Neymar tax case moved
Madrid: The trial in which Barcelona are accused of concealing how much they paid for the transfer of Brazilian star Neymar will take place in the Catalan capital after an appeal for the case to be moved from Madrid was upheld. A judge ordered last week that the club, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and former president Sandro Rosell stand trial for tax fraud in the signing of Neymar in 2013. However, a court filing released on Friday accepted their appeal that the trial should take place in Barcelona because it is in the club’s accounts where the alleged fraud took place. Previously it had been concluded that given the money was deposited in Brazil the National Court in Madrid had competence over the case. Barcelona has always insisted they paid a transfer fee of 57 million euros ($65 million) to sign the Brazilian star from Santos in 2013.
bragg to educate indian scouts
Kolkata: A UK-based football coach, who runs an independent scouting organisation in Alvechurch, will be in India to give a fillip to the country’s scouting system, national coach Stephen Constantine on Saturday said. Derek Bragg, who had helped out Portugal during their qualification to World Cup 2010, will arrive in July and conduct workshop for scouts in India. “He’s a very talented scout at English Premier league level. He will come to India for two three days and will educate our scouts what they should be looking at,” Constantine said. “When you watch a football game with Derek it’s an education in itself.” Former India International Abhishek Yadav was recently appointed as Director of Scouting in a bid to give boost for India’s upcoming U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
FIH promotes Deepa Kumari
New Delhi: India’s Deepa Kumari has been accorded an international outdoor umpire status by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Congratulating Deepa on this proud moment, Hockey India secretary general Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said: “It’s a proud day for Indian hockey and everyone at Hockey India would like to congratulate Deepa Kumari for this achievement.
“Her outstanding performance as an umpire in the last many years has helped her to earn this recognition from the FIH Umpiring Committee and today I am sure she would be elated for being promoted to an FIH International Outdoor Umpire.” Deepa, who started her umpiring career in 2010, officiated many domestic tournaments in India. Her international umpiring career includes the recently culminated Hawke’s Bay Cup besides the 2013 U-16 Girls Asia Cup.
Thomaz wins Geneva Open title
Geneva: Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil won the revived Geneva Open title on Saturday, beating sixth-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal 7-6 (4), 6-4. The 27-year-old Bellucci’s fourth career ATP title was his third in Switzerland. He also won on clay at the Swiss Open in Gstaad in 2009 and 2012. Bellucci, a 60th-ranked left-hander, wasted three set points at 5-4 in the first before winning the tiebreaker. He trailed by a service break in the second then reeled off four straight games to complete the victory. The Geneva Open returned to the ATP Tour after a 24-year gap, and replaced a tournament held in Duesseldorf, Germany. At the French Open next week, Bellucci has a first-round match against 100th-ranked Marinko Matosevic of Australia. The winner could face fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan.
Adil, Shivani bag tennis titles
Bengaluru: Top seeds Adil Kalyanpur and Shivani Manjanna, both of Karnataka, won the boys and girl’s singles titles respectively, in the SAT Open National Series Under-16 junior tennis tournament here on Saturday. In a well contested boy’s singles final, laced with sparkling rallies, Adil defeated a gritty Nikit M. Reddy of Andhra 6-2, 6-4, while Shivani proved too good for her Maharashtra rival Sharanya Gaware in the girls final and won 6-4, 6-1. Incidentally, both Adil and Shivani did not drop a set in the entire tournament and it was the Bengalurean Adil’s ninth career title of season since January 2015.
Dempo SC hold Bengaluru FC 1-1
Fatorda (Goa): Dempo SC and Bengaluru FC played out a 1-1 draw in the penultimate round of the I-league at the Fatorda stadium here on Saturday. Bengaluru remain in the second spot in the I-league standings with 36 points from 19 games, winning 10 and losing three. Both goals came in the second half as Robin Singh’s header broke the deadlock in the 65th minute for Bengaluru before Uttam Rai leveled proceedings in the 77th minute. Eugeneson lyndoh’s delivery from a corner kick was met by the striker in the middle who nodded home clinically to give his side the lead in the 65th minute. However, they were able to shake off the setback and strike in the 77th minute to restore parity. The two Dempo substitutes combined well as Uttam Rai thumped the ball into the back of the net.
Garewal moves into top-2o
Hsinchu (Chinese Taipei): Indian golfer Feroze Singh Garewal made a smart move upwards with a round of three-under 69, his best round so far this week, at the USD120,000 Ambassador Asian
Development Tour (ADT) golf here on Saturday. Garewal is now tied 18th, up from overnight tied 32nd.