TAEKWONDO
WTF gets name change
The World Taekwondo Federation has changed its name to World Taekwondo after becoming uncomfortable with the “negative connotations” of its acronym, WTF. The body has been named the World Taekwondo Federation since 1973, but it has been considering a change since the slang abbreviation “WTF” gained currency on social media. “In the digital age, the acronym of our federation has developed negative connotations unrelated to our organization and so it was important that we rebranded to better engage with our fans,” World Taekwondo president Choue Chung-won said on the body’s Web site. The rebranding and launch of a new logo reflect a “commitment to evolving and adapting to remain relevant with today’s modern audiences,” World Taekwondo said. The new look for the Korean martial art was unveiled on the eve of the World Taekwondo Championships, which began in Muju, South Korea, yesterday.
SOCCER
Saints sign Pellegrino
English Premier League side Southampton on Friday named Argentine coach Mauricio Pellegrino as their new manager to replace Claude Puel, who was sacked after just one season. The 45-year-old Pellegrino, who had been in charge of Deportivo Alaves in Spain, agreed to a three-year contract at St Mary’s and is to officially join up with Southampton next week, the club said. “I am really happy to become the new coach of Southampton Football Club. The club has a great reputation for having a strong and stable structure, competing in the Premier League and playing attractive football,” Pellegrino said. “I think my philosophy and the culture of the club will work well together. We have to be a team on and off the pitch. I want to make the supporters proud of the players and to feel part of the game every week. I want to win matches, be successful and develop a team spirit where everyone gives 100 percent and supports each other.” Pellegrino is the second Argentine to manage the Saints, with Mauricio Pochettino in charge of Southampton before moving to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
BOXING
Jermain Taylor loses case
An Arkansas judge has ruled against world champion boxer Jermain Taylor after the former Olympian did not appear at a court hearing regarding a 2014 shooting involving his cousin. Taylor is serving a six-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to nine felony charges in 2015, including those related to a shooting that left his cousin, Tyrone DaWayne Hinton, in critical condition, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. In August 2014, Hinton and his son, Aharon Coley, drove to Taylor’s home in North Little Rock in Taylor’s car. Taylor confronted the two about damage he saw on his vehicle. When they denied causing the damage, Taylor allegedly retrieved a pistol from his home and fired in their direction. Hinton was struck five times. Hinton filed a lawsuit against Taylor in 2015 seeking compensatory and punitive damages for medical bills related to the shooting. Taylor’s representatives on Thursday told a Pulaski County Circuit judge that Taylor was in Florida with no money and no intention to attend his hearing in Little Rock. The 38-year-old was bonded out of jail in 2015 and a judge allowed him to move to Florida to get back into boxing shape. A trial date to determine the amount Taylor owes Hinton will be scheduled.
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
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB