England are to go ahead with their tour of Bangladesh, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed Thursday. 
 
ECB&#39;s official Twitter feed confirmed&nbsp;the green signal on Bangladesh tour . 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We can confirm that <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket">@englandcricket</a>&#39;s tour of Bangladesh will continue as planned. A brief statement to follow shortly
&mdash; ECB (@ECB_cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ECB_cricket/status/768908427586306048">August 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
There were doubts on whether the team will follow through the tour after an attack on July 1st in a cafe in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 20 people. 
 
An ECB delegation&nbsp;recently visited Bangladesh to make their own security assessment. They were led by&nbsp;security adviser Reg Dickason, accompanied by director of cricket operations John Carr and David Leatherdale of the Professional Cricketers&#39; Association 
 
Following their return, the ECB said yesterday that the three one-day internationals and two Tests which England are due to play in Bangladesh in October and November before heading to India were set to go ahead as scheduled. 
 
Australia cancelled their tour of Bangladesh in October for security reasons and then withdrew their side from the Under-19 World Cup in the country at the start of this year. England, however, fielded a team at the youth event. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

There were question marks over the series as ECB was worried about the safety of its players due to the July terror attack n Dhaka

England are to go ahead with their tour of Bangladesh, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed Thursday. ECB's official Twitter feed confirmed the green signal on Bangladesh tour . We can confirm that @englandcricket's tour of Bangladesh will continue as planned. A brief statement to follow shortly — ECB (@ECB_cricket) August 25, 2016 There were doubts on whether the team will follow through the tour after an attack on July 1st in a cafe in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 20 people. An ECB delegation recently visited Bangladesh to make their own security assessment. They were led by security adviser Reg Dickason, accompanied by director of cricket operations John Carr and David Leatherdale of the Professional Cricketers' Association Following their return, the ECB said yesterday that the three one-day internationals and two Tests which England are due to play in Bangladesh in October and November before heading to India were set to go ahead as scheduled. Australia cancelled their tour of Bangladesh in October for security reasons and then withdrew their side from the Under-19 World Cup in the country at the start of this year. England, however, fielded a team at the youth event. (WION with inputs from AFP)

England to go ahead with Bangladesh tour

England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method to win the rain-marred first one-day international at Southampton yesterday. 
 
England, setting 261 for victory,&nbsp;took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, . 
 
England finished on 194 for three in 34.3 overs before rain, which had twice stopped play previously, halted the day/night match for a third and final time at 9:37 pm local time (2037 GMT).&nbsp; 
 
Man-of-the-match Jason Roy (65) and Joe Root (61) laid the platform for a successful chase with a second-wicket stand of 89 in 14 overs. 
 
Pakistan, who won the toss, were held to a total of 260 for six in their full 50 overs. 
 
Azhar Ali, the Pakistan captain, top-scored for his side with 82 and Sarfraz Ahmed made 55. 
 
The series continues at Lord&#39;s on Saturday. 
 
Brief scores 
 
Pakistan 260-6, 50 overs (Azhar Ali 82, Sarfraz Ahmed 55) 
England 194-3, 34.3 overs (J Roy 65, J Root 61) 
Result: England won by 44 runs (D/L method) 
Man-of-the-match: Jason Roy (ENG) 
Series: England lead five-match series 1-0 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Pakistan were held to a total of 260 for six in their full 50 overs

England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method to win the rain-marred first one-day international at Southampton yesterday. England, setting 261 for victory, took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, . England finished on 194 for three in 34.3 overs before rain, which had twice stopped play previously, halted the day/night match for a third and final time at 9:37 pm local time (2037 GMT). Man-of-the-match Jason Roy (65) and Joe Root (61) laid the platform for a successful chase with a second-wicket stand of 89 in 14 overs. Pakistan, who won the toss, were held to a total of 260 for six in their full 50 overs. Azhar Ali, the Pakistan captain, top-scored for his side with 82 and Sarfraz Ahmed made 55. The series continues at Lord's on Saturday. Brief scores Pakistan 260-6, 50 overs (Azhar Ali 82, Sarfraz Ahmed 55) England 194-3, 34.3 overs (J Roy 65, J Root 61) Result: England won by 44 runs (D/L method) Man-of-the-match: Jason Roy (ENG) Series: England lead five-match series 1-0 (WION with inputs from AFP)

England beat Pakistan to win 1st ODI

Brazil captain Bruno said his side could no longer be accused of choking after beating Italy 3-0 to win men&#39;s Olympic volleyball gold on Sunday. 
 
After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title they&#39;d won in Athens as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24 at the Maracazinho in Rio. 
 
A day after the Brazilian football team ended their 120-year wait to finally win Olympic gold, the volleyball team erased memories of their dramatic collapse against Russia in London, triumphing with football star Neymar looking on. 
 
&quot;We deserved this medal so much. It&#39;s much more special to do it at home, it&#39;s a magical moment,&quot; said Bruno, who is the son of coach Bernardo. &quot;Everything we went through and now we are Olympic champions. This generation was said to be chokers. After so many silvers, now we&#39;re gold.&quot; 
 
The United States beat Russia 3-2 in the battle for bronze between the last two Olympic champions. 
 
Led by 20 points from the tournament&#39;s top scorer, the impeccable Wallace, Brazil avenged a 3-1 pool stage defeat to the Italians, who have never won Olympic gold, losing in the final three times now. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m proud of what we&#39;ve done because the whole team worked hard together, each one played with heart,&quot; said Italy outside setter Ivan Zaytsev. &quot;We&#39;ve given a great account of ourselves, we showed a winning mentality. We could have finished with the gold medal but even though we didn&#39;t, we gave our all so we have a very solid base for the future.&quot; 
 
It was a fourth final in a row for Brazil, who also beat Italy in Athens in 2004 before losing to the US in Beijing and suffering a Russian comeback four years ago in London after leading by two sets to nil. 
 
Despite the presence of 2.09-metre tall giants Lucas and Souza, it was the relatively diminutive 1.96m Lipe who rose to get the crucial block on the final point and send a packed home crowd into party mode. 
 
&#39;Brazilian party&#39; 
 
Italy started fast and opened up an early three-point lead but by the midway point of the first set, Brazil had pulled out a four-point gap over their error-prone opponents. 
 
Italy had been more than twice as efficient as Brazil in spiking but their errors proved costly with their patchy display summed up by Zaytsev ploughing his serve into a team-mate on set point. 
 
It was a high-powered affair with serves reaching up to 120km/h (75m/h) while a fiercly partisan home crowd ensured the atmosphere at the Maracazinho was rocking and pretty hostile towards Italy, not that the players were complaining. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s part of the Brazilian party,&quot; said Zaytsev, whose Russian parents were a professional volleyball player father and competitive swimmer mother. 
 
The second set saw a reversal of fortunes in one respect as Brazil&#39;s error count ratcheted up, yet they vastly improved their spiking accuracy, which at the midway point was more than three times better than in the first set. 
 
It was neck and neck with each side saving two set points until a mistake by Filippo Lanza on a serve reception gifted Brazil a two-set lead. 
 
Having been unable to win a first set against opponents with a lamentable spiking accuracy of under 15 per cent and blowing two set points in the second, one with a serve into the net, Italy could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop. 
 
Yet they rallied, their spiking efficiency reaching an incredible 70 per cent at one point in the third set. 
 
But it wasn&#39;t enough as Brazil hung in and with Wallace inspired, Lipe got the vital block to win back the gold medal. 
 
