Real Madrid hires Benitez
Madrid: Real Madrid hired Rafa Benitez as coach Wednesday, giving him a three-year contract as the replacement for the fired Carlo Ancelotti. Benitez, who began his coaching career in Madrid’s youth academy, had returned to the Spanish league where he led Valencia to titles in 2002 and 2004 before joining liverpool, where he won the 2005 Champions league. “It’s an emotional day, one when I return here, to my home,” Benitez said at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. “I hope things will go well and that we win many titles.” Madrid said Benitez was the right choice because he understood the values that underpin the club, and what it meant to be part of it. “He is a product of this house,” the club said in a statement, detailing how the 55-year-old Benitez played as a defender in youth teams and “began his coaching career here.”
Jaipur vs Mumbai in PKl opener
Bengaluru: Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers will take on runners-up Mumba in the opening match of the second Pro Kabaddi league at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Mumbai on July 18. “Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers will take on the runners up Mumba in the opening match of the second edition of Pro Kabaddi league at NSCI in Mumbai on July 18,” according to a statement. Mumbai will also host the semifinals (August 21) besides the finals and play-offs scheduled on August 23. The league will feature 60 games played across 37 days in eight cities. Following a ‘caravan style’ format like in the first season, the league will be played at each franchise city for a duration of four days, where the home team will play four of the visiting franchises.
Wilshere charged
london: RArsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been charged with misconduct after his foul-mouthed outburst toward rival club Tottenham during his team’s FA Cup victory celebrations. Wilshere took to the microphone during Arsenal’s open-top bus parade in london on Sunday and chanted a song about Spurs that contained an expletive. He was in the middle of another expletive-filled song when Arsenal broke off from the live broadcast on the club’s in-house media channel. The English Football Association says on Wednesday that Wilshere has been charged because his conduct “was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.” Wilshere has until June 10 to respond to the charge. Arsenal beat Aston Villa 4-0 to retain the FA Cup on Saturday. Wilshere came off the bench in the second half.
Gatlin, not Bolt, is man to beat
Rome: With the world-leading times in the 100 and 200 meters this year, Justin Gatlin says he — not Usain Bolt — is the man to beat for now. The big goal for both sprinters remains the world championships in Beijing in August. “Right now, I can’t consider myself the favorite because it’s months away,” Gatlin said. “I’m just trying to stay healthy and strong. But having two world leads does put me in position to say entering a race, ‘OK, I’m the man to go out there and go against.’” Gatlin was in Rome preparing to run the 100 in the Golden Gala on Thursday. Gatlin beat Bolt at the Stadio Olimpico two years ago, although the Jamaican is not entered this year. He will be aiming for his fourth career win in Rome, the fourth stop of the Diamond league.
Schippers to focus on sprint
The Hague (Netherlands): Dafne Schippers will focus on sprinting instead of the heptathlon as she aims to break the American and Jamaican dominance of the 100 and 200 meters at the world championships in August and Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Schippers, who took heptathlon bronze at the world championships two years ago, is also the European champion at 100 and 200 meters. “The heptathlon is very tough. There are a couple of things that hold me back,” Schippers said at a news conference on Wednesday. “Sprinting is the right road to take, but not an easy road.” Over the past two years, it has sometimes seemed as if Schippers was hesitant to embrace her raw sprint talent, as it drew her toward the inevitable rejection of her first love: Multi-event competing.
Colts hockey camp from june 8
New Delhi: Indian hockey colts will kickstart their preparations for this year’s men’s Junior Asian Cup in Malaysia and next year’s FIH Junior World Cup with a preparatory camp at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here, starting June 8. A total of 48 core probables will be part of the preparatory
camp. Fifteen new players have been inducted into the core probables following their impressive outings at the recently-concluded fifth Hockey India National Championships. After a week, the list will be pruned down to 33 core probables, who will further train under the watchful eyes of chief coach Harendra Singh. The 33 core probables will then fight for a spot in the national squad that will feature in the 2016 FIH Junior World Cup in New Delhi from December 1-16 and Junior Men Asia Cup 2015 in Malaysia.
Mehta beats Jaiswal, in sf
Pune: Nashik boy Vikrant Mehta caused the biggest upset of the day by toppling top seed Vandit Jaiswal to enter the boys’ singles semi finals in the BVG India-Arun Wakankar ATF Asian Under
14 Series Tennis Tournament here on Wednesday. The tenth standard student overwhelmed Jaiswal 6-4, 6-2 and joined Rudra Kapoor, who scored an upset 6-2, 6-2 win over Vansh Bhagtani.