International Sports, Sports

Real Madrid star Isco rules out shock Barcelona move despite reports of £17.1m signing bonus

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/real-madrid-star-isco-rules-out-shock-barcelona-move-despite-reports-17-1m-signing-bonus-1615977 #

Published 7 April, 2017

Isco’s current contract at Real Madrid will expire in the summer of 2018.Getty

Real Madrid star Isco has ruled out making a shock move to Barcelona amid reports claiming that he has received a lucrative offer to move to Los Blancos’ arch-enemies as a free agent once his contract expires in 2018.

The Spanish international long-term future at Zinedine Zidane’s side has been under scrutiny in recent months amid delays in the negotiations with Real Madrid to sign a new deal. The former Malaga midfielder has publicly admitted that he could consider making a move away due to frustration over a lack of playing time.

Isco, 24, added more fuel to the speculation on Thursday evening after posting a picture in his Instagram stories with a packet of Barcelona crisps.

Barcelona and Real Madrid fans quickly react on the social media as it was well known in Spain that Isco has a pet dog named after Lionel Messi – amid suggestions that before moving to Los Blancos in 2013 he was a supporter of the Catalan side.

However, Isco quickly removed the picture from his Instagram before posting a tweet in which he made it clear that he will not join Barcelona.

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International Sports, Sports

Miguel Francis: Usain Bolt training partner switches allegiance to Great Britain

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/miguel-francis-usain-bolt-training-partner-switches-allegiance-great-britain-1615773 #

Published 7 April, 2017

Francis is free to compete for GB with immediate effect.Getty Images

Usain Bolt‘s training partner Miguel Francis is eligible to compete for Great Britain with “immediate effect” after transferring his allegiance from Antigua and Barbuda. The 22-year-old, whose 200m personal best of 19.88 seconds made him the seventh-fastest man over the distance in 2016, was eligible for the switch having been born in Montserrat – a British overseas territory – despite the International Associations of Athletics Federations [IAAF] planning to cease such moves.

President Sebastian Coe had announced that changes in nationality would be outlawed earlier in the year, claiming the rules which allowed such acts were “no longer fit for purpose” and “open to abuse”. But with Francis’ attempts to join GB having started before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August he has been handed special dispensation. The IAAF claimed in February that all applications for transfer had been put on hold.

Francis has represented Antigua and Berbuda at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 World Athletics Championships, but missed the Rio Games through injury. His sprinting exploits make him a valuable asset to Britain, while his background training with Bolt’s mentor Glen Mills means he joins the team with an already substantial reputation.

A statement from British athletics read: “British Athletics can confirm it has received confirmation from the IAAF that Miguel Francis is eligible to compete for the British Athletics team with immediate effect.

“The 22 year-old sprinter who was born in Montserrat is eligible for transfer of allegiance to GB with his birthplace a British overseas territory. Francis started the process to transfer allegiance from Antigua & Barbuda in August 2016, prior to the Olympic Games in Rio, and is now eligible to compete subject to meeting the required selection criteria for a Championships team.”

The timing of the transfer means Francis could represent Britain during the Diamond League season which begins in Doha in May. The European Athletics Team Championships follow at a venue still to be confirmed before the World Championships take place in London in August.

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International Sports, Sports

Kim Collins in Grenada for April 1 Saturday’s first ever Grenada Invitati

Published 7 April 2017

Kim Collins in Grenada for April 1 Saturday’s first ever Grenada Invitational!

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International Sports, Sports

Brazil top FIFA rankings for first time in seven years

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-fifa-rankings-idUSKBN178111 #

Published: 5 April 2017

Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.

Brazil have enjoyed a impressive revival since Tite replaced Dunga as their national team coach last year, winning all nine matches they have played under his leadership including eight World Cup qualifiers.

They continued their run in March with a 4-1 win in Uruguay and 3-0 win over Paraguay to become the first side to book their place at next year’s World Cup in Russia with four games to spare.

Brazil, who replaced arch-rivals Argentina at the top, previously led the rankings going into the 2010 World Cup where they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Since then, they have suffered a string of embarrassments, with elimination by Paraguay at successive Copa America tournaments in 2011 and 2015 and their infamous 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.

Argentina lost their place after last week’s 2-0 defeat in Bolivia which has left them struggling to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Four of the top five teams in the rankings announcement by FIFA on Thursday, are from South America. Chile are fourth, Colombia fifth and Germany sandwiched in between in third.

Egypt are Africa’s best-placed team in 19th while Asia’s top side are 28th-placed Iran.

Top ten rankings (previous month’s places in brackets)

1. Brazil (2)

2. Argentina (1)

3. Germany (3)

4. Chile (4)

5. Colombia (7)

6. France (6)

7. Belgium (5)

8. Portugal (8)

9. Switzerland (9)

10. Spain (10)

(Writing by Brian Homewood; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

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International Sports, Sports

Pacquiao to fight Australia’s Horn in July

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boxing-pacquiao-idUSKBN17809D #

Published: 5 April 2017

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao smiles during a brief conference upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
Picture Supplied by Action Images

 

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao smiles during a brief conference upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco Picture Supplied by Action Images

Filipino great Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against unbeaten Australian Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July after a bout with Amir Khan fell through, local media reported.

“We’re not able to fight Amir Khan because of Ramadan, so we decided to take this fight in the interim,” Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said in comments published by News Corp media.

“We signed it, so yeah, we’re excited about it. But again, my preference was to fight Amir Khan. That didn’t work out. We had this on the table so we decided to take it.”

Eight-division world champion Pacquiao agreed to an April fight against Briton Khan in the United Arab Emirates but his promoter Bob Arum said last month it had been postponed after the $38 million offer for the bout failed to materialize.

The July 2 fight against Horn will be the 38-year-old Pacquiao’s first since his unanimous decision victory for the title over American Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas last November.

 

“Manny will train and do the best he can and hopefully we get the fight over with very quickly, we get out of there, we say ‘hi’ to the Australian fans and media and come home,” Koncz said.

“Frankly and honestly, and nothing against Jeff Horn — I’ve never met the kid, I don’t know him personally — but the name recognition is I guess why the fans picked Amir Khan.”

In February, Philippines senator Pacquiao (59-6-2) asked fans on Twitter who he should fight next in a four-man poll and 48 percent of the respondents voted for Khan.

Horn (16-0-1) won seven percent behind Briton Kell Brook (24 percent) and American Terence Crawford (21).

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by John O’Brien)

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