(AFP)

After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24

Brazil captain Bruno said his side could no longer be accused of choking after beating Italy 3-0 to win men's Olympic volleyball gold on Sunday. After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title they'd won in Athens as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24 at the Maracazinho in Rio. A day after the Brazilian football team ended their 120-year wait to finally win Olympic gold, the volleyball team erased memories of their dramatic collapse against Russia in London, triumphing with football star Neymar looking on. "We deserved this medal so much. It's much more special to do it at home, it's a magical moment," said Bruno, who is the son of coach Bernardo. "Everything we went through and now we are Olympic champions. This generation was said to be chokers. After so many silvers, now we're gold." The United States beat Russia 3-2 in the battle for bronze between the last two Olympic champions. Led by 20 points from the tournament's top scorer, the impeccable Wallace, Brazil avenged a 3-1 pool stage defeat to the Italians, who have never won Olympic gold, losing in the final three times now. "I'm proud of what we've done because the whole team worked hard together, each one played with heart," said Italy outside setter Ivan Zaytsev. "We've given a great account of ourselves, we showed a winning mentality. We could have finished with the gold medal but even though we didn't, we gave our all so we have a very solid base for the future." It was a fourth final in a row for Brazil, who also beat Italy in Athens in 2004 before losing to the US in Beijing and suffering a Russian comeback four years ago in London after leading by two sets to nil. Despite the presence of 2.09-metre tall giants Lucas and Souza, it was the relatively diminutive 1.96m Lipe who rose to get the crucial block on the final point and send a packed home crowd into party mode. 'Brazilian party' Italy started fast and opened up an early three-point lead but by the midway point of the first set, Brazil had pulled out a four-point gap over their error-prone opponents. Italy had been more than twice as efficient as Brazil in spiking but their errors proved costly with their patchy display summed up by Zaytsev ploughing his serve into a team-mate on set point. It was a high-powered affair with serves reaching up to 120km/h (75m/h) while a fiercly partisan home crowd ensured the atmosphere at the Maracazinho was rocking and pretty hostile towards Italy, not that the players were complaining. "It's part of the Brazilian party," said Zaytsev, whose Russian parents were a professional volleyball player father and competitive swimmer mother. The second set saw a reversal of fortunes in one respect as Brazil's error count ratcheted up, yet they vastly improved their spiking accuracy, which at the midway point was more than three times better than in the first set. It was neck and neck with each side saving two set points until a mistake by Filippo Lanza on a serve reception gifted Brazil a two-set lead. Having been unable to win a first set against opponents with a lamentable spiking accuracy of under 15 per cent and blowing two set points in the second, one with a serve into the net, Italy could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop. Yet they rallied, their spiking efficiency reaching an incredible 70 per cent at one point in the third set. But it wasn't enough as Brazil hung in and with Wallace inspired, Lipe got the vital block to win back the gold medal. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil wins men's volleyball gold

Neymar scored a brilliant goal and the decisive shootout penalty as&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;buried their World Cup demons by beating Germany in the Olympic football final on Saturday.

The 5-4 penalty win was close. Neymar and his teammates all sank to their knees, many in uncontrollable tears at the centrepiece of a day of 30 gold medals in Rio.

Park In-Bee of South Korea won the first women&#39;s Olympic golf gold for 116 years, the United States routed Spain in the women&#39;s basketball final. Even scandal-tainted Russia won four golds while losing a silver from 2012 because of another doping case.

But&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;came to a standstill because of Neymar and football.

Supermarket checkout clerks watched the match on their mobile phones, taxi drivers gathered around any available screen to see the Selecao take on Germany,&nbsp;and seek revenge for a 7-1 humiliation by their opponents in a World Cup semi-final two years ago.

In front of 78,000 people,&nbsp;the biggest crowd of the Rio Olympics,&nbsp;Neymar twisted a free kick past German goalkeeper Timo Horn to give&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;a first-half lead.

German captain Max Meyer swept home Jeremy Toljan&#39;s cross to equalise and then taunted the Maracana stadium crowd by kissing the number seven on his shirt.

The game went through extra time and eight penalties in deadlock until Germany&#39;s Nils Petersen missed his spot kick.

Barcelona star Neymar rifled the final penalty into the corner after a half-faint and a whole nation erupted in celebration.
 
(AFP)

Neymar struck the winning penalty in the 5-4 shoot-out win over Germany, after the final had ended 1-1 at the end of normal and extra-time

Neymar scored a brilliant goal and the decisive shootout penalty as Brazil buried their World Cup demons by beating Germany in the Olympic football final on Saturday. The 5-4 penalty win was close. Neymar and his teammates all sank to their knees, many in uncontrollable tears at the centrepiece of a day of 30 gold medals in Rio. Park In-Bee of South Korea won the first women's Olympic golf gold for 116 years, the United States routed Spain in the women's basketball final. Even scandal-tainted Russia won four golds while losing a silver from 2012 because of another doping case. But Brazil came to a standstill because of Neymar and football. Supermarket checkout clerks watched the match on their mobile phones, taxi drivers gathered around any available screen to see the Selecao take on Germany, and seek revenge for a 7-1 humiliation by their opponents in a World Cup semi-final two years ago. In front of 78,000 people, the biggest crowd of the Rio Olympics, Neymar twisted a free kick past German goalkeeper Timo Horn to give Brazil a first-half lead. German captain Max Meyer swept home Jeremy Toljan's cross to equalise and then taunted the Maracana stadium crowd by kissing the number seven on his shirt. The game went through extra time and eight penalties in deadlock until Germany's Nils Petersen missed his spot kick. Barcelona star Neymar rifled the final penalty into the corner after a half-faint and a whole nation erupted in celebration. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Neymar propels Brazil to maiden football gold

Britain&#39;s Nicola Adams wrote herself into the history books once more as she became the first woman to retain an Olympic boxing title in Rio yesterday. 
 
Already a hugely popular household name back home, Adams won a unanimous points decision over France&#39;s Sarah Ourahmoune in their flyweight final to add to the gold she won at London 2012 - the first time women&#39;s boxing had featured at an Olympics. 
 
&quot;It feels absolutely amazing, especially to be able to think to myself I&#39;ve created history and I&#39;m now the most accomplished British amateur boxer we&#39;ve ever had, of all time, so it&#39;s a nice title to have,&quot; said Adams, 33, who celebrated wildly and wiped away tears on the podium. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve had a massive amount of support from Yorkshire (where she is from) and the rest of the nation. I felt like I had their support in the ring with me, every punch I was throwing.&quot; 
 
The only British boxer to previously clinch back-to-back Olympic titles was Harry Mallin, who managed that in middleweight, in 1920 and 1924. 
 
Adams&#39;s triumph rarely looked in any doubt.&nbsp;Wearing red and in front of the watching British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, Adams enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, but Ourahmoune did catch the Briton with a decent right that momentarily deterred her. 
 
Adams, whose gold in London in 2012 made her a media darling in Britain and one of the faces of that Games, was again on top in the second round, landing the cleaner punches and getting the crowd on its feet with one savage attack.&nbsp;The third was more of the same. 
 
Ourahmoune was up against it and one Adams left jab rocked the Frenchwoman, who was trying to become a second woman from France to win Olympic boxing gold in two days after Estelle Mossely&#39;s triumph on Friday. 
 
Adams just had to steer clear of trouble in the fourth and final round, but it is not in her nature to hold back, and one blow to the Frenchwoman&#39;s rib cage left her gasping for air. 
 
Bronze went to China&#39;s Ren Cancan - Adams&#39;s victim in the 2012 final and in the semi-final in Rio - and the Colombian Ingrit Valencia. 
 
(AFP)

Adams, whose gold in London in 2012 made her a media favourite in Britain, won a unanimous points decision over France's Sarah Ourahmoune

Britain's Nicola Adams wrote herself into the history books once more as she became the first woman to retain an Olympic boxing title in Rio yesterday. Already a hugely popular household name back home, Adams won a unanimous points decision over France's Sarah Ourahmoune in their flyweight final to add to the gold she won at London 2012 - the first time women's boxing had featured at an Olympics. "It feels absolutely amazing, especially to be able to think to myself I've created history and I'm now the most accomplished British amateur boxer we've ever had, of all time, so it's a nice title to have," said Adams, 33, who celebrated wildly and wiped away tears on the podium. "I've had a massive amount of support from Yorkshire (where she is from) and the rest of the nation. I felt like I had their support in the ring with me, every punch I was throwing." The only British boxer to previously clinch back-to-back Olympic titles was Harry Mallin, who managed that in middleweight, in 1920 and 1924. Adams's triumph rarely looked in any doubt. Wearing red and in front of the watching British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, Adams enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, but Ourahmoune did catch the Briton with a decent right that momentarily deterred her. Adams, whose gold in London in 2012 made her a media darling in Britain and one of the faces of that Games, was again on top in the second round, landing the cleaner punches and getting the crowd on its feet with one savage attack. The third was more of the same. Ourahmoune was up against it and one Adams left jab rocked the Frenchwoman, who was trying to become a second woman from France to win Olympic boxing gold in two days after Estelle Mossely's triumph on Friday. Adams just had to steer clear of trouble in the fourth and final round, but it is not in her nature to hold back, and one blow to the Frenchwoman's rib cage left her gasping for air. Bronze went to China's Ren Cancan - Adams's victim in the 2012 final and in the semi-final in Rio - and the Colombian Ingrit Valencia. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Britain's Adams first woman to retain Olympic boxing title

Brazilian police detained two US swimmers and arrested a top International Olympic Committee official as scandal overshadowed the Rio Games and Usain Bolt&#39;s progress toward a new gold. 
 
Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were taken off a flight leaving Rio de Janeiro by authorities investigating doubts over their claim of having been mugged.&nbsp;That came hours after top European Olympic official Patrick Hickey was arrested in an investigation into black market Olympic ticket sales. 
 
