admin
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles to the finish line to win the 19th stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France, 127,9 km between Gap and Alpe
admin
LeBron James to sign twoyear deal with 76ers. (AFP) LeBron James announced on Friday he will play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season, with the 41-year-old NBA superstar hoping to transform another franchise into a championship team.James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has won four titles in a 23-year career, most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers, who he said earlier this month he would not return to for the 2026-27 campaign.James led the Miami Heat to NBA crowns in 2013 and 2014, brought his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers a title in 2016 and delivered a championship for the Lakers in 2020.He's looking to make the same magic happen in what Rich Paul, James's agent, tells ESPN will be a two-year deal worth $8mn."I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time," James posted on X.The NBA legend was considering several clubs but will join a 76ers team that traded for forward Jaylen Brown from Boston and boasts a lineup that will also include star center Joel Embiid and guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.James averaged 20.9 points a game for the Lakers last season and said he was considering retirement strongly when the campaign concluded."I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game," James posted on X."I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game."Paul played up the potential clubs James could join during more than three weeks of mystery about where he might sign.Would James return home to Cleveland, return to Miami, possibly join pals Stephen Curry and Draymond Green at Golden State? Would he find another contender to boost? "This is my last decision," James posted. "I'm not going for money. I'm not going for family."What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."James did send his regrets to some of his other suitors, posting: "Thank you LA. Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always be home!" Related Story
admin
Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson cruised into the men's and women's 100 metres semi-finals at the U.S. championships on Thursday, as the competition featured some heavy hitters at Icahn Stadium even in a quieter athletics season.The Olympic champion Lyles had no issues winning his heat in 9.97 seconds, finishing second overall for the day behind Christian Coleman (9.96), as he eyes the sprint double in New York. He will compete in Friday's semi-final."Felt like a good warm-up. I could use about three more of those," said Lyles, who was hungry for more competition after a surprise second place to compatriot Trayvon Bromell at last month's Paris Diamond League."I came back from Europe right as July started. I'm not going to be able to get another meet in once this is over until mid-August. And I don't want to wait that long for running again."A year with no Olympics and no world championships left Americans with less incentive to show up to their own national meet, which serves as a qualifying event for the two global showpiece competitions."This is still an important event for us, more like bragging rights," said Kenny Bednarek (10.04), the twice 200 metres Olympic silver medallist and Lyles' perennial rival, who also advanced. 'NOTHING'S GIVEN'Richardson was gifted an easier path to the top of the podium in her signature event - with the world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden focusing all her efforts on the 200m - and finished the day 0.08 seconds faster than anyone else in 10.90.Nikki Hiltz, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, won their women's 1,500m heat in 4:04.54, three weeks after sprinting past world record holder Faith Kipyegon to win the mile in a commanding display at the Prefontaine Classic."If anything, it just showed me that like dragons can get slayed all the time in this sport," said Hiltz. "Nothing's given no matter what you've done in the past."On the men's side, Vincent Ciattei had the fastest overall time in 3:41.30. The men's and women's 1,500m finals are set for Saturday.Woody Kincaid provided some of the biggest excitement of the opening day as he bested Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher (30:14.46) in a thrilling sprint finish to win the men's 10,000m in 30:13.66, taking the lead at the final turn with a powerful kick."I came in here being like, it's not going to be given to me, but I think I can still win this. And with 200 metres to go, I've come too far and I've got to just lay it down now," said Kincaid.Sydney Vaught pulled away with 800 metres to go to win the women's 10,000m in 33:30.60, more than six seconds clear of the rest of the field. Related Story
admin
