MTA to participate in 34th Senior National Taekwondo C’ships
SHILLONG: A contingent of 7 Taekwondo athletes and officials of the Meghalaya Taekwondo Association left Shillong on Monday for Jalandhar (Punjab) to participate in the 34th National Senior Taekwondo Championships being organized by the Punjab Taekwondo Association under the aegis of Taekwondo Federation of India. The Championship will be held from October 9 to 11 at PAP Complex in Jalandhar.
Maradona dances in changing room with Argentinan rugby team
Leicester: Football legend Diego Maradona showed no restraint in supporting his beloved Argentinan te am at the Rugby World Cup as he danced in the changing room post the South American nation’s 45-16 thrashing of Tonga here. The legend led the celebrations in the changing room after the game by dancing away in the middle of the Argentine players, stuff.co.nz reported on Sunday. His lumbering moves in the stands were a regular sight at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and his antics on the touchline four years later, as manager, had the cameras covering him almost as much as the games themselves. Maradona is still regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time and the 1986 World Cup winner could well become a regular sight for audiences at the Rugby World Cup now, as Argentina edge closer to the knockout stages. (IANS)
Atletico, Benfica face investigation for crowd trouble
Madrid: Spanish club Atletico Madrid and Portuguese side Benfica face disciplinary action from governing body of European football UEFA, as the result of incidents which took place during their Champions League meeting last Wednesday. The game in Atletico’s Vicente Calderon Stadium, which Benfica won 2-1 was marred by a series of incidents, which saw Benfica supporters light flares in the stands at two separate moments in the game, reports Xinhua. The Benfica fans also ripped out seats in their section of the stand, as well as throwing objects, including flares at the Atletico supporters seated nearby. Meanwhile, Atletico are under investigation as the result of safety concerns over a series of blocked accesses to staircases during the game. If found guilty both clubs face a fine for the incidents and repeat problems could lead to partial stadium closures as punishments. (IANS)
Rio 2016 BMX test event cancelled
Rio de Janeiro: Heavy rain forced Rio 2016 organisers to cancel the Olympic BMX test event, just a day after the competitors declined to compete due to safety concerns. Officials agreed to modify the track on Saturday after the International Cycling Union said some sections were dangerous for racing. The men eventually used the same course as the women before the event scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to bad weather, Xinhua reported. According to reports, local riders Rogerio dos Reis and Bianca Quinalha suffered suspected fractures after falls on Sunday. (IANS)
Brazil recall Kaka for WC qualifiers
Rio De Janiero: Former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka has been recalled to Brazil’s squad for their opening 2018 World Cup qualifiers, replacing injured Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian football confederation did not specify the nature of Coutinho’s injury in an official statement issued late on Sunday, Xinhua reported. Kaka, 33, had been recalled for Brazil’s friendlies against Costa Rica and the US last month but was overlooked in coach Dunga’s original squad for the matches against Chile and Venezuela. Brazil will begin the qualifying campaign against this year’s Copa America champions in Santiago on Thursday before a home clash with Venezuela in Fortaleza five days later. The announcement came a day after Dunga also recalled Barcelona veteran Dani Alves to replace injured Monaco right-back Fabinho. (IANS)
