Brit ticketing exec arrested July 7, 2014 A BRITISH senior executive of an official World Cup corporate hospitality partner was arrested in Rio de Janeiro last night by police investigating illegal ticket sales. Ray Whelan, of Match Hospitality, was apprehended at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where officials from world football’s governing body Fifa are staying during the tournament. Police probing the illegal [...]
Scolari’s psychologist eases Brazil anger at Neymar loss July 7, 2014 BRAZIL coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has enlisted his trusted psychologist to help his team overcome the blow of losing star player Neymar and reach the World Cup final tonight. Forward Neymar is out of the rest of the tournament with a fractured vertebra suffered in the quarter-final against Colombia, from what Brazil skipper Thiago Silva [...]
World Cup Semi-finals July 7, 2014 AFTER losing talisman Neymar to injury and captain Thiago Silva to suspension, Brazil look vulnerable heading into their World Cup semi-final with Germany today. A series of unconvincing performances from the hosts over the last three weeks, combined with those key men missing, means Sporting Index have promoted Argentina to favourites on their Outright 100 [...]
Golf Comment: Timely win puts McDowell back in Ryder hunt July 7, 2014 GRAEME McDowell’s success at the Open de France was not just a long-awaited and deserved personal triumph, it was also brilliant news for the European Ryder Cup team. The Northern Irishman remarked afterwards that he had “really, really needed” that win, and he was right. Having won three times last season, this was his first [...]
Cook just needs change of luck, declares Broad July 7, 2014 ENGLAND seamer Stuart Broad insists it is only a matter of time before under-fire captain Alastair Cook rediscovers the form that made him a Test fixture in the first place. Cook will start tomorrow’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge in desperate need of improvement, having gone more than a year without a century [...]
Injured Kimi misses F1 test July 7, 2014 FERRARI’S Kimi Raikkonen is to sit out this week’s official Formula One test at Silverstone following his 150mph crash at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. Raikkonen escaped with bruised ankles and knees after smashing into a metal rail on the opening lap at 47G – 47 times the force of gravity. The incident caused [...]
Verdict finally in sight after four months of Pistorius murder trial July 7, 2014 LAWYERS for Oscar Pistorius could close their case as soon as today, marking a significant step towards a verdict in the Paralympic star’s high-profile murder trial. South African Pistorius shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on Valentine’s Day last year but says he did so only after mistaking her for an intruder. Defence lawyer Barry Roux [...]
Djokovic beats his demons to return to top July 6, 2014 AT WIMBLEDON NEW world No1 Novak Djokovic believes that securing his seventh grand slam title with a five-set victory over Wimbledon king Roger Federer yesterday represents the finest achievement of his career. The 27-year-old, who was runner-up to Britain’s Andy Murray last year, held his nerve after surrendering a match point in the fourth set [...]
Home comforts help Hamilton to reignite challenge for second title July 6, 2014 AT SILVERSTONE BRITAIN’S Lewis Hamilton stormed to victory in front of a jubilant home crowd at Silverstone yesterday, a result that he believes can mark a turning point in the battle for the Formula One world title. The British Grand Prix began with a dramatic first-lap crash involving Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari, though the Finn escaped [...]
Mature Kvitova savours second Wimbledon win July 6, 2014 LADIES’ champion Petra Kvitova says winning Wimbledon tasted even sweeter the second time around, after she curtailed Eugenie Bouchard’s rapid ascent in brutal fashion on Sunday. Kvitova thrashed the 20-year-old Canadian 6-3, 6-0 in just 55 minutes to repeat her 2011 success. Back then, that looked set to be the first of many grand slam [...]