Ben Kohles of the United States lines up a putt on the 15th green during the first round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota. (AFP) Ben Kohles completed his bogey-free first round with an eagle for a two-stroke lead at 9-under-par 62 on Thursday at the 3M Open in Blaine, Minn.World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, making his debut in the tournament at TPC Twin Cities, is three shots back, tied for fifth after his bogey-free 65. Scheffler started his round at No. 10 and was 2 under on the back nine with birdies at Nos. 12 and 18, then heated up with birdies at Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 7."Golf's funny. Some days you're hitting your lines and the line seems to be tracking toward the hole and other days it feels like you're doing the same thing and it kind of goes around the hole," Scheffler said, "but today was a day in which I was able to hole some nice putts and that's why I was able to make some birdies out there."Kohles, 36, is ranked No. 128 in the world and seeking his first win on the PGA Tour. He finished tied for third at the John Deere Classic on July 5.He birdied Nos. 2, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15, then made eagle with a 4-foot putt on the par-5 18th hole to conclude his career-best round."Yeah, it feels great obviously when you can get a low one out early, especially early in the tournament," said Kohles, who has divided this season between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours. "I was just in control all day. Honestly, I've played really well here the last few years, I really like this golf course. This is a wind that we kind of had most of the time, so just a comfortable wind so I feel like I'm just comfortable out here. Obviously made some nice putts. Just hit a lot close that I was able to capitalize on."Kohles ranked first on Thursday in greens in regulation (17 of 18), tied for third in driving accuracy (12 of 14, 85.7%) and ranked 39th in feet of putts made (82 feet, 7 inches). Jackson Koivun, Gary Woodland and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo are tied for second after each shot 7-under 64."Any day beating Scottie Scheffler is a good day, so I'll take that," said Grillo, who birdied Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14, then lost strokes with bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 before a birdie at 18. "Yeah, got off to a good start obviously. Not often you birdie the first couple holes and I was able to finish with a 4 after a few mistakes there on 16 and 17."Scheffler is tied at 6 under with Lucas Glover, Michael Brennan, Kevin Roy and Sweden's Jesper Svensson. Scheffler tied for first in scrambling (3-for-3) and sand saves (1-for-1), while he was fourth in feet of putts made (134-6).Defending champion Kurt Kitayama is tied for 26th at 3-under 68. He opened with the first of his seven birdies, including No. 1 and 18, but was undermined by a bogey at the par-4 No. 3 and a triple bogey at the par-4 No. 9. Related Story
admin
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been handed a direct entry into the men's knockouts of the Asian Games cricket after the draw was announced.Defending champions India along with its seeded neighbours will start
admin
Anthony Joshua has insisted his full focus is on Kristian Prenga when he makes his return to boxing on Saturday amid all the talk of a 'super fight' with fellow former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.Both Fury and Joshua are back in the ring this week for bouts against Poland's Mariusz Wach and Albania's Prenga, respectively, that are seen as must-win warm-up fights if their 'Battle of Britain' is to go ahead.Fury, 37, faces Wach in the Thai resort of Pattaya on Friday in what is effectively a charity contest, with no live broadcast, while compatriot Joshua, 36, is in action the following day in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.But Joshua told reporters in Jeddah late Thursday: "Look, respect my opponent here. We don't want to talk about Tyson Fury. Respectfully, I have done all the media that I can about what the future holds but you know our focus is him and his team. "We have been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down, aligned all my stars and I am fully focused. I understand there is a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer earth. My target is here."Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua's bout with Prenga will be his first professional fight since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two of his close friends, Latif 'Latz' Ayodele and Sina Ghami.After the accident, there was doubt over whether Joshua would box again but promoter Eddie Hearn reached an agreement with Fury's camp for a bout that will only take place following this warm-up clash with Prenga."When you speak to me about what may lay ahead or I sit down in an office with Eddie and he presents to me what may lay ahead, it is a great opportunity for me to understand where this checkpoint takes me and what it leads me on to," Joshua said."The reality of the matter is there is no universe, there is no future unless I get past this checkpoint on Saturday night." Related Story
admin
Mark van Bommel is the new coach of the Belgian national football team, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced on Friday.The 49-year-old former Dutch international succeeds Frenchman Rudi Garcia, who stepped down having guided the 'Red Devils' to the World Cup quarter-finals."Mark van Bommel has signed a contract that will see him lead Belgium's national team through UEFA EURO 2028," read an RBFA statement.Van Bommel, who was an uncompromising midfielder and key member of the robust Netherlands side that lost to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final, said it was a "great honour" to have been appointed."I would like to thank the Royal Belgian Football Association for their confidence in me," he said."Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential."Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best."Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are."After hanging up his boots in 2013, Van Bommel has cut his teeth as coach of PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg and Antwerp.Van Bommel has been without a team since departing Belgian top-flight club Antwerp in June 2024, a year after having guided them to a first league title in 66 years.Belgium, made up of a mix of the last of their ageing 'golden generation' and younger talent, improved as the World Cup went on.They exited after being beaten 2-1 by eventual champions Spain, though they had the consolation of being the only team to breach the Spanish defence.Local media reported differences of opinion between Garcia and several players, as well as with technical director Vincent Mannaert, who was unhappy with certain group-stage performances.Garcia's departure, however, was met with bewilderment by many supporters on social media.However, according to the media, Belgian football chiefs were keen to hire a younger coach than 62-year-old Garcia.They achieved that aim with van Bommel."I am truly delighted that Mark van Bommel and his assistants have agreed to take on this challenge," said Mannaert."They are highly motivated and ambitious, and I am convinced that, with their international experience as both coaches and players, they will be perfectly placed to help our Belgian Red Devils continue to improve, achieve results and reach their full potential, both individually and as a team."Van Bommel's first challenge will be three Nations League matches, beginning with Italy on September 25. Related Story
admin
Maresca says managing Manchester City ‘a privilege’ but admits challenge of following Guardiola. (Reuters) Enzo Maresca said Friday it is a "privilege" to follow Pep Guardiola as manager of Manchester City.The Italian also expects to begin his first season in charge of the Premier League giants with Rodri still in his squad, although the World Cup Golden Ball winner requires back surgery.Former Chelsea and Leicester boss Maresca was named as Guardiola's successor after the Catalan stepped down at the end of last season, having won 20 trophies during a superbly successful 10-year spell at the Etihad Stadium."I've said many times that I consider Pep probably the best coach in the world in the last 20, 25 years," Maresca told reporters in his first press conference as City manager. "But again, it's a challenge. It's nice. It's a privilege."Many clubs have struggled following the exit of serial trophy-winning managers, with both Manchester United and Arsenal experiencing a downturn following the departures of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, respectively."The history of (following) the manager with many years in the same club always struggled a little bit - after Sir Alex, after Arsene," said Maresca. "It's a challenge to try to do the right things immediately for this organisation, for the fans, for everyone."Maresca, 46, is now in his third stint at City after coaching the club's elite development squad and serving as Guardiola's assistant during the 2022/23 treble-winning season.And he believes the strong foundations at the club will help him build on the success enjoyed under Guardiola."I think the organisation is the main thing," he added. "This club, this organisation, they had three managers in 17 years. This is not normal, it doesn't happen often."So this is probably one of the (reasons) that I'm confident we can do a great job," said Maresca, speaking a day after England midfielder Elliot Anderson completed his reported £116mn ($154mn) move to City from Nottingham Forest. 'Every manager wants Rodri'Spain midfielder Rodri, 30, meanwhile, has entered the final year of his City contract and has been linked with Real Madrid."We have to say that around big players there is always speculation," said Maresca. "I'm not worried about that. I think it's normal."Because they won the World Cup, and he was the best player or one of the best players, I think every manager wants to have Rodri."But now surgery on Monday, and he needs holiday. He needs to rest. He needs to recover and then he will be back here with us."Chelsea were unhappy with the manner of Maresca's New Year's Day departure from Stamford Bridge amid speculation linking him with City.A smiling Maresca, however, said Friday: "I feel quite lucky in terms of my former clubs - Leicester, Chelsea - I think we did a great job."In both clubs, the identity of the team was clear, the success of the team was clear, and I feel very lucky to be part of these clubs."But now we are here. That is the most important thing, just about City. Nothing to add." Related Story
admin
