Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/656590
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2016 20 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL OLYMPICS Russian wrestlers may miss Rio Games because of doping RUSSIA'S wrestling team may not compete at the Rio Olympics after recording "tens" of positive dop- ing results, the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation (WFR) said on Tuesday, further inflaming a widespread cheating scandal in the country. WFR President Mikhail Ma- miashvili said an internal inves- tigation had uncovered multiple positive doping tests by Russian wrestlers. "There are tens of positive tests in the team, everyone is in a bad condition psychologically," Mami- ashvili told Russia's R-Sport news agency. Russian sport was thrown into turmoil last year when a report by the World Anti-Doping Agen- cy (WADA) exposed widespread cheating and corruption in Rus- sian athletics. Russian athletes have been sus- pended from international compe- tition and Russia is now in a race to have the ban overturned in time for the Rio Olympics in August. At least 16 Russian sportsmen and women, including former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova, have also tested positive for the banned drug mel- donium, damaging Russia's efforts to prove itself compliant with in- ternational anti-doping standards. The state-owned TASS news agency reported on Monday that two Russian wrestlers had been caught using meldonium. Mamiashvili did not say which drug Russian wrestlers had tested positive. Talking to TASS about his the team's chances of competing at the Rio Games, Mamiashvili said: "It may happen that simply none of us go." The WFR declined to comment. Struggling Argentina relieved to have Messi back – Aguero ARGENTINA were relieved to have Lionel Messi back from injury having made a troubled start to their South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers with- out their best player, striker Ser- gio Aguero said on Monday. Messi missed the first four rounds last year and Argentina, 2014 World Cup finalists in Bra- zil, got only five points after a defeat by Ecuador, draws with Paraguay and Brazil and a win over Colombia, leaving them sixth in the 10-nation group. "It's total relief to play with Messi," Aguero said on his ar- rival in Buenos Aires from Man- chester to prepare for matches away to Chile in Santiago to- morrow and at home to Bolivia five days later. "Leo is always important for us and it's obvious we're happy when he's here because it's really nice to play with him," Aguero told reporters after f lying in with Manchester City team mate Pablo Zabaleta and Man- chester United 's Marcos Rojo. Aguero said he was shocked by pictures showing the state of the pitch at the Mario Kempes stadium in Cordoba, where Ar- gentina will host Bolivia, after it was damaged by recent rock concerts, including an Iron Maiden gig. Groundsmen are working against the clock to get the pitch into shape although the Ar- gentine FA's (AFA) decision to take the team around the coun- try rather than play all home matches at River Plate stadium in the capital was made over a month ago. "When you see that you are shocked because we're not ac- customed to it. We'll have to see how it is and think we're playing in the juniors," Aguero said. "It's nice to play in different places for the fans but when you look at the photo you think, 'What happened here?' It leaves an impression on you, it's a pitch where everyone knows the na- tional team is going to play." The top four teams in the South American qualifiers after 18 rounds are completed at the end of 2017 qualif y for the finals in Russia while the fifth goes into an intercontinental playoff. Argentina coach Gerardo Mar- tino, deprived through injury of midfielder Enzo Perez and pos- sibly also Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, has called up Lautaro Acosta of local first division side Lanus, the AFA said on Monday. The 28-year-old, who won the under-20 World Cup in 2007 and an Olympic football gold medal at the Beijing Games in 2008, earned his first senior call-up after helping Lanus beat Boca Juniors 2-0 in the Argen- tine league on Sunday. Lionel Messi