Mbappe ‘honoured’ to tour father’s native Cameroon
YAOUNDE, July 8: Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is touring his father’s native Cameroon for the first time this week as doubts swirl over his future at the French club.Excited fans gathered at the airport in the capital Yaounde, where the 24-year-old star touched down on Thursday for a three-day tour of the central African nation.“It is an honour for me to be here, to be in the country of my origin, to be with my family and to see the people out there. They have shown me some love,” Mbappe said on Friday after meeting Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. He was lined up for a sporty afternoon, with a basketball match against former NBA player Joakim Noah before hitting the pitch for a football game against second-division team Vent d’Etoudi FC. (Agencies)
Robinson extends stay at Fulham
LONDON, July 8:United States left back Antonee Robinson signed a new deal with Fulham to extend his time at the English Premier League club to 2028.Robinson joined Fulham in 2020 from Wigan Athletic, and has made more than 100 appearances.He helped the London club to 10th in the league last season.“He’s a tenacious defender and a remarkable athlete, with great pace that serves us well up and down the pitch, through his hard work in defense and the great service he provides to our attack,” club general manager Tony Khan said. (PTI)
Van der Sar’s condition ‘stable but still concerning’
AMSTERDAM, July 8: Former Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s condition remains stable but “still concerning” after suffering a bleed around his brain, his former club Ajax said on Saturday.Van der Sar, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008 after a penalty shootout, was admitted to intensive care on Friday.“Edwin van der Sar will remain in intensive care for the time being,” said a statement by Ajax. “His condition is stable but still concerning. Ajax shares this information on behalf of Annemarie van der Sar, Edwin’s wife. “The Van der Sar family, along with Ajax, is grateful and deeply touched by the many messages of support.”Van der Sar stepped down as director general of the Amsterdam club at the end of the season.Dutch media reported Friday that the 52-year-old Van der Sar was on vacation in Croatia when he became ill.Van der Sar played at clubs including Ajax, Juventus and United. He appeared 130 times for the Netherlands.He served more than a decade on the Ajax board before stepping down after the club finished third in the Eredivisie last season.“After nearly 11 years on the board, I’m exhausted,” Van der Sar said when he announced he was leaving Ajax in May. (PTI)
Manika goes down fighting
LJUBLJANA, (Slovenia) July 8: Indian table tennis star Manika Batra lost a hard fought battle against Romania’s Bernadette Szocs in the pre-quarterfinals of the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana here.Manika, who had stunned world number 15 Chen I-ching earlier in the competition, went down fighting against the 17th ranked opponent 4-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11 in a round of 16 contest on Friday night.The Indian is ranked 36 in the world and is expected to rise up the chart following her pre-quarterfinal finish here. (PTI)