SOCCER
Lokeren edge Mechelen
Taiwan international Xavier Chen’s KV Mechelen remained eighth in the Belgian Jupiler League on Saturday after a 3-2 away loss to KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen. Benjamin De Ceulaer opened the scoring for Lokeren after eight minutes, but the visitors equalized a minute later through Jaime Alfonso Ruiz. Nill De Pauw regained the lead for the hosts in the 53rd minute and Hamdi Harbaoui made it 3-1 six minutes later. Substitute Kevin Vandenbergh scored a consolation for Mechelen with a minute left to play. Chen played the full 90 minutes.
ICE HOCKEY
Sidney Crosby’s neck injured
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has sustained a serious neck injury and a concussion, the National Hockey League team said on Saturday. Crosby, who has been sidelined since early last month after a relapse of concussion-like symptoms, was recently examined by neurological spine specialist Robert Bray in Los Angeles, where tests revealed the neck injury. Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, told CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada that the Canadian may have fractured two vertebrae when he was hit by Boston Bruins David Krejci on Dec. 5. “The diagnosis of Dr Robert S Bray, a neurological spine specialist based in Los Angeles, is that Sidney Crosby had suffered a neck injury in addition to a concussion,” the team said in a statement. Crosby, the NHL’s most popular player and biggest name, missed the final 41 games of last season and the first 20 games this season before making his long awaited return in November last year. He scored 12 points in eight games, but began experiencing concussion-like symptoms again early last month and has not played since Dec. 5.
ATHLETICS
Mo Farah wins 1,500m
World 5,000m champion Mo Farah won a thrilling 1,500m from Kenya’s Augustine Choge to clinch the Aviva International Match for Britain and Northern Ireland in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday. Farah and Choge, a 1,500m specialist, bumped a few times before Farah held off Choge’s sprint finish. Britain’s two other world championships medalists didn’t fare as well. Hannah England was edged on the line in the women’s 1,500m by Denise Krebs of Germany, and Andy Turner was last in the 60 hurdles won by Konstantin Shabanov of Russia. Turner was still recovering from an Achilles injury. Russia was second overall, followed by Germany, a Commonwealth Select team and the US.
ALPINE SKIING
Skier dies in avalanche
Authorities say a skier has died after becoming trapped in an avalanche in a Utah backcountry area that the public was warned to avoid after potent snowstorms. The death marks the ninth avalanche fatality in the western US this season, and experts say the risk of additional slides could remain high all winter. Unified Police lieutenant Justin Hoyal says the victim was skiing with two other people when the avalanche occurred on Saturday morning near Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range, about 16km southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. The victim’s name wasn’t immediately released. Bruce Tremper of the Utah Avalanche Center says the group was in an area that the public was warned to stay away from after last week’s snowstorms. Experts say a weak base layer of snow, packed with large grains of ice, is plaguing parts of Utah, Colorado, Montana and California. They say these conditions could keep avalanche risks high for the rest of the season.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care