Sports

Lisbon, Jan 9 (IANS) The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced on Monday Roberto Martinez as the new national football team coach until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Martinez has coached Belgium for more than six years, starting in August 2016. During his reign, the "Red Devils" held the top position in the FIFA world rankings for more than three years, reports Xinhua.

The president of the FPF, Fernando Gomes, stated that Martinez was his first and only option to lead the national team because he had "the desired profile" and the ability to lead Portugal "in the decisions of major competitions."

"He would have to be ambitious, knowledgeable about international football, used to training players at the highest level, and with experience in major leagues and national teams. The place of birth of the new coach was never relevant," said Gomes.

The 49-year-old Spaniard is the third foreigner to coach the Portuguese national team, having already worked at English clubs Swansea, Wigan, and Everton.

He succeeds the sacked Fernando Santos, who led the Portuguese national team since 2014, having won Euro 2016 and the 2019 European Nations League.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) With some key tournaments ahead in 2023, the Indian women's hockey team is all set to come back to the National Camp to kick off their preparations for the events, building up on the good show in the previous year.

The team is high on confidence after recently winning the inaugural edition of the 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup in Spain and securing qualification for the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women's Pro League, Hockey India informed in a release on Friday.

Hockey India have named 33 players as the Core Probables Group for the National Camp beginning January 2 to 13 when the players will be putting in the hard yards to further fine-tune their strategies and combinations, starting with the upcoming tour of South Africa beginning January 14 and going on till January 28.

The core group for the national camp includes the experienced goalkeeper Savita, Rajani Etimarpu, Bichu Devi Kharibam and Bansari Solanki. Among the defenders named for the camp are Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Ishika Chaudhary, Akshta Abaso Dhekale, Udita, Reet and Mahima Chaudhary.

The Indian women's hockey team, which defeated Spain in the final of the 2022 FIH Women's Nations Cup in Valencia, had been on a short break after the tournament before they returned to the National Camp at SAI in Bangalore.

"The team has had a rejuvenating break and is all geared up to get back to work on our plans and goals for 2023. We aim to have good exposure over the coming months for the team aiming towards effective preparation ahead of the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 which is the key event of the year. The focus of the camp is to allow the team to learn more about themselves, and work on their strengths further," said Chief Coach Janneke Schopman.

Core Probables Group:

Goalkeeper: Savita, Rajani Etimarpu, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Bansari Solanki; Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Akshta Abaso Dhekale, Reet, Mahima Chaudhary; Midfielders: Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Navjot Kaur, Monika, Mariana Kujur, Sonika, Neha, Baljeet Kaur, Reena Khokhar, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Ajmina Kujur; Forwards: Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Sharmila Devi, Deepika, Sangita Kumari, Rani, Beauty Dungdung.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Pakistan captain Babar Azam, England Test captain Ben Stokes, Zimbabwe's off-spin all-rounder Sikandar Raza and veteran New Zealand fast-bowler Tim Southee on Friday were named as nominees for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2022 award.

Stokes won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy which is awarded to Men's Cricketer of the Year in 2019 and is now nominated for the honour for the second time. He has also been nominated for the Test player of the year award.

Raza had earlier earned nominations for Men's T20I and ODI player of the year for 2022 while Azam had a nomination against his name for the best 50-overs player of the year award for 2022.

England were living a nightmare in Test cricket after humiliating series losses in the Ashes and the series against West Indies. Joe Root resigned as the Test skipper and the reins were handed over to Stokes and Brendon McCullum, the red-ball coach.

Since then, Stokes has taken England to new heights, winning nine of the 10 Tests as captain. Along the way, he has scored 870 runs, including two centuries and picked up 26 wickets. The talismanic all-rounder did not have a brilliant white-ball year.

In fact, he announced his retirement from ODI cricket to focus on the other formats. In T20Is, scored 143 runs in nine matches and picked up seven wickets. The numbers may not seem significant, but 52 of those runs came when England needed it the most, during the chase in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan.

2022 was yet another year of Azam making and breaking records. He was the only player to breach the 2000-run mark in the calendar year across formats, with his 2598 runs coming at an average of 54.12, which included eight hundreds and 17 fifties.

The 2021 ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year continued to rule in the 50-over format, scoring 679 runs in nine matches. It is a testament to his consistency that he registered scores of 50 or more in eight of those innings.

Azam also enjoyed a tremendous year in Test cricket, despite the team results not going his way. He accumulated 1184 runs in just nine matches and did the bulk of the heavy lifting for Pakistan in the longer format.

