Venezuela midfielder Herrera to miss Copa America remainder
Rio de Janeiro, June 20: Venezuela midfielder Yangel Herrera has been ruled out of the rest of the Copa America because of a fractured lower leg, the country’s football federation has announced. The 23-year-old sustained the injury during Venezuela’s goalless draw with Colombia in a Group A clash in Guyana on Thursday. “Stay strong, Yangel Herrera. We are with you! You will come back stronger,” the federation said on twitter, reports Xinhua. The announcement came the day before the Vinotinto were due to play Ecuador at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic stadium. Jose Peseiro’s side have already been severely depleted by a COVID-19 outbreak that has forced eight players and five officials into isolation. (IANS)
Barcelona sign Dutch striker Memphis Depay
BARCELONA, June 20: Barcelona added Netherlands striker Memphis Depay to its attack on Saturday as a free agent from Lyon. The Spanish club said the 27-year-old Depay agreed to a two-year contract. After stints with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United, Depay joined Lyon in January 2017. His last season with Lyon was his best, scoring 20 goals. Depay is playing for the Netherlands at the European Championship. He scored a penalty in its 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday. Depay is Barcelona’s fourth signing of the offseason as it looks to improve on a season in which the only success was the Copa del Rey title. Facing 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in debt, Barcelona is focusing on free agents to avoid paying transfer fees. (AP)
Indian women’s hockey top administrator Bose passes away
New Delhi, June 20: Amrit Bose, a secretary of the erstwhile Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF), passed away on Sunday. She was 84. Besides being IWHF secretary, Amrit carried out tenures as an international technical official and president of the Delhi Women’s Hockey Association. “It is indeed a very sad day for us. Amrit has played a huge part in the growth of hockey in the country, and she will be sorely missed. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Amrit’s family and friends. May they have the strength to pass through this difficult time,” Hockey India president Gyanendro Ningombam said. (IANS)
Tokyo Olympics could see 20,000 people attend opening ceremony
Tokyo, June 20: The Tokyo Olympics organising committee could allow 20,000 people to attend the opening ceremony at the National Stadium on July 23, but that would include both the ticket holders and Games officials. A decision to allow fans for various events at the Olympics and Paralympics will be taken on Monday. There has been increasing pressure to stage the Olympics and Paralympics behind closed doors due to concerns over increased risk of Covid-19 spread and there are reports that some form of cap would be placed on spectators, reported sports website insidethegames.biz quoting Kyodo. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato was quoted as saying that the government would consider barring all fans if the coronavirus situation in the country worsens. “If we see an increase in the number of coronavirus infections, the basic rule is to take the necessary measures and deal with the Olympics in the same way as other events,” Kato said. (IANS)
Italy’s Berrettini to take on Britain’s Norrie in Queen’s final
London, June 20: Top seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy continued his impressive week at the Queen’s Club Championships here, defeating Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-4, 6-4, to reach the final in his debut at the tournament. World No. 9 Berrettini won 89 per cent of his first-service points and hit eight aces against de Minaur to advance in 84 minutes. The Italian will next face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who beat Denis Shapovalov of Canada 7-5, 6-3 in the other semi-final. (IANS)
Uganda Olympic team member tests positive for COVID
Tokyo, June 20: A member of Uganda’s Olympic team has tested positive for the coronavirus and was barred entry into Japan, in the first detected infection among arriving athletes for the Tokyo Games opening in five weeks. The eight other members of the team left early Sunday by chartered bus for host town Osaka, central Japan, where COVID-19 cases are still being reported. Yasutoshi Nishimura, a minister in charge of economic policy, said on NHK TV Sunday that the government was looking into what had happened with border controls. The athletes, arriving late Saturday at Tokyo’s Narita airport, were all fully vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jabs and had negative PCR tests before boarding, the Asahi newspaper reported, quoting an anonymous Cabinet Secretariat official. The team member who tested positive was not identified. (AP)