Other Sports
Would you give up a kidney for Super Bowl tickets? Some would
A kidney? Abstain from sex for a year or break up with your significant other? Some say they would do just that; give up organs and sex and end relationships for a Super Bowl ticket...
Kenyan athletics authority says top athlete escaped from anti-doping testers
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A top Kenyan athlete ran away from anti-doping testers who had visited their training camp unannounced to take samples, a senior athletics authority official said, as the East African nation ramps up efforts to combat doping. Kenya is famous for its long and middle-distance running prowess, but it has been caught up...
Strong voices like Megan Rapinoe’s are good for sports: German athlete body chief
(Reuters) – Athletes are not just sports role models and should speak out about social and political issues just like U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe at last year’s World Cup, the CEO of independent German athletes’ association Athleten Deutschland said. Johannes Herber said on Wednesday the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 which banned any political...
World Cup veteran McBride named general manager of USMNT
After playing in three World Cups and nearly 100 games on the international level with the United States Men’s National Team, Brian McBride is returning as general manager. McBride’s appointment Friday will be effective immediately and the 47-year-old will join the team for its January training camp that was moved from Qatar, site of the...
Bekele and Kipchoge set for London Marathon showdown
LONDON (Reuters) – Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, the only men to go under two hours, two minutes for the marathon, will go head to head over the classic distance in this year’s London Marathon, organizers said on Friday. Kenya’s Kipchoge had already announced he would defend his title but the presence of Ethiopian former...
Spectator who racially abused Archer banned for two years
(Reuters) – New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has banned a spectator from attending international and domestic games in the country for two years after he admitted racially abusing England fast bowler Jofra Archer. NZC filed a complaint with the police after failing to “conclusively identify” a spectator who, as Archer explained on social media, had racially...
Paratore, Norris take Abu Dhabi lead as Koepka makes strong return
(Reuters) – Italy’s Renato Paratore and South Africa’s Shaun Norris carded identical opening round scores of eight-under 64 on Thursday to share the lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship while world number one Brooks Koepka was tied third on his return from injury. The 23-year-old Paratore, chasing his second title on the European Tour, sank...
Smith nets pair as Blackhawks bounce Canadiens
Zack Smith scored twice, and Drake Caggiula tallied a goal and an assist as the visiting Chicago Blackhawks topped the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory and seventh win in 10 games. Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 32 of 33 shots for his first victory in his past three starts...
17th January
Executive Kennedy insists Red Sox won 2018 title fairly
Whether the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 World Series title was won legitimately is up for debate after Alex Cora was involved in sign-stealing scandals in back-to-back seasons with the 2017 champion Houston Astros and Red Sox. The Red Sox held a press conference on Wednesday — one day after parting ways with Cora — and...
ATP roundup: Auger-Aliassime reaches Adelaide semis
No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada advanced Thursday to the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International in Australia. Auger-Aliassime earned an easy 6-3, 6-0 victory over Australia’s Alex Bolt in a match that lasted just 55 minutes. He will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. Rublev moved to 6-0 on the season with a...
Murray grabs share of lead in California, Fowler one back
(Reuters) – Grayson Murray tied his career best with nine birdies in one round to tame the challenging PGA West Stadium Course and was rewarded with a share of the first-round lead at The American Express in La Quinta on Thursday. The 26-year-old carded an eight-under-under 64 on the Stadium Course, which is considered the...
New Orleans police issue arrest warrant for Browns’ Beckham
(Reuters) – The New Orleans Police Department said on Thursday it obtained a warrant for the arrest of Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr., for allegedly slapping an officer’s buttocks after this week’s U.S. college football championship. The New Orleans police said in a statement the warrant involved a charge of misdemeanor simple battery in...
Beltran out as Mets manager after Astros sign-stealing scandal
(Reuters) – Carlos Beltran’s first season as manager of the New York Mets ended before it began as he stepped down on Thursday as a result of a sign-stealing scandal involving the Houston Astros, his former team. Beltran, who played for Houston in 2017, was the only player from the World Series-winning team who was...
Takayawa sets goal
FIJI’S top judoka Tevita Takayawa aims to qualify for Olympics by April this year. Takayawa who recently returned to the mat after an injury to his right leg late last year is focused on achieving Olympic qualification by the 2020 Asian-Pacific Judo championships which begin in April. “Well the goal is by the Asian-Pacific Championships...
Date set for cruiseweight title fight
A date has been set for Filimoni Naliva Jr and Alivereti Nakauyaca to contest for the vacant Fiji cruiserweight title next month. South Pacific Boxing Promotions promoter Fredy Chand said they were supposed to hold the event last month but because of the outbreak of the measles infection it was postponed to early this year....