It was also a memorable year for him as captain in the white-ball formats -- Pakistan won all three ODI series they played, losing just one match out of nine. In the T20I format, he led Pakistan to their first T20 World Cup final since 2009.

Raza emerged as a crisis man for Zimbabwe in a year that saw the country's stocks rise in international cricket in 2022. He was a force to reckon with in both white-ball formats, scoring more than 600 runs in both T20Is and ODIs. The star all-rounder enjoyed his most prolific year with both bat and ball since making his debut in 2013.

Raza scored 645 runs at an average of 49.61 in ODIs. All three of his centuries in the 50-over format came when the chips were down while chasing -- two of them resulted in wins over Bangladesh and the final one gave India a huge scare.

In T20Is, Raza struck at an incredible strike rate of over 150 to accumulate his 745 runs. He was also the highest wicket-taker for in the shortest format, scalping 25 while giving away just 6.13 an over.

He was the Player of the Tournament at T20 World Cup Qualifier B in July and carried his form into the main event, winning the Player of the Match thrice, including Zimbabwe's epic one-run win over Pakistan.

Southee was one of the stars for New Zealand with the ball as he finished with 65 scalps, the highest by a Kiwi in the calendar year. In a year where New Zealand were far from their best as a team in Tests where they finished without a single series win, Southee was the highest wicket-taker for his country with 28 wickets in eight matches.

The 34-year-old was particularly lethal in the white-ball formats, picking up crucial wickets across all phases of the game. He was a vital cog in the New Zealand team that went through to the semi-final of the Men's T20 World Cup, snaring seven wickets in five matches at a miserly economy rate of 6.57.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) England Test captain Ben Stokes, middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow, Australia's left-handed opener Usman Khawaja, and South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada were on Friday nominated for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2022 award.

Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, has changed the fortunes of English Test cricket in 2022. Struggling for results and at the rock-bottom of the World Test Championship standings, Stokes took over an English side that was low in confidence.

His inspirational leadership has now built up a confident and attacking unit that has won nine out of 10 Test matches during his tenure in 2022, with series victories over New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.

Stokes has repeatedly stated about taking the fear of failure away from the players and that has reflected in the ultra-aggressive brand of cricket that England play under him. He has also led the charge by example, having a good year with both bat and ball. He has scored 870 runs, two centuries and four half-centuries and also scalped 26 wickets at an average of 31.19.

Bairstow has arguably been the biggest benefactor of McCullum and Stokes taking over the leadership of England's Test team. Given the freedom to play his attacking game, Bairstow had one of the most fruitful years of his Test career, leading to somewhat of a resurgence in terms of the longest format of the game.

Bairstow played 10 Test matches in 2022, scoring 1061 runs at a staggering average of 66.31 and a strike rate of 76. He notched up six centuries and one half-century, showcasing his brilliant conversion rate. The year could have been all the better if not for a freak golf injury, which ruled him out of the final home Test against South Africa and the tour of Pakistan.

Khawaja made his return to the Australian side from the wilderness in 2022 during the Ashes and ensured that no one was taking his spot away again. He put on some memorable performances, both in the middle order and then as an opener.

Khawaja played a vital role in Australia's batting unit during the latter half of the Ashes, as well as their famous series win in the away tour of Pakistan, on his return to his place of birth.

Overall, he scored 1080 runs in 11 matches at a stunning average of 67.50. He has four centuries and five half-centuries in the calendar year and his contributions have helped Australia put one foot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Rabada was again South Africa's shining light with the ball in 2022, delivering breakthroughs at crucial junctures. He had a year to remember, starring in some famous Test victories for the Proteas against India, New Zealand and England.

Overall, Rabada picked up 47 wickets in only nine matches at a remarkable average of 22.25 and a devastating strike rate of 34.1. He also registered two five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/52.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Veteran Australia opener David Warner is now targeting a good showing in the tour of India next year after an epic double century in his 100th Test at the MCG in the side's innings and 182-run victory over South Africa.

Warner had not scored a Test century since January 2020 and in the ongoing home summer, he had recorded scores of 5, 48, 21, 28, 0 and 3 from six innings against West Indies and South Africa till the MCG Test, in which he scored a fantastic double century in 255 balls to give Australia a series-clinching victory with a game still left in Sydney.

After this, Australia's next Test assignment will be a tour of India for four Tests as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Warner being the most experienced campaigner, having toured the country thrice for Test tours and playing for more than a decade in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"It's going to be interesting. We know what we're going to prepare for, they're going to be turning wickets. There are going to be times when it's going to be challenging over there, but it's about how our batters can build and bat big as we did in Pakistan.

