Jin Wei shakes off injury to reach Asian Juniors quarters

PETALING JAYA: National shuttler Goh Jin Wei has sent out a clear statement of intent that she’s ready to fight for the Asian Junior Championships girls’ individual title.

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Elavarasan urges PKNS to chase promotion with determination

GEORGE TOWN: It has taken a second-tier club – PKNS – to do what no other local team could do so far this season: make giants JDT eat humble pie in their own den.

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Wales overtake England in FIFA world rankings

(Reuters) - Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released on Thursday.

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AS Roma set to sign Juan Jesus from Inter Milan

Defender Juan Jesus is set to join AS Roma from rivals Inter Milan, after the Roman club said the Brazillian had arrived at their training camp on Wednesday.

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Five talking points from Selangor v KL Malaysia Cup tie

SELANGOR began their Malaysia Cup campaign on a jittery note, edging neighbours Kuala Lumpur 1-0 in the Group B match at the Shah Alam Stadium on Tuesday.

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Mourinho hopes United players will forge close bond in China

(Reuters) - Manchester United's pre-season tour of China this month, when they face Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, will give the players an opportunity to forge a close bond, manager Jose Mourinho has said.

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FA approached Allardyce over England job, confirm Sunderland

(Reuters) - Sunderland have given permission to the Football Association (FA) to speak to manager Sam Allardyce about the vacant England post, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

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Barcelona sign France defender Digne from Paris St Germain

(Reuters) - Barcelona have signed France international Lucas Digne from Paris St Germain on a five-year contract for an initial fee of 16.5 million euros (£13.8 million), the Spanish champions said on Wednesday.

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A perfect birthday present for shuttler Jun Hao in Asian Juniors

PETALING JAYA: Leong Jun Hao has given himself a sweet birthday present after breezing into the third round of the Asian Junior Badminton Championships,

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Klopp confirms Balotelli has no future at Liverpool

(Reuters) - Manager Juergen Klopp has told Mario Balotelli that with so much competition for places up front at Liverpool he should look for another club.

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Adapting to Rio the key for India shuttler Nehwal

BENGALURU, India (Reuters) - Adapting quickly to playing conditions at the Rio Olympics will pose the biggest challenge for players, says India's Saina Nehwal, who is aiming to better the badminton bronze she won in London four years ago.

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Penang pin hope on new signings to turn their fortunes around

GEORGE TOWN: Penang are hoping that the signings of South Korean Jeong Seok-min and Nigerian Ranti Martins will help lift them off the foot of the Super League standings.

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Kedah await transfer papers for new imports

PETALING JAYA: Kedah are keeping their fingers crossed that their two new foreign strikers – Shane Smeltz of New Zealand and Thiago Fernandes of Brazil – will get their international transfer certificates (ITC) before the Malaysia Cup Group A match against Sarawak at the Darulaman Stadium in Alor Setar on Wednesday.

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Barcelona sign centre back Umtiti on five-year deal

(Reuters) - Barcelona have signed centre back Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon for 25 million euros (£21 million), the La Liga winners said on Tuesday.

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Zii Jia vows to bury team's failure with individual success

PETALING JAYA: Boys’ singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is eager to put his recent disappointment behind him when the individual event of the Asian Junior Championships starts in Bangkok on Wednesday.

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Ancelotti plans to build on Guardiola's foundations

(Reuters) - New Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti has no plans to rip up the foundations laid by predecessor Pep Guardiola and says he will look to continue the club's tradition of attacking football when the season kicks off in August.

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KL confident of beating Selangor in Klang Valley derby

PETALING JAYA: The Klang Valley football derby is back after a five-year hiatus.

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The great wall of China just too strong for Malaysia at Asian Juniors

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s mixed team campaign ended in a whimper at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Bangkok.

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Wenger does not rule out England job after Arsenal deal ends

(Reuters) - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club.

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Malaysia to meet China in Asian Juniors q-finals clash

PETALING JAYA: It will certainly not be a third-time lucky outcome for Malaysia when they take on top seeds and defending champions China in the quarter-finals of the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Bangkok.

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Pahang looking to new recruits to kickstart season

PETALING JAYA: Pahang coach Razip Ismail expects his four new foreign signings to hit the ground running when the M-League resumes on Tuesday.

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Felda's foreign legion facing uncertain future

PETALING JAYA: Felda United’s foreign legion of strikers Thiago Fernandes and Francis Doe, midfielders Zah Rahan Krangar and Lutfulla Turaev and defender Gilberto Alemao will know their fate on Monday

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Sarawak looking to emulate Euro finalists France at Sukma

PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak football team have been told to emulate 2016 Euro hosts France.

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Malaysia thump Taiwan 4-1 in opening Asian Juniors match

PETALING JAYA: It was a perfect start for Malaysia as they whipped Taiwan 4-1 in their opening mixed team match at the Asian Junior Bad­minton Championships in Thailand.

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CSKA Moscow striker Musa joins champions Leicester

(Reuters) - Nigeria striker Ahmed Musa has joined Leicester City from CSKA Moscow on a four-year deal.

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JDT to launch ‘Educating people through football’ project

PETALING JAYA: Education will be a top priority for Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the future.

