The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) yesterday officially issued letters to member nations canceling the World Youth Baseball Championship that had been scheduled to begin in Venezuela tomorrow.
The IBAF move comes after Venezuelan authorities refused to issue visas to members of Taiwan's youth baseball teams.
Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CPBA) secretary-general Lin Tsung-cheng (林宗成) said yesterday afternoon that the Venezuelan decision had seriously violated the principles of the International Olympic Committee as well as IBAF regulations.
The CPBA had lodged a complaint with the IBAF after Venezuela refused to issue visas to the Taiwanese players.
Lin said that the IBAF issued official notices to all its member nations as well as to its executive committee and staff at 9pm yesterday Taiwan time, calling off the 2007 World Youth Baseball Championship.
The IBAF also ordered staff members to return to their respective countries as soon as possible upon receiving the notice. Issues regarding punishment will be discussed during an executive committee meeting scheduled for Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany.
Lin said that after the association had received the notice, CPBA chairman Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠) immediately replied to the IBAF, expressing gratitude for its impartiality and stating that there would not be any problems regarding the issuing of visas for the upcoming Baseball World Cup and Asian Baseball Championship to be held in Taiwan in November.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria