Saturday, 30 September 2023
OHTANI BECOMES THE FIRST JAPANESE PLAYER TO HAVE TOP-SRLLING MLB JERSEY
 |
| Reuters |
Los Angeles Angels two-way standout Shohei Ohtani had the top-selling jersey in Major League Baseball this season, marking the first time a Japanese player topped the list, according to data released by the league and MLB Players Association on Friday.
Ohtani, who is considered a favourite to be named the American League's most valuable player for the second time in three years, appeared in the top 10 after two prior seasons (2018 and 2021) but until now had never headlined the list.
FURY TO FIGHT USYK IN SAUDI FOR UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight in Saudi Arabia for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world at a date to be decided, organisers said on Friday after contracts were signed.
Britain's Fury is the WBC world champion while Ukrainian Usyk holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts. Both men have unbeaten records.
A long-awaited blockbuster unification fight between the two has failed to get over the line in the past, with a previous attempt to meet at London's Wembley Stadium breaking down amid recriminations on both sides.
Now, with the backing and financial muscle of Saudi Arabia, it appears to be on.
Organisers said it would be promoted by Queensbury Promotions, Bob Arum's Top Rank, K2 and Usyk17 at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena.
"You can't run rabbit run anymore Usyk, you're getting it," Fury, 35, wrote on Instagram.
Heavyweight boxing's last undisputed champion was Britain's Lennox Lewis in 1999, before the current four-belt era.
"This is the fight that everyone has wanted to see for some time and now it is finally happening," said Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, in a statement.
PRAMAC'S MARTIN BREAKS LAP RECORD TO GRAB POLE POSITION AT JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
 |
| Reuters |
Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing set a lap record and stormed to his second pole position of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with championship leader Francesco Bagnaia and last year's winner Jack Miller joining the Spaniard on the front row.
Martin secured his spot atop the timesheets by improving on Brad Binder's Friday mark with a time of 1.43.198.
PLAYERS FACE TOUGHER PUNISHMENT FOR BETTING ON LEAGUE GAMES
 |
| USA TODAY Sports |
National Football League players who bet on NFL games will face harsher penalties under the league's revised gambling policy, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Friday.
Players who bet on games involving their own teams will face a minimum two-year suspension, while betting on any NFL game will result in a minimum one-year suspension.
"The revised gambling policy for NFL players that we are issuing today provides that clarity and focus, and gives clear guidance to players about the consequences of violating the policy," commissioner Roger Goodell said in the memo released to clubs.
Friday, 29 September 2023
THE 'TAYLOR SWIFT EFFECT ' BRINGS SPENDING BOOST TO FOOTBALL
 |
| USA Today Sports |
The "Swift Effect" will be in full force when the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs travel to New York on Sunday, as a connection between pop music phenomenon Taylor Swift and NFL tight end Travis Kelce has sent fans into a frenzy.
The rumored relationship marks a collision between two of the most powerful forces in American pop culture, the juggernaut Swift in the middle of her record-breaking "Eras Tour", and the National Football League.
The pairing seemed all but confirmed when Swift showed up in Travis Kelce's suite at Arrowhead stadium on Sunday, where she cheered wildly as the tight end caught a three-yard touchdown pass in a 41-10 drubbing of the Chicago Bears.
Her appearance set social media ablaze as fans dissected Swift's every behavior, from her banter with Kelce's mom, Donna, to the sauces she paired with a mid-game chicken finger snack. The television broadcast of the game even replayed Swift's celebrations in slow motion.
Fans are now hoping to say "Welcome to New York" - or rather, East Rutherford, New Jersey - when the Chiefs take on the host Jets, as rumors swirl that Swift may make a repeat appearance.
NO RESTRICTION ON HIJAB IN PARIS 2024 GAMES' ATHLETE VILLAGE - IOC
 |
| Reuters |
Athletes can wear a hijab in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games athletes' village without any restriction, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday, days after France's sports minister banned it for the host country's athletes.
The Olympic body also said it needed to better understand the situation in France and had been in contact with the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF).
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said on Sunday French athletes would be barred from wearing a hijab during the Paris Games to respect principles of secularism.
"For the Olympic Village, the IOC rules apply," an IOC spokesperson said. "There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire."
Thursday, 28 September 2023
BRAVES' ACUÑA JR. BECOMES FOUNDING MEMBER OF 40-70 CLUB
 |
| Getty |
ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. wasn't going to let Wednesday's game end without making even more MLB history.
His steal of second base in the 10th inning of a hard-fought matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs was Acuña's second of the night and 70th this season, making him the first player in MLB history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 70 bases.
It came just moments before teammate Ozzie Albies drove him home for the winning run, setting off pandemonium at Truist Park as the Braves secured the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs.
