SOCCER
China to host tournament
China is to host an annual national team tournament starting from next year, entertainment and property conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group said yesterday as it seeks to build a sporting empire. The announcement comes as Chinese companies snap up foreign players and clubs as the country increases its influence on the global game. The FIFA-approved “China Cup” will be launched in January next year with a four-game tournament featuring China and three teams from Europe and the Americas, Wanda said in a statement, without identifying the non-Chinese participants. The company expects the cup, which Wanda says is a collaboration with the Chinese Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation, to eventually feature eight competitors from “among the world’s top-ranking national A teams,” the statement said. “As the host country, China will automatically qualify to enter its national team in the tournament, gaining the opportunity to climb up FIFA ranks,” Wanda added. Wanda holds a key stake in Atletico Madrid and is a top-tier sponsor of FIFA.
OLYMPICS
Report ‘could ban Russia’
The leader of the US anti-doping effort says nothing short of removing the Russian flag from this summer’s Olympics would suffice if an upcoming report about Russian doping is as damning as expected. The report, due to be made public on Monday, is expected to include details about the Russian sports ministry telling its drug--testing officials which positive tests to report and which to conceal. If those details do show up in the report, Travis Tygart, the CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, told The Associated Press he would support the same sort of action for all Russian sports that track and field’s governing body, the IAAF, took regarding the country’s track team: It barred the team, but gave a small number of athletes who could prove they were clean a chance to compete under a neutral flag. “If it’s proven true, and there’s been intentional subversion of the system by the Russian government ... the only outcome is they can’t participate in these Olympic Games under that country’s flag,” Tygart said.
SOCCER
Semi-pros beat Celtic
Scottish giants Celtic crashed to a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Lincoln Red Imps on Tuesday with the goal scored by Lee Casciaro, a policeman in his day job. Manager Brendan Rodgers’ first competitive match in charge was a humiliating affair, with 34-year-old Casciaro inflicting the hammer blow in the 48th minute. This was one of 1967 European champions’ Celtic’s worst ever defeats in the competition, and it left the Hoops counting on turning this second qualifying tie around in the return leg at Parkhead next week. For Rodgers it was the worst possible start to his Celtic career.
TENNIS
Niculescu wins in Bucharest
Monica Niculescu won her opening match for only the second time in five tournaments when she overpowered fellow Romanian Andreea Mitu 6-2, 6-4 at the Bucharest Open in Romania on Tuesday. Other winners in straight sets included second-seeded Sara Errani, No. 4 Laura Siegemund of Germany, No. 6 Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, No. 7 Anastasija Sevastova of Lativa and wild card Francesca Schiavone.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two