A fixture list for the new season unveiled on Wednesday revealed ManU Women's first game following the team's inception earlier this year will be against Liverpool. ManU faces Liverpool in Group Two North of the Continental League Cup on Aug. 19. Meanwhile, Chelsea begins the defense of its Women's Super League title with a home game against Man City (PA, 8/1).
Glasgow is looking to formalize its friendship with Berlin as the cities co-host the 11-day European Championships, which started Wednesday. Glasgow said that it wanted to formally recognize "the connections and friendships that had built up." The cities "could be twinned or form an official partnership." A Glasgow spokesperson said, "We’re exploring how we can build on our bonds with Berlin during these championships, and beyond, in our mutual interests" (LONDON TIMES, 8/1).
The start of the African track and field championships in Nigeria was delayed Wednesday "after hundreds of athletes were stranded at an airport," some for three days, when they were "left to sleep on the floor as they waited for a connecting flight to the host city." Those who did get on a plane from Lagos to Asaba in Nigeria's southern Delta state had to "fight for their place," one team coach said, calling the scenes at Lagos' int'l airport "totally chaotic" (AP, 8/1).
Iraq will send its football team to this month’s Asian Games in Indonesia "despite speculation the country’s football federation will withdraw from the competition." The Iraq FA has been "embroiled in controversy" over the fielding of overage players in the country’s U16 team (REUTERS, 8/1).
