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 Davis Cup: Belgium granted controversial win, France, Spain also through

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• Chile's Cristian Garin sustained an injury during his singles match against Belgium's
• Chile's Cristian Garin sustained an injury during his singles match against Belgium's

 Belgium claimed a bizarre victory over Chile in the Davis Cup on Sun­day, while France and Spain also came through the first qualifying round.

Chile and Belgium were tied af­ter Saturday’s singles rubbers, and Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen’s doubles win over Tomas Barrios Vera and Nicolas Jarry put the Belgians 2-1 up.

In the next singles match, Chile’s Cristian Garin and Zizou Bergs split the opening two sets to take the contest into a decider, which ended in unusual and con­troversial circumstances.

With the final set deadlocked at 5-5, Bergs broke serve and as he celebrated gaining the advantage, he bumped into Garin at the net while changing ends and bundled the Chilean to the ground.

Garin received medical atten­tion but after being cleared fit to continue, he failed to return to the court and Chile received three consecutive time violations result­ing in a game penalty, giving Berg a 6-3 4-6 7-5 win. That handed Belgium an unbeatable 3-1 lead.

The French held a 2-0 lead over Brazil following Saturday’s singles action, and after losing the opening set, Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hughes Herbert overcame Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo 4-6 6-3 6-4 to seal the tie.

France, who won the last of their 10 Davis Cup titles in 2017, will face Croatia, who beat them to the trophy in 2018, in the sec­ond round.

Spain also came into Sunday’s doubles tie with a 2-0 lead over Switzerland, and childhood friends Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar’s 6-4 7-5 win over Marc-Andrea Huesler and Dom­inic Strickler gave the Spanish an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Canada came into Sunday’s ac­tion 2-0 down to Hungary, but the 2022 champions pulled level with a win in the doubles and Gabriel Diallo’s 6-1 6-3 defeat of Fabian Marozsan to take the tie to the final rubber.

Marton Fucsovics outfought Alexis Galarneau 7-6(8) 6-4, and the Hungarians were the final nation to make it through to the second round where they will meet Austria.

The first round of the Davis Cup had 26 teams playing for a place in September’s second round of qualifiers.

Last year’s runners-up, the Netherlands, will join the compe­tition in the second round which will consist of seven ties in a battle to make November’s Final 8 alongside hosts Italy. -Reuters

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Pitch Invader in Ghana-Chad Game Sentenced to 100 Days Imprisonment

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Mohammed Huzeinu, 21, has been sentenced to 100 days in prison by an Accra District Court for invading the pitch during Ghana’s match against Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, 2022.

Huzeinu’s actions disrupted the game, an offense that has potential financial consequences for the Association (GFA), as the Association is likely to be fined whenever such incidents occur.

Pitch invasions are considered a serious breach of security and disrupt the smooth running of games.

The sentencing serves as a strong warning to fans to respect stadium regulations and maintain order during matches.

The FA has consistently urged fans to refrain from such actions, emphasising the importance of discipline and adherence to match day protocols to avoid fines and maintain Ghana’s reputation in international football.

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Queensland Intl Sch wins maiden Rising Star Rugby League tournament

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Rising Star Rugby League tournament

Queensland Inter­national School made history by emerging champions in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the inaugural Rising Star Rugby League Tournament U15 held at the Englebert School in Accra.

The event, organised by the Rugby League Federation Ghana (RLFG) in collaboration with Fu­turestars Charity and Salford Red Devils, provided a platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and passion for rugby league.

The all-play-all format tourna­ment featured five schools, 100 children (50 boys and 50 girls), aged 9-15, and over 20 volunteers.

Queensland Boys began the tournament with a 2-2 drawn game with Future Leaders Boys before defeating Englebert Boys 4-0 and Twedaase Boys 2-1 to emerge victorious, with Twedaase School, Tema Cluster Boys, Future Leaders Boys and Englebert Boys follow­ing in that order.

The girls from Queensland followed in the footsteps of their male counterparts, beating both Future Leaders and Tema Cluster 2-1 before going down by the same scoreline to Twedaase Girls.

They, however, ensured the top spot with a 4-3 victory over Englebert Girls in the final game, leaving Twedaase, Future Leaders, Englebert and Tema Cluster Girls to follow in that order on the medal table.

Special guest of honour, Mr Keith McMahon, Deputy British High Commissioner, commended RLFG for the initiative, noting that the energy and talent on display were inspiring.

“The tournament is a fantastic platform for these young athletes to develop their skills and grow the sport in Ghana and I urge the RLFG to continue with their good works,” he added.

On her part, the president of RLFG, Madam Juliana Storey, congratulated all the participating teams for their stellar performance, adding that the passion, determina­tion, and talent on display confirm that her outfit is on the right path in its mission to grow the sport.

She promised to We continue investing in grassroots develop­ment to ensure a bright future for the young athletes.

RLFG General Manager, Mr Jafaru Mustapha, said the enthu­siasm from these young athletes during the tournament is proof that rugby league has a promising future and stated that they were going to expand the tournament and provide more opportunities for young players across Ghana to enjoy the game.

He thanked Mr Emmanuel Okyne-Tetteh, Futurestars Charity Country leader, for the opportuni­ty to partner with his outfit to hold a successful tournament.

 BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY

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PHOTOS: Black Stars hold training at Grande Stade Al Hoceima ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifier against Madagascar

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The Black Stars held their official training at Grande Stade Al Hoceima on Sunday in preparation for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Madagascar.

Otto Addo’s men appeared sharp and lively during training under the lights, following their arrival in Morocco on Saturday. All 23 players are in good condition ahead of the crucial Group I game, scheduled for Monday, March 24, 2025.

Ghana recorded a resounding victory against Chad on Friday, climbing to the top of the table with 12 points. They aim to cement their position with a victory over Madagascar.

The Group I fixture is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 Hrs at Grande Stade Al Hoceima, Morocco. Our Chief Photographer sent us back these photos:


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