* Olympic chief Thomas Bach has praised Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for stepping down as the head of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) while he fights a court case and said he hoped the Kuwaiti would be back at the helm soon.
* The possibility of extreme summer heat and typhoons in Tokyo is a “major issue” for the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo CEO Toshiro Muto spoke to bosses from Olympic Committees around the world on Nov. 29, adding that organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were working together on ways to mitigate the impact on athletes and fans.
* Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante will not be moved back to his preferred position in central midfield as the role is more suited to technical players such as Jorginho and Cesc Fabregas, according to manager Maurizio Sarri.
* Inter Milan's hopes of reaching the Champions League round of 16 are in the hands of Barcelona and coach Luciano Spalletti believes the Catalans will not let his team down. Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 win over Inter on Wednesday means they will go through at the expense of the Serie A side if they win their final Group B match away to Barcelona.
* Jake McLeod continued his strong home season with a six-under-par 66 to take a share of the lead alongside compatriot Matt Jager after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
* A cloud remains over struggling Real Madrid ahead of this weekend's La Liga action, with the future of Spain midfielder Isco to the fore. Isco did not start last weekend’s 3-0 humbling at Eibar, and was left out of the squad completely for Tuesday’s Champions League victory at AS Roma.
* Argentina have asked interim coach Lionel Scaloni to stay in charge of the team until next year's Copa America, the head of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Thursday. Scaloni, who was appointed to succeed Jorge Sampaoli after a disappointing World Cup in Russia, has not formally responded to the offer but is expected to accept.
