Sport News

[نازخاتون]

Iranian Karatekas Victorious

Iranian karatekas grabbed 8 medals in the 5th International Open Karate Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
According to IRNA, a total of 388 practitioners from UAE, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Syria, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nigeria, Morocco, Monte Negro, Lithuania, Kuwait, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Finland, Columbia, China, Bulgaria, Belgium, Azerbaijan and Australia participated in the event.
Iranian athletes snatched a gold, a silver and a bronze medals in the women section of the tournament.
In the under 50-kg category Fatemeh Qasemi pocketed gold medal. In the +67-kg class Hamideh Abbasali took silver and Mahsa Afsaneh pocketed bronze.
Meanwhile, Iran men won 3 gold and 2 bronze medals. Amir Mehdizadeh in the under 60-kg class bagged gold. He downed his Turkish, Malaysian and his compatriot Mohammad Qasemi for the precious medal.
In the 84-kg class Nader Joudat received gold while Hamed Zigsari and Hadi Davoudabadi won bronze in the under 67-kg category, respectively.
Also the country’s Kata athlete defeated its rival to claim the gold.
Iran karate team is preparing itself for the 2010 Asian Games which will take place in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to 27.
The team will also participate in the Austria tournament ahead of the Asian Games.

[نازخاتون]

Ghotbi Focuses on Preparation

The head coach of Iran’s soccer team Afshin Ghotbi said his team is concentrated on the preparatory activities.
According to ISNA, the 46-year old spoke to the press on Monday at Tehran’s Olympic Hotel ahead of West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship in Jordan.
Ghotbi said he selected his squad with the media pressure ad criticism. He said that during his reign at the helm of Iran’s soccer squad he has made good changes especially the mentality of the team.
Iran was the winner in its three preparatory matches against Armenia, China and South Korea.
Iran is gearing up to show a good performance in the 2011 Asian Cup which will be held in Qatar in January.
Iran’s last championship in the continental showpiece dates back to 1976 when the country was hosting the event. Iran is in Group D of the event along Iraq, the title holder, North Korea and UAE.
Referring to the Majidi’s resignation from international duty, Ghotbi said, “I have a great respect for Esteqlal fans but for me his case is finished.”
“Meanwhile, Hadi Norouzi and Gholam Reza Rezaei are injured and will not join us in the WAFF competition. I think we use Mohamamd Reza Khalatbari or Qasem Haddadifar,” he added.
Iran is the title holder of the WAFF championship. The 2010 WAFF Championship with nine participating teams will be held in Amman from September 24th to October 3rd.
Iran has been placed in Group A alongside Bahrain and Oman, who they will play on September 24th and 28th, respectively. Jordan, Syria and Kuwait have been drawn into Group B while Group C consists of Iraq, Palestine and Yemen.
Founded in 2001, WAFF is an association of the football playing nations in West Asia. Its founding members are Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria.
In 2009, three more associations joined the federation: Qatar, UAE and Yemen.
Four other West Asian nations, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, joined in 2010.
Some nations were invited to participate in the competition when they were not yet members of the federation. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which are not members, were invited to participate in the first edition of the tournament in 2000.
West Asian nations entering the Persian Gulf Cup of Nations include Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen.

[نازخاتون]

Blackpool Routed By Chelsea

Florent Malouda scored twice as Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 victory over Blackpool on Sunday, maintaining the champions’ perfect start to the Premier League season.
Salomon Kalou put Chelsea ahead after just two minutes, tapping home Didier Drogba’s corner at the far post.
Malouda grabbed his first goal from close range in the 12th and scored again just before half time after Drogba had netted on the half-hour with a deflected strike, AP reported.
Malouda believed the win should have been more emphatic, with Chelsea failing to score in the second half.
“We can be more efficient,” Malouda said. “It was not easy at the beginning but it’s a real pleasure when we play like that.
Chelsea has a four-point lead at the top of the standings over Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Blues have now scored 21 goals in the Premier League and conceded only one.
The first goal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday came when Drogba’s corner was flicked on by Branislav Ivanovic and Kalou supplied the finish at the far post.
It was the Ivory Coast striker’s fourth league goal of the season. Michael Essien almost made it two in the 7th but the midfielder’s 20-yard (meter) shot was too high.
Chelsea doubled its lead when Kalou put fellow Ivory Coast international Drogba clear of the Blackpool defense. Instead of having a shot himself, Drogba chose to cross for the unmarked Malouda to fire home.
Ivanovic almost made it 3-0 seconds later but his header from Malouda’s corner fell just wide of the upright.

[نازخاتون]

Eto’o Scores For Inter

Samuel Eto’o scored twice and five-time defending champion Inter Milan rallied to beat Palermo 2-1 Sunday and return to the top of the Serie A table.
Slovenia midfielder Josip Ilicic had put Palermo in front after 28 minutes in the Sicilian capital before Eto’o struck back in the 62nd and 70th, AP wrote.
“We’ve just got to find a little more balance but we’re improving,” new Inter coach Rafa Benitez said.
With Diego Milito struggling, Eto’o has been the early season standout for Inter. He also scored the equalizer when Inter opened the defense of its Champions League title with a 2-2 draw against FC Twente on Tuesday and scored twice when Inter beat AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup last month.
With seven points, Inter shares the Italian league lead with newly promoted Cesena, which beat Lecce 1-0 despite having to play with 10 men due to a referee’s error.
Juventus won its first match in impressive form, beating last-place Udinese 4-0 with goals from Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Quagliarella, Claudio Marchisio and Vincenzo Iaquinta.
Meanwhile, Roma remained winless after allowing two late scores from Marco Di Vaio in a 2-2 draw with Bologna.
Also, Chievo Verona’s perfect start was snapped with a 1-0 loss to Brescia, with Alessandro Diamanti--who played for West Ham in the English Premier League last season--scoring from a free kick in the 30th.

