AFI fires national 400m coach Kunhi
Mohammed Kunhi, coach of the national 400m squad, has been sacked, an Athletics Federation of India (AFI) official said on Tuesday. Kunhi has been overseeing the national camp for the quartermilers since 2013.
Kunhi, it is learnt, was seen as having failed in his responsibility to check the menace of banned drugs in the camp. Recently, banned substances were seized by National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) officials from quartermiler Jithin Paul’s hostel room in Patiala, where he was attending the national camp. Following the incident, AFI issued a showcause notice to the coach.
Germany overpowered the India 2-0 in an actionpacked encounter to end their campaign at the Three-Nations Invitational Tournament as winners here on Tuesday. Germany previously won 2-1 against Belgium, drew 2-2 with India and lost 2-5 to Belgium in their opening match to finish with seven points while India earned four points from their outing.
Portuguese defender Pepe confirmed he has had offers from Premier League clubs after announcing he will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer. Pepe, 34, has spent 10 years with the European champions, but has fallen down the pecking order under Zinedine Zidane this season as Madrid won a La Liga and Cham- pions League double for the first time in 59 years.
“What Madrid have done is spectacular, but there are things that I still don’t understand,” the Brazilian-born centre-back told Spanish radio station Cope.
“I don’t know why I have disappeared from the team.
Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote has died reportedly of a heart attack during training in China.
The 30-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder collapsed at a training ground on Monday and was later taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.