An Indonesian badminton legend has claimed the Southeast Asian nation's sports ministry is full of corrupt "rats", after admitting his own role in a bribery case.
"No matter who the minister is, it'll be the same," retired Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat said in a YouTube interview this week.
"Half the building should be destroyed because there are so many rats inside."
The 38-year-old's comments came after he testified in court last week that he delivered one billion rupiah ($67,000) to the personal assistant of former youth and sports minister Imam Nahrawi, who is on trial for corruption.
Hidayat, who denied knowing the money was a bribe, claimed that it was common for ministry officials to embezzle funds through sports programmes.
But he acknowledged that he had no concrete evidence to back up the claims.
The youth and sports ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
However, local media quoted Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Gatot S. Dewa Broto as saying that the 

Indonesian shuttler says sport ministry full of corrupt 'rats'

PTI Automatic

Borussia Dortmund's young stars Erling Braut Haaland and Jadon Sancho will be hunting more goals on Saturday in "the most unusual derby in history" against Schalke as the German Bundesliga returns behind locked doors.
Dortmund usually expect 82,000 spectators at Signal Iduna Park for a home derby, but the stadium will be near-empty with only a handful of media and officials admitted.
Even national team coach Joachim Loew will not be allowed in to watch his Germany players live on their return to action.
"It will be the most unusual derby in history," former Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl told German daily Welt.
Normally, a home derby against Schalke comes alive "through the fans, from their emotions, from the enthusiasm in the stadium," Kehl added.
Dortmund are looking to close the four-point gap behind leaders Bayern Munich, who visit Union Berlin on Sunday.
However, Dortmund's iconic south stand, dubbed "The Yellow Wall" and normally packed with 25,000 passionate fans will - like ..

Dortmund braced for 'most unusual derby in history' as Bundesliga returns

England players could tentatively start their outdoor skill-based training in the coming weeks with the ECB eyeing resumption of international cricket with a series against West Indies in July, said its director of cricket Ashley Giles.
However, as per health directive issued by government wing, the players -- across all sports in UK -- will have an option to "opt out" of training if they have any apprehensions of health risk.
"These are the very first tentative steps back to playing cricket," Giles was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo, indicating that it could be done in controlled environment.
"This is individual-based training, so in many ways we should be able to get control of the environment so it's safer to go back to practice than it is to go to the supermarket. It should be that controlled an environment."
However as per protocols issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), players will have an option.
"All athletes and support staff should be ...

England players may start training in coming weeks but with option of "pulling out"

Lockdown is hard on children with little chance of outdoor activity but for six-time world champion and Rajya Sabha MP MC Mary Kom's youngest son Prince, it was a birthday to remember as a team from Delhi Police came calling to celebrate on Thursday.
Prince, who turned seven, along with his parents, twin elder siblings and younger sister, celebrated his birthday with a team of cops from Tughlaq Road police station led by ACP Pragya Tiwari.
"Thank you @DCPNewDelhi for making this birthday so special for my younger son Prince Kom," the reigning Asian and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist tweeted with a video of the celebrations.
"You all are real frontline warriors, i salute you all for your dedication and commitment," she said.
This is an initiative taken by the Delhi Police to lift the spirit of citizens, primarily senior citizens and children, who are now bracing up for a fourth phase of lockown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delhi Police celebrates birthday of Mary Kom's youngest son

Lack of training is an obvious concern but India's hockey players are also feeling homesick and they made that known to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, who assured them of a "controlled" resumption of practice soon in an online interaction on Thursday.
Rijiju reiterated that on-field training will resume once the Standard Operating Procedure is formulated by a six-member committee of the Sports  Authority of India (SAI).
The minister gave a patient hearing to the players and took note of feedback during the online meeting which was attended by 34 men and 24 women hockey players.
"The SOP is being drawn up and now we have the inputs from coaches and hockey players. We will resume practice soon but in a controlled manner," Rijiju said in a press release later.
Both the Indian men and women's hockey teams have been at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) South Centre in Bengaluru since the start of the coronavirus-forced lockdown on March 25.
"I assure that we will extend all support to ..