Conger and Bentz along with star US swimmer Ryan Lochte and squad member James Feigen said they were held up at gunpoint in the early hours of Sunday. 
 
However, Brazilian judge Keyla Blank ordered the passports of all four to be seized to prevent them leaving the country. Lochte had already gone home. 
 
The Globo media organisation posted a video online showing Conger and Bentz walking into a police station on Wednesday. 
 
The G1 news site, which is part of Globo, reported that Bentz, 20, and Conger, 21, were detained for questioning and that Feigen, 26, was still in the country. 
 
Bentz and Conger left the airport in the middle of the night in a car that passed by a crowd of journalists, according to an AFP reporter. They were scheduled to appear before Rio tourism police today. 
 
The four made headlines with their terrifying account while returning from a party. 
 
Lochte said they were held up by muggers posing as police as they left a party just after 4:00am. In interviews, he described how he had a hand gun put to his head and handed over his money and wallet. 
 
 
&#39;Video showed victims laughing&#39; &nbsp; 
 
However, the judge said their story was full of inconsistencies. 
 
US television channel NBC quoted witnesses as saying the swimmers were at the party until daybreak. 
 
And Britain&#39;s Daily Mail obtained video surveillance showing the four laughing as they returned to the athletes&#39; village at 6.56 am on Sunday. 
 
Hickey, an IOC executive member, head of the European Olympic Committees and the Irish national committee, spent Wednesday night in hospital after being detained at his luxury hotel. 
 
Accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and conspiracy after tickets were seized from another Irish businessman, Hickey has &quot;temporarily&quot; stood down from his posts. 
 
Following a raid similar to the arrest of seven top FIFA officials at a Zurich hotel last year, Hickey was shown in media video answering his hotel room door unclothed before putting on a bath robe. 
 
Police said they suspect he had changed rooms to try to evade arrest. 
 
Hickey&#39;s wife was in another room and at first told them Hickey had left the country, police told reporters. 
 
Brazilian police have launched a widening investigation after seizing more than 1,000 premier tickets for Games events, including the opening ceremony. 
 
Tickets with a face value of about $1,000 dollars were sold for $8,000, in a racket prosecutors said yielded profits of $3.0 million. 
 
The head of a sports ticketing firm, THG Sports, was detained with the tickets on August 5. 
 
Hickey&#39;s son once worked for THG, but the sports powerbroker denied any wrongdoing in an interview with Irish television last week as the scandal mounted. 
 
The arrests diverted attention from the sporting action as Usain Bolt reached the final of the 200m - the second of his targeted three-gold-medal sweep of the Olympic sprint titles. 
 
While Bolt ran the season&#39;s best 19.78 seconds, his American arch-rival Justin Gatlin, 34, failed to reach the final. 
 
Gatlin, who won 100 m silver behind Bolt at the weekend, said he had not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in November. 
 
&quot;I definitely think I can try for the world record, I definitely feel that,&quot; Bolt said. 
 
Drug-tainted Russia&#39;s only competitor in the track and field, Darya Klishina, failed to reach the final medal battle in the long jump. The 25-year-old blamed the turmoil of the doping scandal for her disappointment. 
 
The IAAF gave her the green light for Rio and then banned her because of &quot;new&quot; doping information. She went to the sports tribunal to reverse the ban. 
 
Brazil&#39;s suffering sports fans got some good news when football star Neymar scored twice - including the fastest Olympic goal after 15 seconds - in a 6-0 win over Honduras in the Olympic semi-final. 
 
In the final, they will take on Germany in a revenge repeat of their disastrous 7-1 loss in the World Cup semi-final two years ago. 
 
(AFP)

Controversies diverted attention from the sporting action as Usain Bolt reached the final of the 200m

Brazilian police detained two US swimmers and arrested a top International Olympic Committee official as scandal overshadowed the Rio Games and Usain Bolt's progress toward a new gold. Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were taken off a flight leaving Rio de Janeiro by authorities investigating doubts over their claim of having been mugged. That came hours after top European Olympic official Patrick Hickey was arrested in an investigation into black market Olympic ticket sales. Conger and Bentz along with star US swimmer Ryan Lochte and squad member James Feigen said they were held up at gunpoint in the early hours of Sunday. However, Brazilian judge Keyla Blank ordered the passports of all four to be seized to prevent them leaving the country. Lochte had already gone home. The Globo media organisation posted a video online showing Conger and Bentz walking into a police station on Wednesday. The G1 news site, which is part of Globo, reported that Bentz, 20, and Conger, 21, were detained for questioning and that Feigen, 26, was still in the country. Bentz and Conger left the airport in the middle of the night in a car that passed by a crowd of journalists, according to an AFP reporter. They were scheduled to appear before Rio tourism police today. The four made headlines with their terrifying account while returning from a party. Lochte said they were held up by muggers posing as police as they left a party just after 4:00am. In interviews, he described how he had a hand gun put to his head and handed over his money and wallet. 'Video showed victims laughing' However, the judge said their story was full of inconsistencies. US television channel NBC quoted witnesses as saying the swimmers were at the party until daybreak. And Britain's Daily Mail obtained video surveillance showing the four laughing as they returned to the athletes' village at 6.56 am on Sunday. Hickey, an IOC executive member, head of the European Olympic Committees and the Irish national committee, spent Wednesday night in hospital after being detained at his luxury hotel. Accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and conspiracy after tickets were seized from another Irish businessman, Hickey has "temporarily" stood down from his posts. Following a raid similar to the arrest of seven top FIFA officials at a Zurich hotel last year, Hickey was shown in media video answering his hotel room door unclothed before putting on a bath robe. Police said they suspect he had changed rooms to try to evade arrest. Hickey's wife was in another room and at first told them Hickey had left the country, police told reporters. Brazilian police have launched a widening investigation after seizing more than 1,000 premier tickets for Games events, including the opening ceremony. Tickets with a face value of about $1,000 dollars were sold for $8,000, in a racket prosecutors said yielded profits of $3.0 million. The head of a sports ticketing firm, THG Sports, was detained with the tickets on August 5. Hickey's son once worked for THG, but the sports powerbroker denied any wrongdoing in an interview with Irish television last week as the scandal mounted. The arrests diverted attention from the sporting action as Usain Bolt reached the final of the 200m - the second of his targeted three-gold-medal sweep of the Olympic sprint titles. While Bolt ran the season's best 19.78 seconds, his American arch-rival Justin Gatlin, 34, failed to reach the final. Gatlin, who won 100 m silver behind Bolt at the weekend, said he had not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in November. "I definitely think I can try for the world record, I definitely feel that," Bolt said. Drug-tainted Russia's only competitor in the track and field, Darya Klishina, failed to reach the final medal battle in the long jump. The 25-year-old blamed the turmoil of the doping scandal for her disappointment. The IAAF gave her the green light for Rio and then banned her because of "new" doping information. She went to the sports tribunal to reverse the ban. Brazil's suffering sports fans got some good news when football star Neymar scored twice - including the fastest Olympic goal after 15 seconds - in a 6-0 win over Honduras in the Olympic semi-final. In the final, they will take on Germany in a revenge repeat of their disastrous 7-1 loss in the World Cup semi-final two years ago. (AFP)

Swim, IOC scandals overshadow Bolt's advance

Britain&#39;s Andy Murray advanced to the men&#39;s Olympic final with a straight sets victory over Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori today, securing a chance to defend his title and become the first player to win back-to-back singles golds at the Games. 
 
In a commanding performance, the Wimbledon champion and number two ranked player broke Nishikori&#39;s serve early on, breezing through the first set 6-1. After another service break early in the second set, Murray closed out the match 6-1 6-4. 
 
Though Nishikori&#39;s speed allowed him to punch back against Murray&#39;s blazing ground strokes, the Japanese player was plagued by too many unforced errors and could not break Murray&#39;s serve. 
 
In Sunday&#39;s gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain&#39;s Rafa Nadal or Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro, who play later on Saturday. 
 
Murray won gold at the 2012 London Games where he defeated Switzerland&#39;s Roger Federer in the final. 
 
But the Briton will have his work cut out for him on Sunday. Del Potro, the bronze medallist in London, has drawn energy from boisterous crowds of fans from neighbouring Argentina at the Games. He pulled off an upset by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round in Rio. 
 
Nadal, who has been beset by a wrist injury, also appears to have returned to form. He claimed a gold medal for Spain in men&#39;s doubles with partner Marc Lopez on Friday. 
 
If Nadal makes the final he will have a chance to become the first player since 1924 to win a gold medal in both men&#39;s singles and doubles at a Games. 
 