"I think with the ball, we're going to do a fantastic job - we've got a world-class spinner in Nathan Lyon and we're going to have to potentially think about playing two spinners. For us as a batting group … we're going to have to find a way and a method like we did in Pakistan to get through that."

"Obviously in Sri Lanka, we had good methods and we saw in that first Test in Galle, everyone was playing reverse sweeps and sweeps, everyone had a method and they stuck to it. Moving to India, it's going to be a batters' battle I reckon," Warner was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au on Friday.

Australia will be more than prepared for the tour of India after performances in Pakistan (where they won three-match series 1-0) and Sri Lanka (1-1 draw in two-match series) over the past 12 months, with players gaining an intricate understanding of playing in subcontinent conditions.

Warner added that he won't be giving up on Test cricket anytime soon, stating he's still motivated by his desire to win a series in India and England in 2023. He averages just 24.25 in India and 26.04 in England, with no centuries against both countries. But the double hundred at the MCG could spark a revival.

"People keep telling me 'you'll know when it's time', and I haven't really felt that at all yet. I'm still enjoying it, and I still know what energy I can bring to the team. I think once I start losing that spark and energy around training, and taking the mickey out of people and playing some jokes and pranks here and there, that's when I'll know it's time."

"The extra motivation for me is winning in India, and completely winning a series in England. I've been told by the coach and the selectors they would like me to be there. I'm in a happy place as I have been for a long time now."

--IANS

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Dhaka, Dec 25 (IANS) In India's tense successful chase of 145, despite Ravichandran Ashwin top-scoring with an unbeaten 42, it was Shreyas Iyer's 29 not out which gave the visitors' dressing room a small bit of assurance that all was well despite them being seven down.

"When someone is performing consistently for you, it is very heartening. Shreyas has been around for a long time and has had to really wait for his opportunities and really happy to see that when has had those opportunities, he has grabbed them with both hands. He is doing the job for the team and the way he played today was phenomenal."

"He made it look really easy. There was lot of pressure and there was a bit of panic in the dressing room. But it didn't look like there was any panic when we were watching Shreyas bat. With Ashwin, he had a really good partnership," said captain KL Rahul in the post-match press conference on what effect Iyer's presence had on the team.

In the series against Bangladesh, Iyer had made a habit of bailing India out of tough situations. In the first Test at Chattogram, when India were 112/4, Iyer scored a vital 86 and had a crucial stand with Cheteshwar Pujara to take the first innings total to 404.

In the first innings at Dhaka, when India were reduced to 94/4 in the first innings. Iyer joined forces with Rishabh Pant to stitch a stand of 159 runs for the sixth wicket, with he making 87.

In the second innings chase of 145, Iyer was compact in picking the length, being precise with defence on front or back foot and was always looking for runs sans any risks to take India home from a precarious 74/7 in an unbeaten 71-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin for the eighth wicket.

"He has played really well in the last 15 months to almost two years. He has done really well for us and then he had the injury and went away from the game for a little bit. He had to really wait for his turn again and has been really patient."

"His journey hasn't been easy, no one's journey in the team has been easy. The way he is batting is phenomenal. It's good to see he's utilizing opportunities he gets and just hope that he continues to do this and get even better," added Rahul.

In the first hour on day four, India had lost Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant and Jaydev Unadkat, as 145 started to look very far off that what it was. But Ashwin and Iyer ensured India sailed home before lunch at Dhaka for a 2-0 series triumph.

"We had a tough game. We are happy that we got the job done. We were in a bit of trouble and there was a little bit of pressure and nervousness in the dressing room. But really happy that Ashwin and Shreyas got that partnership and got us the victory."

"Conditions were tough, but that is what makes Test cricket fun - your character really gets tested and we like playing cricket like that. It was a good, tough game, but it is something which is memorable and victory is obviously very sweet," opined Rahul on the happenings in day four.

Rahul was also in praise of Bangladesh for winning the ODI leg of the tour and pushing India to tough scenarios in the Test matches. "(It was a) really good series. A lot of good experiences, a lot of learnings, losing the ODI series was not the greatest (feeling). But sometimes a series loss does teach you a lot of things and tell you about where you stand as a team and as individuals."

"That is really important for us going into a 50-over World Cup to understand where we are lacking at and what needs to be better. Even the Test series, it was really hard fought. Bangladesh really played some very, very good cricket. They challenged us a lot. Even today, the best way to end the Test series."

"They made it really hard and they were in the game for the first 30-32 overs and then Ashwin and Shreyas put their hands up and did the job for us. It's been a brilliant tour of Bangladesh and probably next time when we come here, whoever comes here, will take learnings from here and come back better."

