Category: Sports

Jerome Boateng, who helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, joined on Wednesday France’s Olympique Lyon on a free transfer.

“Olympique Lyonnais are very happy to announce the arrival of the German international defender Jerome Boateng,” the French football club said in a statement.

Lyon added that the central defender penned a two-season deal that will keep him at the Groupama Stadium until June 30, 2023.

Boateng was a longtime Bayern Munich player (2011-2021), but became a free agent this summer, leaving the German powerhouse in July.

Before Bayern Munich, he played for German clubs Hertha Berlin, and Hamburg, and England’s Manchester City.

The 32-year-old claimed the 2011 English FA Cup with City.

He spent fruitful years at Bayern Munich, winning two UEFA Champions League, and nine German Bundesliga titles, five German Cups, two FIFA Club World Cup trophies, and two UEFA Super Cups.

His half-brother Kevin-Prince Boateng is also a professional footballer and is currently playing for Hertha Berlin.

Source: Anadolu Agency

2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen from Finland will retire at the end of the season, F1 said on Wednesday.

“Kimi Raikkonen announces this will be his final season in F1,” it said on Twitter.

Raikkonen, 41, is currently racing for Alfa Romeo Racing.

He entered 344 Grands Prix in the F1 and won the world championship with Ferrari.

Raikkonen has made 103 podiums, including 21 Grands Prix victories.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Barcelona have given their number 10 shirt to teenage forward Ansu Fati after Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain, the Spanish football club confirmed on Wednesday.

“Ansu Fati has a new shirt number. After wearing the number 22 then 17, the young Barça striker will proudly wear the number 10 shirt — a famous jersey previously worn by legends such as Leo Messi, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo,” Barcelona said in a statement.

“Despite being just 18 years of age and still recovering from injury, Ansu Fati forms part of Barça’s history as a record breaker and also with the Spanish national side,” it added.

Fati, who was born in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau, moved to Spain and became a citizen in 2019.

He has produced 13 goals and five assists in 43 appearances for Barca.

Just six days after his debut for the first team, Fati became the youngest ever player to net in the league for Barca.

Fati also became the UEFA Champions League’s youngest goalscorer in a 2-1 win against Inter Milan — at the age of 17 years and 40 days.

In August, Argentine superstar Messi joined PSG, signing a two-year deal with an option of a third-year.

Messi led Barca to 10 La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles from 2004 to 2021 during his sensational career in the Spanish club.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey on Tuesday defeated Poland 3-0 to advance to the semifinals of the 2021 CEV Women’s European Volleyball Championship.

Turkey’s national women’s volleyball team won the quarterfinal game with the sets of 25-18, 25-14, 25-23 at the Kolodruma Sports Hall in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The Turkish national team will face the winner of the Serbia-France game in the semifinal on Sept. 3.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Real Madrid snapped up Rennes’ promising midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on Tuesday.

The Spanish La Liga club said in a statement that the clubs agreed for Camavinga’s transfer and the 18-year-old French central midfielder signed a contract that will keep him at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for six seasons, until June 30, 2027.

Camavinga is a pure Rennes product as he was promoted to the French Ligue 1 club’s senior team from its reserves in 2019.

He played 88 matches to score two goals and produce five assists for Rennes.

Camavinga made his France debut in 2020.

He had three international caps to score one goal for “Les Bleus” (The Blues).

Source: Anadolu Agency

Top tennis players won their games in the first day of the 2021 US Open late Monday.

World No.2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia beat French Richard Gasquet with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win to move to the second round.

No.3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece advanced to the next round with a 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in four hours and 49 minutes over 2012 US Open winner Andy Murray from Britain.

Osaka, Sabalenka move to 2nd round in women’s singles

World No.3 Naomi Osaka from Japan started the US Open women’s singles with a victory after beating the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-1 in the first round.

No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus advanced to the next round by defeating Nina Stojanovic from Serbia 6-4, 6-7, 6-0 in two hours and 24 minutes.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers draw was unveiled Tuesday at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Miles, Switzerland.

The draw was set across the four regions in Africa, Americas, Asia-Oceania, and Europe.

Defending champions Spain will play in Group G against Georgia, North Macedonia and Ukraine in the European region.

Also in Europe, Turkey will face Belarus, Great Britain and Greece in Group B.

The draw for the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers:

Europe

Group A:

Serbia

Slovakia

Belgium

Latvia

Group B:

Belarus

Great Britain

Greece

Turkey

Group C:

Croatia

Sweden

Finland

Slovenia

Group D:

Israel

Germany

Estonia

Poland

Group E:

France

Portugal

Hungary

Montenegro

Group F:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Lithuania

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Group G:

Georgia

North Macedonia

Spain

Ukraine

Group H:

Russia

Netherlands

Iceland

Italy

Africa

Group A:

Cape Verde

Mali

Uganda

Nigeria

Group B:

South Sudan

Cameroon

Tunisia

Rwanda

Group C:

Cote d’Ivoire

Guinea

Central Africa Republic

Angola

Group D:

Kenya

Senegal

Egypt

Congo

Americas

Group A:

Argentina

Venezuela

Panama

Paraguay

Group B:

Brazil

Uruguay

Colombia

Chile

Group C:

Canada

Dominican Republic

Virgin Islands

Bahamas

Group D:

USA

Puerto Rico

Mexico

Cuba

Asia/Oceania

Group A:

New Zealand

South Korea

Philippines

India

Group B:

Australia

China

Japan

Chinese Taipei

Group C:

Jordan

Lebanon

Indonesia

Saudi Arabia

Group D:

Iran

Kazakhstan

Syria

Bahrain

Source: Anadolu Agency