Latest - The Black Sticks men have been hammered 8-1 by Australia in the opening hockey test in Auckland.
Dane Lett Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The new look New Zealand side, without eight eight players struggled with the pace and quality of the attack of the Olympic silver medalists.
The Black Sticks fielded six debutants while the Kookaburras fielded a largely unchanged side from their Olympic campaign - with two of their players having more caps than the entire Black Sticks team.
Defender David Brydon opened the scoring for the game early in the second quarter finding himself open in the inner circle and coolly slotting home to put the kiwis up 1-0.
The lead didn't last long however, with the Kookaburras scoring three in quick succession to show why they're the world's best and put themselves up 3-1 at the half.
Game two of the four match series is Thursday night.
Walsh second in Europe
New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has finished second at a Continental Tour event in the Czech Republic.
Walsh threw a best distance of 21.68 metres, just over half a metre behind American Joe Kovacs.
Walsh and Kovacs only arrived in Ostrava 10 hours before the competition after taking 37 hours to travel from the US because of flight delays.
The Cantabrian threw 21.96m in finishing third behind Ryan Crouser and Kovacs at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon at the weekend.
Maroof allowed to take daughter into athletes village
Pakistan women's team captain Bismah Maroof and her family will be accommodated at the Commonwealth Games village in Birmingham in July so she can be with her infant daughter during the event.
Pakistan teammate holds Bismah Maroof's daughter Photo: AFP
The Commonwealth Games Federation drew flak after media reports said Maroof's daughter had been denied accreditation, which would require the Pakistan batter to stay outside the Games village during the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed such a situation has been averted and named an 18-member squad under Maroof for a tri-series in Belfast followed by the Games.
Pakistan face T20 world champions Australia and hosts Ireland from July 16-24 and play Barbados, India and Australia at the Games on July 29 and 31 and Aug. 3 respectively.
The PCB's parental policy allows Maroof to travel with her daughter and her mother as the caregiver.
The 30-year-old had her family with her during this year's Women's World Cup in New Zealand where Pakistan finished last among eight teams.
Cricket is returning to the Commonwealth Games after a 24-year absence with a women's Twenty20 tournament.
-Reuters
Red Bull extend Perez's contract
Monaco Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez had more to celebrate today when Red Bull announced a contract extension keeping the Mexican alongside Formula One world champion Max Verstappen until 2024.
Sergio Perez Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Championship leader Verstappen's deal runs to the end of 2028 after the Dutch driver signed a five-year extension in March.
Perez, 32, triumphed on the streets of Monaco on Monday, becoming the most successful Mexican Formula One driver of all time and also his country's first winner of the showcase race.
He took his first F1 pole position in Saudi Arabia in March and has had four podium finishes in seven races so far this year.
That win was the third of Perez's F1 career, and second since he joined Red Bull for the 2021 season.
Perez, third overall and 15 points behind Verstappen, came close to being out of a job in 2020 before Red Bull threw him a lifeline.
-Reuters
Benzema honoured
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been named the Champions League Player of the Season after a stellar 2021-22 campaign where he finished as top scorer.
Karim Benzema Photo: PHOTOSPORT
France international Benzema, 34, won the competition for the fifth time as Real beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final, having netted 15 goals in 12 games including hat-tricks against Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the knockout stages.
Benzema's team mate Vinicius Junior, who scored the only goal in the final in Paris, was named the tournament's Young Player of the Season.
The duo were also named in the Team of the Season alongside Real midfielder Luka Modric and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who played a starring role in the showdown at Stade de France.
Runners-up Liverpool were represented by defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson as well as midfielder Fabinho.
PSG striker Kylian Mbappe, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne completed the lineup.
Team of the season:
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Fabinho (Liverpool), Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Forwards: Kylian Mbappe (Paris St Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
-Reuters
US firm buts AC Milan
The U.S. investment firm RedBird has bought Serie A champions AC Milan from the U.S. fund Elliott after a deal was reached in the last few days.
Asset manager Investcorp had also been in the running to buy seven-times European champions Milan earlier this month but they could not agree on certain terms, paving the way for Redbird to pursue a deal.
Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore reported earlier this month that Redbird were nearing a deal worth about 1.3 billion euros ($2.3 billion) to buy Milan.
The Italian side was one of Europe's top clubs under the previous ownership of former Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
RedBird, already an investor in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of Premier League club Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox baseball team, also has a controlling stake in French soccer club Toulouse.
Milan clinched their 19th Serie A title on the final day of the season -- their first Scudetto in 11 years.
-Reuters