--IANS
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Dhaka, Dec 25 (IANS) A magnificent unbeaten 71-run partnership off 105 balls between Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer took India out from jaws to defeat and steered the visitors' to a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

On day four, India were needing 100 runs with six wickets in hand. But Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets in the first hour to leave India in spot of bother at 74/7. The wicket-taking balls from Bangladesh were on straighter deliveries at a pitch which was offering huge assistance to spinners, making life difficult for India.

But Ashwin and Iyer, India's last-recognised batting pair, defended solidly, mixed caution with aggression and then brought out a flurry of boundaries at the end to take the visitors' over the line.

In a cracking finish at Dhaka, the Ashwin-Iyer partnership lasted 17.3 overs and scored at a run-rate of 4.05. In securing a 2-0 series sweep, Ashwin was unbeaten on 42, while Iyer was 29 not out for India to complete a chase of 145 in 46 overs.

Resuming from 45/4, India almost lost Jaydev Unadkat when Mehidy Hasan Miraz beat him on forward defence and survived by a whisker when replays showed impact was on the umpire's call. On the very next ball, Unadkat brought out the slog-sweep against the off-spinner over mid-wicket fence for six.

Unadkat ran out of luck in the next over when he tried to cut off Shakib Al Hasan on backfoot, but the delivery from Bangladesh skipper skid to hit his back pad in front of stumps. He reviewed, but had to depart for 13 as replays showed the ball crashing into the stumps.

Axar Patel pulled Mehidy off the backfoot through mid-wicket, while Pant welcomed Shakib with a reverse sweep along the ground through third man for India to get two boundaries in quick succession.

But Mehidy took out Pant in his next over, getting a length ball on middle stump to drift in and hit the left-hander on his pads in front of stumps. After dismissing Pant for the third time in the series, Mehidy completed his five-wicket haul when Axar tried to flick off backfoot and missed it as the quicker delivery uprooted leg stump after deflecting off the pads.

Mehidy could have got his sixth wicket had Mominul Haque not dropped Ravichandran Ashwin at short leg. Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer dug in for India, looking good while defending the ball on front and back foot, with not much attacking shots.

When the loose deliveries came from the spinners, Iyer used his precise footwork to get boundaries. When Mehidy tossed up outside off stumps, Iyer got a stride forward and brought out a square drive through the gap at point.

His aggression continued against Shakib, dancing down the pitch to loft over mid-off and when the left-arm spinner pitched it short, Iyer rocked back quickly to pull over mid-wicket to complete a brace of boundaries.

When Mehidy bowled too short, Iyer was deep in the crease and punched the ball firmly through the gap at cover. Ashwin joined the boundary-hitting spree when he clipped pacer Khaled Ahmed through fine leg and then had an outside edge going wide to the left of gully to pick two boundaries.

The duo's partnership meant Bangladesh began to feel the pressure, which was evident with Najmul Hossain Shanto misfielding at mid-off, giving India an extra run. Ashwin greeted Mehidy on his return with a one-handed pull off the backfoot over deep mid-wicket for six.

He would hit back-to-back boundaries off Mehidy - lofting over mid-off and pulling past wide mid-on, second of which got India the victory in a cliffhanger of a game, putting off the tremendous fight shown by Bangladesh with bat and ball.

The series victory also solidifies India's quest for a spot in the World Test Championship final. Currently, India are at number two in the table, behind top-ranked Australia. The Pat Cummins-led side are supposed to tour India in February next year for four Tests.

Despite the series win, India still have many questions to answer, especially about the top order and the approach while playing against spinners in spin-friendly conditions. For now, they have Ashwin and Iyer to thank for securing a hard-fought win at Dhaka.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 227 in 73.5 overs and 231 in 70.2 overs lost to India 314 in 86.3 overs and 145/7 in 47 overs (Ravichandran Ashwin 42 not out, Axar Patel 34; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5/63, Shakib Al Hasan 2/50) by three wickets

--IANS
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Dubai, Dec 25 (IANS) Dominant India consolidate their position in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a sensational three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Dhaka Test.

India soared to the No.3 spot on the World Test Championship standings following their victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram, and further up to No.2 after South Africa lost to Australia in Brisbane last week, says the ICC in a statement.

A victory in Dhaka has resulted in India strengthening their second position, with their win-percentage improving from 55.77 to 58.93. Australia are at the top of the table while South Africa (54.55 per cent) and Sri Lanka (53.33 per cent) are right behind India at No.3 and 4 respectively.

India's next World Test Championship assignment is against Australia, a four-match series at home in February-March.

