Football: Taylor downs Argentina as England qualify for last 16
England, who moved on to six points in Group D, join hosts France, Germany and Italy into the knockout phase. Japan have four points after they beat Scotland 2-1 earlier on Friday, leaving the Scots without a point from two games. "It was a good performance today by the team and good win," said Taylor. Despite 11 attempts at goal, England were still looking for the breakthrough as they went in at halftime. The Lionesses will next face Japan on Wednesday with the Group D top spot at stake while Argentina will face Scotland.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 21:08 UTC
Football: Girelli treble helps Italy to thrash Jamaica to reach last 16
REIMS, France (Reuters) - Italy's Cristiana Girelli bagged a hat-trick and substitute Aurora Galli struck twice as they thrashed Jamaica 5-0 to qualify for the last 16 of the women’s World Cup on Friday. Girelli opened the scoring with a retaken, VAR-awarded penalty before netting again either side of the interval. Her Jamaica counterpart drew positives from the experience after the result followed a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. Three days after the United States thrashed Thailand 13-0, the Stade Auguste Delaune crowd were treated to more champagne football. Ten minutes later, she rounded Schneider before tapping the ball into the net to wrap up an impressive win.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 18:26 UTC
Tennis: Barty looking forward to fresh start on grass
(Reuters) - Newly-crowned French Open champion Ashleigh Barty is looking forward to a fresh start as she gets ready to begin her build-up to Wimbledon on Birmingham's grasscourts next week. "In all honesty this is a fresh start, a clean slate and a new season, jumping on the grass," Barty told reporters on Friday at the Edgbaston club which again has attracted a high-class field ahead of next month's Wimbledon. This is a time of year that I love playing tennis. "It's a clean start, it's a fresh slate here. I'm just looking forward to trying to get as many matches as I can over the next few weeks."
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 18:22 UTC
Cricket: Archer serves up reminder of what West Indies let slip away
He had gone wicket-less in his opening five overs when West Indies opener Chris Gayle dished out some punishment to the young upstart with a flurry of boundaries. But he ended with figures of three for 30 as West Indies were all out for 212, offering further proof, if it were needed, that West Indies have allowed a genuine game-changer to slip through their grasp. "At the beginning, he really, really wanted to play for the West Indies. This guy is going to play for the West Indies'," Yearwood told The Times. Sadly for West Indies, whose World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after Friday's thumping eight-wicket defeat, that never materialised.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 18:22 UTC
Athletics: Semenya received invitation to Morocco race 'too late' - agent
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Caster Semenya was invited on Friday to run in an 800m race in Morocco on Sunday -- after previously saying she had been denied the right to participate in the event -- but the invitation came too late for her to get there, her agent said. Semenya became the centre of heated international debate after a controversial ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Swiss Federal Tribunal later ordered the IAAF to immediately suspend implementation of the regulations on Semenya, allowing her to compete without restriction, while she appealed against the decision. On Thursday, Semenya said the tribunal had rejected an IAAF request to reimpose the rules but she had nevertheless had a request to race in the Rabat event denied by the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, with no reasons being given. The BBC reported on Friday that the organiser of the Rabat meeting, Alain Blondel, said Semenya had been invited.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 17:23 UTC
Football: Leonardo named PSG sports director
PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain have appointed the Brazilian Leonardo as sports director shortly after parting company with Portuguese Antero Henrique by mutual agreement, the French champions said on Friday. Leonardo, a PSG player from 1996-97, had a first stint as sports director at the Ligue 1 club from 2011-2013. Henrique had been in charge since June, 2017. (Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 16:47 UTC
Football: Japan back on track with 2-1 win over Scotland
"It was a must-win game and, although there were tough moments, we're very happy to get the win," Japan coach Asako Takakura said. We didn’t show our true selves in the first game at this tournament but this was a lot more like the true Japan." It was a second consecutive defeat for World Cup debutants Scotland, following a 2-1 loss to England in their opening match. But for most of the second half we were terrific and, again, we finished very strongly. We need to build on that second half, rest up and get ready for the match against Argentina."
