Simone Inzaghi appointed as Inter coach for two years
Milan, June 3: Inter Milan appointed Simone Inzaghi as coach on Thursday, signing him to a two-year contract. Inzaghi replaces Antonio Conte, who left Inter last month after leading the club to its first Serie A title in more than a decade. The 45-year-old Inzaghi has been coaching Lazio and led the club to the Italian Cup title in 2019. He also won two Italian Super Cups in his five seasons. Inzaghi had been expected to extend his contract with Lazio last week but opted not to after Conte left Inter. Inzaghi is the younger brother of former AC Milan player and coach Filippo Inzaghi. Conte officially left Inter by mutual consent, but he was reportedly unhappy about the club’s decision to sell players in the upcoming transfer window because of financial constraints. Inter’s finances were hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the club’s early elimination from European soccer. The club was forced to take out a loan from Oaktree Capital recently in a financing deal with the American investment fund. Inter owner Suning and president Steven Zhang reportedly wanted to cut salaries by 20% and make a profit of about 100 million euros (USD 122 million) in the transfer market, likely by selling at least one of the club’s top players. (AP)
Benteke signs new contract with Palace ahead of Euro 2020
LONDON, June 3: Belgium striker Christian Benteke is heading into the European Championship with a new contract at Crystal Palace. Benteke signed a two-year extension at the south London club on Thursday, a reward for his strong finish to last season when he scored in each of his last four Premier League games and finished with 10 goals overall. That was his highest-scoring season since 2016-17, when he had 15 goals. Benteke, who is likely to be the backup for Romelu Lukaku for Belgium at Euro 2020, joined Palace from Liverpool in 2016. Palace finished 14th in the league last season and is currently searching for a new manager following Roy Hodgson’s decision to step down after nearly four years in charge. (AP)
Top-ranked Ashleigh Barty withdraws from French Open
Paris, June 3: Top-ranked Ash Barty withdrew from the French Open during her second-round match on Thursday because of an injury. The 2019 champion trailed 6-1, 2-2 when she returned to her chair and signalled she was not able to continue against Polish rival Magda Linette on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Australian started the match with her left thigh bandaged and it was immediately clear she could not move properly. Too slow to chase her opponent’s shots, she suffered in long rallies and struggled with her first serve. Barty had called for a medical timeout at the end of the opening set. Dealing with a left hip problem, Barty had struggled through a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win against 70th-ranked American Bernarda Pera in the first round. She said afterward she was not fully healthy and would adopt a one-match-at-a-time approach. Barty decided not to defend her title last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, choosing instead to remain home in Australia. (AP)
Verstappen leads title race, focus on Red Bull’s rear wing
Baku (Azerbaijan), June 3: Max Verstappen heads into his first race as Formula One leader looking for his first podium finish at a previously troublesome circuit, and with the focus on his Red Bull car’s rear wing. The 23-year-old Dutch driver has been a potential championship contender since he made his debut in 2015 when he was only 17. This season, he has a car capable of challenging seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton for the title. Winning the last race in Monaco put Verstappen four points ahead of Hamilton heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Some rivals, particularly Mercedes, have argued Red Bull’s rear wing flexes too much at high speed and reduces drag. That would be a particular benefit in Azerbaijan, which has the longest straight of any circuit on the calendar. Governing body FIA is introducing new tests to measure how rigid wings are. However, they only take effect from June 15, ahead of the French Grand Prix. Hamilton was vocal last month of what he called the “bendy” Red Bull wing and previously said it made the rival cars faster at the Spanish Grand Prix, which he won. “Regardless of what I think, it doesn’t really make a difference,” Hamilton said Thursday. (AP)
Oman beat India, become host of first Hockey5s World Cup 2024
Lausanne, June 3: Oman has beaten India, Pakistan and Singapore to win the bid to host the first edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cups for men and women, to be played in January 2024. Matches will take place in Omani capital Muscat, the FIH announced on Thursday. The Hockey5s flagship event is a brand-new FIH competition. Sixteen teams per gender – three per continent plus Oman as hosts – will take part in the maiden edition. “We’re convinced that Hockey5s will play a key role in the growth of hockey worldwide. This is why this World Cup has been created, as well as a Hockey5s World Tour, which we are currently working on and which fans and athletes will have a glimpse of soon with the FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2021 event,” said FIH CEO Thierry Weil. Upon recommendation from the task force events bidding – comprising Executive Board members of all five continental federations), the Executive Board of the FIH – has appointed Oman as the host country for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cups, said the FIH statement. (IANS)
Indian golfer Tvesa off to a disappointing start in France
Evian-Les-Bains (France), June 3: Indian golfer Tvesa Malik made a disappointing start in the Jabra Ladies Open as she shot 4-over 75 in the first round on Thursday. This week, the players started from the 15th and sixth, as those are the holes close to the clubhouse for them to come back and go around. Tvesa, who had finished a creditable T-10 last week in Italy, teed off from the 15th and started with a bogey on Par-5 15th but quickly made up with a birdie on the Par-4 17th. She dropped shots on second, fifth and seventh, but made amends with birdies on eighth and ninth. Three pars followed before she dropped another bogey on Par-4 13th and a double on Par-3 14th, which was her closing hole. Defending champion Annabel Dimmock got to a superb start with a round of 4-under 67 and she led by a shot over German Olivia Cowan (68). Annabel Dimmock started with a round of 4-under 67. (PTI)