BASKETBALL
Lakers sign Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian, who is fresh off an appearance with the Chinese national team at the Rio Olympics, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA team announced on Monday. Yi, of China’s Guangdong Province, averaged 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in five games at the Summer Olympics, which ended on Sunday. Yi, 28, joins a team that has been at or near the bottom of the NBA the past several seasons. The Lakers declined to release details of the contract. Yi was the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round draft in 2007. He has not played in the NBA since 2012 and has spent the past four seasons playing in the Chinese Basketball Association.
CRICKET
S Africa, NZ draw over rain
The first Test between South Africa and New Zealand yesterday ended in a damp draw without a ball bowled over the final three-and-a-half days due to a sodden outfield at Kingsmead. Only 100 overs were possible in the match, with New Zealand frozen on 15-2 in their first innings for 11 sessions after the players left the field prior to lunch on the second day, never to return. The tourists were replying to South Africa’s first innings total of 263 all out on a difficult batting surface in what was the first winter Test to be played in Durban. The debacle will now place the spotlight on Cricket South Africa’s decision to play the game at Kingsmead, with no play possible for three days, despite no rain.
CRICKET
Trinidad launches probe
The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board has launched an investigation after only 22 overs could be played over five days in the fourth and final Test between the West Indies and India at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, due to a soggy outfield. The lack of action meant India won the four-Test series 2-0, but surrendered the top spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings to Pakistan, less than a week after taking over the No. 1 position from Australia. Rain halted play on the first day of the Test after the West Indies had reached 62-2, and no further play was possible over the next four days, despite periods of sunshine. The abandonment and lack of modern equipment at the ground has been panned by critics and former cricketers. The ground might also face action from the ICC if Sri Lankan match referee Ranjan Madugalle submits an adverse report against the venue.
SOCCER
Leganes debut with victory
Victor Diaz on Monday scored the only goal as CD Leganes defeated RC Celta de Vigo 1-0 in the club’s first-ever game in the Spanish top flight. Diaz steered in from a corner on 75 minutes to hand Leganes victory on their La Liga debut, having won promotion to the top tier by finishing runners-up in Spain’s second division last season. Meanwhile, UD Las Palmas stunned Valencia 4-2 at the Mestalla, with Croatian striker Marko Livaja netting a brace in the final game of the opening round of matches in Spain. Santi Mina headed Valencia into a sixth-minute lead, but Livaja equalized before Jonathan Viera converted a penalty and Kevin-Prince Boateng stretched the visitors’ advantage on his Las Palmas debut. Mina struck again to make it 3-2 after just 34 minutes, but Livaja rounded out a famous victory late on.
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