PSG beat Auxerre, St Etienne relegated on final day of Ligue 1
Paris St Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored twice in the second half as the Ligue 1 champions came from behind to beat Auxerre 3-1 to end their season on a winning note after falling behind to a Lassine Sinayoko strike, BBC reported.
At the other end of the table, St Etienne were beaten 3-2 at home by Toulouse and will join already-relegated Montpellier in Ligue 2 next season after finishing second from bottom, while a late penalty lifted Le Havre to a 3-2 win over Strasbourg and 15th place, leaving Reims to finish 16th and a promotion/relegation playoff against FC Metz.
PSG finished on 84 points, 19 ahead of runners-up Olympique de Marseille and 23 ahead of third-placed AS Monaco, who both qualify directly for the Champions League group stage, while OGC Nice thumped Brest 6-0 to finish fourth and enter that competition in the third qualifying round.
PSG may have won the title in early April with six games left to play, but there was still plenty of drama on the season’s final day as European, relegation and playoff places were decided, according to BBC.
Ronaldo tops Forbes highest-paid athlete list again
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid athlete in the world by Forbes for the third year in a row, earning $275m (approx. £206m). His income was boosted by his move to Saudi club Al Nassr and major endorsement deals, supported by a massive social media following.
NBA star Stephen Curry ranked second with $156m (approx. £117m), while British boxer Tyson Fury came third with $146m (approx. £109m), benefiting from media projects despite a recent title loss as reported by BBC.
Ronaldo’s longtime rival Lionel Messi dropped to fifth place, falling further behind. Only Floyd Mayweather has earned more in a single year, with $300m in 2015.
Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket
Virat Kohli has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket, two weeks before India's Test tour of England starts on June 20. The 36-year-old played 123 matches and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, according to BBC.
Kohli also led India in 68 Tests, winning 40, the highest of any Indian captain. His final Test century came in November, against Australia.
In a statement, Kohli said the decision “wasn’t easy” but felt “right,” adding that the format had tested and shaped him, BBC reported.
He retired from T20Is in 2024 but will continue playing ODIs.
Work speeds up at TU Ground
Construction work at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground has gained momentum after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli issued a stern directive to complete the delayed floodlight installation and parapet construction within two months. The Prime Minister’s intervention came after it became clear that the projects would not meet the originally set deadline of May 7.
Oli summoned officials from the Ministry of Urban Development and representatives of the construction companies involved, seeking clarification over the delay. He instructed them to expedite the process and ensure completion by mid-July.
The construction includes a parapet with a 10,000-seat capacity and modern floodlight systems aimed at upgrading the stadium to host day-night international matches. The parapet construction was awarded to BKOI-KCDC-BG JV for Rs 437.7m, while Vision-Ishwari JV was contracted to install the floodlights at a cost of Rs 421.9m.
According to the construction companies, work is now being carried out in full swing, with a commitment to complete the project within the revised timeline.
Earlier, on April 17, Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh had inspected the site and expressed confidence that the work would be completed on schedule. He also continued monitoring the project closely from the ministry.
