Sportspeople

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has said he would swap his NBA most valuable player award for a FIBA Basketball World Cup title.
"I would exchange the MVP title for the gold medal in China," the 24-year-old told the FIBA Basketball website in an interview ahead of the World Cup in China starting August 31.

Romanian tennis player Patricia Maria Tig won the 125,000-USD Karlsruhe Open tournament on Sunday, after defeating Belgian Alison van Uytvanck 3-6 6-1 6-2 in the final. Tig, 25, world number 223, who continues the climb to the top 100 rankings, prevailed in one hour and 38 minutes over second seed Alison van Uytvanck, 25, world number 65.

Turkish Airlines signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Argentinian football club River Plate.  

Turkey on Aug. 2 condemned the racist insults against the country's football club Yeni Malatyaspor goalkeeper Fabien Farnolle.

Basketball players Thanasis (l) and Kostas Antetokounmpo take part in a training session of the Greek national team on Friday ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China. [Petros Giannakouris/AP]

Both Aris and Atromitos will join AEK in the third qualifying round of the Europa League after recording victories in their second-leg games on Thursday, to help Greece's UEFA ranking too.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the National Basketball Association's most valuable player for 2019, attends the official presentation of Greece's national basketball team Thursday ahead of the FIBA World Cup in China from August 31 to September 15. The team, coached by Thanasis Skourtopoulos, includes Antetokounmpo's brothers Thanasis and Kostas.

Atromitos defeated Dunajska Streda 2-1 away on Thursday and is the favorite for a ticket to the third qualifying round of the Europa League, while Aris shared a goalless draw with AEL Limassol at home.

The second leg a week later will be tricky for Aris in Cyprus, while Atromitos will only have its defense to mind in Peristeri.

Yiannis Papadopoulos' exhibition of oil paintings at Kalfayan Galleries has been extended to July 31. The show, titled "The Book of Stones," is inspired by the stones along the Glafkos River in Patra, the artist's birthplace. Much of his work centers around objects that symbolize Earth, and this exhibition continues with that theme.

 A Bulgarian boxer whose California licence was suspended for forcibly kissing a female reporter during an interview was reinstated on Monday but warned he faced a permanent ban for any such behaviour in the future.