6 June 11, 2016

Iran’s Esteqlal and Iranian Investment Fund Makes Italy’s Inter Offer to Buy Marseille Football Clubs Sign PARIS (FNA) - According to France Cooperation Agreements Football, an Iranian investment fund TEHRAN (IRNA) – A cooperation talented football players. has made an “extremely concrete” of- agreement was signed on Wednesday Bahram Afsharzadeh, the fer to acquire Ligue 1 football club between Iran’s Esteqlal and Italy’s caretaker of Esteqlal club, Shahrokh Olympique de Marseille. football clubs. Sabokdast, a member of the board Current owner Margarita Louis- Under the terms of the agreement, of directors of the club and Abbas Dreyfus is currently looking to sell the the two clubs will cooperate on Kordnouri, the head of Esteqlal club, having already rejected several youth teams or academies for Academy, represented the club at offers from multiple individuals. She discovering and training young the signing ceremony. wants €40m in order to part with the club. OM are taking their time to assess the specifics of this Iranian offer, nota- Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei bly to ensure that the finances on offer from this investment fund are above board. Retakes World No. 1 Title The offer is not directly from the KUALA LUMPUR (Xinhua) grabbing three champions in a Iranian government, a different sort of -- Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong row and was undefeated during offer therefore when compared to the Wei retook the world No. 1 in the Thomas Cup. one that led to PSG’s purchase in 2011 men’s singles following a strong However, Lee has withdrawn on behalf of the Qatari government. performance recently, according from the Australia Open this There is however no doubt that the to the latest rankings released by week. Olympique Marseille logo Iranian government will have their the Badminton World Federation After Lee retook the world eye on the situation. (BWF) here on Thursday. No. 1, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei Lee overtook China’s Chen Long became the only Chinese players Pele, Maradona Bury the Hatchet with 94,453 points following his topped any of the five rankings as PARIS (The Hindu) - FIFA decided “I had the vote of the people, Pele victory in the Indonesia Open last they continue their dominance in to split the award and named Pele and won by forfeit,” said Maradona, who week. The world No. 1 ranking mixed doubles. Maradona as the two greatest players walked out of a Rome gala so he would no doubt be a boost for the Carolina Marin remains the of all time. did not see the Brazilian collect his 33-year-old, who is eyeing the top women’s singles player, hailed his old award. first ever Olympic gold medal for followed by China’s Wang Yihan rival Pele as an “icon” as the pair was Maradona later accused Pele of his country in Rio de Janeiro. and Li Xuerui. Lee Yong Dae/ reunited for a “match of friendship” letting his former Brazil teammate Lee lost the world No. 1 Yoo Yeon Seong of South Korea on Thursday. Garrincha “die in misery”. Pele position during his eight-month and Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka The 75-year-old Brazil great and responded that Maradona was “sick”. doping ban from 2014 to 2015. Takahashi of Japan rank first 55-year-old Argentine legend even Maradona thrilled the crowd at He has been on a winning streak in men’s doubles and women’s embraced during the five-a-side the Palais Royal with a cameo since the Malaysia Open in April, doubles, respectively. exhibition game in a sign that they appearance in the 30-minute five- have drawn a line under their long- a-side contest. Pele, still recovering running feud. from a hip operation in January, Kosovo and Gibraltar “I want to thank Pele; we know who remained in his coaching role on the he is and who he will always be. We touchline. Assigned to 2018 FIFA World need icons like him,” said Maradona, The event, organized by a Swiss who starred in Argentina’s 1986 Football legends Pele and Diego Maradona during a soccer event on the eve of watchmaker with UEFA, featured the Cup Qualifying Groups World Cup triumph. the opening of the UEFA 2016 European Championship in Paris, France likes of former France striker David Pele, a three-time world champion, “This is a moment of peace.” the vote was skewed in Maradona’s Trezeguet, Italy goalkeeper Angelo ZURICH (FIFA) - Following the day decided that Kosovo will join also struck a conciliatory tone in It was a far cry from the acrimony favor. Peruzzi and Dutch decision taken by the FIFA Congress Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey response. between them when FIFA was trying It then organized a vote by readers Clarence Seedorf. in May 2016 to confirm the admission and Finland in Group I, and Gibral- “The most important is the message to decide the player of the 20th of the FIFA magazine and cast by Ex-Brazil forward Bebeto, a 1994 of Kosovo and Gibraltar as the 210th tar will join Belgium, Bosnia and of peace. Many thanks to my friend Century in 2000. an international jury. This time Pele World Cup winner, also took part and 211th FIFA members respec- Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia and Maradona for this opportunity and a The world body organized an online won by a landslide. alongside Rio Ferdinand, Dida, tively, both associations are entitled Cyprus in Group H. big round of applause to the players vote which Maradona easily won. FIFA decided to split the award and Hernan Crespo and to take part in the 2018 FIFA World The UEFA Emergency Panel also who have been here today,” said But FIFA thought the online users named Pele and Maradona as the two as the match finished in a diplomatic Cup qualifiers, with UEFA tasked to decided that Bosnia and Herze- Pele. at the time