Serena Williams to return to action next month

 

 

 

Tennis Champ,  Serena Williams will return to action next month in the United States' Fed Cup first round tie against the Netherlands.

The United States Tennis Association made the announcement on  Tuesday, adding that the 36-year-old American will be joined by older sister Venus and world number nine CoCo Vandeweghe with a fourth player to be announced next week for the Feb. 10-11 tie on an indoor hard court in Asheville, North Carolina.
Williams who has not played a WTA tournament since she won the Australian Open title last year and skipped this year's opening grand slam given concerns about her fitness four months after giving birth to her first child.
She has played once since picking up her Open-era record 23rd grand slam in Melbourne last year, losing to Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi last December.

Source: Eurosport.

It's still my dream to play for Manchester United- Usain Bolt reveals

Ahead of his soon to be released documentary 'I am Bolt', legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt had an interview with Coach Magazine on Wednesday and revealed he still wishes to turn out in the colours of football club Manchester United.

Bolt, in the candid interview, also revealed that his parents still send him on errands despite his superstar status, and how great the Jamaican people have been to him since his remarkable rise in the sports world.

'It has always been a dream of mine to play for Manchester United, and it still is a dream. I have not spoken with José about it, but I know he is the right coach for the job. Maybe this season we can’t win the title, but big players want to play for Mourinho and I expect more to arrive. 

'When I won the Golds in Beijing, I thought: “This is what I’ve been waiting for.” In London, I was just thinking that I wanted to achieve that again. 

'Then before Rio, when people were talking about the ‘Triple Treble’, I knew if I could achieve that, it would make me immortal: the greatest ever, never to be repeated, and I wanted that.' 

'The Jamaican people? They have been so great to me, but they still let me live. People don’t believe that I can walk around Kingston by myself – but I can.

'They say hello and ask for photos, but they let me live a normal life even though they are so proud of me and everything I have achieved.' 

' My family helped me stay grounded. I have never been “Usain Bolt the Superstar” to them, I am always Usain Bolt their little boy. 

'If I am home and my mom runs out of milk, she will send me down to the store to get some. My gold medals don’t count for anything, and that is the way I like it.'

Lionel Messi bans himself and teammates from talking to media after allegations that his teammate smoked marijuana

Argentina Lionel Messi helped Argentina in their world cup qualifier match against Colombia with a 3-0 win on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning but that's not what caught the headlines-the Barcelona star organized a march with his Argentine teammates to the post match press conference and informed the journalists present that he and his  teammates will not give any briefings, interviews or communication to the media till further notice.

Messi's shocking revelation comes after Argentine press accused Argentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi of smoking marijuana at the Argentina training ground the day before the Colombia match coupled with numerous reports blasting Messi for not performing for his country the way he performs for his club side.

Messi said in a statement: 

“Hello, good evening, excuse me, but this is a small one. We prefer to look at the face before giving a statement. As you know, because we know everything here, we are telling you that we will not talk to the press anymore, obviously you should know why. Accusations and lack of respect and we never said anything, but this goes beyond everything. The accusation to Pocho (Lavezzi) is very serious and if we do not go out to say anything it is believed that it is true”. 

“We’d rather cut this one down. We are very sorry that it has to be this way, but we have no other choice. We know that many of you are not in the game of lacking respect, you can lose, win, play good or bad, but get into one’s life … If we did not cut it today we would not cut it anymore.We know that most of you guys don't play that game of disrespect. We can be criticised if we lose, or win, or if we play well or badly. But this is getting into personal lives. 

'If we don't put a stop to it now, we'll never stop it.' It’s very serious and we are here, and we will not get into that game. We are going to keep saying a million things. That said. A million thanks”.

An Argentine Journalist Gabriel Anello of Radio Mitre, tweeted that Lavezzi was left out of the Argentina squad for the Colombia match due to his use of Marijuana but the player has denied the claims saying he'll take the journalist and media house to court.

