News

London, 28 Feb (ONA) --- Leeds United are set to appoint former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch as their new head coach. The American, who has also coached New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg, left the German club in December 2021 after a five-month spell. The 48-year-old will succeed Marcelo Bielsa, who was sacked yesterday (Sunday), once a work permit is finalised. Leeds sit 16th in the English Premier League (EPL) table, two points above the relegation zone, following a run of heavy defeats. After leaving Major League Soccer side New York Red ...

Zurich, 27 Feb (ONA) —— World football's governing body FIFA has decided that no international competition shall be played in Russia, with home matches being played on neutral territory and without spectators.The FIFA statement, following international condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, also said Russia would have to compete in international football under the name “Football Union of Russia (RFU)”.No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches where teams from the Football Union of Russia participate, FIFA added.—— ...

London, 27 Feb (ONA) --- Marcelo Bielsa was fired today as Leeds manager after another heavy loss dropped the team to within two points of the English Premier League (EPL) relegation zone. Leeds said it aims to announce the Argentine coach’s successor tomorrow (Monday). A 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham came at the end of a seven-day stretch in which Leeds was also defeated 4-2 by Manchester United and thrashed 6-0 at Liverpool. Leeds is in its second season back in the top division, where Bielsa led the Yorkshire team after it spent 16 years in the lower ...

Warsaw, 24 Feb (ONa) —— The football federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic have demanded World Cup play-offs be moved from Russia to a neutral venue after the country's invasion of Ukraine.The trio wrote to world football governing body FIFA saying they "do not consider" travel to Russia for matches in light of increased risk to their players and staff.They called for "alternative solutions" to where the games could be played next month.Russia are due to host Poland in the semi-finals on 24 March with the winners then welcoming the Swedes or Czechs five days later for a ...

Naples, 24 Feb (ONA) ---- Xavi Hernandez is confident that Barcelona can progress past Napoli in the second leg of the Europa League playoff tie, but has warned that the match will be a test of what level they are at. The first leg finished 1-1 at Camp Nou last week, with Barcelona missing plenty of good chances. "Barcelona were great when we had a specific style of play and we have lost it a bit," Xavi said at the pre-match press conference. "We are on the way to recover it. It is a litmus test to see if we can [do it] because they are a Champions League ...

Kiev, 24 Feb (ONA) ---- The Ukrainian Premier League suspended operations as Russia attacked Ukraine today Thursday. In a brief statement, the league said the suspension was due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to impose martial law. It did not give any planned date to resume. --- Ends/Ahmed ...

Salzburg, Austria, 23 Feb (ONA) --- Austrian champion Salzburg canceled training today after reporting 15 coronavirus cases among players and staff. Salzburg didn’t specify how many of the cases were players but said some players had “rather light symptoms” and that everyone involved is in isolation. The outbreak comes a week after Salzburg drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 meeting in the UEFA Champions League. The second leg scheduled on 8 March 2022 in Munich. Salzburg leads the Austrian league by 17 points and is next in ...

Acapulco, Mexico, 23 Feb (ONA) --- Third-ranked Alexander Zverev was thrown out of the Mexican Open for violently smashing his racket on the umpire’s chair moments after losing a doubles match. The incident took place after Zverev and Marcelo Melo lost to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 in Acapulco. Zverev struck the umpire’s chair three times, sat for a moment, then got back up and yelled at the umpire that he “destroyed the whole (expletive) match” and struck the chair once more with his racket as the umpire climbed down. The umpire had ...

Dubai, 22 Feb (ONA) ---- Novak Djokovic welcomed the "positive" reception he has received from his fellow players, after making his first appearance since missing the Australian Open. Djokovic, whose decision not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 caused him to be deported from Australia on the eve of the year's first grand slam, eased to a 6-3 6-3 win over Lorenzo Musetti in just 74 minutes at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Djokovic spoke publicly about his vaccination status for the first time in a BBC interview last week, while rival Andy Murray, who has spoken about his support ...

New Delhi, 22 Feb (ONA) --- Sixteen-year-old Indian chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa scored a stunning victory against world number one Magnus Carlsen in an online championship this week. The teenage chess prodigy beat the 31-year-old Norwegian in just 39 moves to win the Airthings Masters rapid chess tournament, the government-run Sports Authority of India said on its Twitter page. According to Indian media reports, it was the biggest win to date for Praggnanandhaa, who became the youngest player to defeat Carlsen since the latter became world champion, for the ...

Madrid, 22 Feb (ONA) --- Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric 'CMK' have been loyal servants for Carlo Ancelotti since he was able to bring them together for the first time against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in October. However, their impact has started to wane of late, which is a worry ahead of the return leg of the round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The midfield trident helped Los Blancos out of their mini-crisis early on in the campaign; two defeats and a draw between the end of September and the beginning of October. 'CMK' started ...

