GENDER
Trans athletes pan tennis ace
Trans sportswomen hit back at Martina Navratilova, after the tennis champion said “it’s insane and it’s cheating” for transgender women to be allowed to compete in women’s sport. “A man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organisation is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires,” Navratilova wrote in the Sunday Times. Navratilova’s comments are “disturbing, upsetting and deeply transphobic,” said Rachel McKinnon, who last year became the first transgender woman to win a world track cycling title.
FORMULA ONE
Wolff: Brexit ‘major concern’
Mercedes Formula 1 CEO Toto Wolff on Monday said why Brexit would do untold damage to the industry in the UK, calling it the “the mother of all messes.” “Brexit is a major concern for all of us that live in the UK and operate out of the UK,” Wolff said at Montmelo, Spain, where pre-season testing began. The Mercedes and Red Bull teams are based in England. Wolff was also concerned about customs for motor parts. “The way we get parts and services is just in time ... taxes would massively damage the Formula 1 industry in the UK,” he said. Visa and right-to-work concerns were also high on Wolff’s worry list, due to the “26 nationalities in our team.”
BOXING
Fury’s deal may mar rematch
Tyson Fury has signed a multi-year, multi-fight agreement with US broadcaster ESPN, which could threaten the British heavyweight’s prospects of a world title rematch with Deontay Wilder. Fury’s future fights would be broadcast live on BT Sport in the UK and ESPN in the US. His new deal would appear to make a hugely anticipated rematch with World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Wilder, against whom Fury was held to a controversial draw in Los Angeles in December, more difficult given that the American has been fighting on the Showtime channel.
OLYMPICS
Indonesia bids for 2032
Indonesia has submitted a bid to host the 2032 Olympics, officials said yesterday, after the nation’s widely lauded handling of the Asian Games last summer. Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Muliaman Hadad submitted a formal bid letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne last week, the country’s foreign ministry confirmed yesterday. “This is the right moment to show Indonesia’s capability as a big country,” Hadad said in a statement. India has also expressed an interest in hosting the 2032 Games, while North and South Korea have said they might enter a joint bid.
SOCCER
AFC fights pirate channel
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is hiring experts to step up its fight against intellectual property theft by pirate channel beoutQ, which illegally broadcast last month’s Asian Cup, the confederation said yesterday. BeoutQ emerged in 2017 after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar. “The AFC values its broadcast and commercial partners and wishes to do everything that it can to protect their rights,” AFC general-secretary Dato’ Windsor John said.
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
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
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