Izlyn takes gold while Teo gets silver
LAGAN (The Philippines) • Singaporean hurdler Nur Izlyn Zain clocked 15.25 seconds in the girls' 100m hurdles to win the gold yesterday at the Philippine National Open-Invitational Athletics Championships.
Earlier, Ryan Teo cleared 1.86m to bag a silver in the boys' high jump.
Van Gaal sought for admin, not coaching
AMSTERDAM • The Netherlands Football Association has started talks with Louis van Gaal, as it begins the search for a new coach. But it wants the veteran trainer to take on a senior role in the organisation rather than at the helm of their national team.
The 65-year-old former Manchester United manager, who led the Dutch to third place at the 2014 World Cup, would also help with the selection of a new coach after Danny Blind was fired on Sunday.
The Dutch will slump to an all-time low of 32nd when the new Fifa rankings are published next Thursday. They are in crisis after losing to Bulgaria last Saturday, slipping to fourth place in their World Cup qualifying group.
REUTERS
Aussies in bid to avoid Super Rugby cull
SYDNEY • Australia's players' union launched an online petition yesterday to keep five Super Rugby sides from the country in the 18-team tournament, after recent media reports in Australia and South Africa indicated that up to three teams from those two countries would be axed for 2018.
"Reducing our professional franchises drastically weakens the economic potential of the game, decreases elite playing and coaching opportunities for aspiring talent, and signals a game in retreat in the battle for the hearts and minds of fans," the Australian Rugby Union Players' Association wrote.
REUTERS
Cole joins ex-mate Essien in Indonesia
BANDUNG (Indonesia) • Former West Ham and Chelsea striker Carlton Cole, 33, has signed for Indonesia's Persib Bandung, the club announced yesterday.
He joined the West Javanese side just two weeks after his former Chelsea team-mate Michael Essien signed for the club - the highest-profile player to make the move to Indonesia for years. Cole signed a one-year contract for an undisclosed sum with Persib.
AGENTS FRANCE-PRESSE
