Lacazette ruled out until October
London: Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette will be sidelined until October after failing to shake off a persistent ankle injury. Lacazette had been playing with pain from the problem for several weeks and the France international has now been told to rest in the hope it will allow time for the problem to heal. "After assessments to an ongoing ankle issue, we have advised that Alex will need to rest and strengthen his ankle to regain full fitness," an Arsenal statement said on Friday. "Alex has been playing through this injury for several weeks. He is likely to be back in action in October."
Russell suffers brutal blow in cpl
Kingston: Swashbuckling West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell suffered a serious blow on his helmet following which he had to be stretchered off during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) game between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Lucia Zouks. The incident happened in the 14th over of the Jamaica Tallawahs' inning when Russell, batting on zero, failed to connect with a pull and the ball struck his helmet near the right ear on Thursday evening at the Sabina Park. Having failed to pull, his head turned due to the momentum of his swing and that's when the impact took place. The West Indies all-rounder immediately fell on the ground and the Zouks fielders then removed his helmet to check for his injury. At first, it appeared that there was no neck guard on Russell's helmet. He was then off the ground on a stretcher and a CT scan took place later in the evening. A medical update from the franchise later confirmed Russell had not suffered from any serious injury.
Sourabh enters Vietnam open semis
Ho Chi Minh City: Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma stormed into the men's singles semifinals of the Vietnam Open BWF Tour Super 100 after beating local hero Tien Minh Nguyen in straight games on Friday. Second seed Sourabh, who had won the Hyderabad Open last month, defeated Tien Minh 21-13, 21-18 in a 43-minute clash. The reigning national champion will face either Japan's Minoru Koga or Thailand's sixth seed Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk next.
u-17 fifa women’s wc from nov 2
New Delhi: The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, to be hosted by India, will be held from November 2 to 21 next year. The age group showpiece event of the FIFA will be held in four cities across the country. Last month, the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar has been provisionally confirmed as a venue, pending FIFA approval. Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Goa and Ahmedabad are in the running for the other three host cities. Spain are the defending champions, having won the title of the biennial tournament in 2018. As India has got automatic qualification as hosts, it is not entering the Asian qualification campaign in the AFC U-16 Women's Championship which will be held in Thailand from September 15 to 28.
Osaka changes coach for 2nd time
Tokyo: Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka announced on Friday she was splitting with her coach, her second break-up this year as she battles for form and slips down the world rankings. On the eve of the Pan Pacific Open tournament in Osaka, western Japan, the 21-year-old announced she would no longer be working with Jermaine Jenkins, who joined her team after her triumph at the Australian Open in January. “Writing this to let you guys know that me and Jay won't be working together anymore,” Osaka tweeted. “I'm super grateful for the time we spent together and the things I learned on and off the court but I feel like now is a appropriate time for a change... Thank you for everything, it was a blast,” added Osaka.
Srikanth out of China & Korea Open
New Delhi: Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Friday pulled out of the upcoming tournaments in China and Korea, owing to a knee injury that flared up after the World Championship last month. The China Open World Tour Super 1000 is scheduled to be held at Changzhou from September 17 to 22, followed by Korea Open World Tour Super 500 (September 24 to 29) at Incheon City. “Tough times. Will not be playing in the upcoming #ChinaOpen and #KoreaOpen due to knee injury. Hope to recover quick and get back in action soon!,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.
Duryodhan wins at World C'ships
Ekaterinburg: National champion Duryodhan Singh Negi (69kg) claimed an exhausting 4-1 triumph over Armenia's Koryun Astoyan in his opening bout to enter the second round of the World Men's Boxing Championships here on Friday. The Indian will face Jordan's sixth seed Zeyad Eashash in the round of 32 on Monday. Eashash got a bye in the opening round. Astoyan seemed intimidated by the more muscular Indian but wasn't lacking in effort. His punches were, however, not connecting as powerfully. Astoyan's defence was particularly weak and he tried to make up for it by constantly being on the move. The strategy was tiring for both but Negi endured it much better.
Murray accepts shanghai wildcard
Shanghai: Former World No 1 Andy Murray has accepted a wild card into the upcoming Shanghai Masters. The 32-year-old, who had a hip surgery in January, will return to the ATP Tour in Zhuhai, beginning on September 23. Following that, he will participate in the Shanghai Masters scheduled to be held from October 6-13. “I'm really looking forward to be going back to Shanghai, a tournament I have had success at in the past — the last time I was there was in 2016,” Murray was quoted as saying by the tournament website. “Thanks to the tournament for a wild card, it's great to be able to continue my comeback and play more tennis in China. Shanghai is a great city, I feel comfortable there and the fans are always supportive.” Tournament director Michael Luevano said: “He is incredibly popular with our fans and we are all thrilled to see him back on the courts and heading to Shanghai.
Rani rampal to lead on England tour
New Delhi: Star forward Rani Rampal was on Friday named captain of the 18-member Indian women's hockey team which will take on England in a five-match series starting September 27 in Marlow. The series is scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 4 and Rani will have goalkeepeer Savita as her deputy. Savita and Rajani Etimarpu retained their places in the side following the team's triumph in the Olympic Test Event in Japan recently. Defenders Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Reena Khokhar and Salima Tete have also been named in the squad. The midfield sees the return of the experienced Namita Toppo after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury, Hockey India said in a statement. India's midfield will also consist of other experienced players in Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Nikki Pradhan, Monika, Neha Goyal and Lilima Minz. The forward-line features Rani, Vandana Katariya, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Navjot Kaur and youngster Sharmila Devi who made her international debut during the Olympic Test Event in Tokyo. Agencies