Alive News

Manchester United players pose for a team group photo before the match. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he is confident that the club will sign at least one more player before the Premier League’s transfer window closes on Aug. 9.

The Portuguese boss expressed his hopes of signing two new recruits after United’s 4-1 defeat by Liverpool in the pre-season International Champions Cup last weekend in the United States but now says one addition seems more probable.

“I am confident I will get one, but I think two I am not going to get which is not a drama,” Mourinho told beIN SPORTS. “In every pre-season it happens the same with every club which is the manager wants more.

“It’s our nature, you always want more for your team but then club decisions are different and normally you don’t get what you want which happened during all my career.

“So if I get one player until the end of the market, that’s fine.”

United have struggled to impress in pre-season with a patchy squad that has been depleted through injuries and key players resting after the World Cup in Russia. Their sole pre-season win came against AC Milan last week.

The club’s inconsistent performances has led Mourinho to express his frustration on multiple occasions throughout the U.S. tour, including criticising individual players and United’s lack of transfer activity.

Goalkeeper Lee Grant, however, has dismissed the notion that Mourinho is unhappy with the squad.

“From what we’re getting from the inside it (the atmosphere around the camp) has been nothing but positive,” Grant told Sky Sports. “The messages we are getting from the manager are positive ones and that is important for us going forward.

“His attitude and demeanour around the place is great and that is helpful for us especially when we are under-manned and we are working our hardest.”

United play Champions League holders Real Madrid and German champions Bayern Munich in their next two friendlies before hosting Leicester City in the opening league fixture on Aug. 10.

File: Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in action in Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace, in Liverpool, Britain, on August 19, 2017. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is hopeful that the optimism surrounding the club will lead to key players, including playmaker Sadio Mane, committing their long-term futures to the Premier League side.

The Merseyside outfit impressed under Klopp last season with the attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Mane spurring the team on to a fourth-placed league finish and the Champions League final.

The club’s progress has led to top players, including Salah and Firmino, signing new long-term contracts earlier this year and Klopp is optimistic that Mane will follow suit.

“When I speak about the good mood in the club, that is not only in the stands. We are Liverpool as a team and the boys want to be part of it,” Klopp told British media.

“That’s really cool and it’s a big achievement for the club because these boys, Bobby Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, and a lot of the others as well, could play for pretty much any team in the world.

“… It is an improved situation that these players don’t use us and then go. It’s cool but now we all together have to deliver. Sign your contracts but now, go again.”

The German boss believes Liverpool’s four new signings in the current transfer window are sufficient and said the club will not need to replace attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who moved to Barcelona in January.

“We don’t need to replace Phil. We need to make a squad for the next year. Out there on the market, there isn’t a Phil Coutinho-light. It’s not there. But there are a lot of good players and we have brought a few of them in,” Klopp added.

Liverpool will play friendlies against Italian teams Napoli and Torino before hosting West Ham United in the opening league fixture on Aug. 12.

KATHMANDU: The MCC Foundation, a charitable arm of Marylebone Cricket Club, in coordination with Lord’s Cricket Ground of the United Kingdom is working to build a better future of cricket in Nepal.

The foundation has set an initial target of raising £1,00,000 funds to support cricket development on and off the field in the Himalayan nation.

Meanwhile, Nepali national cricket team on the invitation of the MCC is in London to take part in a triangular T20 series featuring the Netherlands.

In partnership with @HomeOfCricket, the Foundation is working to build a better future for cricket in Nepal on and off the field. Our initial fundraising target is £100,000 – help us reach it now
https://t.co/BZDndo6jRI

— MCC Foundation (@_MCCFoundation) July 29, 2018

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski scores their second goal. Photo: Reuters

MUNICH: Robert Lewandowski wants to leave Bayern Munich but the Bundesliga champions will not sell the prolific striker in the current transfer window, manager Niko Kovac has said.

Poland international Lewandowski has been Bayern’s top scorer in three of the last four seasons since joining the club in 2014 and has reached the 40-goal mark in each of the last three campaigns.

His exploits have helped the club extend their domestic dominance, winning four German league titles in as many years but local media reports say Lewandowski, whose contract at Bayern runs until 2021, has been eager to find newer pastures.

“There is nothing new with Robert. The status is that he will not leave the club because he’s our top striker. And certainly we don’t want to give him away and won’t give him away,” Kovac told Sky Sports.

