UYUNI (AFP) - Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel won Monday s Dakar Rally special after narrowly edging Peugeot teammate and compatriot Sebastien Loeb in the first part of the rain-hit seventh stage between La Paz and Uyuni in Bolivia.

ZURICH (AFP) - Atletico Nacional collected the Fair Play prize at Monday s FIFA awards ceremony after the Colombian side requested Chapecoense receive the Copa Sudamericana title following a plane crash that decimated the Brazilian club.

Chapecoense were flying to Medellin ahead of the first leg of the final when their plane crashed in the Colombian mountains on November 28, killing all but six of the 77 people on board.

Nineteen players and 24 other club members perished as the accident tragically cut short their dream of playing in Chapecoense s first major final.

Atletico subsequently asked for their grieving opponents to be awarded the title, with South American football s governing body granting the request a week later.

Fans of both sides paid tribute to the victims as thousands, dressed in white and holding candles, piled into Atletico s stadium for the originally planned kick-off to grieve together and mourn those lost.

"It s still a difficult time, it was a big final and the tragedy struck our opponents, it s an indescribable moment, very hard to manage," said Atletico president Juan Carlos de la Cuesta upon receiving the award from former Barcelona and Spain defender Carles Puyol in Zurich.

"We ve tried to manage this situation in the most dignified way possible."

BUENOS AIRES (AFP) – Ana Obarrio de Pereyra Iraola’s dream of becoming a tennis star was put on hold in 1949 when her husband stopped her playing. For the next 20 years, she concentrated on raising their 10 children instead.

She spoke to AFP just after winning the Argentina Senior Masters in the 80-plus category.

Obarrio’s family indulged her love of tennis. She started playing as a girl and was a youth champion. But the social mores of late 1940s Argentina got the better of her after she met her husband when she was 18.

Shortly afterwards, she gave up an opportunity to play in a major international tournament.

"My husband didn’t like me playing mixed doubles with men... I didn’t play again after that," she recalls.

"I don’t regret it. I would do the same again. My first joy is my children. Tennis comes next."

She resumed playing with friends in her 40s. In her 60s, after her husband’s death, she started competing seriously again. Obarrio trains three times a week on a court her family built for her at her country estate.

"She has the best style of play of anyone in her category," said Norma Baylon, an Argentine tennis star from the 1960s.

Argentina has about 1,000 competitive players in the seniors category -- more than most countries.

"As players get older, the aim is to run less and achieve greater precision in their shots," says coach Roberto Alvarez, director of the Argentine Senior Masters 2016.

Obarrio plays in 1950s-style flat-soled white canvas shoes and stylized shorts and t-shirt that recall the days of her youth.

"I put on my shoes and feel the ground of the court," she says. "It gives me immense pleasure."

Two of Obarrio’s daughters and six of her grandchildren come to watch her beat an 80-year-old rival in their hour-long Masters final on the Hurlingham clay.

Obarrio ranks third in the country in her age group. This year she aims to play in the seniors world championships in Florida.

"I am obsessed with winning that," she says.

Obarrio has 37 grandchildren.

"She is very free-spirited," says one of them, Lupe, 19, after watching her Masters victory.

"She is an unusual grandmother."

(Published by: Dunya News)

LONDON: Manchester City crushed West Ham United 5-0 to give manager Pep Guardiola the perfect introduction to the FA Cup as they cruised into the fourth round with a thumping victory at the London Stadium on Friday.

After taking the lead through Yaya Toure from the penalty spot, the five-times winners swept their opponents away with devilish attacking verve.

They survived a solitary scare when the hosts' Sofiane Feghouli inexplicably shot wide from in front of an open goal, but went in at the break with a 3-0 advantage after an own goal from Havard Nordtveit and an effort from David Silva.

Sergio Aguero then flicked the ball home early in the second half to become the third highest scorer in City's history and defender John Stones netted his first for the club with a header from a corner with seven minutes remaining.

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he will continue to periodically leave out four-time world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo to keep the Portuguese fresh for the business end of the season.

Ronaldo has sat out Real s last two home games -- missing the visit of Deportivo la Coruna in December and a 3-0 Copa del Rey romp over Sevilla on Wednesday.

Zidane confirmed in midweek that Ronaldo will return for lowly Granada s visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

However, with Real potentially facing a marathon streak of 20 games across three competitions in the next three months, Zidane said Ronaldo will have to accept being left on the sidelines from time to time.

"Cristiano is a very intelligent player," said Zidane on Friday.

"My idea is that I want Cristiano to be in good condition throughout the season. Having 20 games in 70 days, sometimes he will have to rest.

"There is no problem. He always wants to play, but talking is how you achieve things."

Zidane admitted towards the end of last season that he wished he had taken better care of Ronaldo as the former Manchester United man missed key matches in April, including a Champions League semi-final at Manchester City, due to muscle fatigue injuries.

Despite his absence against Deportivo and Sevilla, Ronaldo was still at the Bernabeu to support his teammates.

And Zidane hailed the leadership role the now 31-year-old Ronaldo has adopted.

"He is a leader on and off the field. He is here before and after the game, he is completely involved even when he doesn t play," added Zidane.

"Possibly you (the media) have noticed it less, but he has a tremendous energy and he transmits that to the rest. He is a real leader."

SYDNEY: Pakistan great Younis Khan says he wants to carry on playing Test cricket for his country as he nears the summit of 10,000 Test runs.

Younis, at 39, in the autumn of a trail-blazing 17-year playing career, reached another milestone with his first century in Australia in the current third Sydney match, makingh a Test hundred in 11 countries.

But Younis, who is just 36 runs away from becoming the first Pakistani batsman to score 10,000 Test runs, said he wants to bat on for Pakistan if "they want me."

"It all depends on my team and what they want. That´s the main thing for me," Younis told reporters after scoring an unbeaten 175 for his 34th Test century at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"It´s not about that I´m near 10,000 runs which will be a big achievement as a Pakistani.

"If you see that list there is no Pakistani who has achieved 10,000 runs so it all depends on my team and depend on PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and how they want me.

Younis refused to be called Pakistan´s greatest batsman, despite the weight of statistical evidence of his run scoring.

"I can´t feel that I´ll be the greatest Pakistani (player)," he said.

"On that list you see Javed Miandad is there, Zaheer Abbas is there. There are a lot of great players there. Inzamam (ul-Haq) is also there.

"I don´t feel I will be the greatest batsman ever for Pakistan.

"But I want people and my critics and followers to know that whenever I play, I play for my country and play for my team. That is more important for me."

Younis said he was a "happy man" that he was able to break through for his first century in Australia with his 334-ball batting epic with 17 fours and three sixes.

"At least I have made a hundred in Australia because the previous time I was out for 87 in the the 2004 Boxing Day Test (Melbourne).

Younis began the Australia series sluggishly with just a half-century in his first four innings before he carried Pakistan´s first innings in Sydney.

He said he had not done anything special to fight his way back into form.

"If anyone criticises me, I take that very positively and I respond through my performances," he said.

"At the same time I feel under a little bit of pressure as well but I make myself calm and cool and this has worked for me.

Younis will be a key batsman as Pakistan attempt to salvage the final Test, trailing by 409 runs with nine second innings remaining on Saturday´s final day.

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah couldn’t stop giggling as the national anthem played out at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday. When the Green Shirts lined up for the anthem ahead of the third and final Test against Australia, they were in for a surprise when the opera-style version of the anthem started playing. While the other team members were able to hide their smiles, Yasir couldn’t control his grin.