Sports

Premier League: Arsenal beat Forest to move second, Newcastle stun Villa

Published

4 months ago

31/01/2024

LONDON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — Arsenal moved to the second place in the Premier League standings on Tuesday night following a 2-1 win away to Nottingham Forest.

The home side defended solidly for 65 minutes until a loss of concentration from a long throw that allowed Gabriel Jesus to collect the ball, turn and score from a narrow angle.

Martin Odegaard then started a move in the 72nd minute following a poor clearance, which allowed Jesus to set up Bukayo Saka to score Arsenal’s second.

Forest offered very little going forward until the last minute when Taiwo Awoniyi fired a close-range shot into the bottom corner.

Anthony Gordon inspired Newcastle United to an impressive 3-1 win away to Aston Villa, with the winger involved in all of his side’s three goals.

Fabian Scharr scored twice for Newcastle, heading in from a corner that Gordon had won, and then reacting to turn in a powerful shot from the former Everton winger before halftime.

Alex Moreno then turned Gordon’s low shot into his own net. Although Ollie Watkins gave Villa hope with a 71st minute strike from Leon Baliey’s cross, Newcastle hung on to move up to seventh.

Luton Town produced a stunning display to move out of the bottom three with a 4-0 home win over Brighton.

Elijah Adebayo opened the scoring in the first minute and it was 2-0 just two minutes later thanks to Chiedozie Ogbene. Adebayo scored his second of the night in the 42nd minute and finished off an impressive hat-trick 10 minutes into the second half.

The win lifted Luton above Everton, despite Everton’s solid defensive display to earn a 0-0 draw away to Fulham in a game where Fulham had the best of possession and chances.

Michael Olise hit an impressive 67th minute winner from a ball bouncing at the edge of the penalty area as Crystal Palace twice came back from behind to win 3-2 at home to the bottom side Sheffield United.

Ben Brereton opened the scoring for Sheffield with his second goal for the club in the opening minute. Eberechi Eze leveled in the 17th minute. James McAtee restored Sheffield’s lead three minutes later, but Eze’s second of the game made it 2-2 in the 27th minute.

Olise’ goal in the 67th minute gifted Crystal Palace the win which lifts some pressure on coach Roy Hodgson, whose job has been under threat in recent weeks.

Manchester City face Burnley and Liverpool meet Chelsea on Wednesday night.

Source(s): Xinhua

Sports

The table tennis star Dheema, first Maldivian athlete to qualify for Olympics

Published

12 hours ago

18/05/2024

The table tennis star, Fathimath Dheema Ali, who will be partaking in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, has received a warm welcome upon returning to Male’ City. Dheema showcased her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications. Her triumph signifies a momentous milestone for the Maldives in the realm of international sports.

Upon arrival back to the Maldives, the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and senior officials of the ministry along with the President of Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) Mohamed Abdul Sattar and key figures from the Table Tennis Association of the Maldives extended their heartfelt and warm welcomes to Dheema. The minister organised a special ceremony held in the Youth Centre, commemorating the groundbreaking achievement of Dheema.

Speaking at the ceremony, President of the table Tennis Association Ali Rasheed rejoiced, stating that Dheema’s historic performance marked a significant milestone in the history of the Maldives. Highlighting that this remarkable victory was a result of 10 years of her unwavering commitment and dedication, Ali affirmed that the administration and countries in which she received training played a pivotal role for her success. On this stance, he expressed heartfelt gratitude towards all who were engaged in assisting to ensure this significant opportunity was secured.

While Dheema successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, previously Maldivian athletes competed in the games in invitational (tripartite) opportunities provided. As such, Maldivian athletes have been actively participating and competing in athletics, badminton and swimming since 1988.

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Minister announces survey for 20-year sports development plan

Published

3 days ago

15/05/2024

Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has announced a special survey for the Maldives’ 20-year sports development plan.

The draft plan was developed in February and focuses on cultivating top athletes by training coaches in schools, hosting major tournaments in the Maldives, and expanding sports associations’ activities in the atolls.

At a press conference, Minister Rafiu highlighted ongoing collaboration with sports associations. He said that detailed work on the long-term policy is available on the ministry’s website. He also said that the survey is a critical part of the process and spans 22 pages and requires time for completion by each association.

Additionally, Minister Rafiu mentioned agreements with Malaysia for training athletes and administrators. He also said that discussions about the plan have taken place with France, and talks are ongoing with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Mbappe announces PSG departure at end of season

Published

1 week ago

11/05/2024

MARSEILLE, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, without revealing his next destination.

But according to multiple media reports, he will join the La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid after the season ends.

“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe said in a video posted on social media.

“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

The French international joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 and officially signed with the capital-based side after the season ended for a transfer fee of 180 million euros.

During his seven years with the team, Mbappe helped the club claim six league titles and three French Cup victories, making 306 appearances and scoring 255 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team’s history.

“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honor to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said the 26-year-old.

“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that… but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title of this season and reached the French Cup final, where they will compete for the championship against Lyon on May 25th.

However, in the Champions League where the team most aspired to make a mark, they suffered another disappointing exit as they were eliminated in the semifinals after being defeated in both legs by Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Source(s): Xinhua