“It’s true that Robert is thinking about playing somewhere else. Naturally, one thing is what he wants, the other is what we want.

“We are FC Bayern, we have a top striker. We certainly will not let ourselves be persuaded from the outside, that’s the way to do it. Robert has a contract… he will certainly stay here as long as possible.”

Former Eintracht Frankfurt and Croatia manager Kovac also said that he does not expect the transfer situation to hinder Lewandowski in the upcoming campaign.

“He is a professional and knows that he also has something to prove to himself and everyone else. He actually already knows this, but we will say it again, that he will also have to step on the gas,” Kovac added.

“He also wants to score goals and be successful. Robert Lewandowski stands for success and goals and he will prove that in the future.”

Bayern start their league campaign against Hoffenheim on Aug. 24.

India’s Virat Kohli plays a shot. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: England cannot expect to bully a much-improved India captain Virat Kohli in their five-match test series that begins at Edgbaston on Wednesday, pace bowler James Anderson said.

India’s struggles with the bat on their last tour of England four years ago was reflected by Kohli’s patchy form in their 3-1 series defeat. The batsman was dismissed four times by Anderson in that series.

Asked if he could have a similar impact against Kohli when the two teams face off again, Anderson told Sky Sports: “Not really… it’s a long time ago, a lot of cricket has happened since then and he’s improved as a player in that time.

“You can’t pay any attention to that at all… it’s not about what’s gone on in the past, that’s not going to help me get him out this week, it’s about what I do and what the team does in the next six weeks.”

Anderson, who picked up 25 wickets when the two teams met in England in 2014, could beat Australian Glenn McGrath’s record for most test wickets by a fast bowler should he replicate that form. Anderson currently has 540 wickets, 23 shy of McGrath.

However, the Lancastrian was keen to stress that his focus was on suppressing India’s talented batting line-up led by Kohli as England look to win their first test series in four.

“We’ve got to perform brilliantly, Kohli is an outstanding player, he just gets better and better every year. To be honest, they’ve got a brilliant batting line-up and we’ve got to be on top form to be able to beat them,” Anderson added.

England won the one-day international series between the teams 2-1 and lost the Twenty20 competition by the same margin earlier this month.

KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan Army Club and Nepal APF Club are playing the final match for the Vice-president Women’s National League title today.

The final tournament is taking place in ANFA Complex grounds in Satdobato, Lalitpur this afternoon. Both the teams have remained unbeaten up to the final match.

The title winner will receive the cash prize of Rs 200,000 while the first runner-up and second runner-up will get Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.

Nepal’s Karan KC (right) celebrates with teammate after dismissing Netherland’s Max O’Dowd during their MCC Twenty20 Tri-series match at the Lord’s in London on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Kathmandu, July 30

Nepal and the Netherlands shared the MCC Twenty20 Tri-series after the third and final match ended in a no result following the incessant rain at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Sunday.

Both the teams were tied on two points after they defeated Marylebone Cricket Club in their opening ties. The series was hit by rain and the first two matches were reduced to six-over-a-side. Nepal registered a nine-wicket victory over the MCC, which was skippered by Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardena, while the Netherlands defeated the home team by 10 runs.

The third and final match, which was granted the Twenty20 International status by the International Cricket Council, was reduced to 18-over-a-side but the game could not be completed due to rain at a time when the Netherlands were 174-4 in 16.4 overs.

In their first T20 International match in three years, Nepal had reduced the Netherlands for 24-2 inside three overs but then the bowlers failed to capitalise on the great start. Wesley Barresi struck six fours and a six in his 24-ball 44, while Ryan ten Doeschate scored 38 off 27 balls hitting six boundaries and a six. Michael Rippon was unbeaten on 38 off 22 balls, while Scott Edwards was batting on 34 off just 14 balls when rain stopped play. Both the batsmen had struck three fours and two sixes each.

Sompal Kami, Basant Regmi and Karan KC took one wicket each but they were costly as they conceded more than 10 runs over along with Sandeep Lamichhane, who returned with 0-43 in four overs.

Skipper Paras Khadka was hit for 15 runs in the only over he bowled, while Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi – his T20 International debut along with Anil Kumar Sah, Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee – conceded 25 runs in three overs.

In the first match of the tri-series, Nepal defeated the MCC by nine wickets. Batting first, MCC scored 40-6 in six overs before Nepal raced to 41-1 in 4.4 overs. Opener Subash Khakurel and Gyanendra Malla took the team home with 23-run partnership for the unbroken second wicket after Anil Sah (nine) was out in the third over.

