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Madrid to visit China

MADRID: Real Madrid will play an exhibition match in China against club side Beijing Guoan on July 23, vice president Emilio Butragueno told Real Madrid’s TV station. Madrid will tour China from July 19-24, according to news agency Efe. The match against Beijing Guoan is at the Workers Stadium and will mark the 20th anniversary of the twinning of the cities of Beijing and Madrid, Butragueno said. Madrid played a friendly at the same stadium in August 2003, when David Beckham made his debut. — AP

PCB wants ‘fit’ Akhtar

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board will only consider one of the world’s quickest bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar, for selection for next month’s tour of West Indies if he is declared fully fit. Akhtar missed Pakistan’s recently concluded tour to India because of a hamstring injury. Pakistan’s success on that tour sparked debate about whether Akhtar’s presence is good for the team. The News quoted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan as saying that Akhtar would only be considered for the West Indies tour if a panel of doctors declares him fully fit. — AP

Peru coach Autori quits

LIMA: Paulo Autori agreed on Monday to quit as coach of the Peruvian national team, an unexpected departure by “mutual agreement” with the country’s soccer federation only days after his salary became public and he refused to testify before a congressional committee investigating the federation’s finances. The federation said in a communique that the Brazilian coach would leave the squad “without obligation on either side for monetary claims.” The departure came after Autori refused on Friday to testify before a Congressional commission investigating alleged irregularities in the federation’s finances. — AP

Best, Deonarine recalled

BRIDGETOWN: Fast bowler Tino Best and allrounder Narsingh Deonarine were recalled by West Indies for the fourth Test against South Africa starting on Friday. Fast bowler Reon King and allrounder Ryan Hinds were dropped. “We hope to salvage something from this series, as we look forward to the visit of the Pakistanis as well as the difficult tours to Sri Lanka and Australia later this year,” said West Indies chairman of selectors Joey Carew on Monday. — AP

Gaston Gaudio advances

OEIRAS: French Open champion Gaston Gaudio saved a match point to beat Czech Jan Hernych 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 in the first round of the Estoril Open. Michal Tabara overcame Czech countryman Tomas Berdych 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg defeated Santiago Ventura of Spain 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. In women’s singles, Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar beat Portuguese Neuza Silva 6-2, 6-2, Ukraine’s Alyona Bondarenko beat Serbian Jelena Dokic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, and Australian Nicole Pratt beat Italian Antonella Serra Zanetti 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. — AP