Rio will be my last Olympics, says Sushil

New Delhi
Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar has said 2016 Rio Olympics will be his last and he would take a final call on his retirement post Brazil Games. "Rio will be my final appearance as far as Olympics are concerned. While I have yet not thought about my retirement, I will take a call after the Rio Games. Right now my full focus is on Rio and I've been preparing hard for it," he said. Sushil is skipping the upcoming World Championships due to an injury. 

Karachi
PCB returns seven million rupees to Shoaib Akhtar

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has returned seven million rupees to Shoaib Akhtar which it had deducted from the former fast  bowler's earnings as part of a fine imposed on him years ago. An official of the board said that during a meeting between chairman of the executive committee, Najam Sethi, and Akhtar, the matter was amicably resolved. Some other top officials of the board were present in the meeting at the Gaddafi stadium. “The matter is now closed and Shoaib Akhtar returned happy with the outcome,” he said.

New Delhi
IPL GC to discuss fate of CLT20, CSK valuation 

The fate of the Champions League T20 and the controversy surrounding the valuation of CSK are the two important issues that will come up for discussion when the IPL Governing Council members meet here tomorrow.  The Champions League T20 tournament, which is hosted in September every year, has never been able to find too many takers, be it sponsorship or viewership. The BCCI top brass have a few options which are going to be tabled at the GC for the members to take a note and decide the way forward. —  Agencies

Washington
Mayweather stripped of WBO welterweight title

Floyd Mayweather was Monday stripped by the World Boxing Organization of the welterweight world title he won by beating Manny Pacquiao two months ago. Mayweather had failed to meet the deadline last Friday for paying the $200,000 sanctioning fee required by the WBO after he took the belt from Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas in the richest fight of all time, earning a reported $220 million in the process. WBO rules require boxers to pay 3 percent of their purse to fight for a world title up to a maximum of $200,000. The rules also prohibit WBO champions to hold any belts in any other weight divisions. Mayweather is currently also the WBC and WBA champion at junior middleweight (154lb), as well as at welterweight (147lb).  

London
Spieth hopes McIlroy can recover for Open showdown

Double Major winner Jordan Spieth believes defending champion Rory McIlroy’s potential absence from the British Open through injury would “dampen” the occasion. McIlroy’s title defence and keenly anticipated contest against Spieth was thrown into doubt on Monday when the Northern Irishman revealed he had ruptured an ankle ligament while playing soccer with friends. While many observers believe McIlroy is certain to miss the third Major of the season, the American winner of this year’s US Masters and US Open is keen to see the world No. 1 recover in time to play at St Andrews next week. “It kind of dampens it. You want the defending champion, much less the best player in the world at the event,” Spieth said when asked about the 26-year-old’s injury. — Agencies