Brazil welcomes back Neymar
Neymar was back in training yesterday to give Brazil a big boost ahead of the World Cup.
Neymar has been sidelined since February after having surgery on his right foot but spent an hour training on the main pitch at Brazil’s Granja Comary training ground in Teresopolis, outside Rio de Janeiro.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker was joined by Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Danilo as he took part in drills, using his recovering foot to dribble cones and shoot from long and close range. Neymar was cleared to take part in training after undergoing a medical exams earlier yesterday. All Brazil players but the three have arrived. Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino and Real Madrid left back Marcelo and midfielder Casemiro will complete the squad on Monday in London after they play the Champions League final on Saturday . . . .
FIFA has found insufficient evidence of doping by any players in Russia’s World Cup squad but continues to investigate other footballers in the country.
In an investigation sparked by World Anti-Doping Agency evidence, FIFA has been examining doping samples provided by Russian players seized from a Moscow laboratory along with information from former chemist Grigory Rodchenkov and the whistleblower’s database.
It had prioritized giving a verdict on the players set to feature for Russia at the World Cup, which kicks off in Moscow on June 14. Russia last week named a provisional 28-man squad, plus seven reserves . . . .
Ghana President Nana AkufoAddo has ordered police to arrest football federation head Kwesi Nyantakyi, a member of the powerful FIFA Council, over allegations of fraud.
Nyantakyi is president of the Ghana Football Association, a vice president of the Confederation of African Football, and has been a member of the ruling FIFA Council since 2016 . ...
Italian club AC Milan faces UEFA sanctions after an attempt to reach a settlement over a breach of financial fair play regulations was rejected by European football’s governing body.
Possible punishments include limits on transfer spending, player salaries, and squad sizes for UEFA competitions.
Colleges: Louisville exit
Louisville basketball reserve forward Lance Thomas has been granted his unconditional release to transfer from the program in order to “look at other options.” The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Thomas averaged 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 4.2 minutes in 12 games last season as a Cardinals freshman . . . .
Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen says the contract for football coach Willie Fritz has been extended by two years through the 2023 season.
The extension comes after two years at the helm for Fritz, who has improved Tulane’s victory total in each campaign, but has yet to win more than five games in a season. The Green Wave fell inches short of a winning touchdown on the final play of the final game that would’ve made them bowl eligible at 6-6.
Tennis: Thiem prevails
Top-seeded Dominic Thiem defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Lyon Open quarterfinals in Lyon, France.
Thiem, a serious contender at the French Open which starts on Sunday, will next face Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who beat Calvin Hemery 7-6 (4), 6-3 at the clay-court event.
Qualifier Filip Horansky advanced to the second round after posting his first victory on the main ATP tour, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over seventh-seeded Joao Sousa.
Misc.: Molina banned
American heavyweight Eric Molina was banned for two years for failing a drug test after losing to Anthony Joshua in December 2016, U.K. Anti-Doping said.
Molina tested positive for dexamethasone, a corticosteroid which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for in-competition use, in a routine test after the IBF heavyweight title bout at Manchester Arena.
Molina, who was stopped by Joshua in the third round to fall to 26-5, did not deny taking the substance or contest the anti-doping rule violation, but he did question the length of the ban. His scheduled fight on Friday against Mariusz Wach in Warsaw, Poland, was suspended . . . .
Simon Yates is still in control of the Giro d’Italia cycling race after the British rider limited his losses to closest rival Tom Dumoulin in the individual time trial.
Dumoulin was more than two minutes behind Yates heading into the 16th stage and, as a time trial specialist, it was thought to be his best chance of taking the pink jersey from the Mitchelton-Scott cyclist. However, Yates still leads Dumoulin by 56 seconds heading into the final five stages. Domenico Pozzovivo remained third but slipped 3:11 behind Yates.
Rohan Dennis of Australia won the 21-mile time trial from Trento to Rovereto, Italy, beating Tony Martin by 14 seconds. Dumoulin was third, 22 seconds behind the BMC Racing Team cyclist.
The Giro ends in Rome on Sunday.