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Issue 285, Friday 25 January 2013 - 13 Rabi' al-Awwal 1434 Sport in Brief Boxing Amir Khan has hinted that he may scrap plans to retire in two years, to fulfil his ambitions in boxing. Khan had always said that he would retire at 28 but after consecutive losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia the Bolton fighter has had to reassess. Khan has started to rebuild his career, with an impressive win against Carlos Molina last month, and still wants to win titles at light-welterweight and welterweight. Khan has said that he wants a rematch with Danny Garcia at some point in 2013. Cricket The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold its first International Super League Twenty20 tournament from March 26 to April 7 but it is not clear whether any overseas players have agreed to participate in the event.
Tennis WTA Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia (Dec 30 – Jan 6):
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands lift their Brisbane trophy
Sania Mirza and her partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands had a superb start to the season as they lifted the WTA Brisbane International trophy with a come-from-behind win against Kveta Peschke and Anna-Lena Groenefeld. The second seeded Indo-American pair erased the first set deficit to down the fourth seeded rivals 4-6 6-4 10-7 in the summit showdown of the $1,000,000 event. It was Mirza’s first doubles title of the season while 15th of her career. Mirza and Mattek earned 470 ranking points each and shared USD 51,022 as prize money. Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia, (Jan 14-27): Qualifying – 3rd Round: Lesia Tsurenko, Ukrain, def Cagla Buyukakcay, Turkey, 6-3, 61. Qualifiers: Men’s Singles – 1st round: Denys Molchanov, Ukraine, def. Farrukh Dustov, Uzbekistan, 7-6, 6-4. 3rd Round: Ruben Bemelmans, Belgium, def Marsel Ilhan, Turkey, 7-6, 6-4.
Squash World PSA World Championship: Doha, Qatar, (December):
Egypt’s Ramy Ashour is now the new world champion after beating compatriot Mohamed El-Shorbagy in the World Squash Championship final in Doha
Egyptian squash star Ramy Ashour is now the new world champion and world number one after winning a dramatic five-game final against compatriot Mohamed El-Shorbagy in the tournament final on World Squash Championship final in Doha. Ashour stepped up to his countryman El-Shorbagy, knocking him out of the first-ever all-Egyptian, with 3-2 (2/11, 11/6, 11/5, 9/11 and 11/8). Ashour and El-Shorbagy had knocked out Englishmen Nick Matthew and James Willstrop in the semi-finals.
Football Iran football coach Carlos Queiroz has slammed FIFA’s international fixture for countries outside the world’s governing football body. “One of the most difficult things that we face in Asia are the long distances,” said the former Real Madrid coach. The Portuguese national is attempting to take Iran to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “FIFA... gives you five days to prepare the team. If you spend four days travelling, you have one day to prepare the team,” he said. His squad will travel to Qatar on June 4. It will then have one week to prepare to host Lebanon, and a week later, it will leave for a South Korean trip. “You cannot believe that the FIFA rules were made to support nations like Iran,” Queiroz added. “The FIFA rules were made to support Germany, England and Portugal. So if they keep following the international rules, they won’t get anywhere,” said Queiroz. January transfer: West Ham signed striker Marouane Chamakh on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season. Chamakh, 28, struggled to claim a regular place in the Arsenal first team after initially impressing following a free transfer from Bordeaux in 2010. Asmir Begovic has shrugged off speculation surrounding his future, claiming he is happy to stick around at Stoke City. The Bosnian has become the most sought-after goalkeeper with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, all believed to be keen on acquiring his services.
Toulouse’s Moussa Sissoko (right) is rumoured to be heading to Sunderland while Bosnia’s goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has been linked to Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Sunderland is hoping to pip a number of rivals for the signature of Moussa Sissoko. The Frenchman is in the final six months of his contract at Toulouse, and he is set to end his long association with his boyhood club. Sissoko has in the past been linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Spur, whilst Juventus want him in Italy. But, according to The Mirror, Martin O’Neill plans to lure the midfielder to the Stadium of Light before the end of the month. Liverpool could be set to snap up Zinedine Zidane’s son, 17-year-old son Enzo from Real Madrid, as they prepare to offer the youngster a two-month trial. Zidane Jr, who usually goes by the name of Enzo Fernandez to avoid comparisons with his father, plays for Real Madrid’s reserve side Castilla, having been at the club since he was just 9-years-old.
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