NSKA team returns

KATHMANDU: A two-member Nepal Shotokan Karate Association (NSKA) team returned home on Tuesday after participating in the 10th SKIF World Karate Championships held in Greece on July 23-23. The NSKA chief coach Niwas Gopal Vaidhya participated in the 50-55kg individual kata and kumite while senior coach Dilendra Govinda Vaidhya took part in the 40-45kg kata and kumute event. Both the coaches were ousted from the first round. Both the coaches also officiated in the championships. More than 1000 players from 63 countries took part in the tournament. — HNS

NITF team departs

KATHMANDU: A five-member Nepal International Taekwondo Federation (NITF) trainers’ team left for the UK for training on Wednesday. The NITF team will undergo International Trainer’s Training Course in Northern Ireland slated for August 7-9. Senior coach and president of UK ITF Paul Cutler will conduct the course, said the NITF here on Wednesday. Shanti Tamang, Sneha Nepali and Kishor Barun will undergo the course. NITF president Krishna Bahadur Balal bade farewell to the team. — HNS

Tevez ignored

BUENOS AIRES: Manchester City manager Mark Hughes got his way and Carlos Tevez will not be selected for Argentina’s upcoming friendly against Russia. Hughes had asked Argentine football officials not to play his new striker in the August 12 friendly. Tevez has a sprained left ankle, and on Tuesday team officials said they would grant Hughes’ request and not call up Tevez for the match. Hughes had asked that Tevez not be called up. He said Tevez had trained little in the preseason for his new club, Manchester City. — AP

Mortaza’s injury

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s injured captain Mashrafe Mortaza will travel to Australia for medical treatment on his knee, the country’s cricket authorities said on Wednesday. Mortaza hurt his right knee while bowling in the first Test match against the West Indies at Kingstown last month. The 25-year-old fast bowler missed the rest of the tour, in which Bangladesh won all three ODIs and two Test matches. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said Mortaza would leave for Melbourne on Thursday to consult orthopaedic surgeon David Young. — AFP

Salgado to part ways

MADRID: Veteran Spanish international defender Michel Salgado is to part company with Real Madrid after 10 years with the club, the Primera Liga giants said on Tuesday. The 33-year-old arrived at Real from Celta Vigo in 1999 and had a contract until 2011, but played little last season. Salgado won two Champions League titles with Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002, the Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and four Primera Liga titles in 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2008. — AFP

Villa sign Delph

LONDON: Aston Villa have signed teenage midfielder Fabian Delph from Leeds for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. Villa, which has lost midfielder Gareth Barry to Manchester City, said on their Web site that the 19-year-old Delph had passed a medical and agreed personal terms. British media put the transfer fee at £8 million ($13.5 million) for a promising player who has been linked to a number of top-flight clubs over the past year. — AP