WORLDSPORTS
APRIL 2014
KALLIS ‘BETTER THAN SACHIN’
CITY CALM AGUERO INJURY CONCERNS
Manchester City have played down concerns about
the muscle injury sustained by striker Sergio Aguero
in the 2-1 defeat at Barcelona.
The Argentina forward, who has scored 26 goals
this season, was forced off at half-time in the Nou
Camp.
Assistant manager Ruben Cousillas is hopeful that
the injury is minor.
“We don’t think it’s anything serious. He felt some
muscle pain but it was more a precaution than anything else,” he said.
“It’s too early to know how long he’ll be out. We’ll
do some tests to assess the injury.”
Aguero, 25, has missed two spells this season
with calf and hamstring problems and has started 15
of City’s 26 Premier League matches this season.
City were beaten 4-1 over two legs by Barcelona.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, their first goal of the
tie came when Vincent Kompany found the net in the
89th minute in the Nou Camp.
Aguero had started the game as a lone striker,
with City only switching to two recognised forwards
when Alvaro Negredo came on to partner Aguero’s
replacement Edin Dzeko with 17 minutes left.
RONALDO TO PAY BOY’S SURGERY
Not so long ago, Real Madrid superstar
Cristiano Ronaldo was regarded as an arrogant, bratty, prima donna who was far too
concerned with how his hair looked to think
about others.
Now, the current World Player of the
Year appears to be taking his role as one
of the biggest sports stars in the world
with maturity and compassion,
as proven by his latest act of
generosity.
Spanish newspaper AS
revealed that the family of a
10-month-old boy with cor-
Gautam Gambhir of India feels that
Jacques Kallis is a better player than
Sachin Tendulkar record-wise.
Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir was
asked about his opinion on the two of
the greatest cricketers of all time, India’s
Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s
Jacques Kallis who had announced their
retirement.
The Delhi-born batsman praised both
of the legends, but he rated Kallis better
based on statistics and records.
“I think statistically if you see from the
records point of view, he (Kallis) is the
greatest player this world has seen. And,
record-wise, he is the best player who has
played this game,” said Gambhir when
asked who is the better player between
Kallis and Sachin.
ROONEY KEEN ON CAPTAINCY
Manchester United will have a new
skipper to appoint for next season with
defender Nemanja Vidic having already
agreed a free transfer to Inter Milan.
There may also be a vacancy with
England if Steven Gerrard, 33, decides to
call it a day at international level after the
World Cup.
Wayne Rooney said: “I’ve done it a
few times and, if the manager wants me
to be the captain, I would have
no problem with that. I would
take it with both hands.
“However, it is down to
the manager, because it’s
his decision on whoever he
feels is the right person to
lead the team. I’m sure he’ll
make that decision when the
time comes.”
tical dysplasia — a rare brain disorder
that causes dozens of daily seizures —
was looking to raise €60,000 ($83,000)
to raise money for a vital operation.
Ronaldo — the current leading
scorer in the Champions League and
La Liga — was asked to donate a shirt
and pair of boots to help raise funds
for little Erik Ortiz Cruz, a request
with which he duly obliged.
But that’s not where the
Portuguese star’s contribution ended: he has
also offered to pay the
full cost of the operation.
SANGAKKARA CLOSES
IN ON BRADMAN
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has joined Brian Lara
by scoring his 9th double
century in Test cricket and
moved a step closer to Don
Bradman.
Sangakkara, who
completed his 34th Test ton
against Bangladesh on the
opening day of the second
Test in Chittagong, carried
on to cross the 200-run mark
today. He went on to notch
up his maiden triple ton. He
completed 300 with back-toback sixes in the company of
the last man Nuwan Pradeep.
He scored 319.
The left-hander was not
out on 160 at the close of
play on the first day. With his
hundred, he was on par with
Lara and Sunil Gavaskar
for most Test hundreds.
Now, Sangakkara again has
equalled the West Indian
great Lara. Also, Sangakkara
completed 11,000 Test runs,
becoming the fastest to reach
there, in 208 innings. In Test
cricket history, the Australian
great Bradman heads the list
for most double tons with 12.
Sangakkara has moved to
joint second with Lara in his
122th Test.
MESSI EXTENDS BARCA
CONTRACT UNTIL 2018
Lionel Messi has agreed a new
contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the Spanish club
until 2018.
The Argentina international,
25, has enjoyed a recordbreaking year for club and
country, scoring 90 goals in
2012.
Messi’s current deal expires
in June 2016.
Messi has been with
Barcelona since he was 13
and made his league debut
as a 17-year-old against RCD
Espanyol on 16 October 2004.
He has been in the best
goal-scoring form of his
career in 2012 and surpassed
Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old
record of 85 goals scored in a
calendar year with a brace in
a 2-1 win over Real Be ѥ́