Goalkeeper Onana ends career with Cameroon
MILAN, Dec 23: Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana ended his career with the national team on Friday, one month after the 26-year-old player was sent home from the World Cup in a dispute with coach Rigobert Song.The posted a statement saying “my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player,” Onana wrote, without citing reasons for his decision. “Cameroon remains eternal and so does my love for the national team.”The last of Onana’s 34 international games was the 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Nov. 24 at the World Cup in Qatar. (AP)
France to hold talks with head coach Deschamps
PARIS, Dec 23: France coach Didier Deschamps will meet with French soccer federation president Noël Le Graët next week to discuss a new contract.Deschamps, who has been in charge for 10 years, has led Les Bleus to three major finals and won the 2018 World Cup. France lost a thrilling World Cup final to Argentina last Sunday.His contract expires at the end of this year and Le Graët is hopeful Deschamps will continue.Le Graët told Ouest-France newspaper Thursday that he’s going to meet with Deschamps and hopes he stays on.Deschamps reportedly wants a four-year deal, taking him to the 2026 World Cup. But he may only be offered two years with an option for a further two years depending on results. (AP)
Goa to host first ever World TT series event in India
PANAJI, Dec 22: Goa will host India’s first ever World Table Tennis (WTT) series event from February 27 to March 5, it was announced here on Thursday.The top tier WTT Star Contender Goa 2023 will take place at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor stadium, located at the Goa University Campus.Stupa Analytics, a homegrown sports analytics firm, will be the tournament host with active support from the Goa government. WTT Series is the official professional table tennis series of events, with the world’s best players facing each other off in various category tournaments throughout the year with the four Grand Smashes being the ultimate prize to win. (IANS)
Lovlina reaches quarter-finals
BHOPAL, Dec 23:Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain put up a dominating display to enter the quarterfinals of the 6th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championships, registering a resounding victory in Bhopal on Friday.Living up to the expectations, the Assam pugilist made light work of Puja Nayak from Odisha in the 75kg last-16 stage match. Lovlina’s relentless attack and powerful punches proved too strong for her opponent as the reigning Asian champion was declared the winner by Referee Stops the Contest verdict after just a few minutes into the first round of the bout. Meanwhile, the 2016 World Championships silver medallist Sonia Lather of Railways Sports Promotion Board also made her way into the 57kg quarterfinals after she was given a walkover by Karnataka’s Divyani.Tamil Nadu’s S Kalaivani was the other pugilist to secure the last-eight berth as she outperformed Swati Arya of Rajasthan by a 5-0 margin in a 48kg pre-quarterfinal contest. Rajasthan’s Arshi Khanam and Jhalak Tomar also produced dominating performances to make progress into the quarterfinals with identical 5-0 wins in their respective matches. While Khanam beat Uttar Pradesh’s Ice Prajapati in the 54kg bout, Tomar (50kg) thrashed Assam’s Kampi Boro comfortably. For Haryana, Kalpana emerged victorious in the 50kg category by 5-0 against Maharashtra’s Janhavi Waghmare. (IANS)
US House passes equal pay bill
WASHINGTON, Dec 23:The House has passed a bill that ensures equal compensation for USA women competing in international events, a piece of legislation that came out of the USA women’s soccer team’s long battle to be paid as much as the men.The Equal Pay for Team USA Act, passed late Wednesday, will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender. It covers America’s 50-plus national sports and requires the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee to handle it. (AP)