Diego Alonso replaces Tabárez as Uruguay head coach
MONTEVIDEO, Dec 15: Diego Alonso has been hired as Uruguay’s head coach to replace Óscar Tabárez, who was fired last month amid the national team’s poor run in South American World Cup qualifying. Uruguay’s football federation announced the appointment on Tuesday without making further comment. Alonso was available after leaving Inter Miami in January. His previous coaching jobs also include Uruguayan giants Peñarol, Paraguay’s Olimpia, and Mexico’s Pachuca and Monterrey. The Uruguay job was reportedly first offered to River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo, but the Argentinian coach rejected it. (AP)
Madrid’s Modric, Marcelo test positive for virus
MADRID, Dec 15: Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric and defender Marcelo have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Spanish club said Wednesday. Madrid did not give any details of their condition and didn’t say whether anyone else was deemed a close contact. Modric played the entire game when Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Sunday. Marcelo was an unused substitute. Madrid’s next game is against Cadiz on Sunday. The team then plays at Athletic Bilbao three days later in the last game before the league’s winter break. (AP)
Saint-Etienne hire Dupraz after departure of Puel
SAINT-ETIENNE, Dec 15: Last-place French club Saint-Etienne has confirmed the departure of coach Claude Puel more than a week after suspending him. The 60-year-old Puel and Saint-Etienne “mutually agreed” to end his tenure as coach and general manager, the club said Tuesday. Pascal Dupraz, who helped Toulouse avoid relegation in 2017, was hired as his replacement. Dupraz’s coaching contract runs through the end of the season. Puel joined 10-time French champion Saint-Etienne in October 2019. The club suspended Puel after a humiliating 5-0 home loss to Rennes on Dec. 5. (AP)
Seher Atwal takes one-shot lead in 15th Leg of WPGT
Kolkata, Dec 15: Seher Atwal, who had a breakthrough win earlier this year, took a slender one-shot lead in the first round of the 15th and final leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Seher, who missed making the final Stage of the Ladies by one shot, carded 3-over 75 on the first day at the historic venue, and was one shot ahead of Neha Tripathi and two clear of last week’s winner, Ridhima Dilawari. Four players including two amateurs, Smriti Bhargav and Agrima Manral, were tied for fourth at 6-over 78. (IANS)
Golden State Warriors’ Curry is NBA’s all-time 3-point leader
New York, Dec 15: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has become the National Basketball Association’s all-time 3-point leader. Curry, in his team’s match against New York Knicks late on Tuesday night at the Madison Square Garden, reached 2,974 career 3-pointers, hitting his second three of the night with seven minutes and 33 seconds remaining in the first quarter to surpass Ray Allen’s career mark (2,973 threes). Curry set the 3-point record in his 789th career regular season game, 511 contests fewer than Allen (1,300) appeared in. (IANS)
Indian team win Asia and Middle East Bridge C’ship
New Delhi, Dec 15: The Indian team of Sumit Mukherjee, Jaggy Shivdasani, Keyzad Ankelsaria, Sundeep Thakral, Rajeswar Tewari and Debabrata Majumder defeated the UAE side to win Asia and Middle East Bridge Championship title. In the summit clash at Noida on Tuesday, India scored 99 International Match Points (IMPs) while UAE could earn only 42 IMPs. Both the finalists qualified for the upcoming World Bridge Championship to be held in Italy from March 27-April 10 next year. (PTI)