This week, Lebanon’s U17 Girls’ National Football Team celebrated a historic victory, clinching the 2025 West Asia Championship [TNA/Getty]
Lebanon’s U17 Women’s national football team celebrated a historic victory this week, clinching the 2025 West Asia Championship with a commanding 4-0 win over Syria.
Meanwhile, British tennis star Emma Raducanu was forced to seek protection during a match at the Dubai Tennis Championships due to a troubling encounter with a fan, raising fresh concerns about player safety.
Elsewhere, Leeds United is ramping up surveillance at Elland Road Stadium after growing controversy over an anti-Palestine chant linked to Israeli player Manor Solomon.
Lebanon U17 girl’s football team wins West Asia Championship 2025
Lebanon’s U17 women’s national football team has secured the 2025 West Asia Championship title following a dominant 4-0 victory over Syria in the final match on Sunday. The win marks a major milestone in the team’s history, solidifying their place as a rising powerhouse in regional women’s football.
The tournament, held in Saudi Arabia from 7 to 16 February, brought together six teams: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Bahrain.
Over a week of intense competition, Lebanon displayed remarkable skill and resilience, culminating in their triumphant final performance.
Syria finished as the tournament’s runner-up after an impressive campaign, coming after just two weeks of preparations.
The latest achievement adds to Lebanon’s growing legacy in youth football. The team had previously claimed the WAFF U-17 women’s championship in 2019 and 2023, as well as the Arab U-17 women’s cup in 2015.
Amid the celebrations, Lebanon’s football community is also rallying around young footballer Celine Haidar, who is recovering from severe injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s Chiyah area.
Her teammates and supporters dedicated the victory to her and expressed hope for her full recovery.
‘Fixated fan’ forces tennis star Emma Raducanu to ‘hide behind umpire’ in Dubai tournament
A man was removed from the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday due to “fixated behaviour” toward British tennis star Emma Raducanu, according to a statement from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
The WTA stated that the man first approached Raducanu, 22, in a public area on Monday. He then appeared again on Tuesday, taking a seat in the front rows during her second-round match against Czech player Karolina Muchova.
At the start of the match, Raducanu broke down in tears before approaching the umpire, seemingly explaining the situation, and taking cover behind the umpire’s chair.
The man was then escorted out of the match and will be barred from all WTA events “pending a threat assessment”, the WTA stated.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the association said. “The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”
Tuesday night’s incident was not Raducanu’s first disturbing encounter with a fan.
In 2022, following her rise to stardom after winning the US Open, a man was found guilty of stalking Raducanu after showing up at her home and leaving unwanted gifts and flowers. He later received a five-year restraining order.
Raducanu eventually lost the match 7-6, 6-4, in yet another disappointing loss since her grand slam triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Leeds United increases surveillance following anti-Palestine chant
Leeds United will implement increased surveillance at Elland Road over a chant about the club’s star and Israeli international Manor Solomon, which includes an anti-Palestine lyric.
The Yorkshire club warned that surveillance at Leeds games will be ramped out to spot people singing the anti-Palestine song and anyone caught may face a ban.
Solomon is outspoken in his support for Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, including blaming Gazans for “killing their own children”, with fans referencing this support in a positive way.
The chant is a parody of Manfred Mann’s 1964 hit ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, with the fans singing “Looks good (looks good), looks fine, Manor Solomon’s on my mind and he hates Palestine”.
In a statement, the club said: “Hate crime and discriminatory language or chanting is not acceptable at Leeds United, and the club has a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory abuse of all kinds.”
The statement noted that “the club has received a large number of complaints from Leeds United supporters regarding the chant and had hoped the initial strategy of condemning it through the media [in December] and working with supporter groups would prevent this from happening in the future, but it has sadly become more prominent in recent matches, including at Elland Road”.
Following an investigation into recent home games, the club identified that “the origins of the chant at Elland Road appear to come from the Norman Hunter South Stand, particularly in blocks FA5, FA6, SS5, and SS6”.
As a result, Leeds United announced that “there will be an increased CCTV surveillance and stewarding presence in FA5, FA6, SS5, and SS6 at all home games between now and the end of the season, and action will be taken against any person who participates in the chant, including the issuing of a club banning order”.
The club also urged supporters to stand together during a crucial period for the team, stating: “Given what is at stake for the club in the weeks ahead, this is a time we need the fan base to be united, not divided.”
Leeds is an ethnically diverse city with a large Muslim and student population who have played key roles in organising pro-Palestine protests during the war on Gaza.
