Matteo Guendouzi joins Marseille on loan from Arsenal
MARSEILLE, July 6: Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has joined French club Marseille on a one-year loan. The French player joined Arsenal from French side Lorient in 2018. He played 82 matches with the Gunners and spent last term on loan at Hertha Berlin. The 1993 European champion said on Tuesday it has an option to buy him once the loan expires. Marseille has been very active on the transfer market this summer. The southern club has also completed the signing of United States winger Konrad De La Fuente from Barcelona and Turkey winger Cengiz Under, who joined from Roma on a season-long loan. (AP)
Mumbai, Pune to host 2022 women’s Asian Cup
New Delhi, July 6: Next year’s women’s Asian Cup in India will be held in Mumbai and Pune after the Asian Football Confederation dropped Bhubaneswar and Ahemdabad as venues to minimise the travelling time for participants and ensure an “optimum environment” for a bio-secure bubble. The Mumbai Football Arena at the Andheri Sports Complex and the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune have been chosen as the new venues. Japan, Australia, China PR and hosts India have already sealed their places in the Finals and the race to join the quartet will take centrestage from September this year when 28 teams across eight groups begin their quest to clinch the eight remaining places in the newly-expanded and biggest-ever edition of the Continental women’s showpiece. (PTI)
Para shuttler Pramod Bhagat recommended for Khel Ratna
New Delhi, July 6: Indian para shuttler Pramod Bhagat, who has qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics, has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting honour, by the Odisha government. The department of sports and youth services of Odisha has also recommended the Indian women’s hockey team vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka for the Arjuna Award. Bhagat, currently ranked no 1 in SL3 category, was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2019. He had won 12 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals in 2019, including the World Championship title. (PTI)
