RUGBY UNION
Europe, Super game mooted
European champions Toulon of France and Super 15 winners the Otago Highlanders of New Zealand are hoping to face off in Hong Kong on Feb. 6 next year, the French Top 14 side announced on Wednesday. The one-off fixture brings together triple European champions Toulon with the Highlanders, who landed their first Super 15 title last month. “Toulon and the Highlanders have sent off a request for agreement from their respective federations,” Philippe Spanghero, manager of organizers SL Events, told reporters. “When that’s obtained we’ll put together a proposal to World Rugby to get all the required authorization.”
SOCCER
Costa Rica coach resigns
Costa Rica national coach Paulo Wanchope has resigned following involvement in a fistfight in Panama. Wanchope was watching his country’s under-23 team play in Panama on Tuesday when the scuffle broke out. Costa Rica’s soccer federation on Wednesday said in a statement that Wanchope had decided to “step aside.” Local news reports indicate Wanchope was irritated at refereeing during Tuesday night’s pre-Olympic match, which ended 0-0. Video of the incident shows Wanchope angrily opening a gate to the field and shoving a youth standing behind it, while apparently receiving a shove from a man standing beside the gate. Wanchope then turns and punches the man, who kicks and hits him before police intervene.
SOCCER
App to log racism reports
Fans and players in England who experience or witness racism or discrimination at soccer games or on social media will be able to upload videos and pictures of incidents via a mobile phone application. Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out says is enhancing the ability of people to confidentially report incidents to ensure there is more conclusive evidence to assist investigations. The app, which is available on Apple and Android devices, did not previously have a feature to allow users to report racist abuse on social media. Research for Kick It Out this year estimated that an abusive post toward a Premier League player or club is made once every 2.6 minutes on average. The app accounted for more than one-third of the reports received by Kick It Out last year about abuse in the professional game in England.
TENNIS
Sharapova tops ‘Forbes’ list
Maria Sharapova again topped the list of highest-earning female athletes over the past year, Forbes magazine said. For the 11th consecutive year, the Russian headed a list dominated by tennis players, who occupy seven of the top 10 spots. The 28-year-old Sharapova, who won the French Open last year, collected US$6.7 million in prize money, but her total estimated earnings were US$29.7 million, according to Forbes. The Forbes list also includes earnings from appearances, licensing and endorsements, personal business interests and, in some cases, salary. World No. 1 Serena Williams was second at US$24.6 million, while motor racing driver Danica Patrick is the top non-tennis player, in fourth place with US$13.9 million. The only other non-tennis players in the top 10 are No. 8 Ronda Rousey (mixed martial arts) and No. 9 Stacy Lewis (golf). Tennis is one of the few big-money sports where the earnings of women are somewhat comparable to men, though Sharapova’s income was significantly less than the US$67 million earned by Roger Federer, the top tennis player on the latest Forbes men’s list.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but