Muscat, 22 Feb (ONA) --- The World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships (Muscat 22) will kick start on 4 March 2022 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre. The two-day event is hosted by the Sultanate of Oman and organized by the World Athletics, in cooperation with the Oman Athletics Association. As many as 1,000 male and female runners from 60 countries from around the world will participate in the tournament to contest the seven laps of the race. The championship will witness the participation of the Omani national team, consisting of 16 players ...

Barcelona, 22 Feb (ONA) --- Formula One will get a glimpse of what the season may look like when its new generation of cars hits the track in a test session in Barcelona this Wednesday. It will be the first preseason session following one of the biggest regulation changes in the series, and the first time drivers and teams will get a real feel about what to expect in 2022. F1 implemented major changes to improve racing and try to make the series more competitive, with new aerodynamic and tire requirements that will make the cars look and feel different from ...

Acapulco, Mexico, 22 Feb (ONA) --- Stefan Kozlov overcame leg cramps and upset Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2 to move into a second-round match against Rafael Nadal at the Mexican Open. The No. 130-ranked Kozlov got a spot in main draw as lucky loser after Maxime Cressy withdrew because of injury. Kozlov struggled with cramps in his right leg at the end of the second set, but continued to play and Dimitrov failed to take advantage in the match that lasted a tournament record 3 hours and 21 minutes. Nadal, who won the Australian Open last month, is one of ...

Madrid, 21 Feb (ONA) --- Xavi Hernandez was delighted with Barcelona display in the 4-1 win over Valencia at Mestalla. The Barcelona head coach singled out Pedri for high praise after the midfielder came off the bench to score a stunning goal. "I am very satisfied and happy. We were not as brilliant or excellent as [we were] in some moments against Napoli, but we were effective," Xavi said after the game. "We also showed that we can suffer. We suffered in the second half, we lacked [taking a] pause and calmness. "The first half was very good. The game ...

Nyon, 20 Feb (ONA) ---- The European football governing body UEFA said today that there are "currently no plans" to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.UEFA however told dpa it would observe the situation on an ongoing basis.The final is scheduled for May 28 in the St Petersburg arena which was a venue at the 2018 World Cup.--- Ends/Ahmed ...

Beijing, 17 Feb (ONA) --- Miho Takagi of Japan won her fourth speedskating medal of the Beijing Games and the first individual gold of her career with an Olympic-record victory in the women’s 1,000 meters today.The silver went to Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands, while Brittany Bowe of the United States claimed the first individual medal of her career with a bronze.Takagi added to silver medals in the 500, 1,500 and team pursuit at the Beijing Games, and especially sweet after losing a gold in the pursuit when her older sister, Nana, fell in the final turn with Japan leading.Miho Takagi ...

Beijing, 17 Feb (ONA) --- Canada’s Captain Clutch, Marie-Philip Poulin, delivered at the Olympics again. Poulin scored twice, including her third gold-medal clinching goal, and Canada reclaimed its place atop the women’s hockey world by capping its run through the Beijing Games with a 3-2 win over the defending champion United States (US) today. Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 38 shots and Sarah Nurse had a goal and assist in a game where the Canadians built a 3-0 lead and hung on for the win. Nurse set the single tournament record with 18 points. The Canadians ...

Washington, 16 Feb (ONA) ---The Phoenix Suns, 1st in the Western Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, the 8th in the same conference, 103-69 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) today. Phoenix Suns won the last match 132-105 against Orlando Magic, 14th in the Eastern Conference.Next Thursday, Phoenix Suns will meet Houston Rockets, who occupies the last place in the Western Conference.In another match, Miami Heat, 1st in the Eastern Conference, lost 99-107 to Dallas Mavericks, 5th in the Western Conference. ...

Beijing, 16 Feb (ONA) --- Victoria Carl outpaced Swedish sprint champion Jonna Sundling to the finish line in the women’s cross-country team sprint today, giving Germany the Olympic gold medal. Carl and teammate Katharina Henning won in 22 minutes, 9.85 seconds. Sundling and Maja Dhalqvist ended up second, only .17 seconds behind. The Russian team of Natalia Nepryaeva and Yulia Stupak took bronze, .71 seconds behind.Finland finished fourth, just ahead of the defending champion United States. --- Ends/KH ...

Beijing, 16 Feb (ONA) --- Elvira Oeberg anchored the Swedish team to Olympic gold in the four-person biathlon relay, skiing fast and shooting clean to win her third medal of the Beijing Games. Oeberg, who also won silver in the sprint and pursuit races in her Olympic debut, put the Swedes across the line in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 3.9 seconds. Russian biathlete Uliana Nigmatullina trailed Oeberg by about 24 seconds after the final shooting range and ended up finishing 12 seconds behind for silver. Denise Herrmann finished third to give Germany bronze, 37.4 seconds behind Oeberg. ...