(Reuters)

In tomorrow's gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain's Rafa Nadal or Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro

Britain's Andy Murray advanced to the men's Olympic final with a straight sets victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori today, securing a chance to defend his title and become the first player to win back-to-back singles golds at the Games. In a commanding performance, the Wimbledon champion and number two ranked player broke Nishikori's serve early on, breezing through the first set 6-1. After another service break early in the second set, Murray closed out the match 6-1 6-4. Though Nishikori's speed allowed him to punch back against Murray's blazing ground strokes, the Japanese player was plagued by too many unforced errors and could not break Murray's serve. In Sunday's gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain's Rafa Nadal or Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who play later on Saturday. Murray won gold at the 2012 London Games where he defeated Switzerland's Roger Federer in the final. But the Briton will have his work cut out for him on Sunday. Del Potro, the bronze medallist in London, has drawn energy from boisterous crowds of fans from neighbouring Argentina at the Games. He pulled off an upset by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round in Rio. Nadal, who has been beset by a wrist injury, also appears to have returned to form. He claimed a gold medal for Spain in men's doubles with partner Marc Lopez on Friday. If Nadal makes the final he will have a chance to become the first player since 1924 to win a gold medal in both men's singles and doubles at a Games. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Murray advances to final to defend London gold

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women&#39;s 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport&#39;s (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. 
 
The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations&#39; (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. 
 
It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. 
 
She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. 
 
&quot;I am really happy at the moment,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off.&nbsp;I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off.&quot; 
 
The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India&#39;s contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF&#39;s guidelines. 
 
She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. 
 
South Africa&#39;s former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. 
 
The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. 
 
(Reuters)

Chand was dropped from Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after her high testosterone levels were found

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women's 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. "I am really happy at the moment," she said in a statement. "It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off. I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off." The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India's contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF's guidelines. She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. South Africa's former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. (Reuters)

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics following ruling on gender testing

The world&#39;s top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August&#39;s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife&#39;s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,&quot; the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk,&quot; the 28-year-old Day added. 
 
Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji&#39;s Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. 
 
The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since 1904, but a number of top names have withdrawn over Zika fears

The world's top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. "The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family," the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. "While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk," the 28-year-old Day added. Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji's Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. (Reuters)

Top-ranked golfer Jason Day pulls out of Olympics over Zika concerns

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month&#39;s Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. 
 
American Spieth&#39;s withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world&#39;s top four players. 
 
Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. 
 
&quot;It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently),&quot; International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth&#39;s pull-out. 
 
Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. 
 
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. 
 
(Reuters)

Jordan Spieth withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month's Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. American Spieth's withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players. Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. "It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently)," International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth's pull-out. Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. (Reuters)

Spieth pulls out of Olympics over Zika worries

The International Olympic Committee&#39;s decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to &quot;lesser protection for clean athletes,&quot; the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. 
 
The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. 
 
The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month&#39;s Rio games due to the country&#39;s doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes&#39; participation with their sports federations. 
 
&quot;WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA&rsquo;s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,&rdquo; WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. 
 
&ldquo;The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code,&quot; Reedie added. 
 
&#39;Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?&#39; 
 
WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. 
 
&quot;The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,&rdquo; WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. 
 
He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. 
 
&quot;Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,&rdquo; Niggli said. &ldquo;WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future.&quot; 
 
Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. 
 
The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. 
 
Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. 
 
It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and &quot;identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

The IOC resisted calls for a blanket ban on Sunday on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record

The International Olympic Committee's decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to "lesser protection for clean athletes," the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes' participation with their sports federations. "WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA’s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,” WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. “The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code," Reedie added. 'Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?' WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. "The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. "Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,” Niggli said. “WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future." Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and "identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests". (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: WADA 'disappointed' by IOC decision on Russia

Eleven weightlifters, including six medallists, produced positive samples in the second wave of doping retests from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said yesterday. 
 
Russia&#39;s five-times European champion Nataliya Zabolotnaya was among three silver medallists from the London Games to fail tests along with compatriots Alexandr Ivanov and Svetlana Tzarukaeva. 
 
Zabolotnaya finished second in the women&rsquo;s -75kg event in London, repeating her silver-medal performance in Athens eight years earlier. 
 
Ivanov was world champion in 2010 and 2013 in the -94kg category, while Tzarukaeva won the world title in 2011 in the 63kg event. 
 
Other London medallists to fail tests included Iryna Kulesha of Belarus, Armenia&rsquo;s Hripsime Khurshudyan and Moldova&rsquo;s Cristina Iovu. 
 
The IWF said the 11 athletes have all been provisionally suspended. 
 
All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used the banned anabolic steroid Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday that 45 athletes had failed dope tests after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012 were reanalysed. 
 
The second wave of retests included 138 samples from London 2012, involving athletes from two sports and nine countries. The London 2012 retests produced 15 failures. 
 
(Reuters)

All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used a banned anabolic steroid

Eleven weightlifters, including six medallists, produced positive samples in the second wave of doping retests from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said yesterday. Russia's five-times European champion Nataliya Zabolotnaya was among three silver medallists from the London Games to fail tests along with compatriots Alexandr Ivanov and Svetlana Tzarukaeva. Zabolotnaya finished second in the women’s -75kg event in London, repeating her silver-medal performance in Athens eight years earlier. Ivanov was world champion in 2010 and 2013 in the -94kg category, while Tzarukaeva won the world title in 2011 in the 63kg event. Other London medallists to fail tests included Iryna Kulesha of Belarus, Armenia’s Hripsime Khurshudyan and Moldova’s Cristina Iovu. The IWF said the 11 athletes have all been provisionally suspended. All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used the banned anabolic steroid Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday that 45 athletes had failed dope tests after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012 were reanalysed. The second wave of retests included 138 samples from London 2012, involving athletes from two sports and nine countries. The London 2012 retests produced 15 failures. (Reuters)

Eleven London 2012 weightlifters test positive for doping, temporarily suspended

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women&#39;s world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. 
 
They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. 
 
The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men&#39;s championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. 
 
&quot;It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,&quot; world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. 
 
&quot;After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.&quot; 
 
The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
Halep, who last month told Reuters she was &quot;very worried&quot; about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. 
 
&quot;I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,&quot; Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. 
 
&quot;After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can&rsquo;t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.&nbsp;I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision.&nbsp;I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible.&quot; 
 
Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. 
 
Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. 
 
Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. 
 
&quot;This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games,&quot; said Raonic. 
 
&quot;I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Milos Raonic and Simona Halep joined a growing list of athletes to pull out of Rio Games due to health concerns

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women's world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month's Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men's championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. "After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus." The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. Halep, who last month told Reuters she was "very worried" about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. "I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus," Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. "After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over. I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision. I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible." Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. "This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games," said Raonic. "I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer." (Reuters)

Raonic and Halep withdraw from Rio Olympics over Zika

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is aiming to drive her sabre through bigotry when she becomes the first American athlete to compete at the Olympics wearing a hijab. 
 
The articulate 30-year-old African-American Muslim was catapulted to prominence in January after clinching her place on the US Olympic team at the World Cup in Greece. 
 
Muhammad&#39;s participation in Rio comes in the midst of a US presidential election campaign marked by anti-Islamic rhetoric while incidents of threats and vandalism at mosques reached an all-time high last year. 
 
The ugly atmosphere is all-too familiar for Muhammad, who has faced discrimination since childhood, when her skin color and hijab would often draw stares or abuse. 
 
Indeed, part of the attraction of fencing was the fact that Muhammad could blend in more or less seamlessly. 
 
&quot;I played different sports growing up and my mum and I just happened to be driving past a high school and saw fencing from the car window,&quot; she recalled.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;She saw that the athletes had on long tops and long pants and she didn`t know what the sport was but she wanted me to try it because she thought it would be accommodating for my religious beliefs.&quot; 
 
Muhammad was unconvinced at first but persisted when she realized the sport could be a passport to a college education. 
 
&quot;I saw that the top 10 schools in the country all had fencing programs so I saw fencing as a way for me to get to school so that&#39;s why I stuck at it initially,&quot; said Muhammad, who graduated from prestigious Duke University in 2007 with a degree in International Relations and African Studies. 
 
Muhammad hopes that her Olympic journey may play a small role in shifting the kinds of attitudes that have surfaced during the US election campaign. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a tough political environment that we&#39;re in right now, it&#39;s not easy,&quot; Muhammad said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Muslims are under the microscope and I&#39;m hoping to change the image that people may have of Muslim women. 
 
&quot;I know that Muslim women are very, very diverse, especially here in the United States. We come in all different shapes, colors and sizes and we come from different backgrounds and are productive members of society. I want people to see that.&quot; 
 
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been accused of fueling anti-Islamic sentiment, pointedly calling for Muslims to be prevented from entering the United States in December last year. 
 
