Monday, 5 June 2017

Athletics : Bosman seemsto defend Comrades title

Bosman looks to defend Comrades titleThe past is the past will be the attitude with which the defending women’s Comrades champion, Charné Bosman (Nedbank Running Club), will line up to race on Sunday in Durban.

Bosman who is also supported by the High Performance Centre (HPC) has arguably been the most consistent female runner over the last two years in the Comrades having raced to a victory as well as placing second.
One of the Comrades conversation topics over the last few days has been whether Bosman could do what Frith van der Merwe did. That is to win the up and down Comrades “runs” in consecutive years. Van der Merwe did so in 1988 and 1989.
Bosman admits that it would be nice to do so but then immediately reiterated that she does not want be obsessed with any specific statistic.
“To do so would be tempting fate,” said Bosman who credits her consistency in the world’s best known ultra-race to being able to stick to her game plan.
“I see Sunday’s Comrades as starting with a clean slate. It is a new race with its own unique challenges. Nothing I have done in the past will help me to run any faster. It will be all about now and about keeping my cool no matter what the other female athletes are doing. In the Comrades you can afford to be up to ten minutes behind the race leaders in the early stages and still catch up.
“As far as I am concerned the real race starts only after 60 kilometres so it will be important not to ‘burn too many matches’ to early on.”
Bosman certainly made an effort to stick to what worked for her the previous two years which meant that she again did bulk of her serious training in and around Graskop. The only difference was that she included the God’s Window loop in her training runs so as to properly prepare to getting used to run steep up hills.
“In the past I was slightly scared of the God’s Window loop as I was not sure how my body would hold out on the climb but I surprised myself with the ease at which I managed to get to the top.”
According to Bosman she purposely decided not to check how many kilometres she clocked in her built-up to Comrades. She only did so this week out of curiosity.

Bolt skips training to mourn friendUsain Bolt is working hard to be fit for next Saturday's season-opening 100 metres at the Racers Grand Prix track meet after the nine-time Olympic gold medallist took time off to mourn the death of a close friend.

In an interview aired on Jamaican national television on Saturday, Bolt said he was unable to train for more than two weeks as he mourned the loss of his good friend, Germaine Mason.
The 34 year-old Jamaican-born Olympic high jump silver medallist died in a motorbike accident on April 20.
"I could not train for about two weeks, I just did not feel like training," Bolt said. "I was not ready to train for about two weeks."
The Racers Grand Prix, which is being put on by his club in his honour, will be the final time he will compete on Jamaican soil and he will compete in a 100m race to end the programme.
Bolt said he was certain he would be able to get into shape for Racers. "I have been doing this for years and we have always had setbacks so it will be OK."

Zidane can stay at Real for life - PerezZinedine Zidane can stay at Real Madrid for life, club President Florentino Perez said on Saturday, after the Frenchman became the first manager to win the Champions League two years in a row with a dominant 4-1 win over Juventus.

Real produced a ruthless second-half display after an evenly matched first 45 minutes. They put more goals past Juventus in 90 minutes than the Italian champions had conceded in their previous 12 Champions League games.
The impressive win crowned a remarkable first full season in charge for former Real midfielder Zidane, who led the team to a first La Liga title in five years, delivering the club's first European Cup and league double since 1958.
"Zidane can stay at Real Madrid for the rest of his life," Perez told radio station Cadena Ser.
"Every Real Madrid fan is so grateful to him, he lifted our level of talent when he arrived in 2001 and was the best player in the world.
"Now he is the best coach in the world. He has been our coach for 17 months but he has done everything possible."
It was Zidane's stunning volley against Bayer Leverkusen that won Real the 2002 title in Glasgow, while last year, five months after replacing Rafael Benitez as coach, he breathed new life into a demotivated team and took them to the Champions League trophy.
"I can't say whether I'll stay for the rest of my life but I'm so grateful for the club for everything it has given me," Zidane told a news conference.

Football | Champions League : Bale aims for more trophies at Real

Midfielder Gareth Bale is enjoying life at Spanish champions Real Madrid and has committed his future to the club, the Welsh international said after the side's Champions League triumph on Saturday.
Bale, who joined Madrid in 2013, has scored 67 goals in 146 appearances and signed a contract extension in October to keep him at the club until 2022 but his future in Spain has been cast in doubt following a frustrating injury-riddled campaign.

