Digest

SOCCER

Police return Salah's stolen silver medal

Egyptian police said on Wednesday they have recovered a silver medal which was stolen from the home of Liverpool striker Mo Salah.

The theft took place on March 2 and police were able to identify the two thieves, including a former security guard in the residential complex, the Ministry of Interior added in a statement.

All the stolen goods were seized, which include a silver medal, a number of sports shoes and TV receivers.

A security source confirmed to Reuters that the player referred to in the statement is Salah.

The photo, published by the police on Facebook, showed that the silver medal was for the African Cup of Nations.

Salah finished on the losing side in both the 2017 and 2021 Cup of Nations finals.

Egypt captain Salah, 30, is due to visit his home country next week as he will lead the national team in a doubleheader against Malawi in African Cup of Nations qualifying, a home game on March 24 and the away match four days later.

Salah last week became Liverpool's all-time top scorer in the English Premier League with 129 goals.

Owners stress Arsenal ambition amid reshuffle

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke told Gunners fans on Wednesday his ambitions for the club would "never waver" as the Premier League leader announced a boardroom reshuffle.

US-based Kroenke and his son, Josh Kroenke, have become co-chairmen, while Tim Lewis becomes the executive vice-chairman.

Stan Kroenke took full control of Arsenal in 2018 through holding company Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, which also owns American football, basketball and ice hockey teams in the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche respectively.

"This is a simple evolution as part of us all driving Arsenal forward and further reaffirms our family's longstanding commitment to this great club," Kroenke said in a statement on the club's website.

"Stability in football has never been more important as we move past the pandemic, and we believe this is the perfect time to formalize these roles."

BASKETBALL

Morant handed 8-game ban over gun video

Ja Morant will be back with the Memphis Grizzlies next week, after the NBA handed the All-Star guard an eight-game suspension without pay Wednesday and saying his displaying a firearm at a club in suburban Denver earlier this month was "conduct detrimental to the league".

Morant missed his sixth consecutive game when the Grizzlies played in Miami on Wednesday night. He will miss the next two games — at San Antonio on Friday and home against Golden State on Saturday — then be eligible to return on Monday when Memphis plays Dallas, though he is not expected to play that night.

The games he already missed will count toward the suspension, and Morant will forfeit about $669,000 in salary.

"Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him."

Silver met with Morant in New York before announcing the league's decision.

BOXING

Russia, Belarus to compete with flags

Russia and Belarus will compete at the women's world boxing championships with their flags and national symbols after their athletes carried the flags at the opening ceremony of the event in India on Wednesday.

The two national teams are also named with their flags in the official International Boxing Association (IBA) competition list, with 12 Russians entered and six competing athletes from Belarus at the March 15-26 event in New Delhi.

Due to the conflict in Ukraine, athletes from Russia and its neighbor Belarus have been banned from many international competitions since.

In some sports where they are still competing they are doing so without their national flags or anthems.

The IBA, which is headed by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, lifted sanctions on the two nations last year and is allowing their athletes to compete as usual.

OLYMPICS

Ticket lottery launched for 2024 Paris Games

Paris Olympics organizers kicked off the individual ticketing program on Wednesday for next year's Games, after an initial round of package sales left many buyers feeling frustrated at high costs.

Would-be spectators can sign up now through April 20 for a lottery for millions of tickets for Olympic events, which run July 26-Aug 8,2024. Those chosen for the draw will be contacted in May to log on and purchase individual tickets.

An initial ticketing lottery in February and March allowed buyers to get packages of tickets, but few people were able to access lower-cost tickets. Buyers were also required to buy packages for multiple sports, to encourage people to attend less-popular events.

Paris 2024 organizers announced last year that there will be 1 million tickets priced at 24 euros ($26) and more than 4 million for less than 50 euros ($53). In all, 10 million tickets for the Olympics and 3.4 million for the Paralympics will be made available on the online platform.

A final ticketing phase will run later this year.

Ticket sales are expected to cover about a third of the overall cost of hosting the Games.

Agencies