Muhammad diplomatically declined to speculate on what life for American Muslims might be like if Trump is elected to the White House in November. 
 
&quot;I hate to talk about what ifs,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;m hoping we can change direction a little bit and see Muslims in more of a positive light and try to combat the negative imagery that we are shown every day. Can I influence the debate? I don&#39;t know. I&#39;m just trying to do well in Rio&#39;&#39;. 
 
The toxic climate has brought practical concerns. After several stories involving Muslims being barred from boarding planes, Muhammad revealed she had harbored fears of suffering a similar fate during qualifiers for Rio. 
 
&quot;When Muslims were being kicked off flights in the middle of Olympic qualifiers that was a real worry, am I going to be allowed to board my flight to make it to my Olympic qualifier?&quot; 
 
The fact that she is expected to speak about weighty issues relating to her race, religion and gender rather than merely her sport does sometimes take its toll, Muhammad acknowledged. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s something I struggle with every day. But ultimately I feel incredibly blessed to have been given this platform. And when I think of my predecessors and people who have spoken out against bigotry and hate, I feel like I owe it not just to myself but to my community to try to fight it,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;You have to not just think about yourself, but everyone. And there are people in America right now who don&#39;t feel safe going to work every day, who don&#39;t feel safe in their community. That&#39;s a problem. 
 
&quot;I remember being a kid and people telling me I didn&#39;t belong in my sport because of my skin color, because I was Muslim. So if I can be a source of change for other minorities I feel fortunate to be able to do that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad participation in Rio comes in the midst of a US presidential election campaign marked by anti-Islamic rhetoric

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is aiming to drive her sabre through bigotry when she becomes the first American athlete to compete at the Olympics wearing a hijab. The articulate 30-year-old African-American Muslim was catapulted to prominence in January after clinching her place on the US Olympic team at the World Cup in Greece. Muhammad's participation in Rio comes in the midst of a US presidential election campaign marked by anti-Islamic rhetoric while incidents of threats and vandalism at mosques reached an all-time high last year. The ugly atmosphere is all-too familiar for Muhammad, who has faced discrimination since childhood, when her skin color and hijab would often draw stares or abuse. Indeed, part of the attraction of fencing was the fact that Muhammad could blend in more or less seamlessly. "I played different sports growing up and my mum and I just happened to be driving past a high school and saw fencing from the car window," she recalled. "She saw that the athletes had on long tops and long pants and she didn`t know what the sport was but she wanted me to try it because she thought it would be accommodating for my religious beliefs." Muhammad was unconvinced at first but persisted when she realized the sport could be a passport to a college education. "I saw that the top 10 schools in the country all had fencing programs so I saw fencing as a way for me to get to school so that's why I stuck at it initially," said Muhammad, who graduated from prestigious Duke University in 2007 with a degree in International Relations and African Studies. Muhammad hopes that her Olympic journey may play a small role in shifting the kinds of attitudes that have surfaced during the US election campaign. "It's a tough political environment that we're in right now, it's not easy," Muhammad said. "Muslims are under the microscope and I'm hoping to change the image that people may have of Muslim women. "I know that Muslim women are very, very diverse, especially here in the United States. We come in all different shapes, colors and sizes and we come from different backgrounds and are productive members of society. I want people to see that." Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been accused of fueling anti-Islamic sentiment, pointedly calling for Muslims to be prevented from entering the United States in December last year. Muhammad diplomatically declined to speculate on what life for American Muslims might be like if Trump is elected to the White House in November. "I hate to talk about what ifs," she said. "I'm hoping we can change direction a little bit and see Muslims in more of a positive light and try to combat the negative imagery that we are shown every day. Can I influence the debate? I don't know. I'm just trying to do well in Rio''. The toxic climate has brought practical concerns. After several stories involving Muslims being barred from boarding planes, Muhammad revealed she had harbored fears of suffering a similar fate during qualifiers for Rio. "When Muslims were being kicked off flights in the middle of Olympic qualifiers that was a real worry, am I going to be allowed to board my flight to make it to my Olympic qualifier?" The fact that she is expected to speak about weighty issues relating to her race, religion and gender rather than merely her sport does sometimes take its toll, Muhammad acknowledged. "It's something I struggle with every day. But ultimately I feel incredibly blessed to have been given this platform. And when I think of my predecessors and people who have spoken out against bigotry and hate, I feel like I owe it not just to myself but to my community to try to fight it," she said. "You have to not just think about yourself, but everyone. And there are people in America right now who don't feel safe going to work every day, who don't feel safe in their community. That's a problem. "I remember being a kid and people telling me I didn't belong in my sport because of my skin color, because I was Muslim. So if I can be a source of change for other minorities I feel fortunate to be able to do that." (AFP)

American athlete to compete at the Olympics wearing a hijab

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. 
 
The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men&#39;s singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men&#39;s doubles. 
 
&quot;Here it&#39;s totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I&#39;ll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you&#39;re around loads of the best athletes in the world. 
 
&quot;It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment.&quot; 
 
Half of the men&#39;s top 10 will miss this month&#39;s Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. 
 
Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic&#39;s Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. 
 
Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there&#39;s a few of the top 10 missing,&quot; the 29-year-old added. 
 
The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. 
 
(Reuters)

'Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament'

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men's singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men's doubles. "Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can," he told reporters. "I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you're around loads of the best athletes in the world. "It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment." Half of the men's top 10 will miss this month's Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. "It's still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there's a few of the top 10 missing," the 29-year-old added. The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: Andy Murray bids to defend title he won in London four years ago

Security at Rio&#39;s Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. 
 
Denmark&#39;s chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. 
 
&quot;In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts,&quot; he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets.&quot; 
 
Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. 
 
&quot;The buildings are simply not in order,&quot; Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. 
 
The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. 
 
Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. 
 
&quot;When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don&#39;t know who they were -- walking out with team shirts,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we&#39;ve given them a shirt. It doesn&#39;t seem to be what happened. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that&#39;s concerning.&quot; 
 
After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. 
 
Rio&#39;s crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. 
 
China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. 
 
Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. 
 
&quot;They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this,&quot; he told China&#39;s Xinhua news agency. 
 
&quot;We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered.&quot; 
 
Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures,&quot; advised Andrada. 
 
&quot;If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention.&quot; 
 
Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was &quot;inevitable&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing

Security at Rio's Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. "In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts," he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. "It's everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets." Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. "The buildings are simply not in order," Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. "When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don't know who they were -- walking out with team shirts," she said. "I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we've given them a shirt. It doesn't seem to be what happened. "We don't know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that's concerning." After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. Rio's crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. "They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this," he told China's Xinhua news agency. "We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered." Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. "Don't count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures," advised Andrada. "If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention." Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was "inevitable". (AFP)

Olympics: Rio sorry as Village suffers new theft

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. 
 
In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. 
 
According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. 
 
&quot;I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better,&quot; said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. 
 
During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. 
 
The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don&#39;t feel any danger right now,&quot; said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t have any fears, I feel pretty secure,&quot; said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. 
 
(Reuters)

According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in venues and all personal items must go through security checks

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. "I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better," said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. "You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don't feel any danger right now," said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. "I don't have any fears, I feel pretty secure," said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. (Reuters)

Brazil steps up security arrangements ahead of Rio Olympics 2016

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony&#39;s executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. 
 
Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. 
 
&quot;There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart,&quot; the Italian producer said at a press conference. 
 
The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. 
 
The limited space in the opening ceremony&#39;s venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. 
 
&quot;The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible,&quot; said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

According to organisers, the opening ceremony has three themes, the garden, diversity and joy

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony's executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. "There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart," the Italian producer said at a press conference. The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. The limited space in the opening ceremony's venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. "The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible," said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Rio set for 'all Brazilian' Olympic opening ceremony: Organisers

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia&#39;s Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. 
 
Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. 
 
&quot;I think they&#39;ve got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they&#39;ve had but, you know what, on the day, I think they&#39;ll deliver,&quot; said John Beadle from London. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool,&quot; said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. 
 
&quot;I think Rio will pull it off and I&#39;m hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it&#39;s going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we&#39;re going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can,&quot; added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The Rio Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million were spent on the show, about half of what London spent 4 years ago

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia's Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. "I think they've got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they've had but, you know what, on the day, I think they'll deliver," said John Beadle from London. "I'm really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool," said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. "I think Rio will pull it off and I'm hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it's going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we're going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can," added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Sydney Opera House lights up in green and gold

South&nbsp;Korea&#39;s stranglehold on Olympic archery showed little sign of easing yesterday as men&#39;s number one Kim Woo-jin fired a 72-arrow&nbsp;world&nbsp;record&nbsp;and the nation&#39;s women dominated the ranking rounds at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The tournament&#39;s first shoot-off on a glorious day at the Sambodromo began with a bang as world&nbsp;champion Kim racked up 700 points out of a maximum 720, beating the 699 his compatriot Im Dong-hyun compiled in the preliminary round in London four years ago.

