia (AFC)

Australia (host)
Cameroon
China PR
Curaçao

Azerbaijan (UEFA)

Azerbaijan (host)
Oman
Sierra Leone
St Lucia

Indonesia (AFC)

Bulgaria
Indonesia (host)
Solomon Islands
St Kitts and Nevis

Kazakhstan (UEFA)

Comoros
Kazakhstan (host)
Kuwait
Namibia

New Zealand (OFC)

Cabo Verde
Chile
Finland
New Zealand (host)

Puerto Rico (Concacaf)

American Samoa
Guam
Puerto Rico (host)
US Virgin Islands

Rwanda(CAF) – Group A

Estonia
Grenada
Kenya
Rwanda (host)

Rwanda (CAF) – Group B

Aruba
Liechtenstein
Macau
Tanzania

Uzbekistan (AFC)

Gabon
Trinidad and Tobago
Uzbekistan (host)
Venezuela

Match schedules for all FIFA Series 2026 events will be announced in due course.