OLYMPICS
Ban compared to Holocaust
A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member yesterday strongly opposed barring Russia from next year’s Winter Olympics over its doping record, comparing a blanket ban with the Holocaust. International Ski Federation president Gian Franco Kasper, an IOC executive board member, said it was unfair to punish athletes on the basis of their nationality. “I’m just against bans or sanctioning of innocent people,” Kasper said, on the sidelines of an executive board meeting in Pyeongchang. “Like Mr Hitler did — all Jews were to be killed, independently of what they did or did not.”
GOLF
Muirfield allows women
Scotland’s Muirfield on Tuesday voted to allow women members for the first time in its storied history, and while it was enough to have the club returned to the rotation of potential British Open venues. Professional golfer Rory McIlroy ripped Muirfield for needing two votes and more than two centuries to admit women members, saying on Wednesday that it was “obscene” that the club waited so long. “In this day and age, where you’ve got women that are the leaders of certain industries and women that are heads of state, and not to be able to join a golf course? It’s obscene,” McIlroy said.
SOCCER
Nasri brands Vardy ‘a cheat’
Sevilla midfielder Samir Nasri has accused Jamie Vardy of cheating after the Frenchman was sent off for squaring up to the Leicester City forward and bumping foreheads in their Champions League clash on Tuesday. Nasri was shown a second yellow card by Italian referee Daniele Orsato for violent conduct after squaring up to Vardy. “For me he’s a cheat because if he was a foreign player you, the English press, would be saying he’s a cheat,” Nasri said.
BOXING
McGregor hyped bout likely
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White will not stand in lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s way if the Irishman agrees to terms of a much-hyped crossover bout with boxer Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather, a former five-division boxing champion who retired undefeated in 2015, has said he was coming out of retirement to take on mixed martial arts fighter McGregor. Mayweather has asked for a guaranteed US$100 million to make the fight happen, with US$15 million going to McGregor, while White has talked of US$25 million to each plus pay-per-view money.
TENNIS
Kyrgios beats Djokovic
Nick Kyrgios ended Novak Djokovic’s 19-match winning run at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, on Wednesday by beating the Serb 6-4, 7-6 (3) to reach the quarter-finals, while Roger Federer also advanced with a straight sets win over Rafa Nadal. Australian Kyrgios had beaten Djokovic in the quarter-finals in Acapulco almost two weeks ago in their first career meeting, and repeated the feat on to reach the last eight, where he will face Federer. The Swiss defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the 36th meeting between the pair. It marked the first time Federer had recorded three consecutive wins over the Spaniard. “It’s a nice feeling to win the last three, I can tell you that,” Federer said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and