Turin: Cristiano Ronaldo will be suspended for only one game after his dismissal in the Champions League, paving the way for his return for Juventus against his former club Manchester United, UEFA said Thursday. Ronaldo’s Champions League debut for Juventus against Valencia last week lasted only 29 minutes before he was shown a straight red card for clashing with Jeison Murillo in a 2-0 win. He faced the prospect of missing a return to Old Trafford if his ban was extended. However, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) decided the 33-year-old’s punishment will not exceed a one-game suspension which means he will only be unavailable for next week’s Group H clash at Swiss side Young Boys.
Two Test vice-captains
Sydney: Australia have named two Test cricket vice-captains Thursday for the first time as they look to move on from a major cheating scandal. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh and pacer Josh Hazlewood are the ones who will share the responsibility and they will assist their skipper Tim Paine. The pair were chosen via an unprecedented vote by team members and a final decision made by a panel that included coach Justin Langer and selector Trevor Hohns, Cricket Australia said. “We believe the new leadership model will best support the captain,” Hohns said of the decision to have more than one Test vice-captain for the first time.
India to host Deaf T20 WC
New Delhi: India will host the Deaf ICC T20 World Cup slated to begin from November 23-30 in Gurugram, the organisers announced Thursday. The eight-day tournament will see participation from over 200 players across eight countries including England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, South Africa and hosts India, vying for the top honours. The eight teams will be divided into two groups and each team will play three matches in the group stage. Two teams from each group will then qualify for the semifinals.
New infra for Doha Worlds
Doha: With exactly a year to go for the Middle East’s first ever IAAF World Championships here, the organisers unveiled the revolutionary state-of-the-art cooling system Thursday at the transformed Khalifa International Stadium along with a brand new pink track. For the first time ever, an outdoor stadium has been equipped with air conditioning system, negating treacherous hot conditions that athletes would have otherwise experienced during the World Championships. It was punishing temperature outside, close to 40 degree celcius but the AC nozzles, covering the entire stadium, were throwing cool wind inside, lowering the temperature to 24-26, providing ideal conditions for athletes and fans.
Motivating talents
Greater Noida: Uttar Pradesh Sports Minister Chetan Chauhan announced Thursday his government’s decision to give away hefty cash awards to Olympic medallists, that will see the winners getting richer by Rs 6 crore while the silver and bronze medallists will bag a purse of Rs 4 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively. Chauhan said the government has taken this decision to uplift the conditions of sports and sportspersons in the state, from where 11 out of 44 athletes have returned with medals from the recently-held Asian Games. “We know that UP has so much talent and the increased prize money will motivate them to perform at the highest level,” stated Chauhan.
Germany win Euro bid
Nyon (Switzerland): Germany will host the Euro 2024 football tournament after beating Turkey in a two-horse contest, Thursday. Germany, which previously staged the event as West Germany in 1988, won the vote among 17 members of UEFA’s executive committee. The decision, announced by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, was a bitter disappointment for Turkey who also failed with bids to host the 2008, 2012 and 2016 tournaments. “The procedure was transparent, the vote was democratic. Every democratic decision is the right decision,” Ceferin said. “We have amazing stadiums, fans who love football, first and foremost we have people who love celebrating with other Europeans,” said former Germany captain Philipp Lahm, an ambassador for the German bid.