LONDON, September 19 (Reuters): Tottenham Hotspur have signed winger Gareth Bale and left back Sergio Reguilon from Spanish champions Real Madrid, the Premier League club announced in a statement on Saturday. Bale returns to his former club on a one-year loan deal, with British media reporting that Spurs will pay 20 million pounds ($25.8 million) in wages and fees for the 31-year-old Wales forward. Reguilon, who spent last season on loan at Sevilla, arrives for a reported fe

BERLIN, September 19 (Reuters): Hertha Berlin beat hosts Werder Bremen 4-1 in their Bundesliga opener on Saturday to earn their first win there in 14 years as they go into the season with renewed ambition. Hertha, who announced a 127 million euro investment in June in their effort to eventually compete for silverware, barely had any chances until they struck twice in three minutes late in the first half. Peter Pekarik was left unmarked at the far post and tapped in for the l

Shelly Katiry SDO (Civil) of the District Administration team is seen in action against the Confederation of Chang Students' Union (CCSU) team in blue during a friendly football match between the CCSU and District Administration team in Tuensang. CCSU won the match 5-2. (Morung Photo)

Rome, September 19 (IANS): Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have entered the quarterfinals of the Italian Open with straight-set wins in their respective third-round matches. On Friday, Djokovic defeated his fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (7), 6-3 to enter the last eight of the tournament for the 14th straight year. "It was definitely one of the longest sets I think I have ever played," said Djokovic as per the ATP Tour website after the match. "Never ea

London, September 19 (IANS): Liverpool FC have completed a deal for the permanent transfer of mid-fielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich. The Spain international has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Reds and becomes the club’s second signing of the transfer window, following Kostas Tsimikas in August, the club said in a statement. “I think it’s an amazing feeling. I was waiting for this moment for a long time and I am very, very happy to be here,

RONCHAMPS, France, September 19 (Reuters): Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar pulled off a major upset at the Tour de France by stunning compatriot Primoz Roglic to claim the overall leader’s yellow jersey with a monumental victory in the final individual time trial on Saturday. The 21-year-old won the 36.2-km solo effort against the clock as Roglic, who had started the day with a 57-second lead in the general classification, cracked in the uphill section, a 5.9-km climb at an avera

LIVERPOOL, England, September 19 (Reuters): Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s eye-catching form for Everton has been reminiscent of some of the club’s other great number nines, but he is not getting carried away after back-to-back wins at the start of the Premier League campaign. The 23-year-old bagged his first senior hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-2 mauling of 10-man West Brom, which followed his winner away at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend as Everton suggest they

LONDON, September 19 (Reuters): Carlisle United became the first English club to welcome back fans for a league match on Saturday as they took on Southend United in a League Two clash at their Brunton Park stadium. Up to 1,000 fans were permitted for the lunchtime kickoff, with Carlisle one of eight clubs to take part in a government pilot scheme to allow fans back into stadiums. Fans have not been allowed in the English Football League (EFL) or Premier League since the resu

Rome, September 19 (IANS): Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have entered the quarterfinals of the Italian Open with straight-set wins in their respective third-round matches. On Friday, Djokovic defeated his fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (7), 6-3 to enter the last eight of the tournament for the 14th straight year. "It was definitely one of the longest sets I think I have ever played," said Djokovic as per the ATP Tour website after the match. "Never ea

BERN, September 19 (Reuters): The successive postponements to 2022 World Cup qualifiers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming a real problem and a shortening of the format could be a possibility in some cases, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday. The South American qualifiers, due to start in March, will not get underway until next month, while the start of the CONCACAF tournament, which should have been this month, has been put back until March. Meanwhile, six

Reuters Liverpool have signed Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich on a long-term contract, the Premier League champions said on Friday. British media reported Thiago signed a four-year deal with Liverpool after the Merseyside club agreed a transfer fee worth 20 million pounds ($25.91 million) plus five million pounds in add-ons with European champions Bayern. Thiago, 29, won the Bundesliga title in each of his seven seasons with Bayern and played in last month

September 18 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has stressed that Thiago Alcantara's highly-anticipated arrival at Anfield does not mean the club will be forced to sell a player in the current transfer window. British media reported the Premier League champions have agreed a transfer fee worth 20 million pounds ($25.91 million) plus five million pounds in add-ons with Bayern for Thiago, who is expected to sign a four-year deal with Liverpool. Thiago bid farewell to B

New Delhi, September 18 (IANS): After months of uncertainty, the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to get underway on Saturday, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - a venue that many players are unfamiliar with. It is only the second time that a full IPL tournament is being organised outside India, after the 2009 edition was held in South Africa due to general elections in India while the first half of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE, again due to the genera

New Delhi, September 18 (IANS): Indian footballer Anirudh Thapa has revealed that former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni's aggression has had a very positive influence on his game. "I have always enjoyed watching Dhoni play because of the style he has. The aggression -- I really like that. It has influenced me in my game too, as football is a game where you need to be tough and aggressive," the 22-year-old said during a live chat with AIFF TV. "Watching hi

New Delhi, September 18 (IANS): Former Australia speedster Brett Lee feels Jasprit Bumrah can fill the shoes of Sri Lanka veteran Lasith Malinga for the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting Saturday. Malinga wanted to be with his family back home in Sri Lanka and thus opted out for this year's IPL. According to Lee, Bumrah is good with both old and the new ball and thus can ball at the death overs. "I have always been a Bumra

Reuters Juventus have terminated the contract of Gonzalo Higuain by mutual consent, the Serie A champions have confirmed, with the Argentine forward closing in on a switch to David Beckham's Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami. Former Real Madrid striker Higuain, who joined Juventus in 2016 after a three-year stint with Napoli, scored 66 goals in 149 games in all competitions for the league champions. "There were many battles together, many goals scored, with m

Reuters Japan's Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the upcoming French Open with a hamstring injury, she said on Thursday. The 22-year-old had her left hamstring taped when she battled back against Victoria Azarenka in the U.S. Open final in New York on Saturday to win her third Grand Slam title. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to play the French Open this year," the world number three wrote on social media in a message she also posted in Japanese. "My ha

New Delhi, September 18 (IANS): Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has been mesmerising fans with his breathtaking shots on the tennis courts ever since he turned professional in 1998. Now the Swiss legend has left his fans speechless with a rendition of a Beatles' classic. Federer sang The Beatles classic "With A Little Help From My Friends" as part of a commercial for Sunrise, a Swiss telecommunications provider based in Zurich. This is was not the firs

Nagaland’s very own local customised basketball board Morung Express News Kohima | September 17 Chetheba, a small town under Phek district made history in the local basketball scene on September 15 when it inaugurated the first customised iron board for its basketball court. To mark the occasion, a tournament was held for the Chetheba citizens where a total of 11 teams participated including three women team. Basketball holds significance for the small town of about