Sports Shorts:India go down 0-2 to Pakistan in football friendly

India suffered an embarrassing 0-2 defeat at the hands of a spirited Pakistan in the second football friendly to end the two-match series 1-1 in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Wim Koeverman's team, which won the first friendly 1-0 on Sunday, looked out of sorts and Pakistan were the better side in all departments of the game between the Asian Games-bound sides of the two countries at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

Captain Kaleemullah and Saddam Hussain found the back of the net in the 39th and 90th minutes respectively much to the delight of their coach Mohammad Shamlan who had said before of the match that India were beatable.

Kaleemullah's free-kick sailed into the back of the net after a Lalrindika Ralte foul, giving Pakistan a 1-0 lead.

Saddam, then doubled the lead late in the game, placing the ball into the far post to seal the match for Pakistan.

- NEXT: Weightlifting squad for Asian Games announced

Seven medallists from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have made it to the 10-member Indian squad for the upcoming Asiad in Incheon.

India brought home as many as 12 medals from Scotland but what also brought relief was that none of the athletes were found to have tested positive for doping.

Five men and as many women will represent India at the Asiad to be held from September 19 to October 4.

Of the 10 lifters who have made the cut in the Asian Games squad, nine of them were part of the Indian contingent at the CWG. Kavita Devi (85kg) is the lone lifter who did not go to Glasgow.

During the CWG, Sukhen Dey (men's 56kg), Sathish Sivalingam (men's 77kg) and Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu (women's 48kg) had won a gold, while K Ravi Kumar (men's 77kg), Vikas Thakur (men's 85kg) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (women's 48kg) pocketed silver. Punam Yadav settled for a bronze in the women's 63kg but Vandana Gupta missed it by a whisker in the same category, as she finished fourth.

Seven of these 10 weightlifters had bagged medals there, which included three gold.

No separate trails had been conducted for the Asian Games.

The squad for the Asian Games was selected on the basis of the trials that were conducted on June 3 before the Commonwealth Games.

"There was no time for separate trials for the Asian Games. As it is, there is hardly any time left between the two mega-tournaments. The CWG ended on August 3 and the Asiad is starting on September 19," Indian women's team coach Hansa Sharma told PTI.

"The lifters need a lot of time to recover after an important tournament, so there could not be any separate trails for the Asiad," she added.

Squad for Asian Games:

Men: Sukhen Dey (56kg), Rustam Sarang (62kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg), K Ravi Kumar (77kg) and Vikas Thakur (85kg).

Women: Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu (48kg), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Punam Yadav (63kg), Vandana Gupta (63kg) and Kavita Devi (75kg).

- NEXT: India, Pakistan pooled together for Asian Games

India have been clubbed alongside arch-rivals and eight-time champions Pakistan in the 10-nation men's hockey competition at the 17th Asian Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4.

In Pool B, besides defending champions Pakistan and India, the other competing nations are China, Oman and Sri Lanka.

Last edition's runners up Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Singapore complete Pool A.

Meanwhile in the women's competition, India will compete against title holders China, Malaysia and Thailand in Pool A while the Pool B consists of 2010 runners up South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong China. The complete schedule of the hockey event of the Asian Games will be declared soon.

The winners of the hockey event at the Asian Games – both men’s and women’s – will directly qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

- NEXT: FIFA rejects Barca's appeal against transfer ban

Barcelona have lost an appeal against a decision to ban them from the transfer market for two consecutive windows, soccer's world governing body FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday.

As a result, Barca, who were found guilty of breaching rules on the international transfer of under-18 players, will be banned from registering players during the next transfer window in January as well as the 2015 summer window, FIFA said.

FIFA also rejected Barcelona's appeal against a 450,000 Swiss francs (US $493,637) fine and have been given 90 days to regularise the situation off all the minor players concerned, the governing body said.

The ban was originally imposed in April and would have covered the current transfer window, followed by the next one in January.

However, Barcelona appealed later the same month and the ban was lifted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.

Barca have since signed Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, himself serving a four-month ban from football, for 65 million pounds ($108.18 million), Belgium centre back Thomas Vermaelen, France defender Jeremy Mathieu and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

"The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to... confirm in their entirety the decisions rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in the respective cases relating to the protection of minors," said FIFA in a statement.

"FC Barcelona is to serve a transfer ban which will see the club prevented from registering any players at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods, starting with the next registration period (January 2015)."

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) also lost its appeal against a 500,000 Swiss francs fine, FIFA said.

