b’desh upset at OZ tour
dhaka: Bangladesh cricket authorities on Friday expressed disappointment after Australia called off a tour by the Asian nation this year because it was not financially viable. The Tigers were to play two Tests and three one-day internationals in Australia in August and September. "Australia communicated to us that the series could not be arranged for financial reasons. It is very unfortunate as we were hoping that the series would be a good playing opportunity for our players," Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said.
Darren Ferguson thanks fans
london: Alex Ferguson's son Darren thanked football fans on Friday for the "overwhelming" support after the former Manchester United manager suffered a brain haemorrhage. Ferguson senior, who won 38 trophies during a 26-year reign at Old Trafford underwent emergency surgery after falling ill last Saturday. United announced on Wednesday that he was no longer in intensive care and was being treated as an inpatient. Darren Ferguson, manager of third-tier Doncaster Rovers, thanked his club’s supporters and the sporting world for their well wishes. "On behalf of myself and my family, I would like to thank the huge number of people who have been kind enough to send messages of support during a difficult time," he told the club's official website.
Zidane sidesteps neymar talks
madrid: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane on Friday sidestepped talk of a bid for the world's most expensive footballer Neymar. "I dont know, I don't think so. What we are thinking about at the moment is the Champions league final," Zidane told a press conference when asked about a possible move for the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star. It's "normal that people talk," he added, "but I am not going there, because we are focusing on the season and the rest we will talk about later."
BAI strikes 75 cr deal
new delhi: In a big boost to badminton in India, the national federation has inked a Rs 75 crore deal with sports equipment manufacturer Yonex Sunrise, which will now supply equipments to BAI for all their tournaments, camps and academies in India. In return, the equipment-manufacturing giants will hold title sponsorship rights for all tournaments held under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for the next three years.
Sathiyan signs german deal
chennai: India's top table tennis player G Sathiyan, who won three medals at his Commonwealth Games debut last month, has signed with German Bundesliga's top division club ASV Grunwettersbach Tischtennis. Sathiyan won a team Gold, a Silver in men's doubles alongside Sharath Kamal, and a Bronze in mixed doubles with Manika Batra at the Gold Coast Games. The World No 46 will start playing in the Bundesliga from September after the Asian Games in Jakarta.
Serena signs for San Jose WTA
los angeles: Former world number one Serena Williams will open her summer hardcourt season at the WTA tournament in San Jose, California, July 30-August 5. "I am looking forward to opening my summer season at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic and competing in the new venue," Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion said.
Indian judokas win 3 medals
new delhi: Rohini S Mohite and Tababi Devi Thanjam won Gold medals while Harish settled for a Bronze on the opening day of the Asian Cadet Judo Championships, being held in lebanon. Competing in the Cadets championship, Rohini from Maharashtra won gold medal in the 40kg category while Tababi Devi Thanjam of Manipur emerged champion in the 44kg category. Tababi Devi had also won gold medal Asian Cadet Judo Championships last year in 2017 in Kyrgyzstan. Harish, who hails from Haryana, won bronze in the 50kg category. India has sent a 40-member team for the 12th Asian Cadet Judo Championships and 19th Asian Junior Judo Championships.