From her wheelchair, Maryam Samimi punched the air as the referee's whistle signaled her basketball team's win in an Afghan national tournament, a moment of joy in a country often unkind to those missing limbs.

Many amputees in Afghanistan languish without access to care and become depressed and isolated. And with mines and unexploded ordinance still scattered across this country ravaged by decades of nonstop war, more will be maimed or lose limbs from explosions.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has launched a stinging attack on FIFA president Sepp Blatter as he backed Cristiano Ronaldo's case to win a second consecutive Ballon d'Or in January.

Ronaldo headed a 23-man list for the award announced on Tuesday including four-time winner Lionel Messi and six German World Cup winners.

Real Madrid has joined forces with an Abu Dhabi state investment fund to promote the club internationally and transform its Santiago Bernabeu stadium into the "greatest sporting venue in the world," the European champions said Tuesday.

Club president Florentino Perez signed a long-term "strategic alliance" with International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), represented by Khadem al-Qubaisi.

A resurgent Andy Murray will play for a sixth straight week when he competes at the Paris Masters in a bid to finish the season in the top four and gain a better draw at the 2015 majors.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who plays Julien Benneteau in the second round of the Paris event on Wednesday, is also seeking to qualify for next month's ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena.

The French Football Federation says it disagrees with a three-month coaching ban imposed on Zinedine Zidane, saying UEFA rules allow him to coach while studying for his coaching badge.

A Spanish judge on Monday banned Zidane from coaching Real Madrid's reserves following a complaint by Miguel Galan, the president of Spain's national training center for football coaches.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has revealed the logo for the 2018 World Cup in Russia — with the help of a crew of cosmonauts.

The logo depicts the World Cup trophy in red and blue, colors from the Russian flag, with gold trim.

As the NBA season kicks off in America this week, a group of Saudi women and girls will be pursuing their own hoop dreams.

Women's basketball is gaining in popularity in a kingdom rife with public restrictions on female movement and activity. With the help of some U.S.-trained coaches, female enthusiasts are using basketball to push for greater rights for women on and off the courts in Saudi Arabia.

Tony Parker scored 23 points, including a big 3-pointer late in the game as the San Antonio Spurs opened their title defense with a thrilling 101-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Manu Ginobili added 20 points for San Antonio, which shot 53 percent from the field. Tim Duncan had 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 14th double-double in a season opener, the most by any player in NBA history, according to Elias Sports.

Mario Balotelli sparked a dramatic fightback by Liverpool and Chelsea needed a late own goal to edge past plucky fourth-tier opposition as the two Premier League giants squeezed into the League Cup quarterfinals.

Late goals settled four of the five last-16 matches on Tuesday — and two were scored at Anfield as Liverpool came from behind to beat Swansea 2-1.

Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa scored one goal and set up another Tuesday as Borussia Dortmund put aside its Bundesliga troubles with a 3-0 win at St. Pauli in the German Cup.

Dortmund, last season's beaten finalist, was looking for relief after losing its last four league games, and started strongly against the second-division side in Hamburg.