Earlier. MCC skipper Jayawardene top scored for MCC with 24 off 16 balls hitting four boundaries. Sompal Kami took 2-8, while Shakti Prasad Gauchan claimed 1-6.

Nepal will now make the One Day International debut when they face the Netherlands in the first of the two-match series in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Nepal earned the ODI status for four years after they finished eighth in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March.

KATHMANDU: Bright Future School is organising the first Bright Valleywide Inter-school Girls’ Futsal Tournament at the Adarsha Futsal from Tuesday.

A total of 12 teams will participate in the two-day tournament, informed the organisers at a press meet on Monday.

The teams have been divided into four groups and top side will make it to the semi-finals after the group stage matches, said tournament coordinator Deepak Waiba.

The first day will see the league round matches, while the semi-finals, third-place playoff and final matches will be played on Wednesday, informed former national football team member Ramesh Budhathoki.

ZURICH: Global footballers’ union FIFPro says that at least 15 World Cup players have taken part in UEFA club competitions less than four weeks after returning from Russia, leaving without a sufficient close season break.

The union reiterated its call for a mandatory rest period of at least four weeks between the final game of one season and the start of pre-season training for the next.

“Players are coming under too much pressure, caught between the needs of their clubs and their own personal well-being,” said the union in a statement.

“While FIFPro understands the financial implications of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for clubs, the health of these players is being put at risk because of such a congested match schedule.”

The group stage of the World Cup in Russia, which was officially part of last season, finished on June 28 while the final was played on July 15.

The first round of qualifying for this season’s Champions League began on July 10, meaning that the two seasons in effect overlapped by a few days.

Iceland’s Arnor Traustason played — and scored — for Swedish champions Malmo in a 3-0 win away to Kosovar side Drita in a Champions League qualifier on July 10.

Serbia World Cup squad members Nemanja Radonjic and Milan Rodic played for Red Star Belgrade in a Champions League qualifier on July 11 and compatriot Vladimir Stojkovic played for Partizan in the Europa League the following day.

While clubs from smaller leagues are already involved in European qualifiers, big clubs are on lucrative tours abroad.

On Sunday, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his team’s World Cup participants should consider cutting their holidays short to help the depleted team in the opening stages of the Premier League season.

Several players from United’s first-choice starting line-up, including Frenchman Paul Pogba, Belgian Romelu Lukaku and Englishman Jesse Lingard could miss the opening league fixture against Leicester City in less than two weeks’ time.

England defender Phil Jones and forward Marcus Rashford are expected to return early to help prepare for the start of the season.

Mourinho, frustrated after seeing his side lose 4-1 to Liverpool in the US on Saturday, has suggested that others should do the same.

Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring the first goal for Leicester City during Barclays Premier League game at Liberty Stadium on December 5, 2015. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez has been cleared to return to training this week following an ankle knock sustained in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the United States.

Mahrez, who joined the Premier League champions on a five-year contract earlier this month, was substituted after a tough tackle by Bayern defender Chris Richards in the first half of their final pre-season clash.

However, City allayed fears that the Algerian international, who returned to Manchester with his foot in a protective boot, would miss the start of the new season. City take on FA Cup winners Chelsea for the Community Shield on Sunday.

“A scan today has revealed no significant damage, and he (Mahrez) could be available for selection for this weekend’s Community Shield against Chelsea,” City said on their website https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2018/july/riyad-mahrez-injury-update.

Pep Guardiola’s team then take on Arsenal in their opening league clash on Aug. 12.

File: Brazil’s Neymar lies on the pitch in match against Mexico at Mexico during World Cup in Russia. Photo: Reuters

BARCELONA: Ridiculed the world over for faking and diving during a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia, Brazilian forward Neymar has admitted to “exaggerated” reactions saying he is still learning to deal with frustration.

In a 90-second video made for his sponsor Gillette and published on social media accounts and Brazilian television, Neymar sought to win back fans who criticised his behaviour.

“Studs on my calf, knee in my back, stamp on my foot,” he said. “You might think I exaggerate and sometimes I really do exaggerate. But the fact is that I suffer on the field.

“There’s still a child inside me. Sometimes he enchants the world and sometimes he irritates the world.”

The Paris St Germain striker had hoped the Russia World Cup would elevate him to a similar status enjoyed by thirty-somethings Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – the two players who have shared the FIFA World Player of the Year award over the last decade.

Instead, he bowed out at the quarter-final stage when Brazil lost to Belgium as fans focused less on his football and more on the dives, rolls and tears he produced.

The 26-year old former Santos and Barcelona player, who suffered a serious foot injury in February and returned to action just days before the start of the World Cup, told fans in his homeland he was working to become a better person and deal with the disappointments football threw at him.

“When I seem rude, it’s not because I am a spoilt child, it’s because I haven’t learnt to deal with frustration,” he said in a voiceover to the black-and-white video.

“It’s taken me time to accept your criticism, it’s taken me time to look into the mirror and transform myself into a new man. But I am here, with a new face and an open heart. I fell down but only those that fell down can get up.

“You can keep throwing stones or throw those stones away and help me stand. When I stand on my own two feet, all of Brazil stands with me.”

Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge in action. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Daniel Sturridge is looking to put his injury troubles behind him and re-establish himself in the Liverpool side for the upcoming campaign.

The 28-year-old’s career has been blighted by injuries, the most recent of which was a hamstring problem that limited him to six appearances on loan at West Bromwich Albion in 2018.

The England striker has impressed in Liverpool’s pre-season matches, however, scoring in a 4-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday that prompted manager Juergen Klopp to say that Sturridge would have a role to play at the club “if he is fit”.

“The hunger will never change. I’m taking every day as it comes with a positive mindset. That’s all I’m going to do,” Sturridge told reporters.

“Pre-season has been going great but, you know, I’m not getting too carried away. It’s just great to be part of the club and helping and making sure that we can win games.

“I just want to help the team win something … We have been close before a lot of times. I wasn’t here for last season’s Champions League (final) but it was so close, so close.

“We want to win something.”

Liverpool face Italian sides Napoli and Torino in their remaining pre-season fixtures before kicking off their Premier League campaign against West Ham United on Aug. 12.

England’s Stuart Broad in action. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: England fast bowler Stuart Broad is expecting his side to rotate their pace options for the five-match test series against India, starting on Wednesday, and is ready for a possible omission.

The 32-year-old, who returned from an ankle injury during a first-class match earlier this month, is one of several pacemen in contention, including James Anderson and the uncapped Jamie Porter, to face India in five test matches in six weeks.

Broad believes that a number of factors, including the hectic schedule and pitch conditions, will affect England’s selections.

“It will depend on tosses, pitches, workloads, if two tests of 250 overs in the field each, it’s unrealistic to think your seam bowlers will play five Tests in six weeks…,” Broad told British media.

“I think there has already been small conversations saying about ‘don’t be disheartened if you are left out for a test match’, it’s not a personal attack or dropping, it’s management of your bowlers to make sure we give ourselves the best chance.”

The long-serving paceman has previously played domestic cricket when being excluded from England’s national squad but Broad says he will not take the same route this time around.

“I won’t get to the stage where I am left out at say, Lord’s, I’d go back and play county cricket… you stay part of the unit so it’s only natural to expect small changes throughout five test matches, but the bowlers have to be able to take it.”

The test series, which begins at Edgbaston, will conclude India’s long tour of England, which included a Twenty20 series win for the visitors and defeat in the one-day international series.

Nepal’s Olympian athletes pose for group photo with officials at a felicitation programme of National Sports Council in Kathmandu on Sunday. Photo: Naresh Shrestha/ THT

Kathmandu, July 29

National Sports Council handed over the lifetime allowance to the Olympian athletes at a programme today.

The NSC introduced the lifetime allowance of Rs 3,000 per month to all the Olympians since 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games when Nepal made its debut. A total of 80 Olympians were handed over the allowance for the month of July/August.

The NSC also handed over four million rupees – Rs 5,000 per month each to 95 gold medal winners of the South Asian Games – for the period of last eight months of the previous fiscal year. Likewise, eight Asian Games medal winners also received the allowance of Rs 5,000 per month.

The sports governing body also rewarded the medal winners of the national and international tournaments held in the previous fiscal year. A total of 112 players got Rs 1.92m. Also, the best players of the NSC Championship got the cash prizes. A total of 58 players – two each from 29 sports disciplines – were handed over Rs 15,000 apiece, while four players from taekwondo, which had selected separate best players in Kyorugi and Poomsae, got Rs 7,500 each.