"Very happy, mostly that we were able to win," Acuña said through an interpreter after the 6-5 victory. "I'm extremely happy to have created the 40-70 club."
Acuña has 41 homers, extending a historic season that already saw him become the first 40-50 and 40-60 player. He is the second Braves player with 70 steals in a season since 1900, joining Otis Nixon in 1991 (72).
"It was one of those numbers that wasn't impossible but seemed impossible," Acuña said.
MILAN FIGHT BACK TO BEAT PROMOTEX CAGLIARI 3-1
 |
| Reuters |
English duo Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were on target as AC Milan fought back after falling behind at promoted Cagliari to secure a 3-1 Serie A victory on Wednesday.
Tomori and Loftus-Cheek found the net either side of halftime after a first-half equaliser from Noah Okafor.
Stefano Pioli's side secured their fifth Serie A win of the season that moved them up to 15 points in second place, level with leaders Inter Milan, who host Sassuolo later on Wednesday. Cagliari are bottom of the table with two points.
The visitors dominated much of the first half despite conceding the opener, with Tijani Reijnders narrowly missing with an angled attempt in the opening minutes.
SESKO DOUBLE HELPS HOLDERS LEIPZIG BEAT SECOND-TIER WIESBADEN 3-2
 |
| Reuters |
Holders RB Leipzig were made to work hard and needed two goals from striker Benjamin Sesko to secure a 3-2 win over second division club Wehen Wiesbaden on Wednesday and a spot in the German Cup second round.
Leipzig, who host Manchester City in the Champions League next week, took a seventh-minute lead through Emil Forsberg's shot on the rebound before Sesko doubled the advantage in the 18th, slotting in from close range after a defensive mistake.
NEWCASTLE DUMP MAN CITY OUT OF EFL CUP AND DRAW MAN UTD
 |
| Reuters |
Newcastle United dumped Manchester City out of the League Cup 1-0 on Wednesday and drew a fourth round trip to holders Manchester United, who beat them in last season's final, as their reward.
Swedish forward Alexander Isak broke the deadlock in the second half at St James' Park after a much-changed City dominated possession in the first 45 minutes but failed to take their chances.
Newcastle soaked up the pressure and were transformed after the break, with Isak slotting in at the back post off a low cross from Joelinton in the 53rd.
City had Phil Foden and regular goal machine Erling Haaland on the bench while Newcastle started only goalkeeper Nick Pope from the team that won 8-0 at Sheffield United in the league last Sunday.
Julian Alvarez had two good chances, including one shot denied by Pope's outstretched foot, for City who had 68% of the possession but still fewer shots on target than Newcastle.
RECOVERING DUPONT ON COURSE FOR FRANCE'S WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL
 |
| Reuters |
Antoine Dupont's recovery from surgery on a broken cheekbone is going very well and it may not be too long before the France scrumhalf is back on pitch, assistant coach William Servat said, raising hopes he could return in time for the quarter-finals.
The captain will return to the squad on Sunday, though he will not take part in their last Pool A game against Italy on Oct. 6. But there is growing optimism in the French camp that he could return for the knockout rounds, which begin on Oct. 14-15
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
UN BODY QUESTIONS FRENCH MOVE TO BAR ITS ATHLETES FROM WEARING HIJAB AT PARIS 2024
 |
| Minister of Sports. Photo: Reuters |
A United Nations body has criticized France's ban on its athletes wearing the hijab at next year's summer Olympics.
Asked about the decision to ban French athletes from wearing the hijab at the Paris event, a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office said: "no one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear, or not wear."
POLAND SAYS IT WILL BID TO HOLD OLYMPICS IN 2036
 |
| Reuters |
Poland will bid to hold the summer Olympics in 2036, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday, entering the ring with other hopefuls including Indonesia, Mexico and India.
Poland, which hosted the multi-sports European Games this summer in Krakow and Malopolska, has never hosted an Olympic Games, summer or winter.
USHER WILL HEADLINE THE 2024 SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW
TOPLINE Usher will take the stage during the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show in February, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Sunday morning.
KEY FACTS
The game will be February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, and will air on CBS.
Usher will follow Rihanna, who headlined the show last year.
NFL’s head of music Seth Dudowsky called Usher “an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape,” in the announcement.
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
ATP ROUNDUP: ALEXANDER ZVEREV REACHES CHENGDU FINAL
 |
| USA TODAY Sunday |
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany will meet unseeded Russian Roman Safiullin in the Chengdu Open final in Chengdu, China.
Zverev saved all five break points and fired nine aces in a 6-3, 7-6 (2) semifinal win on Monday against No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. Zverev is chasing his first hard-court title since the Nitto ATP Finals in November 2021.