Homesick hockey players request Rijiju to restart training, minister assures controlled resumption

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is "desperate" for the return of Premier League action despite mounting concerns about the English top-flight's restart plans.
Several stars including Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose have gone public with fears about resuming the season during the coronavirus crisis.
Some top-flight bosses are also understood to have expressed concerns about the plan to play from mid-June when they spoke during a League Managers Association meeting on Wednesday.
But Mourinho said he would relish the chance to get back to work despite the challenges and risks posed by the pandemic.
"I have not asked for any delay," Mourinho said in a statement on Thursday.
"I want to train, and I am desperate for the Premier League to return as soon as it is safe to do so, particularly now we are seeing other leagues preparing to return to action."
Mourinho was forced to apologise in April after being spotted breaking lockdown restrictions to hold a training session 

Mourinho 'desperate' for Premier League return

Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece will headline a trio of top women pole vaulters who will face off in a virtual competition from their respective home bases on Saturday.
Stefanidi, who is also current world and European outdoor champion, Diamond League winner, European indoor champion and a two-time World Indoor Championships bronze medallist, will be up against two-time US indoor champion Katie Nageotte and Commonwealth Games champion Alysha Newman of Canada.
The showdown will be the second edition of the so-called "Ultimate Garden Clash", following the highly successful competition between male pole vaulters Mondo Duplantis, Renaud Lavillenie and Sam Kendricks, with the world of track and field decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.
That trio set the bar high by making a collective 98 clearances over 5.0 metres in 30 minutes, with Duplantis and Lavillenie tying for the win with 36 clearances each.
The women vaulters, competing from home bases in Athens, Marietta in ...

Backyard pole vault: now it's time for the women

Australian spin legend Shane Warne says the success that came with his 'ball of the century' in 1993 split him into two people and his habit of living in the moment without thinking about consequences often landed him in trouble which  embarrassed his family.
Success and controversies chased Warne in equal measure in his career. He was banned for 12 months in 2003 for doping and missed the World Cup but went on to become one of the greatest leg-spinners the game has ever produced.
He said the success that followed his 1993 ripping 'ball of the century' with which he bowled Mike Gatting had massive influence on his life.
"I was 23 when that happened. I remember going to the Windmill Pub in London, we were staying at the Westbury Hotel 100 yards up the road ... and I went for a pint with Merv (Hughes)," he says.
"And when I came out there was, without a word of a lie, probably 25-30 photographers just taking pictures. The next day was about 'Shane Warne was at the pub'. I was getting ...

Success after 1993's 'ball of the century' split me into two people: Warne

Eight people at Istanbul giants Besiktas have tested positive for coronavirus after players and other employees underwent medical checks, the club said Thursday, a month before games resume.
The tests were conducted on footballers, technical committee members and facility staff, Besiktas said in a statement, without giving specific details on who has the virus.
The results will raise further concerns after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said games in the top league would resume on June 12 after they were suspended in March.
TFF chief Nihat Ozdemir said the matches would be played without spectators but this could change depending on how the pandemic evolves.
Second division club Erzurumspor said Wednesday 11 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded, including four players.
Turkey has officially recorded 143,114 cases of the new coronavirus while 3,952 people have died, according to the health minister Wednesday.
In March, Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim tested positive for the virus 

Eight Besiktas staff test positive for coronavirus

European cross-country champion Robel Fsiha of Sweden has been banned for four years after "artificial testosterone" was found in his sample, the Swedish anti-doping authorities said Thursday.
"We have decided that Robel Fsiha is suspended for four years from February 5, 2020 until February 4, 2024," Ake Thimfors, president of the Swedish anti-doping board, told AFP.
Fsiha, a 24-year-old of Eritrean origin, has until June 1 to appeal the ban.
Having arrived as a refugee in Sweden in 2013, Fsiha started running internationally for his adopted country at the end of 2018, and won the European crown a year later, last December in Lisbon.
Fsiha underwent a doping control when at a training camp in Ethiopia on November 25, 2019 -- just two weeks before his European triumph.
He told Swedish media he had taken a cough medicine, saying he was "saddened" by the ban.

European cross-country champ Fsiha cops four-year doping ban

Sachin Tendulkar has decided to settle his lawsuit against bat-maker Spartan in the Federal Court of Australia after the company apologised for "breach of contract".
In 2016, Tendulkar entered into a worldwide exclusive sponsorship agreement with Spartan to promote its sporting goods and sportswear.
Tendulkar alleged that Spartan failed to comply with its obligations under the agreement by failing to pay him royalties and endorsement fees as per the agreement signed by both parties.
"Spartan sincerely apologises to Tendulkar for its failure to honour his sponsorship agreement and is grateful for Tendulkar's patience in resolving this dispute," Les Galbraith, the COO of Spartan, stated in a joint press release.
Spartan had continued to use Tendulkar's name and image even after the termination of the agreement.
"Tendulkar provided his promotional services at various Spartan events in both Mumbai and London...he was unable to pursue other sponsorship opportunities for sporting goods and .

