Sports

MADRID, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi scored a stunning freekick and helped set up two more goals as Barcelona swept hosts Deportivo Coruna aside 4-0 to surge five points clear at the top of La Liga yesterday.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – AC Milan and Flamengo reached an agreement yesterday for Ronaldinho’s transfer to Brazil’s 2009 champions, the Italian club’s vice-president Adriano Galliani said.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Any pretensions Australia had to still being at the top table in test cricket have been shattered by their ashes humiliation with India, South Africa and their conquerors England likely to battle it for the right to call themselves the world’s best side. 

HAMILTON, New Zealand (Reuters) – New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has undergone blood tests to determine a mystery illness making him lethargic and feel “fluey”, team manager Dave Currie said yesterday.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Fidel Edwards believes he is fitter than at any other time in his playing career, and is looking forward to returning to serious action.

HAMILTON, New Zealand (Reuters) – Captain Misbah-ul-haq and Asad Sahfiq ground out an unbroken 128-run partnership to resurrect Pakistan’s first innings and guide them to 235 for four at the close of play of the second day of the first test against New Zealand yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 20 will travel to Georgetown to face Guyana’s Under 20 team in a friendly match on January 14.

The national carrier Caribbean Airlines has decided to sponsor the national senior cricket team to the tune off US$25,000.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jerome Taylor hopes to manage the weight of expectations, and his creaky body when he makes his return to serious competition for Jamaica in the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship.

With a large haul of medals and several new initiatives implemented by stakeholders in the sport fraternity, nominees are eagerly awaiting the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport awards ceremony where 23 honours including three new medals will be given out.

Former Technical Director (TD) of the national Sevens rugby team, Joe Whipple has resigned, according to president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union, Kit Nascimento.

President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool, in retrospect, believes that the monthly Friday Night Fights were a success but he said this year the board will be upping the ante to improve the career of its boxers.

This year’s Caribbean Twenty20 side is missing a few key elements from last year but Manager Carl Moore is confident that new stars will emerge to ensure Guyana make a successful defence of their title when the tournament bowls off on Monday in Antigua.

All regional cricket matches under the auspices of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will now be shown live on the ESPN Caribbean television channel for the next three years.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has announced a new list of criteria for nominees in the 2010 National Sports Awards.

Newly-elected President of the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) Gregory Rambarran says a number of programmes will be launched this year to revitalise the sport in the ‘Ancient County.’

In an effort to develop youth basketball in Guyana, the Youth Basketball Programme was launched yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Netball continues to trail behind other sports, partly due to a lack of resources.

HAMILTON, New Zealand, (Reuters) – Pakistan made short  work of the tail to bowl New Zealand out for 275 early on the  second day of the first test at Seddon Park yesterday.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Levern Spencer and Darren Sammy have been gifted parcels of land by the St.