Bayern sign Mane
BAYERN Munich have completed the muchanticipated signing of Senegal forward Sadio Mane from Liverpool on a three-year contract.
The German champions have reportedly agreed on a transfer worth about 40 million euros ($67 million), including add-ons, for the 30-year-old, who had a year left on his Liverpool contract.
Mane leaves Anfield after 269 appearances, having scored 120 goals in all competitions, a stellar return that helped the club to the Champions League title in 2018-19 and the Premier League crown a season later.
Kyrgios take
AUSTRALIAN Nick Kyrgios slammed the ATP Tour’s decision to trial off-court coaching, saying the beauty of the sport where players had to figure things out on their own was being taken away. The ATP will trial off-court coaching in the second half of the year, with players set to receive instructions in qualifying and main draw matches in tournaments including the US Open and the ATP Finals.
Early leaders
RORY McIlroy and J.T Poston each shot a bogey-free, 8-under-par 62 to tie for a one-shot lead over a packed field in the opening round at the Travelers Championship. Fourteen players shot a 66 or better at TPC River Highlands, a welcome break from the scores at The Country Club in Brookline the rugged course where the US Open was contested last week.
Sell out
THE first international Test match on New Zealand soil in over two years has officially sold out. Today will see Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium at full capacity as the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns face Pacific rivals Mate Ma’a Tonga. More than 26,000 fans will celebrate the return of Test match rugby league to Aotearoa’s shores and the return of the biggest rivalry in international rugby league. The sold-out crowd goes a long way towards helping NZRL achieve a new world record crowd attendance for a women’s rugby league match, which currently sits at 18,000. The Kiwi Ferns take on Tonga at 3.10pm while the Kiwis face MMT at 5.20pm.
Squads boosted
TEAMS will be able to select up to 26 players for this year’s World Cup after global football’s governing body FIFA increased the maximum squad limit by three. FIFA said the change was due to the unusual timing of the tournament as well as the impact of COVID-19 on squads. The showpiece event in Qatar will run from November 21 to December 18.
Fury v Paul
YOUTUBER-turned-boxer Jake Paul will finally get his shot at Tommy Fury, the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, on August 6 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Paul is undefeated in his five professional bouts, which began with fellow YouTubers before moving on to former MMA fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. But he has never faced a professional boxer like Fury (8-0).