BASEBALL
Flypast to honor military
Fans in Taoyuan County are set to witness the first pregame flypast in 25 years today, when a formation of fighter jets are scheduled to zip across the sky as a tribute to the military. Five Mirage 2000 fighters are to perform the flypast above the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium to open a game between professional clubs the Lamigo Monkeys and the EDA Rhinos as a precursor for Armed Forces Day, which falls on Wednesday next week. The flypast, the first since the inception of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 1989, is designed as an expression of gratitude to the military for recent disaster relief efforts following an air crash in Penghu County and multiple gas explosions in Greater Kaohsiung late last month. The celebration is also to feature dancing and drumming. From tomorrow to Sunday, a series of events are to be held under the title “Army Party,” including one in which visitors to the ballpark, which is home to the Monkeys, can have themselves painted in camouflage to give them a taste of another aspect of military life.
CRICKET
Bolt to take on Yuvraj
Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt is to make his first trip to India next week to play cricket against India’s World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, organizers said on Tuesday. The cricket face-off — titled “Bolt and Yuvi: Battle of the Legends” — is being organized by sportswear giants Puma and is to take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday next week. The format and details of the game have not been revealed. “Puma brings Usain Bolt down for a one-of-a-kind cricket face-off between two sporting legends,” the organizers said in a media release. “For the first time ever, watch the fastest man on Earth challenge Yuvraj Singh to an exclusive cricket showdown.”
CYCLING
Degenkolb wins Spain stage
Germany’s John Degenkolb won the fourth stage of La Vuelta on Tuesday, a 164.7km ride from Mairena del Alcor to Cordoba, with Australian Michael Matthews retaining the overall leader’s red jersey. Giant-Shimano rider Degenkolb held off the challenge of Spain’s Vicente Reynes and Matthews, who finished third, in a sprint finish. Colombian Nairo Qunitana is second overall, 8 seconds behind Matthews, with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde a further 7 seconds adrift in third.
BOXING
Former champ arrested
Former middleweight boxing champion Jermain Taylor was arrested on Friday following a shooting at his home in suburban Little Rock, Arkansas, according to a spokesman for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. “Mr Taylor was arrested for domestic battery, first-degree, and aggravated assault,” sheriff’s Lieutenant Carl Minden said. “It was his cousin and another individual that came over to his house, an altercation ensued, he [Taylor] grabbed a weapon and opened fire.” The cousin was hospitalized in serious condition with an apparent gunshot wound. The other man, described as a friend of the cousin, was not injured, Minden said. The two drove away from the home and were found at a Dollar General discount store several blocks away, Minden said, after a woman believed to be Taylor’s wife called 911 shortly before 6pm to report an intruder and a shooting at the home. The names of the cousin and other man were not released. Taylor, 36, was being held in the Pulaski County jail without bond early yesterday, according to online jail records.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite