World Sports News in Brief

Familiar trio make shortlist for African player of the year

Forwards Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have again made the shortlist for the Confederation of African Football player of the year award, the second year running the trio have battled it out for the prestigious prize.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action. (Photo: Reuters)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action. (Photo: Reuters)

Egypt striker Salah claimed the honour last year and will be favourite again, hoping to become the fourth player to win back-to-back titles after Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.

* Nick Kyrgios started his Brisbane Open title defence with a battling 7-6(5) 5-7 7-6(5) victory over American Ryan Harrison in the opening round on Tuesday, while former world number one Andy Murray made a successful return to competitive tennis with a 6-3 6-4 victory over local favourite James Duckworth.

* Tokyo 2020 Olympics torches will employ recycled aluminum in their making from temporary housing in Japan's Fukushima, a prefecture stricken by earthquake, tsunami and the ensuing nuclear disaster in 2011, local media reported Tuesday. The torches, expected to consume more than 10,000 pieces of aluminum, will be used by runners in the nationwide relay after the Olympic flame arrives in Japan from Greece on March 20, 2020.

* Badminton Association of Malaysia said Tuesday that men's doubles pair Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong, silver medalists of 2016 Olympic Games, had quitted the national badminton team. Goh and Tan's withdrawal from the national team came shortly after the departure of their teammates, Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying, who were also 2016 Olympic silver medalists.

* Chris Froome will not defend his Giro d'Italia title this year, choosing to focus on winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France crown instead, Team Sky announced on Tuesday. Briton Froome won his third straight Grand Tour title with victory at the Giro last May before the champion finished third at the Tour, which was won by team mate Geraint Thomas.

* Dutchman Michael van Gerwen breezed past Britain's Michael Smith to win his third PDC World Championship title with a 7-3 victory at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday.

* Australia winger Martin Boyle has been ruled out of their Asian Cup campaign due to a left knee injury, the Football Federation of Australia said on Tuesday. Scotland-born Boyle sustained the injury in Sunday's 5-0 friendly win over Oman and will return to club side Hibernian to continue his rehabilitation.

* Iran's coach believes Alireza Jahanbakhsh will be fit for the Asian Cup tournament that kicks off this week, keeping the Brighton & Hove Albion winger in the squad hit by injuries.

Reuters, Xinhua