Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Indian Super League (ISL) Cup winners Mumbai City FC have signed Nikolaos Karelis on a one-year contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. Karelis began his journey with Greek side Ergotelis at age 16, making his debut on the final day of the 2007–08 Greek Super League season and becoming the youngest player ever fielded for Ergotelis in a league match. He has showcased his skills extensively and successfully for Greek clubs like Panathinaikos, PAOK, and, most recently, Panetolikos, whom he captained.

Outside Greece, Karelis has featured in other top European countries, including stints with Genk (Belgian Jupiler Pro League), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands Eredivisie), Brentford (English Championship), and Amkar Perm (Russian Premier League).

The 32-year-old has also made his mark in the UEFA Europa League group stages, featuring in the event for both Panathinaikos and Genk and scoring four goals in 12 appearances. Throughout his club career spanning 361 games, Karelis has been known for his all-round game and contributing in the final third, with 103 goals and 29 assists.

Before turning out for the Greece senior national team, Karelis regularly played and scored for the national youth teams, netting 15 times in 43 appearances. In his full international debut with the senior team, he scored against Finland in Helsinki during the UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers. He represented his country in 19 matches, scoring three goals.

Karelis will look to bring his leadership, distinctive playing style, and extensive experience, in his eagerness to contribute to Mumbai City’s ambitions for the upcoming season.

“I am thrilled to embark on this new journey in a culturally rich country. I have heard many wonderful things about Mumbai City FC and can’t wait to join the club. The team has achieved significant success over the past few years, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success in the upcoming season. I look forward to being part of this dynamic team and playing in front of their passionate fans,” Karelis said in a statement.

Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky said, “Nikos is a highly talented player who perfectly matches the requirements we expect from our forwards. He has experience playing in various European countries and has consistently proven his calibre in different leagues. We trust his capabilities greatly and are excited to have him with us at the club for the upcoming season. We believe his skills and experience will be valuable to our team.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Ahead of their second match against higher-ranked Myanmar, Indian women’s team head coach Chaoba Devi feels that her players need to focus on their finishing skills after missing plenty of scoring opportunities in the narrow 1-2 defeat in the opening match.

“Minimising our mistakes in the next match, and taking collective responsibility is the key to winning tomorrow’s match at any cost. We need to concentrate on our finishing. This is one area where we faced problems in the Turkish Women’s Cup and the tour of Uzbekistan, too,” the coach said.

“We did some serious work on this during the Kolkata camp, but I feel we need more time to improve this area,” she added.

On Tuesday, Myanmar took an early lead in the 14th minute with a header from Win Theingi Tun off a corner kick. Pyari Xaxa equalised for India in the 58th minute. However, San Thaw Thaw scored the decisive goal for Myanmar in the 74th minute through yet another set-piece, a free-kick this time. Despite India’s best efforts several chances created by Anju Tamang, Sangita Basfore, and Soumya Guguloth, India couldn’t break the Myanmar defence any further.

When asked about the opponents, Chaoba said, “Their strong point is their quality touches and penetrating passes. We need to block their penetrating runs and passes. They are technically a strong side. We had many good chances in the first half, but our lack of finishing cost us dear. We have to improve it in the next match.”

Pyari, who scored the lone goal for India, said the spirited effort of the team can shift the result of the match in their favour.

“We had a good game overall, but we committed some mistakes. But we are working very hard to rectify such mistakes for the next game. All the girls are focussed on getting the result in the second game. We need to play together and help each other. If we can do that, we can definitely win this match.

“The coaches have been extremely supportive of us. We all want to give our hundred per cent for our country and hopefully, we’ll get a good result tomorrow,” Pyari said.

The second and final FIFA friendly match between India and Myanmar will be played at Yangon’s Thuwunna Stadium on Friday. The match will be streamed live on the Pyone Play YouTube Channel.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Australia’s left-arm fast-bowler Mitchell Starc said he was unhappy over being dropped for the Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan last month, adding that fielding eventually led to the side’s surprise 21-run defeat at St Vincent.

Australia had replaced Starc with left-arm spin all-rounder Ashton Agar for the crucial game against Afghanistan to tie down their batters on a slow spin-aiding pitch. But that move didn’t yield desired results as Agar didn’t pick any wickets, with openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran having an opening stand of 118 runs, their third century stand of the competition.

“No – two World Cups in a row. Just the match-up, they saw previous games on that ground in St Vincent with spin playing a part and obviously Ash and the left-armer enticing them to make a change I think Ash bowled pretty well in the power play.

“They probably played the spin quite well and batting first probably assessed the conditions a little bit better than we did, and had a couple of stumbles that in the end cost us the game. It was probably the fielding that cost us again that game. That meant we had to win against India and we fell short there as well,” said Starc to the Willow Talk podcast.

After a sloppy fielding show, Australia’s batting crumbled in face of captain Rashid Khan and seam bowling all-rounder Gulbadin Naib to lose the game, which jeopardised their semi-finals hopes. After that, Australia suffered a defeat to eventual champions India in their last Super Eight game at St Lucia, which confirmed their exit from the competition.

Starc, who won IPL 2024 with the Kolkata Knight Riders, was also displeased with the scheduling and pre-seeding arrangements in the tournament that saw Australia advance to the hectic Super Eights stage in the Group 1, a pre-determined move despite topping Group B.

“We finished ahead of England and end up where we were pre-seeded as the second side. All of a sudden, you’re in a different group. The argument was it was because it was so hard to get around the West Indies, so fans knew where your team was playing. So then why don’t you have the chock-a-block tournament at the front and then spread it out at the back end?

“We had the two night games and the third was a day game, so it wasn’t the best preparation. We had a delayed flight out of St Vincent, it was a 90-minute drive from the airport to the hotel in St Lucia, and then we had a 10 o’clock toss.

“I think that was probably maybe a misread (by organisers), the fact that the front half of the tournament was more spread out, and then you hit the super eights and travel around the West Indies is probably not the easiest thing to do, certainly not to travel home from,” concluded Starc.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Indian Racing Festival, a motorsport event in India gearing up for its third season, received a major shot in the arm with former India cricket captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly becoming an owner of the Kolkata Royal Tigers Racing team ahead of the 2024 season.

With eight city-based teams — Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Kochi, and Ahmedabad — set to compete from August to November this year.

Kolkata is set to participate for the first time, adding an extra layer of excitement to the competition.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the association, Ganguly said “I am truly excited to embark on this journey with the Kolkata team in the Indian Racing Festival. Motorsports has always been a passion of mine while this opportunity not only allows me to contribute to the growth of motorsport in Kolkata but also aligns with my belief in fostering a culture of excellence and sportsmanship.

“Together with the Kolkata Royal Tigers, we aim to build a strong legacy in the Indian Racing Festival and inspire a new generation of motorsport enthusiasts, making the Kolkata Royal Tigers a formidable force in the Festival”

The Indian Racing Festival, conceptualised by Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd., is a meticulously curated motorsport event designed to captivate the growing motorsport fan base in India. The festival encompasses two main championships: the Indian Racing League (IRL) and the Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC).

“We are thrilled to announce Sourav Ganguly as the owner of the Kolkata franchise. His visionary leadership and commitment to excellence, shaped by years of legendary cricketing success, brings unparalleled dynamism to the Indian Racing Festival. Ganguly’s influence is set to inspire a new generation of motorsport enthusiasts across India, igniting passion and driving young athletes towards greatness.

“Additionally, his association is expected to significantly enhance awareness of the Indian Racing Festival (IRF) among a broader audience, further solidifying its position as a premier motorsport event in India,” stated Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of RPPL.

Ganguly, who has an illustrious career representing India in over 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, is known for his ability to nurture young talent and lead teams to victory. His involvement in the Indian Racing Festival, alongside his ownership of Indian Super League side ATK Mohun Bagan, underscores his commitment to fostering sports in India.

He also urged fans to come out in large numbers to watch the races and support the drivers.

–IANS

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Munich, July 11 (IANS) Bayern Munich have signed Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha from Premier League club Fulham on a four-year deal.

The 29-year-old, who joined Fulham in 2022, has appeared in 79 Premier League games in all competitions, as well as 31 for Portugal’s senior side.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life. I’m now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe. It’s a dream come true for me, and I’m very proud of that. I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans at the Allianz Arena. I want to enjoy success with FC Bayern and win titles – I’ll give it my all,” Palhinha said in a statement.

After Bayer Leverkusen interrupted Bayern’s 11-year stint as Bundesliga champions, the club appointed Vincent Kompany as coach.

Palhinha is Bayern’s second significant Premier League signing of the close season, following the acquisition of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

“Joao Palhinha was highly sought after by FC Bayern even last summer – and rightly so. It was important that we never lost touch. Joao really wanted to come to Bayern, and we need players like that,” Max Eberl, FC Bayern board member for sport.

“He’s an important building block for our future. He’s once again demonstrated his strengths on the big stage at the Euros and brings a lot of experience, having previously played at a Euros and World Cup, and making around 300 appearances in the Portuguese and English leagues. He will give us greater stability in the centre,” he added.

–IANS

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