"We are winning trophies and I am happy. I have signed a long-term contract at Madrid," Bale is quoted as saying by the BBC after Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff.
"My family is happy and I am happy, so yes we will continue what we are doing."
Madrid's third Champions League triumph in four years marked Bale's seventh trophy at the club but the 27-year-old remains hungry for more success.
"It's the reason why I came to Real Madrid – to win trophies. We're enjoying winning them at the moment, so we'll continue to do so," Bale added.
"Three Champions Leagues in four seasons isn't too bad.
"I think we can get better. We are still quite young as a whole team and we have a great squad."
Saturday's victory was made sweeter for Bale as he became just the sixth player to win a European final in his home town as well as the only Welshman to win the continent's top trophy three times, surpassing Ryan Giggs and Joey Jones.
"To play a final in your home city is incredible but to win it is even better, a great experience," Bale said.

Friday, 2 June 2017

Football | Premier League : City can close gap on London rivals - Pep

Manchester City will close the gap on rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur next season, manager Pep Guardiola has said after the side secured a third-placed Premier League finish in his debut campaign.

City endured an inconsistent season, finishing 13 points behind champions Chelsea and eight behind Tottenham as the Spaniard failed to secure a trophy for the first time in his managerial career.
"Always the leagues are complicated to win," Guardiola said during a Q&A with fans on Thursday.
"But of course we are going to close the gap between especially Chelsea and Tottenham, trying to be close for the next season."
Guardiola also said that his first season in England did not call for too much adjustment compared to his time with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
"It's not too much, the principles are the same so the way you want to play is the same, so of course I adjust," the Spaniard said.
"When I adjust it's because of the quality of the players not because here the Premier League is different from the other ones. But the fundamental principles are the same."
City have already splashed out big money on striker Bernardo Silva and goalkeeper Ederson Moares to strengthen their squad for next season.

Football | Friendly : Eagles dismiss Sparrow Hawks

Three first-half goals by the Super Eagles ensured a 3-0 win over the Hawks of Togo in an international friendly on Thursday at the Stade Municipal de Saint Leu Le Foret in France. Nigeria began the game like a house on fire when Ahmed Musa got the Eagles going with the first goal in the third minute after Togo goalkeeper Fatao Alhassani spilled a cross from Alex Iwobi.

The Eagles continued their dominance with Kelechi Iheanacho and Iwobi, the live-wires, and their effort was rewarded when Musa got his second goal of the game in the 17th minute from an assist by the impressive Iwobi.
It was relentless pressure on the Togolese defence, which caved in on 27 minutes. Oghenekaro Etebo was the architect of the goal as he picked the pocket of Alhassani and squared the ball to Iheanacho for an easy tap in to make it 3-0.
The second half did not produce any goals as a raft of changes made sure the tempo of the game went down and the Eagles eased off the pedal, seeing the game off to nick a first win in three games.
The team will leave France for Abuja to begin their final leg of training for the 10 June Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Goalscorers: Ahmed Musa- 3rd, 17th minute, Kelechi Iheanacho 28th minute.
Nigeria XI: Ikechukwu Ezenwa; Shehu Abdullahi, Elderson Echiejile, William Troost-Ekong, Chidozie Awaziem; Mikel Agu, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho.
Togo XI : Fatao Alhassani- Djene Dakonam - Franck Mawuena, Hakim Ouro-Sama, Kouloun Maklibe - Atakora, Franco Atchou, Kokou Gazozo -Ihlas Bebou, Fo Doh Laba, Guillaume Yenoussi.

Thursday, 1 June 2017

Football | Premier League : Sanchez and Ozil demand High

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have made a demand of £350,000-a-week each

The two players want the money for them to commit their future to Arsenal. They have 12 months left on their contract but they have refused to sign a new deal. Arsenal duo of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have reportedly demanded more than £350,000-a-week each for them to stay at the Emirates stadium next season.
The two superstars have 12 months left on their current contract with the Gunners and they have refused to sign another deal.
Arsenal are prepared to offer Sanchez a two-year extension on £275,000-a-week while Ozil will be offered £280,000-a-week.