Louisville ready to Pakistan’s Diana ‘welcome the hunts for glory in world’ to Ali cricket and football services THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 201616 17 Star-studded Belgium think ‘big’ at Euro Page 19 ILLINOIS: USA’s Clint Dempsey shoots to score a penalty against Costa Rica during their Copa America Centenario football tournament in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on Tuesday. — AFP Dempsey nets 50th as US rout Costa Rica Colombia first team to book place in last eight PASADENA: Colombia became the first side to Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quar- added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball world-class save in the 62nd minute, the Colombia ter-finals on Tuesday after beating Paraguay in and improve the hosts’ goal difference. “It was Patrick Pemberton. The third goal came five min- in midfield and strode forward before slotting the goalkeeper diving full stretch to turn a header Pasadena, while the United States kept their hopes important for us to get off to an early start,” said utes later and once again it was Dempsey who set ball home from 15 yards. around the post. Paraguay continued to dominate of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Dempsey. “Once the second went in and the third it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a In the second Group A game, played at the Rose the second half and were rewarded when midfield- Colombia’s 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six we got into a bit of a rhythm.” one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 er Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rock- points, with the United States on three and the oth- Dempsey got the first, his 50th international home a low drive from 15 yards out. lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the et in the 71st minute. However, they could not er two teams on one point each. goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter- second. Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box finals in 2014, improved in the second half with minute with a header before James Rodriguez dou- three points and claim a berth in the next round. United States were in clinical form against the with six minutes gone. Dempsey was involved in captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, bled Colombia’s lead with a left-foot strike on the Paraguay must now beat the United States on Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the Americans’ second after 36 minutes when his but they were ineffective in the last third of the half-hour mark. Paraguay gradually played their Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to field. Ruiz hit the post with a header midway way back into the match and hit the woodwork quarters. — Reuters Sharapova banned for two years by ITF Former Nigeria captain, coach Stephen Keshi dead LONDON: The career of Russian former world number that it boosted blood flow and enhanced athletic one Maria Sharapova was in tatters yesterday after performance. ABUJA: Stephen Keshi, Nigerian soc- she was given a two-year ban by the International Sharapova, the world’s highest-paid female ath- cer’s charismatic and outspoken “Big Tennis Federation (ITF) following her positive test for lete, stunned the sporting world in March when she Boss” who won African Cup titles as the banned drug meldonium at this year’s Australian announced that she had tested positive for meldo- both captain and coach of his country, died early yesterday. He was 54. Open. In a statement the ITF said the 29-year-old five- nium, a drug she said she had been taking for a Keshi, one of only two men to win times grand slam champion’s ban would be backdat- decade to treat diabetes and low magnesium. At the the African Cup of Nations as a player ed to Jan. 26 this year, meaning her results and prize time Sharapova, the highest-profile tennis player to and a coach, died after being rushed to money from the Australian Open, where she reached fail an anti-doping test, said she had made “a huge the hospital in Benin City in southern the quarter-finals, would be cancelled out. Sharapova mistake” blaming her failure to read an email sent by Nigeria late Tuesday night, the Nigerian said she would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for the ITF that meldonium had been added to the Football Federation said. Sport (CAS), describing the punishment as “unfairly banned list. Sharapova, who could have been given a “This is devastating. We have lost a harsh”. She said an independent tribunal in London four-year ban, reacted to the punishment on her superhero,” NFF president Amaju on May 18-19 had found that she had not intentional- Facebook page. “The ITF spent tremendous amounts Pinnick said in a statement. The federa- ly violated anti-doping rules. In a statement on its of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally tion said Keshi died of suspected heart Stephen Keshi website the ITF said the ban had been backdated due violated the anti-doping rules and the tribunal con- problems and was experiencing an to Sharapova’s ‘prompt admission’ of her violation. cluded I did not,” she said. “You need to know that the irregular heartbeat and pain in his legs with his NFF bosses. But Keshi was so “An Independent Tribunal appointed under Article ITF asked the tribunal to suspend me for four years- when he was taken to the hospital. He popular that former Nigerian President 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has the required suspension for an intentional violation- was preparing to fly back to his home Goodluck Jonathan once personally found that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti- and the tribunal rejected the ITF’s position. “While the in the United States. intervened to make sure he remained Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentional- Keshi had lost his wife to cancer late as national coach. Programme and as a consequence has disqualified ly violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an last year. The South African and Ghana As a tall, heavily-built central the affected results and imposed a period of ineligibil- unfairly harsh two-year suspension.” federations, and English club Chelsea, defender, Keshi led Nigeria’s golden ity of two years, commencing on 26 January 2016,” the Sharapova’s career now hangs in the balance. were among those to pay tribute to age of players to the African Cup title in statement said. “Ms. Sharapova, a 29-year-old player Unless her ban is reduced she will not be eligible to Keshi. Keshi captained Nigeria to the Tunisia in 1994 and to the brink of the from Russia, provided a urine sample on 26 January play until after the 2018 Australian Open when she African Cup title in 1994 and was coach World Cup quarterfinals the same year 2016, after her quarter-final match at the 2016 would be 30. The ban will also impact on her earning when Nigeria won again in 2013. He in the United States. That team con- Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia. “That sam- potential. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer cut its ties also coached the Togo and Mali nation- tained the likes of Finidi George, Jay-Jay ple was sent to the WADA-accredited laboratory in with Sharapova after the news of her doping violation al teams. He had immediate success Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Rashidi Montreal, Canada, for analysis, and was found to con- while other sponsors such as Nike and Porsche dis- when he turned his hand to coaching, Yekini. “Horrible news & Sad day as Our tain meldonium, which is a metabolic modulator that tanced themselves from her. Sharapova has 35 WTA guiding Togo to the World Cup for the legendary Captain & brother Stephen is included under section S4 (Hormone and Metabolic singles titles and has won all four of the sport’s grand first time in 2006. Keshi dies,” Oliseh, Keshi’s former team- Modulators) of the 2016 WADA Prohibited List, and slam titles. Although he brought success back mate and successor as Nigeria coach, therefore is also prohibited under the Programme.” Her career earnings amount to $36 million while to Nigeria, his time in charge of his wrote on Twitter. “We lost an iconic Meldonium was added to WADA’s list of banned her off-court earnings, according to Forbes, are home nation was marked by disputes Hero 2day.” —AP substances at the start of the year after evidence around $200 million. —Reuters Maria Sharapova.