Biggest hockey stadium by 2022
Bhubaneswar, Jan 19: The Odisha government on Tuesday said it plans to complete the construction of India’s proposed biggest-ever hockey stadium in Rourkela by 2020. The stadium, work for which will start from April, will be completed within a year, a senior state government official said. (PTI)
Trippier ban: Atlético appeals to CAS
Madrid, Jan 19: Atlético Madrid appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday to suspend Kieran Trippier’s ban for breaching betting rules. Atlético filed its appeal to CAS a day after FIFA rejected the Spanish club’s attempt to keep the ban imposed on the defender by the English Football Association from being applied worldwide. (AP)
Amateur clubs in French Cup
Paris, Jan 19: The French soccer federation says amateur clubs will take part in this year’s French Cup after the ministry of sports agreed to the move amid the coronavirus pandemic. The federation says amateur teams in France and overseas territories involved in the 104th edition of the yearly tournament have been allowed to resume training immediately. (AP)
Olympian charged in doping case
Lausanne, Jan 19: Olympic weightlifting champion Nijat Rahimov has been charged with swapping his urine samples in a doping case that could threaten his gold medal. The International Testing Agency said late Monday it charged Rahimov and Dumitru Captari of Romania with “an anti-doping rule violation for ‘Urine Substitution’ which would have occurred over a period of time in 2016.” (AP)
Club World Cup draw announced
Zurich, Jan 19: Bayern Munich will have to beat the champion of Africa or Qatar to reach the Club World Cup final after FIFA made the tournament draw Tuesday. Champions League winner Bayern will face either Al Ahly of Eqypt or host nation Qatar’s domestic league winner Al-Duhail on February 8. Europe’s champion gets a bye into the semi-finals of a pandemic-hit competition being played with six teams instead of seven and in 2021 instead of last December as planned. South America’s entry into the February 4-11 tournament will not be known until the January 30 final of the Copa Libertadores. The Copa Libertadores champion will play CONCACAF Champions League winner Tigres or Asian Champion League winner Ulsan Hyundai. (AP)