were too young and so greatest players of all time. 8-8 draw. look into the best way to integrate govina and Serbia should not play them in the preliminary competition. against Kosovo for security rea- Eight Candidates Contest Three Asia Places on FIFA Council UEFA’s Emergency Panel has to- sons. KUALA LUMPUR (AFC) - The Congress on September 27 in Goa and 4 Saoud A.Aziz Al-Mohannadi the FIFA General Secretariat in order Asian Football Confederation (AFC) who complied with the requirements (Qatar) for the FIFA Review Committee to Official Balls for FIBA Electoral Committee has reviewed set out in the May 17, 2016 letter and in 5. Zainudin Nordin (Singapore) carry out the eligibility check on each the nomination forms and documents the AFC Electoral Code which called B. FIFA Female Council Member candidate. Olympic Qualifying provided and has confirmed that eight for candidates are: 1. Moya Dodd (Australia) The AFC Electoral Committee, candidates will stand for the three A. FIFA Council Members 2. Mahfuza Ahkter (Bangladesh) which was announced earlier in the additional places available to Asia on the 1. Zhang Jian (China PR) 3. Han Un Gyong (DPR Korea) week, comprises Chairperson Mr F Tournaments and Rio 2016 new FIFA Council. At least one of those 2 Ali Kafashian Naeni (Islamic In accordance to the FIFA Statutes Randall Cunliffe (Guam) and Deputy three places must be filled by a woman. Republic of Iran) and the FIFA Governance Regulations, Chairpersons Dr Hamid Al-Shaibani Summer Games Unveiled The eight candidates who will contest 3. Mong Gyu Chung (Korea the above list of candidates for the (Yemen) and Mr Muhannad Fahmi MIES (FIBA) - FIBA and Molten Basketball Tournaments for Men the election at the AFC Extraordinary Republic) FIFA Council has been submitted to Hamad (Bahrain). on Thursday proudly unveiled the and Women where they will carry official balls to be used at the 2016 the official branding of the Rio FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tourna- 2016 Olympic Games. Nadal Out of Wimbledon With Wrist Injury ments and the Olympic Basketball FIBA Secretary General and Inter- I suffered at Roland Garros needs Wearing an arm brace and Tournaments at the Rio 2016 Olym- national Olympic Committee (IOC) time to heal.” appearing close to tears, the 14-times pic Games. member Patrick Baumann said: Nadal’s withdrawal is a blow for grand slam winner had said in Paris Molten’s exclusively branded “We are very excited to present the championships at which the that the press conference was the BGL7X-YG and BGL6X-YG bas- these unique basketballs that will Spaniard has been such an attraction hardest he had ever given. ketballs will be used respectively be used by the world’s best players for more than a decade, especially He explained that he risked further in these senior men’s and women’s and best teams at our biggest events with his victories in 2008 and 2010. serious injury - and a likely tear of world competitions this summer. of 2016. We are extremely grateful He also had to pull out before the his wrist tendons - if he continued The FIBA-approved special edi- to Molten - with whom we’ve en- 2009 edition of Wimbledon with a to play. tion design will adorn the official joyed a tremendous relationship for knee injury when he was defending The 30-year-old’s career has been balls. The expressive design re- more than 30 years - for helping us champion, citing that as “one of the littered with injuries, particularly to flects the movement and agility of develop these products.” toughest decisions of my career.” his knees. He also missed the U.S. the most elite players in the world Kiyofumi Tamiaki, the President Nadal was also badly missed at Open in 2014 with a problem with and will add excitement to the game and CEO of Molten Corporation, the last fortnight’s French Open his right wrist and has suffered from for players and spectators alike. said: “Molten is committed to de- after pain in his left wrist flared back and hamstring problems as The balls will be used at the FIBA veloping the best sports equipment up and he was forced to withdraw well as appendicitis. Women’s Qualifying Tournament for FIBA and the larger basketball Nadal out of Wimbledon with wrist injury following a landmark 200th grand Nadal, who had already pulled out (WOQT) in Nantes (France) from community. We are looking for- slam win over Argentina’s Facundo of next week’s grass-court warm-up 13-19 June and at the three FIBA ward to being a part of these world- LONDON (DAWN) - Twice talking to my doctors, and receiving Bagnis in the second round. at Queen’s Club, added on Facebook Olympic Qualifying Tournaments class competitions.” former champion Rafael Nadal will the results of my last medical The Spaniard had needed an that he would also miss two more of (OQTs) taking place in Belgrade It is the third year in a row that not play at this year’s Wimbledon revision, I won’t be able to play at injection before that match and his usual pre-Wimbledon events. (Serbia), Turin (Italy) and Manila Molten has produced basketballs due to the wrist injury that forced the Wimbledon this year,” Nadal said broke the news the following day “Thank you all for your support, (Philippines) between 4-10 July exclusively branded for FIBA Spaniard out of the French Open, he on his Facebook page. to reporters that he would be forced especially my fans. Your kind with each ball reflecting the identity events, following on from the 2014 said on Thursday. “As you can all imagine, it’s a to abandon his assault on a 10th messages mean so much to me,” he of the respective tournament. They FIBA Basketball World Cup and “I’m sad to announce that after very tough decision, but the injury Roland Garros title. added. will then be in play at the Olympic FIBA EuroBasket 2015.