Babar Azam (left) of Pakistan and Roston Chase of West Indies pose with the trophy before the first Test at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. (AFP) West Indies and Pakistan meet at Test cricket's newest venue in Trinidad on Saturday at the start of a two-match series in which the home side will be enjoying rare favoured status against the unsettled visitors.Brian Lara Stadium, located in the south of the island, has previously hosted one-day and T20 internationals along with regional first-class fixtures.It becomes the nation's second Test match venue and 13th in the West Indies, drawing it alongside Queen's Park Oval in the capital, Port of Spain, the venue of the second Test a week later.Roston Chase enjoyed his first match and series wins as West Indies Test captain just three weeks ago when the Caribbean team demolished Sri Lanka by an innings and 217 runs and then played out a draw in the second and final Test, both matches played in Antigua.Chase missed the recent ODI series loss to New Zealand with an injury to his right index finger."Roston is a fighter. I know he's not going to want to miss any Test cricket," West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said."I'm pretty sure Dr. Byam (team physio Denis Byam) has a way of keeping guys on the park, so I'm pretty sure Roston will be ready for the first Test."It was their first home Test series triumph since a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh in 2022, a result which also gave them their last consecutive series wins anywhere as the whitewash of the Bangladeshis was preceded by a notable 1-0 home triumph over England in a three-Test contest.West Indies are not expected to make significant alterations to the winning combination from the Sri Lankan series, although left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican is likely to come into consideration at the expense of fast-medium bowler Anderson Phillip given the expectation of a pitch favouring spin later in the match.In stark contrast, Pakistan have once again revamped their squad in the aftermath of a 2-0 series loss in Bangladesh two months ago with senior batsman Babar Azam returning as captain in place of Shan Masood in hope of reviving their Test fortunes.Babar and opening batsman Azan Awais both compiled hundreds in the lone warm-up match against a West Indies Select XI at the weekend while most of the other main batsmen also got confidence-boosting runs.However the most encouraging aspect of the match in batting-friendly conditions for the tourists was the bowling of pacer Mohammad Ali, who took five wickets in the first innings and will be relied upon, together with the other members of the restructured pace armoury, to give Pakistan a chance to end a miserable run of seven consecutive Test match losses away from home.Their last visit to the Caribbean in 2021 finished in a 1-1 draw after two Tests in Kingston while the teams' most recent Test encounters were in the spin-dominant Multan in January of 2025 when the West Indies trumped Pakistan at their own game in the second match to also leave that series at 1-1.This meeting of two unpredictable sides carries the additional dimension of intervention by the elements as the July/August period is usually one of significant rainfall in the southern Caribbean.While Trinidad has enjoyed hot, sunny conditions in the days leading up to the first Test, there is certainly no guarantee that such pleasant cricketing weather will be sustained over the fortnight of this short series. Related Story
admin
Andrea Pirlo, as a player, was instrumental in Italy’s triumph at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, winning the Bronze Ball and being selected for the Team of the Tournament. (Reuters) The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has reached an agreement with former Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo to become the national team's coach on a four-year deal, Italian daily La Repubblica reported on Friday. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in history, Pirlo won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and enjoyed a distinguished club career with Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus. The 47-year-old is currently in charge of Dubai United, who compete in the UAE First Division League. Pirlo managed Juventus during the 2020-21 season, guiding the Turin club to the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup titles. Reuters has contacted the FIGC for comment.The reported agreement came hours after former Manchester City and Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola rejected an approach to take charge of Italy, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Friday. The 55-year-old Spaniard held talks over becoming Italy's head coach, with FIGC president Giovanni Malago suggesting financial flexibility could be shown for a candidate of his stature.Italy have been searching for a new coach since Gennaro Gattuso stepped down in April after the four-times world champions failed to qualify for a third successive World Cup finals. FIGC also sounded out Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti.Guardiola left City at the end of last season after a glittering decade in charge in which he won six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four in succession, as well as three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League.Before arriving at City in 2016, Guardiola enjoyed great success at Barcelona, where he won two Champions League titles and three LaLiga crowns, before adding three Bundesliga titles during his spell at Bayern Munich.Italian football is facing one of its deepest crises in decades, and the appointment of a new national team coach is seen as the first step in a wider effort to rebuild a youth development and talent pathway system that has deteriorated significantly in a country where football remains a national obsession. Related Story