[نازخاتون]

Berbatov Hat Trick Down Liverpool

A hat trick from Dimitar Berbatov gave Manchester United a 3-2 victory over Liverpool, while Premier League leader Chelsea extended its perfect start to the season by routing Blackpool 4-0 on Sunday.
United threw away a two-goal lead in the second half when Steven Gerrard scored two goals in six minutes for Liverpool, but Berbatov’s third in the 84th minute sealed the three points.
Chelsea took just two minutes to go in front against Blackpool. After Salomon Kalou’s tap-in, Florent Malouda scored twice and Didier Drogba netted with a deflected strike.
Chelsea has a four-point lead at the top of the standings over Arsenal and Manchester United, while Manchester City is fourth after beating Wigan 2-0 on Sunday.
The first goal of the day came after 42 minutes at Old Trafford, with Berbatov nodding home Ryan Giggs’ corner at the near post. Berbatov, who has faced intense criticism over his form since joining United two years ago, scored a stunning second in the 59th.
Berbatov’s good work was undone in that six-minute spell starting in the 64th.
United’s Jonny Evans lunged in on Fernando Torres as the striker cut into the penalty area, resulting in a Liverpool penalty. Gerrard made good on the shot.
Six minutes later, John O’Shea was fortunate not to be sent off when he dragged Torres to the ground just outside the penalty area. Gerrard found the corner of United’s goal with precision to equalize from his free kick.

[نازخاتون]

Stoner Ends Win Drought

Casey Stoner claimed his first race win of the MotoGP season at the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday afternoon.
The Australian Ducati Team rider converted pole position into victory after coming out on top in his duel with the Repsol Honda of home favorite Dani Pedrosa, who signed a new two-year deal with the team on Thursday.
According to Press Association, Stoner pulled away in the closing stages to finish 5.148 seconds ahead of the Spaniard with Nicky Hayden (Ducati) overtaking championship leader Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) on the last lap to claim the third place on the podium.
That ended Lorenzo’s record of having finished in the top three in every race so far this campaign.
“It’s a big relief to be honest,” said Stoner on www.autosport.com on his victory. “We had the first race (in Qatar) almost wrapped up until I made a mistake and there have been a couple of other moments through the year where we might’ve been in with a chance of a victory but it’s just been a mistake on my part.”
Pedrosa, who started from third on the grid, added, “I didn’t make the perfect start and at the first corner I had a slide. I almost crashed there and I was back to fifth.
“Then I had two or three laps where I had to overtake some riders and by then Casey was already far, far away. I tried to catch him but the pace was almost the same. We were almost at the same gap all the time.
“By the end I was struggling a lot with my tires. So I said ‘okay, this is it today’. I tried my best, but second place is not so bad.”
Ben Spies (Tech 3 Yamaha) finished fifth, his battle with Andrea Dovizioso ending after the Repsol Honda man crashed out on the final lap, while Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) finished a distant sixth. Pedrosa’s second-placed finish cut Lorenzo’s advantage at the top of the standings to 56 points with five meetings of the season left.

Palermo on Sunday.

[نازخاتون]

Given Can Leave

The Irish international is yet to play this season after finding himself behind Joe Hart in the club’s goalkeeping ranks and spoke yesterday of his increasing frustration at not being handed the chance to win back his place.
Mancini admits he sympathizes with his goalkeeper’s complaints, but has urged him to retain his focus until his long-term future can be resolved in three months’ time, Telegraph wrote.
“I have a lot of respect for Shay,” the Italian said. “I told him before the transfer market finished that he could choose, that I hoped he would stay but that if he wanted to leave, then he could.
“He decided to stay here and now he must stay until January. I understand his situation but I need him to stay here with his head 100 per cent on the work.
“I understand if a player does not play, it is difficult. If he wants to leave I respect his decision because he is a fantastic man and a fantastic goalkeeper.”

[نازخاتون]

Messi Out for Two Matches

Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona’s next two La Liga matches and may be out for longer after spraining his ankle in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club said on Monday.
Tests confirmed ligament damage to the Argentina forward’s right ankle and he will be unavailable for the home game against Sporting Gijon on Wednesday and Saturday’s trip to Athletic Bilbao, Barca said on their website, Reuters said.
Messi was taken off on a stretcher in added time at the Calderon after he was felled by a bad tackle from Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi.
Ujfalusi was shown a straight red for the challenge, which has revived debate in Spain about whether players like Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo need special protection from referees.
Messi’s participation in Barca’s Champions League match at Rubin Kazan on Sept. 29 will depend on his recovery, Barca said.
The test carried out on Monday also confirmed there was no damage to the bone.

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Pakistan Calls Match Fixing Probe Biased

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt on Monday accused the England & Wales Cricket Board of being biased in the fixing investigation engulfing the Pakistan team and threatened to sue those behind the “sinister conspiracy.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Butt also said the International Cricket Council’s handling of the investigation was “terrible” and its chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, should be fired. The ICC opened another investigation over the weekend into alleged Pakistani fixing on the tour with England, following claims that the scoring pattern in Pakistan’s innings in last Friday’s one-day match was prearranged. Earlier, the ICC suspended three players over allegations they were paid to deliberately bowl
no-balls during the fourth test against England.

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