Sports Archives - Page 3 of 10

Qatar To Scrap Pre-Arrival Covid Tests Before World Cup

27Oct

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Qatar To Scrap Pre-Arrival Covid Tests Before World Cup

Qatar is to drop pre-arrival Covid tests before the World Cup, the health ministry said on Wednesday, weeks after announcing that the million-plus incoming fans do not need vaccinations. The latest relaxation in anti-Covid measures will take effect on November 1, 19 days before the first World Cup on Arab territory starts on November 20. The arriving fans, players, officials, staff and media are by far the biggest influx of visitors seen in tiny, gas-rich Qatar, which has a population of just 2.9 million. "Visitors are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen Test result before travelling to Qatar," a statement said. Qatari citizens and residents will also no longer need to take a PCR or rapid antigen test within 24 hours of returning from abr...

Neymar Trial Opens In Barcelona Ahead Of World Cup

17Oct

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Neymar Trial Opens In Barcelona Ahead Of World Cup

Brazilian superstar Neymar goes on trial in Spain Monday over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona nearly a decade ago. The 30-year-old, wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, waved to the press as he arrived with his parents at the Provincial Court of Barcelona at around 9:45 am. The high-profile trial is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over his 2013 transfer from the Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona. Neymar then joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain in a world record 222 million euro ($214 million) transfer in 2017. He is one of nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges, among them his parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs. All three are facing charges of business corruption. Investigators began pr...

Messi Says 2022 World Cup Will ‘Surely’ Be His Last

7Oct

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Messi Says 2022 World Cup Will ‘Surely’ Be His Last

Argentina captain Lionel Messi said Thursday that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will "surely" be the last of his career. "It's my last World Cup, surely. I feel good physically, I was able to do a very good pre-season this year, which I couldn't do last year. It was essential to get to where I am, with a good state of mind and a lot of hope," the 35-year-old told ESPN Argentina. Messi, who is due to appear in his fifth World Cup, made his international debut in 2005 and has since won 164 caps for Argentina and is the country's all-time record scorer with 90 goals. In the interview, which took place in Paris where Messi plays for Paris Saint-Germain, he admitted he was nervous about the impending tournament. "There is anxiety, nerves about the World Cup," he said. "We can't w...

Beijing Marathon To Return After Two-Year Covid pause

5Oct

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Beijing Marathon To Return After Two-Year Covid pause

Thousands of runners will line up for the Beijing Marathon in November after a two-year Covid pause, organisers said, as sporting events gradually return to China. The world's most populous country has cancelled almost all international sports competitions since Covid emerged there in 2019, with the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year a rare exception. Race organisers said on Tuesday that 30,000 runners would be able to take part in the 26-mile (42-kilometre) course through the capital on November 6 - but only Beijing residents can register. China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines. The table tennis world team championships kicked off last Friday in the me...

AIU Bans Two Kenyan Athletes As Doping Cases Surge

28Sep

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AIU Bans Two Kenyan Athletes As Doping Cases Surge

Kenya’s Felix Kipchumba Korir and Emmanuel Saina have been handed three-year bans each by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for committing anti-doping rule violations. In a statement, the AIU revealed that the two marathoners tested positive for the prohibited substance Norandrosterone in out-of-competition tests carried out last month. Norandrosterone is prohibited under the Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and is a non-specified substance prohibited at all times. The statement disclosed that Korir’s sample which was provided in Kapsabet on August 17 after was taken for analysis at the WADA accredited lab in Lausanne, Switzerland whereby the sample tested positive for the presence of 19-Norandrosterone Korir who won the Nanjing Marathon in 2018 admitted to the offence and th...

Former Man City Midfielder Delph Retires

28Sep

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Former Man City Midfielder Delph Retires

Former Manchester City and England midfielder Fabian Delph announced his retirement on Tuesday. Delph made 204 Premier League appearances for City, Everton, Aston Villa and Leeds. The 32-year-old won two Premier League titles during four years with City between 2015 and 2019. He also appeared in the FA Cup and League Cup finals with Villa, finishing as a runner-up on both occasions. Delph, who played 20 times for England, left City to join Everton three years ago but injuries restricted him to just 21 appearances in all competitions over the last two seasons. His contract with Everton expired at the end of last season and he has opted to hang up his boots after failing to find a new club. "So today I announce my retirement with nothing but happiness and gratitude for...

Boxer Rayton Okwiri Confident Of Victory In South Africa

27Jun

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Boxer Rayton Okwiri Confident Of Victory In South Africa

2016 Rio Olympics - Boxing - Preliminary - Men's Welter (69kg) Round of 16 Bout 111 - Riocentro - Pavilion 6 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 11/08/2016. Rayton Okwiri (KEN) of Kenya competes. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. Former African Boxing Union super middleweight champion Rayton ‘Boom Boom’ Okwiri says he's undeterred by the biting cold weather in South Africa and will go all out to outsmart Emmany Kalombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo when the two pugilists go head to head on June 30. Temperatures in Johannesburg have been nearing zero degrees; something Okwiri has acknowledged is a challenge but won’t stop him from victory in the 12-round-fight for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super welterweig...

Mane Snatches Victory For African Champions Senegal

8Jun

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Mane Snatches Victory For African Champions Senegal

Liverpool star Sadio Mane scored a penalty eight minutes into added time to give Senegal a dramatic 1-0 win over heart-broken Rwanda on Tuesday in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Forced to play a home match in Senegal because they do not have an international-standard stadium, Rwanda were on the verge of holding a team ranked 116 places higher in the world. But Mane rescued the Teranga Lions on 98 minutes, with a hard, low penalty that eluded the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Olivier Kwizera. Mane has starred in the first two matches for the title-holders, scoring four goals, including a matchday one hat-trick against Benin. Despite the huge rankings gap, Senegal took no chances against the Rwandan Wasps, who have qualified for the Cup of Nations only once in 13 a...

7Jun

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Milner Extends Contract With Liverpool

Veteran midfielder James Milner has signed a new one-year contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club announced. Since arriving on a free transfer in 2015, Milner has helped Jurgen Klopp's team win six major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League. Liverpool were chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the 2021/22 season after winning both domestic cups but finished a point behind Premier League champions Manchester City and lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Milner, whose contract was due to expire later this month, has played 289 games and scored 26 goals since arriving at Anfield from Manchester City. He made 39 appearances last season, although only 14 were starts, and it is reported he has accepted a contract on significantly re...

Asbel Kiprop survives motorcycle accident

27May

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Asbel Kiprop survives motorcycle accident

Former Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop has joined the list of Kenyan athletes who have survived motorcycle crashes in recent years. Photos of the the three-time world 1,500m champion were on Thursday and Friday circulated on social media with stitches on his face and head from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident a week ago. The veteran athlete, who is just smarting from a doping ban, dismissed claims that he suffered the injuries in a night club brawl. "It was a bad feeling when I was involved in a road accident. It was not a bad one and I am now fine,” he said on Friday morning. Kiprop clarified that the accident happened on Friday last week as he was heading to his farm at Simat village, Uasin Gishu County. “It was on a Friday afternoon when the incident happen...