IPL 2018: Mumbai Indians look to continue momentum against Rajasthan Royals
JAIPUR: Having finally found the winning touch, Mumbai Indianswill look to continue in similar vein when they lock horns with beleaguered hosts Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League game on Sunday. Two-time champions Mumbai Indians were off to a horrible start this season, suffering three successive reverses, before skipper Rohit Sharma came to the team’s rescue with a blazing 94 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. (PTI)

IPL 2018 KKR vs KXIP: Kolkata Knight Riders brace for Gayle force at Eden Gardens
KOLKATA: Even as Kolkata is limping back to normalcy after a severe storm ravaged the city earlier this week, Kolkata Knight Riders are preparing to tackle another storm threat – from the blade of Chris Gayle – when they take on Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens today. After being ignored in the first two matches, the KXIP opener has been on fire. He followed up a 33-ball 63 against Chennai Super Kings with his sixth IPL hundred – and 21st overall in T20s – to consign Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first defeat of the season on Thursday night. (TNN)

IPL 2018: CSK set to benefit financially from change of venue
NEW DELHI: The forced change in venue is turning out to be a blessing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who stand to gain over Rs 1.5 crore from the sale of tickets in the Pune stadium for every home game. The franchisee was forced to leave their home turf due to protests over Cauvery river water dispute in Tamil Nadu. Sources said that CSK, which made between Rs 2 to 2.5 crore from every home game at Chepauk, is going to make over Rs 4 crore from ticket receipts. (TNN)

Arsene Wenger’s successor won’t enjoy same authority at Arsenal
Arsenal: Whoever succeeds Arsene Wenger at Arsenal won’t be allowed to amass the same power. “Arsene earned his position at this club over 22 years,” Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said on Friday. “I don’t think that there will be other managers, if you look forward, who will have kind of authority at the top of the game with the biggest clubs. (AP)

Barcelona taking no chances with Sevilla after Roma nightmare, says coach Ernesto Valverde

BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said his side have learned from their shock Champions League exit not to take anything for granted as they prepare to face Sevilla in the King’s Cup final on Saturday. Valverde has the chance to win his first trophy as Barca coach and is one victory away from wrapping up the Liga title but his excellent debut campaign has been overshadowed by the 3-0 defeat by AS Roma which knocked his side out of Europe on away goals after leading 4-1 in the quarter-final first leg. (REUTERS)

Espanyol sack coach Quique Sanchez Flores after five games without a goal

SPAIN: La Liga club Espanyol sacked coach Quique Sanchez Flores after just under two seasons in charge, also announcing on Friday that they have parted ways with sporting director Jordi Lardin. Espanyol have lost four of their last five games in La Liga without scoring a goal and their recent form has sent them down to 16th in the standings. (REUTERS)

FIFA queries Morocco World Cup bid, to make second inspection
MOROCCO: FIFA’s inspection of Morocco’s 2026 World Cup plans ended with questions about the quality of stadiums and a demand for more details from the bid ahead of a second unexpected examination of infrastructure. Bid president Moulay Hafid Elalamy acknowledged on Friday that Morocco still has to “improve the quality of our bid book,” which was initially submitted to FIFA a month ago ahead of the June vote against the North American entry. (AP)

LOCAL:

Ronit SC record big win

AGASSAIM: Ronit SC thrashed Shree Nagesh MSCC 7-1 in the GFA U-20 League match played at Agassaim ground, on Friday. The winners opened the scoring early through Rocky Fernandes in the 15th minute while later he doubled the sides lead in the 27th minute. Kishor Swami made it 3-0 in the 29th minute. He later added another goal to his tally in the 52nd minute. Evan Fernandes too got his name on the scoresheet for the winners scoring a brace. Dwayne Britto added another for the Ronit SC team in the 80th minute. Shree Nagesh MSCC managed to pull one goal down. (NT NETWORK)

5 from Executive Committee, 24 GFA members protest against EGM’s agenda

PANAJI: Five Goa Football Association (GFA) Executive Committee members and members of twenty four clubs have in separate letters written to GFA president Elvis Gomes and general secretary Welvin Menezes highlighted, “Agenda point no 2 i.e, other Amendments to the constitution as deemed necessary”, that was listed in the Extraordinary General body Meeting (EGM) notice, “looked vague and suspicious” as no such proposal was discussed in the last three Executive Committee meetings of GFA. It may be noted that the GFA has called for an EGM on April 22. As reported by The Navhind Times on April 11, the GFA had called for an EGM with two points on the agenda. The first point was to confirm the amendments of the Constitution approved on Feb 24, 2018 and the second was: other amendments to the constitution as deemed necessary. (NT NETWORK)

Bardez clubs object ECM clause; GFA admits error
PANAJI: The Collective members of GFA (Bardez) along with executive committee members of Bardez, Francis Viegas, Domnic Pereira, Santosh Bandodkar, Patrick D’Souza and Lavinio Rebello, Vice President GFA North Goa raised objection to the Agenda Point No 2 (Other Amendments to the Constitutions as Deemed Necessary) in the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) notice sent by Goa Football Association.
The members, in a letter to the GFA, have said that the Agenda Point No 2 is very vague and suspicious so much so that, no such proposals for the amendments if any by any executive committee members/collective members have been tabled in the last three executive committee meetings for discussions/approval of the executive committee hence no other proposal for amendments to the constitution can be taken up in the EGM on April 22. (HERALD)