Sachin Tendulkar settles lawsuit against bat manufacturers Spartan, Aussie company apologises

The 2020 Tour of Britain has been cancelled after organisers decided it was not practical to stage the race during the coronavirus crisis.
Dutchman Mathieu Van Der Poel won the Tour of Britain last year, but the Alpecin-Fenix rider will have to wait until 2021 to defend the title.
The event was set to start in Penzance on September 6 before finishing in Aberdeen a week later.
"The decision has been taken in light of the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes continuing with the planning and organisation of the 2020 race impractical," Tour organisers said in a statement on Thursday.
"Across the UK there are significant doubts around the potential to stage large-scale public events and gatherings such as the Tour of Britain as early as September and while any form of social distancing remains in place and there isn't a vaccine available, people's health and safety must come first."
There was little appetite to stage the race without fans present, either from ...

Tour of Britain cancelled due to virus

Five facts about Carlos Sainz, who will replace four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari in 2021:
Racing in the blood
===================
Carlos Sainz Jr is the son of Spain's two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz, who won a third Dakar Rally in January. His uncle Antonio Sainz was also a rally driver.
Madrid-born Sainz started his career like most racing drivers in karting, winning the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2009, moving on to Formula 3, before coming through the tough selection process for the Red Bull Junior Team in 2015.
"I've given him some advice but the most important was 'enjoy yourself'," said 58-year-old Sainz Sr, world rally champion in 1990 and 1992 with Toyota, and runner-up four times.
Four teams in five years
========================
Sainz has competed for four different teams in five years -- Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, and now Ferrari -- always bringing home useful points.
He made his Formula One debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso ...

Five facts about Carlos Sainz

Five things on Daniel Ricciardo, who on Thursday signed to drive for McLaren next season:
Red Bull product
================
Like Carlos Sainz, whose move to Ferrari led to the McLaren vacancy, Ricciardo is a product of the Red Bull driver academy. He drove for Red Bull's junior Formula One team Toro Rosso in 2012 and 2013, having made his F1 debut at the British Grand Prix when loaned to the HRT team in 2011.
He switched to the flagship Red Bull team in 2014 and has since won seven races and recorded 29 podium finishes. He finished third in the drivers' standings in 2014 and 2016.
Renault gamble
==============
He stunned the paddock by ditching Red Bull after five years for a "fresh start" and a lucrative two-year deal at Renault.
"It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far," he said at the time.
"But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge."
The move to once mighty McLaren, emerging on the evidence of last season at .

Five things about Daniel Ricciardo

Sportswear giant adidas on Thursday launched the #HOMETEAMHERO Challenge -- a virtual sporting event for athletes to unite and help the COVID-19 response fund for the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Running globally from May 29 to June 7, adidas will donate USD 1 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the WHO for every hour of tracked activity. The company's goal is to reach one million hours.
The challenge involves collaboration between multiple activity tracking apps such as Garmin, Zwift, Polar and Suunto.
It will also involve an extended selection of guided workouts led by top Indian sportspersons such as cricketer Rohit Sharma, sprinter Hima Das, boxers Nikhat Zareen and Simranjit Kaur.
Manish Sapra, senior marketing director at adidas, said: "It is our endeavour to provide tangible ways for consumers to keep active during these testing times.
"Regardless of circumstance, what unites us all is our drive to do good, feel connected to each other as one team and most ...

Adidas launches online challenge in support of COVID-19 response fund for WHO

Turkish authorities have arrested a former top-tier soccer player who confessed to killing his 5-year-old son while the boy was being treated in a hospital on suspicion of a COVID-19 infection.
Cevher Toktas, 32, handed himself over to police and confessed to having smothered his son, Kasim, with a pillow on May 4, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The boy's death was initially not believed to be suspicious, although he tested negative for COVID-19. His body has been exhumed for an autopsy as part of the investigation, Anadolu reported.
HaberTurk television reported that Toktas, who currently plays with amateur league team Bursa Yildirimspor, told police that he tried to suffocate his son because he did not love him, and turned himself in to police 11 days later because he felt remorse.
The boy was admitted to the children's hospital in the northwestern province of Bursa with a cough and high fever on April 23  an official Turkish public holiday celebrating children  and placed ..

