Fati, Ferran, Garcia lead Spain squad
Madrid: Barcelona's teenage forward Ansu Fati and new Manchester City signing Ferran Torres were among six debutants in the Spain squad coach Luis Enrique unveiled on Thursday for next month's UEFA Nations League matches against Germany and Ukraine. Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon and Real Madrid forward Oscar Rodriguez, who spent last season on loan with relegated Leganes, were also included in the 24-man squad.
Yousuf appointed batting coach for HPC
Karchi: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday appointed former skipper Mohammad Yousuf as the batting coach of its National High Performance Centre in Lahore. Yousuf, who has scored 7,530 Test and 9,720 ODI runs in a career spanning from 1998 to 2010, will head the list of coaches, which already boasts of Mushtaq Ahmed as the spin bowling consultant and will be joined by former wicketkeeper Atiq-uz-Zaman & tear away fast bowler Mohd Zahid.
U-17 WC player Boris tests Covid +ve
New Delhi: India's 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup team member Boris Singh Thangjam on Thursday tested positive for Covid-19 in a first such case involving an active footballer. The 20-year-old Boris, who had played as right back in two of India's three matches in the U-17 World Cup, has been placed under quarantine in Manipur.
Oly champion Ayaka Takahashi retires
Tokyo: Japan's Olympic badminton champion Ayaka Takahashi will not defend her doubles crown with Misaki Matsutomo at next year's Tokyo Games after announcing she will retire at the end of the month. The 30-year old cited the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics as one of the reasons for her decision to step away, saying her body might not hold up for another year.
Thapa, 9 Indians retained by Chennaiyin
Chennai: Two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC on Thursday confirmed the participation of star national team mid-fielder Anirudh Thapa and nine other Indian players for the upcoming season of the tournament. ISL 2017-18 winner Thapa, who joined the club as an 18-year-old in 2016, is currently on a multi-year contract and is set for his fifth campaign in the Chennaiyin jersey.
Hyderabad FC, BVB announce new p’ship
Hyderabad: SL franchise Hyderabad FC on Thursday entered into a new two-year partnership with German football giants Borussia Dortmund and at the heart of this association will be youth development. Borussia Dortmund will focus on building and supporting HFC on its academy structure as well as guiding the Indian club on coach education. The partnership will also include BVB's expertise in technology to drive innovation, enhance connectivity between the clubs, positively grow and expand its fan base.