Illness rules Neymar out of opening game
MADRID • Brazilian football star Neymar will miss Barcelona's first La Liga game of the season despite returning to training for the first time in two weeks yesterday.
The 23-year-old has been suffering from mumps and Barca boss Luis Enrique believes it could be some time until he is fully up to speed, having missed the majority of pre-season.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Chung may face ban over Cup hosting bid
FRANKFURT • Fifa presidential hopeful Chung Mong Joon is suspected of trying to influence the vote for football's 2022 World Cup for South Korea and may face a lengthy ban, according to German daily Welt am Sonntag.
Independently, Swiss authorities have received more than 100 reports of suspicious financial activity linked to Fifa's decisions to let Russia and Qatar host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
$12.5m penalty for using Jordan's name
CHICAGO • NBA legend Michael Jordan was awarded US$8.9 million (S$12.5 million) by a Chicago jury on Friday in a case against a supermarket chain which included his name in a promotion without his permission.
Dominick's in 2009 used Jordan's name in a commemorative advertisement in Sports Illustrated when the former Chicago Bulls superstar was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Indonesia hopeful of end to Fifa ban
JAKARTA • Fifa will send a team to investigate the state of play in Indonesian football with the South-east Asians hopeful that the world governing body will overturn a ban administered for government interference.
Indonesia Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi said Fifa officials would visit in October, four months after the country was banned.
REUTERS
Rousey to take on Holm on Jan 2
LOS ANGELES • Mixed martial arts star Ronda Rousey will face female boxer Holly Holm in her next title bout. Rousey, the biggest global star on the UFC circuit, told ABC television that the clash will take place in Las Vegas on Jan 2.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
'Invincible' Morris dies at age 93
SYDNEY • Arthur Morris, one of Australia's finest opening batsmen and a key member of Don Bradman's "Invincibles" cricket side, has died aged 93. The left-hander scored 3,533 runs in 46 Tests at an average of 46.48. He was named in Australia's team of the century in 2000.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
