KATHMANDU: Nepali karate players Sunil Lama and Parsuram Bastola won bronze medals in the 19th Central England Open Karate Championship on Monday. The 11th SA Games gold medallist Lama won the bronze medal in 67kg weight category as he finished joint third along with a player from the Netherlands. England and Ireland finished first and second respectively in the category. Likewise, Bastola claimed bronze in men’s singles kata along with a player from Ireland. Ireland and UK players won gold and silver respectively. While both the players are in the national team, Lama is affiliated with APF Club.

Sharma ruled out

NEW DELHI: India’s leg-spin bowler Karn Sharma has been ruled out of an upcoming limited overs tour of Zimbabwe due to a finger injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India made the announcement on Monday, adding that there will be no replacement for the 27-year-old Karn. India are sending a second-string squad led by Ajinkya Rahane for the tour of threeODIs and two T20, with several frontline players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin rested.

Jesus named coach

LISBON: Sporting Lisbon on Monday reached an agreement to part ways with Marco Silva, clearing the way for Jorge Jesus to take over as coach of the Portuguese club. Silva was under contract until 2018 will leave with a year's salary worth 450,000 euros and a 100,000-euro bonus for having led Sporting to domestic Cup glory last season. Press reports linked Silva, 37, with a move to Olympiakos, although the coach is apparently biding his time to see how the economic crisis there might affect his contract. Sporting last month sacked Silva, only to go back on that decision despite having announced that Jesus had signed a three-year deal.