Arshavin shuns Dinamo Moscow deal

 Andrey Arshavin has rejected a one-year loan deal with Russian club Dinamo Moscow on the final day of the transfer period as he opted to stay in Arsenal where he would hustle for a shirt in the team A.
The loan move was made by Arsenal proposing to give the player to the Russian club on loan for one year but Arshavin turned down the offer instead.
Confirming the news of the Russian international who is 31 was the Manager of the Russian club Dan Petrescu who said he wanted to have Arshavin join saying: “I wanted him to join the Dinamo Moscow team but he rejected the offer.
The Russia captain lost his place in the Arsenal side last season, leading to a loan move to his former club Zenit St Petersburg. He returned to London in July to find his chances limited, and has made only a brief substitute appearance against Sunderland so far this season.
He had been linked with a move back to Russia all summer, with Zenit and CSKA Moscow having also expressed interest. And with Russia’s transfer window closing on Thursday at 9pm a last-minute deal may still be on the cards.
However, it appears Zenit have dropped out of the race with their general director Maxim Mitrofanov revealing their top targets lie elsewhere.

50-year old pugilist returns to contention after 21 years

Mark Weinman, a highly touted hard punching 154lber out of New York who fought  in the mid and late 1980′s returns to the ring for the first time in 21 years at age 50, this Friday, September 7^th.
Weinman, known as the “Hebrew Hammer” ran up 11 straight victories including 9 KO’s with a Mike Tyson like fury in his attack, before back-to-back losses in 1987 ended his career.
An attempted comeback 4 years later in 1991 again ended in a setback as Weinman was stopped on his feet in a bout he was winning with 30 seconds left in the final round.  His final career record was 11-3 with 9 KO’s.
Weinman, a former Spanish Golden Gloves champion, three-time PAL Champion (Police Athletic League) and New York Golden Gloves Open Finalist, was hailed by New York’s boxing media as a future champ. He fought on major boxing cards at Madison Square Garden and Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Weinman said “I feel fresh; I had only 14 pro fights so I’m not shop-worn.  I can still punch like a mule.  I have been training for this comeback since the summer of 2011 and have boxed over 500 rounds.  My left hook is back and there are no weight problems anymore. My stamina feels great.”
Weinman’s opponent will be Elvis “El Burrito” Martinez, a 36 year old journeyman from the Dominican Republic with 43 pro bouts under his belt. The fight is contracted at 165lbs weight limit.
Weinman’s manager Steve Tannenbaum tells us, “Mark looked like the goods. He had a great left hook to the body which you don’t see fighters throw anymore. And along with being able to pop, he had a big heart.
“Maybe like George Foreman during the second chapter of his career, Weinman will be a more relaxed fighter and pace himself better in the ring. I think he can be dangerous for anybody in the middle weight division.”

Hazard needs a kick up the a**! Belgian FA vice-president tells Chelsea ace to work on his defending

Warning: Hazard (left)

Belgian FA vice-president Philippe Collin thinks new Chelsea signing Eden Hazard needs 'a kick up the a**' in a bid to improve his game.
Hazard has made an impressive start to his career at Stamford Bridge, with three impressive performances helping the Blues to three wins and pole position in the Barclays Premier League.
However, Collin believes the midfielder needs to make improvements to his all-round game - for both club and country.
He told Nieuwsblad: 'He has technique, explosiveness and positioning. At some point he will have to work on defending, and he has no choice with that.
'But I have confidence that [Belgium manager] Marc Wilmots will occasionally give him a kick up his a**.
'The learning process is slow but good. If (Lionel) Messi should work for the team and defend, then I see no reason why Hazard should not do likewise.'

Barton blow as bad boy is told he must serve ban at new club Marseille

Marseille's on-loan QPR midfielder Joey Barton will still have to serve out his 12-match suspension even after his move to France.
Barton was issued with the ban as a result of his actions on the final day of last season, when he was sent off for a clash with Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez and responded by lashing out at City players Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany before attempting to confront Mario Balotelli.
He was frozen out upon Rangers' return for pre-season training and was not even offered a squad number for the new season, prompting his move abroad.

In the spotlight: Barton has been told he will have to serve his ban at Marseille

But any hopes that he might avoid serving his ban after moving to a new country have been dashed by a statement from the French League, the LFP.
The statement, published on both the LFP and Marseille's websites, read: 'Upon the transfer of Joey Barton from Queens Park Rangers to Olympique Marseille, the English Football Association transmitted to the French Football Federation the disciplinary sanction he was subject to in the English league.

