Mirabai to return to action after 6-month injury layoff
Phuket: Tokyo Olympics silver medallist lifter Mirabai Chanu will return to action after a six-month injury layoff when she participates at the IWF World Cup to confirm her Paris Games berth. The World Cup is not only the final Olympics qualifying event but also a mandatory qualifier for the Paris Games. Chanu, who has been recuperating from hip tendonitis she suffered during the Asian Games in September last year, has all but qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Barcelona
Raphinha strike earns Barca 1-0 win over Las Palmas
Second-placed Barcelona extended their unbeaten streak in LaLiga to nine games with a 1-0 win over Las Palmas on Saturday, courtesy of a second-half header by winger Raphinha, after the visitors were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Barcelona have now won seven of their last nine LaLiga outings to move onto 67 points. They are five points behind Real Madrid.
Karachi
Babar returns as Pakistan’s white-ball captain
Babar Azam was named Pakistan’s white-ball skipper today, four and half months after the batter had stepped down as their all-format captain following their World Cup debacle in India. Pakistan could not make the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup last year, which prompted Babar to relinquish captaincy. Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi was subsequently put in charge of the T20 squad, while Shan Masood was named the Test captain. Agencies
