World Cup Champion Argentina to Play Australia in China

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Auxerre v Paris St Germain - Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, Auxerre, France - May 21, 2023 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi during the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Auxerre v Paris St Germain - Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, Auxerre, France - May 21, 2023 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi during the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
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World Cup Champion Argentina to Play Australia in China

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Auxerre v Paris St Germain - Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, Auxerre, France - May 21, 2023 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi during the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Auxerre v Paris St Germain - Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, Auxerre, France - May 21, 2023 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi during the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Argentina captain Lionel Messi will lead his side against Australia at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing and take on Indonesia during a two-game exhibition tour to Asia next month.

Argentina will play the Socceroos on June 15 in the Chinese capital. It’ll be the first meeting between the teams since Messi and his Argentina lineup beat Australia 2-1 in the Round of 16 en route to winning the World Cup title last December in Qatar.

Argentina's football federation said the national squad would play Indonesia in Jakarta on June 19.

“Football is truly the global game and for Australia to be invited to play this match in China, and against the world No. 1, we hope this will open further opportunities for our two nations to work together both on and off the football field,” Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said in a statement Monday.

Argentina's game in Indonesia is scheduled for a week after the under-20 World Cup final in La Plata.



China’s Huang and Sheng Win First Gold of Paris Games at Air Rifle Mixed Team Event

 China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
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China’s Huang and Sheng Win First Gold of Paris Games at Air Rifle Mixed Team Event

 China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)

China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao won the first gold medal of the Paris Games on Saturday in the 10 meters air rifle mixed team event.

Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun of South Korea claimed silver and Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev of Kazakhstan were awarded bronze.

Three years after Yang Qian and Yang Haoran won the gold in Tokyo, compatriots Huang and Sheng made sure China retained it.

The reigning world champions topped the qualifying round ahead of their Korean rivals at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.

The gold medal round was not really a cakewalk though despite them racing to a 14-8 lead after the first 11 shots.

Keum and Park staged a late comeback to reduce the gap at 14-12 but the Chinese pair prevailed 16-12 in the end.

Le and Satpayev gave Kazakhstan their first medal of the Paris Games with a 17-5 romp against the German pair of Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich.