SOCCER
Ghana to dissolve agency
Ghana on Thursday said it would dissolve the nation’s soccer association after claims made in a documentary of bribe-taking by referees and kickbacks to top officials. The government had “decided to take immediate steps to have the GFA [Ghana Football Association] dissolved” because of the “widespread nature of the apparent rot,” Ghanaian Minister for Information Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said. The conduct of all GFA officials and suspended National Sports Authority director-general Robert Sarfo Mensah was referred to police for further investigation and any “appropriate action,” he said, adding that provisional measures would be put in place to run the sport until a new body is formed.
FOOTBALL
Trump to be called to testify
US President Donald Trump is being put on the spot to explain his anti-NFL rhetoric by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in his complaint that team owners have blacklisted him for refusing to stand for the national anthem. Kaepernick and his former teammate Eric Reid are expected to ask Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence to voluntarily testify about their influence over the NFL in a case in private arbitration. Kaepernick claims that comments made by Trump and Pence have discouraged the NFL and team owners from hiring the players over the expression of their views on police brutality. Should the White House refuse a voluntary deposition, attorneys for the players plan to subpoena the two, a person close to the grievance said, adding that if they fail in private arbitration, the players would ask a federal judge to intervene.
RUGBY UNION
Toddler hurt in luggage area
The one-year-old son of All Black Vaea Fifita was rushed to a hospital after being injured by an airport conveyor belt, the player said yesterday on the eve of their first Test against France. The toddler was somehow carried into Auckland Airport’s baggage handling area on Thursday as the family checked in. “He had an operation on his arm and is doing okay,” Fifita said. Fifita, who can also double at lock, has been named on the bench for the first Test and an All Blacks spokesman confirmed that he remained in the match-day 23, despite the accident.
SOCCER
MP calls for injury checks
British Legislator Chris Bryant on Thursday called for independent medical checks on player who have sustained head injuries, after Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius played on in the Champions League final with a concussion. “The concussion suffered by the Liverpool goalkeeper in the recent Champions League match shows absolutely that football has not yet got this right,” Bryant said ahead of a debate in the House of Commons on the subject of brain injuries, due on Monday. “It shouldn’t be the club doctor that is making a decision about whether somebody continues to play — it should be an independent medical assessment.” According to two examining experts, Karius suffered a concussion, which could in part explain the two blunders he made in the game. Karius complained to referees in the 49th minute that he had been elbowed in the head by Madrid striker Sergio Ramos and that the foul went unpunished.
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