No escape: Barton had hoped to swerve the ban

'In accordance with article 12 of FIFA's Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players, the sanction is applicable in France.
'Consequently Joey Barton, having served three of his 12-match suspension [in England], is suspended for the next nine games in domestic competition (Ligue 1 and the Coupe de la Ligue).'
The FIFA regulation cited in the statement reads: 'Any disciplinary suspension imposed on a player prior to a transfer must be enforced or applied by the new association at which the player is registered.
'The former association is obliged to notify the new association of any sanction in writing and upon issuing the ITC (International Transfer Certificate).'
October 7's grudge match with bitter rivals Paris St Germain is the highest-profile game Barton will miss.
He will also sit out Ligue 1 games against Nancy, Evian, Valenciennes, Troyes, Lyon, Ajaccio and Nice as well as OM's entry into the Coupe de la Ligue in the last 16.
But he will be available for Europa League group games against Fenerbahce, AEL and Borussia Monchengladbach twice in the meantime.

You can't buy history! Jose in dig at City as champions monitor Ronaldo

Jose Mourinho admitted that Manchester City’s lavish spending might lead to Champions League glory but belittled his Group D rivals by claiming they will never be able to buy the history of clubs like Real Madrid.
City face Mourinho’s side at the Bernabeu in an eagerly-awaited opening game a week on Tuesday after the two clubs were drawn in this season’s toughest group alongside Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.
The rivalry has intensified after big-spending City were mentioned as a possible destination should Madrid’s unsettled star Cristiano Ronaldo decide to quit Spain.

Belief: Jose Mourinho thinks he will be able to keep Cristiano Ronaldo

 

Asked if he was worried about that prospect, Mourinho said: ‘We have the potential and history to keep our best players.
‘Madrid, Barca, Bayern, these clubs have unique historic capital – the trophies, the European Cups, the history, the fans. Things you cannot buy with money.
‘The best players will want to be at these clubs, the three I have mentioned and some others who have trophy cabinets full for almost a century.’
The former Chelsea boss admitted that Sheikh Mansour’s huge investment could be rewarded with a Champions League crown after Roberto Mancini’s team lifted the Premier League title in May.
But he warned that UEFA’s new Financial Fair Play rules will limit cash-rich clubs like City and Paris Saint-Germain.
‘Manchester City are powerful because they have players at the highest world level,’ added Mourinho. ‘City are a team built to win the Champions League. The objective of the investment, made year after year, is to lift the European Cup.

Unknown: Ronaldo's reasons for his stupor have not been revealed

‘But there will be difficulties for clubs that are not well structured, although they have wallets full of money.
‘Clubs that live just from the investments from their owners will not have it so easy, because they do not have the structures of the historic clubs. In that way, Financial Fair Play will be good for football.’
City are waiting to find out if Sergio Aguero will fly home from Argentina for further treatment on his knee injury.
Aguero has not travelled with the Argentina squad from Buenos Aires to Cordoba for Friday's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay, and must now decide whether to stay on for Tuesday’s game against Peru.

International duty: Ronaldo training with Portugal on Thursday

Chelsea deny Cole is set to quit Stamford Bridge as talks continue over new deal

Talks: Chelsea want Cole to stay

Chelsea are confident of reaching an agreement with Ashley Cole in their ongoing contract talks with the England star.
It has been claimed that Cole, 31, has been offered a one-year extension to his current deal, which expires next summer, and was ready to walk away for nothing.
But sources with knowledge of the negotiations were bemused by such suggestions amid what were said to be perfectly amicable talks, which began this summer. 
It is understood that while Chelsea are more reluctant to offer long contracts to players in the thirties, each case in judged on its merits and Cole is viewed as someone with the potential to star at the highest level for several more years.

 

The left-back confirmed last month that discussions with the Blues were under way and rubbished suggestions he had demanded a pay rise to £200,000 a week.

Reaching an agreement is not a foregone conclusion, however, as Chelsea discovered while negotiating with Didier Drogba during the final year of his contract.

Suit you, sir: The defender is out of contract at the end of this season

There would doubtless be no shortage of suitors were Cole to enter the January transfer window without having signed on, as he would then be able to pen a lucrative pre-contract with another club.
He has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in the past, while plenty of other teams would be tempted to offer him mega-money deals.
Cole currently faces a race against time to be fit for England's second World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday after being ruled out of tomorrow's opener in Moldova with an ankle injury.