The day ended with all three of&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&#39;s women at the top of the standings, led by 20-year-old Choi Mi-sun, who flirted with teammate Kim Bo-bae&#39;s&nbsp;world&nbsp;record&nbsp;before the wind picked up in the afternoon.

South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;took three of the four golds in London, with only the bronze medal-winning men&#39;s team missing out, but the Rio contingent appear determined to make a clean sweep this time round.

Such is the&nbsp;Koreans&#39; unwavering focus that 24-year-old Kim barely acknowledged his&nbsp;record, preferring to talk only about the men&#39;s team event on Saturday.

&quot;It&#39;s just the ranking round. I want to focus on tomorrow, so today&#39;s not really big happy,&quot; he said through a translator before being mobbed by&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean reporters.

Kim sealed the&nbsp;record&nbsp;with riveting theatre, needing to find the innermost gold circle for a maximum 10 points with his final arrow and duly sending it flush into the middle.

His face broke into a smile as he turned back to his camp, having captured the top seeding and drawn a first-round match-up with 64th and last-ranked archer Gavin Ben Sutherland, a Zimbabwean who finished 134 points adrift of the&nbsp;Korean.

Kim will link up with Lee Seung-yun and Ku Bon-chan&nbsp;today to try to restore the nation&#39;s reign over the men&#39;s team event.

The United States ended their run of three successive Olympic titles from 2000-08 in a nail-biting semi-final in London.&nbsp;A powerful American team drew confidence from an outstanding 690 from former&nbsp;world champion Brady Ellison, who took second seeding behind Kim.

Ellison and his teammates Jake Kaminski and Zach Garrett scored 2,024 points in total to be second behind&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;(2,057). Italy, surprise winners in London, took the third seed.

The&nbsp;Korean women, unbeaten in the team event since its debut at the 1988 Seoul Games, finished top with 1,998 points, a gaping 60 ahead of Russia, with London silver medallists China ranked third.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Koreans appear in good shape to extend their winning streak when the women&#39;s team event is decided on Sunday. 
 
(Reuters)

Men's number one Kim Woo-Jin fired a 72-arrow world record and the nation's women lead the ranking rounds

South Korea's stranglehold on Olympic archery showed little sign of easing yesterday as men's number one Kim Woo-jin fired a 72-arrow world record and the nation's women dominated the ranking rounds at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The tournament's first shoot-off on a glorious day at the Sambodromo began with a bang as world champion Kim racked up 700 points out of a maximum 720, beating the 699 his compatriot Im Dong-hyun compiled in the preliminary round in London four years ago. The day ended with all three of South Korea's women at the top of the standings, led by 20-year-old Choi Mi-sun, who flirted with teammate Kim Bo-bae's world record before the wind picked up in the afternoon. South Korea took three of the four golds in London, with only the bronze medal-winning men's team missing out, but the Rio contingent appear determined to make a clean sweep this time round. Such is the Koreans' unwavering focus that 24-year-old Kim barely acknowledged his record, preferring to talk only about the men's team event on Saturday. "It's just the ranking round. I want to focus on tomorrow, so today's not really big happy," he said through a translator before being mobbed by South Korean reporters. Kim sealed the record with riveting theatre, needing to find the innermost gold circle for a maximum 10 points with his final arrow and duly sending it flush into the middle. His face broke into a smile as he turned back to his camp, having captured the top seeding and drawn a first-round match-up with 64th and last-ranked archer Gavin Ben Sutherland, a Zimbabwean who finished 134 points adrift of the Korean. Kim will link up with Lee Seung-yun and Ku Bon-chan today to try to restore the nation's reign over the men's team event. The United States ended their run of three successive Olympic titles from 2000-08 in a nail-biting semi-final in London. A powerful American team drew confidence from an outstanding 690 from former world champion Brady Ellison, who took second seeding behind Kim. Ellison and his teammates Jake Kaminski and Zach Garrett scored 2,024 points in total to be second behind South Korea (2,057). Italy, surprise winners in London, took the third seed. The Korean women, unbeaten in the team event since its debut at the 1988 Seoul Games, finished top with 1,998 points, a gaping 60 ahead of Russia, with London silver medallists China ranked third. The Koreans appear in good shape to extend their winning streak when the women's team event is decided on Sunday. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics: South Korea dominates archery

Dilruwan Perera ripped the heart out of the Australian order to spin Sri Lanka to a series-clinching 229-run victory inside three days of the second test at Galle today. 
 
The 34-year-old off-spinner laid bare Australia&#39;s spin frailties, claiming 6-70 as the world&#39;s top ranked test team folded for 183 in their pursuit of an improbable 413-run victory target. 
 
Perera, who had claimed 4-29 in the first innings and scored 64 in his team&#39;s second innings, became the first Sri Lankan player to score a fifty and claim 10 wickets in the same match as his side clinched their first test series victory over Australia since 1999. 
 
Resuming on 25 for three, Australia captain Steve Smith (30) and deputy David Warner (41) showed positive intent, frequently using their feet against the spinners and dealing mostly in boundaries even though it was merely delaying what looked inevitable. 
 
Perera separated them, trapping Warner leg-before with a straight delivery. The batsman reviewed the decision but could not get it overturned. 
 
The spinner then returned to induce Smith into giving a bat-pad catch to Kusal Mendis at forward short leg. 
 
Perera, whose all-round performance earned the man-of-the-match award, completed his five-wicket haul when Adam Voges (28) attempted a reverse sweep only to have his leg stump pegged back. 
 
Kusal Mendis then displayed tremendous reflexes as he stopped a Peter Nevill shot at forward short leg and flicked it back on the stumps to run out the batsman and trigger wild celebrations at the Galle International Stadium. 
 
(Reuters)

Sri Lanka clinched their first test series victory over Australia since 1999

Dilruwan Perera ripped the heart out of the Australian order to spin Sri Lanka to a series-clinching 229-run victory inside three days of the second test at Galle today. The 34-year-old off-spinner laid bare Australia's spin frailties, claiming 6-70 as the world's top ranked test team folded for 183 in their pursuit of an improbable 413-run victory target. Perera, who had claimed 4-29 in the first innings and scored 64 in his team's second innings, became the first Sri Lankan player to score a fifty and claim 10 wickets in the same match as his side clinched their first test series victory over Australia since 1999. Resuming on 25 for three, Australia captain Steve Smith (30) and deputy David Warner (41) showed positive intent, frequently using their feet against the spinners and dealing mostly in boundaries even though it was merely delaying what looked inevitable. Perera separated them, trapping Warner leg-before with a straight delivery. The batsman reviewed the decision but could not get it overturned. The spinner then returned to induce Smith into giving a bat-pad catch to Kusal Mendis at forward short leg. Perera, whose all-round performance earned the man-of-the-match award, completed his five-wicket haul when Adam Voges (28) attempted a reverse sweep only to have his leg stump pegged back. Kusal Mendis then displayed tremendous reflexes as he stopped a Peter Nevill shot at forward short leg and flicked it back on the stumps to run out the batsman and trigger wild celebrations at the Galle International Stadium. (Reuters)

Perera spins Sri Lanka to historic win against Australia

American&nbsp;teenager Virginia&nbsp;Thrasher&nbsp;won the&nbsp;first&nbsp;gold&nbsp;medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic&nbsp;Games today, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women&#39;s 10m air rifle event.

The 19-year-old&nbsp;American&nbsp;edged out China&#39;s Du Li,&nbsp;gold&nbsp;in Athens in 2004, with an Olympic-record score of 208. Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal.

Thrasher&nbsp;was awarded the&nbsp;first&nbsp;gold&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Games&nbsp;by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

Competing in her&nbsp;first&nbsp;Olympics,&nbsp;Thrasher&nbsp;established an early lead after battling with the Russian shooter Daria Vdovina, who stumbled midway through the competition and finished fifth. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

American Thrasher edged out China's Du Li with an Olympic-record score of 208

American teenager Virginia Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games today, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women's 10m air rifle event. The 19-year-old American edged out China's Du Li, gold in Athens in 2004, with an Olympic-record score of 208. Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal. Thrasher was awarded the first gold of the Games by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. Competing in her first Olympics, Thrasher established an early lead after battling with the Russian shooter Daria Vdovina, who stumbled midway through the competition and finished fifth. (Reuters)

Virginia Thrasher wins first gold of Games

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) list of nations deemed &#39;non-compliant&#39; in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. 
 
