Podolski hits brace on J-League debut

TOKYO, July 29, (AFP): German World Cup winner Lukas Podolski needed just 49 minutes to score on his J-League debut on Saturday and went on to grab a brace for his new side Vissel Kobe. The 32-year-old striker missed with a free-kick in the first half but smashed his first goal -the game’s opener -- to put Kobe on the way to a 3-1 win over Omiya Ardija.

Thirteen minutes later he scored with a header, to the delight of home fans who have high expectations of their big-name signing, reported to be on a contract worth $5.3 million a year.

“I can’t put into words how happy I am that I scored two goals and we won 3-1 in my first game,” Podolski said, according to Kyodo News.

“This is my first step and I want to keep moving forward,” said the veteran of three World Cups and the scorer of 49 goals for Germany. while other boys and girls participated via satellite from Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

“Sharing my love of basketball with thousands of boys and girls across India was an unbelievable experience,” Durant said. “It was an honor to coach these amazing kids and to be a part of this special day.”

Durant, making his first trip to India, is supporting the growth of basketball in the country. While in Delhi, he has coached top prospects at the NBA Academy India and built two new courts at a school as part of his foundation’s “Build It And They Will Ball” Courts Renovation Initiative.

“Sports (have) the ability to unite people, and this record-setting NBA clinic led by Finals MVP Kevin Durant helped us connect young basketball players throughout the country in a single event,” said NBA India managing director Yannick Colaco.

The NBA Academy India, which opened in May, builds on the league’s existing initiatives in India. The Reliance Foundation Junior NBA program has reached more than 6 million children and trained more than 5,000 physical education instructors nationwide since its launch in 2013.