Three times a champion: Wheelchair racer David Weir powers to his third gold medal of London 2012 in the 800m... and sets his sights on winning a fourth in the marathon

British wheelchair racer David Weir won his third gold medal of the London 2012 Paralympics tonight by powering to victory in the 800m final.

The 33-year-old, from Sutton, South London, was cheered on by 80,000 spectators inside the Olympic Stadium as he finished ahead of his rivals in a time of just under one minute and 38 seconds.
Weir started the race well and was in second place until 200m from the end, before producing a tremendous effort in the closing stages to win the event.

Champion: Wheelchair racer David Weir clinches victory in the 800m final to win his third gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympics

The victory means that Weir is three-quarters of the way to reaching his target of four gold medals at these Games.

He has already won the 1,500m and 5,000m finals and is due to compete in the marathon on Sunday.
Weir, nicknamed 'the Weirwolf of London', now holds five Paralympic gold medals. He won two titles on the track in Beijing four years ago.
The father of two, who has 'winner' tattooed on his arm in Japanese, has been unable to use his legs since birth and suffered a spine injury that left him walking with calipers.

He first competed in the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996 as a teenager, but abandoned sport soon afterwards after being disillusioned by the empty stadiums at that Games.

Weir, nicknamed 'the Weirwolf of London', now holds five Paralympic gold medals. He won two titles on the track in Beijing four years ago

He returned in 2004 after being inspired by watching Tanni-Grey Thompson at the Sydney Paralympics.

If Weir wins Sunday's marathon for a fourth gold he will match the achievement of cyclist Sarah Storey, who today completed a clean sweep of her London 2012 events.

Storey stormed to victory in the women's cycling road race at Brands Hatch to claim her fourth Paralympic gold medal of the Games and her 11th overall.

She had already won the women's C5 road cycling time trial at the famous racing circuit, as well as the 500m time trial and the individual pursuit in the velodrome.

Winning feeling: David Weir qualified for the 800m final by finishing first in his heat

The victory means that Weir is three-quarters of the way to reaching his target of four gold medals at these Games

Here's Jonnie! British sprinter Peacock wins the battle of the blades to claim Paralympic gold... 14 years after he lost his leg and almost died from meningitis

• Jonnie Peacock wins 100m in Paralympic record time of 10.90 to claim title of the world's 'fastest amputee'
• South African rival Oscar Pistorius finished fourth and is yet to win an individual gold medal at London 2012
• Peacock, 19, had his right leg amputated below the knee when he was five after contracting meningitis
• His family were told he may not survive, but he made a remarkable recovery to become one of Britain's finest Paralympians

A British teenager who lost his leg after contracting meningitis as a boy became a Paralympic hero tonight as he won gold at London 2012.

Jonnie Peacock, 19, won his eagerly-awaited sprint final against fellow blade runner Oscar Pistorius to become the 100m champion in a Paralympic record time of 10.90secs.

The success for Peacock, from Shepreth, Cambridgeshire, was all the sweeter given his remarkable recovery from a condition which almost killed him 14 years ago.

Record-breaker: Jonnie Peacock celebrates winning the 100m sprint final for Britain in a Paralympic best time of 10.90secs

Winner: Jonnie Peacock poses with the Union flag after defeating South African athlete Oscar Pistorius to claim the title of the world's 'fastest amputee'

Peacock v Pistorius

Peacock was only five when he contracted meningitis in October 1998.

He was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he lay in a coma for four days with doctors warning his parents that he may not survive.

Blood poisoning meant that surgeons had to amputate his right leg just below the knee to rid his body of the deadly infection.
But he was determined not to be beaten by his disability and fought to enjoy his childhood as much as possible, even cycling with his sisters.

His improvement was so dramatic that his family had their benefits cut only 18 months after he was taken ill.

When medics assessed Peacock in 2000, they were so impressed by his athleticism that they decided he could move like any other seven-year-old.

Star of the future: A photograph of Jonnie Peacock, taken before he lost a leg after contracting meningitis at the age of five

Fighting spirit: Peacock, pictured as a six-year-old on a family holiday in Florida with his mother Linda and sisters Bethany and Rebekah, was determined to remain active after his leg was amputated

It meant the weekly payment to his mother of £92.25 in disability benefit was halted for six months from February 2000.

The family appealed against the decision and the Benefits Agency agreed to make payments of £51.30 a week in mobility allowance.

The agency also agreed to backdate the missed payments and guaranteed that the family would receive financial support until Peacock was 16.

Peacock was inspired to remain athletic after he met England football stars Michael Owen and David Beckham on a visit to watch the national team in 2000.

That year he was also able to take up ballet and, fitted with an artificial limb, he attended weekly dance classes at his local village hall from the age of eight.

National heroes: Peacock was seven years old when he met England footballers Michael Owen (left) and David Beckham with his mother Linda (right). The meeting inspired him to become an athlete himself

Someone to look up to: Gold medal winner Jonnie Peacock also met striker Alan Shearer during a visit to an England football match in 2000

All smiles: Football great Kevin Keegan, who was England coach in 2000, posed for a photograph with Peacock when the future Paralympian was seven

Incredible recovery: Jonnie Peacock's mother Linda Roberts (left) has revealed how the teenager, pictured trying out a prosthetic running leg at 16 (right), surprised medics with his athleticism

His proud mother Linda Roberts, now 46, said Peacock had been a fighter ever since he lost his leg.

Ms Roberts, of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, added: 'A doctor told me my little boy had 48 hours to live and that now was the time to say goodbyes. But I couldn’t.
'People say he’s wonderful because he’s achieving all these great things but for me he doesn’t have to win a race for me to be proud of him.

'When you remember the little boy who stared down at his leg and wondered what had happened to his world, you remember how far he’s come.

'He’s beaten greater battles than Oscar Pistorius.
'Just competing is such a fantastic achievement for him.'
The 19-year-old poster boy, who had promised to ‘shock the world’ at London 2012, lived up to his boast by claiming the title of the world’s ‘fastest amputee’.
Roared on by 80,000 packed inside the Olympic Stadium, Peacock blazed up the track to win the most eagerly anticipated clash of the Paralympics. Pistorius finished fourth.
It came on a magnificent night for Paralympic GB that saw wheelchair racers David Weir and Hannah Cockcroft power to victories as Britain smashed its medal target in London 2012 with three days of competition still to go.
For Weir, 33, his win in the T54 800m completed a brilliant hat-trick of golds before his home crowd, while 20-year-old Cockcroft’s win in the T34 women’s 200m was her second gold of the Paralympic Games in the stadium.
Their successes helped to propel Team GB past their Beijing medal haul of 102 and London 2012 target total of 103 with realistic prospects of at least another 20 medals.
The distinction of winning GB’s 103rd medal fell to swimmer Heather Frederiksen, claiming silver in the S8 100m freestyle.
More than one million people have paid so far to watch Paralympic athletes give their inspirational performances in London’s Olympic Stadium – meaning it has been the most commercially successful of any Paralympics so far.
The clash between Peacock and Pistorius was considered the Blue Riband event and had been among the most talked about of London 2012.
The win could now be worth a fortune to Peacock, with companies and backers lining up for him to endorse their products.
The defeat means that Pistorius, the world’s most famous Paralympian, has now been beaten in his first two individual events at London 2012 although he did take South Africa to a relay gold medal on Wednesday.
For Britain, a new star emerged last night when 15-year-old swimmer Josef Craig won his first Paralympic gold medal in spectacular style.
The teenager won the S7 400m freestyle in a world record time of four minutes 42.81 seconds. It trumped the world record he had set hours earlier in the heats by three seconds – to the amazement of his rivals.
Craig, who has cerebral palsy, punched the air and blew kisses to the crowd after his win.
The schoolboy, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, said: ‘It means more than anything in the world. It’s the happiest day of my life.’

Out in front: Britain's Jonnie Peacock (L) crosses the line first to win ahead of South Africa's Arnu Fourie (green and gold vest) and US athlete Richard Brown (right)

Role model: Jonnie Peacock fought back from adversity to reach the very top as a Paralympic athlete

Jonathan visits Eagles during training at the National stadium

President Goodluck Jonathan  during his visit to the National stadium in Abuja on Wednesday urged the Super Eagles to work towards success in their game in Moronvia on Saturday.
The National Team are billed to play against the Leone Stars of Liberia in a qualifying match for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
They are currently undergoing training at the National Stadium in Abuja.
Jonathan encouraged the players to work hard to ensure they do well in the match and disclosed that he had already set up a special committee at the Federal Executive Council meeting earlier in the day to look at how the lost glory of the nation’s sports could be restored.
While calling for a re-enactment of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games where Nigeria won the football event, Jonathan said he believed that Nigeria could still win gold in that category and others at subsequent Olympics.
The President expressed his displeasure over the poor state of the stadium which was overgrown with weeds at the time of his visit.
He therefore ordered the management of the stadium to correct the anomaly immediately.