Kenya&#39;s reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation&#39;s participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. 
 
WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA&#39;s own code. The government later amended the bill. 
 
&quot;Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code,&quot; WADA said in a statement. 
 
It added that it had &quot;removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant&quot;. 
 
Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. 
 
(Reuters)

Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in last four years. It's Rio Olympics participation was also in jeopardy

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of nations deemed 'non-compliant' in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation's participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA's own code. The government later amended the bill. "Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code," WADA said in a statement. It added that it had "removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant". Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: WADA removes Kenya from list of 'non-compliant' nations

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed his maiden test hat-trick to consign Australia to their lowest total against Sri Lanka today as the hosts put themselves in a commanding position for a series-clinching victory at Galle. 
 
As many as 11 wickets fell in the dramatic morning session of the second day&#39;s play as Australia, resuming on 54-2, collapsed for 106 runs to concede a 175-run first innings lead. 
 
Sri Lanka lost three wickets before lunch but recovered to reach 143-6 at tea, leading Australia by 318 runs with four wickets in hand. 
 
Dhanajaya de Silva (19) and Dilruwan Perera (12) will return after the break, hoping to bat Australia out of the match as Sri Lanka close in on their second win in the three-test series. 
 
Herath had tormented Australia in the first test at Pallekele too, exposing their vulnerability against spin bowling and claiming nine wickets in Sri Lanka&#39;s 106-run victory. 
 
The 38-year-old haunted them again today, castling captain Steve Smith for five runs with the first delivery of his third over. 
 
He ripped the heart out of Australia&#39;s batting in his eventful seventh over, getting Adam Voges caught at extra cover with his fourth delivery and trapping Peter Nevill plumb in front with an arm ball. 
 
Herath struck Starc&#39;s pad with his next delivery but the leg-before appeal was turned down. After a brief chat with the spinner, home captain Angelo Mathews decided to review the decision and Herath, who claimed 4-35, was mobbed by team mates as the not-out decision was overturned. 
 
Off-spinner Perera mopped the tail to finish with 4-29 as Australia folded inside 34 overs. 
 
Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start and for the second time in the match, Kusal Mendis walked out to bat with his team reeling at nine for two. 
 
Mendis, the architect of Sri Lanka&#39;s Pallekele win and their top-scorer in the first innings, however, made only seven runs before Starc sent him back. 
 
The left-arm paceman returned figures of 3-33 to go with the five wickets he had claimed in the first innings but Kusal Perera (35) and Mathews (47) ensured Sri Lanka earned a big lead in the bowler-dominated contest. 
 
(Reuters)

Sri Lanka lost three wickets before lunch but recovered to reach 143-6 at tea, leading Australia by 318 runs with four wickets in hand

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed his maiden test hat-trick to consign Australia to their lowest total against Sri Lanka today as the hosts put themselves in a commanding position for a series-clinching victory at Galle. As many as 11 wickets fell in the dramatic morning session of the second day's play as Australia, resuming on 54-2, collapsed for 106 runs to concede a 175-run first innings lead. Sri Lanka lost three wickets before lunch but recovered to reach 143-6 at tea, leading Australia by 318 runs with four wickets in hand. Dhanajaya de Silva (19) and Dilruwan Perera (12) will return after the break, hoping to bat Australia out of the match as Sri Lanka close in on their second win in the three-test series. Herath had tormented Australia in the first test at Pallekele too, exposing their vulnerability against spin bowling and claiming nine wickets in Sri Lanka's 106-run victory. The 38-year-old haunted them again today, castling captain Steve Smith for five runs with the first delivery of his third over. He ripped the heart out of Australia's batting in his eventful seventh over, getting Adam Voges caught at extra cover with his fourth delivery and trapping Peter Nevill plumb in front with an arm ball. Herath struck Starc's pad with his next delivery but the leg-before appeal was turned down. After a brief chat with the spinner, home captain Angelo Mathews decided to review the decision and Herath, who claimed 4-35, was mobbed by team mates as the not-out decision was overturned. Off-spinner Perera mopped the tail to finish with 4-29 as Australia folded inside 34 overs. Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start and for the second time in the match, Kusal Mendis walked out to bat with his team reeling at nine for two. Mendis, the architect of Sri Lanka's Pallekele win and their top-scorer in the first innings, however, made only seven runs before Starc sent him back. The left-arm paceman returned figures of 3-33 to go with the five wickets he had claimed in the first innings but Kusal Perera (35) and Mathews (47) ensured Sri Lanka earned a big lead in the bowler-dominated contest. (Reuters)

Herath hat-trick wrecks Australia, Sri Lanka in charge

Brazil&#39;s athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country&#39;s sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. 
 
Brazil&#39;s sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. 
 
WADA said it was &quot;concerned&quot; and has sent a letter to Brazil&#39;s sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. 
 
&quot;We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil,&quot; WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. 
 
&quot;The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. 
 
&quot;We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern.&quot; 
 
South America&#39;s first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia&#39;s track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. 
 
The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. 
 
Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta&nbsp; 
 
Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal&#39;s anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country&#39;s sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. 
 
A statement from Brazil&#39;s sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. 
 
&quot;The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. 
 
&quot;Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a WADA suspension on drug testing lab'

Brazil's athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country's sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. WADA said it was "concerned" and has sent a letter to Brazil's sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. "We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil," WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. "The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. "We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern." South America's first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia's track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal's anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country's sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. A statement from Brazil's sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. "The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta," it said. "With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. "Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period." (Reuters)

WADA questions why athletes were not dope-tested ahead of Rio 2016

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. 
 
&quot;Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd,&quot; the 34-year-old said. 
 
Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. 
 
United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. 
 
At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
(Reuters)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. "Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd," the 34-year-old said. Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. (Reuters)

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday&#39;s Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. 
 
The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team&#39;s 1-1 draw with Ireland. 
 
De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. 
 
&quot;Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls,&quot; De Rossi told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. 
 
&quot;We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch.&quot; 
 
Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday's Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland. De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. "Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls," De Rossi told reporters in France. "Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. "We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch." Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. (Reuters)

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Rafa Benitez got his first bitter taste of life in the Championship (second tier) as his relegated Newcastle United side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Fulham in the first match of the English league season yesterday. 
 
Fulham scored a deserved winner on the stroke of halftime when Matt Smith rose above a flat-footed defence to power home a header from a corner with Newcastle generally second best. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one,&quot; Benitez was quoted as saying by the BBC. &quot;If we play for something more important than the first game of the season maybe the anxiety will be even higher, we need to make sure we can manage that and play better.&quot; 
 
His side might have had better luck, though, with two penalty claims turned down. 
 
Fulham&rsquo;s Ryan Tunnicliffe appeared to handle a shot from Matt Ritchie in the 35th minute but the referee waved play on with replays suggesting he could have awarded a penalty. Benitez did not use the decision as justification for his side failing to take a point. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not an excuse, we have to be better,&quot; said the former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach. &quot;We have to trust referees, but they can make mistakes.&quot; 
 
Another penalty appeal by Newcastle for handball by Tomas Kalas two minutes from time was also turned down, again after a shot by Scotland&#39;s former Bournemouth midfielder Ritchie, one of the signings Benitez has made to help strengthen his side. 
 
Fulham looked more comfortable in a division they have played in for the last two seasons but Newcastle need to adjust fast if they are to bounce straight back to the Premier League. 
 
&quot;At the beginning we were nervous, in the second half we made the wrong decisions,&quot; added Benitez, whose team host Huddersfield Town at St James&#39; Park next weekend. 
 
(Reuters)

'It's a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one,' Benitez said

Rafa Benitez got his first bitter taste of life in the Championship (second tier) as his relegated Newcastle United side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Fulham in the first match of the English league season yesterday. Fulham scored a deserved winner on the stroke of halftime when Matt Smith rose above a flat-footed defence to power home a header from a corner with Newcastle generally second best. "It's a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one," Benitez was quoted as saying by the BBC. "If we play for something more important than the first game of the season maybe the anxiety will be even higher, we need to make sure we can manage that and play better." His side might have had better luck, though, with two penalty claims turned down. Fulham’s Ryan Tunnicliffe appeared to handle a shot from Matt Ritchie in the 35th minute but the referee waved play on with replays suggesting he could have awarded a penalty. Benitez did not use the decision as justification for his side failing to take a point. "It's not an excuse, we have to be better," said the former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach. "We have to trust referees, but they can make mistakes." Another penalty appeal by Newcastle for handball by Tomas Kalas two minutes from time was also turned down, again after a shot by Scotland's former Bournemouth midfielder Ritchie, one of the signings Benitez has made to help strengthen his side. Fulham looked more comfortable in a division they have played in for the last two seasons but Newcastle need to adjust fast if they are to bounce straight back to the Premier League. "At the beginning we were nervous, in the second half we made the wrong decisions," added Benitez, whose team host Huddersfield Town at St James' Park next weekend. (Reuters)

Benitez's Newcastle lose 1-0 at Fulham in Championship opener

A statue of Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi was unveiled in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, just days after the Barcelona forward announced he was walking away from international play. 
 
