The Navhind Times Goa News
Federer advances in US Open
NEW YORK: Second seed Roger Federer started his US Open appearance with an overwhelming 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka to enter the second round. Federer, 37, winner of five consecutive US Open, will have as next opponent Frenchman Benoit Paire, who defeated Austrian Dennis Novak 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-5 and 7-6 (5). IANS
Wozniacki, Kerber, Garcia win
NEW YORK: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki (2), Germany’s Angelique Kerber (4) and France’s Caroline Garcia (6) easily made it to the second round of the 50th edition of the US Open. Wozniacki beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-2; Kerber overcame Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan 7-6 (5), 6-3 and Garcia eased past England’s Johanna Konta 6-2 and 6-2. IANS
Vardy to end England career
LONDON: English striker Jamie Vardy has decided to retire from international football according to an interview published in The Guardian newspaper. The Leicester City’s striker has played 26 times for England scoring seven times and has been part of every national squad since he first picked to represent his country in May 2015. Vardy has communicated his decision to English coach Gareth Southgate two weeks ago. IANS
Ajax, AEK, Young Boys qualify for Champions League
KIEV: One-time powerhouse Ajax, the Amsterdamsche football club, can look forward to Champions League play for the first time in five seasons after holding Dynamo Kiev 0-0 in the second leg of their qualifier to win 3-1 on aggregate. AEK Athens and Young Boys Bern also claimed berths in the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition on Tuesday, getting past MOL Vidi and Dinamo Zagreb, respectively. IANS
Colombia drop James Rodriguez
BOGOTA: FC Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez has been left out of Colombia’s squad for upcoming international friendlies against Venezuela and Argentina, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) said. Interim coach Arturo Reyes said that the 27-year-old’s omission would allow him to continue his recovery from a calf injury sustained during the World Cup in Russia in June, reports Xinhua news agency. IANS
Barca’s Alcacer joins Dortmund
BARCELONA: FC Barcelona forward Paco Alcacer has joined Borussia Dortmund on loan for the 2018/2019 football season for some two million euros ($2.3 million) plus the player’s wages. The La Liga defending champions explained in a statement on Tuesday that the German club will have a purchase option at the end of the Spanish striker’s contract for 23 million euros ($27 million), plus five million euros ($5.85 million) in variables. But Barcelona reserve the right to refuse that option, reports Efe. IANS
Disgraced Japanese cagers banned for a year
KYODO: Four players from the Japanese men’s basketball team have been handed 12-month bans by the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) after being sent home from the Asian Games in disgrace, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday. Takuya Hashimoto, Keita Imamura, Yuya Nagayoshi and Takuma Sato were sent home from Jakarta on August 20 and had their accreditation withdrawn by the Japanese Olympic Committee after they were found to have spent the night with women in a Jakarta hotel. The remaining eight players of Japan’s squad were beaten by Iran in the quarterfinals on Monday. REUTERS
La Liga Football Schools launched in India
NEW DELHI: Spain’s top division football league La Liga has launched a comprehensive grassroots football development programme in India, La Liga Football Schools, in partnership with India On Track (IOT), it was announced on Wednesday. The La Liga Football Schools are going to be set up pan-India, including major centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Cochin, among others, according to a release. It will be a holistic, comprehensive football development programme with a focus on students within the age range of 6 to 18 years. IANS