Defending champions Russia maintained their machine-like progress at the European Men’s Volleyball Championships today as they won their fourth consecutive preliminary match, beating Finland 3-0.

September 21 is assured.The Championships are being staged for the first time across four countries - France

this year's Championships after successive defeats, earning a 3-0 victory over Austria,Pool A hosts France

finished fourth in 2017,  in the lead on three wins.A 3-0 win over Bulgaria tonight has established France

top of pool A - being played at Sud de France Arena in Montpellier – with four victories.Earlier in

Azerbaijan's Olympic light welterweight silver medallist Lorenzo Sotomayor was knocked out of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Men's World Championships welterweight competition by Chemseddine Kramou of Algeria.

Japan next, with the silver medallist at this year's Asian Championships overcoming Wahid Hambli of France

Russia are favourites to defend their title at the Blind Football European Championships which begin tomorrow in Rome.

after the 2017 final in Berlin and have been placed in Group B in the Italian capital.They will meet France

FIFA have handed former Russian football official Alexander Shprygin a two-year ban over statements published on social media.

CHF10,000 (£8,100/$10,000/€9,100).The official was twice deported from the 2016 European Championships in France

his involvement in violent scenes which marred the event.Alexander Shprygin was twice deported from France

during the 2016 European Championships ©Getty ImagesHe was first sent home from France in June, before

England supporters in Marseille during the competition.Shprygin was one of 20 Russian fans deported from France

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is confident a future bid for the Games from his home country of Germany could get off the ground despite the referendum defeats in Munich and Hamburg.

You see the last awards that we made to Paris, France, to Italy with the Winter Games, to the USA with

Reigning champions Japan completed the preliminary round with a perfect record at the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship after beating Chinese Taipei 3-1 to finish top of Pool B.

European Men’s Volleyball Championships, which are being staged for the first time across four countries – France

bronze-medal match, top pool B having won their third game, 3-0 over Spain.A 3-0 win over Portugal established France

top of pool A - being played at Sud de France Arena in Montpellier - with three wins, level with Bulgaria

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BudapestFrance and Russia clashed in both 3x3 basketball finals ©WUG BudapestRussia won the women's event while France

Triple Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Brendel of Germany was among the winners on the final day of the Tokyo 2020 canoe sprint test event.

Burgo and Luca Beccaro of Italy ended in 3:26.906 as runners-up.Cyrille Carre and Etienne Hubert of France

Spain won the International Basketball Federation World Cup for the second time as they beat Argentina 95-75 in today's final in Beijing.

World Cup.Despite the best efforts of their 39-year-old star man Luis Scola, Argentina, who had beaten France

seven games of the tournament, finished with eight points.Earlier in the day at the Wukesong Arena, France

Ami added World Urban Games glory to her World Breaking Championship title in Budapest, however men's world champion Menno was defeated by Victor in an electric atmosphere at the Nagyvásártelep.

atmosphere at the Nagyvásártelep ©Matthew SmithMen's roller freestyle gold went to Roman Abrate of France

to a head, with tomorrow seeing the knockouts and medal matches.In the men's basketball, Russia and France

semi-finals, and will be joined by either Ukraine or The Netherlands.China are in the other semi-final, where France

Defending champions the Netherlands will take on Italy in the gold-medal match at the European Baseball Championship after both sides came through their semi-finals in Germany.

the fifth place play-off tomorrow after they won their classification games today.Germany thrashed France

Reigning champions Japan earned a second victory at the 20th Asian Men's Volleyball Championships in Iran, and now face Chinese Taipei to determine the winners of Pool B.

.The European Men's Championship is being played for the first time across four hosting countries – France

the other two top seeds, Italy have won both their opening Pool A matches – being played at Sud de France

Arena in Montpellier – beating Portugal 3-0 and Greece 3-1.The hosts, France, matched them today as

The rest of the basketball world has caught up with the United States, according to one of the game's superstars, Kobe Bryant.

The US team, seeking a third successive world title, were beaten by France in the quarter-finals, and

five-time National Basketball Association champion, continued: "There's some great basketball being played: France

Egypt's Mohamed ElShorbagy and Raneem El Welily will defend their titles against a strong field at next month's Professional Squash Association (PSA) US Open.

second consecutive US Open crown ©PSAWorld champion Nour El Sherbini, 2016 winner Camille Serme of France

Italy beat hosts Germany this evening to secure their place in the semi-finals of the European Baseball Championship.

of the three quarter-final ties held in Bonn.Awaiting them in the last four are Israel, who defeated France

event for next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo as guaranteed top-five finishers.Belgium, Czech Republic, France