AUSTRALIAN OPEN RETURN BECKONS NEW MOTHER SERENA

New mum Serena Williams has accepted a place at the Australian Open and is “anticipated to return” to the tournament in January, less than five months after giving birth, organisers said Friday. The defending women’s champion was among 98 of the 100 top women, and all of the men’s top 100, to be “confirmed” for the season’s opening Grand Slam, they said.

Russia’s world number 12 Svetlana Kuznetsova will miss the event as she recovers from wrist surgery.

SYDNEY:

J&K ATHLETE GUILTY OF SEXUAL ABUSE

: A 25-year-old Indian sportsman, arrested in the US on charges of sexually abusing a minor girl, has avoided trial by pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and would be deported, authorities said. Tanveer Hussain, a snowshoe racer from Kashmir, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony.

NEW YORK

GYMNASTICS DOCTOR JAILED FOR 60 YEARS

Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar -accused of sexually assaulting more than 100 young girls in his care, including members of the gold-medal winning US Olympic team -- was sentenced to 60 years in prison for child pornography.

WASHINGTON:

KANCHANMALA WINS GOLD IN PARA SWIM

Visually impaired swimmer Kanchanmala Pande became the first Indian to clinch a gold medal at the World Para Swimming Championship in Mexico. She won the 200m medley event in S-11 category.

MUMBAI:

5 MEDALS FOR INDIA IN ASIAN AIRGUN MEET

India collected five medals on the first day of the 10th Asian Airgun Shooting Championships but Gagan Narang missed out on an individual podium finish in Wako City, Japan. Ravi Kumar won an individual bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle, Arjun Babuta won silver in the corresponding junior men’s event. India also bagged three team silver medals in each of the three air rifle events.

NEW DELHI: