Bolt offered two-year deal with Malta club
SYDNEY • Sprint king Usain Bolt has been offered a two-year professional football contract with Malta club Valletta FC, reports said yesterday.
The 32-year-old Jamaican, on trial with A-League club the Central Coast Mariners since August, scored two goals in a pre-season game against second-tier Macarthur South West United in Sydney on Friday.
Valletta's formal offer includes Bolt playing in their upcoming cup final, and chief executive Ghasston Slimen said that the move to snare the 100m and 200m world-record holder was "about writing history".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
$20b World Cup boost to Russia's economy
DOHA • Football's 2018 World Cup added more than US$14 billion (S$20 billion) to the Russian economy, over 1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product, the tournament organisers said at a Qatar conference yesterday.
The figure was revealed in a report on the economic, social and environmental impact of the tournament by Alexey Sorokin, the chief executive of Russia's World Cup organising committee.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Keino among seven Kenyans charged
NAIROBI • Two-time Olympic gold medallist Kipchoge Keino was one of seven Kenyan officials charged on Monday in a scandal involving the mismanagement of funds during the Rio Olympics.
The men were slapped with charges ranging from abuse of office to failing to comply with laws on the management of public funds.
They cover the alleged crimes of embezzlement, the purchase of unauthorised air tickets, overpayment of allowances and expenditure on unauthorised persons, all to the amount of 55 million shillings (S$750,000).
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Kerber and Belgian coach part company
BERLIN • Wimbledon tennis champion Angelique Kerber of Germany has split from her coach of two years Wim Fissette owing to differences of opinion over her direction, it was announced yesterday.
With the Belgian by her side, the 30-year-old world No. 3 reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January before going on to win Wimbledon in July.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
