Most Famous Brothers In Football History

Siblings are a blessing people say – A brother or sister to share the plays, the chores, and many other things around the house. It is indeed wonderful when both of you share the same interests and hobbies – like playing football. Indeed there are some famous brothers in football.

When you have an older sibling playing football, it is a gift. Not only can he teach you everything he knows, but also he helps you in achieving your goals.

There have been many brothers in world football who have come to play at the world’s biggest stage. Some have played together, and some have even played against each other.

Here, after much deliberation, we have compiled a list for the top 10 most famous brothers in football. Take a look at them below –

10. Eden and Thorgan Hazard

The Hazard name is very famous in world football. Most of this fame is associated with Belgium’s National Team Captain, Eden Hazard. Most people are not aware of the fact that there is another of him who also plays football.

Thorgan Hazard plays for the German club Borussia Dortmund. In contrast, his elder brother, Eden, plays for Spanish giants, Real Madrid, after some successful years at Chelsea Football Club. Their parents and were professional football players. Eden and his three brothers have followed in their parents’ footsteps.

Their mother, Carine, played as a striker for the Belgian Women’s First Division and retired when she was three months pregnant with Eden. Their father, Thierry, was a defensive midfielder for the Belgian Second Division team, La Louviere.

There are two more brothers of the Hazards, Kylian and Ethan. Kylian played for his brother’s club Chelsea, before joining Cercle Brugge in 2019. Ethan plays in the youth academy of Tubize like his elder brothers did.

9. Michael and Brian Laudrup

When you are searching for brothers who went on to become great football players for their country, you’ll definitely come across the Laudrup brothers.…

I do not understand criticism from Mourinho – Luke Shaw

England defender Luke Shaw says he does not understand why he continues to receive criticism from his former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

In his role as a radio pundit, Mourinho said Shaw’s set-piece delivery was “drastically bad” in England’s win against the Czech Republic.

Shaw said even his international team-mates had asked: “What’s his problem?”

“Clearly I am in his head a lot and he clearly thinks about me a lot,” the 25-year-old said.

“There is no hiding that we didn’t get on,” Shaw added, speaking of his time playing under Mourinho.

“I think he was a brilliant manager but, you know, the past is the past. It is time to move on. I am trying to move on but, obviously, he can’t.

“He continuously talks about me, which I find quite strange. Even some of the lads have said ‘what’s his problem?’ and ‘why does he keep talking?’ He just needs to move on.”

‘I find it easy to ignore him’

Shaw has been on an upward trajectory since Mourinho’s Manchester United sacking in December 2018.

The defender won just one England cap while he struggled to get into the United side, but has started the last two Euro 2020 fixtures at left-back.

He helped United finish second in the table and was named in the Premier League Team of the Year for 2020-21 after becoming a first-team regular under Mourinho’s replacement, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Mourinho followed his time at United with an 18-month stint at Tottenham before being named as Roma’s new head coach in May, but has been working as a pundit on Talk sport during Euro 2020.

“What he says now is nothing compared to how it used to be if I am being totally honest,” Shaw said.

“I am so past it now. I have grown up a lot. The three years I had with him, I learnt a lot. I find it easy to ignore him now and even laugh about it. But it’s better just to ignore it and move on with

Okocha, Yobo, sports presenter Praiz for SuperSport’s UEFA Euro 2020 Coverage

As the Euro 2020 tournament heads into the round of 16 matches, football fans get to experience expert analysis pre and post selected Euro 2020 matches by former Nigerian professional footballers and European stars: Jay-Jay Okocha and Joseph Yobo.

This will be hosted by famous sports presenter, Mozez Praiz.

“In addition to our great coverage of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, we have three home-grown talents flying the Nigerian flag high on a continental platform for an international tournament. The DStv and GOtv platforms go beyond showcasing movies and music talent. We cut across all spheres of entertainment and are beyond thrilled to provide the platforms for these football legends to be seen and heard,” said John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria.

Augustine Azuka Okocha, popularly known as Jay Jay Okocha, was born in Enugu, Enugu State on August 14, 1973.

He is arguably the best Nigerian footballer of all time.

He began playing football at a very young age, playing on the streets with makeshift balls, which was where he developed some of the skills that made him the renowned footballer he is today.

Okocha’s professional football career began in 1990 when he joined Enugu Rangers.

It was during his time at the club that he produced many of the spectacular displays he is known for today.

JJ Okocha was later signed by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in December 1991.

The ex-Super Eagles star continued to amaze the spectators with his spectacular display, dribbling skills and confidence with the ball.

Okocha was also good with goals to the extent that one of his goals was voted Goal of the Season by many soccer magazines.

Joseph Michael Yobo is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

He was the captain of the Nigerian national team until his international football retirement in June 2014, and is Nigeria’s joint record appearance holder.

Seeing that Joseph Yobo had an eye for football, he was enrolled in Michellin-Harcourt at the age of 16 in 1996, and in 1997, he …

Khris Middleton helps Milwaukee seize 2-1 lead; all eyes on Trae Young’s ankle

The Milwaukee Bucks may have lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Atlanta Hawks, but with back-to-back victories, they have officially retaken home-court advantage in the series. The Bucks won Game 3 113-102 in order to take a 2-1 series lead over the Hawks. They are now only two wins away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1974.

The Hawks led for most of the contest, but the Bucks rallied behind an incredible 20-point fourth quarter from Khris Middleton to take the victory. He ended up with 38 total points, a playoff career-high, and that was enough for the Bucks despite 35 points from Trae Young in another stellar outing.

The Bucks will try to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Tuesday, when the Hawks host them yet again in Game 4. For now, here are the biggest takeaways from Game 4.

A memorable night for Middleton

Khris Middleton had shot 33.9 percent from the floor in his last three games. His 6-of-23 shooting night in Game 1 went a long way in costing the Bucks a 3-0 lead in this series, and that has been the story of his postseason. He struggles for a few nights before going nuclear when Milwaukee needs it most. He scored 30 total points in their first two losses to Brooklyn … and then scored 35 in a critical Game 3 win. He topped that with 38 in Milwaukee’s Game 6 win over the Nets, but Sunday night was his best outing of the postseason yet.

The Bucks scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, but Middleton had 20 of them. He made more 3-pointers (six) than the rest of his teammates combined (five). He tied for the team lead with 11 rebounds and trailed only Jrue Holiday with seven assists.

Speaking of Holiday, Milwaukee’s third star shot 2 of 11 from the field. In Game 2, he scored 22 as Middleton struggled. That has been one of the stranger trends of this postseason. The Bucks can’t get …

Japan PM insists emperor not ‘worried’ about Olympics

Japan’s prime minister on Friday dismissed claims that the country’s emperor is “concerned” the Tokyo Olympics could spread the coronavirus, saying the comments were the opinions of an imperial household representative.

On Thursday, Yasuhiko Nishimura, the head of the Imperial Household Agency that manages royal affairs, told reporters that Emperor Naruhito is “very worried about the current infection situation of Covid-19”, Japanese media reported.

Nishimura said he believed the emperor “is concerned that while there are voices of anxiety among the public, the holding of the Olympics and Paralympics… may lead to a rise in infections”.

He noted that he had “not heard such words directly from his majesty” but believed he “feels that way”, Kyodo news agency reported.

While the emperor holds no political power, he is an important symbolic figure in Japan.

But the remarks were dismissed Friday by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who told reporters Nishimura had “expressed his own opinion”.

The line was echoed by Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa and top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato.

Nishimura “was asked to comment on his own feelings about the Olympics, and… (he) discussed his feelings”, Kato told reporters.

“I understand that he said he has come to form this sense as he holds daily conversations with his majesty. It has to be stressed that he was speaking about his own thoughts,” Kato added.

Japan’s US-drafted post-war constitution strictly limits the role of the emperor to a symbolic figurehead with no political role.

On Thursday, Kato insisted the government remained committed to hosting a “safe and secure” Olympics, Kyodo reported.

Public opinion has for months been firmly opposed to holding the Games this year, though recent polls suggest opposition may be softening.

No overseas fans will be allowed and domestic spectators will be capped at 10,000 per event.

Japan has seen a comparatively small virus outbreak, with around 14,500 deaths despite avoiding harsh lockdowns.