Pirelli expects more predictable F1 after 2020 tire decision
LONDON (Reuters) – Formula One is likely to be more predictable this season after teams opted to stick with last year’s tire specification, according to Pirelli’s racing head Mario Isola. The 10 teams voted unanimously last month to reject new tires that the sport’s sole supplier had been developing for 2020. The sport is facing...
TE Gates announces retirement from NFL
Antonio Gates announced his retirement from football on Tuesday, ending his career with Hall of Fame-caliber numbers. Gates, 39, signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2003 as an unrestricted free agent after playing college basketball, not football, at Kent State. He remained with the organization through 2018 but did not play in 2019. “I...
NASCAR introduces new pit stop procedure at select races
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – NASCAR announced new competition rules for pit stops in select NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series races designed to enhance competition and create intrigue. The change affects the two Xfinity Series races at Iowa Speedway plus the Road America and Mid-Ohio road courses as well as Truck...
Smith nets pair as Blackhawks bounce Canadiens
Zack Smith scored twice and Drake Caggiula tallied a goal and an assist as the visiting Chicago Blackhawks topped the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory and seventh win in 10 games. Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 32 of 33 shots for his first victory in his past three starts...
Poor air could hit players hard in long matches at Australian Open: Evert
(Reuters) – Tennis great Chris Evert said player health is a serious concern heading into this year’s Australian Open where poor air quality could hit competitors hard in longer matches amid the devastating bushfires that have engulfed the country. With the year’s first tennis major starting on Monday in Melbourne, Evert — along with John...
Sabonis’ double-double leads Pacers past Wolves
Domantas Sabonis registered a double-double with 29 points and 13 rebounds, and the Indiana Pacers rallied to hold off the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-99 Wednesday at Target Center in Minneapolis. Indiana kicked off a stretch with six of its next seven games on the road in the first of two back-to-back against Minnesota. The Timberwolves, who...
16th January
McEnroe praises ‘rare talent’ in teen Jannik Sinner
(Reuters) – Tennis great John McEnroe heaped praise on 18-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner on Wednesday, telling reporters he sees the young phenomenon as a soon-to-be dominant figure in the sport. Sinner stormed onto the scene late last year, defeating top-seeded competitor Alex de Minaur to claim his first ATP title in Milan in November. He...
Clearer weather allows AusOpen qualifying to start on time
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Cooler temperatures and clearing skies following torrential rain on Wednesday allowed officials to continue the qualifying tournament for the Australian Open on Thursday, with forecast smoke haze expected to clear throughout the day. All of the early scheduled matches on the outside courts at Melbourne Park got under way on time while...
Dodgers must move on from Astros cheating scandal: Bryant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Basketball great Kobe Bryant on Wednesday said the Los Angeles Dodgers need to turn the page after Major League Baseball confirmed this week that the Houston Astros cheated during the 2017 season when they beat the Dodgers in the World Series. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard, who regularly attends Dodgers...
Executive Kennedy insists Red Sox won 2018 title fairly
WHETHER the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 World Series title was won legitimately is up for debate after Alex Cora was involved in sign-stealing scandals in back-to-back seasons with the 2017 champion Houston Astros and Red Sox. The Red Sox held a press conference on Wednesday — one day after parting ways with Cora — and...
Beatrice Faumuinā joins Sport NZ board
Faumuinā represented New Zealand at four Olympic and five Commonwealth Games. She won the discus world title at the 1997 and gold medals at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. From 2015-2018, she was Consul General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New York. Faumuinā’s appointment to the Sport New Zealand board...
Six remain to qualify for Japan games
THREE sports which are part of Team Fiji to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July have qualified while six remain to qualify. The three sporting federations that have qualified are rugby men’s and women’s, swimming and athletics. Swimming and athletics are through to the Olympics through universalities where Fiji Swimming will be required to...
World No.1 Momota leaves Malaysia hospital, on way home
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Badminton world number one Kento Momota was on his way home to Japan on Wednesday after being released from a hospital in Malaysia that treated him for injuries suffered in a vehicle collision. A Reuters photographer saw Momota, who won the Malaysia Masters on Sunday, clearing security checks at Kuala Lumpur...
MCC wants tests to remain five-day affairs
LONDON (Reuters) – Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of the game’s laws, says it wants tests to continue being played over five days amid calls for matches to be reduced to four days to ease a crammed international calendar and reduce player workload. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to discuss in the...
15th January
Jarry suspended after testing positive for banned substances
(Reuters) – Chile’s Nicolas Jarry has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after testing positive for two banned substances at last year’s Davis Cup finals in Madrid, the sport’s international governing body said on Tuesday. During the tournament in November, the 24-year-old, ranked 78 in the world, provided urine samples containing traces...
