Rudrapur, Aug 10 (IANS) Minerva Academy FC made the knockouts of the fourth edition of the AIFF Futsal Club Championship 2024–25 after defeating Real Lona FC 7-1 in a Group A match at the Shri Manoj Sarkar Stadium – Shivalik Hall.In the other match of the group, Aphuyemi Football Club notched up their first win of the tournament as they edged past Triumph FC 8-6. Akumyanger was the star of the show as he found the net seven times to become the highest scorer of the championship so far, with …

Kolkata, Aug 10 (IANS) After winning their first two matches in the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, East Bengal FC will look to maintain their perfect record in Group A when they face Indian Air Force Football Team at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Sunday.By virtue of winning their first two matches, the Red & Golds have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. A 1-0 win over Namdhari FC on Wednesday ensured that they would finish top of the group regardless of Sunday’…

Cincinnati, Aug 10 (IANS) Aryna Sabalenka began her title defense at the Cincinnati Open with a gritty win over former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday night.The World No. 1 battled through a challenging first set, saving six break points before clinching it 7-5. Despite facing constant pressure on her serve, Sabalenka maintained her composure and elevated her game in the second set to close out the match 7-5, 6-1.“It’s always a tough match against her,” Sabalenka said af…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) Darwin Nunez’s transfer to Al Hilal SFC from English champions Liverpool has been finalised while centre-back Inigo Martinez has moved from Barcelona to Al Nassr Club.Nunez is the latest big name to join Al Hilal, who shocked Manchester City to reach the quarter-finals of the recent FIFA Club World Cup.”Al Hilal Club Company is pleased to announce the signing of Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez from Liverpool FC on a three-year contract,” Al Hilal said in a statement.The U…

Sicily, Aug 10 (IANS) Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on new signing Tijjani Reijnders after the Dutch midfielder scored two second-half goals as Manchester City beat Palermo 3-0 in Sicily.Reijnders joined City from AC Milan in June, before going on to play three times for Guardiola’s side at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA and he was the star of the show in Sicily as City ran out comfortable winners against their City Football Group sister club.The 27-year-old is comfortable operating in a…

Chengdu, Aug 9 (IANS) The three-day tug of war competitions of The World Games 2025 kicked off here on Saturday, with Britain’s men’s 640kg team clinching gold after a dominant performance against reigning champion Switzerland. Germany took home the bronze medal. The tug of war event features three categories: men’s 640kg, women’s 500kg, and mixed 580kg. 18 teams, each consisting of eight athletes, are participating in the Games.In the morning’s round-robin qualifying rounds, Germany, Britain, S…

Kokrajhar, Aug 9 (IANS) Local side Bodoland FC stunned ISL club Punjab FC in front of their home fans through a second-half strike by Colombian striker Robinson Blandon Rendon to go on top of Group D of the 134th Durand Cup, which was played here at the SAI Stadium. With this loss, last year’s quarterfinalists, Punjab FC, were eliminated from the tournament after ending the group stage campaign with four points from two matches, while Bodoland FC have six points from two matches.Bodoland FC He…

Parapat (Indonesia), Aug 9 (IANS) Hot favourite Gaurav Gill came out blazing at the Sumatera Utara Rally of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), winning the opening two stages in commanding fashion to establish a lead of nearly 30 seconds before cruel luck struck in Special Stage 3 with a mechanical failure that forced him to retire for the day, near here, on Saturday.Bopaiah K.M. kept Indian hopes alive in the premier RC2 class. Making a comeback after six years, the Kodagu driver ro…

Kolkata, Aug 9 (IANS) Mohun Bagan Super Giant overcame Diamond Harbour FC 5-1 in dominant fashion in the Group B decider to storm into the quarterfinals of the 134th Durand Cup, which was played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Saturday.Anirudh Thapa gave the Mariners the lead, but Luka Majcen equalised after five minutes. However, Mohun Bagan took control after that, with Jamie Maclaren, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Jason Cummings scoring and ensuring that they qualifi…

Madrid, Aug 9 (IANS) With La Liga due to kick off the 2025-26 season in less than a week, last year’s top four teams are all at slightly different points in their respective preparations. Domestic and European competitions hardly gave any respite ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup finals.Reigning La Liga and Copa del Rey champion FC Barcelona have made two signings in striker Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but have so far not been able to register either that pair or Gerard Marti…