Weekend Sports Summary Ronaldo likely to stay at United

MADRID – Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo will likely stay at Manchester United next season because the English champions are not willing to let him go, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon yesterday.

“Ronaldo has said he would like to play here, that it is a dream, that he would be excited to come to Real Madrid but it is a desire of the player which can not be carried out without Manchester’s agreement,” the online edition of sports daily Marca quoted him as saying. “Manchester has to want it.Once they decide to sell him and communicate this, we can say we are talking about a possible transfer.But as of today that is not happening,” Calderon said.”Theoretically we still have time, there are still two months left until the end of August if Manchester gets in touch with Real Madrid and makes an offer,” he added.The most probable outcome “as of today” is that “Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to play for Manchester United next year,” Calderon said.Calderon and Manchester United chief executive David Gill will hold talks in Switzerland next week over the 23-year-old, Spanish sports daily AS reported Saturday.The private talks will take place today at UefaŽs headquarters in Nyon on the sidelines of a wider meeting of European clubs, it said.Hushovd wins stage two SAINT BRIEUC – Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole won the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday, a 164.5-km stage from Auray to here.Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) retained the overall lead ahead of Monday’s third stage, a 208-km race from Saint Malo to Nantes.On the second of three days in Brittany the French riders in the peloton were at the front for most of the day although in the end their biggest achievement was to show the sponsors’ jersey.Shortly after the start, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis was joined by compatriot Thomas Voeckler of Bouygues Telecom, and together they built a phantom lead on the peloton.Voeckler, the provisional ‘King of the Mountains’, was out to defend the polka-dot jersey, although the presence of Chavanel was a far bigger mystery – especially as their lead on the bunch did not reach a promising conclusion.Sri Lankans tops at cricket awards KARACHI – Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was named best Test bowler of the year and compatriot Kumar Sangakkara the best Test batsman as Sri Lankans dominated the Asian cricket awards at the weekend.Muralitharan, 36, surpassed Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket last year.He now has 735 wickets in 120 Tests.The awards ceremony held late Saturday marked the silver jubilee of the formation of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).India’s Sachin Tendulkar was declared the best batsman of the year in one-day cricket, while Sri Lankan paceman Farveez Maharoof won the award for the best bowler in limited-overs cricket.The 35-year-old Tendulkar, who missed the Asia Cup due to a groin injury, holds the record for most centuries in one-day cricket with 42 and most runs with 16,361 in 417 matches.Nampa-Reuters and AFP”Manchester has to want it.Once they decide to sell him and communicate this, we can say we are talking about a possible transfer.But as of today that is not happening,” Calderon said.”Theoretically we still have time, there are still two months left until the end of August if Manchester gets in touch with Real Madrid and makes an offer,” he added.The most probable outcome “as of today” is that “Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to play for Manchester United next year,” Calderon said.Calderon and Manchester United chief executive David Gill will hold talks in Switzerland next week over the 23-year-old, Spanish sports daily AS reported Saturday.The private talks will take place today at UefaŽs headquarters in Nyon on the sidelines of a wider meeting of European clubs, it said.Hushovd wins stage two SAINT BRIEUC – Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole won the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday, a 164.5-km stage from Auray to here.Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) retained the overall lead ahead of Monday’s third stage, a 208-km race from Saint Malo to Nantes.On the second of three days in Brittany the French riders in the peloton were at the front for most of the day although in the end their biggest achievement was to show the sponsors’ jersey.Shortly after the start, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis was joined by compatriot Thomas Voeckler of Bouygues Telecom, and together they built a phantom lead on the peloton.Voeckler, the provisional ‘King of the Mountains’, was out to defend the polka-dot jersey, although the presence of Chavanel was a far bigger mystery – especially as their lead on the bunch did not reach a promising conclusion.Sri Lankans tops at cricket awards KARACHI – Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was named best Test bowler of the year and compatriot Kumar Sangakkara the best Test batsman as Sri Lankans dominated the Asian cricket awards at the weekend.Muralitharan, 36, surpassed Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket last year.He now has 735 wickets in 120 Tests.The awards ceremony held late Saturday marked the silver jubilee of the formation of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).India’s Sachin Tendulkar was declared the best batsman of the year in one-day cricket, while Sri Lankan paceman Farveez Maharoof won the award for the best bowler in limited-overs cricket.The 35-year-old Tendulkar, who missed the Asia Cup due to a groin injury, holds the record for most centuries in one-day cricket with 42 and most runs with 16,361 in 417 matches.Nampa-Reuters and AFP