Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NHL roundup: Kraken edge Predators for first-ever win

Brandon Tanev scored twice and Alex Wennberg and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist as the Seattle Kraken won for the first time in franchise history, defeating the host Nashville Predators 4-3 Thursday night. Wennberg netted the go-ahead goal at 9:54 of the second period, breaking a 2-2 tie. Tanev scored an empty-net goal at 18:39 of the third to give Seattle a 4-2 lead. Granlund scored on a rebound with 39.9 seconds left, but the Predators couldn’t get the equalizer.

Living room acrobatics earn Peruvian inaugural Balloon World Cup

Anyone who has ever leapt over a couch to prevent a party balloon from touching the living room floor can now dream of parlaying those skills into a World Cup triumph. Inspired by a series of viral videos and organised by Barcelona soccer player Gerard Pique and internet celebrity Ibai Llanos, the inaugural Balloon World Cup took place in Tarragona on Thursday.

Tennis-Tunisia’s Jabeur to become first Arab player to crack top 10

Ons Jabeur will become the first Arab player to crack the top 10 of the world rankings after reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals on Thursday and the Tunisian said she is just getting started. Jabeur, currently ranked 14th, reached the final of the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic earlier this month and became the first Arab player to win a WTA title at the Birmingham Classic in June.

Athletics-De Grasse ready to dominate sprints, says Bolt

Lamont Marcell Jacobs may be the 100 metres Olympic champion but Andre De Grasse is the man to watch and runner most likely to put his stamp on the men’s sprints, says the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt. De Grasse took silver behind the Italian in Tokyo but the Canadian’s consistency makes him the frontrunner to dominate the sprint scene, including next year’s world championships which will be staged in the United States for the first time.

Soccer-Europeans ready to block FIFA World Cup plans regardless of vote

FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup face being blocked by European and South American opponents, even if they are given the backing of the majority of football federations, multiple sources have told Reuters. FIFA’s proposals are set to be voted on in December by the 211 member associations of global soccer’s governing body, with president Gianni Infantino travelling the world to rally support for the plan, which has been fronted by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Motor racing-China absent from record 23-race 2022 Formula One calendar

Formula One’s governing body approved a record 23-race calendar for 2022 on Friday, with the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai missing for the third year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Races in Australia, Singapore, Canada and Japan — all cancelled for the past two seasons — were included in a season that marks the start of a new era for the sport with a major regulation change.

Soccer-FIFA says it helped evacuate 100 players, family members from Afghanistan

World soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Friday it had worked with the Qatari government to evacuate almost 100 football players and their families from Afghanistan. The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Aug. 15 and announced a new government last month after U.S.-led foreign forces withdrew and the Western-backed government collapsed.

Athletics-Kenyan police arrest husband of dead Tirop

Kenyan police said on Thursday they had arrested the husband of distance runner Agnes Tirop, a two-times World Championship bronze medallist who was found dead at her home. Police said on Wednesday that Tirop appeared to have been stabbed in the neck with a knife.

Kenya police say undecided where to arraign husband of dead runner Tirop

Kenyan police said on Friday they were still deciding where to arraign the husband of record-smashing long-distance runner Agnes Tirop, found dead at her home this week. Police arrested Tirop’s husband Ibrahim Rotich on Thursday in the coastal city of Mombasa, saying he was trying to flee the country. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said that he would be arraigned to answer murder charges.

Soccer-Racism was on and off the pitch in Italy, says Ivory Coast’s Doumbia

Ivory Coast midfielder Souleyman Doumbia said he experienced racism on and off the pitch when he played in Italy five years ago. The 25-year-old, who now plays for Ligue 1 club Angers, joined Serie B side Bari in 2016 before being loaned to Vicenza in early 2017.

(With inputs from agencies.)