Anello Tweeted: 

“Lavezzi is left off the substitutes’ bench tomorrow because of the joint that was smoked last night in the camp? I’m asking… just asking.”

Lavezzi responded:

 “I have hereby communicate that I’m going to initiate legal action against Gabriel Anello for his false declarations against my person, for the serious damage that they have caused to my family and in my work.”

'Mikel Obi is being punished at Chelsea because he played at Olympics'- Coach Gernot Rohr blasts Chelsea coach

John Mikel Obi has not played a single minute of football this season for Chelsea, with Chelsea coach Antonio Conte preferring the likes of Kante, Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Loftus Cheek and Oscar to Mikel Obi.

Nigeria's chief technical adviser Gernot Rohr has blasted Chelsea coach, saying he is punishing the Nigerian captain for missing out on pre-season preparations with Chelsea as he helped Nigeria's U-23 team win the Rio 2016 Olympics football Bronze medal.

"I can never punish a player because he played for his country, and I am not happy with what is happening to Mikel at his club because he is my captain.' Rohr told journalists at a press conference in Uyo.

”The only thing that has not made Mikel to play for Chelsea this season is because he went with the U23 team that won bronze at the 2016 Olympics games, and that is why he is being punished” the Super Eagles coach said.

''He has not featured under the new coach, Conte, since then. But I will still build  the   team playing against Algeria around him because he is in a  good shape and fit for the match.

“Besides, Mikel is committed to the national team and he is a source of motivation to the other players.”

Neymar bloodied and battered as he's forced off field in World Cup qualifier (photos)

Barcelona footballer Neymar was on the receiving end of an elbow from a Bolivian defender on Thursday night which left him bloodied and bruised as he was forced off the field in Brazil's 5-0 win over Bolivia. Medics rushed onto the field to try to stop the streaming of blood from Neymar, but the gash proved too big, forcing the talisman to withdraw from the match.

Alex Iwobi set for new £50,000 per week contract at Arsenal, his second pay rise this year

Arsenal football club of England is set to reward Nigerian football starlet Alex Iwobi for his wonderful performances this season with a new bumper pay rise, his second pay rise this year.

20 year old Alex Iwobi only signed a new £25,000-a-week contract in April, but having established himself as a vital part of Arsene Wenger’s starting 11, he's in line for another extension which will represent his new status in the club’s first-team plans as the club prepare to hand him a £50,000 per week contract.

Iwobi, who is with the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Abuja ahead of World Cup qualifier against Zambia, should also expect another pay rise if his startling form continues. Congrats to him!

Source: DailyMail

9 premier league football legends share 1260 goals between them in one photo

Thursday, October 6, 2016

9 premier league football legends share 1260 goals between them in one photo

Football legends Ryan Giggs, Dion Dublin, Alan Shearer, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Les Ferdinand, Emile Heskey and Robin van Persie stood posed for the camera as they attended the 21st Legends of football event at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Wednesday night to celebrate 25 years of the Premier League. The players have about 1260 EPL goals between them.

Rio Olympics: Usain Bolt dances with scantily dressed Samba dancers as he hosts press conference (photos)

On the eve of his attempt to win a third treble of Olympic sprint Gold medal titles of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, Usain Bolt decided that the best way to grab the media attention ahead of his press conference was to dance with scantily dressed Samba dancers..and yes he did it.

Bolt, one of the few athletes to still maintain a clean slate when it comes to drug use, danced on stage on Monday night alongside Omar McLoed as he encouraged fans to buy tickets as he prepares to win gold medals just like he did in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.

In a press conference at the Cidade Das Artes, and showed live back in his country Jamaica, Bolt, 29, said;

In life nothing is guaranteed, But I never worry about that. That is down to WADA and IOC to deal with. I go to compete and wow the crowds. But I think the sport is going in the right direction. We are weeding out the bad ones. That is why people should have faith. We have to go through the bad times to get to the good times. I believe it will be a clean sport in a few years.

More photos...