Also, the NSC felicitated Santosh Bista, the designer of logo and mascot of the eighth National Games with Rs 80,000, while theme song writer Narayan Khatiwada was handed over Rs 25,000. NSC Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista, who chose the slogan of the Games, received Rs 5,000 but he deposited the amount back to NSC account. Musician Basanta Sapkota was honoured with letter of felicitation on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Ministry felicitated five athletes who won medals in international championships and two sports journalists under its Sports Award and Felicitation Work Procedures at the same programme.

Anisha Khadka and Rahul Thokar Lama, who won gold medals in the World Khun Khmer Championship in Cambodia, received Rs 100,000 each, while Nanita Maharjan, the silver medal winner of the ninth World Bodybuilding Championship in Mongolia, was honoured with Rs 65,000. Also, Rujesh Shahi, who won bronze in Mongolia, and lifter Kamal Bhandari, the bronze medallist of the 51st Asian Weightlifting Championship in South Korea, got Rs 35,000 each.

The ministry also honoured sports journalists Raju Silwal of Nepal TV and Niranjan Rajbanshi of BBC with letter of felicitation and Rs 50,000 each. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ishwor Pokhrel, Youth and Sports Minister Jagat Bahadur Sunar, Secretary Mohan Prakash Sapkota and NSC Member Secretary Bista among others felicitated the athletes and journalists.

Players of NPC and Nepal APF Club (right) in action during the Vice- president Women’s National Football League at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur on Sunday. Photo: THT

LALITPUR: Tribhuvan Army Club defeated Rautahat DFA 3-1 to stay alive in the title race of the Women’s Football League Tournament here at the ANFA Complex grounds on Sunday.

Sharmila Thapa netted two and Dipa Rai scored one for TAC. Rashmi Kumari Ghising scored the consolation goal for Rautahat.

While TAC accumulated nine points from three matches, Rautahat finished third with six points. TAC are tied with Nepal APF Club, who defeated Nepal Police Club 2-0 riding on goals from Anita KC and Saru Limbu. APF also have nine points following their third victory and they need a point against TAC in the last match to win the title.

A total of five teams are taking part in women’s national league which was played under single leg format.

KATHMANDU: Gems Institute of Higher Education won the title of the Huddle 2018, Inter-school A-Level Futsal Tournament here on Saturday.

Campion Academy finished second in the tournament organised by Global Reach Nepal.

A total of 16 colleges took part in the third edition of the event which was played under knock out format.

KATHMANDU: Nepal defeated Marylebone Cricket Club (MMC) by nine wickets in a rain spoild game reduced to six overs during triangular T20 series played at the Lord’s today.

South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (R) plays a shot next to Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Photo: Reuters

DAMBULLA: Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi picked up four wickets each to set up South Africa’s five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Dambulla on Sunday.

Rabada, who took 4-41, inflicted the early damage while left-arm spinner Shamsi provided the late breakthroughs with his 4-33 as South Africa bundled out Sri Lanka for 193 under 35 overs after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat.

Off-spinner Akila Dananjaya picked up two early wickets to give Sri Lanka hope but the touring side, who were mauled 2-0 in the test series, recovered to reach the target in 31 overs and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Opener Quinton de Kock and captain Faf du Plessis hit identical 47s to steady South Africa’s chase during a 86-run stand for the third wicket before the wicketkeeper-batsman became Dananjaya’s third victim.

It was left to JP Duminy to take South Africa home with an unbeaten 53 off 32 deliveries.

Earlier, Kusal Perera hit a 72-ball 81 to provide some respectability to Sri Lanka’s innings after the hosts were reduced to 36-5 in the face of a devastating opening spell from Rabada.

Kusal and Thisara Perera, who made 49, added 92 for the sixth wicket during a counter-attacking partnership before Shamsi separated them by dismissing the latter, caught behind to wicketkeeper de Kock.

Shamsi also dismissed Kusal, who was out caught trying to play a reverse sweep, after an entertaining innings that included 11 fours and a six.

The second match of the series will be played at the same venue on Wednesday.

DC United forward Wayne Rooney (9) passes the ball against the Colorado Rapid during the second half at Audi Field at Washington, in DC, USA, on July 28, 2018. Photo: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

DC United took advantage of an own goal in the 90th minute to earn a 2-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids at Audi Field on a night when Wayne Rooney scored his first MLS goal.