Muscat, 15 Feb (ONA) --- The French team Arkea-Samsic won the 11th edition of Tour of Oman. The 6-day tournament was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth with the participation of 17 international team. The Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria of the UAE Team Emirates won the green jersey. The entire length of the 11th edition of the Tour of Oman was 891 km, encompassing a diverse range of picturesque terrains and marvelous natural sceneries. The closing ceremony was held under the patronage of HH Sayyid Kamil Fahd Al Said, in the presence of Basil Ahmed Al ...

Madrid, 15 Feb (ONA) ---- Carlo Ancelotti has never been shy of making decisions during his coaching career, and ahead of Real Madrid's meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, he has another difficult one to make regarding who he should remove from the XI in order to play Gareth Bale, the Spanish MARCA said. Karim Benzema will likely be healthy enough to be in the starting line-up, but Ancelotti has taken care of Bale of late, speaking highly of him in the media and stating that the Welshman will be ready to contribute when called upon. It is on the biggest stage when Bale ...

Adam, 15 Feb (ONA) --- HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth will patronize over the concluding ceremony of the 5th edition of Al Bashayer Annual Festival for Arabian Camel Racing on 5 March 2022. The 6-day event will be held on Al Bashayer racecourse in the Wilayat of Adam, the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah. The race, to begin on 28 February, includes 74 rounds with prizes for the winners ranging from 25 cars, a golden sword, a silver sword and several other cash prizes. Dr. Abdullah Salim Al Junaibi, Director General of Al Bashayer ...

Madrid, 15 Feb (ONA) --- Paris Saint-Germain host Real Madrid today evening in what is shaping up to be one of the ties of the Round of 16 in the Champions League. It will be a clash that holds special significance for Lionel Messi, who is looking to end a barren run against Real Madrid, the Spanish MARCA said. Having so often been the scourge of the Real Madrid side during his time with Barcelona, Messi actually endured a rather disappointing run against Los Cules' fiercest rivals in the final years of his Camp Nou career. Messi hasn't been on the winning side ...

Nizwa, 14 Feb (ONA) --- The Czech cyclist Jan Hirt of the IWG Team bagged the first position in the fifth stage in the Tour of Oman 2022. The tour will conclude tomorrow (Tuesday) with the participation of 17 international teams. Hirt also took the race leader’s red jersey, while the British cyclist Mark Cavendish of the QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl team won the green jersey. The fifth stage (150.5 km) started from the Wilayat of Samail and ended up in Al Jabal Al Akhdar or (The Green Mountain). The sixth and last stage of the Tour of Oman (135.5 km) will kick off tomorrow ...

Newcastle, England, 14 Feb (AP) --- Kieran Trippier must take a break from his fast start to life at Newcastle after sustaining a broken left foot. Scans showed the England full back fractured the fifth metatarsal bone during the 1-0 win over Aston Villa yesterday Sunday, Newcastle said today. The northeast club didn’t give an exact timeframe for Trippier’s absence, only saying he “will be sidelined for the club’s upcoming fixtures.” Trippier, one of five January signings by the club, which has recently come under Saudi ownership, scored the winner ...

Paris, 14 Feb (ONA) --- Following its repeated failures to win Europe’s most coveted trophy, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) perfectly knows that adding up individual talents is not enough to make a team successful on the biggest stage.Since its wealthy Qatari owners took control of the French side more than 10 years ago, PSG has grown into a global brand with strong commercial revenues. Year after year, its roster has become more and more formidable, with the addition of superstars like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.And year after year, the title it craves ...

Muscat, 13 Feb (ONA) --- The Tour of Oman, in its 11th edition, is witnessing a heated competition among the participants as the final stage draws near.Today, the fourth stage (119.5 km) kicked off from Al Sifah to the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM).The tour sees the participation of 17 international teams. The winners so far are Anthon Charmig of Uno-X team in the third stage, Mark Cavendish of the QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl team in the second stage and the Colombian Fernando Gaviria of the UAE Team Emirates in the first stage.Tomorrow (Monday), the fifth stage (150.5 km) will kick off ...

Madrid, 13 Feb (ONA) ---- Three of Barcelona's January signings are set to start their Sunday night LaLiga Santander match at Espanyol, said the Spanish MARCA. Dani Alves' red card against Atletico Madrid means he will miss the match, but Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore are likely to start up front. Ferran Torres has already made four appearances for Barcelona, as he arrived earlier in the January window, while Traore and Aubameyang debuted against Atletico Madrid last weekend. Xavi gave Aubameyang half an hour of game time against ...