Football - Iniesta caps Euro
2012 winning week with wedding
First Europe’s most important football trophy, then a player of the tournament award and, now, marriage. It’s been a good week for Spain’s Andres Iniesta. Iniesta, clad in a navy blue suit, posted a photo on Twitter on Sunday with his new wife Anna Ortiz saying “Amazing day! Just married.” The 28-year-old midfielder helped Spain become the first nation to defend its continental crown with last Sunday’s 4-0 win over Italy. Iniesta, who scored the extra-time winner when Spain won its first World Cup two years ago, was named best player at Euro 2012 a day later. Lionel Messi, Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernandez and Samuel Eto’o were among the guests. People lined the streets leading to the wedding in Tamarit, with Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique tweeting “this looks like the Tour de France.”
Football - Malaga owner blasts
Spanish league over TV money
Malaga’s Qatari owner says the distribution of TV money in the Spanish league is “corrupt,” claiming that bribes ensure top clubs earn more than the rest. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani tweeted on Sunday he wants the distribution of TV funds investigated because there are “bribes by some clubs,” before adding “(without mentioning any names).” Spanish champion Real Madrid and Barcelona each earn €135 million from TV money. Sheikh Abdullah says fourth-place Malaga will earn €13 million. Sheikh Abdullah also claimed “there are some clubs that evade taxes in their own way.” He did not elaborate. Calls to the league by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.
Football - Eusebio responds
well to treatment for stroke
Benfica says Eusebio is recovering and responding “well” to hospital treatment as the former Portuguese playing great recovers from a stroke. The 70-year-old Eusebio has been in a Lisbon hospital receiving treatment since suffering a stroke at the European Championship last month. Benfica says its former player continues to undergo treatment and could be discharged by the end of the week depending on the latest assessment of his health. Eusebio has been hospitalised four times since December with a variety of ailments. Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, nicknamed “The Black Panther,” became a Portuguese superstar after standout performances in the 1960s and was named one of FIFA’s 10 best football players of all time in 1998.
Football - Augsburg sign
former Bayern midfielder Ottl
Former Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Andreas Ottl has signed a two-year contract with promoted Bundesliga club Augsburg. Ottl joined Augsburg on Monday on a free transfer after spending one season at demoted Hertha Berlin. Before that, Ottl played half a season for Nuremberg while on loan from Bayern. The 27-year-old Ottl has played 135 Bundesliga games.
Football - Honduras player a
day late for Olympic training
Midfielder Orlin Peralta has arrived a day late for training with the Honduras Olympic football squad because of a problem with his visa. The 22-year-old Peralta joined up with his teammates at a training camp in the Austrian town of Villach on Sunday. The rest of the team arrived Saturday. The country’s football federation didn’t provide any other details about Peralta’s visa issue. Honduras is in Group D and its first match is against Morocco on July 26 at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Spain and Japan are the other two teams in the group. Honduras will play three warm-up matches for the London Olympics against Gabon, United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Tennis - Bryan, Raymond win
Wimbledon mixed doubles title
Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond of the United States won the mixed doubles title on Sunday at Wimbledon. The American team defeated Leander Paes of India and Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Centre Court - a short time after Roger Federer beat Andy Murray in the men’s final. On Saturday, Jonathan Marray of Britain and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark beat Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-3 to win the men’s doubles title. In the women’s final, Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and big sister Venus defeated Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-4.
Tennis - Oxfam won big when
Federer won 7th Wimbledon title
Roger Federer’s seventh Wimbledon title turned into a quite a bonanza for international aid agency Oxfam. Because of a bet made in 2003, the charity won £101,840 when Federer defeated Andy Murray on Sunday in the Wimbledon final. According to Oxfam, Nicholas Newlife bet that Federer would win seven Wimbledon titles before 2020. When Newlife died three years ago, he left his estate – including some outstanding bets – to the organisation. Oxfam says it already claimed £16,750 in 2009 when Federer won his 14th Grand Slam title at the French Open.
Volleyball - Poland beat US to
win the World League final
Poland defeated the United States 25-17, 26-24, 25-20 to win its first gold medal in the World League volleyball finals. No. 4-ranked Poland dominated the game Sunday to secure the victory in its first World League final appearance. Poland won the 1974 World Championship and a 1976 Olympic title, but the best it has managed in this competition is the bronze last year. The Poles defeated Brazil three sets to two, and Cuba and Bulgaria in straight sets on their way to the final. The Americans were looking for a repeat of 2008 when they won the World League and Olympic titles. Earlier, Cuba rallied to beat host Bulgaria for the bronze medal.