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 15:18 UTC
Boxing: AIBA problems that led to Olympic ban is hopefully 'a unique' case - Bach
BERLIN (Reuters) - The exclusion of boxing association AIBA from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics over finance and governance problems is a unique case and cannot be compared to challenges other sports bodies may be facing, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said on Friday. "I do not think we can really compare the AIBA situation to any other international federations," Bach told a conference call. "The AIBA issues are many fold, an aggregation of challenges and we cannot see this in any other international federation. While the IOC organises the Olympic Games as a whole, the federations run their own sports competitions within that framework. Revenues from the Olympic Games are the main source of income for several of the smaller federations.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 14:15 UTC
Football: U.S. veteran defends goal celebrations against Thailand
PARIS (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. forward Carli Lloyd defended her World Cup team mates on Friday after widespread criticism of their exuberant goal celebrations during the 13-0 trouncing of Thailand. A three-time Olympian and scorer of critical goals that helped the United States win the World Cup in 2015, Lloyd scored the thirteenth goal of the night against Thailand. Some of the Thai players left the pitch in tears. After the game, Thai goalie Chor Charoenying thanked Lloyd for her compassion at the end. Lloyd said her exchange with Chor Charoenying highlighted the importance of good sportsmanship at the World Cup.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 14:15 UTC
Tennis: Tennis: Fognini to make debut at Laver Cup
(Reuters) - Italian Fabio Fognini will make his debut in the Laver Cup this year after being named in captain Bjorn Borg's Team Europe lineup alongside Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev on Friday. The third edition of the match against Team World will be held in Geneva in September. "I'm very excited to be playing the Laver Cup in September," Fognini said in a statement. "Playing as part of a team is special in tennis, where we are more used to having a one-on-one battle every match. Team World Captain John McEnroe will announce his first team members in the coming weeks.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 13:41 UTC
Football: Lampard could be man to lead Chelsea in new direction
Derby County boss Lampard, adored by the Chelsea faithful for his record-breaking goalscoring exploits during a trophy-laden 13 years in west London, could be the ideal candidate to lead them in a new direction. During a playing career in which he won 11 major trophies with Chelsea, Lampard always stood out as a smart cookie. People talk about experience and what-not but what experience did Pep (Guardiola) have when he went into Barcelona's first team? Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says Lampard's lack of top-flight managerial experience should not be a factor. "I think it depends on your experience and depends on your desire to succeed and do it.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 13:30 UTC
Police deny breaking into Haziq Abdullah's family home - Nation
KUCHING: The police did not break into into Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz's family home in Petra Jaya here on Thursday (June 13) as alleged by his father Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. "The police team believed the residents were at home as there was a vehicle in the car porch. Only then did Abdul Aziz open the door," ACP Awang Din said in a statement on Friday (June 14). He added that Abdul Aziz invited the police team into the house and gave good cooperation, including giving them permission to search the house for Haziq. ACP Awang Din also confirmed that police received a report lodged by Abdul Aziz at 1.13am on Friday (June 14) alleging that his home was "broken into" by policemen from Bukit Aman.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 12:45 UTC
Rafizi denies he played any part in sex video scandal - Nation
PETALING JAYA: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli (pic) has denied any involvement in the sex video scandal implicating party deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. Sabah PKR Youth deputy chief Blission Zainuddin held a press conference on and implied that Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz had close links to Rafizi. Rafizi and Azmin were considered rivals as they had previously been at loggerheads when vying for the party deputy presidency last year. "(Blission's) statement tried to give the impression that I masterminded the sex video episode," he said. Rafizi also posted a press statement by PKR Youth vice-chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman, which slammed Blission for hinting that he was behind the scandal.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 12:33 UTC
Palm benchmark steady, weak underlying demand still a concern
JAKARTA (June 14): Malaysia's benchmark palm oil contract closed unchanged on Friday, highlighting still sluggish demand, as gains earlier in the day on Indonesia's plans to increase bio content in biodiesel evaporated. The benchmark palm oil contract for August delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed at 2,009 ringgit (US$482), unchanged from a day earlier. Malaysian palm oil shipments dived more than 30% during June 1-10 versus the corresponding period last year, the data showed. In other related oils, the September soyoil contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange rose 0.6% and the Dalian September palm oil contract also gained 0.6%. Palm oil prices are affected by movements in related edible oils, with which it competes for a global market share.
Source:The Edge Markets
June 14, 2019 12:22 UTC
Football: West Ham sign Spanish playmaker Fornals from Villarreal
(Reuters) - West Ham United have signed Spain international attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals from Villarreal, the Premier League club said on Friday. British media reported West Ham paid 24 million pounds for the 23-year-old. "I feel very good, very happy and very grateful for the opportunity that has been provided to me," Fornals, capped twice by Spain, told the club's website https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2019/june/14-june/west-ham-united-sign-spain-playmaker-pablo-fornals. "I want the club to continue giving opportunities to young and ambitious people, people who want to do well for the long term. West Ham director of football Mario Husillos worked with Fornals at Malaga and he is confident the player will thrive in the Premier League.
Source:The Star
June 14, 2019 12:22 UTC