LA ROCHE SUR FORON, France, September 17 (Reuters): Michal Kwiatkowski, the unsung hero of Team Sky/Ineos during their dominant years, claimed his maiden Tour de France victory when he won the 18th stage from a breakaway duo with team mate Richard Carapaz on Thursday. Carapaz, who took the lead in the mountains classification, gave former world champion Kwiatkowski a pat on the back before they crossed the line together, which ensured the Polish rider would take first place.

LONDON, September 17 (Reuters): Almost 60 years after Billie Jean King helped the United States win the inaugural Fed Cup, the team event is being re-named in honour of the greatest trailblazer in women's tennis. The competition, revamped this year to feature a 12-nation finals week to rival the men's Davis Cup, would from 2021 be known as the Billie Jean King Cup, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said in a statement. This year's finals, scheduled for Bu

LONDON, September 17 (Reuters): Women's tennis is very fortunate to have U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka as its new figurehead, according to one of the sport's greatest trailblazers Billie Jean King. Not only did the 22-year-old Japanese player win a second title at Flushing Meadows last week, she also became a champion for equality, taking a lead in highlighting racial injustice. The 76-year-old King likens Osaka's off-court stance to that of the Original Nine, a

(Reuters): Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, the German club's CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday. British media reported the deal will cost the Premier League champions around 20 million pounds ($25.81 million) with five million pounds in add-ons. Thiago will leave the German giants a year before his contract is set to expire and is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Anfield club. "

MUMBAI, September 17 (Reuters): After months of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the delayed season of the popular Indian Premier League will kick off in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday with a clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. The 2020 edition of the world's richest Twenty20 league was originally scheduled to begin on March 29 in India but had to be postponed indefinitely by the country's cricket board (BCCI) due to

BARCELONA, September 17 (Reuters): Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi has won a legal battle over trademark rights relating to his own logo after the European Union's top court on Thursday dismissed an appeal against the player from a Spanish cycling clothing brand. The EU's Court of Justice in Luxembourg said in a statement it had authorised the player to register the trademark Messi, dismissing an appeal from the EU's intellectual property office EUIPO a

(Reuters): Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has tested positive for COVID-19, the Championship (second-tier) club said on Thursday. Middlesbrough said in a statement that Warnock, 71, will self-isolate in line with government and league protocols. "Neil is in good spirits and we look forward to welcoming him back after his period in isolation," the club said. Warnock took charge of Middlesbrough in June, replacing Jonathan Woodgate who was sacked with the club

(Reuters): Novak Djokovic had a chat with ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi ahead of the Italian Open in Rome regarding his breakaway players body, the world number one said, reiterating that the new association could be a "positive addition" to the men's Tour. In a stunning move Djokovic stepped down as head of the ATP player council last month along with members Vasek Pospisil, John Isner and Sam Querrey and announced the formation of the Professional Tennis Players Ass

Rome, September 17 (IANS): Top seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal reached the third round of the Italian Open after securing respective wins in their second-round matches of the ongoing tournament. On Wednesday, Djokovic dispatched Italian wild card entry Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-2 to continue with his quest for a fifth Rome title and set up a third-round against countryman Filip Krajinovic. "It was a very good test for me. I'm very pleased with the w

(Reuters): Andy Murray thinks the Australian Open should consider removing Margaret Court's name from the arena at Melbourne Park as he says the multiple Grand Slam champion's values are at odds with what tennis stands for. The 78-year-old Court, who holds the all-time record of 24 major singles titles, has been heavily criticised for voicing her religious-based opposition to same-sex marriage and transgender athletes. "When you get to the Australian Open you wa

MELBOURNE, September 17 (Reuters): Less than a year after withdrawing from cricket to tackle mental health issues, master blaster Glenn Maxwell has reached a higher plain in the one-day format while helping Australia turn the tables on world champions England. Maxwell's 108 in a brilliant 212-run partnership with Alex Carey drove Australia to a three-wicket win in Manchester on Wednesday and a 2-1 series victory. While Australia avenged their 5-0 humiliation in England t

(Reuters): The England and Wales Cricket Board's successful completion of their summer schedule inside bio-secure 'bubbles' is a blueprint for other countries to stage matches amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one-day international (ODI) skipper Eoin Morgan said. England returned to action following the COVID-19 stoppage in July with three tests against the West Indies in bio-secure venues at Southampton and Manchester before matches across all three formats against Irela

PARIS, September 17 (Reuters): Paris St Germain's Neymar has been given a two-match ban for striking out at Olympique de Marseille's Alvaro Gonzalez in last Sunday's fiery 1-0 defeat in Ligue 1, organisers said on Wednesday. The league's statement added that defender Alvaro was being investigated after Neymar accused the Spaniard of using racist language towards him during the match, in which a total of five players were sent off following a mass brawl in stoppa

MELBOURNE, September 17 (Reuters) - Less than a year after withdrawing from cricket to tackle mental health issues, master blaster Glenn Maxwell has reached a higher plain in the one-day format while helping Australia turn the tables on world champions England. Maxwell's 108 in a brilliant 212-run partnership with Alex Carey drove Australia to a three-wicket win in Manchester on Wednesday and a 2-1 series victory. While Australia avenged their 5-0 humiliation in England two y

BARCELONA, September 17 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona eased to a 3-1 victory over Girona in their second pre-season friendly under Ronald Koeman on Wednesday. Philippe Coutinho struck the crossbar early on before giving Barca the lead midway through the first half, tapping into an empty net after brilliant link play between Messi and new signing Francisco Trincao. Messi then doubled Barca's advantage later in the half, spinning away from a defender to thu

Kohima, September 16 (MExN): Nagaland State Sports Academy at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima, named as one of the first eight Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE), will be upgraded with a total budget of Rs.11.5cr in four years, an official release said.  The project is under the Sports Authority of India's flagship talent identification and nurturing programme, Khelo India The support will be in the form of infrastructure upgradation, setting up of sports sci

Changlang Battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) organised a friendly volleyball match in Ranglum village on September 15. The participants and spectators lauded the initiative and expressed hope that such events will be organised in future to foster a healthy competitive spirit among the youth in area, an IGAR release informed. The winning team was felicitated by the Battalion. (Photo Courtesy: HQ IGAR-N)

New Delhi, September 16 (IANS): All 12 Indian and three foreign umpires, besides five Indian match referees, have tested negative ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) even as they complied with the strict quarantine protocol -- during which they had limited options for watching Hindi movies in their hotel rooms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Their quarantine period is about to end on a positive note, and they are ready to officiate in the much-awaited 13th IPL starting on

(Reuters): Novak Djokovic turned the page on his contentious U.S. Open exit and began his claycourt season with a convincing 6-3 6-2 victory over wildcard Salvatore Caruso in the second round of the Italian Open on Wednesday. The world number one was disqualified in New York after accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball during his fourth round match against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. Djokovic's frustration boiled over after dropping his serve against Carreno

(Reuters): Top seed Simona Halep overcame a couple of hiccups in her first match at the Italian Open in Rome to beat wildcard Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-4 to move into the third round on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Wimbledon champion has only lost twice this year but found herself a break down in both sets before she recovered to seal her first victory since winning the Prague Open a month ago. World number two Halep, who had skipped the U.S. Open due to COVID-19 concerns and opte