--IANS
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By Ayushi Jain
New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Mobile gaming has taken India by storm this year, with the popularity of mobile games surging among the youth, especially millennials and Gen Z.


India's gaming market reached $2.6 billion in revenue this year, which is expected to quadruple to $8.6 billion by 2027, according to a report by Lumikai, a gaming and interactive media venture capital fund.

India is home to 507 million gamers, of which about 120 million are paid gaming users, with at least $20 revenue per user. With 15 billion downloads, India was the world's largest consumer of mobile games in FY22 (fiscal year 2022).

Nearly 48 per cent of gamers spend money on mid-core games, while 65 per cent of paying gamers claimed they had engaged in in-app purchases at least once, the report mentioned.

Indians are spending an average of 8.5 hours per week on mobile games.

Three big trends are changing the mobile gaming industry -- better gameplay, improving graphics and new monetisation models.

As the gaming community is growing in India like a rollercoaster, developers are trying their best to offer new games to satisfy the gamers.

Here are the top 5 mobile games that may make their mark in 2023:

1. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile from gaming company Activision Publishing is a tactical shooting game with Battle Royale mobile game experience. The game will allow for up to 120 live players in a match on mobile. It is the next era of the Call of Duty franchise.

The game will be available on both iOS and Android devices, and is expected to release next year. However, pre-registrations for the game have started on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

2. Underworld Gang Wars (UGW)

Underworld Gang Wars (UGW) from the Mayhem-Studios is the most promising upcoming battle royale mobile game which will be rooted in India and is built for gangsters. It will be available on both Android and iOS devices, and pre- registrations for the game are open and even crossed over 2 million.

The game features a gang war between two opposing sides. It's up to the gamers "to pick a side and defend it with your might".

3. Rainbow Six: Mobile

Tactical shooter game Rainbow Six: Mobile is a competitive and multiplayer first-person shooter experience game. Gamers can compete in the game's classic 'Attack vs. Defence' game modes. Gamers can play as an Attacker or Defender in fast-paced 5 versus 5 matches and face intense close-quarter combat while making timely tactical decisions.

The Ubisoft-owned game will be available on both iOS and Android devices. The game developer in September had announced that it is rolling out a closed beta version to some gamers who pre-registered the game.

4. Battlefield Mobile

Battlefield Mobile is from the video game company Electronic Arts. It is an action shooter game where gamers can play high intensity player versus player combat in epic large-scale battles. The game allows players to explore massive 3D destructible maps and wartime environments at the scale only Battlefield can bring to mobile.

It will be available on both Android and iOS devices, and is expected to launch in early 2023. However, pre-registrations for the game have started at the application stores.

5. Dragon Siege: Kingdom Conquest

Dragon Siege: Kingdom Conquest' is a massively multiplayer (MMO) casual fantasy game from NDREAM Corporation. In this game, players can start an exciting adventure at the Fantasy World, Dragonia. Gamers can expand their village, farm and harvest resources, and can even battle with other players. They can also build their troops in real-time and can enjoy strategic combat.

This game will only be available on Android devices and pre-registrations for the game have started on the Google Play Store.

(Ayushi Jain can be reached at ayushi.j@ians.in)

--IANS
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Sao Paulo, Dec 25 (IANS) The eldest daughter of Brazilian football legend Pele said her father "was still in the fight" as he battles advancing cancer in a Sao Paulo hospital.

Kely Cristina Nascimento posted an image on Instagram in which she is seen embracing the 82-year-old with his face only partially visible, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We're still here, in the fight and in the faith. One more night together," Nascimento said in a message that accompanied the photo.

Pele was admitted to the Albert Einstein hospital late last month to treat a respiratory infection and reassess chemotherapy.

On Wednesday, Nascimento announced her father would spend Christmas in hospital after doctors said he required "more extensive care".

Among those to send messages of support to Pele in recent weeks is France forward Kylian Mbappe, who urged his followers to "pray for the King".

Brazil's players held a giant banner showing an image of Pele with his name after their World Cup round-of-16 victory over South Korea in Doha on December 5.

During the World Cup, Brazilian forward Neymar surpassed Pele's all-time Brazil scoring record of 77 goals.

Pele's most recent Instagram post came after Argentina's victory over France in the World Cup final last Sunday, in which he congratulated the South American team and Lionel Messi for their "deserved" triumph.

Considered by many as the greatest ever footballer, Pele is the only player to win the World Cup three times, having lifted the sport's most coveted trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

In recent years, he has faced a series of health issues, including problems related to his spine, hip, knee and kidneys. Last year, the former Santos and New York Cosmos star underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his colon.

--IANS
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