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FIFA threatens to sanction Kenya’s Auxerre player Oliech

World soccer’s ruling body FIFA has threatened to sanction Kenya’s top player Dennis Oliech over his decision to pull out of the national team. Oliech, who plays for French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre and is the captain of the east African country’s national team, Harambee Stars, pulled out of the team preparing for a World Cup ... Read More

Drogba gives Chelsea 1-0 win over Barcelona

Didier Drogba scored late in the first half and Chelsea kept free-scoring Lionel Messi in check to secure a 1-0 win over holders Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Ivorian Drogba finished off a swift break with an incisive finish from a Ramires pass in stoppage time at a rain-soaked ... Read More

Bin Hammam appeal against FIFA ban for bribery begins

Sport’s highest tribunal met on Wednesday to hear the appeal of former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam against his life ban from soccer for bribery. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing was due to last two days although a decision is not expected for several weeks. Bin Hammam was not among the ... Read More

Marathon cup from 1896 sets Olympics auction record

The silver cup given to the marathon winner at the first modern Olympic Games staged in Athens in 1896 sold for 541,250 pounds ($860,000) in London on Wednesday, breaking the auction record for Olympic memorabilia. Breal’s Silver Cup stands just six inches tall and was offered for sale at Christie’s by the grandson of the ... Read More

Late Gomez strike gives Bayern victory over Real

Striker Mario Gomez pounced from close range in the final minute to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday. Gomez converted Philipp Lahm’s low cross to hand Bayern a slender lead to take into the return leg next week in Read More

Torres looking to reprise role as bane of Barca

Fernando Torres had a knack of scoring against Barcelona when with Atletico Madrid and will be hoping to have an opportunity to haunt them again in their Champions League semi-final starting on Wednesday. The Spain striker was dubbed Barca’s “Bestia Negra” (black beast) in his five top-flight seasons with Atletico before ... Read More

Zahra Lari, the ‘Ice Princess’ in the hijab

From the sand dunes of the Rub al Khali desert to the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites in northern Italy, Emirati teen Zahra Lari made figure skating history this week. The 17-year-old not only became the first figure skater from the Gulf to compete in an international competition but the first to do so wearing the hijab, ... Read More

Redknapp calls for character to salvage Spurs’ season

Tottenham Hotspur still have a “massive chance” to salvage something from their crumbling season, according to manager Harry Redknapp, although their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League appear to be diminishing by the day. Sunday’s 5-1 hammering by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final did not have any impact on ... Read More

Banned South Korean player found dead in suspected suicide

A South Korean soccer player banned for life for his part in a major match-fixing scandal has been found dead in a suspected suicide, local media reported on Monday. The body of Lee Gyeong-hwan, 24, was found outside an apartment building in central Incheon, west of Seoul, at the weekend, Yonhap news agency quoted local ... Read More

Real Madrid and Barcelona just a hurdle away from ‘Clasico’ final

Barcelona and Real Madrid have one more hurdle to overcome if the tantalizing prospect of a first “Clasico” final in the Champions League is to become a reality. Chelsea, under interim manager Roberto di Matteo, stands in the way of defending champion Barcelona and a third Champions League showpiece in four ... Read More

Liverpool marks Hillsborough disaster with memorial services

Memorial services will be held at Liverpool FC and at Liverpool Town Hall to mark the anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster. On 15 April 1989, ninety-six Liverpool fans died after being crushed at the Sheffield stadium. Thousands of fans are expected to attend the ticket-only service at Anfield, as well as Reds ... Read More

Rosberg wins Chinese GP for first career F1 victory

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday for his first career Formula One victory after starting from pole. Rosberg won by a massive 20.6 seconds over McLaren’s Jenson Button after making just two pits stops and managing to hold off the rest of the field on worn tires. ... Read More

FIFA weighs letting Iraq host World Cup qualifiers

FIFA will decide soon if Iraq is safe enough to host 2014 World Cup qualifying matches again. FIFA President Sepp Blatter led a meeting Friday with an Iraqi delegation, including national team coach Zico, which has been barred from staging matches on home soil since last September. “The ... Read More

Ecclestone says Bahrain Grand Prix race is on

Next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead unless local officials decide otherwise, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday. “The race is on the calendar, it’s scheduled. The only people that can do anything about it is the national sporting authority in the country that can ask for it to be withdrawn ... Read More

Zenit escape with small fine for racist chanting

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg were fined a mere $3,400 on Wednesday for racist chanting by their fans during last week’s Premier League game at Lokomotiv Moscow. St Petersburg fans made monkey noises at Lokomotiv’s black players during Saturday’s match, which Zenit won 1-0 to virtually seal their second consecutive ... Read More

Beijing grapples with Olympic Games legacy four years on

Four years after Beijing hosted a spectacular summer Olympics, China’s bustling capital sees vastly improved public transport and infrastructure, but many of the venues built for the event languish unloved, underused and draining public finances. The jewels in the crown were two architecturally-stunning buildings ─ the main ... Read More

Real Madrid on edge for Madrid derby at Atletico

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is just the man to exploit Real Madrid’s ragged nerves as his side try to end a 13-year winless run against their more illustrious neighbours on Wednesday (2100GMT). Simeone, often described as playing with a knife between his teeth when he captained Argentina, has brought some of his ... Read More

Allegri tells Milan to snap out of negative mood

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has told his squad to snap out of their negative mood after they were knocked out of the Champions League and lost the Serie A leadership in the space of five days. Milan visit Chievo on Tuesday (1845 GMT) while unbeaten Juventus, who snatched the lead from them at the weekend, are at ... Read More

Real Madrid lead down to four points after draw with Valencia

Leaders Real Madrid had their advantage over chasing Barcelona trimmed to four points when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to third-placed Valencia in La Liga on Sunday. Goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was the hero for the visitors in a tense encounter at the Bernabeu as he produced superb saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo, ... Read More

Third Qatari woman to compete in London Games

Air rifle shooter Bahia al-Hamad has been confirmed as the third woman in the Qatar team to compete at the London Olympics, the Qatar Olympic Committee said on Sunday. Al-Hamad, 19, will compete in the 10 meters competition after winning a silver medal in the team event at the Arab shooting championships last month. She was ... Read More