Manny Pacquiao pulls out of title rematch versus Horn
great Manny Pacquiao on Friday pulled out of a rematch with world champion Jeff Horn, leaving the Australian looking for another challenger in his title defence.
The Queensland state government, the fight’s financial backers, made the announcement two months ahead of the scheduled November 12 bout.
“We have been advised today that Manny Pacquiao. cannot return to the ring on 12 November as proposed,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement.
“I am advised Mr Pacquiao, who is also a Senator of the Philippines, will have other commitments at that time.”
US pop star Madonna has moved to Lisbon so her 11-yearold son David can join the youth academy at top football club Benfica, local media reported Thursday.
“Madonna is no longer a tourist, she now lives in Lisbon,” the weekly magazine Visao said, republishing several pictures taken from her Instagram account of the singer visiting Portugal over the last couple of months.
Coming back after a three-week break, Aditi Ashok got off to a flying start with a card of four-under 68 in the first round of the Cambia Portland Classic.
Rookie Aditi had five birdies, including three on the back nine for the 68 that placed her tied-8th and just two shots behind the leader Korea’s In Gee Chun on a crowded leaderboard.
With the aim to improve India’s medals tally in the 2020 Olympic Games, the sports ministry will soon constitute a 12-member Empowered Steering Committee (ESC). The panel will coordinate with all stakeholders for effective performance at the world level, including the 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games. A 15-point agenda includes overseeing the core probables’ list in high-priority disciplines and conceptualising specific training programmes for selected disciplines that have potential for podium finish in the Olympics.
Eleven-year-old Divya Deshmukh emerged winner in the the girls’ U-12 category at the World Cadets Chess Championship in Brazil. Divya drew with top-seeded compatriot Rakshitta Ravi in the eleventh on Thursday to win the coveted title. She scored a total of 9.5 points to give India its only medal in the championship this year.