FOOTBALL
Raiders to play despite air
The Oakland Raiders’ NFL home game against the Los Angeles Chargers is to be played as scheduled today despite the poor air quality caused by fires raging in Northern California. “Sunday’s game against the Chargers remains scheduled for 1:25pm at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum,” the Raiders said in a statement posted on their Web site. A pall of smoke has moved south to Oakland, where the Raiders cut their training short for a second day in a row on Thursday because of poor air quality. Some players wore masks under their helmets as they practiced.
COMPETITION
Teacher vies for bag prize
A New Hampshire woman is heading to Las Vegas to compete for the title of the US’ fastest grocery bagger. WBTS-LD reports Alysha Orrok recently won the New Hampshire bagging competition. She is to face off against the US’ best during the national competition in February for a US$10,000 prize. The Portsmouth teacher works night and weekend shifts at a supermarket. She said she was not always this good. The quick-handed pro said on her first day she dropped a soda that exploded everywhere. Expert-level bagging requires a unique set of skills. Competitors are judged on multiple factors including speed, weight distribution, appearance and technique.
SOCCER
Jurman suspended for sign
Australia defender Matthew Jurman has been suspended from the South Korean top flight for two matches after making a “bribe gesture” at an opponent during a K League Classic match earlier this month. Suwon Samsung Bluewings center back Jurman approached Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ Lee Dong-gook and “rubbed his fingers together” as the striker prepared to take a spot kick after earning a penalty late in the Oct. 1 match, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing the K-League’s discipline committee. The committee also said that Lee heard Jurman saying “how much,” Yonhap said. He was fined 2 million won (US$1,776). Jurman told reporters after the 1-1 draw with Jeonbuk he had said: “You will miss” to Lee, the news agency added. Jeonbuk were disqualified from defending their Asian Champions League title in January following revelations that one of their scouts had bribed referees in 2013. The scout, who was given a six-month suspended jail sentence was found dead at Jeonbuk’s home stadium in June.
FIGURE SKATING
Gold pulls out of events
Figure skater Gracie Gold’s chances of making the US Olympic team have diminished after she withdrew from two events in next month’s Grand Prix series for personal reasons. US Figure Skating on Friday said that Gold would miss competitions in Beijing and Grenoble, France, due to ongoing treatment for off-ice matters. “It saddens me deeply to sit out this Grand Prix Series, but I know it is for the best,” Gold said in a statement released to media outlets. “I am currently in treatment for depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. I will not have adequate training time to prepare and compete at the level that I want to.” Form during the Grand Prix series is taken into consideration for selection on the US team, which is to be named after the national championships in January. Gold, 22, a two-time US champion, finished fourth in the individual event in Sochi in 2014.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care