■OLYMPICS
Race too tight to call: Rogge
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said the race to win the right to host the 2016 Games was too close to call, and that he was delighted he didn’t have a vote. The Belgian professed himself to be very pleased after all four candidate cities — Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro — completed 90 minute presentations and answered questions in front of 93 of the 107 IOC members Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday. Rogge said that this was vastly different to the final presentations which will be made in Copenhagen on Oct. 2 when all four bidding cities learn their fate. “There there will be heads of state, dignitaries and celebrities which makes it a wholly different scenario,” he said.
■SOCCER
Ronaldo ends goal drought
Ronaldo scored his first goal for nearly two months on Wednesday to help his Corinthians side beat Internacional 2-0 in the first leg of the Brazil Cup final. The former FIFA World Player of the Year scored his 11th goal of the season eight minutes into the second half when he took a long pass from Elias, dribbled past Indio and shot low into the bottom corner of goalkeeper Lauro’s net. Jorge Henrique opened the scoring for Corinthians midway through the first half, finishing off a fine move on the wing by Marcelo Oliveira.
■SOCCER
Kahn hosts reality show
A Chinese television reality show hosted by former German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was scheduled to open yesterday, producers and sponsors said. Kahn’s 10-week show, I Never Give Up, gives aspiring young Chinese goalkeepers the chance to win a place at the German Soccer Federation’s (DFB) top training academy, Berger Feld Schule. “In this show Oliver Kahn is not just looking for China’s new football talent, but sharing his advice for success in sports and life,” German airline Lufthansa, a sponsor of the TV series, said in a statement. Heilongjiang Satellite TV, based in the city of Harbin, planned to air the first program last night. Kahn, 40, who retired from playing with Bayern Munich last year, reportedly said he would be gentle with the competitors and avoid the blunt criticisms and public humiliation that have featured in similar reality shows. The show aims to reflect the “importance of individuality and personality, but most of all how the contestants handle defeat,” the official China Daily newspaper quoted Kahn as saying. “We don’t want to do an empty and meaningless, mindless casting show,” he said. The show features 10 goalkeepers aged 17 to 24, including two women.
■TENNIS
Mayer replaces Nalbandian
Argentina on Wednesday named Leonardo Mayer as a replacement for David Nalbandian on its Davis Cup team for next month’s quarter-final against the Czech Republic. The team will be led by Juan Martin Del Potro, who reached the semi-finals of the French Open and is ranked No. 5 by the ATP. Mayer, ranked No. 70, is the only new face on the team, which also includes Jose Acasuso and Juan Monaco. Mayer, 22, lost to Tommy Haas of Germany in the second round of the French Open, and defeated James Blake of the US in the first round. Nalbandian, ranked No. 16, is recovering from hip surgery and will also miss Wimbledon and the US Open. The Czech Republic vs Argentina match is from July 10 to July 12 in Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
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