Its vaccine rollout started slowly but has picked up pace in recent weeks, with nearly nine percent of the population fully vaccinated.…

Aussie ‘Tower of Terror’ could be one fight away from AJ title shot

Three-time Australian heavyweight champion Demsey McKean is reportedly being considered for a fight that would hand him a shot at British megastar Anthony Joshua. reports that ‘The Tower of Terror’ McKean is in talks to fight against Filip Hrgovic in an IBF final eliminator fight in August.

The winner would be given a guaranteed fight against IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua.

On Wednesday, McKean posted to his Instagram: “Next fight soon to be locked in”.

America’s Michael Hunter pulled out of talks to fight Hrgovic which has opened the door to the Queenslander, according to Sky Sports.

Fight promoter Kalle Sauerland told the publication: “We’re in discussions with a number of names

“The Australian is on the list. Obviously we look at the rankings. It’s very, very tough.

“We are in talks with a number of opponents. Not just Mr McKean, a number of opponents, so I have to keep my mouth a little bit schtum on this, but you’ll all be very happy when it’s solved.”

Sauerland said an opponent is “fully expected” to be locked in within the next seven days.

Southpaw McKean is ranked inside the WBO top 15 and is undefeated at 19-0 with 12 knockouts.

His promoter Angelo Di Carlo told Sky Sports last year that McKean, who has also had kickboxing and MMA fights, is “hungry” and a “good puncher”.

“Very tall, he’s 6’6”, a massive man. He’s had no amateur fights, but he moves better than the top amateurs,” Di Carlo said.…

Tennis fans shattered over Dominic Thiem announcement

Dominic Thiem suffered a wrist injury in Mallorca and will miss Wimbledon. Image: AAP/Getty

Dominic Thiem has announced with withdrawal from Wimbledon in a devastating blow for the World No.4.

The US Open champion was forced to pull out of the grass-court major on Thursday after suffering an injury to his right wrist.

Dominic Thiem, pictured here after suffering a wrist injury in Mallorca.

The Austrian star sustained the injury during a second-round match against Adrian Mannarino at the ATP event in Mallorca earlier this week.

Thiem, who had already opted out of competing at the Tokyo Olympics, will have to wear a wrist splint for five weeks.

He is now in a race against time to be fit for the defence of his first grand slam title at the US Open at the end of August.

The 27-year-old said on Thursday: “I’m going to do everything the doctors say in order to recover as quickly as possible.

“They’ve informed me that I might be out for several weeks but I will do my best to be back on court soon.

“I’m really sorry for pulling out of the upcoming three tournaments I had in my calendar: Wimbledon, Hamburg and Gstaad.

“They are very important tournaments for me. I appreciate all the support from the fans in these difficult moments – I’m determined to come back stronger.”

Fans were left shattered over the sad news.

Buhari snubs Yekini, Siasia, allocates houses to ‘94 Super Eagles

 

Late Rashidi Yekini’s name was conspicuously missing as President Muhammadu Buhari approved allocation of three-bedroom houses to the Super Eagles Squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunis, Tunisia in 1994, making real a promise by the Federal Government.

The late gangling striker, also known as the Goalfather, scored Nigeria’s first goal at the World Cup.

He also played a vital role in Nigeria’s qualification for the mundial.

Other top stars missing on the list are Samson Siasia, Dan Amokachi, Chidi Nwanu and Uche Okechukwu.

Meanwhile, following a memo by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the President approved the allocations in their states of preference, noting that six players and three technical crews received their houses already.

The players are: Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Samson Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, Isaac Semitoje, Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, Austin Eguavoen and Wilfred Agbonavbare (Deceased).

Others are: Uche Okafor (Deceased), Thompson Oliha (Deceased), Stephen Keshi (Deceased), Christian Chukwu, Dr Akin Amao, Stephen Edema, Col. A Asielue and B. Aromasodun.

 …

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Nigeria seal Women’s 4x400m Relay qualification

Team Nigeria’s women 4x400m relay team will be among the 16 nations that will file out for the event at the delayed 2020 Olympics after the team scorched to a 3:26.84 African lead on Thursday at the Lagos Open Athletics Championship in Lagos.

The team, anchored by Patience Okon-George, has now jumped to the front of the queue for the four available slots on offer for the event in Tokyo.

The quartet of World U-18 fastest girl so far this year, Imaobong Nse Uko; NCAA 200m finalist, Favour Ofili; Knowledge Omovoh; and Okon-George, is now ranked 13th in the ranking for the best 16 nations, that will be in Tokyo ahead of Belarus (3:28.14), Australia (3:28.64) and Switzerland (3:28.77), who have all provisionally qualified.

The 4x400m team has now become the second Nigerian relay team to qualify after the women’s 4x100m team led by Blessing Okagbare sealed their passage to the games with a 42.97 seconds run at the National Championship (Olympic Trials) last Thursday at the sports ground of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos.

Nigeria won a silver medal in the event 25 years ago at the Atlanta Olympics, where Falilat Ogunkoya led Charity Opara, Bisi Afolabi and Fatimah Yusuf to also set a new 3:21.04 seconds African record.

The men’s 4x100m team however failed to make it despite improving to 38.59 seconds.

The men’s 4x400m team also failed to qualify, but will, together with the 4x100m and 4x400m mixed relay teams, get their final chance to book their flights to Tokyo at the MOC Relays on Sunday at the Sports ground of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba in Lagos.…

Paul George, Los Angeles climb back in Western finals with Game 3 win

The Clippers have overcome two separate 2-0 deficits in this postseason, and on Thursday, they took the first step toward doing it for a third time. After falling behind in the first half, the Clippers erupted in the second to win Game 3, 106-92. They will now have a chance to tie the series in Game 4 on Saturday.

Paul George led the Clippers with 27 points, but as has been the case so many times this postseason, it was Reggie Jackson who sealed the win with an incredible fourth quarter. He finished the game with 23 points to help make this a 2-1 series. The Suns, meanwhile, got very little out of their star guard tandem. Chris Paul and Devin Booker combined to shoot a horrific 10 of 40 from the field in the loss for Phoenix.

The Suns hadn’t lost a game since May 27, a staggering nine-game winning streak as they’d run roughshod over the Lakers, Nuggets, and for two games, the Clippers. L.A. fought back on Thursday, and on Sunday, will try to do so again by tying the series at two games apiece. For now, here are the biggest takeaways from Game 3.

A bad day for Phoenix’s guards

The Suns are so deep that they can usually overcome a stroke of bad luck or two. The first two games of this series encapsulated that. Phoenix won both games at home without Chris Paul because Devin Booker was dominant in Game 1 and Cameron Payne played the game of his life in Game 2. Well, let’s take a look at what happened in Game 3:

  • Paul returned to the lineup, but as he hasn’t played in 11 days and may or may not have had COVID-19, he was at the very least rusty. His conditioning and rhythm seemed affected by the layoff.
  • Booker played Game 3 in a facemask after Patrick Beverley head-butted him in Game 2. It would be unfair to attribute his struggles entirely to that mask. Beverley has defended him very well

Pitch invader with rainbow flag protest ahead of Germany vs Hungary

A pitch invader carrying a rainbow flag was tackled as they protested during the pre-match anthems ahead of Germany’s Euro 2020 clash against Hungary on Wednesday.

The supporter entered the pitch wearing a Germany shirt and brandished the flag during the Hungarian national anthem.

They attempted to run towards the Hungary players before stewards rushed towards them and tackled them.

The protest came after UEFA turned down a request from the mayor of Munich for the city’s stadium to be lit up in rainbow colors for the Euro 2020 Group F match between Germany and Hungary.

Dieter Reiter said he wanted to light up the stadium in the colors in protest against a new law in Hungary that bans the dissemination of content in schools deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change.

On that basis, UEFA said it could not grant the request and proposed alternative dates for the stadium to be lit up in rainbow colors.

The controversy follows UEFA’s decision to drop an investigation into Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s wearing of a rainbow-colored armband in Germany’s Euro 2020 matches against France and Portugal.

The Bayern ‘keeper had been wearing the armband, which is a symbol of solidarity with the LGBT+ community, during Pride Month in June.…

Trae Young leads Atlanta Hawks to victory over Milwaukee Bucks

Trae Young scored 48 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 in the opening game of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals.