Turkish soccer player confesses to killing son in hospital

Henri Leconte says the French Open should be cancelled if it is impossible to have spectators at the claycourt Grand Slam event.
"I think there is just no interest in having Roland Garros behind closed doors," Leconte, who lost to Mats Wilander in the 1988 final, told L'Equipe TV.
The French tennis federation has moved the tournament from its initial May 24-June 7 dates to September 20-October 4 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It will be difficult for the players to deal with it," Leconte said.
"This is above all else a political decision. The federation hopes that in a few months we'll be able to play Roland Garros (in normal conditions)... but playing it behind closed doors, no.
"I think it would be better to cancel it and start again by having a real season in 2021."
French federation president Bernard Giudicelli has said holding the tournament without spectators was one possibility being considered.
The organisers of Wimbledon have cancelled the 2020 tournament while the US .

Cancel French Open rather than play without spectators: Leconte

Brighton striker Glenn Murray fears Premier League football is being rushed back too soon, with death rates from coronavirus still stubbornly high in the worst-hit country in Europe.
Premier League chiefs hope to resume the postponed campaign in mid-June and want players back in full training in the next two weeks.
But Murray believes the Premier League is moving too fast in their attempts to conclude the season, with Britain's official death toll standing at more than 36,000.
"Football isn't necessarily a necessity -- it's a game, it's a sport," Murray told Sky Sports on Thursday.
"I mean, what if we go through all this rigmarole of trying to get back started, and we have a second peak and we're stopped anyway?
"I just can't understand after just sort of loosening the lockdown why we're in such a rush to get it back. Why can't we just wait sort of a month or so to see if things go to plan?" The Premier League invited captains and bosses to share their thoughts on a return to action ..

Brighton's Murray fears Premier League 'rush' to restart

Spanish driver Carlos Sainz will replace four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari next season, while Daniel Ricciardo has signed a "multi-year" deal with McLaren from 2021.
Sainz, 25, will leave McLaren following the 2020 season to partner 22-year-old Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, forming the team's youngest pairing in the past 50 years.
"With five seasons already behind him, Carlos has proved to be very talented and has shown that he has the technical ability and the right attributes to make him an ideal fit with our family," Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said in a statement on Thursday.
"We've embarked on a new cycle with the aim of getting back to the top in Formula 1. It will be a long journey, not without its difficulties," he added, referring to the additional challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We believe that a driver pairing with the talent and personality of Charles and Carlos... will be the best possible combination to help us reach the 

Sainz to succeed Vettel at Ferrari as Ricciardo heads to McLaren

Indian football team's numero uno goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu  and 'spiderman' Subrata Paul have a lot of mutual respect for what they have been able to achieve in national colours standing up as the last line of defence.
Gurpreet said Paul is one of his role models and "lucky" to have been able to train and watch him from close -- both on and off the pitch.
"Subrata-bhai has been one of my role models when I was starting out. I was lucky to have been able to train with him. The things he did, and still does in training -- I wished I could do the same and tried to replicate them when I was young," he said.
The 33-year-old Paul is no longer in the scheme of things in the national team while Gurpreet is the number one goalkeeper of the national team. The duo have manned the Indian goal for most of India's matches in the last decade.
Gurpreet was just 18 when he was part of the Indian team for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, where Paul produced some stunning displays that earned ...

Shot Stoppers' Club: Gurpreet calls Paul his role model, veteran sees "himself" in India No 1

Lack of training is an obvious concern but India's hockey players are also feeling homesick and they made that known to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in an online interaction on Thursday while pleading for limited resumption of practice.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams told the minister that resumption of on-field training in small groups as soon as possible will give them an an upper-hand over other top nations as they gear up for Olympics next year.
"The players stated that they were feeling homesick but they very well understand that they are safe here. They just want to resume training to divert unwanted thoughts that creep in their minds," a source told PTI.
Both the Indian men and women's hockey teams have been at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) South Centre in Bengaluru since the start of the coronavirus-forced lockdown on March 25.
In the virtual meeting, which also featured Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials, the players and coaches ..

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