Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 7 October 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with Olympics: South Africa is among seven countries that have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Games. The other countries are India, Qatar, Germany, Hungary, Turkey and South Korea. The International Olympic Committee says countries have until the end of this month to declare their interest before a shortlist is drawn up in March next year. The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, while Brisbane will host the 2032 Games. South Africa has never hosted the Olympics.

# Cricket: Leading Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will be given all the time he needs to prove his fitness for the first Test against Australia, starting in Durban on Friday. An injury kept him out of the one-day series between the two countries, but he finished an intra-squad two-day game without problems. Assistant coach Ashwell Prince says the 31-year-old bowled well and will continue to be involved in training. The second Test starts in Gqeberha on the 18th and the final one in Cape Town on the 27th.

# Soccer: Lionel Messi marked his 208th and final game for Argentina with a goal, bringing his glittering international career to a fitting end. The 39-year-old scored his 126th goal for his country in a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin in Buenos Aires. After the final whistle, Messi addressed the 85-thousand-strong sell-out crowd, saying playing for Argentina has been beautiful and he has fulfilled his dreams. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s career will continue at club level with Inter Miami, with his contract expiring in 2028.

More soccer news: Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal’s head, coach Jorge Jesus, of breaking his promises to him. The 41-year-old captain left the national squad on the eve of a Nations League fixture against Denmark after he was an unused substitute against Norway. In a lengthy statement, Ronaldo accused Jesus of an absolute breach of trust for not playing him against Norway after saying he would, and for not presenting an agreed version of events to the media. He emphasised he is not retiring from the national team.

# And rugby: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil hope to bring the World Cup to South America for the very first time in 2035 after submitting a joint bid to host the tournament. They plan to use eleven stadiums in ten cities – eight stadiums in Argentina, and one each in the other three countries. Spain and Japan have also expressed interest in hosting the tournament. World Rugby will identify the preferred host in May next year after site visits and feasibility assessments, and make the official announcement in November.

Stay tuned for more news………….