For a minute, Travis Schlenk’s 2018 draft-night decision to trade Luka Doncic for Trae Young, and the future lottery pick that became Cam Reddish, had the makings of an all-time blunder. That wasn’t a knock on Young, who was an All-Star in his second season and made it obvious early in his rookie season that he was going to be a really good player. It’s just that Doncic was almost immediately one of the best players in the world.

Almost exactly three calendar years later, Doncic still hasn’t gotten the Mavericks out of the first round while Young has the Hawks up 1-0 on the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals. That, in turn, isn’t a knock on Doncic, who still has a legit claim as one of the five best players in the world and simply isn’t working with the supporting cast Schlenk has constructed around Young. This is merely to say: The Hawks, just to put this narrative that won’t die to bed for at least a while, are pretty damn thrilled with how this has all turned out.

Young absolutely blistered the Bucks in Game 1 on Wednesday to the tune of a career-high 48 points. The Hawks also scored 24 points off his 11 assists. Do the math, and Young just did something no player in NBA history has ever done in a conference finals game.

The Bucks missed five late shots as the Hawks come from four points down to win.

Clint Capela put the Hawks 112-111 ahead with 29.8 seconds left and Young then netted four late free throws to shock the hosts.

Game two in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in Milwaukee.

Young had 11 assists while Capela and John Collins also recorded double-doubles for the Hawks. Capela had 12 points and a game-high 19 rebounds, while Collins added 23 points and 15 rebounds.

For the

D’Tigers call 49 players for Tokyo 2020 Olympics camp in California

With an eye on a podium performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which begins next month, the men’s senior national basketball team, D’Tigers, have invited 49 players to begin final preparations for the global fiesta.

 

The camp will be based in California, U.S, with Head Coach, Mike Brown, looking out for the best possible players that can take Nigeria to the medal table in Japan.

The team is dominated by players from United States’ NBA, including Monte Morris of Denver Nuggets, Miye Oni (Utah Jazz), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors), Kz Okpala (Miami Heat), Festus Ezeli, Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat), Udoka Azubuike (Utah Jazz), and Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons). These stars are all set to make their international debuts for Nigeria.

According to Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves) will join other NBA players, who include Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat), Al-farouq Aminu (Chicago Bulls), Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks) and Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), who are returning to the team after their 2019 FIBA World Cup exploit which saw Nigeria becoming the first African team to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside Ike Diogu (Bameso, Dominican Republic).

“The European legion comprises Obi Emegano (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Ike Iroegbu (Elan Chalon, France), Michael Oguine (BC Souffelweyersheim, France), Zaid Hearst (Alba Fehervar, Hungary), Ike Nwamu (Samara, Russia) and Michael Gbinije (BC Nevèżíe, Lithuania).

Other European stars in the squad are Talib Zanna (Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Israel), Emmanuel Omogbo (Vellaznimi, Kosovo), Christian Mekowulu (Treviso, Italy), Tonye Jekiri (Baskonia, Spain), Abdul-Malik Abu (Fethiye, Turkey), Chima Moneke (Orleans, France), Amanze Egekeze (Gries/Oberhoffen, France), Calab Agada (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), TK Edogi (St. Chamond, France), Joshua Ajayi (Hermine Nantes, France), Keith Omoerah (Poitiers, France) and Michael Eric, who recently helped CSKA Moscow of Russia to the European Basketball League,” the NBBF said.

NBA champion, Festus Ezeli, UC Iroegbu, Ike Ndugba (2021 NBA draft prospect), Mike Okauru (UNC- Wilmington), Ben Uzoh (Rivers Hoopers), Michael Adewunmi (UT-Rio Grand Valley), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown University), Manny Obaseki (Texas A&M University), Elijah Olaniyi (Stony Brook University) and Chibuzo Agbo (Texas …

UEFA sending ‘wrong signal’ with rainbow stadium refusal: Germany

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday criticized UEFA’s decision to block plans to light Munich’s Allianz Arena stadium in rainbow colors for Germany’s Euro 2020 match against Hungary.