Standing in the way is Safiullin, who reached the final of the ATP 250 event with a 6-3, 6-4 upset against No. 2 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Safiullin struck nine aces and never faced a break point in the 89-minute match.
AMERICAN TIAFOE AND SHELTON SECURE LAVER CUP TITLE FOR TEAM WORLD
 |
| Getty |
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe handed Team World a second successive Laver Cup title after they squeezed past Team Europe duo Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4) 7-6(5) for a thrilling doubles victory on Sunday.
The Americans, who met earlier this month in the U.S. Open quarter-finals, found their rhythm to wrap up a final-day victory that lifted captain John McEnroe's team to 13 points and crushed any remaining hopes for Team Europe.
Team World took a 4-0 lead on the first day of competition, and extended it to 10-2 over Team Europe by the end of Saturday.
CHINA 🇨🇳 TO HOST OPENING TWO EVENTS IN 2024 DIAMOND LEAGUE
 |
| Diamondleague.com |
The 2024 Diamond League will begin its 15-stop season with two meets in China, in Xiamen and Shanghai, in April while Brussels will stage the two-day season finale in September, organisers said on Monday.
Last year's Diamond League was also scheduled to have 15 meets but the Shanghai stop was cancelled after COVID-19 restrictions caused delays in the renovation of the venue.
Xiamen will host the opening event on April 20, a week before Shanghai returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019.
RAPINOE BRINGS THE CURTAIN DOWN
 |
| Getty |
Olympic champion and two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe took her final bow in international football after the U.S. beat South Africa 2-0 in a friendly on Sunday in the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago.
The relentless 38-year-old striker was crucial to both of her team's goals, providing the long pass to Alex Morgan that set up Trinity Rodman's goal and taking the corner that Emily Sonnett headed into the back of the net.
Rapinoe, who won the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and Ballon d'Or for her role in the U.S. 2019 World Cup campaign, received a heartfelt farewell as she left the field in the 52nd minute to a standing ovation from the crowd, handed the captain's arm-band to Lindsey Horan and hugged her team-mates.
Monday, 25 September 2023
Sunday, 24 September 2023
NEWCASTLE THRASH SHEFFIELD UNITED 8-0 WITH EIGHT DIFFERENT GOAL SCORERS
 |
| Reuters |
Newcastle United ruthlessly put Sheffield United to the sword with a dazzling 8-0 victory at Bramall Lane on Sunday, with eight different players scoring, to leave the home side bottom of the Premier League standings.
The victory was Newcastle's biggest away from home and the Blades' largest ever defeat while Eddie Howe's side became the first team in Premier League history to have eight different goal scorers in one game as they moved up to eighth in the standings.
Newcastle showed no signs of a hangover from midweek after their first Champions League game in 20 years -- a goalless draw away at AC Milan -- and they took a 3-0 lead by halftime before switching gears in the second half to go into the record books.
ETHIOPIA'S ASSEFA SMASHES WOMEN'S MARATHON WORLD RECORD
 |
| Reuters |
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa shattered the women's marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, lopping off more than two minutes from the previous best to clock an official time of two hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds.
Assefa, who had set a course record with a personal best last year, set a blistering early pace, gradually shaking off any competition to pulverise Kenyan Brigid Kosgei's record of two hours 14 minutes and four seconds set in 2019.
Remarkably, her splits were faster after the halfway mark.
"I knew I wanted to go for the world record but I never thought I would do this time," said the 26-year-old, a former 800-metre runner. "It was the result of hard work."
With her time she set a marker for next year's Paris Olympics while also almost certainly nailing down a spot on the Ethiopian Olympic team for 2024.
"I have set a mark now. The decision does not lie with me but with officials. It is up to the National Committee to select me for the team."
FOOTBALL LEGENDS FROM TANGA | TANZANIA 🇹🇿
Football legends from Tanga, Tanzania 🇹🇿! Omar Zimbwe, Sheriff Mohammed Yahya and Mbwana Abushiri.
VERSTAPPEN VICTORY SECURES TEAM TITLE FOR RED BULL
 |
| Reuters |
Formula One leader Max Verstappen ran away with the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday as his dominant Red Bull team secured the constructors' title for the second year in a row.
The victory at Suzuka was the Dutch driver's 13th in 16 races this season and left him on the brink of a third world championship after Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, his closest rival, failed to finish.
McLaren's Lando Norris and Australian rookie Oscar Piastri, on a grand prix podium for the first time, finished second and third.
Verstappen, who also took the fastest lap and now leads Perez by a massive 177 points, can seal his third drivers' title in a row with five rounds to spare at next month's Qatar Grand Prix.
The constructors' title was Red Bull's sixth since they entered the sport in 2005 and they did it at a circuit owned by engine partner Honda.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)