Mahabir Club win

KATHMANDU: Som Lama scored all the five goals as Mahabir Club thrashed Gangahiti Tole Sudhar Samiti 5-0 in the day’s match of the sixth Sano Gaucharan Knock-out Football Tournament, which has been organised by Sano Gaucharan Youth Club. Lama’s goals came in the 13th, 50th, 58th, 68th and 86th minutes. On Saturday, Bouddha Club will take on Battisputali Youth Club. — HNS

Open karate tourney

KATHMANDU: Nepal Kyokushin Karate Association is organising the 12th National Men’s Open and the fifth Women’s Full Contact Karate Championship on August 19-20 at Dasharath Stadium. In all, 102 athletes including 32 women are taking part in the two-day event. The top three male winners will receive Rs 25,000, Rs 12,000 and Rs 5,000 while the top three women will get Rs 5,000, Rs 2,500 and Rs 1,200. — HNS

Juventus eye Miguel

TURIN: Juventus reportedly wants to sign Benfica right back Miguel when it travels to Portugal for a friendly with the club on Saturday. The Italian league champion has offered $923,925 to take Miguel on loan for next season. The 25-year-old Miguel, whose actual name is Luis Brito Garcia Monteiro, is an attacking defender who has scored 12 goals with Benfica over the past five seasons. Last season, he helped Benfica to the Portuguese league title. — AP

Motta sidelined

MADRID: FC Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta will miss the start of the Spanish league season after undergoing surgery to remove cysts on his big toes. Motta is expected to be out of action for a month. The Brazilian, who missed most of last season with ruptured knee ligaments, will also miss the league champion’s Spanish Super Cup games against Real Betis on August 13 and 20. — AP

Inter Milan sign Figo

MILAN: Luis Figo has joined Inter Milan on a two-year contract from Real Madrid, the Italian club said on Friday. Financial details were not disclosed, but reports indicated there was no transfer fee and that Figo will receive $8.62 million over two seasons. Figo is now the third Madrid player Inter has signed this offseason, after Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel. The club also signed Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso from Madrid a year ago. A former European and world player of the year, the 32-year-old Figo chose Inter over Champions League winner Liverpool and Valencia. — AP

France call Thuram

TURIN: France has called up Lilian Thuram to join Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele in a return to the national team, Juventus coach Fabio Capello said on Friday. The club received a request from the French federation to release the 33-year-old defender for France’s friendly against Ivory Coast on August 17. Thuram retired from international soccer after last year’s European Championship. Zidane and Makelele announced on Wednesday they were returning to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. — AP