"The RFEF has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 500,000 and granted a period of one year in which to regularise their regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football."

(1 US dollar = 0.9116 Swiss franc)

($1 = 0.7530 Euros)

($1 = 0.6012 British Pounds)

- NEXT: Super Cup: Real- Atletico draw

Atletico Madrid's Raul Garcia netted a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Tuesday after substitute James Rodriguez had opened the scoring with 10 minutes left.

Colombian Rodriguez, who came on for the injured Cristiano Ronaldo at halftime, thought he had won the game when he slotted the ball into the net but there was still time for Garcia to head home two minutes from time.

Ronaldo was having a quiet game before going off at the break as a precaution due to a pain his left leg.

There was little of the flair that saw Real beat Sevilla in European Super Cup a week ago and, although there were several new names in the Atletico side from last season, they maintained the same solidity that saw them win La Liga.

Atletico host Real in the return leg at the Calderon on Friday where they will be seeking revenge for their defeat in the Champions League final by their city rivals.

“There is everything to play for now. I got the goal but it could have been anyone in the team. We now have another match at home and the chance of lifting a trophy,” Garcia told reporters.

Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said Atletico were favourites.

“They were compact and very difficult to play against. We did our best,” he told reporters.

“We have to go now to their stadium and score a goal which puts them in the driving seat.”

- NEXT: Modric commits to Real with new four-year deal

Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric will remain at the European Champions for the next four years after signing a new contract, the La Liga giants announced on Wednesday.

"Real Madrid C. F. announces the extension Luka Modric's contract, linking him to the club for the next four seasons," the club said on its website (www.realmadrid.com).

Modric, 28, has made 67 league appearances since joining Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.

He struggled in his first season under then-manager Jose Mourinho, having been asked to play in a deeper midfield role.

The former Dinamo Zagreb star came into his own in his second term, playing a key role in his side's run to their 10th Champions League triumph earlier this year, having also won the Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup and European Super Cup in his time in the capital.

He played all three matches as Croatia failed to progress from their group at the World Cup finals in Brazil.

- NEXT: Napoli held at home

Besiktas hit the bar straight from kickoff as they were held 0-0 at home by Arsenal in Tuesday's Champions League playoffs while a superb Gonzalo Higuain goal rescued Napoli in a 1-1 draw with visitors Athletic Bilbao.

Jonatan Soriano struck the woodwork three times and scored in Salzburg's 2-1 win over visiting Malmo, Bayer Leverkusen won 3-2 at FC Copenhagen and a late goal gave Steaua Bucharest a 1-0 home win over Ludogorets Razgrad in the other first leg ties.

Arsenal, aiming to reach the group stage for the 17th season in a row, will be happy to have survived their tricky trip to Istanbul, especially after Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey was sent off in the 80th minute for a second bookable offence.

Beskitas's Senegal forward Demba Ba, who scored a hat-trick in the previous round against Feyenoord, took a pot-shot at goal straight from kickoff and his effort, aided by the swirling wind, forced Wojciech Szczesny to push the ball on to the bar.

The Polish keeper also turned away Ba’s fierce left-footed volley after 10 minutes as Arsenal survived a difficult opening.

Despite losing Ramsey, Arsenal nearly grabbed the winner when Tolga Zengin tipped Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's curling effort on to the post.

"It was a very good game played with a good pace, a frenetic pace from the first to the last minute," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told ITV. "In the end we didn't lose the game and hopefully we can make it at home."

- NEXT: Julio Cesar joins Benfica

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar has joined Benfica where he will attempt to revive his career after an unhappy last season and a disappointing World Cup.

The Portuguese champions, who recently sold first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak to Atletico Madrid, confirmed on their website that the 34-year-old had signed a two-year contract. Julio Cesar started last season at Queen's Park Rangers in the English championship (second tier), where he did not play a single league game, before joining MLS club Toronto FC on loan in February.

Despite his lack of top-level football, he was Brazil's first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup which they hosted.

Although he was the hero in the penalty shootout win over Chile in the second round, Julio Cesar was on the wrong end of seven goals as Brazil were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final.

Raised at Brazilian club Flamengo, Julio Cesar spent seven years at Inter Milan, winning five Serie A and one Champions League title, and was regarded as one of Serie A's top goalkeepers until he was unceremoniously offloaded in 2012.

At international level, he played in the Brazil team which won the 2004 Copa America with a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the final, but then lost his place to Dida for the 2006 World Cup.