Camp Nou women’s clásico allocated 70,000 tickets
Barcelona, Jan 16: More than 70,000 tickets have been allocated to see Barcelona’s women play against rival Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League, the Catalan club said. The clásico on March 30 will be the first game the Barcelona women have played at Camp Nou with spectators in the stands. Barcelona’s match against Espanyol in January 2021 was played without a crowd. Club members could reserve up to four free tickets. Tickets for non-club members started at nine euros ($10). Barcelona’s women won the European title last season in addition to the Spanish league and the Copa de la Reina. Camp Nou is Europe’s largest football stadium with 99,000 seats. (AP)
Gujrathi begins Masters chess tourney with win
Wijk Aan Zee (Netherlands), Jan 16: Indian Grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi began his campaign at the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament with a win over American Sam Shankland, here. After the rating favourites Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana (USA) and Anish Giri (the Netherlands) drew their games, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gujrathi and Jorden van Foreest grabbed the lead with victories in round one, late on Saturday. Gujrathi, the India No.2 behind Viswanathan Anand, took advantage of a mistake by Shankland, playing black, on the 33rd move to grind out a win in 73 moves. (PTI)
Maha CM inaugurates training pitches ahead of Asian Cup
Navi Mumbai, Jan 16: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday virtually inaugurated two training pitches at the upcoming ‘Football Maharashtra Centre for Excellence’ at Kharghar here. The two pitches will be used by the teams, who will be competing in the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup beginning January 20. All India Football Federation president Praful Patel, who virtually attended the event, informed that the country would also be hosting the U17 FIFA World Cup for Women in October. The AFC Asian Cup will feature 12 teams, and will take place in three cities of Maharashtra – Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, from January 20. (PTI)
Beijing reports first local omicron case ahead of Oly
Hong Kong, Jan 16: Beijing has reported its first local omicron infection, according to state media, weeks before the Winter Olympic Games are due to start. The infected person lives and works in the city’s northwestern district of Haidian and had no travel history outside of Beijing for the past two weeks. The individual experienced symptoms on Thursday and was tested on Friday for COVID-19, officials said in a news conference Saturday. The news of the infection comes less than three weeks before the Winter Olympic Games’ opening ceremony on Feb 4. So far, multiple cities in China have reported omicron infections. (AP)
IOA president Batra, wife test positive for COVID-19
New Delhi, Jan 16: Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19, the IOA chief said on Sunday. Both Batra and his wife are asymptomatic. “Chetna & I Have Tested Positive for Covid Today on 16th January in Asymptomatic Category,” the top IOA official said in a WhatsApp message. “All our Family, Friends and Colleagues who Came in Contact With us Since 14th January are Requested to Please Have Themselves Examined. “We Have Been asked to Stay in Quarantine Till Saturday 22nd January. We are Available on Phone,” Batra added. (PTI)