Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, released by the Iranian authorities on 31 December after being accused of spying, said in Spain that his imprisonment had been "very hard". His family claim that he was deceived and appreciate the diplomatic efforts between Spain and Iran to secure his release.

Two days before the start of the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally, its director, David Castera, insists that the race will be "more challenging than ever". He acknowledges that Saudi Arabia offers "all the elements to achieve something challenging". The rally will start in Al-Ula on the 5th of January and will finish in Yanbu on the 19th of January after thirteen stages with significant innovations.

The English teenager has made history at the World Darts Championships. He became the youngest player ever to reach the semi-finals and then the big final, where he will be looking to make more history against Luke Humphries.

2023 was a significant year for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in terms of tournaments played and the power gained through new technology and social media.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts to extend the season, in the end, there will be 24 Formula One Grand Prix races in 2024. The action kicks off on 29 February with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The deal with the Japanese player was announced by the team at a press conference. The deal is for 12 years and exceeds the $324 million paid by the New York Yankees in 2020 and is the highest amount ever paid for a pitcher.

In September, she became the first female head referee in U Sports Football when she officiated a game between the Alberta Golden Bears and the Calgary Dinos. The year before, she was the first woman to officiate a CFL playoff game. Clarke sets no limits for herself.

Tokyo 2020 champion, former Spanish karateka Sandra Sánchez is not happy with her sport being out of Olympic Games after the Tokyo Games.

The Haitian National Sambo Championship was held on 17 December at the Jo-Vahna sports complex in the city of Carrefour. According to the organising committee, 79 sambists from various regions of the country took part in the tournament. Competitions were organised in Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO among men and women.

The young ultra trail runner and rising star of French trail running, Esteban Olivero, was found dead last Saturday. He was skiing in the Ecrins mountains in the French Alps. At 22, he was considered one of the best and most promising athletes in the field, destined to leave his mark on the sport.

The young champion broke the previous record set 85 years ago by Shamsidin Murzagaliyev, who won at the age of 16 in 1938. The national competition was held in the capital, Astana, from 13-23 December.

The President of the International SAMBO Federation, Vasily Shestakov, summed up the 2023 and talked about the New Year in his speech.

Sambists from seven countries took part in the Beirut Open Sambo Championship. Medals were awarded in 10 weight categories at the competitions held in the Lebanese capital on 12 December: seven in Sport SAMBO and three in Combat SAMBO among men.

Bahrain's Sovereign Fund is set to assume full control of the Formula One team's parent company after reaching an agreement with minority investors. In doing so, the Mumtalakat Group will attempt to reverse 25 years without having a champion at the pinnacle of world motorsport.

Building on the triumph of the GAMMA World MMA Championships 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, IFSA Vice President Achilles Ralli recently engaged in discussions with Dr. Meechai Inwood, Deputy Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand. The focus of their meeting centred around the future development and recognition of amateur MMA in Thailand.