CRICKET
NZ taps Stokes for award
After ripping the heart out of New Zealand fans on Sunday with a man-of-the-match performance in the World Cup final, England all-rounder Ben Stokes has now been nominated for the New Zealander of the Year award. The 28-year-old was born in New Zealand, but grew up in England. His exploits in the final earned some early nominations for the awards, as did New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, local media reported yesterday. “The way he [Williamson] conducted himself, not only in the face of such devastating disappointment at Lord’s, but throughout the tournament, resonated powerfully with Kiwis from all walks of life,” the award’s chief judge Cameron Bennett told the New Zealand Herald.
CYCLING
Push for women’s Tour
The International Cycling Union is hopeful it can convince Tour de France organizers to hold a women’s equivalent, president David Lappartient said. Women participate in La Course, a one-day competition during the Tour. This year’s edition is a 121km circuit race around Pau in southwestern France before the men began Stage 13 yesterday. Lappartient said that he had held discussions with the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) to increase the event to 10 stages and match the Giro Rosa. “What’s missing in our sport is a big stage race for women that can be seen worldwide. The Tour de France can really help with this,” Lappartient told BBC Radio 5 Live. The 46-year-old said he would continue fighting for a women’s Tour and hoped ASO would overcome logistical hurdles that prevent a longer event during the men’s race.
SOCCER
Arsenal fans petition club
Arsenal fan Web sites in the US are playing a pivotal role in a protest campaign against the club’s owners as a petition demanding change surpassed 100,000 signatures on Thursday, three days after launching. Sixteen supporters’ groups, three from the US, came together to launch the “#WeCareDoYou” campaign in response to “poor leadership” from owner Stan Kroenke and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, declaring the club to be in need of “meaningful action” to “reinvigorate” it. Supporters said they are unhappy with the fact that Arsenal face a third successive season in the Europa League, believe the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium to be “soulless” and feel “marginalized” by the club’s owners. Arsenal director Josh Kroenke responded with an open letter “respectfully disagreeing” with the fans’ view of where the club is at and insisting that he, his father and the club “want to win.”
CRICKET
Council suspends Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe was suspended on Thursday because of government interference. The International Cricket Council said it was also freezing all funding to the country, which is a Test-playing nation and full member of the council. The ban will be in place until at least October, when the council is to meet again to reconsider Zimbabwe’s status. Zimbabwe were suspended after its Sports and Recreation Commission removed the cricket board last month and installed temporary leadership. The commission acted after alleging corruption, but the council viewed it as government interference.
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