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Hope is high on Jin Wei at Asian junior meet but she is cool

PETALING JAYA: The expectations are high but Goh Jin Wei is taking everything in her stride at the Asian Junior Championships. The annual meet start in Bangkok on Saturday with the 16-year-old shuttler the best bet to break Malaysia’s three-year title drought.

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Shuttlers take on parents in tournament by Golden Route Academy

KUALA LUMPUR: Budding junior shuttlers have been presented with a rare but golden opportunity to challenge their parents on badminton court.

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Pogba 'perfect' for United's title challenge, says Ince

(Reuters) - Paul Pogba could spearhead Manchester United's Premier League title challenge if the playmaker can be lured back to Old Trafford, the club's former midfielder Paul Ince has said.

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Shuttlers take on parents in tournament by Golden Route academy

KUALA LUMPUR: Budding junior shuttlers have been presented with a rare but golden opportunity to challenge their parents on badminton court.

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Cast is complete for Sarawak ahead of M-League

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak are done with their transfer dealings – a week ahead of the closing date for the second transfer window on July 15.

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Wales made to pay for concentration lapse, says Coleman

LYON, France (Reuters) - Wales manager Chris Coleman said he was "immensely proud" of his team after their hopes of reaching the Euro 2016 final were dashed by a brief lapse of focus during a 2-0 defeat by Portugal on Wednesday.

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United players begin life under Mourinho with much to prove

LONDON (Reuters) - As the black-tinted sports cars carrying Manchester United's millionaire footballers rolled into the club's Carrington complex for the start of pre-season training on Wednesday, no one wound down any windows to discuss the start of life under Jose Mourinho.

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Mourinho will be massive improvement at United - Ferguson

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will be a "massive improvement" on predecessor Louis van Gaal, according to former Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson.

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Just a month but Goran makes lasting impression in Negri

PETALING JAYA: Negri Sembilan striker Goran Jerkovic means business. The Frenchman has got down to serious work with five goals in six friendlies since joining the Premier League side a month ago.

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Soon Kit boys – Wooi Yik-Zi Heng hope to win at Asian junior meet

PETALING JAYA: It has been eight years since Malaysia last bagged the boys’ doubles title at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships. Tough it may be but Ooi Zi Heng-Soh Wooi Yik hope to end the long wait.

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Night owl fans are a hoot for Portugal

MARCOUSSIS, France (Reuters) - Euro 2016 semi-finalists Portugal have been inspired by night owl supporters who wait outside their training camp for a glimpse of the players, even in the small hours of the morning.

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Without fear or shackles, Wales can upset Portugal, Coleman says

MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - Wales have no reason to fear Portugal in their Euro 2016 semi-final on Wednesday and despite key players missing, coach Chris Coleman said he had complete faith in their replacements to do the job.

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Same sad ending for Kian Meng-Pei Jing in Taiwan

PETALING JAYA: Three finals. Three runner-up finishes. That’s the story of mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Pai Pei Jing at the Taiwan Open badminton championships.

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Argentines take to streets, demand Messi return to national team

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Hundreds of Argentines protested in the pouring rain on Saturday, demanding that soccer star Lionel Messi return to Argentina's national team after he unexpectedly quit following a loss in the regional Copa America final.

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Mournful Conte bids farewell to Italy after Germany loss

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Antonio Conte bowed out as Italy coach on Saturday after a Euro 2016 shootout defeat by Germany sounding almost broken-hearted that he was leaving behind a "fantastic" group of players.

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The day France laughed before playing Iceland

PARIS (Reuters) - In September 1998, the France players nearly created a diplomatic incident before a game against Iceland when several of them burst out laughing during the national anthems.

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France ready for Iceland long throws, says Deschamps

PARIS (Reuters) - France realise how dangerous Iceland can be from long throw-ins and have been working on ways to counter that weapon when they face the surprise packages of the European Championship in the quarter-finals, coach Didier Deschamps said on Saturday.

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Kian Meng-Pei Jing continue dream run in Taiwan by reaching final

PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing have kept their fairy-tale run going by storming into the final of the Taiwan Open.

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Analysis - Belgium floored by Denayer's defensive disaster

(Reuters) - Wales's Euro 2016 victory over Belgium, officially the second-best team in football, showed again that you can have all the attacking talent in the world but if you are weak at the back you will be found out at the highest level.

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English clubs start to spend new-found riches

LONDON (Reuters) - English soccer fans used to spend the summer ticking off the hours until the first day of the season in August but now the action kicks off on July 1 when the transfer window officially opens.

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FAM appeal to Fifa to recognise win at Tour of Oceania

PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in a desperate bid to improve the national team’s world ranking, have appealed to FIFA to recognise the “A” classification friendly against New Caledonia, which they won 2-1 at the Stade Numa Daly, Noumea, on June 22.

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Iskandar, Kian Meng-Pei Jing make it a glorious day in Taiwan

PETALING JAYA: It was a good day at the office for Malaysia’s men’s singles shuttler Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin and mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing as they made it to the semi-finals of the Taiwan Open.

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Giggs to leave Man United after 29 years - report

(Reuters) - Ryan Giggs has ended his 29-year association with Manchester United by reaching a settlement with the Premier League club, the BBC reported on Friday.

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Germany desperate to snap out of Italy nightmare

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Title contenders Germany will come face to face with their ultimate tournament nightmare when they take on Italy in their Euro 2016 quarter-final in Bordeaux on Saturday.

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