“It’s true, the football pitch is not about politics,” Maas wrote on Twitter after the European football body blamed the “political context” for its decision.

“It’s about people, about fairness, about tolerance. That’s why @UEFA is sending the wrong signal,” he said.

City authorities had wanted the Allianz Arena — owned by Bayern Munich, but rented to UEFA for Euro 2020 — in rainbow colors for the crucial Group F match to “send a visible sign of solidarity” with Hungary’s LGBT community.

But UEFA refused the request, insisting it must remain a “politically and religiously neutral organization”.

Hungary’s right-wing government last week passed a law banning the “promotion” of homosexuality to minors, outlawing any educational programs or material in which homosexuality is mentioned.

UEFA’s move drew condemnation from football personalities across Europe, as well as from Germany’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community.

After UEFA’s refusal, Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter announced plans to decorate other city landmarks in rainbow colors.

Munich will put up rainbow-colored flags at its town hall and illuminate a huge wind turbine close to the stadium, as well as the city’s 291-metre (955-foot) Olympic Tower.

Other stadiums across Germany are also planning rainbow light displays, including Berlin’s iconic Olympic Stadium, as well as Bundesliga stadiums in Cologne, Frankfurt and Wolfsburg.…

Deandre Ayton, Phoenix win Game 2 with game-winner in final second

The Los Angeles Clippers came incredibly close to evening their series against the Phoenix Suns but just couldn’t pull it out. After Paul George missed two free throws with only eight seconds remaining to keep the Clippers’ lead at one, the Suns kept the ball after their missed game-winner attempt went out of bounds off of the Clippers. With only 0.9 seconds remaining, the Suns drew up a perfect lob pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked it home for the win.

With Chris Paul out of the lineup yet again, the Suns received big-time performances from Cam Payne as well as he led all scorers with a game-high 29 points while Ayton poured in 22 points and 14 rebounds of his own with Devin Booker also contributing 20 points. On the other side, Paul George led the Clippers with 26 points but he needed to attempt 23 shots to reach that total. Not exactly the most efficient performance from Los Angeles’ lone All-Star in the lineup. In the end, it wasn’t enough to get the job done.

Following the loss, the Clippers now trail 0-2 for the third time this postseason. These two teams will meet again on Thursday night with the opening tip scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s game.

1. Free throw follies

Before Paul George stepped to the foul line with 8.2 seconds remaining and a chance to give the Clippers a one-point lead, he had already missed three free throws. That was highly out of character for him. George shot nearly 87 percent at the line this season. He didn’t miss his fifth free throw of the regular season until his 11th game. But after missing those two critical freebies in the final moments of Game 2, he closed the night a disappointing 5-of-10 at the line. In a one-point loss, any one of those shots could have sent this game to overtime. Two would’ve won it for them.

There are inevitably going to be those that point to George’s …

‘Novak Djokovic has a mentality rarely seen in tennis history,’

Rafael Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya says Novak Djokovic has ‘a mental determination rarely seen in tennis history.’

Djokovic won the French Open earlier this month, beating Nadal in the semi-finals before coming back from two sets down in the final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

It was only the third time Nadal had ever lost at Roland Garros, and Moya did not deny the better player won on the day.

He, though, also warned the Serbian that they will learn a lot from the defeat.

“He has an impressive mentality, a determination rarely seen in the history of the sport,” Moya said.

“Rafa made too many unforced errors and was not at his level with the serve or with the backhand.

“Novak did better, he cornered him very well on his backhand side and Rafa could not easily escape from there.

“We are going to learn a lot from this match.”

Novak Djokovic will also be a strong favorite for Wimbledon, where he can equal the Grand Slam haul of both Nadal and Federer should he win it.…

Anthony Joshua – Unfortunately Fury’s team let boxing world down’

Anthony Joshua has blamed Tyson Fury for the breakdown of their undisputed championship fight but believes it can resurrected for later this year because it is “bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts”.

A court arbitration in the US ruled that Fury must fight Deontay Wilder causing the collapse of the dream all-British match-up against Joshua. Anthony Joshua exclusive: “Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t determine the Tyson Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It’s a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts. It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts.

