Weekend Sport Briefs Kaka wins Ballon d’Or award

PARIS – AC Milan’s Brazilian midfielder Kaka was yesterday named as France Football’s Player of the Year winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Born under the name of Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, he succeeds Italy’s World Cup winning captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro and comes two years after the last Brazilian winner of the trophy, Barcelona’s Ronaldinho. The 25-year-old Kaka notably played a starring role in AC Milan’s triumphant Champions League campaign scoring 10 goals and setting up the winner for Filippo Inzaghi in the final against Liverpool.He received 444 points in the France Football vote, easily ahead of Manchester United’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo who had 277 with Barcelona’s Argentinean midfielder Lionel Messi placing third with 255 points.Bourgain wins World Cup sprint SYDNEY – Mickael Bourgain led a French domination of the men’s sprint on the final night of the opening leg of track cycling’s World Cup yesterday.Bourgain beat off teammate Kevin Sireau, winning both his races in the final.England’s world keirin and time trial champion Chris Hoy prevented a French clean sweep of the medals, beating world team sprint champion Gregory Bauge for the bronze medal.”I felt very, very good and I am happy with the tournament,” Bourgain said.”My hardest match-up was against Greg Bauge, but that is how it goes.Today, I am happy, because both were strong rides.”Kenyans dominate at Milan marathon MILAN – Kenyans took the top prizes at the Milan marathon yesterday.Evance Kiprop Cheruiyot won the men’s event in 2hr 9min 15sec, ahead of compatriot John Birgen and South African Norman Dlomo.Pamela Chepshumba won the women’s race in 2hr 25:37 ahead of surprise packages Marcella Mancini of Italy and Hungary’s Petra Teseli.Kenyans scoop Singapore race SINGAPORE – Kenyans dominated the Singapore Marathon on Sunday with newcomer Elijah Mbogo holding off more established names Amos Tirop Matuti and David Cheruiyot into second and third place respectively.Mbogo overcame hot and humid conditions to cross the finish line in 2 hours 14 minutes and 22 seconds, breaking the record of 2:14:59 set by defending champion Matui last year.Matui was second in 2:14:25, with Cheruiyot third in 2:14:41.Mbogo came into the race having only competed in one marathon previously, in the German city of Cologne, and only took up running in 2003.Nampa-Reuters and AFPThe 25-year-old Kaka notably played a starring role in AC Milan’s triumphant Champions League campaign scoring 10 goals and setting up the winner for Filippo Inzaghi in the final against Liverpool.He received 444 points in the France Football vote, easily ahead of Manchester United’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo who had 277 with Barcelona’s Argentinean midfielder Lionel Messi placing third with 255 points.Bourgain wins World Cup sprint SYDNEY – Mickael Bourgain led a French domination of the men’s sprint on the final night of the opening leg of track cycling’s World Cup yesterday.Bourgain beat off teammate Kevin Sireau, winning both his races in the final.England’s world keirin and time trial champion Chris Hoy prevented a French clean sweep of the medals, beating world team sprint champion Gregory Bauge for the bronze medal.”I felt very, very good and I am happy with the tournament,” Bourgain said.”My hardest match-up was against Greg Bauge, but that is how it goes.Today, I am happy, because both were strong rides.”Kenyans dominate at Milan marathon MILAN – Kenyans took the top prizes at the Milan marathon yesterday.Evance Kiprop Cheruiyot won the men’s event in 2hr 9min 15sec, ahead of compatriot John Birgen and South African Norman Dlomo.Pamela Chepshumba won the women’s race in 2hr 25:37 ahead of surprise packages Marcella Mancini of Italy and Hungary’s Petra Teseli.Kenyans scoop Singapore race SINGAPORE – Kenyans dominated the Singapore Marathon on Sunday with newcomer Elijah Mbogo holding off more established names Amos Tirop Matuti and David Cheruiyot into second and third place respectively.Mbogo overcame hot and humid conditions to cross the finish line in 2 hours 14 minutes and 22 seconds, breaking the record of 2:14:59 set by defending champion Matui last year.Matui was second in 2:14:25, with Cheruiyot third in 2:14:41.Mbogo came into the race having only competed in one marathon previously, in the German city of Cologne, and only took up running in 2003.Nampa-Reuters and AFP