The statue was uncovered by Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who said the inauguration of the statue was just on time to call on Messi to reconsider his decision to leave the national team. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a very opportune moment we have today with the inauguration of his statue. And I think a good way to ask Lio to come with us, for him to remain together with us and for him to take us by the hand and to win, and I don&#39;t have any doubts that we&#39;d win the World Cup in Russia, is for those who can, Portenos or Argentines who come here to visit; to come, take your picture with the statue of Lio and post it on social media as a way to ask Lio to stick with us,&quot; Rodriguez Larreta said. 
 
Argentina&#39;s failure to defeat Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in the United States, a fourth lost final with the national team for Messi, proved too much for the little magician, leading him to quit international football on June 26. 
 
Taking into account the Confederations Cup, Argentina have lost seven major finals since 1995, three of them to arch-rivals Brazil, and four since Messi&#39;s debut in 2005, including the 2014 World Cup final defeat by Germany. 
 
Members from Argentina&#39;s 1986 World Cup championship team also weighed in on Messi&#39;s departure. 
 
&quot;I think it is just a hot moment, of frustration for not being able to achieve anything, but hopefully, God willing, he will reevaluate what he said and remain on the national team,&quot; said Hector Enrique of the 1986 squad. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s nothing to say to Messi. He just needs to talk with himself and his family,&quot; said Carlos Bilbardo who led the 1986 team as coach. 
 
&quot;Messi&#39;s retirement is due to the difficult moment he is going through. It is definitely his toughest moment as far as soccer goes, but I don&#39;t think this is the end. He will analyse it, evaluate it, and Messi is going to continue to play with the Argentine national team. Maybe that&#39;s just what I think. We&#39;ll have to see how he feels,&quot; added Luis Islas who was a substitute goalkeeper for the 1986 side. 
 
Messi&#39;s only major international honour has been Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, even though at club level he has won four Champions Leagues with Spain&#39;s Barcelona. 
 
Messi has been named World Player of the year five times and he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina&#39;s top scorer in the Copa America semi-final against the United States. 
 
The statue, made of polyester resin and reinforced fibreglass built around a medal interior, was designed by realist sculptor Carlos Benavidez. 
 
The statue stands at Buenos Aires&#39; Paseo de la Gloria &quot;Glory Way&quot; which honours national sports heroes in the city&#39;s Costanera Sur Park near the Puerto Madero neighbourhood. 
 
(Reuters)

Lionel Messi statue stands at Buenos Aires' 'Glory Way', in a city park honouring national sports heroes

A statue of Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi was unveiled in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, just days after the Barcelona forward announced he was walking away from international play. The statue was uncovered by Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who said the inauguration of the statue was just on time to call on Messi to reconsider his decision to leave the national team. "It's a very opportune moment we have today with the inauguration of his statue. And I think a good way to ask Lio to come with us, for him to remain together with us and for him to take us by the hand and to win, and I don't have any doubts that we'd win the World Cup in Russia, is for those who can, Portenos or Argentines who come here to visit; to come, take your picture with the statue of Lio and post it on social media as a way to ask Lio to stick with us," Rodriguez Larreta said. Argentina's failure to defeat Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in the United States, a fourth lost final with the national team for Messi, proved too much for the little magician, leading him to quit international football on June 26. Taking into account the Confederations Cup, Argentina have lost seven major finals since 1995, three of them to arch-rivals Brazil, and four since Messi's debut in 2005, including the 2014 World Cup final defeat by Germany. Members from Argentina's 1986 World Cup championship team also weighed in on Messi's departure. "I think it is just a hot moment, of frustration for not being able to achieve anything, but hopefully, God willing, he will reevaluate what he said and remain on the national team," said Hector Enrique of the 1986 squad. "There's nothing to say to Messi. He just needs to talk with himself and his family," said Carlos Bilbardo who led the 1986 team as coach. "Messi's retirement is due to the difficult moment he is going through. It is definitely his toughest moment as far as soccer goes, but I don't think this is the end. He will analyse it, evaluate it, and Messi is going to continue to play with the Argentine national team. Maybe that's just what I think. We'll have to see how he feels," added Luis Islas who was a substitute goalkeeper for the 1986 side. Messi's only major international honour has been Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, even though at club level he has won four Champions Leagues with Spain's Barcelona. Messi has been named World Player of the year five times and he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top scorer in the Copa America semi-final against the United States. The statue, made of polyester resin and reinforced fibreglass built around a medal interior, was designed by realist sculptor Carlos Benavidez. The statue stands at Buenos Aires' Paseo de la Gloria "Glory Way" which honours national sports heroes in the city's Costanera Sur Park near the Puerto Madero neighbourhood. (Reuters)

Argentina inaugurates Messi statue days after legend announces retirement from international play

Guatemala&#39;s former football chief pleaded guilty in New York on Friday to racketeering and wire fraud conspiracies in connection with the unprecedented FIFA corruption scandal rocking world soccer. 
 
Brayan Jimenez, 62, negotiated and accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in awarding media and marketing rights for his country&#39;s qualifier matches for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, prosecutors said. 
 
Jimenez, a former member of FIFA&#39;s Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility, agreed to forfeit $35,000. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count when sentenced, US officials said. 
 
Jimenez, who was detained in January in a disheveled and intoxicated state in a posh suburb of Guatemala City, was extradited to the United States in March. 
 
He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included corruption, money laundering, fraud and embezzlement, and was placed under house arrest after posting a $1.5 million bond, $75,000 of it in cash. 
 
US prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives, including Jimenez, over allegedly receiving tens of millions of bribes and kickbacks in the largest corruption scandal in the history of soccer. 
 
More than a third have since pleaded guilty. None have yet been formally sentenced and a date is still pending to put the rest on trial. 
 
(AFP)

Brayan Jimenez agreed to forfeit $35,000 and faces a maximum sentence for 20 years for each count. He had initially pleaded not guilty

Guatemala's former football chief pleaded guilty in New York on Friday to racketeering and wire fraud conspiracies in connection with the unprecedented FIFA corruption scandal rocking world soccer. Brayan Jimenez, 62, negotiated and accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in awarding media and marketing rights for his country's qualifier matches for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, prosecutors said. Jimenez, a former member of FIFA's Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility, agreed to forfeit $35,000. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count when sentenced, US officials said. Jimenez, who was detained in January in a disheveled and intoxicated state in a posh suburb of Guatemala City, was extradited to the United States in March. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included corruption, money laundering, fraud and embezzlement, and was placed under house arrest after posting a $1.5 million bond, $75,000 of it in cash. US prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives, including Jimenez, over allegedly receiving tens of millions of bribes and kickbacks in the largest corruption scandal in the history of soccer. More than a third have since pleaded guilty. None have yet been formally sentenced and a date is still pending to put the rest on trial. (AFP)

Former Guatemalan football chief pleads guilty to FIFA corruption charges

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. 
 
The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. 
 
&quot;The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team,&quot; said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. 
 
&quot;There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue.&quot; 
 
The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. 
 
&quot;One doesn&#39;t want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind,&quot; said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. 
 
&quot;Afterwards, it&#39;s difficult to get it out.&quot; 
 
Aguero has played for Argentina&#39;s senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss,&quot; the 28-year-old Aguero said. &quot;This is the worst that I&#39;ve seen him in the changing room. 
 
&quot;We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side.&quot; 
 
Argentina&#39;s starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. 
 
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia&#39;s penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. 
 
&quot;In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history,&quot; Bravo told Marca. &quot;They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. 
 
&quot;This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). 
 
&quot;Football is a team sport.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Lionel Messi announced his retirement shortly after their failure to end 23-year trophy drought at the final of the Copa America

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. "The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team," said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. "There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue." The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. "One doesn't want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind," said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. "Afterwards, it's difficult to get it out." Aguero has played for Argentina's senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. "Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss," the 28-year-old Aguero said. "This is the worst that I've seen him in the changing room. "We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side." Argentina's starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia's penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. "In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history," Bravo told Marca. "They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. "This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). "Football is a team sport." (Reuters)

More Argentina players may retire from international football : Aguero

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