Fury and Wilder will clash on July 24 in Las Vegas in a third WBC heavyweight title fight and Joshua will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO gold against mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk in late-September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.…

Usain Bolt has twin boys – Thunder and Saint Leo

All-time Olympic great sprinter Usain Bolt and his partner Kasi Bennett announced Sunday the birth of twin boys, who have been named Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt.

Day family photo, showing a lightning bolt emoji next to each of his children’s names in the caption, without stating when the twins were born.

Bennett also posted a shot of the couple posing with the twins and daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt captioned: “Happy Father’s Day to my forever love! @usainbolt You are the rock of this family and the greatest daddy to our little ones. We love you world without end!”

Olympia Lightning was born in May 2020 but the name was only announced two months later.

Messages of congratulations poured in after Bolt’s Instagram announcement, from fans as well as athletes — including fellow Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, American 200m specialist Wallace Spearmon and 200m world champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain who posted “Congratulations so adorable!”

The 34-year-old Bolt, who won eight gold medals at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games, will not be competing at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics next month after retiring in 2017.

The fastest man in history, Bolt holds the world records for 100 metres and 200 metres. He is the only sprinter to win the 100m and 200m double at three consecutive Olympics.…

Japanese football star Kumi Yokoyama comes out as transgender man

Japanese Women’s World Cup star Kumi Yokoyama has come out as a transgender man — one of the few athletes to do so in a country where LGBTQ rights lag behind other developed nations.

Yokoyama, who represented Japan at the 2019 Women’s World Cup and currently plays for National Women’s Soccer League side Washington Spirit, said living in the United States made it easier to be “open” about sexuality and gender.

“Recently, the term LGBTQ has become familiar in Japan, and you see it in the media nowadays,” said the 27-year-old footballer.

“But I thought that if people in my position didn’t speak up, things wouldn’t progress.”

Yokoyama’s message was posted on the YouTube channel of former Japan teammate Yuki Nagasato — a World Cup winner in 2011.

Yokoyama, who wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “them”, had a breast-removal operation at the age of 20.

They intend to have further gender reassignment surgery after they have retired from playing.

The forward said there was pressure to conform to gender norms in Japan, but there was less discrimination in the United States and Germany, where Yokoyama previously played for Frankfurt.

“In Japan, you’re always asked ‘do you have a boyfriend?’, but here it’s normal to ask ‘do you prefer men or women’,” Yokoyama said.

“I hid it from my teammates in the beginning, but they told me it was uncool to hide it, and that I didn’t have to.”

Yokoyama found support from Washington Spirit, who tweeted: “We support and are so proud of you Kumi. Thank you for showing the world it’s OK to embrace who you are!”

On Monday, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was chosen as the first transgender Olympic athlete.

Hubbard, 43, who transitioned to female in her 30s, met all the qualification criteria for transgender athletes.…

Atlanta tops Philadelphia in Game 7 to advance to Eastern Conference finals

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015. The Game 7 loss sent the No. 1 seed home early after one of the most bitterly disappointing series losses in recent memory. The 76ers blew enormous leads in Games 4 and 5, and now, they’ve blown the series as well.

As he has throughout the series, Joel Embiid led the charge for the 76ers on the offensive end of the floor as he finished with a team-high 31 points to go along with 11 rebounds. On the other side, Trae Young struggled mightily finding his shot in this one but Kevin Huerter picked up the slack in a major way, finishing with 27 points. While the Sixers were favored entering the matchup, it was Atlanta that was able to finish the job and knock off the top seed in Game 7.

With the win, the Hawks advance on to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals with Game 1 of that series scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Game 7.

1. Sorry Simmons

Ben Simmons’ night, and really, his series, can be encapsulated by a single moment. With 3:30 left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing by two, Simmons spun around Danilo Gallinari and had a wide open dunk sitting there for him. This is what he did.

Whether it was a fear of being fouled and having to take free throws or simply a poor decision, we can’t say. But Matisse Thybulle missed one of the free throws generated by that poor decision. That’s a free point down the drain. Simmons gave up plenty of them. He attempted only four shots in this game and 45 in the series. More distressingly, he took only three shots in the fourth quarter in seven games against the Hawks. Ironically, he made all of them.

It’s hard not to think of all …